“Hey Eva, wanna hear a story?” Papa asked. Eva replied, “Yes, Papa,” as she climbed into his lap. He knew her lap-sitting days were numbered so he reveled in the time he held her attention.
Papa began, “One summer day at the park, where they had free concerts, a frantic teenage girl approached a young man voluntarily doing security, “My family and another family are fighting over a spot in front of the stage. We were walking along a path of lawn chairs, when we stopped to put our shit down…”
Eva put her finger to his lips and said, “Papa, don’t say shit.” Papa responded, “But that’s what she said, c’mon now, it’s my story, listen…”
The girl continued, “This family didn’t want us to sit so close to them but my father insisted on getting my grandmother a good view of the band. My dad started to get angry and well, their dad was getting angry too. Please come help me. I don’t know, I’m afraid my dad has gotten himself in deeper than he meant too.” The boy was staring at her mouth as she spoke. He thought she was pretty and wondered how much prettier she’d be without braces. That’s when he noticed the little gasp she made when she saw his name tag. His name, Shawn Mendes, was the same as a famous singer and he looked just like that guy. Even though it might’ve been fun for him to pretend he was the singer, he didn’t want to lead her on. He said “I’m not that guy from the boy band.” She managed to crack a smile and said, “He was never in a boy band, now follow me, I’ll show you where we’re at.” She walked fast and even though the teenage security guard was fit, pushing his bike along made it difficult to keep up with her. He was probably still sore from working out, preparing for second round tryouts for the wrestling team at his new school. The reason he was even volunteering was because the wrestling coach insisted his wrestlers do community service as a condition of being on the team.
Eva interrupts her Papa asking, “What’s the girl’s name?
“You’ll see, hang tight.”
She talked as fast as she walked and said her grandmother wanted a good view of the band because she loved the Eagles. Watching the cover band had been all she talked about for weeks. The teenagers were about the same age and neither of them knew any Eagles songs. He asked her who she was with besides her father. She said, “My mom, my older brother and of course my grandmother. When I walked away the arguing was getting loud. I’m really worried about my dad. I’m afraid if the other man wants to fight, my dad may believe he’s a young, healthy wrestler again and forget how weak he actually is from being sick.”
“How did the argument start?”
“My dad started it, it’s the steroids, sometimes, he gets really emotional then angry. I think he’s mad at God. He’s been really upset about having to quit coaching. He loves it so much and he said there are some talented boys trying out this year.”
“Ok let’s go try and help.”
Eva tapped her Papa on the shoulder and said, “So Shawn was her hero?” Papa answered, “Well actually someone else turned out to be the real hero, so keep listening. And stop interrupting me!”
The park was really big and when they got halfway across, Shawn heard his name being called out. He was somewhat used to that sharing that famous name but this time he recognized the voice. There was a small crowd gathered around a table with a triple layer chocolate cake on it and his abuela standing over it, holding a knife.
“Shawn, come over here, let me introduce you to the fan club,” said his abuela and president of “The Long Run” fan club. She and her friends had been following the band from park to park most of the summer. At each show, one of them would bake a cake to share with the fan club and oftentimes with anyone brave enough to ask for a piece. “Abuela, we can’t stop, I’m helping this girl. Her family is arguing with some other family and we’re trying to keep it from getting out of hand.” He turned to his new friend who had reached for his hand hoping to move him along toward the commotion. After eyeing their holding hands, she insisted because it was his birthday soon, that they bring her family and the offended family some of her delicious looking cake. Her friends were old hippies, who thought their love for the Eagles and love for sharing cake could resolve any sort of problem. Abuela excused herself from the old groupies and took the whole cake with her. She told the kids to carry some plates, napkins and forks and followed them. Abuela said, “Remember you two ‘love eagles’, this cake right here and the soothing music will make anyone come to their senses.” Shawn noticed the music was about to start.
Once they arrived at the scene of the commotion, they noticed that the girl’s family were the ones standing while everyone around them was seated. Her family had their backs to them but Shawn recognized his coach right away. A woman who looked just like the girl but with shorter hair turned around and gave her a hug. “We were worried about you, walking away from us like that.” “I’m ok,” she assured her family. Beside her mom was her brother, grandmother and the coach, who was more than a little embarrassed. The family who didn’t want close neighbors seemed to notice the boy’s ‘security’ t-shirt and became preoccupied with hiding the beers they had snuck in. And her grandmother took that cue, set down her chair and sat, after all the band was starting their first set. The young wrestler shook his coach’s hand just as the girl reached for his other hand again, after untangling herself from her mom’s embrace. His abuela took that cue and yelled to be heard over the fake Eagles singing “Peaceful Easy Feeling”, “Did you know that Shawn’s birthday is on Monday? And I heard some folks needed some peaceful easy feelings.” Just as she said that the band was singing that line and everyone sang along and laughed. The neighboring family quickly offered them a folding table to put the cake on and a beer to the coach. Of course he turned it down and the two fathers shook hands and quickly forgot about their earlier spat. His abuela and her grandmother began serving the scrumptious cake to both families and anyone brave enough to ask for a piece. The two grandmothers shared their love of the Eagles, the fan club got a new member and the chocolate cake became known as, “The Best of My Love” cake.
Eva said, “So your abuela was the hero! But wait Papa, you never told me the girl’s name.” Papa answered, “Well her name is Samantha, I call her Sam and you call her abuela.” Just then Sam came out of the kitchen with a couple of pieces of ‘The Best of My Love’ cake on her “nice” plates and said, “Papa, what kind of bullshit you talking ‘bout now?” Eva reached up, put her finger to Sam’s lips and said, “Don’t say shit, Abuela.”
One Less Filter 