Sweet Redemption

It was the first week of spring. I was walking to my first class of aerobics. It’s a 40 minute walk from my house. Walking as an activity is a different experience in America. The whole side walk is yours as it’s very rare to go walking on your own. You do that only when you are walking a baby or a dog. It was the start of spring…and everything in nature was renewing itself. Nature in spring is like a girl on the verge of womanhood: fresh and surprising in its beauty…

The sun was shining down but there was still a cool breeze and I was so drunk with the whole experience that I slowly lost my anxiousness of being out alone and started enjoying myself. As I was busy seeing a tree sway in the breeze (while waiting for the walk signal to turn on), I saw an old couple walking from the other side. It was not a conscious recognition …but they were just a background detail…nothing to bother about. I returned to gazing at the pine trees…when they passed by. The woman suddenly said “Hi”. She really startled me. By the time I broke away from reverie and turned to smile, they had already passed me by. I felt like a heel and a social failure.

As if to make up for it, as I entered the YMCA facility, I saw another old woman. I gave her a big warm smile and said a cheerful “hello”. She stared past me. Now I ended up feeling like a fool (That woman even to this day ignores me and looks disgustingly at me…but then she has every right to be a disgruntled woman. I like to think that some Indian ran over her puppy!)

Anyways, I was all set on making amends. After that I smiled at a lot of people but I could not meet the old couple again. After some time I did meet them, but the woman ignored me totally.

Then yesterday I saw them exactly on the same place as the first day. I turned my most cheerful smile on and looked at the woman. She hesitated and returned my gaze.

I said “hello!” She smiled back and said “hi” and so did her companion.

Redemption finally. Ah! Feels so good!