The Day Before

He had just finished his last day of high school and was now walking to the park, just as he had done every day after school for the last four years. As he rounded the corner the green grass spread out like a carpet before him, and beyond was the little bench perched on the edge of the pond. His shoulders dropped and he let out a defeated sigh, he had hoped, on this very last day, but no, she wasn’t here.

He made his way across the field and then sunk down onto the splintered wooden seat. The bench was falling apart, it would need to be replaced soon he thought as he stared out across the pond. His mind wandered, he thought about her. That last time they talked they had agreed to meet here, on this bench. When he arrived at Linda Vista Park the day after that conversation the bench was empty. He told himself he was just early, he waited. Then he told himself she was just running late, he waited. Then he started to worry that something might have happened to her. Eventually, as dusk fell, he gave up and went home. That was four years ago.

He didn’t know why he was so infatuated with her, he didn’t even know what she looked like, but from the moment he had heard her voice all those years ago he had known there was something there. He never told anyone else, how could he? They’d think he was crazy! He had only talked to her on the phone a few times, but he had felt it, there was a connection. She was his soulmate; he could see their future together! That’s why he kept going back to the park day after day, for four years; he just knew someday she would show up.

When she wasn’t there that first day he started trying to call her as well, she had given him her phone number, but the calls never connected. Then one day he dialed the number and it actually rang! A man answered, but he said he did not have any kids. The man explained he had just gotten this phone number when he moved into this new house with his new wife. That was the last time he ever tried to call, figuring the number was written down incorrectly. He was sure she didn’t have his number either; every time they had talked it was because she had misdialed when trying to call someone else, dialing his number was always a mistake. That’s why he was so sure they were connected; she’d accidentally called him four times! It couldn’t have been a coincidence!

So today was his very last day at the bench, tomorrow he would graduate from high school and then he would report to the Oakland Army Base for deployment, he had been called to the war on the other side of the world. He wondered if he would ever be back here again.