2019 Writing Contest
But it did not go well. Simon made several
attempts to get the conversation started, but Lena
seemed unable to pick up the thread, and it came
to a halt. Finally, he looked at her kindly and asked,
“What is going on with you, Lena? You have always
been so vibrant as I saw you striding out for your
walks, and now you can’t even talk to me?”
Tears fi lled her eyes before she could stop them.
“Oh, Simon, that fall seems to have taken a lot out of
me. Now when I walk, I keep my head down, looking
for breaks in the sidewalk. I have become so fearful
of falling again that I'm just not myself anymore.”
“Well, would you feel more comfortable if you
were walking with somebody? How about I come
walking with you?” He sounded so kind and
concerned that the tears spilled out in earnest, and
she quickly wiped them away.
“What would people say?” she blurted out.
He laughed. “What do you care? Where is that
spunky Lena I have always known?”
And so began their daily walks. At fi rst she walked
rigidly and carefully, keeping her head down to
watch for cracks in the sidewalk. Gradually, her
walking became less controlled and more carefree,
until she became her joyful self once more.
So, too, their conversations progressed. To begin
with, it was stilted, and they only reminisced about
their shared teaching experiences. But as the walks
progressed, they dived into more personal territory.
They talked about their long marriages with their
highs and lows. They talked about their present
circumstances and what their dream of the future
looked like. They discussed the things about which
they had diff ering viewpoints. They found many
things over which they could share laughter. And
their grandchildren. Of course they spoke of them.
One summer afternoon when they fi nished their
walk and were having an iced tea, Simon said, “I’d
like to take you out for dinner tonight.” When Lena
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started to speak, he held up his hand. “I know. What
will people think? Let them talk, Lena, then maybe
they will leave some other poor soul alone.”
Lena laughed. “Actually, Simon, I was just going to
say that would be lovely and ask what time.”
As the day was turning into a soft twilight, Simon
arrived at Lena’s door. She had thrown a sweater
across her shoulders. “It is such a lovely night, I
thought we should just walk to the restaurant.”
They set off down the street, automatically
adjusting their strides to each other. Simon reached
for her hand and twined his fi ngers through hers.
She looked up surprised. “I’m not afraid of falling
any more, Simon.”
“I know,” he said, and smiled happily. ●