A small love story in old New York

A love story in New York City
By

Jude Kyrie

It was a bolt out of the blue.
Really why would he bother with me.
I am pleasantly plump.
size fourteen if I lie..
my hair is wild
and terminal frizzy.
He had a cut glass
English accent.
like a BBC newscaster.

I am from the Bronx.
We drank too much wine.

At the bar that Saturday night.

Perhaps I get prettier after a few drinks.
He took me home to my place.

Well really I took him home with me.

I should be honest right.
I had to pay for the cab.

But it's not like paying for him
to...well...you know is it?

He was so sweet and gentle

I felt tears in my eyes

And I am a new York girl.

He made me feel so beautiful.

I could hardly walk the next morning.
He told me I was Beautiful and
the best time he had had in America.
me can you believe that.

He was a botanist from the UK
working on the nesting habits
of the speckle throated warbler
or something.
All I knew was he had ice blue eyes
a sweet accent and grey specks
in his blueness that made me
want to undress for him.
He was beautiful.

when he left in the morning
I gave him my number
on his phone.
call me I said.

But three months went by.
not a word.
Then when the morning
sickness came.
I realised he was still inside me.

The eclampsia came at seven months
I was hospitalised the doctors told me
the baby and I could die.

Then  I went into a coma.

When.I woke up

my belly was flat
the baby I cried.

The baby
I opened my eyes

and he was there.
holding my hand.

My baby I wept.
They are fine Kelly
he said softly.
yhey? I asked confused.
You had twins a boy and a girl.

I looked up into his eyes
with the grey fleck's.
Michael how?
I was sent back to the UK
I lost my job at the university.
I tried to call you
but no answer.

I came back on a visitors visa.
your neighbor told
me you were here.

I have been here since

To wait for you to wake up.

Eight months later

We went for a Sunday evening
stroll in central park.
it was fall the trees
were red and amber
Dry leaves of gold
rustled under our feet.

new York was grey

in the  fading light of evening.

She looked at us with her skyline.
A city that had witnessed
many such love stories.

I looked at Michael.
his beautiful eyes
that held some kind
of optical aberration.
For they saw me as
worthy of his love.

He lifted the twins
over his head.
they laughed in delight.
I never seen anyone
as happy as him.
Unless you
count me in that is.

He said I love

my family Kelly.
I whispered

I love you Michael.

And I did I meant it

With all my heart.

Then at that moment
in the urban forest

of old Central park.
On a vermillion

autumn evening.
I felt him walk into
the door in my heart
that I left opened for only him.
As he entered
I closed it quickly
so he could never leave.
locking it with the only key
that existed.
Then throwing it

Deep into the brambled
undergrowth of the

urban woodlands
never to found again.*