Her
She had grown up with him. They had been in school together. Part of her had always loved him,but she had squashed that part, now she regretted that. He was the boy next door. Part of her could feel her young heart reaching for him. But he didn’t see that part, she didn’t want to either. I don’t love him that was what she whispered to herself every night when his name echoed through her head. In a way it was true, she didn’t want to love him, never had. At least not back then. She’d done her best to ignore him. But she did love him, and now she wanted him to know. Old as they both were she wanted it to be his arms that held her in her last moments, him that patted her on the back when she cried, him who would come home to the smell of her cooking and smile, him who wore her hand knitted jumpers. She wanted to dance with him as she had longed to all those years back. One last dance.
Him
He had grown up with her. The girl next door. He’d always wanted her, loved her but now it was too late She would smile when the pasted each other in the street, but that was only politeness. So he talked himself into believing that it was best to move on.To find someone else. Because it wouldn’t work, couldn’t work, not when she didn’t love him back. In his heart he still wanted her. He’d always wanted her, to look at him, to smile, to notice. He knew he’d wanted her from the start, but his shy mind had let him down, now he regretted that. In his dreams he wanted to be the one to hold her, to share her tears, to sit with her, and to eat her cooking and wear her home-made clothes. He wanted to dance with her, like he had wanted to so many years ago. One last dance.
Them
They met together in the street. They did every day. She smiled. He smiled. They went their ways. The old man hobbled, lost in his thoughts leaning on his cane, the lady did likewise. They were old, so old. Routine was what made them. But today day the old man looked back, looked for her.
Her name rang out in the air. She turned. He was there waiting.
“Dance with me”
And they did. In the shadows behind them a young couple accompanied the dance.
One last dance.
Her name rang out in the air. She turned. He was there waiting.
“Dance with me”
And they did. In the shadows behind them a young couple accompanied the dance.
One last dance.