She: So you don’t want children at all?
He: No.
Awkward pause.
She: (Looking down at her feet under the edge of the table.) And why not?
He: Do I need a reason?
Awkward pause.
He: (Slightly agitated.) Why would you bring a child into this world? Where we put children in striped shirts and bake them in ovens, like some sick reality TV version of a fairy tale? Why would you bring a child into this world when there’s nothing to live for anymore but a bigger, more impressive something or other?
She: (Looks him in the eyes.) So, why are you here?
He: That’s a good question.
Awkward pause.
She: What you’re saying doesn’t add up.
He: Yes, it does.
She: No. It doesn’t. You neglect the beautiful for the ugly. You see the dark without recognizing the light.
He: But the dark makes the light pointless.
Awkward pause.
She: You don’t really believe that?
He: Why not?
She: Because it’s the other way around. The light makes the dark pointless.
Awkward pause.
They finish the meal. They do not date again. Occasionally, over the years, they cross paths at the grocery store. They smile wanly and wave, but they have nothing to say.
© LW Publishing 2011
Awesome!!
ReplyDeleteI used to be the guy - now I'm the woman. Aka: I used to be bitter, twisted and self centered, now I can see things a bit differently and I am a lot more positive about life. Plus, I'm more mature.
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail on the head with this one.
she's a smart woman - that one!
ReplyDelete