What's a Friend but This?

There was that time on the subway. I was feeling quite disillusioned, really lonely, stupid tears bubbling over the brims of my eyes. On the other side of the car diagonal from me was an unusual pair, an Asian woman and a typical "downtown" man. The "downtowner", in my definition, is that man who, upon sighting, immediately brings to mind New York. He's shortish, with graying curly, curly hair, most likely a nose on the bigger side, and lots and lots of lines on his face. He mostly wears all black. He's usually someone that you could imagine being heir to a bagel kingdom (or, at least someone who you'd imagine to have a diet that's heavy on the bagels, don't hold the schmear.) So, here's our downtowner deluxe having a grippingly intense conversation with the Asian lady, who has a sweet, open face and is wrapped in layers of coats, although somehow she makes it look comfortable to be in so much bulk. That's what I mostly remember about her.

Anyway, these two are engaged in some sort of conversation; from what I could ascertain, they were discussing the creative merits of different people they knew, the way these friends in their lives were able to influence them. The image I have of that day is the man, face so deeply lined that it had shadows, rubbing his face in the effort to listen to this woman. So complete was his attention that he was physically straining to become one with their conversation. His mouth was slack, his eyes focused on an indiscriminate point, eyebrows furrowed. He was literally leaning his ear toward the woman's quick-moving lips. Again and again, he rubbed and re-rubbed his face, completely taken in by her words, accompanied by a frenzied nodding of his head. "Yes. I see you. I understand you." is what his actions seemed to be saying. It occurred to me then that there are people out there capable of really listening, capable of giving and not just taking intellectually.

I'll always think of that day with mixed emotions; a bit of sadness, I guess just because that's how I was feeling at the time, but also wonder, wonder and excitement at the friendships that I have seen with my own (bleary) eyes are possible.

More stories to come!