Break My Heart: Part 2

Presenting the conclusion of last week's story. Sorry I didn't post it all at once, but this section needed a little more revision. It may even need revision now. Let me know what you think.

I arrived on time to the second class and took the same station as before. Maribel joined me a couple of minutes later.

“Think they’re ready?” She offered an anxious smile as she glanced toward the locked cabinet.

“I hope so. This is the big weekend.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but the teacher interrupted. “I took the liberty of peeking at your pieces this morning. Now it is your turn to tell me whether they are leather hard and therefore ready to be fired. Ladies…”

As he walked past us to unlock the cabinet, Maribel and I stepped forward to claim our creations. As we gently placed them on the counter and removed the newspaper, all eyes in the room turned to us. As far as I knew, they looked ready to be fired. I tapped the clay tentatively with one fingernail. This produced a soft clicking sound.

“Don’t say anything yet. I’ll be coming around to ask each of you to tell me what you think when everyone has their piece in hand.”

I nodded and hazarded a peek at Mirabel. With a glance to make sure the teacher wasn’t looking, she raised one thumb and nodded her head. I smiled and looked back down at the interlocked hearts, relieved to see that they had maintained their original shape. After everyone whispered their assessment of their own work, he supervised as we placed our shaped clay into the kiln.

 “Don’t worry, we have plenty of space for all of your masterpieces.” The teacher offered reassurance as mutters arose from the men in the front row. “You’ll all have something beautiful to take home tonight. In the meantime, work on your next masterpiece. Try a different method of creation this time. If you used coils for your first piece, try slabs. I want to be sure you have a basic understanding of the clay before we try throwing pots on the wheel.”

Maribel and I turned to the fresh balls of clay that awaited us. As I began gently kneading the clay, I pondered what to make. Maribel leaned in to voice the question in my mind.

“What are you going to make this time?”

“I have no idea.”

“You could make your man’s mom an ashtray.” She giggled.

“Or a teacup.” I offered with a smirk.

I finally decided to make a slab box. Soon I was rolling the clay out gently between two thin boards to make sure the thickness remained consistent. No matter how intently I focused on the task at hand, my eyes always wandered back to the kiln. After waiting the suggested amount of time, I peeked into the kiln. Reassured, I raised my hand to get the teacher’s attention.

“It looks done to me.” I pointed to my creation to make sure he knew which one.

“I believe you’re right.” He nodded his head as he came to stand at my side.

I slipped on heavy gloves from a shelf beside the kilns and a pair of tongs. “May I?”

“Please do.” He stepped back to observe as I gently pulled out my creation.

Peering over my shoulder as I gently placed the warm clay on a rack to cool, Maribel offered. “I think mine is done, too.”

We distracted ourselves by continuing to prepare our new masterpieces, but we couldn’t keep our eyes off the cooling rack for long. By the time class ended, I couldn’t keep my feet from carrying me back to Janson’s gift.

Maribel joined me. “Think they’re cool enough?”

I nodded my head as I slowly placed my hand near the rack. Feeling no heat, I gently wrapped my fingers around the coiled hearts and picked them up. The clay warmed my hand though it had cooled enough to be handled.

“Do you think he’ll like it?” I turned my creation over in my hands, pleased to find that it had not cracked or slumped as it baked.

“I think as long as you like it, it is perfect.” Maribel offered me another smile.

“It is perfect.” I breathed a sigh of relief as I clutched the entwined hearts to my own.

~~

“Happy birthday.” I smiled as I opened the door for Janson.

His lips smiled back at me but his eyes looked past me. “Thank you.”

“Should I drive tonight since it’s your special day?” I offered as I pulled the door closed and dropped my keys into my purse next to my carefully wrapped present.

“That would be good. We should take separate cars.” He said distractedly.

“Okay?”

He ignored the question in my voice and turned toward his car. “I’ll meet you at Roberto’s.”

I paused to watch him get into his car and slam the door. He didn’t look back to make sure I was following as he drove away. I hurriedly opened my car door and slipped behind the wheel. As I merged with traffic and followed him, I bit my lip, searching for some clue as to what was happening.

At the restaurant, I ran to catch up to Janson before he reached the door. As I slipped my arm into his, he resisted. Then he stiffened up but allowed my arm to stay linked with him.

“Is something wrong?” I leaned in to whisper.

“Of course not.”

I didn’t pursue it as the restaurant door opened and a greeter with a warm smile under a thin mustache invited us to enter. The maître d’ offered us another warm smile and a slight bow as he checked our reservation and invited us to follow a third man to our table. The waiter held my chair out for me as Janson took his own seat.

“Maybe this will cheer you up.” I pulled my carefully wrapped gift from my purse and placed it on the table between us.

“Man, Winnie, can’t you give me one second to breath.”

“I’m sorry. What?” My forced smile faded.

“I just wanted to have a nice dinner and let you down easy, but…”

“Let me down…” As realization began to sink in, my mouth dropped open.

“I’ve been meaning to do this for a while, but my mother told me I should at least see what your gift was. I just can’t do this…”

“Your mother told you…” Again my mouth gaped open with no words to fill it.

“Yes, apparently, she was right. We’re not compatible. I’m sorry. I have to go.” He almost knocked over the waiter coming to take our drink orders.

My whole body felt numb. I turned enough to watch him walk away, but no part of me wanted to follow or beg him to stay. After a few seconds of gazing after his retreating form, I turned back to the waiter.

“I’ll have a glass of ginger ale and some onion fries to start.”

“Yes, ma’am. And the gentleman?”

“I don’t think he’s coming back.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He offered no questions, just a slight bow as he removed the extra place setting.

I smiled and reached for the present. Carefully, unwrapping it, I lifted the lid to reveal the entwined hearts. I reached into the box to pull out the entwined hearts and hold them close to my own.

“This really is the perfect gift.” I whispered softly as all the worry and trepidation of the last few weeks rose from my shoulders and followed Janson out the door.