The Cigar

It was an orange night. Orange sky, orange haze, orange tip of my cigar. The front porch was full of friends, yet we were quiet. Breathing in...and out...all of our problems of the day. A child's laughter rang into the evening, country music playing ominously through the open window. One friend smacks a bug away. Another hands me a cold beer. Another dangles her feet off of the walls of our porch. Our creaky, musty old house making hollowed noises through the air.

I glanced down at the orange flame blaring beneath my lips. I'm immediately taken back to 4 years ago, as Ben drives me over the border of Ohio into West Virginia.

"I'm going to buy your dad a cigar for when I talk to him tonight," he says, smiling slyly.

I marvel at his genius. I hadn't thought of that.

I watch him walk into SMOKEY'S DISCOUNT CIGARETTE ,a confidence in his step. Here was my "friend", going to buy my dad a luxurious cigar from none other than the prestigious Smokey's.

I smile. Tonight was the night Ben was going to ask my dad for permission to date me. I knew my dad would say yes. He didn't know Ben, but he knew he made me happy.

It was homecoming weekend at school, and my family was in town. That night, there was a concert that was going on in the main court yard. Off to the left there was a gazebo under some trees that people used to go and smoke. When my family was going to retire down to the hotel for the night, Ben asked my dad, "hey, you wanna smoke a cigar? I have an extra."

My dad looked tired and worn from their long drive. The mention of a cigar, however, made his eyes light up. "Sure." He said. They made their way to the gazebo, and I waited in my dorm.

I wasn't at this exchange of words, of course. However, after asking multiple times what had happened, Ben finally depicted it as this:

*small talk about sports*

*puff, smoke*

*small talk about how cool Ohio is*

*puff, smoke*

*you're not supposed to flick the ash of a cigar*

*puff, smoke*

"Hey so, uh, I wanted to know if you thought it was okay that I ask your daughter to date me?"

*puff, smoke*

"Are you sure?"

"Yes sir."

"Yeah, that's okay."

"Cool."

*puff, smoke*

"She loves hard. You should know that."

*Puff, smoke*

"I know that."

"She's also a handful." "I know that, too."

*puff, smoke*

And then, I was Ben's girlfriend.

Flash forward 2 years later. Easter weekend. Ben is home with my family. Saturday night. Friends are invited over. I had no clue what was about to happen.

Ben to my dad, "Hey, uh, you wanna go have a cigar out front?"

Dad to Ben, "Yeah! Hey, wait. We should wait for the other guys to get here."

Ben to Dad. "Uhh...Okay."

Drinks are drunk. Ben is drunk. Dad is drunk. They make a sauce they can dip their chips in. (ketchup, salsa, mayo, etc.) They think it is delicious. No one else does.

Men go out to smoke cigars. Women drink and chat indoors.

End of the night, friends go home. I tell Ben, "I'm going to bed. Are you coming up?"

Ben to me, "Um, I'm going to talk to your dad first."

Me to Ben, "Okay, I'll stay up too."

Ben, grabbing my shoulders. "Taylor...I need to talk to your dad...without you there..."

Me to myself, "Ohhhhhhhh...."

I go upstairs. Unbeknownst to my father and boyfriend, I sat perched at the top of the stairs and leaned my ear as far as it would go without being seen.

Ben to my dad, "Wanted...muffle muffle...Taylor's....mumble mumble..."

Dad to Ben, "YES!"

*sounds of smacking of backs and tight embraces*

Next morning:

Me as I waltz into Ben's room, "So did you ask my dad if you could marry me last night?"

Ben, looking sick and tired, "I don't know...did I?"

Me, "Yes."

Ben, "What did he say?"

Me, "Yes."

As I glance down at the orange flame, now withering beneath my lips, I puff and smoke the very last bits of my cigar, thanking it for its years of service.

-Tay

#married #wife #life #family #journey #father #blog #love