The Eyes

Just about everybody believes in something. A lot of people believe in God, some in the Devil, and some in Witchcraft. A whole lot of people are superstitious and a lot more have lucky charms. Some have medallions, a rabbit’s foot, lucky coins or a piece of clothing that brings them luck. What do you believe in? What if I told you I believe in the eyes of love, just what would you say to that? Ok, You probably would say, I'm crazy. You know what, at one time, I would have agreed with you. There is really no way of knowing what is out there in deep space, traveling from planet to planet. There is only one thing we are sure of and that is the universe is moving. I think this really started a long time ago on a planet far, far, away in a Galaxy not yet seen by man? Maybe I’m wrong so I will let you decide.

You are right I am getting ahead of myself. Ok, this is what I know. It all happened a few years ago, in the little town of Fairview. That was the town where I was born and raised.

It was one of those hot muggy summer days. I was cleaning out the inside of my car and the sweat was running down my face. I am rushing because I had piddled around and just a little bit ago did I realize what time it was. I have other thing to do after I finish getting the car cleaned and it is only four hours before my date with Sandy. I have been asking her to go out with me for months but she keeps turning me down. I am beginning to think she just does not want to be seen with me. Sandy Thomas is a senior, beautiful, popular and the leader of the cheerleaders. She could have her pick of any boy in the whole school if she wanted to. Me, I'm the joke of the school, the one everyone makes fun of. The only thing that I am good at is running track. I am good in the mile and even better in the two-mile event. I work every night at the Greasy Spoon in Fairview and only get off every other Sunday. Greasy Spoon is the nickname the kids gave to the McGillis Café in Fairview. With only every other Sunday off, that alone just about ends my chances of dating. Jack McGillis is the real nice old man that runs the Greasy Spoon. I started working at the Greasy Spoon while I was in my junior year of school. Even though we needed the money, really bad, mom didn’t want me working so much through the week because my grades were not all that good. Naturally all of the girls want to go out Friday or Saturday night and sometimes even through the week. Not only do they not want to go out on Sunday night but there is not very much happening on Sunday night. I was lucky to get my good friend Larry to cover for me tonight, because he usually goes bowling on Saturday nights. Larry was the person that told me Sandy just broke up with John. Sandy and John had been going together for about a year. It was right after John got the new car for his sixteenth birthday. John has always run with the popular crowd. I think he likes it when the popular boys and the pretty girls hang around him, because it makes him feel important. Down deep I I don't think he really likes any of them. I know this is really soon after Sandy’s break-up and she is probably on the rebound, and yes it is probably taking advantage of the situation but I need all of the help I can get.

I don’t think I will ever forget how it happened. It was a Tuesday evening right after track practice. The cheerleaders had just finished practicing their cheers. Sandy still had on her white sweater and blue cheerleader skirt. I just couldn't keep my eyes off of her. She had golden blond hair, the longest ponytail of all the girls and it made a curl at the end. I swear with the sun behind her it seemed like she was an angel. The other cheerleaders had left and Sandy was just finishing her stretching when I walked up.

When Sandy saw me she turned her head around and said, “Hi Ricky D”
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Ok, my full name is Rick Lee Berry but everybody calls me Ricky D. When I was in the first grade Jim Jameson would always call me Ricky the dummy. He moved away when I was in the fourth grade but by the third grade he had shortened Ricky the dummy to Ricky D. It kind of rhymed so that is what everybody now calls me. I didn't mind everybody else calling me Ricky D but it kind of hurt when Sandy said it. Even though I doubt if she remembers what it means.
This is probably the sixth time I have asked her out and I still had a hard time getting the words out of my mouth.
It probably sounded like I had a mouth full of chewing gum as I said, "How would you like to go with me to the show Saturday night".

Sandy just looked at me for the longest time. I thought for a minute she did not understand what I had said or she was trying to think of a nice way to tell me no.
Then she said, "Rick I would like that very much".

Sandy didn't call me Ricky D. I think my heart must have stopped because I was getting dizzy.

Then I heard someone say "I will be by to pick you up at six o'clock if that is OK".
Then I realized I was doing the talking.

Sandy said, "Ok six o'clock will be fine".

I said, "I will see you then”.

I hoped my legs would move enough for me to walk away. When I looked down I was amazed my feet were moving, but I couldn't feel them.

The next thing I knew I was standing in front of the bleachers at the football field, so I sat down. The football field is where we ran track. I am thinking this is probably a mercy date for Sandy. Sandy probably has nothing better to do Saturday night. Also she probably wants to get back at John and that is why she is going out with me. Well I don't care, something might happen, she might get to know me and she might even like me. I have prayed for this chance to go with her so she could see the real me. This is probably my one and only chance so I had better pray again that I make a good impression. I finally finished cleaning out the car. I washed it earlier so all I have to do now is shower and get dressed.

Mom said, "Where are you going to go tonight, Rick".

"I think I will take Sandy to the show, then to the greasy spoon for a burger and coke. Then we might go look at the moon for a while”.

She said, "Don't keep her out too late".

I said, "OK mom".

Driving over to Sandy's I checked things over. The car is cleaned and I have filled it with gas. You are right I should have left it almost empty. I have shaved, put on aftershave, combed my hair, put on clean jeans, a dress shirt, polished my shoes and oh yeah a drop of cologne. I stopped at the woods just leaving town and took a few minutes to pick a hand full of assorted wild flowers. I got out the new music tape I bought today and slipped it in the stereo. I think everything is ok. There is the house just ahead so I had better slow down I want to make a good impression. I sure don't want Mr. Thomas to think I drive to fast. Mr. Thomas works for a fertilizer plant and handles a lot of bags of fertilizer. I have only seen Mr. Thomas a couple of times. Both of the times I saw him I had gone there to pick-up fertilizer for mom’s garden. The thing is, he is very muscular and looks like he could rip somebody in half if he was mad at them. I pull in the circle drive and park in front of the house. I sure hope Sandy is ready and I don't have to meet Mr. Thomas.

I don't believe this, the doorbell is a few cords of a base drum.

The door opens and their stands Mr. Thomas. He gave me a quick once over with his eyes and then he spoke.

"May I help you," he said.

I said, "I have come to take Sandy to the show". I have got to tell you man I really like the doorbell". Those are the first cords I played on my drums when I started playing. I say playing, but really I just mess around with them.

Mr. Thomas steps back a few feet and yells up the stairs.

"Your date is here Sandy".

Then he turns to me and says, "You play the drums"?

Mr. Thomas stuck out his right hand and I took it in my right hand and we shook hands.

He said, "My name is William Thomas, just call me Bill. I taped the doorbell from my drums". I get my drums out and play them when I feel up tight. Playing the drums seems to help me to relax".

I am just guessing but I would say that about fifteen minutes went by while Bill and I talked about our drums. Sandy came down stairs, stopped and just stood there looking at Bill and me.

Then she said, "It sure looks like you two are hitting it off all right. What have you two been talking about"?

Bill just smiled and said, "That is between two old drummers".

I gave Sandy the wild flowers and she said "thanks".

She stuck them in a vase that was setting right beside her and kissed her dad good-by.

Bill said, "Try to be in before midnight".

Sandy said, "Ok" and out the door we went.

Outside she said, “You might be interested in knowing that this is the first time that anybody picked me up and dad spoke over two words to them.”

“Maybe you don't know Ricky, you just know Ricky D”.

Then she said the strangest thing.

“You know, I have never really been on a date. The boys that I have gone out with just say I will be over to pick you up be ready”.

I opened the car door, she got in and I closed the door. Then I went around to my side and got in. We didn't talk much on the way to the show. About halfway through the show I put my arm around her and lightly pulled her over a little closer to me. She turned to look at me and I figured, Rick you are dead. Instead she just gave me a kind of strange look. After the show we went to the greasy spoon and had a burger, fries and a coke. Sandy still didn't talk much and when I talked to her she seemed to be thinking about something else.

Jan came in the restaurant and told Sandy that she saw John at the bowling alley, with Linda. Sandy just got a sad look on her face but it did put an end to the small amount of talking we had been doing. We finished eating and left the restaurant. When we had both got in the car, I turned to face her.

I said, "As hot as it is, would you like to take a cool drive in the country and listen to some music. I just bought a new tape?"

I thought for sure she was going to say no. She was looking me in the eye and I believe she was starting to say no. Then she probably thought 'I owe him this much for the food and show.'

Sandy said, "Ok let’s go for a little while, the night breeze will feel good".

In the country about four miles out of town, there is a little dirt road that will take you to a small pond. I know this place because that is where I go when I want to be alone and think. The pond is in an open area where if there is any breeze at all you will feel it and tonight there is a slight breeze blowing. There is also a full moon shining tonight. If we are lucky enough for the breeze to blow the water when the moon is out in the open and not being hid by any clouds, the surface of the water will glistens like there is a million diamonds bouncing around on it.

We didn't talk on the way out there just listened to the music. I pulled off the side of the dirt road right beside the pond. The road winds down the hill till it ends at the old haunted cabin. At least that is what some of the kids call it.

Sandy said, "Isn't this the road that goes on down to the haunted cabin"?

I said, “Yes, but I was not planning on going down there. You do know why they say it is haunted"?

“I think I do but I don’t remember it very well”.

“This is the way I heard the story. A few times, late at night, strange lights could be seen in the sky over the cabin. One day an old man started living there and nobody knows where he came from. The old man kept to himself. Come to think of it I never knew of him ever working anywhere. I come out here a lot. I love to set on the bank and fish. While I fish I have time to think. Sometimes he would be fishing out here and I would go over and fish with him. You know I don't remember him ever catching a fish. I believe I was the only one he ever talked to very much. I know he talked to Hank the owner of the Blue Ribbon grocery but I think most of that was because he had to order his groceries. Now that I think about it he always had plenty money to pay for the groceries. He never told me what his name was and I never asked him. I believe that was part of the reason he would talk to me. I just did not ask him any personal questions. I figured if he wanted to tell me something personal he would. We would talk about all kinds of things. Because I didn’t know his name I called him old-timer. He seemed to like that and he would call me boy.

One day he said, “Boy, I owe you something for all the times you set out here talking to me”.

I said, “No you don't, I just like setting out here because it is so peaceful”.

He said, “I will be leaving soon because it is over and I have to go. But I will not leave before paying my debt to a friend”?

I figured he knew he was going to die and he wanted to give me something in his will. If he did give me anything, I never got it yet.

I parked the car on the side of the road that the pond is on. That way Sandy will be able to see the pond better. All the time we have been parked here Sandy has been looking out at the pond. As I was talking earlier to Sandy and looking out the window on the other side of the car, I saw what looked like eyes glowing in the dark. I blew them off as being a cat or something but now they are back.

I said, “Sandy would you mind looking at something on this side of the car for a minute”.

“Sure Rick, what do you see”?

I see eyes, there are eyes looking at me from the ditch beside the road”.

Leaning over me she practically stuck her whole head out the window.

She said, "I see them to. You have been up here before so what are they?"

I said, “Sandy, in all the times I have been up here I have never seen eyes staring out of that ditch".

She leaned back so she was not setting in my lap anymore as we just kept looking at the eyes. The eyes did not move they just stayed right where they were.

I said, "I think I will back the car up and shine the headlights on them. Then we will be able to see who the eyes belong to".

I backed the car up and swung the front of the car towards the spot where the eyes were. Then I turned on the headlights and behold there was nothing there. I turned off the headlights and behold there the eyes were. I again turned the Headlights on and the eyes disappeared. I turned the lights off again and there were the eyes. When the headlights were on and I could see the ditch there was nothing there. Ok, when the headlights are on I should be able to see the animal that the eyes belonged to.

I said, “Sandy, what the heck is happening here”?

“I do not know, Ricky? But if you are trying to scare me it is starting to work”.

I said, “Sandy you can believe me when I say I'm not doing this. Just tell me what you think. Are the eyes really there or are we seeing things? Why are the eyes invisible when I turn on the headlights? Then when I turn off the headlights they are visible”?

Sandy scooted over under my arm and said "Ricky all I want to know is what is going on"
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I said, “I wish I knew what was happening. When light hits some eyes they will shine and when the light is removed they will not shine anymore. This is just opposite of what should be happening. But I do believe that if the eyes or who ever the eyes belong to were going to hurt us it would have already happened. Because I saw the eyes when we first stopped, about a half-hour ago. I just thought it was a cat or some animal hiding in the weeds beside the road. Then the eyes were gone so I figured what ever it was had left".

The next thing I knew we were talking about what scares us. Then what we hope to be, what we wanted out of life and where we want to live if we ever found somebody to get married to.

Ok as soon as I said it I knew I should not have said it, but I just had to know.
I said, “I know you probably went out with me because you felt pity for Ricky D. If you did I don't care as long as I got to spend some time with you I am happy”.
I just sat there and realized that I had just made a big mistake. She just sat there looking at me and did not say a word. Then after what seemed like an hour but was only about a minute she spoke.

“I guess in a way me and you are a lot alike. They call you Ricky D and make fun of you. Well they call me prom queen and head cheerleader. I'm a trophy, a sign of acceptance. Dating me gets you into the in crowd parties and instant popularity. Sure with all of this I have had fun. Maybe I used my looks and popularity to better myself a little. Take John for instance. He would take me to a party. Then he would go off with the boys, drink and goof off. When he was tired and had enough to drink we would leave. Then he would take me to some secluded place and park. It was always the same thing. As soon as we stopped he would start kissing me for a little while, then his hands would start roaming and I would slap them. He would get mad and try a little harder and I would have to slap him a little harder. He would not talk to me he would just set there and pout. If I said anything he would ignore me or tell me I don't feel like talking. After pouting for few minutes he would take me home. At school he would act like he owned me and when we went to a show or restaurant he would show me off as if I was a trophy”.

We talked a little longer and then I took her home. As we were saying good-by we agreed to go out there again next week and see if the eyes would show up.
I just knew Larry would not cover for me two Saturdays in a row, but he not only agreed to do it, he was happy about it. It seems he was getting to be friends with Carolyn Fulton who came in the Greasy Spoon a lot on Saturday night. That week was the longest week that I can ever remember. But finally it was Saturday night and I was going to pick up Sandy.

As soon as she got into the car she said, "Can we just go up to the lake and skip the show?"

I said, "That would be great. I would love to do that".

We went out there for the next four weeks in a row. We would just set in the car talking and looking at the eyes. We could see them as long as we kept from shining a light on them. It was amazing how much we wanted and liked the same things. The fifth week we decided to bring along flashlights. We just had to know whom the eyes belonged to. When we arrived and shut off the lights sure enough there were the eyes. We were talking and the moon was shining on Sandy's face when I happen to remember something that the old timer had told me. We were just talking one day when he said, the eyes are the windows to the soul. Through the eyes you can see when a person is happy, sad, mad, lonely, anger, or needy. I believe he was right because I seen love in Sandy's eyes. I slowly took hold of her head and kissed her. It took my breath away.

Sandy said, "How did you know that is what I wanted you to do.”

I said, “I guess we just think alike."

She never said anything she just gave me a wonderful kiss right back.
I said, "Sandy, I just have to know whose eyes those are".

“I was hoping that you would say that pretty soon”, she replied.

We got out the flashlights and then we got out of the car. I could still see the eyes in the weeds beside the road. Sandy went down the road a few feet and started looking in the weed beside the road. I shined the flashlight on the spot where I saw the eyes last and all I could see was the weeds. I shut off the flashlight and there were the eyes. I walked closer to the weeds in the ditch and knelt down where I last saw the eyes. I turned on the flashlight, shined it into the weeds in the ditch, and nothing was there. I shut it off and there they were. I knelt right down in the tall grass between the ditch and the road and turned on the flashlight. There was nothing there but when I pulled back some of the tall grass there in the smaller grass was a small animal. It was about two inches tall, about four inches long and it had two eyes. The thing is the eyes were not in his head, they rested on what looks like antennas. The antennas came out of a small head but they were about two inches long and the eyes were spaced just about the same distance apart as a human. The animal or whatever it was just stayed right there. I looked and there about six feet from me Sandy was in the grass looking too.

I said, “Sandy come over here and look at this".

She came over to where I was, stooped down and looked. She looked at me and then looked back at what ever it is.

Turning to me she said, "What is that?"

I said, "I don't know".

For a few minutes we just stayed there stooped over looking at this thing in the grass. Then we stood up and went back to the car. I guess neither one of knew what to say so we just sat there looking at the ditch where we saw the eyes.

After a few minutes I said, “Are you ready to go home”.

Sandy said, “Yes.”

We just listened to the music on the way to her house. The next day the story was all over town that the lights that use to be seen over the old cabin was seen again. Early this morning just before dawn a farmer going out to check on his livestock saw the lights.

Sandy and I have gone back out there many times since and never saw the eyes again. We have been happily married for years now with two great kids.

Where did the eyes come from? Where did the eyes go? What kind of animal or person were the eyes on? What made the light over the cabin that night we saw the eyes for the last time? Who was the old man I called old-timer and where did he go? Finally what did the old timer mean when he said I owe you for all of the time you spent with me and I pay my debts?

I have thought about this for some time and this is the solution I came up with. I believe a lonely space traveler from who knows where came to earth to get away for a while. He just wanted a place where he could get a little relaxation and in the process he found a friend. If he came back or is still here I don't know. What I do believe is he listened to what I said, especially about Sandy. When I took Sandy to the pond the first time he must have remembered what I had said about her. He then saw a way to help and he did. If it hadn't been for the eyes the first night we were out there, I would have taken Sandy home and we would have never got to know each other. The eyes I think were those of an animal or a space person from some place in deep space. Somewhere somehow they got together and they are now friends. The old mans friend helped him pay off a debt he thought he owed. I like to believe the old man and his friend came millions miles for a little relaxation and found a friend. In an effort to pay back a debt he thought he owed he saved two people from a life of loneliness. If it had not been for what I believe to be the eyes of love, a wonderful marriage would not have happened.

THE END.