"I Was There" by Frederick S

We used to walk to school together. It was what I looked forward to every morning. I would wait on the park bench 5 minutes prior to her getting there. I would watch the trees sway and the birds chirp and then I would see Her walk up to me; gracious in every step just as the world slowed down around her. Her glowing blue eyes and wavy black hair would bring everything back as if the atmosphere was holding its breath and released it in that moment. We would talk about everything; from food to Chemistry and from the future to our favorite books. Anything seemed to be easy to talk about with Her. I would listen to Her talk about the deepest aspects of her life, even Her relationships but I would always wonder if She noticed.

                                                

After high school, we still kept in touch; chatting as much as we could about our college life a couple times a month. She told me of the guy that She started hanging out with and when I said I wasn’t seeing anyone she would say, “Don’t worry. You’ll find someone.” I would sigh and change the subject because I was starting to doubt if she would ever notice. I stood beside Her when her father died and cared for her while she mourned for the year.

She asked me to walk Her down the aisle on her wedding day; hand Her off to the same guy who she met in college. Then I let her cry on my shoulder after he left because she miscarried three times. I supported her when she took him back after he apologized for leaving her, and beating her, and cheating on her. But I was almost sure she hadn’t noticed. I was there for Her when the kids that She adopted had graduated college and was even there for both of their weddings. I stayed with her after He passed away.

It was a good year when She asked me to travel the world with her. We saw all 196 wonders of the world and then spent a day observing penguins. We did all the classics; the Eiffel, the Great Wall of China, Tower of Pisa, then the Opera House. Who knew opera could be so moving and weird at the same time? By the time we made it back it was just in time for her to see the birth of Her grandchild. Those years I remember the most. She was always smiling then; as if the world made sense again. I can still see the last time I saw her smile. I always wanted to ask her then if she noticed. But at Her funeral, I still couldn’t find the strength to do it. Now I still wait on that bench and watch the birds whistle and the trees creak and wait for Her to walk down the sidewalk again but wonder; ‘Did she notice? Did she notice we were in love?’