The bench story/ stories 2

I do not leave home till 8:30 on Tuesdays and Fridays so I witness the glory of the day unravelling, but the best mornings to attend are those between March and June. Spring mornings have their magic, the park is more alive, the sun penetrates the newly created leaves spreading light and shades on the warmth thirsty grass as  the birds compose and conduct their live performance.

Passing the park bench this late in the morning is a better time to meet people, usually I meet a couple sitting there resting from what appears to be a long walk. In their sixties, both over weight with the man more closer to obesity than the woman. The man holds a bottle, clearly out of breath and sweating even in cold mornings, looks at me as I pass them in my fast walk rushing to get to the train on time, our eyes meet, his eyes would say I am trying, it is really hard but I am trying and mine would smile encouraging his late effort to get fit.
His wife was less engaging, hardly had direct eye contact with her, but always felt her eyes on my back as I walked away.

They were regular, appear in early April and continue till late September. The first and last weeks of school holidays were the times they won't show, the grandchildren will be visiting, I guess. I imagined their house to be spacious with plenty of spare rooms that once were full of life, and now like them, just waiting for the school holidays. Their children, now adults and have children of their own, kept and enjoyed the love and passion they had but they can offer back is a reliance on them to assist with childcare. Still, they will not have all the kids at the same time, their two daughters' children will come first, and the last week they will host their son's children. Yes, I imagined that they have three children, two girls and a boy, the boy is the youngest and his wife does not get on with the sisters.

I witnessed so many family gatherings, arguments and plans discussed over the bench. The wife, who appears to be less engaged is clearly the real master and holder of the family, but she does it in a quiet way. Same as these long tiring walks in summer, the husband is more in need of exercise, apparently the sickest of the two, always carrying the water bottle, and trying to stay motivated, while she is the one behind these walks and why they still happen.

This spring came and went, followed by the lazy summer, and I didn't meet them once. At first I thought it was childcare, then said it must be something serious, maybe he died, and she now has no need for these walks. But also she might have died and he no longer has a companion or a reason to walk.

I felt sorry for both of them, the one who died and the other who is alone, and again my busy days kept me away from reaching out to the one still alive to share the bench with and more spring mornings.

To be continued..