Prince Charming

 My Speak Easy #138 Prince Charming

Hello, is anyone sitting here? No. I answered. I’m excited this is my first trip to New York. Well Congrats I said politely. Well do you have family there I asked. Yes my daughter just moved here this summer. Well honey New York has a life of its own. I would rather stay here where I don’t need long johns and a snow suit but I’m doing it for my grandkids. Oh I see said the stranger.  It’s too many memories of my life that I really never wanted to revisit there in the Big Apple. It’s been 10 years since the love of my life passed away. It was so hard to move on with my life when at every turn his memories haunted me. Winter was his favorite time of the year, winter as they would say was the excuse to be warm and cozy with the one you love. Winters are the hardest for me since he is no longer here. I can remember my husband would take the family ice skating in the park. He would make his special pots of Hot Chocolate with big marshmallows, real chocolate syrup, and whip cream. In New York winter was every bit a miniature Colorado, the neighborhood would get together and create our own Winter Wonderland. Everywhere you looked there were snowball fights, snowman creations, snow angels, snowflakes, sleighing down the hills, and ice skating in our local park. In the middle of all the action there was my husband the biggest kid amongst them all.

We were both originally from Atlanta Georgia, graduates of Morehouse and Spelman College. We were engaged and I don’t think we had been out of school for 3 months before James got a great job offer in New York. So needless to say moving from the South up to New York was a definitely a drastic change. He got a new job at a Law Firm and he pretty much wrote his own ticket and demands. I remembered he made sure his office had a great view of the hustle and bustle of New York Life. He always wanted to feel like he was on top of the world. We had lunch together almost every day at different restaurants just so he would never get bored with the food, or the scenery. I don’t think there was any restaurant we hadn’t eaten at since arriving in the City. I must tell you he loved New York and love might not be the right word to describe what New York meant to him. Our first winter sealed the deal for him that was the year we got record breaking piles of snow. He had never seen snow before he was like a kid in the candy store. He played in the snow for hours on in only time he stopped was to go to work. I never understood why he was so fascinated with the snow.

James insisted that we get married right away so we got married that winter. I had no time to plan he wanted a winter wonderland wedding so that’s what we did. James did everything all I had to do was show up.  Guest from around the world came on short notice to be at our wedding. Everything was decorated like a winter fairy tale. After we became official he took me on a sleigh ride and the night ended with us ice skating. It was a very memorable day and our honeymoon was in Colorado for more snow adventures.

New York holds so many memories of my Prince Charming and when he died my fairy tale was no longer the happy ever after. James told me in his last moments that winter reminded him of heaven on earth.  Literally in his last breath it began to snow, today he has been gone 10 years. The entire family will be reunited in New York. I’m sure it will be a blast from the past with the snowball fights, ice skating, snowman and snow angel creations, sledding, drinking hot chocolate, and for the grand finale the best love stories ever told, Grandpa told the best stories.

Well that was a beautiful story I hope all goes well for you in this season, I think their calling our flight. It was nice talking to you. My advice, once you get there bundle up because it’s supposed to snow and baby it will be cold outside.