Intimate Unknowns

A brief encounter.

It was a single date, but memorable.

Who wears a watch anymore? he quipped, except if you are trying to impress.

He was referring to the old watches that just did time. 

Laughing as they entered the restaurant, she removed her coat to reveal a dress made of old watches.

What is this? he asked. 

She had her reasons. It’s been a week of dark dreams, she told him, and she was done with fighting them off. They are creatures too, these memories. She supposed they just needed a home.

Now nervous, he tried to make light. So, do you have the time?

I have all the time in the world, she replied. Take your pick. Every watch was set to a different time.

Suddenly, he remembered something he had to do. There was no time to explain, he told her. Urgent business, he said. So sorry!

She waved as one does from upper deck of an ocean liner at departure, smiling.

What followed was a beautiful meal.

***

Inspired by an encounter with this reference to L. Mylott Manning’s Kiss the Dark.

Author: Stacey C. Johnson

I keep watch and listen, mostly in dark places.

10 thoughts on “Intimate Unknowns”

  1. michael raven – Twin Cities, MN, USA – Nontraditional scribbler of words; occasionally coherent. Mostly harmless. Author of "galdr: thought + memory".
    michael raven says:

    Hearty claps. I like her already.

  2. chrisbkm – Chris Morrison was born on the north shore of Lake Superior and currently lives by the Atlantic on the north shore of Nova Scotia, Canada.
    chrisbkm says:

    Funny and piercing!

  3. Robert Parker – Milwaukee, WI – Hello! Glad you stopped by! My life, so far, in a few sentences: Grew up in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York, closer to Toronto than to NYC. Graduated from Washington College in Chestertown, MD, and M.Sc. from U of Wisconsin. Lived in Hong Kong; Hull (Yorkshire); Williamsburg, Va.; Philadelphia; Pucón, Chile; Boston; now living in Milwaukee. Visited eighteen countries so far and planning to visit a lot more. I'm interested in history, politics and political theory, music, especially Motown and soul, theater, movies, economics, books, poetry, travel, hiking, education, food & cooking, art of all sorts, photography, architecture, hiking, and most of all, people. OK I mentioned food, but ice cream deserves a special mention. And Singapore Noodles. My site is "WaterlooSeneca.com" a/k/a "UpState & Away" All posts are hand-selected, curated, small batch, and artisan-roasted. The darker roasts may hint of acidity, bitterness, and scorched earth, but our house blend is a mug of half-baked monkey beans, pretty mellow, with floral afternotes and just a hint of kerosene and anarchism. No animals were harmed in the making of this blog. Although there is animal testing - - before posting them, I try all my jokes out on the cat. So far, not one laugh.
    Robert Parker says:

    Enjoyed this very much. And I love her concern to find a home for these dreams & memories, most of us assume they’re pretty firmly lodged in the upper stories somewhere with a lifetime lease.

  4. Brilliant.
    I have also had a week of dark dreams.
    Where can I get that dress?

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