Inner Child

Candace slammed down the phone after yet another shutdown and counted up the tally marks on her call sheet. So far, she had made 50 calls and only booked one show. It wasn’t looking good. She sighed, closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

"It’s a shitty topic, isn’t it?" Candace opened her eyes and swiveled her chair around to where the voice came from. She saw her supervisor, Bob, leaning back in his chair, hands behind his head, pencil tucked behind one ear, grinning at his pun.

"It’s been difficult," she admitted. She had been assigned to pitch a client who developed a natural remedy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome to talk radio producers and hosts.

According to Bob, it had been shoved under the mat when the company started signing on clients with more desirable topics and got resurrected when Candace joined the staff as the resident intern. She also got assigned a gentleman who was the spokesman for an anti-aging product that nobody wanted and realized that, as intern, she got the clients who were neglected and forgotten--in short, the clients nobody wanted to pitch.

"It’s these kinds of clients that can make or break ya," said Bob. "Past interns loved the job when we gave ‘em easy topics. Books on mother and daughter relationships. Ex-politicians who can talk about the current state of the government. They booked shows for those left and right. But when we gave ‘em more difficult topics, they got frustrated because they weren’t booking shows as easily. Then they gave up. If you can handle the difficult clients then you’ll do fine in this business, kid."

Candace swiveled back around to the phone and wished she were somewhere else. Not only were the radio producers she had the misfortune of calling rude and obnoxious, making stupid jokes about her topic and forcing her into meaningless banter about how much they did or didn’t like whatever movies were currently in theaters, the stress of school and trying to figure out how to pay her upcoming credit card bill were getting to her as well. She thought back to when she was eight and her only concern was whether or not her sister would try and make her be Ken when they played with their Barbie dolls. God, when did life get so complicated? She thought.

She reluctantly picked up the phone and was about to call the next name on her list when her cell phone rang. It was her friend Brooke, wondering where Candace wanted to meet her after she got off work. Candace brightened a little; she forgot that she had made plans to go line-dancing with Brooke that evening. The day was slowly starting to turn around.
Brooke’s grandmother was in town and she, Brooke, Brooke’s aunt and a lady from Brooke’s church were all shopping at Countryside Mall and were more than likely still going to be there when Candace got off work. Candace agreed to meet them there and then go back to Brooke’s house to get ready. Candace hung up the phone, momentarily forgetting her worries. She loved going line-dancing. She felt carefree on the dance floor and the only thing that preoccupied her mind was whether or not she was staying in step with the rest of the crowd.

* * *
Candace met Brooke at Chic-Fil-A where Brooke’s group had stopped to eat. The Friday night crowd was starting to trickle into the Countryside Mall and all around them moody teenagers talked to their friends on cell phones about what movies they were going to see that night.

"Whatever, then, don’t come," Candace overheard a tall brunette teen say into her flip phone. She was clearly upset. "You said you were gonna come and then you ditch me. I don’t like being done that way. Whatever." She slammed her phone shut and stormed off in the direction of Forever 21.

"Candace!" Brooke ran over and hugged her friend. I’m so glad to see you! Tonight’s going to be so fun! How’ve you been?"

Candace smiled. "Good," she said. "Work’s been a little crazy, but other than that, I’ve been doing fine."

"Uh-oh. What’s going on at work?"

"Nothing terribly bad," Candace reassured. "I just had a client who was difficult to book, that’s all. But no matter--I’m really looking forward to going to The Roundup!"

"Oh, I know!" Brooke said. "Let me introduce you to my Granny!" Brooke’s group was seated around two tables pushed together and Candace was introduced to Brooke’s Granny, Aunt Louise, and Linda, who was Louise’s friend and a member of her and Brooke’s church. Within minutes the five of them talked and laughed like they were long-time friends.

When it was time to leave, Brooke asked if she could ride with Candace back to her aunt’s house so she could get her Jeep.

"I’m sorry, but I’m afraid you’ll have to walk. I don’t carry stragglers," Candace joked as they entered the parking lot. She looked up at the gray sky that had been clouding all afternoon. "And you might want to buy an umbrella because it’s about to pour."

* * *

It was pouring by the time Candace and Brooke pulled into the complex that housed Louise’s condominium on Honeymoon Island. Candace squinted as she maneuvered her Saturn around the slick asphalt of the parking lot.

"Too bad it’s so nasty out," Brooke said. She pointed to the far end of the lot, where it met the Gulf. "The island’s gorgeous and last time I saw dolphins over there. I could almost touch them, they were that close."

"Yeah, I doubt there’ll be any dolphins out playing today," Candace said. Brooke looked over at her aunt and uncle’s designated parking spots and frowned.

"Louise isn’t home yet and Buddy is at work still," she said.

"Hmm," Candace said. "What should we do?" Brooke looked out the window and suddenly turned to Candace, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey, do you want to play in the rain?" she asked. Candace was about to object and then realized that there was no thunder or lightning and that she had brought a change of clothes for dancing later on. She shrugged and grinned.

"Sure, why not?" They parked on the far side of the lot, near the water, and got out. Brooke took off running towards the very edge of the lot and sat down, legs dangling over the water. Candace ran after her.

"This is where I saw the dolphins," Brooke said. "It was so amazing!"

"I’ll bet," said Candace. "The only time I ever saw a dolphin up close was when I went to Sea World in fifth grade. I kept trying to pet them but they were never close enough for me to touch." She giggled. "I don’t think they liked me very much." She turned her face towards the sky and closed her eyes. She relished the rain on her face, soaking her clothes. Her inhibitions and worries melted away with each drop. She spread out her arms and twirled around stupidly, tripped, and almost fell into the ocean. She and Brooke laughed uncontrollably.

"Hey, do you wanna go to the dock?" Brooke pointed to a dock was a few yards away from where they were.

"Sure!" Candace agreed and they took off, running, skipping and hopping in puddles. They got to the dock, giggling and grinning like idiots. "I feel like I’m ten again!" Candace said.

"I know! It feels good, doesn’t it?"

Candace leaned over the railing and stared out at the churning waters. "Yeah." Brooke stood beside her and they grew quiet. "What are you thinking about?" Brooke asked.

"I was just thinking," Candace began, "that this is what really matters. Just taking time out to enjoy life. We get so bogged down with ‘grownup stuff’ like bills or whatever and we forget to just--enjoy. To act silly once in awhile, you know?"

"Yeah," Brooke agreed. "I think God created us to enjoy--His creation, friends, family, things like that. I think that’s what we’re made for and it’s something we don’t do a whole lot of." She paused. "You know, I think the only people who really do that all the time are little kids."

Candace nodded. "No wonder they’re so carefree and happy."

Several minutes passed by in silence. "Louise should be back by now," Brooke said. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah," Candace said. She looked up at the nearest building and laughed. An old man was standing at his window, staring down at them and scratching his head.

"What?" Brooke asked. She followed Candace’s gaze and burst out laughing. "I wonder if he was watching us this whole time?"

"He’s probably like, ‘What are those crazy girls doing out in the rain?’" Candace laughed harder. "He probably saw us skipping and everything!"

Brooke doubled over. When she regained composure, she waved to him. "Race you back to the car!" she said to Candace.

"Alright!" said Candace. The two girls tore through the parking lot, back to the Saturn, laughing and shouting like idiots. This is what it’s all about, Candace thought.