Strange one!

I sat on my rocking chair on the porch, reading a novel, one in which I was least interested, but still I read it for I had nothing else to read. It was raining heavily that day. The tall trees dripping with ice cold water, my legs shivered with the feeling of that cold scene. It was green all over, the grass and shrubs over grown all over the garden, the flowers once beautiful were slowly losing their stand in the heavy showers, dancing to whims of the wind. The black cover of clouds and with the thunders running down bringing chills down my spine.

The house was silent today, empty and dark. The one person present was me, sitting right on the porch. The swing just adjacent to me was swinging back and forth, again a trick of the strong winds, which could make a weak heart frighten. The overall atmosphere was mysterious. It was difficult to read in that of kind weather, with so much happening around. I was expecting somebody; don’t know whom, but someone. Someone special.

The presence of someone special was so evident that it was a feeling of familiarity and experience. The déjà` vu was not fake. I kept my heart in the best of hope. I was staring at the droplets falling down, the small insects hiding from the cold, the leaves bathed in sparkling water, earthworms coming out of soil, frogs taking a jumpy walk, birds sitting on the branches wet and shivering. The sky was darker now; I was wondering what the intention of this rain was today. Stopping not for a minute!

Suddenly the sound of rains banged on, making me more aware of its unwanted presence. I liked it when it was needed and was adequate. My eyes reported some strain, brain couldn’t think anymore, drowsy a I was. I fell asleep.

I heard noise when I was beginning to wake up, it disturbed me, though a distant sound. As I managed to open my eyes slowly, carefully, my cheeks flushed red with a feeling beyond me. I saw a girl on the swing; she might have fell asleep waiting for me to wake up. Her radiant skin glowing in dark, her little flocks of hair fraying on her face, making it difficult for her to breathe.  The line around her lips so finite and sharp, her eyes though closed expressed relief, dark eyelashes, dressed in a light coloured water drenched dress.

I was not sure if it was a dream or if I was actually awake. I went closer to her, to see her more closely and more, until I was just a pint away from her. She looked oh! So beautiful. I thought I will wake her so I went inside. It was dark now; the opening to the back was swinging too bringing rain in wetting the whole area. I realized she came in through there; the back waters of my house had a wrenched boat and almost loosely hung.

I covered her shivering body with warm sheets and prepared dinner. I waited for her to wake up. When I was in the kitchen removing the roasted chicken from the oven, she walked in a bit dry now. She looked at me inquisitively; I searched in her eyes, knowing that it was her I was expecting after all. Her soft skin glowing in the candle light, tired though her eyes seemed, still beautifully expressing were they.

I asked her to go up the staircase to the room on the right and find some clothes I had selected freshen up and come down for dinner. She just looked at me, into the eyes, not blinking for a second, then regarding my athletic body with admiration and turned to go. She returned half an hour later, looking even more beautiful, in the old plain white dress of my mother, her hair completely dry and shining.

She was the angel, the one I was expecting. Dinner was in silence; she ate with great taste and complimented me. After that we went near the fire for enjoying our wine. She had come in storm from the back of my house searching for some shelter. She was glad now. Her eyes sparkled with happiness as she came closer and kissed me.

She was that extra-ordinary girl whom I waited for. But sooner I realized in the early morning hours when I woke up, looking at her sleeping beautifully, her soft skin against mine, that she would go away now. The sun will shine, the clouds would go away and the flowers will bloom.

It so happened that she had breakfast, and without a word she kissed me on the cheeks and went off. Not a word was exchanged between us that morning. The eyes were speaking, and louder than words. They said, “My love I can’t wait, I found you today, in such rare circumstances, but I need to go.”

The unsaid words, engraved on the night gone by.

After some years, when I was working in my garden, I heard a car driving up my drive way. A girl with a hat on, wearing sun glasses and a flower printed summer dress emerged. At once I knew it was her. She came closer and looked into my eyes. It was the same glare, the same eyes, the same soul.  She seemed to be taking in the surroundings before she asked, “Do you know Mr. Frank? I came in to see him.”

I said it’s me with great anticipation, that she would recognize me. She didn’t. I asked her if we had met, she seemed to be taken aback. She mentioned she had come to this part of the country for the first time. And then she asked if she could hire this mansion for her vacation with her fiancé.

My eyes were red with a feeling beyond me. It was something beyond my knowledge.