Ma Belle Evangeline || a drabble
He pinpointed her exact location in an instant, just like he did every night. Raymond Luciole, at 18 years old, knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted Evangeline.
He pulled his eye away from the telescope lens and glanced at her with no help from an external source, albeit not as closely or clearly as with the lens between them. She was everything heâd ever wanted, a great listener, beautiful, perfect in every way. He sat out on his old tin roof every night, just for a glimpse of her.
Every night, that is, until Pa found out what heâd been doing up there all those times.
âRAYMOND LAUTREC LUCIOLE, YA GITCHO ASS DOWN HEA DIS MINUTE!â
Rolling his eyes, Ray gave Evangeline a forlorn look, conveying to her that he would return very soon, and then he started toward the ladder. âTHAT MEAN NOW, BOY!â
âYou keep yo pants on, Pa!â Ray shouted back, his eyebrows furrowing now as he climbed down, rung by rung. Now he was a bit worried. Sure his dad could scream the scales off a gator, just as well as Mama could, but⌠Heâd never heard him sound this angry.
Ray dropped onto the spongy ground and tentatively started toward the screened in back door. He pulled it open, squeaky on its rusty hinges, and stepped inside. His Pa looked furious. And he was holding his spare telescope lenses. Ray looked at the box, then looked up into the eyes of his father, seeing the anger inside them. But there was also pain, sadness perhaps.
What had Ray done wrong? Heâd had those lenses for years, ever since heâd discovered his passion for stargazing, and some of them the family had even bought him. Unless heâd somehow found out what else he did with his telescope⌠Which, from the realization that his journal was laying on the old dark wood table, Ray knew he had.
âEvangeline, huh?â Pa said, staring hard at Ray.
âYessir,â Ray said, his voice strong and unwavering. He wouldnât back down.
âSon, naw, when we getchu dis kit oâ star thangs, we ainât mean for you ta-â
âI love her, Pa.â
Mama sat at the table, her eyes tearing up, but a weak smile passed her lips as she gazed at Ray. She was proud of him, her boy standing up for himself like that. But Ray also knew that this was far from over.
âLove her? Love her?â he repeated, as if it were a sick joke. âBoy, you donâ know what love even is, naw!â
Ray swallowed the lump that was threatening to form in his throat. âI do so, Pa,â he snapped back, his eyes narrowing. âI love her ainât there ainât nothinâ-â
âOh, there ainât nothinâ, huh?â Pa spat, and then he opened the box of telescope parts. Ray couldnât move, what was he planning to do?
And then he watched as his father dumped the contents of the box onto the kitchen floor. âHey!â Ray said angrily, taking a step forward.
âDonchu even, boy!â his father yelled back, holding out a hand. Ray stopped, afraid to take another move against his father. Ray froze and stared on as he was forced then to watch his father stomp on every last fragile piece, breaking them beneath the sole of his work boot.
His eyes were tearing up, not with sadness, but with anger. âHow could you do that!â he screamed at Pa, clenching his fists at his sides to try to reign in his emotions. After all, he had to look at the bright side right now⌠His telescope and best lens were up on the roof at this second, safe from harm. This was not even close to the worst thing that could happen.
âHow could I?â Pa repeated, incredulously. âSon, how could you? You realize she ainât even real?â
That stopped Ray instantly. His jaw dropped, his shoulders slumped. âYou take dat back,â he said, his voice low and grumbly. âTake it back!â
âBoy, she a star. A star in da sky! Besâ break yoâheart naw befoâ ya get laughed at lata!â His fatherâs face fell into a more sympathetic expression. âBesâ realize dere ainât no Evangeline.â
Ray shook his head. No. No, it wasnât true. She was real, he looked up at her in the sky every night. Sure, he knew she was a star⌠But he loved her all the same.
Pa sighed, and Ray could tell this entire thing made him weary. Well, I ainât to upset foâ you righâ now, Pa, he thought, his entire being feeling the bitterness of his heart. âYour Ma and I decided,â Pa started, and Rayâs eyes flicked over to where his Ma sat. He knew that the decision had all been his fatherâs, of course, but he always pretended it had been a joint effort when it was punishment he was talking about. ââŚthat you gonâ go away ta school nexâ year. We know ya applied ta plenty oâ colleges, naw, but we gonâ pick da one ya go. Aâright?â
Ray said nothing, his jaw set and staring at the shattered metal and glass on the floor. Wherever his Pa sent him, it wouldnât change anything. He would still study the stars, become an astrophysicist, no matter what it took.
And he would find a way to finally be with his Evangeline.
âAâright?â Pa repeated, a bit aggravated.
ââŚ.Yes, Pa.â











