Jesse had a lot of work to do today at the office, His Father always expected him to be there earlier than anyone else to set an example for the other employees. Being the son of the Ceo meant he had the responsibility on his shoulders to follow in his Father's footsteps. He would be the third generation of Wilkins men to run the WIlkin's Bank & Loan Company. Sometimes the responsibility overwhelmed him, but he knew when the time came to past the torch, he would be ready. He was responsible for ten employees under him, he manage the customer accounts and did the inventory of all the monies that went into the vault on a daily basis. Jesse's mother was killed in a car accident a year ago and his Father never got over her death. So he monopolizes his time by working. if Jesse didn't work for the company he would rarely see his Father.
Jesse left the house around six am, he decided to stop and get a coffee from Starbucks on Forbes Avenue, it was on his way to the office so he wasn't concern about running into traffic on his commute.
After all it was still early and most people in Manchester County didn't start work until eight-thirty or nine downtown. He stumble around in his CD pouch above the sun visor and pulled down a CD, he flipped it in the player and turned up the volume. The soulful sound of Jill Scott filled his ears and he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of....
~You just run across my mine....
~you just run across my mine.......
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my thoughts exactly." He agrees in tune with the music.
He visualizes Jasmine laying next to him in the bed reciting those words in his ear.
He pulls into the driveway of Starbucks, deciding to do a little business while he sips on his coffee.
He reaches in the back seat and grabs his lap top.
He orders his mocha & creme coffee and sits in a less conspicuous area of the coffee shop, as he opens his laptop and boots up to windows, he notices a familiar profile across the room. He can only see the woman from a side view but it looks like Jasmine. His heart begins to flutter and palms begin to sweat.
"Oh dayummm, not again." He says nervously.
He begins talking to himself in a low calming voice.
"Alright, alright...now calm down, God, is she beautiful! Ok, ok Jesse you know what you have to do, don't make an *** out of yourself again."
He gets up, rubbing his palms on the sides of his jacket and walks over to the table.
"Excuse me." He said.
"Yes." She looked up into his eyes and he melted.
"Oh its you....." She muttered.
"Well, thats not much of a greeting Jas....."
Before he could get her name completely out of his mouth, she got up out of her chair.
"I'm sorry, I have a lot of things on my mind and I don't have time for this, please excuse me."
She turned and walked away.
Jesse wasn't going to let her get away that easy. He followed her and before she could grab the door he hurried before her and opened it.
"Here allow me." He said with confidence.
She stopped and appeared to be surprised at the gesture.
"Ahhhhh, thank you. Mr......"
"Jesse......Jesse Wilkins." He replied.
"That was very sweet."
She looked at him again.
"Aren't you the guy from last night...at the club, right?
"Actually, I am. I'm a huge fan of yours." He said proudly.
"Well, like I said, last night....Thank you. I don't mean to be rude, but I am in hurry."
"Perhaps we can meet for coffee sometimes?"
"I don't think so, I'm not looking for a relationship. Goodbye Mr. Wilkins."
"Call me Jesse, please." He answered.
With no reply she hailed a cab....and before he could get another word out she jumped in and the cab sped away.
"What is her problem?" He thought. He wasn't ready to give up, she was his dream girl and he knew whatever it took he wasn't going to give up until he crack that shell she had around her heart.
He didn't know why she was so cold, but in his heart he knew there was a loving, sensual and vulnerable woman under that tough exterior and he would bring her to the surface.
Jesse had never wrote a poem before, oh sure he had always loved poetry and even bought a few books on the subject. He knew to get pass the first layer of Jasmine's emotional fortress he would have to make her comfortable and where she seems to be the most comfortable is through her poetry. So he would start there.
It was Wednesday night and the Lyrical Rhythm was packed like it was every Wednesday night. Jesse was nervous, he had never gotten up in front of a live audience before. He didn't know what to expect, whether he would be booed, accepted, rejected all he knew is he had to do this for Jasmine and whatever the outcome if it got the desired effect it was all worth it. Three artist had already been up and he knew he was the fourth. They always put the amateurs on stage before the featured artist so he knew Jasmine would see him before she went on. He looked around for Jasmine, he spotted her in the far end of the club, she was standing next to Nell. He didn't even tell Nell what he was going to do. His stomach twitched with anxiety as he watched the MC stepped to the mic.
"We have a new artist coming to the stage tonight, the Brotha says this is his first poem....he has never written before, so lets give him a round of applause and welcome him. Brotha Jesse Wilkins, Ladies & Gentleman."
Jesse began the long trek to the stage, it felt like hours. the stifling applause of the crowd went to a numbing echo as he stepped onto the stage and beheld all the people. The lights flickered in his eyes and made his legs weak with anticipation and fear at the same time. He pulled the mic close and focus his attention on Jasmine, he knew that was only way he could get through it.
"Good evening, Ladies & Gents. The poem I'm going to read is very near & dear to my heart. It is for someone very special in the room tonight.....she knows who she is. The poem is entitled:"
Jesse listened for a response, his eyes scan the crowd for acceptance. He stepped back form the mic and the crowd stood up. The beauty of the darkness was lit up as everyone in the audience took out their lighters and held them over their heads. Jesse was amazed, he looked in the back for Jasmine but he didn't see her, he saw Nell motion him to come down to the bar.
Jesse thanked the audience for their approval and stepped off stage and made his way to the bar. The fear he had when he stepped on stage had passed and he felt energized, he never felt that way before. He understood why poets love the feedback given for the recognition of their talent, it was uplifting and addictive. He hugged Nell and she congratulated him.
"Man, I didn't know you had it in you, that was off tha hook!" She gave him a high five.
"Nell, where is Jasmine? Did she hear it?"
"Yeah, Jesse." She took off to the dressing room when you finished. It looked like she was crying.
"Oh no, did I hurt her? Did I overstep my bounds...you think, Nell?"
"I don't know, Jesse. You can go back and talk to her. The dressing rooms are behind the stage.
Hers is the fourth door to the right."
"Ok, wish me luck!" He said somewhat unsure.
When he got to the door, he could hear Jasmine crying. He knocked on the door.
'Whose there?" She asked.
"Its me, Jasmine.....Jesse."
"Go away, please. She begged.
"You're not going to chase me away this time Jasmine, c'mom open up....please." He urged.
It was silent for a few moments until the door unlocked and slowly opened.
He walked into a dark room with just a red light overhead.
"Whats wrong? Was it something I said? Tell me, I didn't mean to hurt you."
"No...." She broke down in a barrage of tears that caught Jesse offguard.
He rushed to her side pulled her up gently from the chair and held her.
She pushed him away.
"Why can't you leave me alone?"
"I can't.....have you ever heard of love at first sight? He admitted.
"You don't even know me, Jesse! You don't know anything about me!"
"Maybe not, but I know enough to know I'm willing to try, to do whats necessary to have the chance."
"I can't offer you anything!"
"Jasmine, for once...why don't you let me offer you something."
She turned and looked at him.
"What?" She asked.
"My support, my heart, my love. I know your life hasn't been easy and neither has mine, as far as relationships goes. Its been a while since I've been able to trust myself to fall in love. When I saw you that first night. You made me realize the possibilities. I saw myself in you, I saw a woman who told stories about herself through poetry. You see I not only listen to your words, I listen to your heart through your poetry and I discovered you are your poetry. Every word, every emotion comes from what you feel inside, and thats what I connected to Jasmine."
He lift up her head and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I love you, let me take care of you, let me show you that life doesn't have to be about pain, rejection or abandoment. All you have to do is open up your heart and trust me....let me melt the ice.
She smiled.
"By the way the poem was beautiful, no one ever did anything like that for me before."
"Well, Baby theres a first for everything."
He took her hand and guided her outside to the stage, he motioned for the MC to give him the mic.
C'mon Jasmine..."
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"I want the world to know that I'm the fire that melt the ice....and we're gonna burn forever."
He carried her onto the stage and took the mic from the MC.
"Ladies and Gents this is Jasmine, the beautiful woman I wrote the poem for."
The audience cheered with excitement.
As the curtain fell he pulled her close and for the very first time he kissed the woman he loved, this time there were no sweaty palms, just the fluttering of their heartbeats together
The Finale.
Epiphany
Jesse left the house around six am, he decided to stop and get a coffee from Starbucks on Forbes Avenue, it was on his way to the office so he wasn't concern about running into traffic on his commute.
After all it was still early and most people in Manchester County didn't start work until eight-thirty or nine downtown. He stumble around in his CD pouch above the sun visor and pulled down a CD, he flipped it in the player and turned up the volume. The soulful sound of Jill Scott filled his ears and he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of....
~You just run across my mine....
~you just run across my mine.......
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my thoughts exactly." He agrees in tune with the music.
He visualizes Jasmine laying next to him in the bed reciting those words in his ear.
He pulls into the driveway of Starbucks, deciding to do a little business while he sips on his coffee.
He reaches in the back seat and grabs his lap top.
He orders his mocha & creme coffee and sits in a less conspicuous area of the coffee shop, as he opens his laptop and boots up to windows, he notices a familiar profile across the room. He can only see the woman from a side view but it looks like Jasmine. His heart begins to flutter and palms begin to sweat.
"Oh dayummm, not again." He says nervously.
He begins talking to himself in a low calming voice.
"Alright, alright...now calm down, God, is she beautiful! Ok, ok Jesse you know what you have to do, don't make an *** out of yourself again."
He gets up, rubbing his palms on the sides of his jacket and walks over to the table.
"Excuse me." He said.
"Yes." She looked up into his eyes and he melted.
"Oh its you....." She muttered.
"Well, thats not much of a greeting Jas....."
Before he could get her name completely out of his mouth, she got up out of her chair.
"I'm sorry, I have a lot of things on my mind and I don't have time for this, please excuse me."
She turned and walked away.
Jesse wasn't going to let her get away that easy. He followed her and before she could grab the door he hurried before her and opened it.
"Here allow me." He said with confidence.
She stopped and appeared to be surprised at the gesture.
"Ahhhhh, thank you. Mr......"
"Jesse......Jesse Wilkins." He replied.
"That was very sweet."
She looked at him again.
"Aren't you the guy from last night...at the club, right?
"Actually, I am. I'm a huge fan of yours." He said proudly.
"Well, like I said, last night....Thank you. I don't mean to be rude, but I am in hurry."
"Perhaps we can meet for coffee sometimes?"
"I don't think so, I'm not looking for a relationship. Goodbye Mr. Wilkins."
"Call me Jesse, please." He answered.
With no reply she hailed a cab....and before he could get another word out she jumped in and the cab sped away.
"What is her problem?" He thought. He wasn't ready to give up, she was his dream girl and he knew whatever it took he wasn't going to give up until he crack that shell she had around her heart.
He didn't know why she was so cold, but in his heart he knew there was a loving, sensual and vulnerable woman under that tough exterior and he would bring her to the surface.
Jesse had never wrote a poem before, oh sure he had always loved poetry and even bought a few books on the subject. He knew to get pass the first layer of Jasmine's emotional fortress he would have to make her comfortable and where she seems to be the most comfortable is through her poetry. So he would start there.
It was Wednesday night and the Lyrical Rhythm was packed like it was every Wednesday night. Jesse was nervous, he had never gotten up in front of a live audience before. He didn't know what to expect, whether he would be booed, accepted, rejected all he knew is he had to do this for Jasmine and whatever the outcome if it got the desired effect it was all worth it. Three artist had already been up and he knew he was the fourth. They always put the amateurs on stage before the featured artist so he knew Jasmine would see him before she went on. He looked around for Jasmine, he spotted her in the far end of the club, she was standing next to Nell. He didn't even tell Nell what he was going to do. His stomach twitched with anxiety as he watched the MC stepped to the mic.
"We have a new artist coming to the stage tonight, the Brotha says this is his first poem....he has never written before, so lets give him a round of applause and welcome him. Brotha Jesse Wilkins, Ladies & Gentleman."
Jesse began the long trek to the stage, it felt like hours. the stifling applause of the crowd went to a numbing echo as he stepped onto the stage and beheld all the people. The lights flickered in his eyes and made his legs weak with anticipation and fear at the same time. He pulled the mic close and focus his attention on Jasmine, he knew that was only way he could get through it.
"Good evening, Ladies & Gents. The poem I'm going to read is very near & dear to my heart. It is for someone very special in the room tonight.....she knows who she is. The poem is entitled:"
Fire & Ice
Like winter
your heart chills
in a distant place
snowflakes
crystalize your center
submerging you into
the depths
of what ifs
&
no possibiities
you have delve
into meaningless
prisms
taking your
soul into
oblivion
darkness
&
ice
but hope is in seasons
that come & go
the new life of spring
emerges in glory
Summer awakens
the warmth
the butterflies
the colors of daffadils
red roses
marigolds blooming
the
sun enveloping
blue skies
I have visions
leading you to me
open are my arms
to comfort you
from the despair
that torments
your reality
thawing away
icicles of fear
set afire the doubts
of your past
the clouds
of yesterday
will diminish
to
memories
if you just take my hand
this time
love will
melt your heart
into
mine
Like winter
your heart chills
in a distant place
snowflakes
crystalize your center
submerging you into
the depths
of what ifs
&
no possibiities
you have delve
into meaningless
prisms
taking your
soul into
oblivion
darkness
&
ice
but hope is in seasons
that come & go
the new life of spring
emerges in glory
Summer awakens
the warmth
the butterflies
the colors of daffadils
red roses
marigolds blooming
the
sun enveloping
blue skies
I have visions
leading you to me
open are my arms
to comfort you
from the despair
that torments
your reality
thawing away
icicles of fear
set afire the doubts
of your past
the clouds
of yesterday
will diminish
to
memories
if you just take my hand
this time
love will
melt your heart
into
mine
Jesse listened for a response, his eyes scan the crowd for acceptance. He stepped back form the mic and the crowd stood up. The beauty of the darkness was lit up as everyone in the audience took out their lighters and held them over their heads. Jesse was amazed, he looked in the back for Jasmine but he didn't see her, he saw Nell motion him to come down to the bar.
Jesse thanked the audience for their approval and stepped off stage and made his way to the bar. The fear he had when he stepped on stage had passed and he felt energized, he never felt that way before. He understood why poets love the feedback given for the recognition of their talent, it was uplifting and addictive. He hugged Nell and she congratulated him.
"Man, I didn't know you had it in you, that was off tha hook!" She gave him a high five.
"Nell, where is Jasmine? Did she hear it?"
"Yeah, Jesse." She took off to the dressing room when you finished. It looked like she was crying.
"Oh no, did I hurt her? Did I overstep my bounds...you think, Nell?"
"I don't know, Jesse. You can go back and talk to her. The dressing rooms are behind the stage.
Hers is the fourth door to the right."
"Ok, wish me luck!" He said somewhat unsure.
When he got to the door, he could hear Jasmine crying. He knocked on the door.
'Whose there?" She asked.
"Its me, Jasmine.....Jesse."
"Go away, please. She begged.
"You're not going to chase me away this time Jasmine, c'mom open up....please." He urged.
It was silent for a few moments until the door unlocked and slowly opened.
He walked into a dark room with just a red light overhead.
"Whats wrong? Was it something I said? Tell me, I didn't mean to hurt you."
"No...." She broke down in a barrage of tears that caught Jesse offguard.
He rushed to her side pulled her up gently from the chair and held her.
She pushed him away.
"Why can't you leave me alone?"
"I can't.....have you ever heard of love at first sight? He admitted.
"You don't even know me, Jesse! You don't know anything about me!"
"Maybe not, but I know enough to know I'm willing to try, to do whats necessary to have the chance."
"I can't offer you anything!"
"Jasmine, for once...why don't you let me offer you something."
She turned and looked at him.
"What?" She asked.
"My support, my heart, my love. I know your life hasn't been easy and neither has mine, as far as relationships goes. Its been a while since I've been able to trust myself to fall in love. When I saw you that first night. You made me realize the possibilities. I saw myself in you, I saw a woman who told stories about herself through poetry. You see I not only listen to your words, I listen to your heart through your poetry and I discovered you are your poetry. Every word, every emotion comes from what you feel inside, and thats what I connected to Jasmine."
He lift up her head and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I love you, let me take care of you, let me show you that life doesn't have to be about pain, rejection or abandoment. All you have to do is open up your heart and trust me....let me melt the ice.
She smiled.
"By the way the poem was beautiful, no one ever did anything like that for me before."
"Well, Baby theres a first for everything."
He took her hand and guided her outside to the stage, he motioned for the MC to give him the mic.
C'mon Jasmine..."
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"I want the world to know that I'm the fire that melt the ice....and we're gonna burn forever."
He carried her onto the stage and took the mic from the MC.
"Ladies and Gents this is Jasmine, the beautiful woman I wrote the poem for."
The audience cheered with excitement.
As the curtain fell he pulled her close and for the very first time he kissed the woman he loved, this time there were no sweaty palms, just the fluttering of their heartbeats together
The Finale.
Epiphany
