Dedication

By Racky Raccoon

A story by David Shoulder with a slap from Chris Yost

All day Clarence worked the studio in a daze; he didn’t even knock over the lamp stand or erase a scene of hard-core footage because he was shaking in the editing room.

‘Because he is used to it, after all this time’ you may well say that, well valiant reader this isn’t the case, it’s just today was a day Clarence had dreamed about in is room for months.

He drove to Cindy’s home slowly, slower than he normally did, working the next 5 hours out in his brain, what would the outcome be, would there be unforeseen consequences, not that there could be as for a whole week he played every single scenario out in his dreams and actions, this was the night this was the time.

“Cindy, I love you… I think its ti… no, no that wont do” he had asked the steering wheel all kinds of questions in the past week, some he hoped would get more than the tooting of the horn the impatient driver behind gave him… hey that’s Ohio for you.

If he thought his paws were slick from the nervous sweat now, he was going to be in for a shock when he got to Cindy’s door, he pressed his finger to the bell button and as he did his index finger slid off the surface.

Come on Clarence, its Cindy remember, the one who loves you, you have nothing to worry about. But in reality he did, tonight was make or brake for them and the foreseeable future. What do I do if she says no?

He patted his left trouser pocket, well at least I haven’t dropped it, what if I can’t put it on tonight, I get so nervous it doesn’t go on… what if we don’t get that far… how long does it take for her to answer the door anyway!

8.5 seconds for those who really want to know, there she stood, the Doe with the medium brown hair and the deep blue eyes, and she was his. An entire life time had drifted away since the day in the Coffee House and later that year in her back yard pool.

The pool was still there, though the golden autumn leaves lay on the cover, the water drained away a few weeks ago, just after Clarence’s birthday in the August.

Cindy was watching him staring at her was waiting, for the stammered hello that announced his presence; she cocked her head to one side more out of trying to get his attention than in thought. “Clare are you OK dear?” she laughed politely to herself “You’re being more mysterious than normal.” sounds so much better than weird.

“W-ww-What…?” He slowly snapped out of the spell her eyes had placed him under. 

“Come in Clarence, you look like you’re ill… I’ll fix you a tea and you can tell me all about it”

“I’m fine Cindy, b-but I would l-l-like that tea you offered” his smile spoke volumes. He hoped the beads of sweat didn’t look as big as they felt.

They embraced and she kissed him the way he liked it, she knew he did… let’s just say she could tell.

“Are you sure you’re OK Clarence, you seem tense, even for you?”

“I-I am f-f-fine now I am w-w—with you” it would have been romantic too if it hadn’t taken so long to say, but this was one of the many reasons she loved him, and love him she did, after all this time he still was nervous around her, but everyday he got a bit better, something within her wanted him to stay like this for ever.

She sat him down and kissed him on the forehead “You sit here and read the paper.” She opened it to the comics and winked “I’m sorry it’s a Parade magazine but that’s all I could get at the news stand.”

“That’s OK, better than reading the magazines that ZigZag lays out… I MEAN lies on… NO sorry, that didn’t come out right either, erm gives out… oh boy that’s not good” he looked up into her eyes, currently they were watering from the mental concentration she was putting in to save her self from laughing like the possessed.

“It’s… OK… Clarence… Itrulyunderstand!” she got the last bit out as fast as she could to try and stop laughing, then a thought occurred “You can actually sit there and read a dirty magazine, but you can’t say hello to my mother with out nearly fainting?”

“NO, NO… I just read the articles” he said it so like… well Clarence, that she had to believe him, as he was the type of fur to do that kind of thing.   

She got up and walked over to the kitchen door, her every move tempting Clarence to continue his plan, he sat there trying to play it cool. What will be, will be. He thought as he flipped through the dross within the magazine and chuckled at one of the comics.

##

In the kitchen Cindy too had her own thoughts and feelings, but after the last time she openly asked Clarence to make love to her she nearly lost him, it wasn’t that Clarence wouldn’t, it’s just the way he had been brought up by his over bearing mother. She understood why, but something in her didn’t like Clarence’s mother, she just couldn’t help it.

The moment I’ve waited for such a long time, is it something he has been waiting for too? She pondered this for sometime, she came to the conclusion that he had, but it only helped the situation so much.

With the tea on the brew and the coffee water boiling, she peeked out at her love, he seemed uneasy, a thousand thoughts ran through her brain, none of them pleasant, not that she ever imagined Clarence doing such things.

##

They sat there, Cindy drinking her fresh ground coffee, and Clarence sipped his tea. Cindy being the shyer one of the pair didn’t know what to do, they silently occupied opposite sides of the sofa facing the wall.

She hadn’t sat like this with him since the day he had the accident that started their relationship, she giggled slightly making the already over nervous Clarence jump slightly, she moved a little closer to him not knowing quite what to do. 

He turned his head and looked past the coffee table to the hall way door, and there he saw it, the thing that he had kept in his pants for a week, laying there on the wooden floor were any one that would take notice could see it, thankfully Cindy was more interested in him at the moment.

Without thinking he leapt over and grabbed it, spilling his tea as he did!

“Oh silly me” he said more of a distraction than a statement.

“Why is it Clarence that things get wet when I’m with you?” Cindy got up still smiling, realising this was the happiest she has ever been in her life

“I’m sorry Cindy I forgot I was holding it” Oh goodness, should I stay now I’ve done this… or should I say goodnight?

The worst always goes through a young man’s mind when the pressure is on them, what is a judge of character, is how they deal with such situations. The lucky thing for Clarence is that he had such a strong Doe in Cindy; it’s true what they say, ‘you can judge a man by the woman he associates with’.

“Why On Earth did you leap out like that anyway?” she gave him a quizzical look.

“Erm, heh I thought I saw a… spider!” if Clarence was anything it was quick on his toes.

“Ah you sweet guy, you know how much I dislike them.” she came over and kissed him again, he didn’t like deceiving her but it was only for a short while and all will be much better.

###

Dinner was light, pasta and green salad, Cindy tried to tempt Clarence into eating more vegetables (in particular carrots), she was fighting a losing battle though, just one of those things he didn’t like. She was thinking about making them into Carrot cake and not telling him, but for her it was a last resort.

At least they were talking and joking like they should be, she was getting worried, being as shy as she was she couldn’t read situations as well as others. She glanced at her watch and then at the radio.

“You OK Cindy, You have been doing that for 10 minutes now.”

“It’s just that I like a program on the radio, and I didn’t know if you were against listening to it during meal times.” she blushed slightly and it made Clarence warm inside.

He shrugged “Well as long as the music is good, I don’t mind, what’s the show?”

“Oh it’s a show that plays music from the 60’s and things, I just like it for his accent really… he’s from England.” she trailed off as Clarence looked at her with a look of surprise.

“I’ve got competition have I?” another thing Clarence couldn’t seem to get the hang of was to be able to tell a joke.

“NO, NO I didn’t mean it like that Clarence!” she jumped over to him and hugged him around the neck.

He raised his paw VERY quickly, “I was trying to make you laugh, I think I need to practice on that.” he forced a nervous laugh as she hit the button on the radio.

‘Well, that last song was Evil Woman from the fabulous E.L.O, one of my personal favourite bands. Next up we have a request from all the way in Ohio, such a lovely state, from a Cindy Lapine, for her boyfriend Clarence, you lucky skunk! And yes he REALY is folks.’

By this time Clarence was as red as the pasta sauce, he had a smile that could split his head in two, he was holding Cindy as the song started to play.

“I love you Clarence”

This song I haven’t heard in years, it’s a classic, ‘Will You’ from the great Hazel O’Connor. Cindy you have a great taste in music and Clarence you keep this girl in your arms!  

Clarence had a tear in his eye as he held his girlfriend. “I love you too Cindy, this is a great song, I love the saxophone in the back ground, how did you find it?

“It was on one of dads old records, he was trying to educate me on how songs were so much better back then, and I think I agree with him when I heard it,  I knew you had to hear it like this, I hope you like it.”

“I love it! It could be our song, I think it fits very well.” he kissed her on the cheek, and he reached into his pocket “but not as much as I love you Cindy, and I think the only way I could ever show you how much, is by giving you what’s is in my pocket.”

This was a huge step for Clarence, all his fear was gone, all that remained was the love he had for her. She got off his lap and as the music was ending Clarence did the most exciting thing in his life.

He asked her to marry him.     

You drink your coffee and I sip my tea
And we're sitting here playing so cool, thinking "What will be, will be"
But it's getting kind of late now
Oh I wonder if you'll stay now, stay now, stay now, stay now
Or will you just politely say goodnight?

I move a little closer to you, not knowing quite what to do
And I'm feeling all fingers and thumbs, I spill my tea, oh silly me!
But it's getting kind of late now
I wonder if you'll stay now, stay now, stay now, stay now
Or will you just politely say goodnight?

And then we touch much too much
This moment has been waiting for a long, long time
Makes me shiver, it makes me quiver
This moment I'm so unsure
This moment I've waited for
Is it something you've been waiting for, waiting for too?

Take off your eyes, bare your soul
Gather me to you and make me whole
Tell me your secrets, sing me the song
Sing it to me in the silent tongue
But it's getting kind of late now
I wonder if you'll stay now, stay now, stay now, stay now
Or will you just politely say goodnight?