A Song For Laverne

By B.L.Cunningham

In 15 years of marriage Laverne and Lenny were unusual in that they had not grown apart or bored with one another; as it seemed happened to many of the other married couples they knew,In all honesty Laverne would say it was because they had never stopped dating, Lenny still held her hand and even now with an 11 year old daughter in the house they made time to be with one another.Friday night was Date Night and only a really pressing cause could change it. Lenny's career as a lyricist and songwriter had provided a very comfortable standard of living to the family and family was the center of their life, While Lenny's career made working with well known actors & singers almost a daily part of his job; it never had much of an impact to Lenny or Laverne; Occasionally Lavern was taken by surprise, walking into the expanded fourth bedroom dubbed "Lenny's Music Room " and seeing Lenny working thru some new lyrics at the baby grand piano with Frank Sinatra might leave her jaw hanging open, or finding Mary Martin on the living room sofa,deep in discussion with Lenny ..Well let's say it kept life interesting.
The four bedroom home in Glendale was furnished for comfort rather than some interior designer's dictates of the current craze or style. Lenny kept pens, pencils and yellow legal pads in every room of the house including both bathrooms and they were filled with lyrics, parts of songs, ideas for a song and the random drawing On a few occasions, Lenny would be so caught up in creating a song that Laverne would simply keep his dinner warming in the oven until he was ready to eat.But for the most part Lenny's world revolved around Laverne & their very bright daughter .One of the many things that Laverne loved about her husband was his open honesty; almost a child like simplicity; Laverne knew Lenny did not say something unless he meant it and when he had proposed it was straight from the heart and in 15 years of marriage it never wavered.
Laverne went about her daily house cleaning routine and for the past two weeks she would hear the same melody from the piano; a bar or two then silence; a different key and again a slightly slower tempo Lenny was clearly a man on a mission.One afternoon Lenny poked his head out of the music room as Laverne walked past "Honey.. do you have a few minutes..?" he asked almost shyly and asked her to come over to the piano; Lenny sat down and began to play the song she had heard parts of for the past few weeks. Lenny may not have had the greatest voice but his skill at the keyboard gave life and support to the lyrics as he sang, looking directly into Laverne's blue eyes;
I can't shower you with pearls and diamond rings
All I can give are dances in the rain...
I can't cover you in satin sheets
But you'll be just as warm
Wrapped up each night inside my loving arms
I can never lay the world down at your feet
The moon and stars will always be beyond my reach
All I have is one true heart that beats
for you and you alone...
You can have everything I own
I can't promise the life that money buys
I can promise you a richer life...
There may be places you may never see
But one thing you can know
I'll be there with you wherever we don't go...

The tears in Laverne's eyes overflowed as she drew Lenny close " If happiness were dollar bills I'd be the richest woman in the world!"
(Song written by Aaron Tippen )

THE END