In a Hand

          The rain drizzled down, each rain drop dancing in the sky as they kiss the ground ever so gently. I stood still with my hand within his as we waited at the bus stop. No roar of cars or buzz of people, we stood separate from the world as we waited within the rain, our hands intertwined. His other one stuffed into his pocket, he stared upwards towards the cloudy sky his hooded head hiding his features. The slight silhouette of the moon seeped through the canvas of clouds. I stared forward towards the road as my mind began to wander towards the past.

The sands of time ebbing away as the street gave way to greenery and a mighty hill that rose above like a mighty king with a kindly knee to sit upon. I saw a little girl crying upon the top of the hill, her tears dripping into the ground underneath the great oak that hid her from the world. Its bellowing trees protecting her from the sun’s rays. Fearful of the world that scares her so. But she heard the squishing of the grass and when she looked up, a little boy crouched to her eye level and left out his hand. The boy with a bushel of dirty brown hair and eyes the color of the grass gave her a toothy grin regardless of his missing front tooth.

“Hey, what’s a-matter? The boy muttered as his hand remained in between them. The girl remained silent as tears dribbled down her cheeks as she sniffed between breaths. The boy remained there, not saying a word. The little girl said nothing but placed her hand in the boys and smiled back that the boy. The small boy just grinned and nodded at her. “Ya! Let’s make it all better.”

I wondered at that moment and looked back at the man beside me. He remained stoic. No sound as we waited for our bus. I wondered what was going inside his head. His eyes remained out a view from me; I could not read his face which remained clocked by his hood. I tightened my grip on his fingers and he responded, tightly gripping mine. Even then, his grip was soft and gentle. The warmth of his fingers comforted me, even in the rain’s cold tears. The clouds above danced as thunder and lightning lite the air above. The swirling lights of yellow and black shifted together in a mosaic of emotions that I could not capture. Like the man I hold, what goes on in the minds of the clouds, in the minds of lightning.

“We shouldn’t go up here!” A teenage boy muttered as he reluctantly followed a blonde girl who pulled him by his hand up a hill with a single tree upon its peak. “A storm is coming!”

“That’s why I got to show you this.” The blonde girl giggled, “Trust me, please?” The boy sighed and nodded as he tightened his grip on her hand. They ran up the hill in unison until they reached the top of the hill, the grass flowing in the wind as they kicked it up with every step. “See?” The girl pointed towards the horizon and the boy stood silently, tiny tears formed on his cheek as he placed on hand upon the tree to lean on. The other he wiped away the tears that dotted his face. The sun was falling into the horizon as its bright lights of orange, red, and yellow pierced the coming rain clouds to form a painting of splitting clouds with a pillar of enraptured colors. The boy sniffed but he flinched as the blonde girl kissed his teary cheek. The boy gave her a toothy smile and chuckled. The boy tightened his hand around the blonde girl’s and stared into her deep blue eyes and muttered something. He gripped both hands around the girl’s and said it louder.

“Thank you.”

I watched as the clouds began to quiet and the rain began to slow until the last drops hit the ground in a soft thump. The man next to me sighed and removed his hood. The moon clipped through the clouds and shone down upon us. His thick brown hair covered his head and his chin as he rubbed through his beard. “I’m sorry…” He muttered as he rubbed the back of his head. His green eyes avoided my eyes, “Nothing seems to be going right today.” He chuckled. “Well except for one thing that is,” He tightened his grip upon my hand. “You’re still here next to me.” He paused and looked away; I spotted his pocket hand rustle around a bit.

“You don’t have to be nervous around me,” I replied to him. His eyes meet mine. His face softens before he chuckled. “What?”

“You say not to be nervous but I can’t help it. How can I be calm with such beauty stares at me with eyes of sapphire?” I blushed before he chuckled. “I know I shouldn’t tease you.” I playfully punched his arm and stuck my tongue out at him.

“You shouldn’t.” I looked away from him before I muttered back at him, “Thank you for the compliment though. I always like your compliments.” He chuckled but he stopped as his eyes lit up like the moon.

“You like my compliments?” He whispered, “I wonder…”

“You wonder what?” He rustled around his pocket with his hidden hand. He remained silent for a second before pausing and taking a deep breath.

“When you look back what do you see…” He asked he stared into my eyes as he asked his hand stretched out just like the he did upon the hill.

“I remember the times we spent together as children and as we grew up. You know those times right?” He chuckled.

“Ya, if you told me where I am now back then I wouldn’t believe you.”

“You probably say something like eek or girl cooties.” I giggled at him.

“No…I always dreamed about what I’m about to ask. Very unlike others like me,” I looked at him for a second. He did not give me any hints and he evaded my direct gaze.  “I wouldn’t believe because I didn’t think I could find it. I didn’t believe an earned the privilege…but it seems I have done something greater. I have found something greater.” He shook his hand once, “Please I ask you to place your hand in mine.” He gave me a toothy grin, “Like old times.” I placed my hand in his. He grabbed my other hand and held both in his. “I want my future to be similar to my past. I want to have these hands to hold to comfort and for comfort. I want to wipe away tears from a sadden cheek. I want to kiss a cheek stained by tears of joy. I guess all I can ask is if you would have me.” He opened my two hands and placed a golden band within them as he covered them with his own. “Would you do me the honor?”

The moon glistened brightly that day as its light glistened off a golden band upon a woman’s hand as she embraced her beloved.