written Jan/07 by Jo
It is a wonderful night, the moon high in the sky and getting fuller. It is a little cold but certainly could be worse. The clouds are but wisps intermingled with the stars. Twinkling like sparkling diamond flakes splattered in the sky.
I was alone in the park, I had been there most of the day enjoying the sunshine and reading a wonderful mystery full of intrigue. I watched as the kids played ball and genuinely had a great time. I remembered laughing at a couple that was walking through holding hands and looked to be enjoying a very good talk with one another. They seemed to be all alone just the two of them even though the park was teeming with people. I thought it would be nice to share moments like that with someone.
As the day waned I sat on a bench and watched the sun go down. It was a beautiful sunset...the kind where most of the sky has a pinkish hue and then goes to orangish hues to a vibrant red/orange. The clouds were wispy and as the setting sun hit the last of the clouds the rays could be seen. It is so cool to see a wonderful sunset. I was waiting for you to come through on your way home. I had watched you many times prior. You always walked...gingerly as you would normally whistling a tune. Your medium build would cast a shadow on me as I would sit and watch you pass.
I often sat and wondered what it would be like if I had the nerve to stop you just to talk. Each time I grew scared and let you walk past. My heart would pound with the excitement of just the thought of talking to you. Giddy like a school girl on the first date with her crush. So I would watch you go into the darkness of the park trail to your street and then home. I would usually wait until you were inside and watched as you would turn your lights out for the night. I would then walk to my car and go home.
I was very attracted to you...your face...your smile...your eyes. There wasn't really anything that I didn't like. I hadn't heard your voice yet but I could imagine that it was as appealing as the thought of you. This night was to be different....this night I was going to stop you. I went over and over what I would say to make you stop to talk to me. I was a plain attractive...not the flashy type that makes men stop dead in their tracks. I was the type you had to get aquainted with...maybe you would like my eyes...or my smile...but more than likely you would probably only notice my hair at first. You would come to realize fairly quickly that I was a kind, thoughtful, compassionate type of woman.
I was okay with that. I didn't do flashy well. It didn't matter really because it was a long shot...once in a lifetime jump off the cliff chance. I was going through what I would say when your figure came into view down the path. My heart was racing so hard I couldn't hear...what was I going to do...oh come on I said to myself. He is just like any other man...just tell him hello when he gets up to you... I couldn't breathe....nervously I waited. Wanting to pace like a cat...wanting to turn and run out of fear.
Then you were upon me...you looked at me this time. You had never really noticed me before. Was it the moonlight making me look different...I didn't know and didn't really care. Maybe it was the nervous display I was putting on. I looked at your face for a long moment then squeaked out a hello. It was awkward, very awkward as it came out of my mouth. As a grin formed on your lips, you started walking toward me. Asking me if it was okay if you had a seat with me on the bench for awhile. I obliged but was frantic ~ lost for words I just sat there looking at your face watching you smiled back at me.
You finally started talking to me about a little bit of everything. A breaking the ice so to speak. I was enchanted by your stories. You had so many funny things to say...making me laugh away my nerves. It seemed like we talked for hours. You told me you had to go because it was getting late. I knew it had to end. I needed some sleep too. We were saying our goodbyes, planning another meeting in the park after work the next day. As I turned to leave you stopped me. Grabbing my hand as I slightly tugged your arm before coming to a stop; you asked me if I wanted to go to your house for some coffee.
I didn't see any harm in a nice hot cup of coffee after all I felt like I had known you before. There was an instant easiness once we started talking...realizing we had quite a bit in common. I accepted graciously by saying that I couldn't stay too long. We had a cup of coffee and then I said goodnight. We both knew I had to leave. We both knew that if one more moment went by it would end differently. Maybe we wanted that, maybe the waiting was better. What would happen the next time we met in the park....
As time went by we grew closer and closer. We were almost inseparable. Our meetings in the park continued for about three months. Everyday possible we met in the same place. Each night we ended our day over a wonderful cup of coffee and reminisced how our day went, what we wanted to the next day, and just grew to know everything about each other.
Our visits at the park started turning into nights out on the town. We would often go to movies because we both had the same taste and usually could agree on the same movie. We would go dancing on Saturdays because you knew I loved dancing. Of course, you knew me better than I knew myself. Our taste in music was almost identical as well. We just generally were like “peas and carrots” to quote Forrest Gump.
We saw each other more and more but we hadn’t gotten real intimate yet. We were crazy for each other and it was always hard for either one of us to leave. We had made a promise to each other to hold out…to make it special. We came real close on several occasions to just ripping our clothes off and having at it but held on to our promise. It was funny because we had always in the past made that hasty decision and just took that leap usually regretting the outcome. Actually until now, always regretting the outcome of what always seemed to happen.
As the days grew into a year, the day came that I didn’t hear from you. I had called but there was no answer. Your car was not in the drive. I was very lost, saddened. How could this be I thought. Everything seemed so good and real. Was it all just a game? Did you just say those things and not mean them? I sat at the park after work that same day. I waited and waited but you didn’t come through. My heart grew very laden with the grief of all the questions going through my mind. I walked over to your house. My heart pounded the closer I got the more empty your house looked.
I made it to your doorstep, you were gone. No signs, no word, absolutely no clue. What was going on? My heart had been ripped in two…I couldn’t understand. I sat on your step crying, shaking my head asking myself all the same questions. Why? When? Where? Was it me? Something I said? Didn’t say? Over and over analyzing every thought. I looked in your window and saw all of your things were gone. It was a hard reality but a reality none the least. I left your house to go home to mine, alone and lost.
By the time I reached my house, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Stretching across my garage was a sign…it read “Will You Marry Me?” My tears of grief quickly turned to tears of absolute joy. I never had imagined that. I again thought only the worse. Again only what bad could happen not that something as incredible as this was possible. When I got out of my car ~ there you were coming around the corner of the house. You had a red rose in one hand and a ring box in the other. You went down on both knees and asked me the question I had always longed to hear. My heart was so overjoyed I couldn’t speak. I did finally get out “Yes, with all my heart”.
It was such a surprise to find you here she exclaimed. I was terrified when I didn't hear from you and most of all after I went and to your house to find everything gone. I couldn't imagine what had happened, why you would leave and not say anything. I just knew it was like all the other times. My heart was not going to go through it again. Then I get here and here you are. But tell me, where are all your things? "I moved them to our new home and wanted to surprise you. I had been planning this for weeks. Hope you aren't too upset with me."
And well you know the rest of the story....they lived happily ever after!
