Requiem for a Friendship

HOR D'OEUVRES for READERS by Kurt Garrett

The thought of losing Lisa to another person never crossed Benet’s mind for more than a decade. Her friendship was a refuge for his volatile personality that recently produced a broken marriage. Lisa would not be there, as she had been, to help him deal with the painful fragments that were like hot coals needing attention before they would reignite. 

The peculiarity of tears for no apparent reason struck Benet with as much surprise. There was no one hurt or sick or in peril that he could think of, yet a light but increasing stream of tears flowed from his eyes as he sat waiting for the next train still 20 minutes away. Sure he was reminiscing to the melodic background music that took him back to his rural Mississippi upbringing that included a whopping dose of soul and blues music. Still, this moment brought something different. More than one emotion was triggered and like the gentle pounding of waves against a sandy shore they pushed against Benet’s composure until he broke. Against a beautiful blue sky Benet found himself wiping away moist memories that rebounded and would not retreat. Moving himself slowly across the marble floor less than self-assured, he headed for the bathroom to pull himself together.

Now it’s the third time that he cried for Lisa. Once he cried when she was in his arms but he could not consummate a relationship that was doomed because of selfishness. She traveling feverishly, nearing the first quarter of a nation-wide tour with STAC, an acting troupe out of Washington, DC. Her performance was promising and her reviews favorable for supporting roles that would eventually land her a leading role upon returning to the East Coast by spring. Benet cried again when he dreamed that he lost Lisa to a suitor who she had a special bond with though he could not explain, he lamented that Lisa’s heart was stolen. 

His dreams of marrying her were far fetched and brought some frustration. She was on a different path, a different course in life than he was and fantasies about marrying her were just menageries.  He’d have to give up too much and to start again without certainty contradicted his principled life-style.

The phone rang twice and Benet saw that it was Lisa; he was ecstatic but coolly answered “Hello”, without calling her name.  She immediately replied hurrying to get the words out as if they were choking her, “I’m getting married Benet.”