Xs

Some years later they met again. He had changed and she had too. Though years had treated her with more courtesy than they had done with him. Mostly in the era of experiences than this of the wrinkles.
People say that eyes stay unscathed. No matter how many years may pass. The truth is that eyes do get old as skin does. But not from the sun or the air or the gravity but from the things they see. The mirror of the soul is influenced by what soul feels or goes through, also. So, now they were actually seeing a stranger. One the other. The man took his jacket off and the woman served herself with the chair. It was a long time ago from when she was expecting this treat from the men. Even the waiters wouldn’t help her sit properly and as a proper lady. Like the ladies in the movies. Being self sufficient meant that she was stronger yet more tired. The man ordered a scotch and this was his usual though this information was erased from the woman’s mind too many years ago. Not enough place for craps as one gets older. And romantic bullshits. She ordered a salad. So women do eat on restaurants while being with men, thought the man and felt free from the lack of the unnecessary good manners. He hoped that when her plate would be in front of her she would eat it all and not leave even a bite. In that case she would prove his ascertainment. Because sometimes women just order food to play cool but leave it as it is but more blurred. She was thin anyway and a salad of vegetables wouldn’t ruin her shape.
People around filled the place. Let’s take a walk, she said when the man drank the last sip of his scotch. The ice-cubes hadn’t yet melted completely. Yes, let’s take a walk, he said and noticed that her plate was totally empty. He paid the bill and didn’t even let her see the price. Some things will never change, she thought and didn’t feel that all the years of women’s struggles for getting the equality they deserved were screwed by her not paying her share. By not paying the salad’s price.
She paid for the ice-cream just to be fair and not because fighting women would contemn her for not paying back before, if they knew. That’s what I like about you, said the man and the woman felt like she had lost a part. That you like ice-cream in winter, the man explained. Phew, such a big deal, laughed the woman but had understood what man meant by saying this. And I like that you like me eating ice-cream in winter, she played the teen exquisitely.
Why didn’t you get married again, the man asked wiping with the handkerchief the woman gave him his ice-creamed fingers. Because you divorced me when I was too young to die but too old to start living again, the woman responded. I was too young to die and too old to live too but I got married, the man said taking the blame out of him. So you chose to die, the woman said. They laughed. And you had met her before you left me, I have to remind you if memory has abandoned you entirely, she also said.
The river was there. The cars were passing them by and their drivers were looking straight on the road ignoring the walkers on the pavement. They were only polluting them with their gases as if they were deserving it for walking in the city’s busy roads like they were on a romantic tour on the countryside.
Do you remember our song? said the man but the woman startled. We don’t have a song, we never had. Otherwise, I’d be pleased to have a soundtrack for back then in the days you left me old prick, she said more like crowing him with a compliment than railing him. Every couple has a song, he answered without commenting her inappropriate talking, and we were definitely a couple. Let’s leave the past behind, because you make me sound like I’m still with hard feelings, the woman said. Me? it was the man’s turn to startle. You maybe do this in purpose, because it all ends up me saying “you left me” and I don’t want you to think that this is something I still nurture feelings for, the woman was out of temper. Look at us, said the man, we’re still the same together, not a conversation without gifting blames to each other. We are so typical that I wonna slap a passer by, said the woman and they both started laughing for her rudeness and the exaggeration. A passer by just over passed them and they both said “hello”.
Cold had intruded their clothes. The man thought that he could never live there in that city with such cold. The woman had forgotten how warm’s like. At least the one which was surrounding every move of hers while she was growing up and later was growing older in her home. A sea was separating her from her home. And a three hour flight and a one hour drive with car. The man’s scarf was bought from her home and a couple of times she unobtrusively touched it just to realize that her home was truly existed. That clothes were still getting produced there, and people were owning houses there with yards of grass and they were going to work every day or for a walk as they were doing that moment in her new home. Being so far away, had transformed her home to a place of her imagination. The sole good thing was that she could imagine the things she could no longer remember clearly the way she wanted. People were more beautiful and as young or as old she had left them. Not a single day older. That’s why she had found hard to recognize the man in front of her when she first saw him after all that long though she had spent most of her life aside him.
It was really nice to see you here, the man said, and come visit me if you’ll miss home. I will, the woman said and the same smile split in their faces.