Now, twenty one years later in the light of hearth, the fair haired Tess sits and knits, while the cat in lap Ted reads to his beloved a tale of salty sea:
"Be there drift to Kismet, the home of destination?"
"Captain, seems no matter turn of sail, Kismet be near."
"Aye, even though we be at sea, and Kismet be in Kansas."
But that was yesterday, a yesterday winnowed in wind away?
For that very next frumpy house coat and hair a mess Tess morning, "Time to immerse these babies in the sap of maple." By kitchen nook window Tess reached across table for pancake syrup, grasped ghost of air.
Ted snickered, poured torrent of maple over king sized stack.
"Give me that, you, you, syrup usurper!"
Ted thumped bottle bottom to make sure he got every last drop.
A wintry frost burned in the green eyes of Tess.
Yet, the Ted sailed to Kismet, pushed his plate next hers.
"You stinker," Tess giggled.
Ted slid his chair near. An elbow greeted his ribs.
"Ouch?"
"Affection is only two letters away from affliction, Ted." Tess semi-simmered, took fork to his king sized, now her queen sized stack.
"So Tess, I hear you sayin' share my hot cocoa with you also."
"And for the crepes sweet cream butter," so did she mutter while engulfing pancake bite another.
Ted scooted butter over, with fork lifted each fluffy snack in stack, inserted glob of sweet pat, wanderingly wondered out loud, "Is polly unsaturated... a dry parrot?"
Tess mid giggles fought to retain mapley pancake mouthful, cast her own touch and go tongue in cheek, "Me thinks the tracks of loco motive have led to perilous derail." She giggled again. "Plus, are you not semi-literally patting me on the back, and buttering me up too?"
"Yes sweet Tess, compliments can be the sliest barb of all, but I really do have a penchant for my fluffy little parakeet." Ted teased.
"Fluffy? As in plump!"
"Pleasingly."
"Ted, I swear, you will never taste not one bite of these pancakes!"
"The fluffier the better and the more to love," Ted winked, opened baby bird beak.
Momma bird laughed in spite of herself, poked maple dripping worm into baby bird beak. Thus, along with sugar-intoxification, dueling giggles grew.
"If only such a short stack time were never to taste another never bite," with mouth full of maple Ted smacked..
"If the if that was...were; what would that if be, but the ifiest if of all..." Tess smugulated mid munch.
"Aye, the ether of either be a one or another dilemma." Ted agreed.
"Yet is not the other side of the coin of equal cost?" Tess mused.
"So should we bee a keeper and ooze honey." Ted schmoozed.
"Life is short, walk tall," self challenged the height challenged Tess.
"Identity is more than a look," the love handled Ted agreed.
"And so should we oft recollect in the never too late... of not a moment too soon," Tess sighed, "that prosperity is but smoke out the chimney... without grace."
"So be there drift to Kismet, the home of destination," Ted recalled prior night tale of salty sea.
"Captain, no matter the turn of sail, Kismet be near," first mate Tess harkened. .
"Aye, even though we be at sea, and Kismet be in Kansas," together promised the beloved two.
And so did dueling besorexia banjos at play ensue;
And the kisses of kismet sail the sun kissed sea of blue...
And later that day, past the edge of night, teetering on the rim of sleep, the in each others arms Tess and Ted drew near that Great Tiller of the ship named Kismet...
"Kismet is a matter of time. Time is the fabric woven by the Word of God." Ted joyfully sighed.
Tess snuggled close, breathed near ear, "Let us pray to the One who clothes us. Thank the One who by his Word... weaves.''
Epilogue: The Word is Jesus +++John 1:1-4&14; John 10:27-30+++
Isaiah 55:6 KJV, "Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near."
(When with Jesus in our hearts we ask of God the Father, he, in his time, provides all we need, even the right mate and blessed fate.)
Let not your dust whisper of only vanities under the sun...
LOVE GOD... LOVE ONE ANOTHER... See the words of Jesus in Matthew 22:35-40)
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