(no subject)
A bit of a weird one.
I have an open mind. More so than most.
At the supermarket I push my cart down the aisle. An elderly woman, ashen and hunched, does all she can to reach a can that is too high for her. I take it down and hold it out to her with a smile, hoping I've made her day three seconds easier. She looks at me, confused at first, but soon with gratitude. She reaches out and takes it from me with both frail hands, her aged fingers brushing against mine. Suddenly, I feel as a bolt of lightning, electric and stretching. In an instant I see, slightly tinted in blue, the woman in her kitchen opening a can of soup with great time and care, slowly twisting the ancient can opener until the metal lid is sliced away. I see her heating the soup in a pot on her small stove, stirring and humming softly. She ladles the broth into a bowl and brings it upstairs, pain in each step, where her husband lays, cords from his veins, a plug from his nose.
"Here, Robert," she offers, placing the soup on his tray. He turns his head to her, his eyes struggling to focus.
"Lunch?" he asks, hesitantly.
"Yes, love, it's lunch now,"
"Can Jessica have lunch with me today?" he asks.
"No, sweetheart, she isn't here today. Eat your soup, it'll warm you up," she says. I know Jessica hasn't lived there for twenty-five years.
And then I'm looking at her as she's placing the can of peaches into her basket, quietly saying "thank you" before turning, pride and dignity on her shoulders, and moving down the aisle.
On my way out, I pass a young couple. I smile at them but gasp as I trip over a bump in the sidewalk and land somewhat roughly. The man bends and offers his hand in aid. As I take it, I become blue electric and see him standing in the doorway of his bathroom as his young girlfriend puts her make up on in the mirror. He leans as she applies mascara, frustrated.
"So we'll just go and get one and see, OK?" she says, making swift motions over her lids.
"OK sweetheart," the young man says, hiding a smile.
She sighs.
"I can't be... Really, no, I can't be. That's all there is to it. This has happened before, I've been wrong about it and I evened out later so that's all this is. I don't want to be, so I'm not. Let's go."
She grabs her purse as she passes by him. He smiles slightly and shakes his head. She is. He knows she is. All he needs to do is look at her and he can tell, even if she can't. He knows the conversation he'll have that evening won't go so well and his current elated mood won't last.
And then I'm brushing myself off and thanking the young man as his girlfriend taps her foot nervously. He takes her hand and they step, one anxious and one cautiously optimistic, out of my sight.
I get into the elevator in my apartment building and see that Evelyn is already inside. Instantly, her eyes dart to the floor as I enter and struggling with my packages, I try to push the button for my floor. Seeing my trouble, Evelyn reaches forward and pushes the button at the same time I do, our fingers grazing each other as we push. Once more the static, the blue, and I'm in the elevator again with Evelyn shortly after our second meeting.
"Y-yeah so um... If you n-need anything I'm in f-f-4H so you can c-come by any time. I'd be ha-happy to help you..."
"Thank you, that's very nice of you to offer," I say as the elevator opens to my floor and I exit.
"See you later!" I call.
"S-see y-y-" and the doors close on her as the motor begins to hum, pulling the car upward.
"Later..." Evelyn says and bangs her head on the wall.
"It's only when you're nervous, and you like him so much... Why can't you control it? You can any other time and he's not the only guy you've ever... He's just a guy, there's no reason to get so anxious. Just stay calm, you need to show him that you're capable of at least holding a conversation! God, Evelyn, come on..."
And the elevator dings and we're at my floor. I shift the bags as the doors open and as I exit I turn to her.
"Nice seeing you again Evelyn," I say with a smile.
"Nice... seeing you... too," she says and becomes fluorescent with embarrassment and pride as the doors close. Evelyn. You're a little young, but you're certainly cute. And there's always tomorrow.
I have an open mind. More so than most. And at the barest touch, I see.
I have an open mind. More so than most.
At the supermarket I push my cart down the aisle. An elderly woman, ashen and hunched, does all she can to reach a can that is too high for her. I take it down and hold it out to her with a smile, hoping I've made her day three seconds easier. She looks at me, confused at first, but soon with gratitude. She reaches out and takes it from me with both frail hands, her aged fingers brushing against mine. Suddenly, I feel as a bolt of lightning, electric and stretching. In an instant I see, slightly tinted in blue, the woman in her kitchen opening a can of soup with great time and care, slowly twisting the ancient can opener until the metal lid is sliced away. I see her heating the soup in a pot on her small stove, stirring and humming softly. She ladles the broth into a bowl and brings it upstairs, pain in each step, where her husband lays, cords from his veins, a plug from his nose.
"Here, Robert," she offers, placing the soup on his tray. He turns his head to her, his eyes struggling to focus.
"Lunch?" he asks, hesitantly.
"Yes, love, it's lunch now,"
"Can Jessica have lunch with me today?" he asks.
"No, sweetheart, she isn't here today. Eat your soup, it'll warm you up," she says. I know Jessica hasn't lived there for twenty-five years.
And then I'm looking at her as she's placing the can of peaches into her basket, quietly saying "thank you" before turning, pride and dignity on her shoulders, and moving down the aisle.
On my way out, I pass a young couple. I smile at them but gasp as I trip over a bump in the sidewalk and land somewhat roughly. The man bends and offers his hand in aid. As I take it, I become blue electric and see him standing in the doorway of his bathroom as his young girlfriend puts her make up on in the mirror. He leans as she applies mascara, frustrated.
"So we'll just go and get one and see, OK?" she says, making swift motions over her lids.
"OK sweetheart," the young man says, hiding a smile.
She sighs.
"I can't be... Really, no, I can't be. That's all there is to it. This has happened before, I've been wrong about it and I evened out later so that's all this is. I don't want to be, so I'm not. Let's go."
She grabs her purse as she passes by him. He smiles slightly and shakes his head. She is. He knows she is. All he needs to do is look at her and he can tell, even if she can't. He knows the conversation he'll have that evening won't go so well and his current elated mood won't last.
And then I'm brushing myself off and thanking the young man as his girlfriend taps her foot nervously. He takes her hand and they step, one anxious and one cautiously optimistic, out of my sight.
I get into the elevator in my apartment building and see that Evelyn is already inside. Instantly, her eyes dart to the floor as I enter and struggling with my packages, I try to push the button for my floor. Seeing my trouble, Evelyn reaches forward and pushes the button at the same time I do, our fingers grazing each other as we push. Once more the static, the blue, and I'm in the elevator again with Evelyn shortly after our second meeting.
"Y-yeah so um... If you n-need anything I'm in f-f-4H so you can c-come by any time. I'd be ha-happy to help you..."
"Thank you, that's very nice of you to offer," I say as the elevator opens to my floor and I exit.
"See you later!" I call.
"S-see y-y-" and the doors close on her as the motor begins to hum, pulling the car upward.
"Later..." Evelyn says and bangs her head on the wall.
"It's only when you're nervous, and you like him so much... Why can't you control it? You can any other time and he's not the only guy you've ever... He's just a guy, there's no reason to get so anxious. Just stay calm, you need to show him that you're capable of at least holding a conversation! God, Evelyn, come on..."
And the elevator dings and we're at my floor. I shift the bags as the doors open and as I exit I turn to her.
"Nice seeing you again Evelyn," I say with a smile.
"Nice... seeing you... too," she says and becomes fluorescent with embarrassment and pride as the doors close. Evelyn. You're a little young, but you're certainly cute. And there's always tomorrow.
I have an open mind. More so than most. And at the barest touch, I see.