Delilah's Gift

Johnny was in love.  His five year old heart could not pump any faster.  He had to get home to Mommy and Poppy and tell them his news.  Auntie Manda had a new baby.  Her name was Delilah, and Johnny loved her.  She had the softest hair and the tiniest hands and her skin smelled of the stuff that Mommy used to put on Johnny during the summer when his skin hurt.  Auntie Manda was his mommy’s best friend and she had gotten a big belly over the summer, and then came home with his baby Delilah.

He wasn’t too sure about the baby to begin with, but he figured with a name like Delilah, the baby couldn’t be all bad.  But then the baby opened her eyes and looked at Johnny and at that moment, Johnny knew that he was in love.  He ran out of the house as fast as he could and tore through the next yard where he lived with Mommy and his Poppy.  Poppy was Mommy’s daddy, and he had lived with them ever since Granma had taken his heart to heaven with her.  Johnny still wasn’t sure what that meant, but Mommy says it was “omantic”? 

Turning the corner past the rose bush, Johnny came to an abrupt stop.  There was Mommy.  “Mommy, mommy, Aunt Manda has a new baby and she loves me.”  Johnny was red faced from running and his chest was moving in and out as rapidly as his little heart beat.  “Her name is Dewiwa, I mean Delilah and she looked at me she blinked.”

Johnny had always wanted a sister.  Ever since his friend Cory got one, Johnny had been begging his mommy for one.  Mommy always said, “Not right now”, or “We’ll see”, which to Johnny meant that mommy was not really listening.  But now, Johnny had a new baby and her hair sparkled and she was soft and tiny. 

FIVE YEARS LATER

Johnny couldn’t wait.  Today was Delilah’s first day of school.  Johnny was ten now, and as he walked with Aunt Manda and Delilah, he listened to her childish babble.  Jeez, he thought, I can’t believe we are going to the same school.  I hope she doesn’t embarrass me.  This was a big year for him.  He was going to start playing football and he was starting a new class with a new teacher for kids that learn quickly.

As they stood there waiting for the yellow school bus, Delilah grabbed Johnny’s hand.  Johnny tried to pull away; he didn’t want his friends to see him holding a baby’s hand.  “Johnny,” Delilah said; “are you scared?” 

“No, Delilah, I have been to school before.  Now let go.”

As Johnny pulled his hand free, Aunt Manda leaned down to Delilah and whispered something in her ear that made Delilah giggle.  Johnny rolled his eyes as the school bus came into view. 

“Let’s go, Delilah” he said.

FOUR YEARS LATER

Johnny was starting high school tomorrow.  Poppy passed on to be with Granma over the summer, and Johnny felt lonelier than he had since his Dad had moved away.  For all his sarcastic words to Delilah, he felt happiest when he was around her.  She would talk about stupid girl things; like her dolls or cartoons, or that stupid bunny she carried around with her everywhere.  But he loved her.  She was the sister that he wanted when he was five and never got.

Delilah moved away over the summer.  After Poppy died, Aunt Manda got offered a job downtown and she moved to be closer.  Now that he was going to high school, Johnny wouldn’t get to see Delilah every day.  He missed her already.

THE NEXT DAY

Homeroom:  Johnny’s teacher began calling roll.  When she reached Johnny’s name; Johnny Tucker, he stood up and corrected her saying that he wished to be called John. 

Times were changing and so was Johnny.

AT FOOTBALL TRYOUTS THAT AFTERNOON

As Johnny sat huddled with his peers listening to the rules from the coach, he looked over at the cheerleaders as they began their tryouts.  One girl stood out, she had reddish hair and she smiled a lot.  As her eyes caught Johnny’s, she smiled.  Johnny looked away.

SIX YEARS LATER

Johnny was celebrating his twenty first birthday in a few weeks.  But today was all about Delilah.  She was turning fifteen today.  Looking back, Johnny realized how much he loved her.  She was his best friend, his confidant, and his muse.  When Johnny had left to go to college, Delilah had emailed him everyday, so that he wouldn’t get lonely.  For the first time in her life, they were separated by more than a few miles.  He had bought a special gift for Delilah.  For months, he had worked a part time job at the campus library to be able to buy this for her.  He couldn’t wait to give it to her.

After the party, Delilah and Johnny began cleaning up.  After a few moments, Johnny pulled her aside and said “I wanted to give this to you when we were alone.  I hope you like it”.  As she opened the gift, Delilah’s eyes filled with tears.  Inside the box lay a gold heart filled with rubies.  It hung from a delicate gold chain. 

“Oh Johnny, you really shouldn’t have.  But I love it.  Will you put it on me please?”  Delilah lifted her hair off of her neck and turned around so that Johnny could fasten the clasp.  His fingers fumbled as he tried to work the tiny mechanism.

“Well, I, um, I love you.  Happy birthday, Delilah.  I gotta head back, I have classes tomorrow.”  Johnny stumbled away and went to say good bye to his mother and his Aunt.

THREE YEARS LATER

Delilah was in love.  She always knew that this would happen.  She just had to convince him that she was more than what he saw.  Picking up the phone, she dialed a number that she had memorized after so many dialings.  One ring, two rings, and then a gruff voice answered the phone. 

“Delilah, do you realize that it is seven in the morning.  I have to be in class in two hours.”  Her Johnny.  He always had been.  She had loved him since she was born practically.  He was in graduate school now, and she was a senior in high school. 

“Yeah, I know, but I need a favor.  Prom is this weekend, and my date bailed on me.  I wondered if you would be my escort.”  Delilah didn’t really have a date, but she was hoping that he wouldn’t know that. 

“Jeez Lilah, what kind of guy bails on a girl the week before?  Let me see what I can do and I will call you back.” 

“Thanks, Johnny; I knew I could count on you.”

SATURDAY NIGHT

Standing in Johnny’s’ arms had never felt so good.  He looked great in his penguin suit and she loved the way that his hair curled along his collar.  Delilah had taken her time picking her dress for this years’ formal.  She wanted it to be perfect.  She wore her hair down and around her neck hung the necklace that Johnny had given her years before.  Her mother had looked a little nervous when Johnny came to pick her up, but Delilah had kissed her cheek and rushed him out the door before too many questions were asked.

“Johnny, have you ever been in love,” she asked quietly, swaying to the music.

“Yeah.  I fell in love once a long time ago.  She was the most beautiful girl in the world.  Way out of my league.”

“Oh,” she said.  “What happened?”

“I never told her.  I think she knew, but it was better to let it rest.  I was too old for her and I didn’t want to hurt her in any way.”

Delilah stopped dancing.  She looked up at Johnny as music and couples swirled around them.  She could hardly breathe.  She wanted to believe that he meant her, but it was almost too much to hope for.

“If you had another chance with her, what would you do,” she whispered.

“This,” he said, as he leaned down to kiss her.

Time stood still.

FIVE YEARS LATER

Amanda and her best friend stood side by side looking over the guests. 

“Maggie, are you happy?”  She asked.

“Our children are happy and we are the family that we always wanted to be.”

Across the dance floor, Amanda’s daughter and Maggie’s son swayed to the music in each others arms.  The wedding had been beautiful and their children radiant as they swore to love each other faithfully.

ONE YEAR LATER

Johnny was in love.  His beautiful wife had just given birth to the second most beautiful baby girl he had ever seen.

His life had come full circle.