LJI friends & rivals: topic 9
Sarah wasn't prone to speculating about or staring at random people, but something about the older gentleman seated on the bench at the edge of Riverview Park caught her eye. She was stuck waiting at the interminable, recalcitrant traffic light on the corner of Sixth and Willow Lane when she glanced over and found her gaze staying on him.
Maybe it was the way the worn but smart bowler sat on his head, or perhaps it was the glossy wooden cane with the fancy topper that leaned against the bench next to him. Then again, there was the gorgeous rough collie sitting patiently and attentively by his side, focus divided between his face and the traffic (both foot and car) passing by. She glanced back at the light to see it was still the same red; as her head turned back toward the man and dog, she noticed his own head was starting to droop and his face seemed to be losing color. The dog nudged his hand and then started to whine and pace around his feet. Alarmed, Sarah quickly checked her right side and then scooted over to make the right turn after a hurried look up Willow to see no cars coming. She pulled her blue Charger into the very first parking spot and barely took time to yank the keys out of the ignition before she pushed open her door to run up the sidewalk to the gentleman and his dog.
"Sir, sir! Are you alright?" Sarah knelt down beside him, and even though she was less apt to touch people she didn't know, her hand went out seemingly of its own accord to brush his sleeve to ensure she gained his attention. He turned his gaze toward her, and as she saw his eyes, she thought she might have given a small gasp of delight if she were the type to do so -they were the brightest, clearest golden hazel she'd ever seen on a human being. They took her aback enough that she lost her train of thought for a moment, but then she recovered enough to query further. "Sir, you looked as though you might be starting to feel sick for a minute. Are you unwell?"
He gave a small but warm smile and said, "I think I'm alright. I just think I've probably sat here too long without something to drink. It's just such a lovely day, I found myself reluctant to leave this peaceful little haven.
It’s very kind of you to ask. Isn’t it, Lucy?” With those words, he turned toward the dog and ruffled the bronze fur on the top of her head warmly. She responded with a doggy smile and a lick of his hand.
His friendly gaze turned back to Sarah, and he said, “I beg your pardon, we haven’t formally met yet. My name is Henry, and this here is Lucy who’s been my tireless compatriot for about three years now. She’s a sweetheart, and you’re more than welcome to greet her if you like - she enjoys affection from just about all sources.”
She crossed over in front of him to stroke Lucy’s smooth, soft coat. Then she told him, “Well I’m Sarah, and I was admiring you and your dog from my car when your head droop caused me to get a bit concerned.” She said this last with a warm but still slightly worried smile. “Perhaps you’d be willing to step over to Ivy’s for a cool drink with me…” The Ivy’s she referred to was the café across the street with the red sign above the canopy that read in white letters Ben and Ivy’s. Ben had passed on several years back from a sudden severe stroke, but Ivy resumed primary management of the place about a year after losing him.
She’d never changed the sign and had no plans to, but as she told anybody who cared to ask, she’d had to go back to work or drive herself to drink from loneliness sitting in their bungalow with nothing productive or pressing to do. The café was hard work, and it kept both her body and mind busy and agile. Sarah was a semi-regular there, as were many people in the town, and she knew Ivy wouldn’t mind at all if Lucy were to join them even - she appeared to be such a well behaved dog, she probably wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow.
Henry’s return smile was still a bit wan, and he protested half-heartedly, “I’m sure you have better things to do right now than accompany a foolish older man while he sees to his needs and those of his neglected escort.”
“No sir, Henry, indeed I do not!” She was fairly insistent about this as she found herself biting back a bigger grin at thinking Lucy was anything other than a very loved, well-kept companion - her bright eyes and groomed fur, as well as her friendly, open expression belied Henry’s words. “In fact, I can think of nothing I’d like to do more right now.” She surprised herself slightly with how true the words were as she offered Henry her arm. It was as he rose from the bench she noticed Lucy had no leash.
As Henry lightly rested his left hand on the proffered arm and picked up his handsome cane in the right one, he seemed to read her thoughts when he said, “Lucy seems to have no ambitions whatsoever to run off. She stays on a leash readily enough, but she’s both more relaxed and alert when she’s allowed to stay by my side on her own.” Sarah nodded, both impressed and unsurprised, based on what she’d observed so far.
As they made their way across street, Henry asked her, “Do you think they’ll mind giving Lucy some water in a bowl or whatever they have handy?”
“Not in the slightest. I know Ivy fairly well, and I’m sure she’d be glad to have Lucy join us at a table, presuming she’ll be content to sit at your feet.”
This time Henry’s smile was surer and brighter when he responded, “Of course she will be! It seems to be one of her favorite spots in the world.”
The door chimes jingled slightly as they entered. Ivy looked up from behind the counter, smiled at the trio, and said, “Pick any table, you guys! Just when I thought I might doze off for a minute if it got any slower, it’s good to see some more friendly faces.”
She followed them over to the table they selected to ask what they’d have. Sarah said she’d have a sweet iced tea, and Henry said he’d have the same and some water for Lucy if it wouldn’t be too much trouble. Ivy smiled again and proclaimed it would be her pleasure, no trouble at all!
Before she was done turning around, Henry was removing his hat to reveal a nicely shaped bald head, smooth and lightly tanned. He placed the hat on the empty chair next to him and took a handkerchief from his jacket pocket to pat at his scalp, which looked fairly dry already to Sarah's eyes. She realized it was probably a habit of his and smiled warmly at him as he caught her gaze. He returned her smile and said, "I realize the hat is old-fashioned to some, but I find it's best to keep the sun off this noggin of mine anymore."
Sarah nodded, "I can see the good sense in that. Besides, your hat is lovely and looks very dapper on you." Henry smiled with real delight this time as he replied, "Well thank you, my dear."
Ivy returned quickly with two tall glasses of tea, a small plate of lemon wedges, and a small mixing bowl filled with water which she set down next to Lucy. She gave Lucy's head a nice rub and said, "Now don't you go spilling it all over, girl," and walked away smiling again, confident Lucy would follow instructions.
After they'd sipped on their tea for a minute, Sarah asked Henry, "So are you fairly new to town, or just passing through?"
He smiled and said, "I thought I'd look up an old friend not too far away during my travels, and I like the area so much, I decided to stop and rest a day or two. Lucy and I've been on the road a few weeks, and it's good for us to slow down for a bit every now and again."
"Wow, it's great to be able to travel leisurely - I'd like to do more of it myself. Do you mind if I ask what prompted this particular trip?"
"Oh nothing all that interesting, I'm afraid to say. Every so often, I just get the urge to see more of this country up close, and I find it's best to follow those urges. After all, we never really know when a chance will pass us by and we won't get another one, right?" Henry's smile as he said this last bit might have been tinged with melancholy, but when Sarah looked closer and saw good color back in his cheeks, and his lovely eyes were bright and crinkling sweetly at the outside corners, she decided maybe it was just a passing fancy.
"Well Henry, I'm happy you and Lucy decided to stop here. We can always use more personable, gregarious folks around here. Cheers!" She raised her glass, and he did likewise and clinked his companionably with hers.
Ivy stepped back over to ask, "How's the tea?" They both smiled, and Henry proclaimed it perfect. Then she asked what snack or goodies she might get them. Henry turned to Sarah for guidance, and she said, "It's pretty darn hard to beat Ivy's pie ala mode or homemade bread pudding."
"What kind of pie do you have, Ms. Ivy?" She smiled delightedly at his old world manners and said, "Well, today we have blackberry, a favorite of mine, and peach."
Henry's eyes closed for a moment with anticipatory pleasure, and then he opened them and gave Ivy the biggest smile Sarah had yet seen on his face. "I haven't had blackberry pie in over 12 years - bring some of that on, please! But leave off the ice cream, sadly. It gives me gas something terrible."
Sarah had to smile at that and told Ivy she'd enjoy the bread pudding, and Ivy moved away to get their treats. They enjoyed an easy silence until she returned and set their plates in front of them, and then she asked Henry, "Is it alright if I give your dog some of these scraps we had in the kitchen?" Henry looked again very pleased with her thoughtfulness and said she could indeed. Ivy placed a small dish of bacon rinds, carrot slices, and crumbled biscuit pieces down next to Lucy on the floor. Her tail started to wag and then she looked up at Henry expectantly. He said lovingly to her, "Go ahead, girl, dig in! And say thank you to the nice lady." Lucy's head swung toward Ivy, and her face did indeed show sublime joy and adoration, as if she were showing her gratefulness for the bounty.
Henry patted her head twice and then picked up his own fork to taste his pie. "Oh my, that is utterly sublime," and grinned hugely again. Sarah had to grin too, and as they all tucked into their food, talking ceased for a few more minutes.
After Henry had put away a good portion of his pie, he set down his fork, took another long pull on his iced tea, and then smiled contentedly at Sarah. "My dear, I've no idea what good fortune brought you my way today, but I'm so glad it did. This has been a true pleasure, and I appreciate you spending this time with me."
"Henry, it's been a real pleasure for me too! Will you stay around much longer?"
"I think Lucy and I should spend another restful night here, and then we'll need to move on."
This sounded perfectly sensible to Sarah, but at the same time she felt a moment of regret that their acquaintance would be so short-lived. Then Henry surprised her by saying, "I'm not so old-fashioned that I forgo all the modern methods of communication. If you don't mind sharing your email address with me, perhaps we could stay in touch?"
Sarah was pleased by the idea and wrote down her information on a piece of paper from the notebook she almost always had in one of her pockets. "I'd love to hear how you and Lucy are getting along, Henry."
He seemed to be fully recovered from his earlier pallidness, so Sarah impulsively decided that with any luck, she'd made a couple of new friends. With some further good fortune, maybe she'd hear from them again before too terribly long.
Her wish was going to come to fruition sooner than she expected.
this is my entry for Week 9 of LJI Friends & Rivals. stay tuned for a later update on voting information for this and other submissions after the deadline for entries passes.
Maybe it was the way the worn but smart bowler sat on his head, or perhaps it was the glossy wooden cane with the fancy topper that leaned against the bench next to him. Then again, there was the gorgeous rough collie sitting patiently and attentively by his side, focus divided between his face and the traffic (both foot and car) passing by. She glanced back at the light to see it was still the same red; as her head turned back toward the man and dog, she noticed his own head was starting to droop and his face seemed to be losing color. The dog nudged his hand and then started to whine and pace around his feet. Alarmed, Sarah quickly checked her right side and then scooted over to make the right turn after a hurried look up Willow to see no cars coming. She pulled her blue Charger into the very first parking spot and barely took time to yank the keys out of the ignition before she pushed open her door to run up the sidewalk to the gentleman and his dog.
"Sir, sir! Are you alright?" Sarah knelt down beside him, and even though she was less apt to touch people she didn't know, her hand went out seemingly of its own accord to brush his sleeve to ensure she gained his attention. He turned his gaze toward her, and as she saw his eyes, she thought she might have given a small gasp of delight if she were the type to do so -they were the brightest, clearest golden hazel she'd ever seen on a human being. They took her aback enough that she lost her train of thought for a moment, but then she recovered enough to query further. "Sir, you looked as though you might be starting to feel sick for a minute. Are you unwell?"
He gave a small but warm smile and said, "I think I'm alright. I just think I've probably sat here too long without something to drink. It's just such a lovely day, I found myself reluctant to leave this peaceful little haven.
It’s very kind of you to ask. Isn’t it, Lucy?” With those words, he turned toward the dog and ruffled the bronze fur on the top of her head warmly. She responded with a doggy smile and a lick of his hand.
His friendly gaze turned back to Sarah, and he said, “I beg your pardon, we haven’t formally met yet. My name is Henry, and this here is Lucy who’s been my tireless compatriot for about three years now. She’s a sweetheart, and you’re more than welcome to greet her if you like - she enjoys affection from just about all sources.”
She crossed over in front of him to stroke Lucy’s smooth, soft coat. Then she told him, “Well I’m Sarah, and I was admiring you and your dog from my car when your head droop caused me to get a bit concerned.” She said this last with a warm but still slightly worried smile. “Perhaps you’d be willing to step over to Ivy’s for a cool drink with me…” The Ivy’s she referred to was the café across the street with the red sign above the canopy that read in white letters Ben and Ivy’s. Ben had passed on several years back from a sudden severe stroke, but Ivy resumed primary management of the place about a year after losing him.
She’d never changed the sign and had no plans to, but as she told anybody who cared to ask, she’d had to go back to work or drive herself to drink from loneliness sitting in their bungalow with nothing productive or pressing to do. The café was hard work, and it kept both her body and mind busy and agile. Sarah was a semi-regular there, as were many people in the town, and she knew Ivy wouldn’t mind at all if Lucy were to join them even - she appeared to be such a well behaved dog, she probably wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow.
Henry’s return smile was still a bit wan, and he protested half-heartedly, “I’m sure you have better things to do right now than accompany a foolish older man while he sees to his needs and those of his neglected escort.”
“No sir, Henry, indeed I do not!” She was fairly insistent about this as she found herself biting back a bigger grin at thinking Lucy was anything other than a very loved, well-kept companion - her bright eyes and groomed fur, as well as her friendly, open expression belied Henry’s words. “In fact, I can think of nothing I’d like to do more right now.” She surprised herself slightly with how true the words were as she offered Henry her arm. It was as he rose from the bench she noticed Lucy had no leash.
As Henry lightly rested his left hand on the proffered arm and picked up his handsome cane in the right one, he seemed to read her thoughts when he said, “Lucy seems to have no ambitions whatsoever to run off. She stays on a leash readily enough, but she’s both more relaxed and alert when she’s allowed to stay by my side on her own.” Sarah nodded, both impressed and unsurprised, based on what she’d observed so far.
As they made their way across street, Henry asked her, “Do you think they’ll mind giving Lucy some water in a bowl or whatever they have handy?”
“Not in the slightest. I know Ivy fairly well, and I’m sure she’d be glad to have Lucy join us at a table, presuming she’ll be content to sit at your feet.”
This time Henry’s smile was surer and brighter when he responded, “Of course she will be! It seems to be one of her favorite spots in the world.”
The door chimes jingled slightly as they entered. Ivy looked up from behind the counter, smiled at the trio, and said, “Pick any table, you guys! Just when I thought I might doze off for a minute if it got any slower, it’s good to see some more friendly faces.”
She followed them over to the table they selected to ask what they’d have. Sarah said she’d have a sweet iced tea, and Henry said he’d have the same and some water for Lucy if it wouldn’t be too much trouble. Ivy smiled again and proclaimed it would be her pleasure, no trouble at all!
Before she was done turning around, Henry was removing his hat to reveal a nicely shaped bald head, smooth and lightly tanned. He placed the hat on the empty chair next to him and took a handkerchief from his jacket pocket to pat at his scalp, which looked fairly dry already to Sarah's eyes. She realized it was probably a habit of his and smiled warmly at him as he caught her gaze. He returned her smile and said, "I realize the hat is old-fashioned to some, but I find it's best to keep the sun off this noggin of mine anymore."
Sarah nodded, "I can see the good sense in that. Besides, your hat is lovely and looks very dapper on you." Henry smiled with real delight this time as he replied, "Well thank you, my dear."
Ivy returned quickly with two tall glasses of tea, a small plate of lemon wedges, and a small mixing bowl filled with water which she set down next to Lucy. She gave Lucy's head a nice rub and said, "Now don't you go spilling it all over, girl," and walked away smiling again, confident Lucy would follow instructions.
After they'd sipped on their tea for a minute, Sarah asked Henry, "So are you fairly new to town, or just passing through?"
He smiled and said, "I thought I'd look up an old friend not too far away during my travels, and I like the area so much, I decided to stop and rest a day or two. Lucy and I've been on the road a few weeks, and it's good for us to slow down for a bit every now and again."
"Wow, it's great to be able to travel leisurely - I'd like to do more of it myself. Do you mind if I ask what prompted this particular trip?"
"Oh nothing all that interesting, I'm afraid to say. Every so often, I just get the urge to see more of this country up close, and I find it's best to follow those urges. After all, we never really know when a chance will pass us by and we won't get another one, right?" Henry's smile as he said this last bit might have been tinged with melancholy, but when Sarah looked closer and saw good color back in his cheeks, and his lovely eyes were bright and crinkling sweetly at the outside corners, she decided maybe it was just a passing fancy.
"Well Henry, I'm happy you and Lucy decided to stop here. We can always use more personable, gregarious folks around here. Cheers!" She raised her glass, and he did likewise and clinked his companionably with hers.
Ivy stepped back over to ask, "How's the tea?" They both smiled, and Henry proclaimed it perfect. Then she asked what snack or goodies she might get them. Henry turned to Sarah for guidance, and she said, "It's pretty darn hard to beat Ivy's pie ala mode or homemade bread pudding."
"What kind of pie do you have, Ms. Ivy?" She smiled delightedly at his old world manners and said, "Well, today we have blackberry, a favorite of mine, and peach."
Henry's eyes closed for a moment with anticipatory pleasure, and then he opened them and gave Ivy the biggest smile Sarah had yet seen on his face. "I haven't had blackberry pie in over 12 years - bring some of that on, please! But leave off the ice cream, sadly. It gives me gas something terrible."
Sarah had to smile at that and told Ivy she'd enjoy the bread pudding, and Ivy moved away to get their treats. They enjoyed an easy silence until she returned and set their plates in front of them, and then she asked Henry, "Is it alright if I give your dog some of these scraps we had in the kitchen?" Henry looked again very pleased with her thoughtfulness and said she could indeed. Ivy placed a small dish of bacon rinds, carrot slices, and crumbled biscuit pieces down next to Lucy on the floor. Her tail started to wag and then she looked up at Henry expectantly. He said lovingly to her, "Go ahead, girl, dig in! And say thank you to the nice lady." Lucy's head swung toward Ivy, and her face did indeed show sublime joy and adoration, as if she were showing her gratefulness for the bounty.
Henry patted her head twice and then picked up his own fork to taste his pie. "Oh my, that is utterly sublime," and grinned hugely again. Sarah had to grin too, and as they all tucked into their food, talking ceased for a few more minutes.
After Henry had put away a good portion of his pie, he set down his fork, took another long pull on his iced tea, and then smiled contentedly at Sarah. "My dear, I've no idea what good fortune brought you my way today, but I'm so glad it did. This has been a true pleasure, and I appreciate you spending this time with me."
"Henry, it's been a real pleasure for me too! Will you stay around much longer?"
"I think Lucy and I should spend another restful night here, and then we'll need to move on."
This sounded perfectly sensible to Sarah, but at the same time she felt a moment of regret that their acquaintance would be so short-lived. Then Henry surprised her by saying, "I'm not so old-fashioned that I forgo all the modern methods of communication. If you don't mind sharing your email address with me, perhaps we could stay in touch?"
Sarah was pleased by the idea and wrote down her information on a piece of paper from the notebook she almost always had in one of her pockets. "I'd love to hear how you and Lucy are getting along, Henry."
He seemed to be fully recovered from his earlier pallidness, so Sarah impulsively decided that with any luck, she'd made a couple of new friends. With some further good fortune, maybe she'd hear from them again before too terribly long.
Her wish was going to come to fruition sooner than she expected.
this is my entry for Week 9 of LJI Friends & Rivals. stay tuned for a later update on voting information for this and other submissions after the deadline for entries passes.