Intertwined Minds

She had to wipe the soap bubbles from her hand quickly in order to get to the phone in time.

“Hey.”

“Hello.”

“What are you doing tonight? Want to come over for dinner, Jake is making his famous meatloaf.”

“Thank you for the invite, but I can’t. I have a hot date tonight.”

“Oh, where’d you meet this one at Sammy?”

“On eHarmony.”

“Oh, wow, when did you get on eHarmony?”

“A few weeks ago.”

“What made you do that site and not a swipe right or swipe left app?”

“Because my Oracle told me that I need to branch away from sites made for hookups if I want to be serious about finding love.”

“Well, you know Jake and I met in Student Government in College and so I’ve never had to deal with those dating websites.”

“I know, I know, you two are sweethearts; the exception.”

“If you branched out and joined clubs on campus then you could have a fairy tale story, too.”

“All the clubs are closed because of covid, I feel as though it’s needless for me to say that you and I are having two different college experiences.”

“I didn’t even think of that. You’re missing out on so much.”

“Yeah, rub it in why don’t ya. I wouldn’t be in any clubs anyways. No one likes the weird art student.”

“You’re going to be a professor so you’re more than just a “weird art student.” Anyways, what’s his name?”

“HER name is Amy.”

“Oh geez, you’re actually doing this?”

“Doing what?!”

“Just prolonging this liberal, gay phase. Just because you’re an art student away at college doesn’t mean you have to throw away your morals.”

“I told you before that it’s not a phase. And I’m not throwing my morals away just because I’m gay. I still go to church services on Youtube until the congregation opens up again.”

“Oh, what would Na Na say. And that’s not even a real church.”

“Just because they fly a rainbow flag outside of their doors, doesn’t mean they’re not a real church!”

“I just wish you would work through whatever you’re going through so you can find your way back to Christ.”

“Alright, well thanks for the support sis. Listen, I got to go. I need to finish the dishes and shower before tonight.”

“Okay, I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

After Sammy got out of the shower, she hung her Vera Wang white towel on the hooks hanging on her closet door. She stood there naked in front of her closest. She let out a deep sigh as she pondered what to wear, thinking about how hopeless it is to wear something “pretty” that can also get messed up.

Sammy did not have any ordinary date in mind. No, ordinary was not her style at all. Never has been which is why she was always the black sheep of the family. Her father is a pediatrician and her Mom volunteers at Sunday School. Her family was outraged when she changed churches to find one more progressive with accepting the LGBTQ+ community. But she didn’t care. She knew what was right in her heart.

She sat at her vanity that got passed down to her by her Na Na after she died the year before. The gold trim and teal colored vanity is Victorian with Royal Style. The chair is silk embroidered with gold legs. She looked in the mirror while she applied her mascara. Starring into her eyes, she let out a puff of air. Little did her older sister know, Na Na wouldn’t roll over in her grave. Sammy told Na Na six years ago that she thought she was gay and Na Na told her, “As long as you’re happy it doesn’t matter, but you’ll have to accept letting down your parents and congregation.”

That was when Sammy started straying away from her Church, but her parents didn’t know why she was going to the church she’s currently going to. She only told her sister and swore her to secrecy. Her parents were none the wiser about their youngest daughter’s sexual orientation. As far as they knew, just a normal straight girl is coming over to do “normal straight girl stuff” with their daughter.

She took their black French Poodle outside to go to the bathroom. She took a hit off her vape pen while she waited in the yard, turning her head from one direction to another at the road. Her date told her that she was driving a Black Honda Civic Sedan.

After five minutes the car drove down the road and pulled up and parked in the drive way. Sammy started to get nervous as her palms sweat. Her date turned off her car and got out, shutting the door behind her.

“Hi Amy!”

“Hi, it’s so nice to finally meet you! What a cute puppers!”

“Oh yeah, that’s Dandy, she’s a good girl. Aren’t you a good girl?!”

Dandy’s tail started to wag as Amy bent over to pet her.

“I know you said tonight is a surprise. Do I finally get to know why you told me to wear trashy clothes that I won’t mind getting stains on?”

Sammy let out a chuckle, “No not yet, but soon. I got to put Dandy back inside and then we can go out to the barn. “

Sammy did as she said then led Amy through the yard and to the stone blue colored barn.

“Oh wow, you have a pond out here.”

“Yeah, my dad loves fishing in it.”

Sammy opened the side door to the barn and held it open while Amy walked through the door frame. Sammy entered, shutting the door behind her. She turned on a light switch and started walking up the stairs to the second floor of the barn. Amy followed behind her. Getting to the top of the stairs, Amy finally got an idea of what Sammy had in mind. In front of her was an art studio with an easel, canvases, paint brushes in cups, and paint in boxes.

“So we’re painting.”

“Yes! I’ll admit that a dream of mine was always to paint on a date. I’m sorry if you think that’s stupid.”

“I don’t think it’s stupid at all. I think it’s cute.”

Then Amy stuck out her index finger a bopped Sammy’s nose, “boop.”

Sammy let out a chuckle as she thought about how adorable her date was.

Sammy walked over to a counter with a sink and some cupboards. She opened up one of the cupboards and brought out two wine glasses, “Would you like a glass of wine?”

“Yes, please and thank you!”

“This wine is called Mojave Rain, it’s a Merlot,” she said as she took out the cork and poured it into the two glasses. She handed one of the glasses to Amy. Amy took a sip and swished it around in her mouth.

“Wow, this tastes so…. exotic!”

“It’s made with plums, raspberries, black cherries, and a touch of chocolate.”

“How’d you discover such an unusual, but captivating wine?”

“I shop at this company called Bright Cellars. They have a quiz that you can take on their website and once you’re finished with this quiz, they give you a special selection to buy. I’ve been getting my wine from them for several months now.”

“That sounds super fancy. I’ll have to go check them out and take the quiz. I wonder what wines they’d pair me with.”

“Maybe a pear flavored wine…. Get it, they’ll pair you with a pear wine!”

Amy let out a chuckle, choking on her wine, as she rolled her eyes, “Wow, that was something else.”

Sammy laughed with her, “Thanks, I’m pretty lame.”

“No, no, not lame at all, very clever.”

Sammy got out a blue plastic cup that read “Sea World.” She got out a jug of water and poured some into the cup. Then she placed the cup on the short, oak coffee table.

“Do you mind sitting on the floor while we paint on the table?”

“No, not at all,” Amy said as she put her glass of wine on the coffee table and sat down before it.

“Good,” Sammy said as she pulled out a blank canvas from a collection of blank canvases, all in different sizes. She placed the canvas on the table. Then she picked up one of the boxes full of paint and put it on the floor between her and Amy. Sammy sat down on one of the two Maroon Mandala Floor Cushions that she bought recently for this date.

“I should warn you that I don’t know how to paint,” Amy said.

“That’s okay, my advice is to not guide the paint brush but to let the paint brush guide you.”

“Wow, how insightful, are you a Guru?”

Sammy let out a boisterous laugh, “No, anything but.”

“So, what are we doing here wise master?”

“I thought that it would be entertaining for you to paint half of it and for me to paint the other half. Let’s start by picking out some paint colors. What’s your favorite color?”

“I would have to say that it’s blue, because it reminds me of water.”

“What’s the significance of water to you?”

“Well, this might be lame, but I’m a waterbender.”

“Okay, what is that exactly?”

“There’s this show called Avatar: The Last Airbender, and it has what are called waterbenders. They bend water in order to protect themselves. I identify with waterbending the most out of the four elements. Water symbolizes change and is used gracefully.”

“Wow, you’re a nerd about something. I knew it!”

They both laughed together.

“So I think the best color for you to start somewhere with is Cerulean Blue,” Sammy said as she dug through the box of paints that she put between them.

“Here it is,” she said as she grabbed it, opened the cap, and put some on the pallet placed on the table.

Amy looked at the paint brushes overwhelmingly, “How do I know what paint brush to use?”

“I think using a bright brush with shorter hair is more ideal for you because it’s good for controlling your strokes and puts the paint on a bit thicker than some other brushes,” Sammy said as she pulled out one of the said brushes. She handed it to Amy.

“You never said Sammy, what’s your favorite color?”

“I don’t really have one. I spend too much time with colors to choose a favorite. I enjoy cherry blossom pink, lime green, teal, maroon, sky blue, sunshine yellow, and white.”

“Those are all very pretty colors, but why choose white.”

“Because you can add any other color to white and it won’t ruin it, it just blends in and creates something even more appealing to the eyes.”

“Wow, that’s very poetic.”

“Oh, you must not know a lot about poetry then because that was anything but poetic,” Sammy said as she put ruby red onto her pallet, dabbing some water onto the small pile of paint, then dabbed her paint brush into the paint, mixing in the water and the paint together.

“Actually, I am a poet.”

Sammy looked stunned, she was not expecting that reply, “Oh, I’m sorry, I hope I didn’t offend you.”

“No, not at all. I guess it is surprising. Us poets are dying out.”

“So what kind of poetry do you write,” Sammy said as she started to paint diagonal lines across her half of the canvas.

Amy began painting circles, “I write poetry about depression, spiritual experiences, love, and what I perceive as good or bad in the world.”

“That sounds interesting, are you going to write a poem about me,” Sammy asked with a huge grin on her face.

“I can. Give me a second.”

“Oh, you’re doing it right now?”

“Yeah, why not?”

“There is no reason not to I guess.”

“Alright, lets paint for a second while I think.”

They sat there in silence except the birds chirping in the background from outside. Sammy continued with her diagonal lines but this time with the color blush pink. Sammy got out a hair dryer to dry the paint because Amy wanted to paint yellow circles in her blue circles. Once the paint dried, Amy was able to finish painting what she called “flowers.”

“Okay, I got it, you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Sammy said eagerly.

“My aesthetic has become your beauty. A face of rays of sunshine mixed with what is youthfully divine. You have the wildness of sunflowers growing in a field. A field I could run through all day. I have been struck by internal butterflies. I find myself ridden with delight that comes with the birth of new experiences. Could this be it, my new muse? Someone to inspire the force of writing that wars inside of me. Someone who has deep pools of muddy water to swim in. I can not dive into such pools, I must take my time and dip my feet in first. But with the immersion of my body comes an endless wonderment of what enchantment may come. This is the blossoming.”

Sammy sat there in awe with teary eyes. She wiped her eyes on the sleeves of her thin, tiger orange colored sweater. She had never had someone write poetry for her let alone get told her face is of divinity.

“Wow, I’m speechless.”

Amy carefully put the paint brush she was using in the blue cup. She then grabbed a paper towel to wipe off some of the paint that had gotten on her right hand. Sammy watched her move, holding her breath, as if she were watching an Angel dance. Amy scootched her way off the cushion. She scootched closer to Sammy’s body, placing her hand on Sammy’s face. Amy leaned in, closing her eyes, and gently they pressed their lips together. Sammy closed her eyes and accepted the kiss as she thought about how Amy tasted like shea butter Chapstick and violet colors.

They released one another and Amy made her way back to the cushion. They sat there for a few minutes in silence, starring into one another’s eyes. The silence, the stillness formed a feeling of electricity between them. It was as if swirls of leaves and the colors of the wind twirled around them. They were entranced with one another.

Sammy grabbed another paint brush and created an uneven line down the middle of the canvas, separating the two sides of the painting. The line was painted to make it look like one side was ripping out of the other side. Sammy’s side was a psychedelic feel and Amy’s was an orchard.

Sammy let out a little cough to clear her throat, “Let’s call it intertwined minds.”