And who comes here to wish me well?
A sweetly-scented angel fell.
She laid her head upon my disbelief
and bathed me with her ever-smile.
Jethro Tull
And alter all was said and done, here comes love again. This time it came disguised in the most unusual outfit: English styled hat, reading glasses, lousy looking loose shirt, working boots, whimsical smile (one who incites to lure and pleasure); mischievous look on a very sexy pair of eyes (half hidden behind the glasses); thick lips that one would want to bite so desperately to taste their juicy flavor….
Who would have thought of it? Just when I was trying to settle down for once, when I was trying to keep my mind clear and my heart steady, the thrill of emotion at the proximity of someone appears again with such an intensity that one would think it impossible to happen anymore…
But there we were, or shall I say, there he was? Playing some strange music at a half empty bar, in the most unlikely night for romance, throwing glimpses towards my table with a grin on his face… Suddenly, following a pure impulse, I find myself on stage with him singing an old tune that I recognized from the first chord… He seemed not surprised at all… It was as if he had done it on purpose… But, how would he know..?
After a song or two, we found ourselves sharing a drink on my table and talking about life and death, music, art, books, movies… but when we touched the wound with the nail was when we mentioned theatre… Voilá! Shakespeare´s lines started to flow from his lips like unsung poems of ancient times… His voice resembled that of an old bard reciting for his king and his eyes turned watery and shiny…. “A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse…” He quoted Richard III last act with the most sublime intensity I’ve ever heard… Hamlet´s classic monologue holding his jester’s skull, sounded like heaven in his voice… I was about to burst into tears when he became himself again and asked: Why not just run away from here…?
Dawn found us tired, naked and happy… I made some coffee and toast and silence surrounded the whole room… I broke it with I don’t know which stupid remark to which he replied… Where were you before me? Where have you been hiding from me all this time? How come you didn’t look for me a long time ago? I don’t have anything to give anymore… I am living for nothing now… I am half a man, cast away, broken… And you, with all your sheer beauty and your brilliant mind dare to disturb my almost peaceful life just when I have lost faith in love and kindness…?
I didn’t reply. I just couldn’t. We got dressed without a word. No promises or thank you words. No questions about ourselves. It would have broken the magic. That would be our most hidden secret. No one would dare to access our kingdom. Theatre, wine and music (along with sex, of course) would be our food, our fancy banquet in our secret place. Once or twice a week, we would just quit our ordinary lives and become the greatest actors in the most perfect passion play ever written. No audience would witness such a wonderful performance, except the moon, but she will not tell.
Teresa de Jesús Padrón Benavides
Winter, 2010
