My Days With You

Day 1

I met him at a time where I never thought I'd be happy. I was alone or maybe just numb to the relationships that I did have. And looking back, I learned to be okay with that. I didn't think I deserved happiness, probably because no one was actually happy. But, that's how it always starts I think, for people like us.

It began in the park. Or, at least that's what we call it here. The park is really just an abandoned property in the woods that had a couple of benches and a rusty old swing set. The Jamesons used to own it. Momma said Mr. Jameson was a mean old man who had an even meaner wife. They had a son that left town right after his senior year of high school. He never came back. Not even when they died. Momma said that the boy was a good for nothin' loser, but I kinda understood why he never came back. Seemed like there was nothin' good enough to come back to, but I never told Momma that.

It was a Tuesday, or maybe a Sunday. I just know it was one of those days because that's when my daddy goes to church while my sister performs in the choir. Those were my favorite days. I usually snuck out the house before daddy tried to make me go. Sometimes I would go to Ellie's house and tiptoe through the back door and up to her room. Or sometimes I'd go to the cemetery, to visit Momma. This time, though, I didn't want any company or to think about anything. Not of how much I missed Momma's hugs or what advice to give Ellie for those predicaments she always seems to be in.

So I had decided to go to the park. I was on the swings with my eyes closed. I was trying to block out everything around me, but those cold rusty chains just could not stop squeaking, so I never even heard him coming. For a moment I was finally alone in my own space, and then I wasn't. I could tell someone had sat on the swing next to me. And when I opened my eyes I let out a yelp. My face probably showed how surprised I was. Most boys would apologize for frightening a lady like that, but he only chuckled. After a couple seconds he started to look at me as if he was studying my face. His eyes trailed over my brown skin, my even darker eyes, and lastly my black curls. But all I could do was look in his eyes. They were green. Nothing over the top like those city boys you see in the movies. They were subtle, and I felt as calm as I ever had in my entire life when his eyes looked right back into mine.