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Untitled
Jenny Borrett
I am sitting by Druid's lake. Sometimes I need to get out and breathe. This is my bench, where I sit; where I look out across the water as it sparkles in the sunlight. Soon the sun will set and the shadows of trees will darken and lengthen over the surface.
People walk along the path that encircles the lake. They are the city people, exercising their dogs, or like me, simply getting some air. Some are walking home from work, still in their work clothes. They have chosen to take the scenic route.
On the other side of the lake, I see a young women is a floral dress. The red roses on white fabric catch my eye. Her long black hair shifts in the breeze and she is slender and beautiful.
"If only I were too," I think, and I watch her walk. I hardly notice the dog. To me, it is just a dog. Its just a thing that patters along at her feet.
Then she hesitates, as if startled. A young man has stopped in front of her and their eyes meet. Then she steps back and he steps towards her, reaching out his arm for her, beseeching her about something.
She shakes her head and waves his hand back. Then she steps back again. The man is young and blonde. He is smart except that his shirt is crumpled. He runs his hands through his hair and I see now that he may be weeping. His hands cover his eyes and I hear a shout from him. He pleads again and she shakes her head, before changing direction and tugging at her dog. She is going to leave.
The man grabs her arms and pulls her back to him and now the dog reacts. I notice this dog properly now. It is a black Scottie dog with long hair that grows down to its feet.
The dog barks and lunges at the man, who now releases the woman and steps back, away from the dog's bared teeth. Now the woman speaks angrily to the man, pointing her finger. The dog's protection has given her courage. Then she hurries away. As she does so, she leans down and pats her dog on the head, as if to say,
"Good boy."
The man, now left alone, wanders to a tree and sinks down into a squat against the trunk. Here he silently stares out across the water.
The incident is now over and I will never know what lay behind that encounter. I suspect he is a spurned lover. Perhaps they were having an affair that she felt compelled to end. Perhaps he had had an affair and now regrets it.
I know though, that she is loved, because she is so beautiful. I, however, sit alone.