Despite herself, and grasping both gloves, she couldn’t avoid his eyes, she looked back at him, could see his confusion, his face like the changing of seasons, flickering and changing as lights across a hillside.
‘Yes, please…’ the words slipped weakly from her mouth, then stronger,’why…why did you take it with you?’
He looked away, wanting to hide the naked loneliness in his eyes: the loss, anger and passion that still haunted his waking hours and chased his dreams in terrors whilst he slept.
Somewhere he found the strength. A stranger’s familiarity. The way the morning light had cleared the skies and reflected through the strands and waves of her grey sandy hair that flickered in waves across her face.
‘I was reminded of who I have lost,’his voice a whisper, a mere echo in the empty wind that seemed to lessen as he spoke,’the glove, two, not one… her hands.’ He struggled against the rising tears that threatened to engulf him,’she…I….and then she was taken away from me, all I had left. It was too late. I was too late.’
She could feel his pain. She stopped. Felt the air shimmer in his trapped feelings within him. But he was strong. She could feel that as he trembled to master himself.
‘I don’t even know who he is, what kind of…’ A gulf of doubt, fright and fear threatened her. She suddenly saw the trees bend over on top of her, the sky press down, the path to her office press and wave as her eyes tried to seek a place to run. Her voice to cry for help against the wind.
But then she looked at him. Through him. Their eyes met again.
‘Look, we both have to go to work. Shall we meet for the journey back?’ She looked at him as if he seemed to become whole again.As if the wind had shaped his emotions back from tumbling to an edge that he was standing upon inside of himself.
And then she added,‘I’m working through my lunch…by the way, it’s Heather.’
She touched him lightly on his lower arm, grinned at his confused expression and walked away.
He watched her walk away as if he had seen something completely new in his life. A new colour or sound, one moment of freshness. Just then, he remembered and shouted after her.
‘I’m John, by the way, I’m John,’ he repeatedly stupidly and then remembered,’Here, at four thirty?’
He waited for what appeared an eternity, but was less than a second.
She turned, already leaving the path.
And waved.
Feel free to contact me. Be nice to know who my audience is and perhaps you can suggest some further topics or themes for my writing! And do give me feedback!
p1964km@googlemail.com
