Friday, January 8, 2010

Blackbird Song (2)



[Jared]

She used to say that she spent most of her time driving around, because it was easier to hear the Blackbird's song that way. She firmly believed in it, as if it was a real thing, something tangible, like wringing water from a wet cloth.

She believed in it the same way she believed that flipping her t-shirt inside out gave it a 'b-side'. As in "I like the a-side of this shirt, but the b-side is much better."

----

The first time she said that particular phrase to me, about the song of the blackbird, I didn't understand what she meant. I just looked at her, gauging her expression, wondering if she was joking. I didn't know then what she could possibly mean by the blackbird's song. Understanding would come later.

----

The blackbird was her baby. It was this shiny, black vintage thunderbird. It was never 'the thunderbird' or 'my car', it was simply the blackbird, or the 'bird. As in "Hey, you wanna go get a few beers? We can take the 'bird."

We spent our weekends driving around in that car, the engine a warm rumbling purr, ready to take us anywhere.

Blackbird time was different than regular time. The time we spent in that car, listening to the wind come in over the windows, listening to classic rock, sometimes singing along, sometimes content to just enjoy the quiet rhythym, why, that time we spent listening to the blackbird. Listening to her song. Jenna said her song wasn't the same for everyone, but if you listened, if you really listened, you'd hear it. Singing just for you.

Sometimes it was looking out the window and falling into your thoughts. Sometimes it was seeing something that made your chest fill up with warm happiness, sometimes being in the warmth of that car was like finding the good things in your life that you'd forgotten you had. The memories that were so long ago, that remembering them was like living them all over again.

Jenna would always say that 'was the power of the Blackbird'. She really believed it. What she didn't realize, what I would've told her, if I could find the words that would make it as beautiful as she deserved was this: it wasn't the blackbird's song she was hearing. It wasn't the blackbird that made that sweetness, like honey and roses and sunshine. No, it was something much more than that. What I wanted to tell her so many times was that there was no Blackbird Song.

That sense of peace that came along on our drives was Jenna. It was always Jenna. That sunshine, that sweetness, was her. She was the warmth of forever. She made you ache in that good way, the way that after the hell you've just been through is over, crying your heart out, only to find it within yourself to laugh, to be filled up, to be made whole.

She was the welcome waiting for you on the other side of the door. She was the embrace that holds you everywhere you needed to be held. She was the feeling of coming home, of loving, of being lost and finding your way. She was like breathing light, she was finding what was lost, she was every good thing you'd never expected to find. She was hope, and truth and everything good and beautiful and pure.

No, that song wasn't the Blackbird's. It was Jenna.


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13 comments:

Ed said...

Blah,blah,blah,blah,sals the best writer, blah,blah,blah,blah,she makes me cry,blah,blah,blah,blah,write a book already!

Travis said...

You made me wait less than a day for this.

In fact, it was less than a couple hours.

I love you for that!

Once again, great stuff. I'm with Ed, write a book!

Ellie said...

ooooo that is sweet.

jerrod said...

even better the second time.

birdykins said...

Aw. That's all I really have to say. That warmed me up.

Shaunak Mukherjee said...

I read it twice. First for Jenna. Second for the Blackbird.
I sold my old car a day back, and I miss it already.

Sally-Sal said...

Ed:
I'm glad you liked it. And if I ever do write a book, expect a copy :)

Travis:
I'm glad you liked the story. It's not even as if I'm writing it, it's kinda like someone is telling it to me, if that makes sense.

Ellie:
Glad you liked it :)

j-face:
If if wasn't for you reading it the first time, there wouldn't be a second time. So, thank you.

birdykins:
It's Jenna's character. Writing her has been awesome. She's who I was I was.

Shaunak:
Cars like that tend to have personalities of their own. I think owning one can make you a better person. :)

What kinda car was it?

Shaunak Mukherjee said...

I think it does.

She was a Premier 118 NE..a really old Nissan. She was with me for 14 years before she finally retired.

Sally-Sal said...

Did she have a name?

I named one of my cars Lucille. I still miss her.

Shaunak Mukherjee said...

She'd belonged to my dad, but he didn't name her. I've always called her Sweetheart.

Sally-Sal said...

I think that's a beautiful name. I bet she loved it ;)

Shaunak Mukherjee said...

You bet! She'd purr everytime I said it ;)
Oh the nights we've spent together..
she was awesome I can tell you that!

hmla2599 said...

Thanks for warming me up a bit today.

Lovely and sincere.