Simone

The only constant was the street scene, a delightful spectacle during and after the rain, as the glistening wet paving stones reflected the dreamy complexion of yellow and amber tinge of the streetlights. It looked like the sugar glaze of a deliciously sweet toffee apple. The lantern shaped streetlights that had seen more than the conversion from gas, these guardian-like sentinels of erect ironworks were the mute witnesses to live actors and dramas continuously playing out scenes of life, but never with the prepared scripts of dramaturgy.

The street scene appeared theatrical; where the ghosts and lovers lingered around the glowing embers of the streetlights, intermingled with the bright halos of light from the invisible sprites hidden in the dark. Those actors now ghosts recalling the moments when their hearts were light, lost in the moment, lightly sprayed by the drizzle and mists of time. Just like a tender lover’s kiss, it was breathtaking and dramatic, fleeting and memorable, yet unsustainable. Leaving sometimes joy, later sometimes remorse, but always a haunting memory and a yearning for more. A craving that would last longer than their feeble body. The everlasting yearning for that recalled kiss became an unobtainable wish of those ghosts and spirits of lovers, no longer able to taste and feel. Watching and lingering by every iron streetlight and etched in the vagrant shadows on the wet paving stones and the silent watching walls. Just like the secondary incandescent reflection of the streetlight off the brick walls, they were no longer real actual visions, they had evaporated long ago, washed away by the fragrant rain of past lovers. Now those memorialized visions of past lovers haunted the street beyond the extinguishment of the streetlights, only to be rekindled the next night as the unsatisfied hunger of shadows of those long-ago spirits of lovers and romantic ghosts returned.

No one could walk along the night lit street without feeling the presence of past lovers, brushing against your cheeks, or playfully flicking with the whisps of your hair on an apathetic windless night.

It was only a few weeks ago Simone and Jules had walked hand in hand, whispering their secret confessions, and reached an impasse in speech of their shared love. Words were not enough to express themselves; speaking had reached a crescendo and when the streetlights conspired like an entire orchestra gathering itself for the grand finale. Jules stopped and turned, Simone coalesced by not only stopping but looking invitingly into Jules’ eyes, and at the same time holding her head at a slight tilt. They kissed, and their shared sweet lover’s kiss for the moment appeased hungry unfulfilled desires, it was a punctation mark to their previous lover’s whispers, but the kiss only started something that was hidden deeper, as the vipers of sexual desire flared like the streetlights, as the increase of power invaded the street scene like uncontrolled electricity. The uninvited ghosts and spirits of lovers past, had invaded the streetlight scene and swirled and danced around the loving couple’s embrace, whipping up uncontrollable passions to submerge a sensible mind.

The vision of the romantic street scene had conjured the magic, yet it was conspired once more by the haunting spirits and ghosts of bygone lovers. Once again, they had their victory. Simone and Jules became lovers; the script was now in full production.

The restaurant in the park was their restaurant, the low-level building had been converted just like the park from a vast wealthy estate, but parts remained the same, the tall oak trees covered the skies with their branches, and now in early summer, the sprouting foliage darkened the sky with natural shade. The estate workers’ housing had originally been converted into private dwellings, and afterwards someone with vision purchased all the houses, and converted them all into a restaurant in a perfect setting in the park. The evening sun was vanishing quickly, and the stylish lantern streetlights flickered into life.

Simone and Jules meet there often after work, both their employments were in nearby offices overlooking the park, and the restaurant had become part of their bubble, a world within a world for our young lovers. Their worlds had collided one day, and now they were joined at the hip – inseparable. The normal day of rising in separate apartments, going to separate jobs, and meeting up in their restaurant became a daily dreamlike event, a lover’s rendezvous, as they dined, and looked lovingly across the table at each other, with only a few words spoken. Their culinary appetites satiated they walked slowly hand in hand down the atmospheric street where they had first kissed under the amber glow of lantern style streetlights, and then finally to one or the other’s apartment, and made passionate love each night. It was idyllic, simple, and their perfect bubble of love, but their world within a world was not meant to last.

Tonight, Simone was dressed in simple dress, a colour of creamy mustard, matching the amber glow of the streetlights, and a plain white belt to accentuate her young slim waist. As always Jules was dressed in a grey suit, made for the office. Jules prided himself on his appearance. He always made sure he escaped the loving arms and embrace of Simone each night, or early morning to make sure he had time to prepare for the next working day. Jules was very disciplined, and his working life was important. He was ambitious, and as his father had said many times, “You don’t get anything in life for free, you have to work for it!”

Simone like the steadfastness and ambition in her man. She fell in love with the handsome young man that was always well dressed, and she felt safe to be next to him. Whenever he slipped out of loving embrace in the early hours of the morning, for a few waking seconds there was sadness and loss, but it was always replaced with the knowledge her man, her Jules would return later in the evening at their rendezvous after work at the restaurant in the park.

The scene in the restaurant with Jules and Simone gazing into each other’s eyes was like a repeat performance at the Rocky cinema of an old black and white romantic movie. Before the arrival of the food there was always the reaching out for each other’s hands; lovers desperate for a reassuring touch, and a signal of what was to come later in the night.

Simone looked a little more flushed in the face than before, and it wasn’t caused by any hasty application of make-up. She looked tense, and slightly nervous. She had some news, but she wanted to share her wonderful news at the perfect moment, and that it was planned for when the coffee and dessert was served.

As the waiter turned and left their table, after placing the expressos and desserts on their place settings and bidding the diners an “bon appetite”

Simone couldn’t stop herself a minute longer. “I have some wonderful news, darling!”

“What is that my love!” Jules responded.

“I’m pregnant” The secret was out. Momentarily, she bowed her head in shame, there was a look of schoolgirl shyness delivered with this announcement, and then she looked up immediately into her lover’s face, expecting a positive response. What Simone encountered was a stone-faced appearance of Jules, unable to speak, and the most telling realization was the look in his eyes, shock, but shock with a hint of anger.

“We can move into the same apartment, and live together, get married perhaps.” Simone blurted out, getting more nervous by the second and the lack of any response from Jules, as his stoney silence continued.

“A baby! Our shared love! Aren’t you happy darling?” Simone continued regardless of Jules’ emotionless looking face.

“It’s a shock my love.” He finally spoke, and tried to clear the look in his eyes, by picking up the expresso cup, and gulping down the coffee. It was an irritating distraction, and not what Simone was expecting. She was hoping for his extended hands of reassurance groping across the table and seeing his face beaming with love and pride in the news. The disappointment of his reaction to her news stung.

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air, as they paid the bill, and went outside into the night. Jules continued with unemotional, uncaring response to the announcement. They started to walk along the path out of the park and walked towards the street where they first kissed. For a moment they walked side by side without holding hands, until Simone looked for his dangling hand, it was a gesture of reconciliation on her part. She had never seen this side of her lover before, and she was struggling inside to comprehend, as waves of panic and distress started to gather.

“Speak to me Jules. This baby is part of you as well.” Simone knew the fragile bubble of their world had burst, and there was no return. Jules’s reaction was apparent but disturbing.

“It’s the wrong time.” Jules whispered

“My career. I have ambitions for the Manager’s job in the next few years. I…..”

“I, my, where’s the we and us?” Simone demanded

“Do you want this baby or not?” Simone stopped in her tracks, jerked and pushed Jules to face her. She wanted to see his reaction to her important question. The place they stopped in the street could have been directly under the same streetlight that illuminated their first tender kiss. Now was a different time. Now the same spot looked stark, an ugly metallic reminder of the past, as the rain started to pour, a heavy shower, leaving both Simone and Jules completely unprepared. Even the weather was playing its part in the drama that night, as it became dark and stormy.

“If you want the truth – No!” replied Jules with a raised voice, and with some feeling of uncaring and lacked any tenderness.

Simone bowed her head, she felt very alone. There was a stoney silence, as the heavy rain shower continued, making a splashing sound as it dashed upon the pavement.

“I didn’t just go to the doctor for the confirmation of my pregnancy. I also went to a lawyer, because I want this baby Jules, I want your baby. After tonight I am now going to file for a paternity suit, as I already have a sample of your DNA. The court will petition you for a sample in due course, but it doesn’t matter, you are the father. We both know that!”

“Now go!” She hissed. She could not bear to look at him.

Simone continued to bow her head beside the brick wall, her falling tears blended with the falling rain, and the colour of her dress blended with the amber glow of the streetlights. The colours of the street scene were bleak, as the heavy rain and dark clouds rolled across the night sky. The sound of the splashing patter of rain now included the sharp repeated echo of Jules departing shoes on the wet pavement, as he walked away down the street, away from the still bowed crying figure of his ex-lover.