AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“A friend once said life’s too short to be anything but happy. So that’s the message I want to give you today. We go through life doing what we think weshoulddo, instead of what we maybeneedto. Do what makes you happy. Maybe it’s going back to school or changing companies. Possibly it’s a completely different career path altogether. Staying home with your children, so you don’t miss any of those important milestones. Going for that promotion you may not think you’ll get, but know you deserve. Or what if it’s picking up your computer and writing that great American novel you’ve always wanted to write. Whatever your happiness is, do it. Follow your heart. Choose happiness… Because life’s too short to be anything but happy.
“Thank you.”
I take a deep breath and take a step back. Before my feet are firmly planted, the room erupts in a round of applause. Rueben stands, his hands clapping together and the biggest smile on his handsome face. I give him my own smile as a sense of relief and accomplishment wash over me.
I did it.
And my message was clear.
Now, do I follow my own words and change the course of my life or do I stick it out and keep my eyes open for my happiness?
Chapter Fourteen
Rueben
I knock on the door.Family Feudis blasting into the hallway, and I smile. At least I know my grandma’s awake. She loves to watch “The Feud” while Grandpa takes his afternoon nap, which I always found odd, considering her need to blast the volume so she can hear it. How he can sleep through that noise has always baffled me.
The door opens and her aging face breaks out into a huge smile. “Ruby!” my grandma exclaims as she pulls me into a hug. Cricket snickers as I wrap my arms around Grandma and breathe in that familiar scent of Avon perfume and oatmeal.
“Hi, Grandma,” I reply, her head hitting mid-chest as she squeezes me tightly.
“It’s about time you came to see us. Your grandpa is napping, but will be so excited when he wakes up,” she says, opening the door wide for us to enter. “Oh my, who is this pretty lady?”
“Grandma, this is my friend, Cricket. I don’t know if you remember her from when I was in college. She came with me for a weekend visit one time,” I say, entering their small one-bedroom apartment in the assisted living facility.
“Of course, I remember her! Cricket, you are even more beautiful than you were back then. What happened to the other boy? The pretty one who was always looking at himself in the mirror?”
My eyes meet Cricket’s and we both smile. “Uh, Danny isn’t here. They broke up after college,” I tell her.
“Please, please, have a seat. I’ll go turn the television down,” she says as she shuffles into the living room area and grabs the remote. Grandpa is sleeping in the recliner, his feet extended out and his arms crossed over his chest. His glasses sit lopsided on his nose and his mouth is open wide enough to catch flies. I can’t help but smile.
“There, that’s better,” Grandma says as she rejoins us in the kitchenette area. There’s a small round kitchen table, just big enough for four chairs. “Now, what were we talking about? Oh, yes, that boy. Oh, honey, I’m so glad you’re not with him. He was always a nice one, but a tad on the vain side. How my Ruby ended up with him as a roommate and a friend is beyond me,” Grandma says, shaking her head.
“Come on, Grandma, he wasn’t that bad.”
“Hmpf,” Grandma replies, waving her hand. “You definitely had done worse,” she says to me, referring to my roommate situation from freshman year. Larry was a little…weird, and insisted on keeping his pet iguana in our room, despite the no-pets policy in the dorm. It may have been different if Spock (the iguana) was in an aquarium, but he rarely was. Larry kept him in his bed.
And sometimes, inmybed.
“Cricket and I just left our alumni reunion,” I volunteer, intentionally being evasive. The last thing I need is for Grandma to be constantly asking about Cricket, long after she’s returned home to California. It’s going to be hard enough without her bringing it up every time we talk.
“Oh, that’s right. Your mother mentioned it. I’m so glad you were able to take a little bit to visit,” she says, reaching out and patting my hand.
“Of course. I wish I could stay longer, but we’re only here for a few hours. But I promised Mom I was coming up with her at Thanksgiving again. I think Royce is coming too.”
“That’s perfect! We’ll go out for dinner. This place cooks decent food, but not for Thanksgiving. I’ll make reservations at the diner on Bowman Avenue.”
“Sounds perfect, Grandma,” I tell her happily. I’m truly glad I stopped by for a visit. I wish they’d move to Gatlinburg with us, but Grandma and Grandpa say this is their home and they’re not ready to leave.
“So, tell me what you’ve been doing, Cricket,” Grandma insists, turning and facing the woman beside me. They start discussing California, and Cricket tells her all about her job. She makes it sound exciting, but I know the truth. I know she’s not happy being on-air, in front of the camera. I just hope she’ll listen to her own words from her speech and find her happy.
The moment she didn’t take the tablet up to the podium, I knew something had changed. After listening to Danny drone on for ten minutes about how awesome he is, it was refreshing to hear her speak about happiness, rather than herself. Her speech was much shorter in length but carried a message the other keynote speakers did not.
Passion.
Happiness.
And I was so damn proud of her for speaking the truth.
