He saw her sitting by the far corner table of the bar. Normally surrounded by her friends, their laughter could be heard echoing round the room. But tonight she was alone, and there was a strange, almost deathly silence. It unnerved him slightly. There was something wrong tonight, there had to be. Why else would she be sitting with her head in her hands, alone and crying.
He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to find out why he was so drawn to this sad and tearful woman. He had to find out what was wrong.
There were some glasses on the table next to hers, and so he came from behind the bar to collect them. As he approached her table she did not look up.
“Your friends not joining you tonight?”
No response. Whatever reason there was for her sitting here alone, she obviously had no desire to talk about it.
“Do you want another drink? It’s on me.”
Still no response. He turned and made his back behind the bar to continue his work, yet he couldn’t get her out of his mind. He wanted to try and reach out to her again, to take some of the sadness away, to break through the seemingly impenetrable barrier she had built around her.
He carried on serving people, occasionally glancing in her direction. What he saw never changed. A sorrowful figure, huddled in the corner, crying over an empty glass.
He was about to go on his break when he once again glanced in her direction, only this time the young woman wasn’t there anymore. He looked around the bar and just so a glimpse of her as she went out into the beer garden.
He followed her out. As he stood in the doorway he saw her disappear into the shadows at the end of the garden.
She sat down on the swing and began to sway gently; the swing moving to the rhythm of her choking sobs.
He appeared in front of her.
“Are you ok?”
“No,” she replied softly, her voice nearly lost on the cool night breeze.
“Is there anything I can do?”
“No, nothing. I just need to be alone.”
“Why don’t you come inside and have that drink. At least you’ll be warmer in there.”
“No thank you. I don’t feel the cold. I don’t feel anything anymore, only pain.”
‘I wonder who hurt you so much,’ he thought to himself.
“Do you want to talk? I’m a good listener you know.”
“You wouldn’t understand. Nobody could understand what I’m going through.”
“I could try.”
She lifted her head, and at once he understood. He understood perfectly, although he doubted she would believe him.
“Well, I’ll leave you then. You know where I am if you want me, and the offer of a drink is still open.”
“Thanks.”
As he walked away he felt a dull ache inside himself. He had managed to take away a little of her pain, but only because of what he saw in those tear filled crystal blue eyes. Those eyes that could hide nothing. Those eyes that held the look of love.
I Grieve... 