ONE TEAR

It was the only tear she had ever seen the quiet boy cry. His name was Charlie. He seemed a nice enough boy. Just really quiet.

That one tear... would haunt Misty her whole life...

Today, had been a really bad day... It was one of those occasions she had to wear extra make-up to school. Most girls loved to wear make-up. But Misty hated it.

Most people would never understand why a teenage girl would hate make-up, but there are a few. Most girls wore make-up because they thought it made them look grown up or beautiful. Misty wore it to hide the bruises.

On that day, so long ago. Misty was wearing more make-up than usual, a lot more make-up in fact. She was so pre-occupied with her own problems that she barely noticed, Charlie, the quiet boy, as he arrived to walk at her side and carry her books to school that day.

As he usually did, Charlie walked up, and said nothing. He simply reached over and took her school books and walked at her side. It was their daily routine. She wasn't sure when it started, it seemed like it had always been that way. And little did she know that today would be the last time.

She heard the neighborhood bullies yelling and hollering at Charlie from down the street. The direction from which he had come. She couldn't make out their words, but bullies being what they are.. she didn't need to hear...

They were teasing Charlie...

Finally, she looked over at Charlie.. And saw the tear... There was only one, but it hit her like a brick. Charlie was crying because some boys were yelling names at him. What a wimp. He didn't have any idea what real pain was. Oh sure, sometimes he came to school with bruises, but what kid wasn't occasionally picked on by bullies. Life sucks and then you die, right?

And suddenly, all the anger that was inside her exploded to the surface. She turned to him and told him he was a cry baby and a wimp.

How dare he cry, when she had to hide her pain. Misty, the girl who knew what true pain really was, the girl who never cried, told the crybaby to go home.. That she never wanted to see him again.

He looked at her and said simply, "You deserve better...."

She screamed back at him, "You're damn right... I deserve better friends, ones that don't cry like babies...". With that she stormed off and didn't look back...

Twenty years passed and she never talked to Charlie again. Something had happened that day that she could not fully explain. All the pain she had suffered her whole life had seemed to explode in that one instance.

That one tear.. haunted her for years.. She rationalized it.. Explaining that she was truly angry at herself... at her father who beat her... at a cruel world that ignored the tears a little girl cried on the inside.

And yet, part of her was truly embarrassed for the way she acted... She was ashamed of treating this kind young boy, who had never done anything but be kind to her, so badly. It is was her embarrassment, more than anything else that kept her from saying anything. Her shame...

She saw Charlie many times over the years. He would smile in her direction, part of her wanted to smile back, but her anger and shame always made her turn away...

In all these years, with all that had happened to her she had never cried a single tear, and she had never talked to Charlie.

When she was 16, her father passed away. While part of her was relieved that the beatings had finally ended, part of her was sad and confused. Her father was an enigma. She had never really understood him.

One minute, he would be sitting in his chair quietly, the next he would be screaming at her for being so stupid. She tried to be a good kid, but somehow she always managed to do something wrong. No matter what she did, sooner or later he would start screaming, and then he would get out the belt. And he would punish her for being a bad girl...

It was really strange... because after he punished her... he would say he was sorry... That if only she did like he had told her... he would not be forced to punish her... And then he would hold her tight and tell her that he loved her.. And for a few days everything would be good.. He would treat her extra special... and for a little while she would be happy and feel Daddy loved her...

But sooner or later... He would grow quiet... and it would start again...

But no matter how bad it got... Misty refused to cry...

When she was eighteen Misty met an older man who treated her really nice. At first it felt like love, but she became afraid of his kindness. Everyday worrying that his kindness would be replaced with anger... And so she ended the relationship...

The following year she met a man who half the time seemed like an angel and the other half the devil himself. He was like her father, with his mood swings. One day he treated her like an angel.. The next day he blamed her for everything. Having no idea why she did it, she married this man. She lived for the days when he treated he like an angel and lived in fear of the days when his mood was somber...

Finally the beatings began. Each time it would be the same. For a few days things would be calm. Then he would grow quiet... She would try extra hard to be a good wife, but sooner or later she would make a mistake.......

Afterwards he would be very sorry and say how much he loved her.. He would shower her with love and affection, all the time saying if only she would try a little harder...

And of course the make-up. It seemed each year she had to wear more make-up. It finally got so bad that she had to run for her life.

And so she started over... Afraid of men, yet afraid to be alone.

Misty could never trust a man after what she had been through....

Finally, 25 years after the last time she had spoken to Charlie she saw him again. She had gone into the flower shop, forgetting that one of her friends had mentioned Charlie was the new owner. She had already picked up the flowers and started for the register when she realized her mistake...

And there stood Charlie... looking at her.. with a tear in his eye...

Now she was totally confused... there were no bullies... why was he crying now...?

And she started to get angry again. She looked at him, and said, "I don't understand why you cried then... and why you have a tear in your eye now. It just doesn't make any sense".

And Charlie look at her, a smile slowly coming onto his face, as he said "The tear wasn't for me, the tear was for you...."

Misty was shaken... She began stammering.... "For me?... but.. but....

Charlie took her hand into hers and the quiet boy who was now a man... looked into her eyes and said, "I love you... I have always loved you"

Misty began to cry... for the first time since she was three years old tears began to form in her eyes... And in a voice that was barely a whisper... She asked, "But why were you crying, was it because of the bullies...?

And Charlie said, "I wasn't crying for my pain, I was crying for yours...."

Misty asked... How he had known. Charlie's response was simple, "My mother, she wore a lot of make-up too..." And suddenly, Misty understood everything. Charlie's bruises weren't from the bullies, they were a gift from his father. And Charlie had not been crying for himself. When he saw her wearing heavy make-up, he had known what was happening to her.. Finally, after all these years, she knew that his tears had not been for himself... they really had been for her...

Charlie's final words on that afternoon, so many years before finally came to her... Charlie's last words had been, "You Deserve Better......"

Misty fell into Charlie's arms... She cried for what seemed like days... but was probably only hours.. She let out all the pain and anger that was inside her...

Afterwards, Misty thought about all that had happened and looked into Charlie's eyes... She suddenly found herself overwhelmed with love for this man who cared so much for her and said, "Charlie... You were right about something". He gave her a questioning look. Misty looked Charlie in the eyes... and said, You are right Charlie... I do deserve something better..."

Misty and Charlie were married the next day... ~~author: BadTeddy@aol.com~~