ENCOUNTER - HANDS

And then he looked into my eyes…His eyes were youthful, no, that’s not right. His eyes were ageless and they looked at me with a focus that told me I was the only person he cared about right then. But, they were not intense – that would have concerned me. Instead, I felt an overwhelming sense of care. Words are not usually a problem for me but they felt so shallow compared to what I’d just sensed. Not knowing what to do next, I averted my eyes for a moment and looked at the bed. He glanced between us and we both slowly sat. Firmly seated, my eyes returned to his face, no, not his face but very specifically his eyes. The skin at the corners of his eyes began to crinkle, so I let my eyes wander in time to see a radiant smile appear on his face. I had no choice but to return the look for I felt compelled to accept and return this gift. I’ve no idea how long we sat like that. Neither of us seemed to have anything else to do but to be with one another. After some time, he slowly lifted his left hand and reached over to take my right hand in his. He looked at my hand as if he had never seen a hand before. He turned my hand over so that it was palm up. The lines in my palm were another source of interest as he traced the lines with a sturdy finger. Lifting my hand, he placed it firmly against his cheek and closed his eyes.

(to be continued...)