It's Kaki's Fault

I braided my hair today. So, what, you asked. Well, two years ago I had so little hair, I couldn’t. Last year, I had so much new growth sticking out; I looked a bit like a dandelion. Today, a real nice braid.

What has this to do with Kaki, you ask. Nothing, just a gratitude observation. I try to have one every day.

So, what did Kaki do? And Kaki who?

It all started when I went looking for her book, HEARTBREAK CREEK by Kaki Warner. I have loved every one of the books in her Blood Rose Trilogy. Such wonderful Old West stories, right up my alley, right between the general store and the saloon. As I mentioned, although, I figured it would be so; we had to travel a ways to find it. But, as I mentioned before, that is the state of affairs when it comes to bookstores around here. (It will only get worse, I’m sure.) My husband is not much of a reader and it took him a long time, a really long time to figure out how much a part of me reading was.

It was a case of, love me, love my cat. He did not like cats, but I came with one. One big, gorgeous white long-hair Manx, Tiffany, who thought she was queen of her world. They circled each other for a while, Tiffany tried to seduce his Uncle, which got him appreciating her, at least, and then, a few years later, me and my boys brought home another. That one bit him while he was sleeping. Right under his arm…I think she thought it was a mouse. He thought it was…well, I can’t exactly use the words here.

He’s come to like cats…or maybe, he’s just afraid not to…Anyway, it was love me, love my books. That’s been just as hard for him. I remember his mother once telling me she’d given up reading because every time she sat down to read, his father would find something for her to do. I doubt he even realized. Men can be such…as Edwina, in HEARTBREAK CREEK says, lumps. I think it was just seeing her sit down.

I wasn’t about to let that happen, books were too much a part of me and he sees how it mellows me out, fills me, he sees what writing does for me, he’s my number one fan, but still…

I rushed through Texas Blue by Jodi Thomas (I did like this book, too.) I was reading so I could get to HEARTBREAK CREEK, I opened the front cover. I always read the praises, the acknowledgements and then, finally the first page…

“Honey, where are you? I thought we needed to go to your mothers?”

Oh, oh. I forgot and darn, but I’ve just got to finish this page. “I’ll be right there.”

Much later after we return home, a shadow passes over. I hardly notice, but it doesn’t go away. I concentrate harder…I will not look up, I will not look up…He’s standing there watching me read. I feel my lips press together.

“What were you going to fix for dinner?”

“Of course, I was just going to finish this page.”

“It’s six. I’m kind of…”

Six o’clock, dang, I was only going to read a minute. “I’m right on it.”

That night, late: “Honey, where are you?”

“I’m washing my face.” A blatant lie.

Much later: “Are you all right?”

“Sure, why?”

“I just wondered if you were coming to bed, it’s midnight.”

Holy cow! I’ve got my mom’s hair to do in the morning and…what was I thinking.

I was thinking…It’s Kaki’s fault. The dishes not getting in the dish washer, (my husband did it) the laundry unfolded (my husband did it), the dishes put up. (my husband again)

Next afternoon, after the hair, before dinner as I close the book. “Are you done with that?”

“Yes.”

“Good, that means I have my wife back, right?”

“Well, until COLORADO DAWN is out.”

“When is that going to be?” he asked with no small amount of trepidation.

“Not soon enough.”