Lollipop Cruise, Part 37: So, What’s Your Plan?

Birds chirp…. Pigeons hum… as they search the ground… for tossed crumbs…

Squirrels dart… Bees buzz… Kalman wonders when “is” becomes “was.”

Kalman proudly asks, “So son, what’s your plan?”

Two older folks sit on a park bench… Like enemy buddies, they avoid eye to eye…

Kalman & Cheryl were married 16 years… Now they’re divorced for 16 more years.

Like enemies they’d tried to kill each other… They share a dark bond… Very dark…

Dark like night… Dark like muscles attached to rocks… forced underwater each tide.

Kalman senses it’s his son Mee Kah-El who’s now the prince on a flying carpet.

Kalman always thought HE was that Prince… He feels passed by…

He struggles to overcome his jealousy… So he can feel & show pride to his son.

“How can I not show pride? God has anointed my Timmy… I mean my Mee Kah-El?”

Cheryl breaks a 5 minute silence. She blurts out to Kalman,

“Don’t worry… I won’t call you a loser for the next ten minutes… I promise.”

However small a bread crumb, Kalman knows this is a great kindness from Cheryl.

He’s learned to be happy with the good he finds… He smiles into her eyes…

He smiles into her eyes & forgets where & when he is. Suddenly they’re together again.

He recalls feeling joined with her… & the universe they generate together.

Birds chirp…. Pigeons hum… as they search the ground… for tossed crumbs…

Squirrels dart… Bees buzz… Kalman wonders when “is” becomes “was.”

Kalman proudly asks, “So son, what’s your plan?”

Kalman replies to Cheryl,

“It’s kind you give me ten minutes of grace… before resuming operations…

I’m proud our son seems destined for greatness… Anointed by God isn’t shabby.

But I feel passed by… Why didn’t God use me? I must get over this to support Timmy…”

“Then support him already for God’s sake. Stop being selfish. Can’t you ever be a good father?” Cheryl pleads.

Kalman replies, “Is my ten minute grace period over already?”

Kalman & Cheryl blink… as they view lawns & skyscrapers… God blinks too…

From higher up… They suddenly look upon a lush valley stretching for miles.

Below them are many thousands of tents & campfires… for miles.

From behind their bench… voices approach. They turn.

“My goodness… It's Timmy! Kalman, look who’s coming this way… with Alicia.”

Kalman gruffly remarks,

“How’d we suddenly get here? Don’t forget, our son’s new identity is Mee Kah-El.”

Kalman warmly greets his son,

“Mee Kah-El… Alicia… It seems Hashem wants us to meet. It’s so good to see you… ”

Alicia smiles warmly with surprise as she watches Kalman hug Mee Kah-El genuinely. He has no time or cause to push Dad away… as he has for years. Something is different.

Cheryl views her ex-husband & son from a displaced place of space & time…

She sees them warmly hug for the first time as men… But she can only say,

“Oh how nice. It’s good to see the two of you getting along.”

Cheryl stays back… avoiding with distance the hugs she so desperately needs.

Kalman proudly asks, “So son, what’re your plan?”

“Gee Dad, I thought you’d never ask. Those tents below are 400,000 teenagers from around the world. Joshua, my half-brother, has gathered them for me.

They’ll be my army of priests to organize our new holy society.

I’m going to talk with them now. Wanna come and see me soar or flop?”

“I’d be honored, ” Kalman purred.

Alicia came over, hugged Kalman, looked up & deeply into his eyes, & said,

“Thank you for stepping out of your circle so you could hug your son within his circle.”

Birds chirp…. Pigeons hum… as they search the ground… for tossed crumbs…

Squirrels dart… Bees buzz… Kalman wonders when “is” becomes “was.”

Kalman proudly asks, “So son, what’s your plan?”