"These are for you," she said as Cupid opened the door to greet her.
"Thank you baby. You're always being thoughtful aren't you?" He
said as he kissed her softly on her lips to show his appreciation.
"I just want to make sure that I return all of the kind things that you
have done for me."
"What kind things? I've done nothing but be myself."
"Then, that's what I'm doing."
"And that's why I like you so much."
"Oh you like me so much?" Tanya said as she entered the home.
"Yeah I like you." Cupid smiled
"Well I like you so much too."
"Good, since we like each other so much, maybe you'll like my friends
too." Cupid said as he led Tanya into the living room.
Cupid removed Tanya's jacket and wrap and hung them in the hall
closet.
"Make yourself comfortable," Cupid said to Tanya as he went to
retrieve Charles and Michelle.
Tanya sat patiently looking at artwork that hung over the fireplace. It
was a painting of a dark, gray haired elderly man who looked as if he had
worked all his life to make a decent home for he and his wife. His wife,
an elderly woman also, sat at a table decorated with a makeshift
tablecloth, a bottle that was used as a candleholder which sat on one
corner of the table and dollar bills and coins that were stacked in the
center of the table. She took notice of the man's hands as he counted
the money on his fingers. His wife sat as if she was waiting for the most
important answer of her life. In their face, Tanya saw the struggle that
they had endured over the years.
She saw scars that had seen days of
slavery and wrinkles that had seen years of worry. She looked intently at
the painting and wondered what the man was counting the money for
and if he in fact had enough money to purchase what it was they needed.
She looked on in utter stillness until she noticed something written on
the bottom right corner of the painting. A Penny Short. Tanya stood still
as her eyes swelled with tears and her body weakened from their
misfortune. Tanya could hear the pounding of shoes on the hardwood-
floor, as her introduction was about to commence. She quickly dried her
eyes and used the living room window as a mirror to make sure her
appearance was acceptable.
"It's finally so nice to meet you," Michelle started as she extended her
hand and name to Tanya.
"It's nice to meet you also," Tanya responded accepting Michelle's
handshake and offering her name.
"We had been hearing so much about you but never saw you, so we
began to think you were a figment of Cupids' imagination."
"No I'm very much real," Tanya said with a giggle. "I was beginning to
think that you all were just people he talked about also. But I can say
that it is really nice to meet you Michelle."
"Well I hope you brought your appetite with you?" Charles asked.
"I did, especially since Cupid told me that Michelle could put her foot
in any dish that she cooked. I made sure I didn't have anything to eat
today."
"Good. If I may,"
Charles held his arm out for Tanya to take the lead
to the dining room.