Saturday, January 30, 2010

The Blue Door...continued (part 3)

If it hadn't been for the slightest of wind Richard would not have noticed the mist of rain now falling. His head was bent, his eyes following the ground in front of him, his mind someplace else entirely.

"Hey mister, you got a quarter?" The boy asked. He couldn't have been more than eleven, walking across the street with a crew of children a head taller and most likely a year or two older.

"Huh?" Richard looked up confused, his eyes refocused when he turned his head to follow the blur from which the voice came.

"You got a quarter?" The boy asked again.

"No. Do you?" Richard responded. A smile, his first that day, stretched out his jaw like a comforting yawn. He inhaled deeply, finally noticing the dots of precipitation on his glasses.

The boy smiled back, sheepishly, but kept walking. There was no use in pursuit.

Richard watched as the boy quickened his pace, catching up with the group heading into the park.

"Hello, Mr. Lemon." Ms. Grace said smiling. Her eyes remained on Richard while she brought what appeared to be a cup of tea up to her mouth.

"Ms. Grace...It's starting to rain." Richard held his hand up and looked skyward.

"Little rain never melted anyone." The old woman said and took another sip. She looked up from her mug and smiled.
"You in for the evening...I saw your wife this morning. Right after you left, she had Rebel out for a walk. Didn't get a chance to say hello...I guess the poor dog was in a rush." She said.

"Yes, in for the evening...the weekend...I'm sorry about Marta, she's had a lot on her mind lately. Trying to finish up a paper..." Richard trailed off.

Ms. Grace smiled. "I was just happy to see her outside getting some fresh air. The dog was sure happy."

"Good, that's good." Richard responded. His smile seemed a bit cracked now. Ms. Grace had seen this look before. She new his mind was in limbo. He hesitated with her and with the idea of going inside his own house.

Like a clap of thunder, far off in the distance, Rebel's bark ached to penetrate the blue door.

"Well, someones happy you're home." Ms. Grace winked and smiled.

Richard hung his head down for a second, letting out a deep sigh. "You know...that door is five feet away, but it feels farther. I don't know...it's hard to explain"

"No need for explaining. Now get inside before it really starts to pour." With one final pull from her mug of tea, Ms. Grace rose and spun around to go inside.

Richard pulled the house keys from his pocket and unlocked the blue door.

4 comments:

  1. I have been enjoying Amuse-Bouche for Two for a little over a month now, so I should not have been surprised by this blog. These posts instantly draw the reader into your keen observations of the world. I'm looking forward to more.

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  2. I really enjoyed this 3-part story Tracy. It's so sad and so real.

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  3. magda - Thank you for stopping by to read. :)

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