He was enigmatic, mysterious, and confusing. She
was perplexing, puzzling, and obscure. What were they hiding from and why were
they afraid? It was difficult to interpret or understand the meaning, causing
one to be puzzled by the whole affair. They were so hard to understand and
surprising in a way, some would say strange or odd, belonging exclusively to
each other, a little weird, eccentric, or queer in an eerie sort of way. “Completely
baffled” he said, “very puzzling” she replied...
How did they keep from being seen, so mysterious
and hard to follow? Understood by few and deliberately vague, they
left everything open for interpretation, especially so as to be difficult
to understand. They never sat at right angles, or agreed to anything
implied. Always arousing wonder or curiosity to everyone they met.
He was dark and handsome, rough with unclear
character. She was golden rays of light, completely unaccountable. As the story
unfolds, we see the two together in a little café in Brussels....
The war had just ended and the sky was finally
clear. It had been impossible to pass through or enter for such a long time. They
had been unable to reach each other but now were together, and were barely
able to control their emotions. All the pain, suffering, and hardship endured
was now in the past. It was springtime and the flowers were in full bloom.
So long since they had held anyone in their arms or
felt any affection, now was the time for a prolonged and affectionate embrace. They
had come to recognize their need for each other, in a seemingly absurd or
self-contradicting way. It could have been defined as love if one was not
careful, because it certainly was lacking sense or sound reasoning, and
would be an unjustifiable restriction on each other’s freedom.
Baseless allegations abounded about the two. There
was need for caution and care so as to avoid danger or not make a mistake, which
kept them in a constant state of vigilance and on guard. For there were those
who wished to be rid of this pair of so called heretics, whose only fault had
been to claim the authority of an oracle...
He was unsure if he was compos mentis after years
of emotional anguish. His observations had become apparent and had
led him to this place. She had only recently stumbled into him and was inspired
by his devotion. Who was she, and why did she care were his first impressions. That
idea, feeling, or opinion about something or someone, one formed without
conscious thought or on the basis of little evidence. Was it fate, destiny, or
coincidence that drew them together?
There were no accidental meetings, only timely
preparations for future eventualities. She had become willing to help despite
it being dangerous with no certain outcome. What determined the occurrence and
development of events in the absence of any obvious design, or was there
design, not knowingly or willingly were we all part of the design?
Now they were together again and it was
springtime...
There was no formal or systematic examination or
research. Some informal inquiries had been made. There had not been time to devote
acquiring knowledge. A detailed investigation and analysis would be required in
order to piece the facts together and reach new conclusions. Practical
work conducted in the right environment to establish a result, but he
paused, and thought for a moment for he knew something was not right.
While they sat and enjoyed their brief moment
together he noticed something strange out of the corner of his eye. Being perceptive
was a trait that sometimes he wished he had not been born with. She
sat patiently waiting for him to answer her, "What" he said,
"I'm sorry, I was distracted, you said something". "Yes"
she said, "you seem so upset".
There had been something bothering him this day
more than usual and now he had the feeling that they were being watched...
He hated being distracted and now he was upset at
not being able to concentrate because he was preoccupied. He knew that he would
become forgetful and lose his attention. It had always been something or someone
that was interesting or important.
That's where she came in, she brought him back to
focus, and to understand what it was he was trying to accomplish. "What is
it" she said. "What's what" he replied. "The thing that's
bothering you", he thought about his response. They had only been together
for a short while but she knew the answer...
She had just caught the tail end of his obsession on
this thought that had continually preoccupied his mind. It was the reason that
had brought them together in the first place. They were both searching for
answers in a disconcerting way. It was their ability to hear above all the
other voices and sounds which attracted them to each other.
Now sitting here in this café in an out of the
way town where they had thought that they might be safe he had noticed
something peculiar and had to put it aside. Not expecting anything as likely to
happen here at this moment, they embraced one more time and smiled. "Its
ok, I understand" she said. "What would I do without you" he
replied.
But that did not change the fact that his
perceptions were usually right. He tried to think about something else, about
how lovely she looked. She was wearing a cotton skirt and t-shirt with
her long hair tied in an old bandanna. No shoes of course, so bohemian
he thought, she was "un artiste" and very unconventional. That
sweet innocence is what he loved about her, although he knew it was only an
illusion.
He had always wondered if she was physically
attracted to him. Did he have
qualities or features that would induce someone to accept and love him? He was
not a man of means, he had always depended on exercising a compelling charm that
inspired others. He had been taught to be polite and friendly, had always
craved affection and liked her reaffirming touch.
“Are you
sure you’re ok?” she asked him, “yes” he replied, he had been worrying too much
again. She was here with him now after a long time being away. To her he was a
strange thoughtful person. She found him attractive and appealing, a charismatic man, and she had made a
decision to be with and help him.
Her friends had thought her crazy but still
encouraged her. This strikingly beautiful sensual woman had revealed her wild
side more than once. Together they would discover what it was that made them
different.
Why did things come to pass by chance and occur without apparent reason…
To be continued.
Robert
2015
