| Hearts
By Frank Anthony Lucero I once thought I was in love and high above the world I was cherished and the most sacred possession anyone Could or would desire. Love had filled our hearts, kisses we shared at the start. Above all, far far above and dearer to me is how I held our love. Some call time too very long, love and passion subside or goes wrong. Down to Earth I slipped; my love fell to the ground. My face covered in dirt, love became dust, hearts in love no longer pound. As dust, I felt man’s lonely footsteps trample my broken heart as though I never was. Love knew how it felt to be close together and love understood the hearts were ours For one another. A strong wind arose and carried my thoughts through dreams, back up into the sky. Love returned stronger and brighter than the Sun. Love is there, above the World, looking to be found by the lonely ones. {Lucero 1981) Valentine Love (Abbey the Cabby told me) I was divorced from my first husband and vowed never to marry again. I’d sit inside my cab and stare up at the sky and dream about life. I felt as though life was passing me by. I didn’t really mind, except when I’d pick-up a couple every now and then who were madly in love. Heading to one of those Vegas wedding chapels. How happy in love these people seemed and I grew jealous and envied the love I believed would never come my way. That was until I met Frank a cab driver like me. (Not this writer) A couple of my cabbette friends and I were walking out of the Peppermill Inn Restaurant after enjoying our Valentine’s Day lunch. As we all headed back to our cabs, he said, “Hello” as he passed me by and just like that I knew there was something about him. Call it, “A woman’s Intuition” if you like. He looked at me with his dark eyes and asked if I’d join him for some coffee. And although I just finished having lunch, I accepted his invitation. From there, we continued our new beautiful relationship and within a year, we were married. Life had changed for good and I no longer had to look up at the sky and dream of love. I had found it or it found me. We saved some money and bought a cozy one bedroom house and life couldn’t be better. Every year we’d celebrate our, “Cabbie Love” by eating over at the Peppermill where we’d met. Yes love had made life perfect. That is, until I started gambling, playing video poker. It ruined our wonderful marriage. And it wasn’t something that I’d intentionally do, I didn’t know I was having a problem with gambling. But I’m ashamed to say it now, but I did have problem. Things quickly changed again in my life, Frank started to get cross with me for spending all my day’s tips playing video poker at the Stardust. I stopped there everyday on my way home from work. He would even wait for me by my car and scream at me when I’d left the casino. I somehow found my way over to the Riviera or sometimes Caesar’s Palace to avoid his nagging. I was still happy with my life and didn’t understand why he’d get so upset with me for having a little fun. Then one day, as I played “Deuces Wild” at the Golden Nugget Downtown, something suddenly came over me. I felt a cold feeling in my stomach, call it “Woman’s Intuition” but I knew something was terribly wrong. I cashed out my machine and left the casino in a hurry. I raced through Downtown and drove down Paradise Road and that’s where I saw his cab, crashed into a light pole in front of the Hilton. The crash must’ve just happened because there were no emergency vehicles on the scene. As I looked into the taxi I saw Frank’s face covered in blood. He struggled frantically to get out of the car, but he was trapped against the steering wheel. “Don’t let me die in this cab!” he yelled at the stranger who struggled to free him. I reached in and helped the stranger but I could see Frank’s cut bleeding profusely. I pressed my hand against the open wound to stop the bleeding. All at once the taxicab’s engine caught on fire and Frank yelled, “Please get me out of here. I don’t want to die inside a taxi!” I moved away because the fire started getting out of control and I heard Frank continue to yell, “Get me out of here, I don’t want to die behind the wheel of a taxi. Let me die on the street but not in this cab!” Finally the sound of sirens approached and a crowd gathered around. The rescue workers freed him and pulled him out of the burning cab. He lost consciousness and I rode along with him in the ambulance to the hospital. He recovered from the crash and I reluctantly stopped gambling shortly after that. Our love, once again became strong and life was good to us. We started going out as a couple more often enjoyed time together the way life is meant to be. Frank retired from driving his taxis but I still drove mine. After work we’d sit on our front porch and laugh at all our old cab stories. Sometimes Frank took me to the casino to play bingo for fun and it was nice when we’d win a small jackpot. It was going to be our ten year anniversary dinner at the Peppermill that Valentine’s Day. Frank sat in the living room and waited as I finished putting on my make-up. He was extremely quiet as I rambled on and on about something, I can’t remember now. Then suddenly I got that cold feeling in my stomach just like I did that same day as the car crash. Frank was sitting on the couch clutching his chest and he tried to smile. He said with a painful laugh, “I don’t think I’m going out with you tonight.” I called the ambulance and imagined me riding along with him to the hospital again like we did before. Frank tried to stand up, but tumbled and fell to the floor. He grabbed me and pulled me near as he fell and I fell right along side him. He painfully struggled to say something to me, but he was getting worse. “What is it Frank? What are you trying to say?” I couldn’t help him or do anything for him, but he used his last of his strength and pulled me close. He barely managed to get these words out. In a whisper he said, “Please don’t let me die in this taxi.” He smiled up at me, then his dark eyes closed and he was gone. That was awhile back now and I’m doing okay since he had passed on. I still go to the Peppermill on Valentine’s Day. I think about him everyday when I sit on my front porch and look up at the sky. I imagine he’s smiling back at me. (Abbey recently passed away) |
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