The Rocking Chairs

I was passing by this house every single day. The couple on the porch rocking in their rocking chairs would kindly smile and wave to me, always full of cheer. One day it was a little hotter than usual and I must have looked pretty tired as the lady asked me “Do you want a drink?” I was happy she had asked because I was feeling pretty parched at that point. She ran and brought me back some cold ice tea. That was so refreshing! I said thank you. I looked at their smile, it seemed like they didn’t have a care in the world. Her husband took my glass and brought it back in the house, she had offered me more, but I was fine. I sat down on the step for a moment. The lady talked small talk; her and her husband originally built the house over 40 years ago. They are retired now. She was short, petite with silver hair and perfect olive skin. Her husband was tall with silver hair. They both had the same wrinkles around their eyes and mouth. They were laugh lines. They were characters. They were poking fun at each other and he said she don’t hardly remember anything anymore and she said that’s ok, because he don’t do anything anymore, so we’re perfect and they laughed at each other.

I looked a little harder to see if I could tell what they did when they were younger. I thought that she might have worked in a library or was a teacher. Maybe it was the glasses on her face that led me to believe that. Her husband I took as a doctor or lawyer. He didn’t have real callused hands. He didn’t say too much, but when he did, he was very amusing. I had told them that I usually tried to walk at least seven blocks at night before I sat down with my son to help him with his homework. I had been going all day and had forgotten to each lunch, that was why I was a little tired, and the heat didn’t help much either. I told them my name and they told me theirs.

It was such a pleasure to meet you and thank you so much for the tea. You two are such a cute couple; do you mind me asking what you use to do for a living? I told them what I had thought that they did, and they both just looked at each other and laughed. It turns out that Betty use to be a vaudeville dancer. She was very talented back in the day; she could dance and sing her lungs out. And Harry, he was in a jazz band. He played the trumpet! They continued telling me stories about when they were younger. They use to dance and love going to the other jazz clubs. I am sure that wars have passed, all kinds of music have passed, and even the automobiles that use to roam these streets are distant memories for them now. I looked at them both and said, there’s probably a whole lot in this world that you haven’t seen. I told them that it sounded like they had the time of their life.

They have grown children and grand children now. Life is a lot more settled down and that’s the way they like it. We have these old comfortable rocking chairs and a nice cool breeze and are blessed with each other’s company. What more could we ask for?

They’re right; they found the secret to happiness, each other. I stop by from time to time. I bring them cookies or a pie. I mainly stop by to hear their stories and am still in awe with the playfulness that they have for each other. What more could you ask for?