SHELLY

We lived in a real nice neighborhood with big pine trees and
eucalyptus trees all along both sides of the road. Where most neighbors
knew each other and everyone was real friendly, a quiet
neighborhood.
I was 14 and did everything most 14 year olds do. I had lots of
friends, went to school everyday, loved my parents and my brother very
much and had a paper route. I road my bike most of the time.
As I look back I would say I was the average kid at 14. I had known
this girl that lived across the street from us since I was eight years
old. She had always been confined to a wheelchair since I have known
her.
She had polio in both legs and depended on a wheelchair and some times
used crutches to get a round. She's tall and thin with beautiful hair
and a beautiful smile that I'd just loved.
I always told her she looked like Natalie Wood the actress. Over the
years we became the best of friends we were almost inseparable.
We were so close it seemed like you couldn't keep us apart, she was the
same age as me. People that knew us would say we were like brother and
sister or like the best of friends in the world. Her name was Shelly
and my name is Ken. I am not sure how I want to put this down on paper,
I will start it this way.
Over the years I would be at her house most of the time helping her as
much as I could, being around her everyday helping her to get up and a
round out of her wheelchair or wherever she was sitting. After a while
it seemed as we had our arms around each other a quite a bit it was
becoming harder for us each day to let go of each other.
We both began to have this special look in our eyes and our voice would
quiver when we would look or talk to each other, we both knew something
strange was going on between us.
We would both have these little quiet moments where we would lower our
heads and slowly look up at each other that would go on for a few
seconds back-and forth, then Shelly said in a low voice staring at me,
Ken get that strange look off your face, I couldn't hold it back any
longer I told her it's a special look of love for you" she pause for a
moment and with a cute smile on her face said Ken, " I like that and I
love you too, " You're my best and only friend and I hope we are never
apart I would do any thing for you.
A few seconds later I turned and walked to the kitchen to get a glass
of water.
I wasn't sure what this feeling was that was coming over me. I thought
for a while about what she just said and for some reason I couldn't
explain this feeling I had for her.
We started kidding and joking back-and-forth and touching each other's
hands and then I said in a low voice to her, Shelly how would you like
to mess around with each other?
She looked at me, you mean? "Yes" that's what I mean. As she sat there
in her wheelchair staring straight at me, very quietly she said with a
real low voice ok, "sure" Yes I want to, but we can't right now. My
mother will be here in a few minutes. We both calmed down a little and
started to talk a little bit more about what we were going to do and
wait a little longer. Shelly said" we have tomorrow.
Ken whispered, I guess I can wait. So then we started just talking and
goofing around, Shelly laugh a little bit and said to me kiddingly you
wouldn't know what to do anyhow. Joking I said but I could move my butt
left and right pretty good.
She came back and said I could to if you would help me, you have strong
arms you could move me left and right. Sitting on the floor I kept
saying, stop it stop it, you are getting me excited, we were both
laughing and suddenly with a strange look in our eyes we started
staring back and forth at each other.
I think we both felt a little embarrassed sitting there on the floor
talking about different things we could do.
I started to roll around on the floor telling her no more Shelly I
won't be able to walk across the street to get home. A few minutes
later things calmed down and we got back to our old self. Settling down
listening to some cd's we would talk for a little while and we both
settled back and relaxed, her sitting in her chair and me on the floor
with my head on a throw pillow. I looked over towards her sitting there
half dozing. I started thinking; it seemed like every time she would
lean against me when I would help her get out of her chair this strange
feeling would come over my body.
A few minutes later she woke up and asked me if I would help her out of
her chair, she wanted to sit on the couch and as I was holding her our
bodies touching each other, holding her
closer than I ever had before, I looked into her eyes and softly told
her the feeling I felt when I was close to her body. She was silent for
a moment staring at me, it seem like she was going to cry.
She said with a real low voice I've had that same feeling for months
neither one of us said any more.
I helped her on the couch near the window
where she could see out. Just at that time her mother came home from
work and pulled up on the driveway. I said hi to her and then I left to
go home.
As I went across the street slowly thinking about what we both had
talked about, Shelly yelled out through the open window, Ken come over
later.
I waved to her as I went into my house.
I sat there for hours thinking about her I could not get her off of my
mind. We were both fifteen now and I did not understand these feelings
I was having for Shelly now.
Why is this happening to me, my body feels like it is boiling. I
thought I would feel better if I called her and heard her voice. When
she picked up the phone we talked for a short while, she was telling me
how her body had this strange feeling all over and her hands would
shake. We both agreed that we should not see each other for a few days.
Three days later she called me and told me she had to see me, she could
not stay away from me any longer and asked me to come right over which
I did.
We sat around in her front room talking and she started telling me how
her body felt and she had never felt anything like this feeling
before.
I think I want to make love to you. I grabbed her by the hands and said
Shelly, if we did anything like that it could be very dangerous. What
if you got pregnant? we better try to talk this out some more. We
talked for a while then Shelly said I think we should go ahead and try
something. Ok sure ok I said" I was getting so excited. Then we both
said at the same time "how should we do this" ~~~~ Then we both became
very quiet, I reached down and grabbed her and brought her up close to
me.
I slowly put my arms around her and as I did she placed her arms very
tight around my waist, Ken I wanted you for a long time, I know, me
to.
I slowly slid my right hand down alongside her breast and down further.
She grabbed my right arm with both of her hands near my elbow and laid
her head against my chest, with her left hand she slowly and shakingly
very nervously grabbed my belt buckle.
Shelly and I finished what we started and never talked about it after
that day. A year later Shelly had moved with her mother to Northern
California and worked for the city there, until she was hit by a car
and injured very badly crossing a street in her wheelchair. Her mother
contacted me after all these years at Shelly's request to come and see
her in the hospital. Her mother said she was doing real fine and she
would be out of the hospital in 3 or 4 days but wanted to see me. I
arrived there the next day after the phone call. When I walked into her
room and we looked at each other we had the same special affection for
each other even after all these years.
She started crying and then reached out and grabbed me and brought me
close to her and told me how much she had missed me all these years.
She quietly told me how she felt towards me and I knew right away how
we both felt for each other.
I knew from that point on I could never be apart from her ever again.
Neither one of us had ever married. Two months later I asked her to be
my wife for ever.

A short story by Norman Clifford
11- 3- 2002