Sunday Scribbling #2
Okay, so i've finally got my Internet connection up, so I can start writing these things again. I'll either post doubles or post at some point during the week to catch up with everything I haven't done.
Pablo and Cleo strolled through the down town of the small city. Shoppers, diners, and art patrons bustled along, chattering amongst themselves. For their part, Pablo and Cleo sauntered slowly, relishing the small breeze that added a nip to the night air.
“What do you mean that was okay?” Cleo asked, laughingly. “That was delicious!”
Pablo shrugged. “It was okay for this far north. But it was not enough, eh, caliente, like good jerk should be.”
Cleo cocked an eyebrow at him. Pablo fumbled for a minute. “Caliente means, eh, pepper, chiles.”
“Spicy?”
“Sí!” Pablo exclaimed, snapping his fingers. “Spicy!”
“How was that not spicy enough?” Cleo laughed. “The one bit of yours I had nearly killed me!”
Pablo shrugged. “Needs more chiles.”
The breeze picked up and Cleo shivered slightly. Almost automatically, Pablo slipped off his jacket and draped it over her.
“When my house is finished,” he said, oblivious to the look Cleo gave him. “I will have a barbecue. I will make jerk goat the right way. You will enjoy.”
“I'll put the fire department on stand-by just in case your jerk sauce catches fire.” Cleo teased. Pablo smiled.
“Would you like to see the park?” Pablo asked as they reached the edge of downtown. “Very pretty at night.”
Cleo nodded and the two walked on towards the city park in amicable silence. They reached the fence started down the park path.
“Don't let me forget to pay you back for dinner.” Cleo said suddenly, breaking the amicable silence.
“No te precupes.” Pablo dismissed her concern with a wave of her hand. “What is a little money between friends?”
“But...” Cleo began, as they walked on to the bridge.
“Not another word.” Pablo said, stopping lean against the railing and look out over the little stream that wounds its way under the bridge “It was my pleasure.”
Cleo stopped close beside him and nudged him with her arm. “Thank you.”
“It was my pleasure.” he repeated, and smiled a little.
Impulsively, Cleo pecked him on the cheek. Pablo went rigid and she heard his breath hitch. He was very still. Cleo closed her eyes and felt the blush rising to her cheeks.
“I'm sorry,” she said quickly. “I shouldn't have done that. It's just the bridge and the dinner and the jacket. It just felt so much like a date, which it obviously isn't 'cause you're all awkward now and I...”
“No, no you are right.” Pablo said. “Too much like a courtship. I am sorry.”
“You didn't do anything wrong.” Cleo protested.
“I did not think.” he replied. He ran his fingers through his hair and let out a long breath “I should not have let things unfold this way.”
Cleo rolled her eyes, grabbed him by his shirt and kissed him. She let him go and looked him square in the eye. “Care to rethink that statement?”
Pablo stepped back. “This is a bad idea senora.”
“Why?” she demanded. “Unless you really don't have feelings for me.”
“No. I, eh...” Pablo blew out an angry breath and lapsed into rapid Spanish.
“Pablo...Pablo...Pablo, I can't keep up with that. English please.” Cleo tried to calm him down by putting her hands on his shoulders but he shrugged her off. She took a step backwards, hurt.
“'Why not?” she said, trying to keep her voice level. “I...”
“You know what I did, who I was before I came here. Before I was Pablo, I was a very bad man.”
“That's not the man I'm looking at.” she replied, gently.
“But that man, he did wicked things. He...he does not deserve such a woman as you.” Pablo said quietly, turning his head in shame.
Cleo's heart broke. “Oh you deluded idiot” she said and took his face in her hands, trying to force him to look at her. His eyes roamed desperately, searching for anywhere to land but hers. When he finally looked at her, his eyes were full of pain and self-loathing. She began “If any man is in Christ...”
“He is a new creation. The old is gone, the new has come.” Pablo finished. “But that speaks of spiritual rebirth. There are still consequences for what I've done.”
“If you really believed that, you would have surrendered yourself to the authorities instead of running away.” Cleo said. “God imade you someone new. Paul slaughtered Christians. David committed murder to cover up his affair. God's grace reaches even the lowest.”
“But...” Pablo began.
“Let me finish.” Cleo cut him off. “What did you do when you tracked down George?”
“I hurt him very badly and turned him to the police.”
“You didn't kill him.” Cleo emphasised. “You hurt him yes,but you're not a killer anymore. You told me that no one was beyond redemption, that every man was worth saving. I'm pretty sure that includes you.”
“What are you saying?”
“I'm saying I love you, you idiot. I'm saying that I'm pretty sure that God doesn't want you punishing yourself for the rest of your life for sins He has forgotten. You always say that everyone deserves a little love, no matter who they are. I'm telling you to practice what you preach.”
They kissed soft and long under the moonlight.