About a girl

It was the month of January, and I was in the last throes of the time of life they call the teens. We were all in this beautiful town in the lap of the mountains. It was a crisp winter evening, and I still remember the sharpness of the breeze on my skin, although I have weathered several winters after that in the American Midwest. I had seen snow for the first time in my life, that morning. Those days are hard to forget.

We were all out in the main street of the town, called, rather presumptuously, 'the Mall'. It was a long winding road, pretty narrow for the main street, and paved just about enough to last the winter. On both sides of the road, were small tenements that shared walls on both sides with others. The constant change of slope added to the effect of a beautiful and cheerful walk. The walk was even the more agreeable because of the passersby. The girls had a singular red tinge to their cheeks, just like the apples the town is famous for. I remember chiding myself for thinking like a Bollywood lyricist straight out of the sixties for that comment, but it was true! I saw a woman wearing a long fur coat that was bright red. She herself was wearing a long black dress, and bright red lipstick. If I had seen that outfit on a mannequin, I would have laughed it off as something nobody would dare buy. That evening, I remember thinking how graceful and elegant it looked on her.

We kept on walking, for all had taken a liking to the laidback lifestyle that characterized this town. One of the very few shops where a large young local crowd was hanging out was that of a baker and confectioners. There was a phone booth in it, so, we started making our phone calls home to say that all was fine, and that we hadn't run out of money, yet. The wares were incredibly delicious. The cakes could not be lighter and the icing thicker.

I had had my fill, but I still wanted to buy a huge black-forest pastry. All through the walk, it had troubled me that there should have been someone else with us. But she wasn't doing too well. The cold had got to her. And I thought she would be delighted with a huge chunk of chocolate. She had told me that girls like chocolate. I was surprised when she had said that. I walked up to her quarters, and asked one of her roomies to call her out to the hotel receptionist's, which was also a TV viewing area. When she came, I was taken aback by the beautiful dark-brownish-black color of her hair, which landed comfortably on her shoulders. She would always tie it up, so I had never noticed. I motioned awkwardly to the box I had placed on the table. It had never occurred to me that somebody might shake a box to find out what its contents were. She did, and I let out a yell, so she dropped it. I picked it up and opened it. The old man did know how topack a cake to-go.

The look on her face doesn't fade quickly from memory, but I can not find any words to describe it. She later told me how she had felt very touched. I would like to believe so. The nearest I can liken my own feelings at that moment, are to those of one that has just found wings to soar into the heavens - Icarus taking off for the sun. One who has found the means to save the world from utter damnation. That night, we talked a long while, and shared the excellent confection, although the sweetness of the moments lingers. But those were special moments. Moments that can only be explained by a tranquil smile on a beautiful face with two gorgeous eyes, looking at me…..