I sat on the bench, in the park, mid-afternoon. Nothing of importance around me. No notable person that I could see. Nothing real special about that moment…or me.
I was about to stand. To get up. To leave. Bored from the moment. When, by shocking surprise, a mere glance made me stare. Made me blink. Shake my head to the reality. Around me. Oh she was real. Quite, quite, real.
She stood under a wavering willow. Wispy limbs bent low. Around her. As though in protection? She looked my way. Our eyes met. I tried to turn away. She held me.
Neither of us moved. Still as the nothingness. Not even the air dared stir.
My vision became tunnelled. I could see her. Inside and out. I could feel her. What she felt. I could almost touch her. If but a little closer. The ethereal-ness of her body, translucent, ghost like, shivered my spine.
Then. I saw. I saw. Who she was. I could see the scars she bore. Scars she had. Many. Corner of her lip. A hand. Hardened by too many times. Her eye. Swollen. Slightly. Not long ago. Reddened, wet with pain; tears. I could feel her fears.
Her smile was crooked. Not genuine in some way. A shield of sorrow, to stay away. And I could feel it all. The verbal accusations, from a lover, turned evil with jealousies, greed, corruption and temptations. I could feel her. Feel her. Her heart as it lay dormant each night, softly beating, waiting, hoping for an end in sight.
Even the gown, which she wore, simple made, a loose fit, soft curves hidden, a bosom wanting, bore signs of neglect, abuse, hit after hit after hit. Tiny, oh so tiny, droplets of crimson red, etched into lacing, edging of her Soul.
And as I looked. Stared. Blankly. My mind capturing each feeling, each image as she delivered them; my eyes wet, my heart skipped, my breath I shared, for her, a rejuvenation, a sensation, an admiration of courage, bravery, a fire that still stirred within her, as evidenced of her standing before me.
Suddenly! Suddenly! The willow parted it’s weeping limbs. She took a small step. Reaching out. A smile she gave. Yes. Yes. Ohhh, yes, yes, yes. I want…I want….I want….What was it I wanted? And just like that, she left. There I stood. Again. In my nothingness.
I looked around. Saw the Beauty around me, as though for the first time. The nothingness lifted, I understood. A woman passed by, smiled, said, ‘Hi’.
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