Another Bench

One time, I was sitting on a smooth concrete bench in a park.  I had about twenty minutes to do nothing – I would then go back to work for an appropriate time.  A woman was in a rush, then she sat right by me.  I did not know much about why; I just kept quite.  She frantically got out her smart phone and checked the time.  A storm was coming; the shades of the nearing clouds were blowing in the winds with flying leaves.

“You must be in a hurry,” I said.  I had waited to speak, it would have been rather awkward if I had not.  “I am not in a big hurry,” she said, “I am trying to decide on where I want to go.”  I did not say a whole lot.  She was playing with her phone and making calls, no one would answer.  I wanted to help her, could not really figure her out.  She was nicely dressed.  She was probably on her way to continue running errands.

She sat back to make herself comfortable; she was playing with her phone, still.  I would be leaving, soon.  I really did not have the time to talk with her much.  “I cannot decide on a good song,” she said, “Do you have any favorites?”  “I listen to most kinds of music,” I said, “I like 80’s music, rock-n-roll, and piano music.  Have you tried the nin website?”  “No,” she said, handing me her phone.  I entered the site in for her and chose a song I knew.  It was soothing.  The song reminded me of dark, crystal-clear nights lit by the stars.  She listened to it for a minute and said it was nice.  “See you,” she said, and she walked away with her phone.  I left to make it to work on time.

♦