Childhood can be difficult. The world does not always accept who you are or who you want to be.

 

You try to break the mold, but success may be hard to come by, as is the case with . . .

 

 

Zuly Truly

 

     The names we choose for our children can have a great impact on their lives. Such is the case in the life of Zuly Truly.

     Saddled with a weird name, Zuly had no choice but to hide from the world around her. Picked on by her classmates, she buried herself in her studies and was labeled a geek. 

     As a geek, she didn’t always fit in. The in-crowd rejected her. And her homelife wasn’t easy. Adopted at the age of two, her mean stepparents and two cruel stepbrothers made her life quite uncomfortable. In spite of her less than perfect childhood, Zuly grew into a beautiful, smart, and likeable young woman.

     Although likeable, she was very lonely. She wanted to be appreciated and accepted by others, but it was a challenge for her to step out in public and attempt to socialize. However, she did believe in herself and felt she could become a respected person. 

     Still, she needed to address the pressing question, “What can I, a woman with both inner strength and outer beauty, do to escape my hellish upbringing?”

     When all was said and done, the bottom line was that she was a thoughtful, caring individual. And she had high ambitions for a successful life. She dreamed of what she could do to help others. However, she still needed to muster up the courage to gain the support of the likes of people who had rejected her. They controlled her life and made her feel imprisoned in a cage from which she could not escape. And all the time, she felt as if she was being watched.

     But today, she was inspired to begin life anew. As she sat alone in her apartment, her mind wandered in and out. I’ve got to make this happen, she thought. But how was another matter.

     As she pondered what her next move would be, the phone rang. She reached over and picked it up. “Hello,” she said.

     “May I speak to Ms. Truly?”

     “This is Ms. Truly.”

     “Ms. Truly, my name is Simply Simon.”

     Hearing this, she begin to chuckle, but held the laugh back. “What can I do for you, Mr. Simon?”

     “It’s not what you can do for me. It is what I can do for you.”

     “What you can do for me?”

     “That’s right.”

     Confused, she didn’t know how to respond.

     “Are you still there, Ms. Truly?”

     “Yes,” she stuttered. “I’m listening. You said you can do something for me. What would that be?”

     “I’d rather not discuss it over the phone. Could we meet somewhere and talk?”

     “Why not do it on the phone? I don’t know who you are or what you want from me.”

     “Relax, Ms. Truly, I’m not the enemy. I have your best interests in mind.”

     “But you don’t know me.”

     “But I do.”

     Zuly thought for a brief moment before responding. “Okay, I’ll meet you tomorrow at noon, at the Nickel and Dime Café on the corner of Primary Road and Precision Ave.”

     “Obviously you believe in the basics and have a precise picture of how things should go.”

     “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

     “I think we’ve said enough for now. See you tomorrow at noon.”

     “Please wait. How will I know who you are?”

     “It’s simple. You won’t, but I, Simply Simon, will know you. Good-bye.”

     Totally mystified by this conversation, Zuly stared off into space. Do I dare do this? she thought.

     The next morning, the sun shined through the bedroom window. Zuly rubbed the sleep from her eyes, rolled out of bed, and prepared for the meeting she wasn’t sure she wanted to have. “I guess it’s time,” she muttered. Grabbing a light coat, she exited her apartment and made her way to the café.

     As she entered, a handsome man approached her. Well, she thought, this may go better than I expected.

     “Are you Ms. Truly?” he asked.

     “Yes, I am, Mr. Simon,” she responded with a broad smile on her face.

     “Uh, I’m not Mr. Simon. I’m Lyle Smiles, the café manager.”

     “So sorry, Mr. Smiles, but . . .”

     “No apology needed. A young man was here earlier. He asked me to give you this note.”

     “But how did you know who I was?”

     “He described you perfectly.”

     That’s scary, she thought. She took the note from Mr. Smiles, said, “Thank you,” and sat down at a table for two in the corner of the shop.

     She stared at the note, fearing what Mr. Simon might have written. She sucked in a breath of air and opened the missive and read . . .

     “Dear Zuly, I have been an ardent admirer of yours for many years. I have monitored your every move, but didn’t have the guts to let you know I wanted you in my life. Today was my golden opportunity to get what I always wanted—you. But once again, I didn’t have the courage. So I must force you back into the cage from which you have been trying to escape. You are mine and nothing you do will change that." The letter was signed, “Yours, ‘Truly,’ now and forever.”

     Zuly dropped the letter on the table. Having no clue what to do next, tears rolled down her face. Then she looked up and stared into the warm, beautiful eyes of Lyle Smiles.

     “May I help you,” he asked.

     She replied, “Yes,” for she now believed she would have a chance for a better future, as she basked in the light of his smile.

 

 

Copyright © 2024 Alan Lowe. All rights reserved.