A Modern Love

by M. Glenn Aldridge

  ***

  Miss Donna wasn't exaggerating a bit; Dash was quite the running partner. Not a leash puller but she ran a little ahead of David and actually gave him the incentive to improve his times. She was a sweet dog too.

  After several 5K's with Dash, and upon returning to Miss Donna's front door just after a run, David decided to see if Miss Donna had time to chat. She's so wise and smart, David thought; I wonder if she'd let me pick her brain about my Amy situation. I won't go into great detail and I'll leave out the names but I'll bet she can provide some good advice. I'll just do that whole "I've get a friend with a problem" thing, David laughed inside at this prospect.

  David softly rapped on Miss Donna's door and waited patiently for her answer. Dash just sat by his right foot and panted in anticipation, not quite as patient though. When Miss Donna opened the door Dash began furiously wagging her tail with her entire back end, almost like dancing.

  "I've just put on a pot would you like some coffee David," Miss Donna asked not just being polite but truly inviting him to be company?

  "Well I usually stick with ice water after a brisk run, but I'd love to join you for a bit."

  "Splendid," she replied like it was a gift from above.

  Miss Donna poured her coffee and iced up David's water and the four of them sat in the kitchen occasionally glancing out the window to see how the light was coming into the courtyard. Dash lay next to Miss Donna's chair, resting up from her morning exercise, while Cosmo strutted around rubbing up against David's legs along with the kitchen table legs.

  "Dash sure does appreciate her exercise trips with you and so do I. You're so sweet to take her with you," Miss Donna smiled.

  "My pleasure, she's a real good running partner."

  "She seems pretty tired, you must run fast," Miss Donna said while leaning down to pat Dash on the head.

  "Oh, don't let her fool ya, she's an athlete, why she could run me into the ground if she wanted to," David said while thinking about the slight cramp in his left leg calf muscle.

  "Well, she's sure more relaxed around this apartment after getting that running out of her in the morning, so thank you David."

  "You're welcome, Miss Donna," David replied with a preoccupied look on his brow; furrowed a bit.

  Miss Donna noticed his expression and asked what was on his mind.

  "Well, Miss Donna ? I've got this friend who has a problem a-and I thought since you're so wise you could give me some advice I could pass along to him," David said with an unintentional smirk on his face. He's no good at fibs.

  "Oh I see ? wise am I ? friend you say ? does this friend possibly have a problem with a girl," Miss Donna asked with a high pitched inflection on the word friend? She meant well but being wise she saw right through David; but she'd play along.

  "Yes as a matter of fact it is a girl, but then I guess it always is about a girl isn't it," David asked but thinking he already knew the answer?

  "It usually is hon ? it usually is," Miss Donna replied sounding of the wisdom only a Grandmother can possess.

  "Well this friend of mine, he thinks he may have rushed in a little fast with a girl and started liking her too much too quick. He likes many things about her, but he's starting to notice some character flaws he's not sure he can live with, or should anyway."

  "Oh I see, is this a pretty girl," asked Miss Donna knowing that young men usually rush in over physical beauty more than anything else? Lust she thought, but didn't say it to David.

  "Very pretty," David replied with a little redness in his cheeks.

  "Well my Grandmother always said, 'Step lightly toward kind folks and run like crazy from bad'; and I think she's right. Those bad ones'll wear ya down."

  "So you'd say go slow even without the negative character flaws," David asked getting the point?

  "Oh sure, I mean you really don't know a person until they let their guard down anyways ? that takes time. I suppose all good things take time. Patience is difficult but necessary I'm afraid."

  "Yah," said David in a noncommittal way, almost sounding defeated. He reached down and petted Cosmo accepting a nice purr in return.

  "I hope I helped your friend," Miss Donna said with a grin.

  "Oh I'm sure that will help a lot, can I ask you a few more questions?"

  "Sure," replied Miss Donna genuinely interested.

  "Miss Donna ? can I ask you a personal question," asked David while leaning forward in his chair and placing his elbows on the table? He looked even younger than normal when he rested his chin in his hands.

  "Sure David."

  "How do you know when it's right? I mean when you've found the right person to be with?"

  "Well there's no short answer to that one I suppose," replied Miss Donna with a thoughtful look. She was searching back to her marriage and when she realized her late husband was the one. "My late husband and I, Jack's been gone oh about fifteen years now, well we knew right away, although we still took it slow," she said with a nod of her head. "I know that's not what happens to everyone but with Jack and me it was love at first sight. I never had a doubt from day one."

  "Wow," said David softly, realizing the sheer volume of doubt he had about Amy.

  "Now that's not to say it wasn't hard work at times. Any relationship is. But ? the good times always outweighed the hard times and we respected each other. That's the most important thing maybe. I mean once the new wears off; you know the honeymoon's over, you have to live with each other and all your quirks. If you don't like, not just love but like, the other person and respect their point of view it just won't work. Opposites may attract but that's one sure thing you have to have in common ? respect. I guess, David, it's different for everyone in the way it happens but I reckon the feelings are pretty much the same. Love is a universal human trait; a blessing from the Lord." Miss Donna looked out the window as if remembering the best parts of her time with her husband.

  "I see," said David without fully understanding. He thought this is possibly one of those things you have to experience to get. He wasn't feeling those things now with Amy and wondered if there was hope for a change.

  "Do you think people can move past rudeness and selfishness with time, you know as they grow up a bit," asked David seeming to search for positive reinforcement to wait Amy out. Deep inside he knew better though.

  Miss Donna got up and went over to the coffee pot to pour another cup. "Your water need refreshing David"?

  "No ma'am, I'm fine thanks," replied David as he noticed Dash intently watching Miss Donna's every move.

  As Miss Donna sat back down she let out a deep breath. "Well I think if someone makes up their own mind to change they surely can. I guess the problem is people seldom do that. More so than that even, I don't believe a person's core being, or beliefs, change over time; we learn our values, morals and ethics, at an early age. After that we are committed to them whether we like it or not. A kind person couldn't become entirely evil if they tried, well at least not in my opinion. And ? there are some people in this world that are genuinely bad and selfish; they seem to stay that way. Example ? take that Frank, you've met Frank right?"

  "Oh yes," replied David with a little laugh and role of his eyes.

  "Well Frank's just playing bad he's not really. He's really a sweet heart you can kinda tell that right," asked Miss Donna knowing the answer?

  "Yes, yes you really can I suppose," replied David like he had an epiphany.

  "I guess that's my point, who you are is who you are ? well, is who you are. Changing what you do or how you act can be done, but changing who you are is a different story all together. In the long run, like marriage, you're not just marrying a person's actions but who they are at the core level. When you find a good person at the core, the one that's right for you ? you'll know it." "Oh, I mean your friend will know it," said Miss Donna with a polite smile.

  "My advice would be to follow your heart while you listen to your mi
nd hon," said Miss Donna with the most thoughtful tone in her voice. "If you have to ask such questions then you already know the answers. Not to be too forward but ? sometimes we just don't want to face those answers." She thought maybe she was a little rude with the last part of her help to David, or his friend, but she likes David and truly wanted to help, so she kind of went out on a limb a bit.

  "You're very wise Miss Donna," said David while looking right into her eyes. He was impressed and appreciative of her thoughts. "I'll pass your advice onto my friend." With this both David and Miss Donna had a hearty laugh and Dash joined in with a playful bark.

  "Well I better be getting home now," said David as he got up from the table and started toward the door. Miss Donna followed him with Dash and Cosmo nipping at her heals (not literally). David thought to himself that Cosmo was the doggie-est acting cat he'd seen.

  "Well now David you take care and drop by anytime, I really enjoyed our talk." Miss Donna really meant it and David could tell.

  "Ok I will, thank you," replied David as he said goodbye to Dash and Cosmo with a petting from each hand.

  The two more steps to the door felt like a time warp for him. He was frozen in time for what felt like an eternity. Thinking hard about the advice and the Amy situation he was rerunning over everything in a split second. I think I know my way now, but I'll save my final decision for a little later, he thought as he exited Miss Donna's front door and closed it behind him.