Hope

“Why did you stand there after we spoke? What were you looking for?” He asked

She smiled.

“I thought you would like to see the side of my back” she replied.

He thought about it for a second, “Do you mean your backside?”

“Is that how you say?”

He smiled. “That is how you say.”

For the past two weeks he was unable to think much of anything besides the word “Julia.”

Life is a collection of very small moments and the one which had captured his mind was a short conversation he’d had two weeks ago climbing out of the pool. She was there as often she had been, squinting at everything.

Finally he had spoken to her. It was not much more than a hello but it evolved into a quick little “what do you study/are you Chinese/where are you from?”

She squinted responses of:

“English”

“No” and

“Korea, South Korea. I am here to study English.”

Her English was stilted but still far better than his Korean.

He didn’t think much of it until it was time for the pool to close and all were gathered around the lifeguard retrieving the ID cards that are required for admittance to the giant pool of sickly chlorine blue.

She moved with purpose, first toward the aluminum bleachers and then, bright red towel in had and white-rimmed glasses in place- she approached him directly. So much so that he was taken back a bit.

“My name is Julia!” Her voice was excited and pointed. She thrust her hand forward and gripped his firmly as he said, “Henry.”

They walked toward the locker rooms together with chitchat and smiles. They both felt an ease that was too soon to comment upon.

So, each day he found his way to the pool armed with a giddy hope that he’d see her.

The first week passed and he thought of how his world was rife with instant gratification and pushed that sense down.

The next week passed and he was finding too much of a frown. Did she go back to Korea?

Finally he walked through the doors and saw her swimming. Her blue and tan suit that was just a bit too small. Just enough to show a little more than she probably should have. It was enough to catch a fella’s eye, that’s for sure.

It caught his eye, over and over again.

It had been a seemingly long time, more than two weeks, but his hopes were not dimmed. His hopes were bright. She seemed to exude energy directly to him. That was a strange part. He swam more quickly knowing she was in the pool. He felt better rested, better prepared even.

He carefully watched as she left the pool and approached his lane. He flagged her down.

“Julia!” he smiled.

“Oh! Hello! I have not been here for two weeks!” she said.

“I know, I know” he replied.

The niceties passed back and forth and she squatted to speak to him. The guys in the lane next door were perplexed as to why she stopped and why she stayed. They chattered in Chinese to one another and she shot them a quick look after a while. She smiled easily and stared into his eyes. He was trying to force himself to ask her out, “just say the words,” his brain screamed. But nothing but politeness and she eventually excused herself. She stood a few feet away, her back toward him and lingered.

He daydreamed she wanted him to look.

He looked.

He stared.

He memorized.

The next time he wouldn’t hesitate to ask.