Sad Eyes

Sad Eyes

     Sitting on a bench, in the pouring rain, with the last thing my ex gave me, saving my ass from getting soaking wet. I never thought I would even use this umbrella. I didn’t even know I kept it in the car. I can’t believe I found it in the back seat while I was looking for an old work sweater. Why an umbrella? Oh, yea… because she was leaving me out in the cold.

     “Sir?” A voice says.

     Wow. Why would anybody be out in this shit besides my crazy ass? She’s beautiful. Too beautiful to be out in the cold rain after dark, on a long trail, next to a raging river…

     “Everything okay, ma’am?”

     “Besides getting stuck in this rain, yea. Would it be okay if I sit next to you until the rain lets up a bit?” She asks.

     I wonder if she is a runner. Runners run any hour of the day. Some get a run in at 4 am before they go to work. Very dedicated people, runners are.

     “Sure thing.”

     “This rain came out of nowhere!” She says.

     She can’t be a runner. Looks more like a business woman. Can’t run in heals, unless you have to.

     “What made you comfortable enough to sit next to a stranger, in the rain, dark, and with no one in sight?” Wish I said that differently. She’ll probably get up and leave now.

     “Because you have sad eyes.”

     “I suppose I do. I can’t seem to hold on to my happy eyes.” She lit up and laughed at that. Maybe she is having a bad night, too? Late night walk to clear her mind?

     “Sad and funny… works for you.” She says with a smile on her face.

     Well, staying completely dry is out of the question now. My right side is getting rained on. “You always take strolls out in the rain?”

     “I needed some fresh air. Being in a boring office all day with a boss that smokes in a non-smoking building, I needed to clear my mind and collect myself.”

     Called it.

     “How about you? You always sit on a bench in the pouring rain by yourself?” She asks.

     “Same boat as you… besides the whole office thing. I just needed to clear my head, and thanks to my ex (fuck, why did I mention my ex) I have this fabulous (really? Fabulous?) umbrella.

     “Lucky you. My ex never left me a handy umbrella to save me. Since we’re engaging in conversation, and I’m close enough to smell your fruity shampoo, what’s your name? And are you a killer?” She asks with a shoulder bump.

     Hmmm. I wonder if she wants my full name. Why would a full name be needed to engage in such small talk?

     My name is Wayne.

     “Oh, wow! I never met a Wayne before. Such a strong name.  Your first name Bruce?” She asks.

     Do not say, “I’m Batman.” “Wayne Amatucci.”

     “Greek?”

     “Italian. Amatucci means, beloved; which lately, I am not.”

     “I’m sure you are by somebody. I am Sadie Michelle. Glad to meet you.”

     She looked away after saying that. I wonder why. . . The rain is coming down more than ever; that’s probably it.

     “What are you trying to clear from your mind? Honestly.” Sadie asks.

     Honestly? The kind of honesty I don’t even tell myself. Somethings I just want to forget. . .

     “Wayne… I lose ya?”

     “You ever put yourself into something 100%, and it didn’t work out… not even one bit?”

     “Yea.”

     “Did you ever want to take back something someone took from you that you didn’t care who you hurt to get it back?”

     “I think everybody feels like that at some point, but most just move on and cut their losses. I know I did. What happened, Wayne?”

     This fucking rain is coming in sideways and I’m catching most of it. At least she is on the dry side of this bench. No way am I telling her I beat this guy’s ass to the point he ended up in a coma. He deserved every bit of that ass whippin’; just no one else feels the same about it.

     “This guy broke in my house one night while I was arguing with my ex over something silly. He didn’t know we were upstairs when he tripped over something in the kitchen. I ran downstairs, started fighting with him, my ex tried to help, but she just ended up getting pushed down by him. He ran out the front door. I grabbed a baseball bat I kept by the front door and threw it at the back of his head while he ran across my front yard.”

     “Did you get him?”

     “Yea, and some. I went back in to check on her and she was bleeding…”

     “She hit her head on something?”

     “No, she was 4 months pregnant at that time. She called 911 and I went outside to finish this guy off until the cops pulled up.” Fuck… I wish I didn’t say that last bit. What’s the odds of that coming back to get me. I know he made it and is still alive, but he’s trying to sue me?! Him breaking into MY fucking house?! Fucking up my life, but sue me? What a fucking world. . .

     “Oh my God.” Sadie says softly as she stands up.

     Shit. I got caught up in my thoughts. I hope that’s a pack of cigarettes she’s reaching for in her purse.

     “You seem like a great guy, but bad things always follow you. I can’t believe I am still going to do this, I have no choice. You have been served. Whatever is in that envelope will be sorted out. You were protecting your ex and your house. I wish we had a chance to meet under different circumstances.” Sadie said as she walks away. . .

     A gust of wind collapses Wayne’s umbrella.

     . . . When it rains, it pours.

The End