A short story collection based on Simon & Garfunkel's album [Musicology Anthology, 5/'22] |
Bridge over Troubled Water "What'll you have, Rick?" "A Guinness, Steve...thanks." "You're dressed a little nicer than usual tonight. What's the occasion?" "Thirtieth high school reunion. Hard to believe it's been that long." "That is quite a while. If you don't mind my asking, since you seem a little down, didn't it go well?" "It went okay, except... There was this girl I liked my first year of high school. Sandy. She was a fellow member of the symphony band, an oboist by trade. Being your typical, dorky sixteen-year-old, I was fairly smitten with her and had no idea how to express my feelings in anything resembling a cool manner. I knew where she lived, and took the opportunity to drive by her place a couple of times as part of the larger mission of getting something from the store or retrieving my younger brother from some after-school sports activity." Rick noted Steve's look. "The drive-by thing didn't seem at all creepy back then, as it might these days. We were classmates, after all, and there was that section of The Brooklyn Bridge's Welcome Me Love: "...and I send a special prayer up to the room on the second floor. For my mind is in there with her, but my body takes me home...". "Anyway, I wrote her a poem and eventually got up the courage to present it to her. I have no memory of what it said, although it was a couple of steps up from "Roses are red,...", but I clearly remember her response: "Thanks, but I already have a boyfriend." That was something I hadn't known, since my shyness had kept me from expressing my feelings for her before then. I'd talked myself into thinking she needed a 'bridge over troubled water'. I was sure someone would have to pour water all over me. I was so hot from blushing, I thought I was about to burst into flames." "Man, that's tough. With your red hair and fair skin, I imagine it was quite a sight." "Yeah. Well, we lost track of each other after I moved here to Denver. She was there tonight, so we got to talking, catching up, you know? I told her about my earlier life in the Merchant Marine and oh-so-exciting job as a manager in an insurance office. She ended up marrying the boyfriend, but it was a mistake. He treated her pretty badly—physically abused her, to be blunt—and she eventually divorced him. I told her he was lucky I wasn't there to punch his lights out. She's been alone and on her own over twenty years." "That's a real shame, Rick." "Yes, it is. But," and he smiled a little, "she gave me her number. Looks like I may have another shot at building that bridge." [WC: 466] Lyrics ▼ |