THE OLD WOODEN BENCH Or A LITTLE BOY LOST

One day I was walking in the village.
There was a group of children playing hopscotch on the pavement.
I'd seen these children many times but I'd never joined in their games and had no desire to do so as I'd observed that they were rather bad mannered and uncouth.
Id seen them once throw stones at a poor stray dog and another time they'd taken the hat of an elderly gentleman and taunted him when he attempted to retrieve it.

I saw a little boy standing by a wall watching these children.

The little boy was standing all alone the other children had excluded him from their game
He looked sad and a little bewildered
He didn't know why he was always excluded from their games and wished very much to join in.
I approached him and asked if he'd like to play.
His surprised look was mixed with a slight hint of excited expectation, which suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a look of suspicion.
He was confused as to my motives as he wasn't accustomed to being offered friendship and thought I must have an ulterior motive for doing so.

I smiled warmly at him in an attempt to reassure, and dispel his fears.
I held out my hand and he took it tentatively, still unsure as to my motives.
I led him away from the other children and we walked in silence for some time.
Then He told me he knew of a place we could go.
He said it was his secret place and that he often went there alone but he would take me there if i liked
I said i would like to go there very much
And so together we set off with him leading the way.
Soon we approached a field where there were cows grazing.
Together we walked in silence towards a group of trees in the distance.
As we approached, I saw an old wooden bench next to a large oak tree.
It faced a little stream surrounded by weeping willows and there were many wild flowers
He said he often sat there alone.
We sat down on the bench and held hands
His fears had abated and he seemed peaceful and calm.
There seemed no need to exchange words, so we just sat there in silence and looked at the stream.
After a while I spoke.
I shyly told him that I liked him very much and asked if he'd like to meet with me each day so we could sit on the bench and look at the stream.
He looked at the ground and blushed
He said that he liked me very much too and we agreed to meet there everyday.

And so everyday we met and sat holding hands on the old wooden bench and looked at the stream.
Very soon I thought of nothing else and couldn't wait until it was time to meet with him.
Everything else seemed trivial and pointless and I could barely remember a time when things hadn't been this way.
One day as we sat there holding hands I decided to tell him of my treasures, the pearls that I had hidden away.
I'd never shown them to another soul before and I wanted very much to share them with him.
I'd kept them all to myself for a very long time, but now I had a great desire to give them to him so together we could admire and marvel at them.
I asked Him if he would like to see them.
He became very excited and said he couldn't wait and begged me to bring them the next day.
The next day I saw him as I approached the bench. He'd arrived early and sat there alone awaiting my arrival.
When he saw me, he stood up and came toward me.
My pearls were wrapped in a blue silk handkerchief and I held them up and smiled at him.
A big smile broke out on his face as he looked in anticipation at the handkerchief In my hand.
We sat down on the bench and I slowly opened the blue silk cloth to reveal what was within
He was almost bursting with excitement but waited patiently savouring the moment.
I loved him so very much
He wasn't like the other boys from the village who undoubtedly would've grabbed the handkerchief from me, impatient to see the contents, only to take a fleeting glimpse before running off to join in some game or another forgetting they'd ever seen them.
Some boys had tried to take them from me once, but I'd managed to elude them, fearful of my pearls being damaged or crushed by these rough, graceless hooligans
No, my boy was gentle and kind and ever so sweet.
He let out a gasp the moment they were revealed and the look of astonishment on his face as he marvelled at them was something I'll never forget.
We sat there for what seemed like an eternity.
Two little heads bowed over the blue silk handkerchief I held in my hand, marvelling at the treasure within.
Neither of us ever wanted this moment to end ,but to stay here forever together, holding hands and marvelling at the beauty of of these priceless pearls.
I told him that they now belonged to him equally and that we had to hide them and keep them safe, lest anything should happen to them.
He was so very proud that I thought him worthy of this task and took it upon himself to conceal them safely away from prying eyes.
He had a look of importance about him like a brave knight who'd been given an important aasignment to carry out by a fair maiden, and he was determined not only not to cause disappointment, but to exert himself to such a degree as to far surpass her desires and expectations.
He carefully wrapped them up in the blue cloth and gently put them back in my hand then went off in search for the perfect hiding place.
After a while he returned, and without saying anything, took me by the hand and led me to the other side of the old oak tree.
There was a small hole in the tree and he carefully took the bundle and placed it gently inside. He picked up some leaves from the ground and pushed them into the hole, for greater concealment.
Then he looked at me seeking approval.
I smiled and tentatively kissed him on the cheek.
He blushed Crimson and I thought he would burst with pride.
Reluctantly we parted ways, both of us counting the minutes until our next meeting.
At the same time Everyday we would meet at the bench and hold hands and marvel at the pearls until it was time to leave.
Then we would replace them carefully in the hole of the old oak tree until the next time.
One day as we were sitting there admiring them, he told me that there was something he wanted to ask me.
I was very desirious to know what it was and implored him to tell me.
He became very shy but told me that he too had a treasure that he kept hidden and asked if I'd like to see it.
I was surprised he'd not told me of it before and told him so.
He said that he hadn't wanted to depreciate my pearls by presenting his own too soon, he felt it may have be seen to somehow belittle them if he were to do so.
I loved him so much
I told him that there was nothing in the world I'd like more than to see them and that Id feel greatly honoured if he would show me.
He said that he had hoped I would, and that he'd brought them with him.
He had them now upon his person.
He reached into the pocket of his brown coat and brought out a handkerchief very similar to mine, except it was scarlet in colour.
He looked afraid and unsure as he held it in his hand.
I gave him a look that I hoped would dispel his fears and gently reached out and touched his cheek.
This seemed to have the desired effect and he slowly began to unwrap the bundle.
When I saw them, I too gasped as he had
Inside the cloth was the most beautiful treasure I'd ever seen.
Brightly shining gems in an array of different colours glittering and sparkling in the sunlight.
They were a sight to behold and I was speechless for some time.
He was unsure how to read my reaction and was much afraid that he'd disappointed me.
He was scared that his meagre offering was inferior to my own and he might lose favour and decline in my estimation.
I looked at him with tears of emotion and then I kissed his cheek.
I told him that they were the most beautiful things I'd ever seen or could ever hope to see that my own treasure paled in comparison and that I was almost ashamed of them after seeing these.
Then I kissed him on the lips
This had a enormously profound effect on him and he blushed scarlet and looked at the ground, he was grinning like his face would split and again looked ready to burst with pride.
Emotion overcame me and tears welled in my eyes.
I loved him more than life itself.
Of course he didn't agree that his gems were more beautiful than mine and we playfully argued about this for some time, me insisting his were far superior, and he Insisting mine were supreme.

I'd never been happier than I was that warm summer afternoon, as we sat on the bench holding hands and laughing as we shared our treasures.
I shall savour that moment forever and a day.
We put his gems in the hole of the old oak tree, along with mine and parted ways again.
For many months, we met each day like this.
Everyday seemed more exciting than the last and we never tired of each other's company.
In fact quite the opposite, our separation was becoming more and more painful to both of us.
And so one day we devised a plan so that we could always be together and never have to part ways again.
We had put our treasures together in the handkerchiefs and they looked even more beautiful, if possible, merged , than they had alone, the colours accentuated each other perfectly and they looked even more vibrant and sparkled more brightly than before.
The smooth lustrous pearls with their opalescent glow together with the radiant sparkling colours of the glittering gems made them a sight to behold, the beauty of which i never hoped or expected to see again in this life
He said that one day he would take one of mine and one of his and make a ring from them to put on my finger so that all the world would know how much he loved me
He said it would be the most beautiful ring ever made
This time I thought I would burst with pride
Emotion overcame me and I wept with joy
He put his arms around me and held me close
I wanted to climb inside him and become one so we could never be separated
That we could somehow join ourselves together like we'd done with our precious treasures
Everyday after that we spoke of our plan
What had seemed like a dream was now turning into a reality and I couldn't wait for the day to arrive.
I wasn't sure exactly how it would be accomplished but I trusted and believed in him with every fibre of my being.
I knew without a doubt that he would make it happen.
It was what we both wanted more than anything in the world.
I knew then that my only purpose was to love him and be with him always.
I never questioned him about how he would achieve our dreams.
I didn't need to
I just knew he would.

But One day I arrived at the bench and was surprised to see he wasn't there yet as he usually arrived before I.
So I sat and waited
I was so happy and couldn't wait to see him.
I couldn't help but smile every time I thought of him and envisioned his beautiful face that I loved so much.
I waited and waited but he didn't arrive
This had never happened before.
After a while I began to fear, and panic set in.
What if something had happened to him?
What if he'd been in an accident
? I couldn't think of any other explanation as he would never miss our time together if it were in his power.
I began to cry
When it was time to leave I didn't want to go.
I stood up from the bench and looked across the field hoping to see him running towards me, breathless and frantic to explain.
I fancied that something had happened making it impossible for him to make it and that he was desperately trying to get to me before I left in case I believed him to have abandoned me without cause.
But I saw nothing but grazing cows and buttercups.
Despondently I slowly began my journey back, still with the slight hope that he'd come running to me with a tale to tell and we'd hold each other in true loves embrace, all my sadness and fears dispelled in an instant as only he had the power to do.
Alas it wasn't so.
I came back the next day and the next and for months after but he was never there and he never arrived running across the field to hold me once again and tell me of his undying love.
Summer turned into autumn, Autumn in to Winter.
I became very depressed
I knew not what had become of him
I knew I should stop going to our bench by the stream under the old oak tree, but I couldn't let go of the vague hope that one day he would be sitting there on the bench with the same look of love in his eyes that I'd known so well.
If I gave up all hope, surely I would die
What would I do?
Where would I go?
I didn't know who I was without him anymore.

A long time had passed and one day I was walking in the village ,when I looked up and thought I saw him with a group of girls
Surely I must be mistaken
It's not possible I thought
I looked again
It was him!
My heart was filled with joy
The relief that he was alive and safe was indescribable
A heavy burden was lifted from me, all the pain dispelled.
I ran towards him with tears streaming down my face.
I couldn't speak such was the depth of emotion I felt.
And so I touched the sleeve of his coat.
He turned from the girls to look at me
But the look I saw was not the look of true love I had expected
He didn't embrace me or smother me in kisses
Instead he looked at me as if I were a stranger, someone he'd never met and seemed confused that I'd approached him with tears streaming down my face.
He looked at me questionably.
My love" I cried out
"where have you been?", " What happened to you?"
"I've waited so long for you, why have you never returned to our bench?"
He looked uncomfortable and embarrassed and glanced at the girls he'd been talking to.
Then he turned back to me and said I must've mistaken him for someone else. That he didn't know me. He was looking at me as if i was demented.
I thought I would collapse on the spot
To say I felt confused wouldn't go half way to being anything akin to what I felt at that moment.
This couldn't be happening
It must be a nightmare
I wanted to wake up, for it all not to be true.
He had turned back to the girls and was talking again
He must of hoped by doing so I'd desist and leave him be
I did
There was nothing else to be done.
I couldn't force him to acknowledge me
I needed to sit down, my legs could sustain me no longer.
I sat a little way across the street and tried to compose myself to no avail.
After a while, I looked up to see him still talking with the small group of girls
He seemed to have forgotten the recent encounter with me and was quite animated laughing and joking as if nothing unusual had happened.
Then to my absolute horror, I saw him reach into his pocket and bring out a scarlet handkerchief identical to ours.
The blood seemed to drain from me as I watched him unwrap it, his treasure now on show for all to see.
My heart beat rapidly and I thought I must surely pass out at any moment.
What I saw next was even worse that I could've imagined, not only did he have his gems but my pearls also.
I'd never checked to make sure they were still safely hidden in the hole of the old oak tree.
It was too painful to look at them without him but I never dreamed for a moment they wouldn't be there.
We had made a vow to each other never to show our treasure to another living soul.
Now he was flaunting them like worthless trinkets to anyone who'd look.
He seemed to be interested in showing one dark haired girl in particular
She looked very impressed and was flattering him with her remarks.
He looked extremely pleased with himself
As soon as he wasn't looking, the dark haired girl turned to her friend and made a derisive face as if to say " I'm only feigning interest, this boy's a fool"
I wanted to run over and push them all to the ground, grab hold of him and make him come with me to our bench.
But I knew he wouldn't come with me if i did

His whole demeanor seemed entirely different
He was laughing and joking with a familiar ease I'd not have believed him capable of.
The degree of intimacy he seemed to display was something I'd believed only reserved for me.
I'd had to gently draw it out of him, it had taken time, patience and love.
I felt I'd earned this affinity that he now seemed to be effortlessly giving away to those who hadn't even asked for it, it seemed.

After a while he put them back in his pocket and bid the girls farewell and left.
As soon as he was out of earshot I heard them laugh loudly
"What a stupid boy" said one fair haired girl, and laughed again
" He thinks he's got some sort of treasure, but all he was holding was an empty handkerchief"
" Oh the poor boy" said another " he must be completely mad"
The dark haired girl who he'd seemed to want to impress more than the others now spoke
" I can tell he likes me" she said
" It could be fun, I think I'll toy with him for a while until I find a boy with something real to offer me"
They all burst out laughing again and walked off.

I slowly got up from the curb and made my way home.
I wanted to warn him about the girls but I could see it would be futile.
I decided never to approach him again

I had become as invisible to him as our treasure was to these silly facile girls.

He'd never recognise me again, of this I was now certain.

I wept