So, Which Way Are You Going?

She definitely caught my eye. Jesus, how could she not have? Before my censor could step in, I heard myself blurt out, “So, which way are you going?” She said “I’m not.” I said “You’re not what?” She said “Going a way. I’m just going.” I thought that sounded cool. “Mind if I go?” She shook her head ‘No’. “Was that 'No, you don’t mind’ or ‘No, I can’t go?’” She told me to shut up and smiled and took my hand.

So we started walking. There were several paths to choose from and we just picked the one that felt right (though we really didn’t give it much thought). We talked some but mostly just held hands and enjoyed the silence.

All of sudden, while I was rambling on about nothing, she stopped, turned towards me with big, wide eyes and said “SHHHH!” I said, “Did you just SHHH me?” Then she looked at me with the most reverent expression I’d ever seen and gently whispered “Shhh.” I stood there and stared at her for what seemed like forever. Finally she spoke “I think…I think this might be the place.” Then she smiled and her eyes rolled gently back “Oh God…I’m sure of it”

Then I too became sure of it.

And then everything just got real good (though nothing had actually changed at all). Rather it was as if the goodness that had always been suddenly became perfectly obvious.

We looked at each other, our faces a mix of awe and bliss, and burst into a fit of tears and laughter. And then we just laughed and cried and danced and cried and cried.

And then, as best as I can describe, our hearts kind of merged together into one giant heart which took off up through the clouds and flew around the entire world. And then it went around the sun. And then it went around all worlds and all suns throughout all time and all times. We just laid upon the ground, watching, spectators to the grandest, yet simplest, most indescribably beautiful scene one could imagine.

At some point, we drifted off into a deep, restful sleep (the only real sleep either of us had ever known). We awoke facing one another, each looking at the other with a recognition of what had always been. Eventually, our hearts returned and were gladly re-embodied- though from then on I was never again really “me” and she was never again really “her” (but we pretended we were anyway 'cause it made it more fun.)

So we started back walking as there was nothing else that needed doing, time having been rendered utterly meaningless.

We just walked and walked until eventually, she was gone. And then, sometime later, I was gone. And, finally, at long last, the path was gone.

At that exact moment, in another time and place, in another universe altogether, a girl caught a young man’s eye. He smiled and asked “So, which way are you going?”