Fate Allows

The park bench had become his respite. A place of peace & solace. It had been five years since he lost Evelyn. Still, He felt fragmented. Incomplete. As if a part of his soul was tethered so strongly to hers the bond could not let her go without a piece of him going with her. He finally understood what people meant when they said they held on to things, places, anything to remember & to keep that bond. They felt incomplete without their loved one. A literal missing piece to make up for.

He shuddered a little. His thoughts & the wind gave him a momentary chill. Pulling his corduroy coat tighter, he hunkered in to his soft, warm scarf. This led him to a new memory. She had presented this scarf to him the year before she passed. It was made for his eyes, she said, and his affinity for earth toned, relaxed but distinguished clothing. Evelyn was always like that, thinking of ways to weave one's wants & needs together into a individually tailored masterpiece. Oh, he missed her.

This park, this bench, was the very place they had met. All those years ago. So many years ago. He was in college, aimlessly meandering through coursework without purpose. This park was his escape. Whether it was feeding the birds, soaking in the sunshine, or breaking the rules about barefoot wading in the pond. Life was about breaking some rules, was it not? Though he loved the Spring & Summer days, it was the Fall that brought him here. Something about the turning of the leaves, the wind, the crisp air reassured him. The world itself went through these changes every year. Not all of them so pleasant or serene. Yet, it was somehow all the better for it.

All those years ago...

Fifteen minutes past. Turning the key for what seemed the umpteenth time, he resigned himself to his predicament. The car was not going to start tonight. For all his love of the seasons, his car hated it. The least change in hot to cold & it would roll over & give up. For $800 he certainly got what he paid for. There was only one other choice. Run for it.

Whomever it was that claimed running downhill was easier than up ought to be made to run down hills for days. Angling his body to counter the decline, his feet slapped against the pavement. Henry's goal seemed to taunt him with it's speed. The only hope he had was if the trolley were sufficiently delayed at it's next pickup. Opting not to tempt fate, he picked up speed.

Ding Dong... "please remain seated & clear of the doors..."

Henry sighed in relief. Why was he doing this? A blind date? Seriously? How could this be anything other than people mocking themselves into thinking fate would actually smile, wave the wand of luck, & bless this absurd practice with positive results?

Ding Dong... "Next stop, City Center, please wait for a complete stop before standing. We hope you enjoyed the ride... "

No, I did not, Henry said to himself. Try actual padding on your seats, huh? The race was not over. Still several blocks to go on foot.

"Hello Sir, Welcome to..." Henry interrupted, "I'm late & supposed to be meeting someone? Tall, blonde, green eyes?" The hostess smiled slightly with a odd look Henry didn't quite understand. "Yes sir, right this way."

What happened next changed Henry's life. Whether it was his clumsiness, his nervousness, or blind luck he did not know. What he did know is he felt gratitude toward fate for knowing better than he.

Following the hostess through the restaurant, Henry became distracted by a passing dessert tray. Chocolate mousse had always been a weakness. It was this turning of the head that caused him to completely miss the disaster in front of him.

"Oh!" Glass shattering, trays clattering, gasps & yelps blended into a blind cacophony around Henry. Once he refocused, his eyes fell to his date & the very obvious reddened stain on her once beautiful silk blouse. He then saw the waiter, on the floor, clutching the bottle of Merlot. His eyes then went to what must have been the glass the server was about to pour that Merlot into. For his, well, never to be, date.

She didn't say a word, just gathered her things, & hurried out the door. Henry paid for the damages, apologizing profusely, & left. Disgraced, crushed, & hungry. No money for the cab, & really no desire for company, Henry just walked. Soon, he found himself at the park. Collapsing on the nearest bench, he allowed himself to wallow in his self-pity.

"You forgot this," said a familiar voice. Henry looked up, dazed & very surprised. There stood the Hostess. Smiling that same smile that Henry didn't quite understand. In her hand was a takeout box. "It's the mousse. Your favorite?"

"How did you...?" Henry went from surprised to stunned. How did she know that?

"How could I not? You've ordered it enough. I thought after...well, I thought you could use a little pick me up." Shrugging her shoulders & slightly biting her lip, Henry could not say no.

He offered the space beside him & then offered a sharing of the mousse. She accepted both & they sat there in the quiet of the night, chatting, then walking, then bidding goodnight. After that night, he saw her every day for the next 50 years. Good years. The best years. All because of that glass of Merlot wine. All thanks to fate knowing better. He smiled, stood, and waved to his approaching grandkids. The sun glinting off the tiny brass plaque: To My Forever Darling Evelyn, & to fate bringing us together.