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"Jubilee"
a novel
by Julia Hiser
AN EXCERPT:
"There will never be distance in the ocean," Bradley yelled.
Monica stopped, but didn't turn around. The park was busy. The festival was being built around them. By tomorrow, she wouldn't be able to walk without bumping into strangers. Bradley faced Monica's back as she began to cry.
"There will never be distance in our sweeping arms and certainly not our love," Bradley continued. "I am as pure as this nostalgic longing between us. I feel like we're stuck in the 1950s and loving every second. Pull that black and white body against me and let's make sure this new year has fireworks until the numbers change."
The dirt below Monica's worn shoes was sinking, she felt. Her sweater was itchy and her nose felt like it was bleeding. She rolled her eyes, embarrassed of herself and of Bradley, though she didn't want him to stop talking. Not for any second available.
Please keep going, she whispered to herself.
"When I become old, I will have a model train set and you'll have that garden in the backyard," Bradley yelled. "Please build me into a better man. That's all I ask. That's all I could ever ask. I want to feel like a kid again, all the wonder sensation of everything new. Please tell me I'll feel that warm tender sting again. I want that everlasting numbness, I want that glory and I want it is to start now. Can we start now? I want to be home with you tonight, somewhere in the golden windows of a log cabin. I want the blue silver light of the moon and night and stars beating the lake water like it were smashing mirrors and diamonds all at once."
"And?" Monica yelled, hardly turning her head more than a faint nod.
"And I'll have my typewriter and you'll have your books," Bradley said with a smile, feeling as though he were finally digging his way back into Monica's heart. "We'll make our overalls work and our love will endure whatever cowboy western tribulation we'll deal with. I'll love you forever and I'll love you well. I'll love you when my heart is dead cold and my soul is rioting to revive me, so I can love you into another eternity. Give me some light, give me some stars, just give me supernatural illumination."
"More!" Monica wailed.
"You'll never tell me it's done," Bradley yelled, beginning to shead a tear every couple of sentences he screamed, slowing approaching her. "This is our sailboat waiting. I couldn't love you any finer than our own private tropic island. I'll love you to the worst black death in Australia. There would be heart there. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference from the city's lights and stars. I'll laugh and love you. I'll cry and love you. I swear to the Almighty that I'll love you. I promise him I'd love you. I have to love you. You're never going to have to love again. Please never leave me in the stars watching you. I've passed through Heavens and clouds and nearly knocked stars to love you from afar. I want to watch you, but I'd float farther into the next afterlife, so it'd be blurry enough to never recognize the new man. I could pretend it's still me. I could wage war in my mind to tell you everything you want to hear from such a starlit distance. For the first time, my feet will swim through carpet. I'll treat life as a painting and death as a delightful joke. The worlds will swirl and I'll still love you. I'll love you. I love you then. I love you now. I love you still. I'll love you forever. I love you."
Monica collapsed. Bradley reached her. They were safe with each other again. They both had forgotten about the lake, the mysteries, the heartache, the letters, the lifelessness in both of them. They had survived, though their limbs ached. The wind picked up.
a novel
by Julia Hiser
AN EXCERPT:
"There will never be distance in the ocean," Bradley yelled.
Monica stopped, but didn't turn around. The park was busy. The festival was being built around them. By tomorrow, she wouldn't be able to walk without bumping into strangers. Bradley faced Monica's back as she began to cry.
"There will never be distance in our sweeping arms and certainly not our love," Bradley continued. "I am as pure as this nostalgic longing between us. I feel like we're stuck in the 1950s and loving every second. Pull that black and white body against me and let's make sure this new year has fireworks until the numbers change."
The dirt below Monica's worn shoes was sinking, she felt. Her sweater was itchy and her nose felt like it was bleeding. She rolled her eyes, embarrassed of herself and of Bradley, though she didn't want him to stop talking. Not for any second available.
Please keep going, she whispered to herself.
"When I become old, I will have a model train set and you'll have that garden in the backyard," Bradley yelled. "Please build me into a better man. That's all I ask. That's all I could ever ask. I want to feel like a kid again, all the wonder sensation of everything new. Please tell me I'll feel that warm tender sting again. I want that everlasting numbness, I want that glory and I want it is to start now. Can we start now? I want to be home with you tonight, somewhere in the golden windows of a log cabin. I want the blue silver light of the moon and night and stars beating the lake water like it were smashing mirrors and diamonds all at once."
"And?" Monica yelled, hardly turning her head more than a faint nod.
"And I'll have my typewriter and you'll have your books," Bradley said with a smile, feeling as though he were finally digging his way back into Monica's heart. "We'll make our overalls work and our love will endure whatever cowboy western tribulation we'll deal with. I'll love you forever and I'll love you well. I'll love you when my heart is dead cold and my soul is rioting to revive me, so I can love you into another eternity. Give me some light, give me some stars, just give me supernatural illumination."
"More!" Monica wailed.
"You'll never tell me it's done," Bradley yelled, beginning to shead a tear every couple of sentences he screamed, slowing approaching her. "This is our sailboat waiting. I couldn't love you any finer than our own private tropic island. I'll love you to the worst black death in Australia. There would be heart there. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference from the city's lights and stars. I'll laugh and love you. I'll cry and love you. I swear to the Almighty that I'll love you. I promise him I'd love you. I have to love you. You're never going to have to love again. Please never leave me in the stars watching you. I've passed through Heavens and clouds and nearly knocked stars to love you from afar. I want to watch you, but I'd float farther into the next afterlife, so it'd be blurry enough to never recognize the new man. I could pretend it's still me. I could wage war in my mind to tell you everything you want to hear from such a starlit distance. For the first time, my feet will swim through carpet. I'll treat life as a painting and death as a delightful joke. The worlds will swirl and I'll still love you. I'll love you. I love you then. I love you now. I love you still. I'll love you forever. I love you."
Monica collapsed. Bradley reached her. They were safe with each other again. They both had forgotten about the lake, the mysteries, the heartache, the letters, the lifelessness in both of them. They had survived, though their limbs ached. The wind picked up.
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