It’s been peculiar times lately. Let me tell you how it all came about. Things all started with a short message from someone I presumed would’ve never given me another thought. Or maybe just every once in a great while…
Last time I saw him, we met at Central Station very briefly. Ages ago, but remembered as if it were only last week. My heart jumped up when I saw him as it always did and certain other unruly body parts always seemed to react to him too. But as he was with his wife to be at the time, our contact was kept real short. I have never found out if she knew what understanding her husband and I used to have, but she must have. There was no way her utter dislike of me could otherwise be explained. On the other hand, this kind of reaction to me is not uncommon for women who are with their man. Even if I’m genuinely not interested in the guy. Which was of course genuinely not the case in this case. “See if I care…”, I thought. We had only met on one or two occasions but I disliked her right back and had no intention to play the pretend game, so I focused on him.
My eyes had asked him if he was happy and he smiled his beautiful and almost hypnotizing smile. He could never really fool me though and couldn’t make me believe everything was just dandy then either. But hey, he had made his choice. Too bad, but still … made. I kissed him goodbye, on the cheek of course, savoring this moment of nearness and walked off to catch my train to Amsterdam. Oh how I made sure he got a view to appreciate if he was watching. If his fiancé’s body language was any indication, he had been doing just that. They were in some hefty discussion as I watched them walk out the side-entrance. Self-satisfied and even somewhat mean, I grinned to my mirror image in the window. Then I opened the next booklet of The green mile and started my music for an hours’ train ride back home.
Over the years I’ve had my share of recollections about this boy who had undoubtedly become a man by now. In our day, when he was like Peter Pan and I Tiger Lily, we had made quite the magic together. I had wondered if he was still this wild and crazy guy. I had wondered if he ever married his muse. Had always looked around in the hope that I might meet him again whenever I was in the city we last met. Even though I knew those days would never return. Even if I knew we would never actually meet again. Even if I was long married and a mother of two. Until that one day. Until that short message inquiring how I was. With a surprised smile I replied with just a friendly message. This led to ‘the summaries’ which led to compelling stories and more than a few trips down memory lane. It has also led to this very moment, when I’m sitting here waiting on this extremely uncomfortable bench. But it will be worth the wait.
I designed the invitation and had it delivered to his work. A black envelope with his name on it in silver letters. Inside a card that would not raise too many questions; a party like this is just up one of his strange alleys. Still, this invitation was a little different; it mentioned a webpage and a password. When he logged on he had to answer some questions. Seconds after he submitted the form, I got an e-mail notification. I smiled because I now knew where we would meet, then booked the tickets; a steal it was at only €59,99 a piece. His ticket was delivered in the same kind of envelope a few days after. In three weeks time he would be leaving for Barcelona.
