Ensemble of Shards

{23} Running Away

Day 23: Write a scene involving a park bench.

A/N: my attempt to write a romance after a break-up... in the COVID-19 era 🤣 probably unrealistic but who knows... just had fun writing this.

powered by: a day at the park listening to Joey Dosik and Vulfpeck's beautiful song, 'Running Away', and my crush on Joey lol (he's the most handsome member of Vulf imo ☺️). the story is based on the song, and the main character's name comes from another Vulfpeck song, 'Wait for the Moment'. and it's funny cause I just found out that Joey has another song called '23 Teardrops' and this entry is #23 😆call it fate...

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I was walking alone to the end of the new park where the trees were in neat rows - none of them made a huge canopy like the other parks around it; the fountains weren't operating and the benches were made of carved, light grey marble. Yet it was comforting, a green spot, an open space encircled by towering buildings in this part of the city, the city which wasn't urbanized much to begin with, so the contrast of modern and natural in that place was compelling. 

I thought of this as I'd pass small trees and see the summer fruit - berries and light green, spiky balls I didn't know the name for - and a song started playing in my head to match the beauty that I saw. My heart fell - it reminded me of someone I did not wish to remember. He sang that song so well, he did - with an old soul's voice that didn't match his young face... I tried to think of other things.

I reached the end of the park, and for the first time after my few visits to it I noticed that the ground in the middle of the statues-slash-fountains of children playing was a large carved map of the city. There was a river slithering lithely across it too, with little raised bridges in the intervals, but it was dry. I looked around it for some time and the song played in my head again and I let it stay now because of the wistful mood that shrouded my visit.

Then I felt the dryness on my tongue, so I chose a bench on the east side of the map, with the rest of the park I had just walked across from on my right, so I could sit down and drink some water that I'd brought. I found a spot where the sun wasn't so hot and I could hear the trees swaying in the breeze, and before I sat down I sprayed the seat with disinfectant. I watched the liquid seep into tje seat for a second, then I plopped down and looked at my surroundings and the shadows of the leaves playing across the ground in front of me. I drank some water. And I played the song on my phone, with all the different versions of it on queue.

A few minutes later, I noticed someone walking far off on the path on my side. It was a man whom I dismissed with the uneasy feeling that he looked like someone familiar, and wished he would leave me alone in my solitude and mind his own business. Then, when he was closer, I waited and wondered if he'd pass me by or sit on another bench on my row. He walked even closer, and he paused a few feet away and looked at me.

He said something in a low voice but his mask muffled it. I frowned, trying to understand, with my heart racing because I did not expect this, and at the same time he spoke again, louder.

"Sheryl?"

He said my name. And I finally recognized him and was sure of who he was when I saw him narrow his eyes, and creases appeared around them - the creases I once loved when he would smile that bright and beautiful smile of his. Joey. I got up to leave, and I started walking away - running away.

"Sheryl!" he cried. "Sheryl! Why do you keep on running away?"

I stopped. He had asked a valid question. And it pierced me to the heart. I looked back - he hadn't moved, so I walked back to him.

We looked at each other for a second, and I sat down on the same spot I had sat just a few moments before.

"Hey," he said. I could hear the smile in his voice.
"Hey," I replied, with less enthusiasm.

He started to sit beside me but I stopped him and sprayed the seat. He chuckled nervously and then sat down.

"Thank you," he said. He looked into the distance and asked how I was.

"I'm good," I said.

"No, really," he said, with his eyes fixed on me. "How are you, Sheryl?"

I wrung my hands as I tried to think of the words, and I didn't look at him.

"It sucks during this whole quarantine thing," I replied. "And most days I feel sad... And your question, I feel like I owe you an explanation."

He perked up, and I continued.

"Joey, I... I didn't want to see your face... when I was still so hurt," I said quietly.

"I tried to avoid you, and I think I hurt you too when I didn't answer those calls... But then I started thinking of you again and how I needed you... and couldn't get over you but I didn't want to go back... well, it's-it's, complicated..."

I still wasn't looking at him, but I could feel his gaze on me.

"Yeah, I did get hurt..." he said. "Well, you know, I try not to expect much anymore, 'cause it's over now... but what was it all for? You know, I always cared about you - the feeling's there - we grew it too long... to say, 'it's gone'... And sometimes I'd hope that you're thinking about me, maybe, but I don't know, you know - I dunno what you think about anymore 'cause I haven't heard from you... I used to not mind thinking about you, as long as you were thinking about me, but, nowadays it just hurts, y'know."

We were silent, but the song on my phone kept playing. Then he started singing along with his raspy, soul tenor voice. I couldn't help but harmonize with him in the second chorus. He smiled at me with his eyes, since we couldn't take our masks off, and the creases around his eyes appeared, and I smiled too.

When the song ended, he looked at me and said, "I can't stop thinking about your smile."

"Me too," I said, and my gaze fell down. "Hey, Joey, I'm sorry."

I searched his face for a response. He was looking far away, and said, "It's fine, now, Sheryl. It's okay. I forgive you."

A new song played, and we just looked at the statues around us.

"Did you ever notice the map?" I said, and pointed to the ground.

"No..." he said, and exclaimed. "Wow. I guess the water back then covered it, and the fountains always took our attention so we never bothered to look down."

"But when everything's dry - y'know, they turned off the fountains cause not many people go out anymore..." I began.

"Because there are no tourists," he cut in. "No budget."

I chuckled, "Ahhh, yeah," and continued my thought, "Now we can see something new, something beautiful, even if it's all dry."

Like our love for each other, I thought.

We were silent again. I think he thought the same thing.

Then he looked back at me and spoke.

"Do you want to start again?" he said.

I thought about it. My heart was heavy, it had been all those months, but I knew what would make it lighter. So I said,

"Yes."

He reached for my hand. I immediately drew it back, and he looked surprised and hurt. But I drew it back just so I could reach into my bag and draw out a pair of gloves. I gave him one and wore the other. And then I clasped his hand and gave it a squeaky squeeze. We laughed and sighed.

"Oh, I missed you," he said. "I won't let you go this time."