Pedestal

I fell in love with him a little every day that summer. I used to see him walking his dog, chatting with Red, that was his dog’s name, as if he could understand every word.

Occasionally, I would see them playing fetch or rolling in the grass in the local park. The dog seemed to ooze joy and well-being.

One day, I saw him save a little boy who had run gleefully away from his frantic mother…into the street when a car was coming. The car screeched to a halt, right over the spot where the little boy would have been if hedidn’t run and swoop him up while still running. My heart stopped for a moment. The mother hugged him and her son so many times before she finally took her son and left.

Another day, I saw him chatting with one of the old ladies in the neighborhood, making her giggle like a teenager. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one smitten with him. He was tall, handsome, kind, funny, charming…everyone loved him.

One night, I was walking through the park on my way home from work. I heard them before I saw them.

“He’s just my friend, Billy,” a female voice said.

“Right. I see how he looks at you Elaine. I don’t want you spending time with him anymore.”

“Billy, we’ve been friends since we were kids. Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not choosing between you. He’s my friend. You’re my boyfriend. You need to trust me, or this isn’t going to work.”

“Is that a threat, Elaine? Are you threatening to break up with me?”

“Billy, let go of me. That hurts.”

“I asked you a question, Elaine.”

“Billy, I said let go. I’m not going to talk to you until you do.”

As I rounded the path, the couple came into view. It was him. They didn’t see me. But I saw them. Him. As he let her go, she turned to stalk away from him. Before she got too far, he grabbed her shoulder, twisting her to face him with one hand and smacking her so hard she fell to the ground with the other.

“You don’t walk away from me, Elaine,” he snarled, standing over her.

I stood frozen, staring as the pedestal crumbled to dust beneath his feet. Fortunately, someone else passed by and asked if there was a problem. The charming mask fell back into place as Billy leaned over to help Elaine up and hugged her close, holding her head against his chest.

“Nah, my girlfriend just fell,” he lied with a smile. “No problem at all. Thanks, though, buddy.”