DISCLAIMER!! I DO NOT OWN THE STORY!! ALL RIGHTS AND CREDITS GOES TO THE AUTHOR
Zen McCan
I believe things can happen that change your whole life. . .
I first saw her on the old railroad bridge south of town when I was fourteen. Coming back from fishing the muddy river I took the wood planked walkway that paralleled the train tracks on the steel bridge.
She was standing midway across, hands resting on the rusty waist high railing. She watched silt choked water swirl slowly past feet below. The town was small, so I would have known her unless her family was new or she was visiting.
The girl didn’t look up until I was beside her, staring dumbly at her like she was some circus freak. I was at that point in my life when the opposite sex occupied a great deal of my thinking but I was at my worst advantage as to what to do or say.
She looked at me with violet eyes from under heavy dark lashes.
"Hi." I stammered.
"Hello." She flipped a long braid of raven hair over her shoulder and down her back.
In place of the usual summer teenage uniform of jeans or cut-offs and T-shirt she wore a dress.
"I’m Josh . . . Josh Riggins. Just coming back from fishing."
She looked at the pole and tackle in my hand. "I could tell." There was just a hint of teasing smile at the corners of her mouth.
"You must be new in town because I know pretty much everybody. It’s hard to be a stranger around here. I’ve lived here all my life so I know about everybody."
She turned and leaned an elbow on the rail. "I didn’t think anybody came here."
"They don’t much." I pointed down river to where automobiles crossed the river. "Since we got the bridge."
"Why are you here Josh Riggins?"
"Short cut. Wanted to get home there’s a baseball game on. Royals and the Cards playing a three game series."
"I’m Amanda but everybody calls me Manda."
"It’s nice to meet you Manda. What are you doing on this rusty bridge?"
The girl looked back to the river. "I like to watch the water."
"That dirty old stuff. It’s more mud than water. I think all the fish choked to death on that liquid dirt."
When she smiled her eyes crinkled up at the corners.
"The water looks like a painting that’s always changing. If you stare at it long enough it’s like you’re moving instead of the water."
I looked down into the slow moving eddies, so brown and filthy that it cast no reflection other than some glints of sun light.
"You just move here or something." I asked as I watched the water and got the disorientating feeling that I was sailing along on the worn out old railroad crossing.
"Or something."
I looked up at her and lost the feeling of movement. The sudden stop gave me a dizzy feeling.
"I’m here visiting. I’m surprised you were here."
"What’s so strange about it?"
"I was expecting someone else that’s all."
That made it pretty clear at least to me. "Oh, a boy friend. I’ll get going, I understand. Pretty girl waiting in a sort of secret meeting place."
