Telephone Love

By Hopeton Gray

Telephone Love is a love story that everyone can relate to. It is a Mills and Boon tragedy not unlike Romeo and Juliet, whereby there are misunderstandings, and therefore, the love affair ends tragically.

The social media devicethe telephoneis vital in maintaining this long-distance love affair, hence, Telephone Love.

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but on the other hand, a woman likes to be touched. In many ways being so far apart can become a nuisance. Read the story, my avid readers, because it is all about love via the telephone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Mar 9, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503502604

Hopeton Gray

The author is just a regular guy who reaches out to the masses, therefore sharing his experiences. He also wishes to edify those who might have an interest in literature. He was born in Jamaica, grew up in South London, and now lives in Sydney, Australia. I am my Father’s son, A clone, a mutant, Crying-out-loud man; I’m the Big Man’s son, No pun, it’s so much fun. I’m my father’s son— George Gray, you are the best, Oh, blessed Father.

Book preview

Copyright © 2015 by Hopeton Gray.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2015901953

ISBN:      Hardcover            978-1-5035-0262-8

                Softcover              978-1-5035-0261-1

                eBook                   978-1-5035-0260-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 02/24/2015

Xlibris

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Contents

Preface

Chapter 1 First Sight

Chapter 2 The Flight

Chapter 3 A Few Days Later

Chapter 4 Flashback

Chapter 5 Telephone Love

Chapter 6 Once upon a Time

Chapter 7 A Price to Love

Chapter 8 Australia

Chapter 9 Back to Paradise

Chapter 10 Another Home

Chapter 11 The Hurricane

Chapter 12 Another Day. Amen!

Previously Published Books

Author’s Contact

Epilogue

About The Author

The

story is for those who love to read and to those beautiful people out there. The literary works is a creation.

I give thanks to God for the blessings given, that I can enjoy life each day.

We are what we become, and fate is the DNA of prosperity, which allows growth whatever is the weather. To be comfortable is when one is at peace with oneself. Remember that the darkest part of the night is just before dawn. How about that?

This book is dedicated to my sisters and my brothers, who reside predominantly in the United States of America.

Lethe, located in the parish of Hanover, is the little hamlet where I stayed in Jamaica. Lethe is a Greek word; it is a river in Hades that whoever drinks its waters will forget the past. A great river that runs through, Lethe is therefore the river which causes forgetfulness—well, according to the Greek myth.

Here is another dedication, blessing Africa, because the Ebola epidemic rages on like fire. Oh God.

Prayer for Africa

Ital greetings from the most high

Hail him … hail him, Jah Rastafari

The Ebola epidemic, a rage like fire

Oh, bless up Africa inna this ya time

Africa, the land of I brothers and sisters …

Oh, Jah, bless up Africa

’Cause all we need is love

Africa! The land of I and I forefathers …

Dear Jah, bless up the people of Africa

The epidemic, a rage like fire

Bless your children, dear father

Oh, God, bless up the children inna Africa …

Preface

The electronic mail has taken over our new-wave lifestyle. It has been the best communication device since the talking drums. Women seem to have a good connection with their smart phones, and they are good at it. It is the genre of the smart-phone junkies. The telephone becomes our inseparable friend; in fact, our world revolves around this ubiquitous telecommunication device. Due to this, a lot of romances have been initiated and manifested that otherwise wouldn’t have happened, and distance is not a limitation.

The book is about distant romances; it is a situation whereby one can hear but one cannot touch. It is an unfortunate reality. The hidden fun is surreal; it is a mental trip. It is a Bluetooth era whereby the iPod, the electronic mail, Android smart phones, Google, and Facebook dominate.

The social media is at large, and it rules supreme. The smart phones, androids, and drones are now the craze. Text messages galore, with its abbreviations viz, lol, and selfie, this is the new cyber technology.

Please read and enjoy. Well, bye for now.

Chapter 1

First Sight

The first sight of love was more of a mirage. It was like a dream, but this experience was real. It could have been lust, and better still, it might have been a mere infatuation.

His encounter could have been prescribed from the higher man above—‘the omnipotent one’—or it might have just been a gamble, a quirk of nature. I believe that it was love at first sight.

In life, strange things do happen; it is an uncanny experience, especially between a man and a woman.

Leroy Campbell had been to Jamaica before, but just like a spark, this day was the first time he was struck by an awry passion. It was the penultimate day of his vacation; the day after, he would be gone. But today was when lightning struck.

He saw her from across the counter of the bar. She was tall and ebony black, with a face that was as smooth as a baby’s backside. Her short hairbrush finish was black and lustrous; she was the spitting image of a full-blown model.

He made his move, drooling silently when he approached the bar.

He was suddenly struck by her beauty at close range. Leroy thought at a glance that she might be Nefertiti, the Egyptian queen.

The vista was rather feminine, an iconic beauty traversing the contours of the Rum Bar. It might be a stage as he looked on, but the vision was real.

The sun outside was very hot, and being inside a bar at that time was rather comforting. The tropical breeze wafted through; it was refreshing, just like Bogart the protagonist and Sam the piano player in Casablanca.

‘Play it again, Sam,’ he said as he ogled.

To be inside with the ceiling fan wafting cool breeze made such a difference among the throng of revelers.

The black beauty tapped the surface of the counter with stenciled nail. She moved towards Leroy then asked, ‘May I help you?’

Leroy was possessed and still dazed. He replied, ‘Yes … yes, a Q please, a small bottle of John Crow Batty.’ Leroy was on top of his game when he added, ‘The bottle with the red label, madam.’

She continued with a broad smile, ‘I’ll be back soon. Me a come, man, soon.’ She giggled and then waddled away, and like a ballerina in full swing, she came back with a quarter bottle of local white rum fit for the locals and for those who prefer a stiff drink. With a gesture, she said, ‘Here you are, the red-face bottle.’ There was a pause when she said further, ‘Me know a this you want, man. Rum and more rum, you gwaan man!’

The bottle was stamped onto the counter with a frolicking vibe. The clinking and popping sounds of ice in a glass made a statement.

She continued, ‘Please enjoy. I must be moving, there are others to serve, see.’

Leroy stalled the maiden in her tracks when he asked, ‘Your name, young lady.’

Like in a dance, she pirouetted. She turned on her heels and with a smile. For a moment she was distracted.

She replied, ‘Ah, wha’ you say? Me no understand your accent, say it again?’

Leroy repeated with a drawl, ‘I am asking, what’s your name, young girl?’

She giggled and then replied, ‘Ah see what you mean. The name is Tanisha, that’s what them call me.’

‘Tan-ish-a,’ she repeated.

Like a dart she was on the move. She was now on overdrive, serving at the counter; she had a flare to attract men with her feminine nuances. She was as busy as a bee and loving every minute of it.

Leroy unscrewed the top of the bottle and poured himself some rum when the ice popped as it thawed. He sipped his drink, and from a distance he watched. Their eyes met, and at that instant, there was a gap when he called her over with a wag of his finger. Tanisha came shuffling through as she patted the hair on her head once again to relieve the irritation of the stiffened gel.

Tanisha stopped by in between movements when Leroy said, ‘Tanisha, have a drink on me. Please.’

With a nod she replied, ‘I don’t drink alcohol, but I’ll have a bottle of fruit nectar, yes, ice cold.’

For a moment Tanisha was relishing the taste of that sweet nectar as she bounced around, looking like a doll.

Leroy continued, ‘Take whatever and put it on my bill, young girl.’

She retorted, ‘Tanisha to you, mister.’

With manicured nails at her lips and looking femininely attractive, she then pouted and sped away. Her drink was kept on ice as she continued to serve the maddening bar crowd.

The incoming cool breeze agitated by the ceiling fans swept through the opened louvers. The wafting breeze was a relief, sitting among a throng of people, predominantly men. Leroy looked on amid the hustle and the bustle. He sipped his drink, enjoying the noisy atmosphere. Soon she came back, and in between she sipped her nectar with a straw.

She asked, ‘What’s your name then, pretty boy?’ She teased with pouted lips. ‘I think… I think you like me, naughty boy.’

He hesitated in between sips, and then he looked into her hazelnut eyes. He replied, ‘Leroy. Leroy is the name, and I do fancy you a bit.’

The crowd made their noises for instant service when the bartender dashed back in time; this was her audience, and she was in control. The number 1 bartender, and Tanisha was the star girl.

The rafting crew was intimidating as each person jostled to be first. The crew wanted to be served with their liquor of various concoction; they were parched after a hard day’s toil on the river. It was a daytime ritual; to them the hassle and the jostle at the bar was their fun. The charm of Princess Tanisha was a continual frolicking ebb, and the men were agitated and excited.

She served Red Stripe Beer, Guinness, Hennessey, and the infamous Jamaican white rum, and then she disappeared. She came back with a cluster of clinking glasses poised between fingers and to the rattling sound from a bucket of ice. Whenever she had a chance, she sipped her drink as an aside.

The bar was merry; the men gambled, tossing the dice with their expletive outcries, and then the slapping sound of dominoes persisted. It was a jolly crowd as they enjoyed the stipend of the tourist boom.

Inside, the breeze was cool, and yet Leroy was sweating and almost hyperventilating; it was the effect from the white rum and the tropical climate. Leroy was lost among the crowd, but he braved the swelter, and it was courage that took him through. Today was his last day in paradise; he then took another sip of his rum on the rocks.

He wiped his forehead with his hand towel as he ogled; he couldn’t help himself. The procession of rafters came through to the watering hole; the raft captains and their crew were about like old pirates. Hormones were high, and the bartender was the flirtatious magnet, and the boys did try.

The petty gambling in the corner had taken centre stage; they were noisy and boisterous. The bar was clamorously lined, each person jostling to be served. The bartender was busy as she coped with the overflow. There was another slap of a domino; the ivory of the slapping dominoes made their noises.

A fracas or two flared up, and the bar became agitated with the zing of youth. Leroy was hidden by the bustling crowd; he had found a niche as he watched; to him being a visitor, this was entertainment. The recurring thought chimed through; indeed this was his last day in paradise.

The white rum had a hallucinating impact, and although blinded by the crowd, Leroy could still see flashes of Tanisha as she darted about like a true bartender. The men were thrilled as they went to the bar time and time again; indeed there was an attraction. He sweated continually because of the humidity in between yawns. His vision was blurry as he then stood up, leaving behind the glass with its residue of melted ice. His first move was a totter, and then he found his rhythm when he walked away, stumbling through the revelers. The crowd jeered him because they knew his interest; he was a visitor, and the boys felt threatened.

Although smitten by a slight intoxication, he too was having fun. Leroy bore through the crowd until he reached the counter of the bar. He stared at Tanisha as she traversed the counter; his last stare was as good as the first, and he was indeed smitten. It was love at first sight; well, that’s what he thought.

Tanisha was like a dancer in motion, and the counter was her stage. She eyeballed Leroy in between serves, and then she presented herself, intermittently staring at him straight in the eyes. She twiddled her fingers on the surface like a drum beat.

With a smile like Mona Lisa’s, she said, ‘Well, one for the road, Leroy?’

With a gesture, he declined sheepishly. He drawled, ‘No more, babes, no more drinking.’

Leroy continued, ‘Hey, babe, that red-face John Crow Batty is knockout, real rough-cut rum.’

Tanisha stood awhile when his persistence came through. ‘Can we exchange numbers?’

She replied, ‘I’ll take yours, and I will phone you. My number will come up on your phone.’

Leroy continued to speak, ‘Tonight is my last night. Can we meet after work?’

Her face was somber and yet pert. She recorded the details with nimble fingers. Her eyes were flashing like a bird’s tail. She said, ‘It’s done, and I’ll contact you. Later then.’

She added, ‘I must go, there are drinks to be served.’

Leroy tried to touch her hand, but she escaped, just like a bartender. Leroy blew her a kiss, but it went unnoticed, lost among the serving customers. He retreated like a snail when he bore through the frenzied crowd. As he moved through, there was laughter, and indeed they were merry. Her panache was that of a damsel, and she was beautiful when he took his last glance. He escaped from the daily revelers, and he was now walking home in the tropical fresh air. Nighttime had fallen, and now the ambiance was of a different kind.

The path to Leroy’s homestead was eerily dark; he took up the challenge when he came off the main road. To make matters worse, it started to rain.

He was prepared; his mini umbrella flew up in the gale as he stumbled along in the eerie darkness. The flashlight came on, and that was his solace. He could hear the flapping wings and the squeaks of nocturnal birds. With feet soaked and muddy, he persevered along the winding marl track as he braved the elements.

The uneven ground was slippery and treacherous. The darkness became more ominous when the flashlight revealed tall evergreen trees and dense bamboo clusters with their creaking sounds which flanked the undulating path.

The cloud was frightfully dark when the rain began to teem.

Leroy was soaked amid the breeze and the rain, but he had to persist. This was an infamous village road known well by clandestine lovers. When it rains, it can be impassable, especially to motorcars. The rain came down, and the dirt track became a stream of reticulated water. The waterfall adjacently flowed like a stream.

He clambered up the winding path towards the mountain. With a few more twists and turns and soaking wet, he was finally home. He could barely make out his lean-to in the darkness, but from an approaching distance he at last felt relieved.

Leroy fiddled with the key in the darkness until the door flew open. The plywood door was kept ajar and wedged, and then he entered the shack, soaked from head to toe. The flashlight was his source of light until the lamps were lit when there was light; this was a relief. He stripped his sodden clothing and dried himself.

He was now appropriately dressed with fresh clothing, ready for a good night’s sleep. The stove was ignited when the blue flames went whoosh and then simmered to a steady state. In time the kettle bubbled with issuing steam; it was now tea time.

The rain was determined; a few drips trickled through the corrugated zinc top into the three vessels. However, beneath the roof it was all good as he then poured the bush tea into his favourite mug. After adding sugar and condensed milk, he took his first sip when he felt warmer. Leroy looked at the phone, wondering if it would ever ring before bedtime. He was anxious, so he stayed up, waiting for his first call from Tanisha. He had a hunch that she might not call because of the weather, and still he waited.

It was a hard day, and the night was harder still when his eyes went on the blink; he was tired. The lamps were turned down when he retired. The sheets were thrown back when he crept into bed as he sighed, covering himself in the process. Underneath the sheets, it was blissful as he yawned, listening to the pitter-patter sound of the rain. From the cracks in the roof space, he could see fireflies darting about in the darkness. He was still thinking about Tanisha when he surrendered and fell asleep.

THE VACATION

Morning came, bright and early. The birds scuttled along the zinc top, and the trees danced in the gusty breeze. All was good. Leroy stared through the windows, flittering from one window to another, to observe a different vista; he watched the swaying palm trees, and they were beautiful.

Then there was an impatient rattle at the door, and then her voice—it was Isabella. A smile came upon his face as he rushed to the door. The door was opened when Isabella stood there, laden with her basket. Leroy helped as usual when she beamed a smile because she was pleased. The load came to ground when he gave her a kiss. Leroy was jovial when he added, ‘Give us another kiss, Isabella.’

She shrugged her shoulder playfully and then went inside to cool off. It was a hot day, so she stripped down to the minimum, and it was a beauty to watch. She ignored the sexual nuances as she started to work around the house.

In her motion, she uttered, ‘There is much to do, Leroy, because today you will be leaving.’

Leroy said, ‘Isabella, I’m just chilling, girl, until that time comes to shift.’ He wanted a cuddle, but his wish at this moment was futile when Isabella rushed around. She sang and hummed her church songs, buzzing around like a busy bee.

The fish was on the gas ring, being sizzled, and in between, she did some washing, hoping to get the items dry for Leroy to pack in his suitcase. The crispy sound from the soap suds was the sound that Leroy enjoyed. He went outside and gave her a kiss.

Isabella joked. ‘That’s enough. I have things to do, can’t you wait?’

There was a glimmer of hope when Leroy smiled as he retreated. Leroy’s time was limited, and he had to finish packing, among other things.

The washing was done, and the few items were laid out in the sun when breakfast was served, and this was their last supper. The fish was consumed, and their stomachs were filled when their love struck another level. They cuddled and they kissed, falling onto the bed. The dogs barked when their foreplay became serious as they remained in bed; it was another sizzle. Their copious embrace was their last skin-to-skin encounter before Leroy leaves the island. The vacation was now over as he lay in bed, still gasping with pleasure.

Leroy was thinking about Tanisha and why she didn’t call; he was concerned. She was black and beautiful, and he wanted to see her just one more time. His mind went into a spin, but right now he was trapped. The recurring thought came that he must see her again.

He pondered further when he said to himself, I must see that girl. Leroy jumped out of bed and assisted Isabella in the various chores, and in the interim the clothes were dried and his packing was now completed.

Leroy was now free to say what was on his mind. He said, ‘I am going to the shops, Isabella, do you want anything?’

She replied, ‘Nothing for me at the shops, if you must go, but don’t stay too long. Time is running out, Leroy.’

Leroy was astir, changing into presentable clothing, then he went on his way.

THE DEPARTURE

The infatuated lover presented himself once again, and across the bar counter, he summoned her presence. Tanisha saw Leroy when their eyes made four. She came forward with her charming smile.

She said, ‘Hello, Leroy, you’re back. I thought you were gone.’

Leroy replied, ‘I had to see you, but I can’t stay long. In an hour or so I’ll be gone.’

Tanisha continued, ‘I ran out of credit last night, Leroy, so I couldn’t phone, such a pity. That might have been our first and yet last night together.’

Leroy was about to speak when she slipped away, and with flashing eyes, she moved around the bar, serving drinks because she was the bartender. In between chit chat and the serving of drinks, she was sending text messages.