A Chance Encounter

A Chance Encounter

by Terry Burres

The broom swiped furiously at the pavement as Ashley worked it back and forth scattering the leaves then bringing them back again. “ I can’t believe that jerk faced... Oh!” she muttered, “ Here I spent all last Summer listening to his lame stories and hanging around with that loser!! I could have been with someone else who would have treated me right.”

As the broom continued on it’s path Ashley saw her relationship with Bran flash before her eyes. Their meeting during their last year at high school. The fun and the drama, the fights and the laughter all that year that they were a couple. After graduation Bran found a job at the water park and Ashley worked longer hours at The Gap. Ashley saved as much of her money as she could for college. Bran, who had a full ride at one of the local schools, always seemed to have money to burn.

Ashley sat on the step reliving the last two weeks. Even though they were at different colleges they saw each other almost every day. The fights had escalated to the point that Ashley was ready to tell Bran that maybe they should take some time off. That’s when she found out about the other girl. The one he had been seeing most of the Summer at the water park. The one who went to the same school as Bran.

“Ashley Nicole, Stop!!! Stop thinking about Bran and that girl.” Ashley whispered. Standing she started trying to sweep the side walk again. Angrily Ashley swiped the hem of her shirt across her face. Then from behind her heard, “Poor Girl!”

Ashley turned and there was a old lady leaning on a walking stick. Ashley smiled as well as she could and said, “Hi.”

“I am so sorry to bother you but I could hardly help from over hearing.”

“That’s Ok. I was just talking out loud.”

“Well go right ahead and talk . I would be glad to listen. You know sometimes it helps to talk out your troubles.”

Ashley invited the lady to sit down on the lounge chairs in the front yard. Staring down at the pavement she started telling the lady about Bran and the other girl. The sun swept across the sky as Ashley let all of the anger and loss of the last several weeks. As she cried the old lady held her hand and made sounds of comfort. At last Ashley was done with her story and tears.

Patting her hand the lady said, “Do you feel better?”

“Yes, I really do. Thanks for letting me get all of that out. It really helped.”

The lady stood and walked onto the sidewalk. She turned to Ashley. Smiling she said, “I think that you will be just fine now my Boobalah.”

Ashley’s mouth dropped open. The only one to call her Boobalah was her great grandmother. But it couldn’t be her great grandmother. She had died when Ashley was only four years old.

As Ashley watched the lady waved over her shoulder then disappeared into the pavement.