Pink and Green Ribbons

Pink and Green Ribbons in the Jet Stream

“I'm trying to remember the name of that song,” she half mumbled as we started the walk down my driveway. “Maybe I'm all gone crazy now, but that was the best year yet!” She laughed so hard she nearly fell down as we sloped down to my front door. I wrapped my arm around her side to hold her steady and a pink blush came across her face, on top of the red she had from the festival...And her crazy running about as I went with her, catching her gaze each time she introduced me to her friends. She knew everyone, but furthermore, we each person, although they received her well or not, she had some story. She told me each story of each acquaintance we saw at the city festival, and by the end of the night, I felt I’d just began to taste her life again.

I realized all that as I opened my front door and we walked through.

“Where's sis?” was the first thing she asked after we walked in.

“I don't know, I think she might be with her friends. I'm going to go drop our stuff off in my room. Just one second.” And I received her purse and went into the hallway. I swung open the door and clicked on the familiar light switch. I set her purse down carefully on my desk. The green and pink ribbons floated softly and I reached out to touch them. I shut my eyes for a moment and then picked up a pencil from my desk. The eraser end had little bite marks on it. I looked to the desk and saw the collection of her works. Her doodles, her unique collages of lyrics, her Spanish love ballad. I chuckled. What a partner I had.

I placed my hand on the back of the seat. My jacket hung there. I remembered the way she looked in it, and I heard her laugh through the memory. I wanted to wrap her in it again, see her smile and hear her ask what I'm up to now. I chuckled again and went back out of my room.

I ducked into the bathroom and shook my hair in front of the mirror. When I ducked back out, I headed back to the front room.

At first, I was confused, because I didn't see her standing where I left her. I went a few steps forward and saw her on the couch, curled on the edge. She had pulled out her customary braid, the one she'd made sure I knew she did because she was 'Spanish' now. I resisted the chuckle and approached her. She couldn't have been asleep, so I sat next to her, and opened my mouth.

“Gabbi,” I started. “ I have to take you home in about two hours. What do you want to do? There's actually something I want to show you that I think you'll really like,” She stirred as I spoke and as I continued on, she turned. “You've been running around all night, and I can only imagine what a headache the Colombian dancers were for you. But maybe you're tired too and I could just take-” she stopped me by coming into me. Like a little girl, she snuggled into me. I kept silent now and pulled her in more comfortably. I kissed her hair, or rather pressed my lips to her hair and breathed in.

She gave me a giggle and a nudge. “That tickles,” she said out loud in a teasing voice. “You're also cute when you babble on at me.” She added.

I wanted for this moment to never end, I wish I could keep here here forever, just as happy as we felt now.

“I've got news.” She told me forwardly as she looked up into my face.

“Alright, tell me.” I told her, and we went for each others hands. Both our hands met and she interlocked our fingers together. “I can go away again.” She simply stated. “The university accepted me as a transfer student. Turning legal in Asia, that's not something every American girl can say, right?”

She was leaving?

“You're leaving again?” I asked her blankly, looking at her purple fingernails.

“My mom's sure that I'll have any job I want with the Chinese. And the government will kill for my Russian. I could be a spy, just like my aunt!”

I just got her back, her welcome back party felt like yesterday, not seven months ago. She'd seen Europe, now she was going for Asia? She could be victimized there...How could she put herself in that danger?

“You're not saying anything.” She told me after my mess of a mental race. What COULD I say to her?

“It's okay,” she said in a finalized voice.

She ran away from me, running down the hall, she flew into my room. And I stood up. In shock.

She had her purse in her arms within moments and continued her flight out my front door. Just as she got halfway up the driveway, I reached the door and I saw my parents headlights coming in front of the house. She raised a hand to them and then full sprinted away from my house.

She was going away. I think I lost all coherent thought.

She had been the only girl I had found that loved, and loved with her whole heart...Loved ME with her whole heart, but still couldn't be destroyed. She was strong, beautiful in a fierce way, but with the most tender heart. One piece of sad news could bring her to tears.

Why would she do this to me? No, that wasn't the thought I should have.

WHY is she doing THIS?

She obviously wanted to grow, wants to appease her mother. Or escape her. I knew something in her was of her mother, but she was also her own person.

So what was making her suggest leaving?

Leaving? She couldn't. She just couldn't. Not when she had me counting days before. I had to breathe now.

My arms needed her so much in that moment. She'd left.

And she may get cold! It's a little brisk, how could I have let her go, and without a jacket?!

Was I just going to stand here in my shirt and jeans, here in my doorway, looking at the ground?

“What'd you do?” my sister's voice broke my thoughts.

“I don't know. She left. I mean, she's leaving.” The confusion in my sister's face made it clear that she didn't understand.

I needed to see her, but she ran away. She didn't want to see me.

“Uh, why don't you go to bed? I'll call her tomorrow.”

Gabbi would pick up my phone number, of course. Should I call her? I think she made it clear that she wanted to be apart from me right now. But how long until she came back around? A day? Two? A week?

The horror of the thought of her flying out this week could've killed me.

No, it wouldn't.

What was going on? I hit my bed with a generous sound.

'I love you,' I crooned in my head. 'I hope you don't leave too long. Then I won't have to miss ya' so much. Won't you just stay? For me?'

My thoughts blanked out and fatigue let the most restless nap of my life overtake me. I dreamed of pink and green ribbons in a hurricane.