01-01-2022, 04:48 AM
(This post was last modified: 01-01-2022, 04:49 AM by Lollobionda. Edited 1 time in total. Edited 1 time in total.)
Christmas Eve - At the church ...
Martin didn't know how long he had been sitting on the bench. It must have been a few minutes before he heard the soft crunching of snow, which quickly grew louder. Obviously someone was approaching. Perhaps someone had missed the mead.
But he didn't care. He just wanted to sit here and look at the lights.
Suddenly the crunching had stopped and now Martin looked in the direction from which he had heard the footsteps earlier. A woman stood in front of him, wrapped in a thick winter quilted jacket. She wore a headscarf that somehow did not match the jacket at all. A dress was also peeking out from under the jacket. The whole thing looked somehow thrown together and just didn't fit.
It occurred to Martin that the woman might not be right in the head and he looked at her more closely.
But then he could not believe his eyes ...
Large blue eyes peeped out from under the headscarf. One could see that they looked teary. Surely they marked an otherwise funny, happy face, because on her cheeks he could see some small but clearly visible freckles. Fine eyebrows ran across their eyes. The nose was medium sized, but prominent. The face was slender, with slightly protruding cheekbones, but conveyed an otherwise soft, feminine complexion. A few tufts of brunette hair peeked out almost cheekily from under her headscarf.
He stared at her as if she were from another star and just barely managed to stifle himself from calling out the name; Ashley!
In front of him stood a woman who could have been the twin sister of his Ashley. He eyed her up and down. Even though her figure was difficult to judge under the thick jacket, she was also probably very similar in appearance to his late wife. This woman also seemed to be very athletic and slim. In any case, muscular, firm ankles peeked out from under the dress, which were strangely hidden in moon boots and did not want to match the dress that was sticking out from under the jacket either.
Martin noticed that he was literally staring at the woman in front of him, but he simply could not take his eyes off her.
It was only when the woman looked down at herself, probably only now realising that she was dressed somewhat unconventionally, that she thought she recognised the reason for his gaze:
"I know the composition probably doesn't quite fit," she said in a strange, melancholy voice, "but..." She paused slightly,
"I was in a bit of a hurry to leave the house."
The expression on her face, the mood she conveyed and what she said gave only one conclusion for Martin: marital strife!
"Excuse me," Martin said kindly, "I didn't mean to stare at you like that. And your outfit wasn't the reason I stared at you like that either. But you reminded me of someone."
"Someone very close to me," he then added.
"Stand?" Marilyn inquired cautiously, "your wife left you?"
And then she would have bitten her lips in a moment. Why was she so curious, it wasn't really any of her business.
"No, my wife died in a car accident exactly one year ago today."
"Ohh, I'm sorry to hear that." Marilyn was almost embarrassed now, "I didn't mean to, I mean."
"No, that's all right. I was just staring at them. They just look a lot like my wife. I almost thought she had a twin sister I hadn't known about."
"And I'm afraid I can't come up with a twin sister either!"
Norman had to grin. And Marilyn couldn't help but smile back either. All at once Robert was forgotten.
"And her? If I'm honest, it looks like Christmas stress in the family."
Marilyn nodded and almost instantly the pain returned.
The smile disappeared and her expression darkened abruptly.
Norman noticed her reaction, "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend."
"No," the woman agreed, "that's fine with me too."
Wordlessly they looked at each other for a while.
Martin was still surprised by the resemblance and somehow also excited, while Marilyn found this man in front of her on the bench interesting. She liked him. Both his appearance and the way he spoke to her.
Also because of the wintry clothes, his stature was hard to judge, but he certainly didn't have a bullet in front of him and the face made an honest impression.
"If you want, you are welcome to sit down," Norman finally made an offer. He wanted to be friendly with this too, but at the same time he was especially interested in this woman whom he had never seen before, although she was obviously also from this place.
"Gladly," she accepted the offer. In a strange way, she too was interested in learning more about this man.
"So may I ask what drives a woman into town alone on a bench in front of the church at this time on Christmas?"
She eyed him. Somehow she really felt like getting all the frustration off her chest, but she didn't know this man at all. So why should she tell him, of all people, everything.
"If you also tell me later why such an attractive..." she bit her lips.
Why had she let herself get carried away? Still, she liked the grateful smile she now had on the man's face. "...I mean, why they're sitting alone on the bench in front of the church at this time of night."
When Martin nodded in agreement, she began to narrate. She confined herself, however, only to the incident with the tie pin and her disappointment about it.
But Norman knew, of course, that there must be more to it. Still, he held back from asking more.
And so later they talked about his wife, how much he had loved her, and about his son. Even when the mass finally ended and people streamed out of the church, the two of them still sat on the pew and talked. Norman kind of liked this woman. She seemed to be very similar not only in appearance to his wife, but also in her nature to his Ashley. And it seemed as if he was also interested in this woman, even if she was married. But at the moment they were not doing anything that seemed offensive.
Even when the lights of the fairy lights went out, they still chatted with each other and it seemed as if all sorrow and anger had disappeared. They joked, made jokes and it was as if they had known each other forever.
Then at some point Marilyn, which was how she had imagined Norman, said that he was getting cold to her and that it was time to come home anyway, before her husband would actually come looking for her. While she was sure he would never do that and would probably be asleep for a long time instead, it was a good reason to end the conversation now. Besides, she was now
the fatigue of the long day. On the other hand, she felt inside her the fascination this man had for her. Not only did she feel perfectly comfortable around him, she even felt very attracted to him in a very pleasant way.
And then something happened that was somehow auNormanatic. She didn't want it to and didn't think about it for long. It just happened.
Before Marilyn rose to make her way home, she leaned forward and her lips met Norman's mouth. While this was surprising to him as well, the woman's warm, soft lips on his felt excellent. He enjoyed the feeling and was almost disappointed when they moved away again after a few seconds. Only now did the thought occur to him why he had not taken this woman in his arms now. Had he missed a chance now?
But Marilyn was just as surprised at what she had just done. Why had she now kissed this man who was still a complete stranger to her? Almost embarrassed, she almost jumped up from the bench.
"Thank you for the evening," she whispered to him.
Then she had already disappeared between the houses.
Norman sat transfixed on the bench for a few more minutes. What had just happened? He had met a woman who had touched him inside, whose closeness he had enjoyed very much, not only because of her resemblance to Ashley. And then that kiss. He wasn't pushy, he wasn't demanding, he was just...
What was he actually? A thank you?
Norman still thought he felt her lips on his and he hoped he could keep that feeling for a long time. Then he too got up and went home. But even in bed he could not fall asleep for a long time, the encounter with Marilyn had stirred him up too much. For the first time in a year he felt an almost consuming longing for a woman again...
Martin didn't know how long he had been sitting on the bench. It must have been a few minutes before he heard the soft crunching of snow, which quickly grew louder. Obviously someone was approaching. Perhaps someone had missed the mead.
But he didn't care. He just wanted to sit here and look at the lights.
Suddenly the crunching had stopped and now Martin looked in the direction from which he had heard the footsteps earlier. A woman stood in front of him, wrapped in a thick winter quilted jacket. She wore a headscarf that somehow did not match the jacket at all. A dress was also peeking out from under the jacket. The whole thing looked somehow thrown together and just didn't fit.
It occurred to Martin that the woman might not be right in the head and he looked at her more closely.
But then he could not believe his eyes ...
Large blue eyes peeped out from under the headscarf. One could see that they looked teary. Surely they marked an otherwise funny, happy face, because on her cheeks he could see some small but clearly visible freckles. Fine eyebrows ran across their eyes. The nose was medium sized, but prominent. The face was slender, with slightly protruding cheekbones, but conveyed an otherwise soft, feminine complexion. A few tufts of brunette hair peeked out almost cheekily from under her headscarf.
He stared at her as if she were from another star and just barely managed to stifle himself from calling out the name; Ashley!
In front of him stood a woman who could have been the twin sister of his Ashley. He eyed her up and down. Even though her figure was difficult to judge under the thick jacket, she was also probably very similar in appearance to his late wife. This woman also seemed to be very athletic and slim. In any case, muscular, firm ankles peeked out from under the dress, which were strangely hidden in moon boots and did not want to match the dress that was sticking out from under the jacket either.
Martin noticed that he was literally staring at the woman in front of him, but he simply could not take his eyes off her.
It was only when the woman looked down at herself, probably only now realising that she was dressed somewhat unconventionally, that she thought she recognised the reason for his gaze:
"I know the composition probably doesn't quite fit," she said in a strange, melancholy voice, "but..." She paused slightly,
"I was in a bit of a hurry to leave the house."
The expression on her face, the mood she conveyed and what she said gave only one conclusion for Martin: marital strife!
"Excuse me," Martin said kindly, "I didn't mean to stare at you like that. And your outfit wasn't the reason I stared at you like that either. But you reminded me of someone."
"Someone very close to me," he then added.
"Stand?" Marilyn inquired cautiously, "your wife left you?"
And then she would have bitten her lips in a moment. Why was she so curious, it wasn't really any of her business.
"No, my wife died in a car accident exactly one year ago today."
"Ohh, I'm sorry to hear that." Marilyn was almost embarrassed now, "I didn't mean to, I mean."
"No, that's all right. I was just staring at them. They just look a lot like my wife. I almost thought she had a twin sister I hadn't known about."
"And I'm afraid I can't come up with a twin sister either!"
Norman had to grin. And Marilyn couldn't help but smile back either. All at once Robert was forgotten.
"And her? If I'm honest, it looks like Christmas stress in the family."
Marilyn nodded and almost instantly the pain returned.
The smile disappeared and her expression darkened abruptly.
Norman noticed her reaction, "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend."
"No," the woman agreed, "that's fine with me too."
Wordlessly they looked at each other for a while.
Martin was still surprised by the resemblance and somehow also excited, while Marilyn found this man in front of her on the bench interesting. She liked him. Both his appearance and the way he spoke to her.
Also because of the wintry clothes, his stature was hard to judge, but he certainly didn't have a bullet in front of him and the face made an honest impression.
"If you want, you are welcome to sit down," Norman finally made an offer. He wanted to be friendly with this too, but at the same time he was especially interested in this woman whom he had never seen before, although she was obviously also from this place.
"Gladly," she accepted the offer. In a strange way, she too was interested in learning more about this man.
"So may I ask what drives a woman into town alone on a bench in front of the church at this time on Christmas?"
She eyed him. Somehow she really felt like getting all the frustration off her chest, but she didn't know this man at all. So why should she tell him, of all people, everything.
"If you also tell me later why such an attractive..." she bit her lips.
Why had she let herself get carried away? Still, she liked the grateful smile she now had on the man's face. "...I mean, why they're sitting alone on the bench in front of the church at this time of night."
When Martin nodded in agreement, she began to narrate. She confined herself, however, only to the incident with the tie pin and her disappointment about it.
But Norman knew, of course, that there must be more to it. Still, he held back from asking more.
And so later they talked about his wife, how much he had loved her, and about his son. Even when the mass finally ended and people streamed out of the church, the two of them still sat on the pew and talked. Norman kind of liked this woman. She seemed to be very similar not only in appearance to his wife, but also in her nature to his Ashley. And it seemed as if he was also interested in this woman, even if she was married. But at the moment they were not doing anything that seemed offensive.
Even when the lights of the fairy lights went out, they still chatted with each other and it seemed as if all sorrow and anger had disappeared. They joked, made jokes and it was as if they had known each other forever.
Then at some point Marilyn, which was how she had imagined Norman, said that he was getting cold to her and that it was time to come home anyway, before her husband would actually come looking for her. While she was sure he would never do that and would probably be asleep for a long time instead, it was a good reason to end the conversation now. Besides, she was now
the fatigue of the long day. On the other hand, she felt inside her the fascination this man had for her. Not only did she feel perfectly comfortable around him, she even felt very attracted to him in a very pleasant way.
And then something happened that was somehow auNormanatic. She didn't want it to and didn't think about it for long. It just happened.
Before Marilyn rose to make her way home, she leaned forward and her lips met Norman's mouth. While this was surprising to him as well, the woman's warm, soft lips on his felt excellent. He enjoyed the feeling and was almost disappointed when they moved away again after a few seconds. Only now did the thought occur to him why he had not taken this woman in his arms now. Had he missed a chance now?
But Marilyn was just as surprised at what she had just done. Why had she now kissed this man who was still a complete stranger to her? Almost embarrassed, she almost jumped up from the bench.
"Thank you for the evening," she whispered to him.
Then she had already disappeared between the houses.
Norman sat transfixed on the bench for a few more minutes. What had just happened? He had met a woman who had touched him inside, whose closeness he had enjoyed very much, not only because of her resemblance to Ashley. And then that kiss. He wasn't pushy, he wasn't demanding, he was just...
What was he actually? A thank you?
Norman still thought he felt her lips on his and he hoped he could keep that feeling for a long time. Then he too got up and went home. But even in bed he could not fall asleep for a long time, the encounter with Marilyn had stirred him up too much. For the first time in a year he felt an almost consuming longing for a woman again...
* * * * *
![[+]](https://xossipy.com/themes/sharepoint/collapse_collapsed.png)