Dear Marianne Part II

Dear Marianne Part II

The continuation of the letter from Ally to Marianne from blog post 

Dear Marianne Part I

You wiggled out of your skinny jacket and I saw the butterfly canvassing your arm.  That butterfly looked alive, as if it might take off at any moment and lap up all of the tea on the floor and then show me its teeth.

You just smiled at me but you never answered my question about your hair and how often you have to touch up your roots.   But I felt as if I had helped you out.  My houseguests are all anyone gossips about now.   

Here's some of the stuff I've been asked: 

"Is Emily your daughter or your sister's kid?"  

"Did you see the video of Emily and Delucca's boy?"  

"Is Don the girl's father?"

 

But I imagine you already know all of this.  I outrank the antics of Delucca's dogs or the wheelies Juniper's boyfriend does on his motorbike at midnight, or any of those guys Roberto introduced you to and that you hang out with now (neighbors I never bothered to know well).

Welcome to the hood, this Avocado Grove.

P.S.  Father Beni says I don't have to give this to you, but I wish I were brave enough to do it.  There's a cool factor to you Marianne I'll always admire.  And I'd bet all the nurses I've met at the hospital would be your friends.  I don't have any good answers for them.  I've tried a dozen different responses in my head.  They all seem hollow, empty, and wrong.  Good enough isn't enough.  Maybe that's why your perfect blonde hair matters?  I don't know.  Father Beni doesn't know and G-d remains silent.