This is the first scene in chapter one. It takes place umpteen years after Rosemary's birth.
I'm gonna need some male perspective on this one, to make sure I got it right enough.
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It was what Nathaniel considered a perfect day. Comfortable temperature, not quite T-shirt and shorts weather, but warm enough for the girls to be wearing cute outfits that showed just enough. A slight breeze carrying nearby smells through the air, both the pleasant scent of blooming flowers and the fun fragrance of passing perfume. The sun peeking out from behind big fluffy clouds. And the park full of the sounds of happiness from children, animals, and adults alike.
He was sitting on one side of a stone bench just large enough for two, sideways so his feet dangled over the other edge. His laptop rested on his legs while his eyes wandered over the park. It was too nice a day to be thinking so hard. But as much as he wanted to run around and play, he also wanted to solve the most recent puzzle on his mind. Could the beliefs of creation and evolution both be right? Could they co-exist? More importantly, if they could he wanted to know how. And if they could not, he wanted to know why not.
Surely there was something somewhere in one that disproved the other, or that explained the other. So far he had concluded that the biggest flaw in evolution was did not account for what started it all. He did very much like evolution because for every question of "but where did that come from?" or "but how did that happen?' there was an answer, all they way back to things that wouldn't be considered life but only the building blocks of life and even before that. And Nathaniel was all about answers. He always wanted to know Why. But where evolution satisfied his thirst for answers at nearly every turn, it failed to answer the all important first question. Where did everything come from? For example, if there had been a Big Bang that started everything in motion, what caused it and where did all the energy and matter that was involved come from? And what made all the laws of physics and nature they way they are? Why, why, why?
On the other hand, creation had a very simple and elegant answer to the all important first question. God. Nathaniel was not enough of a scientist to dismiss outright things he could not see or measure. Especially when so many things had no answers. He didn't believe coincidences were just that either, somewhere inside he felt everything had some meaning no matter how small. Which is all the more reason he wanted to know what those reasons were. But it also seemed to him people used God too much as an excuse for things they didn't want to know or for things they wanted to blindly believe.
Then again, he had discovered many times over most people were much more comfortable being ignorant of everything going on in the world around them. And he couldn't fault them for that, sometimes it was just nicer not to know about the atrocities that went on. But that also meant not knowing about all the other stuff, and Nathaniel simply couldn't live like that.
Couldn't God have created evolution? After all, when a concept for something great occurred when had the concept ever been brought into reality immediately as the end result? Never, as far as Nathaniel had found. Every great concept always began as something much smaller and was built up to its envisioned form. It only made sense humanity would be the same.
Nathaniel looked up from the research on the screen in front of him, up towards the crystal blue sky spattered with white. So much information to go through. So much nature to enjoy. He was quite thankful for the invention of the laptop and the wireless internet that allowed him to indulge in both his favorite activities at the same time! When temperatures were not at their extremes, he much preferred to be outside doing anything.
"Look out, Mister!"
Nathaniel turned in time to get hit in the shoulder by a large ball. It was one of the red rubber playground kinds, sturdy enough to make his arm smart but not enough to do any real damage. A kid about ten years old came running after it, catching it as it bounced low to the ground back towards him. Behind him two other children stood watching.
"Sorry!" one of them yelled to Nathaniel.
Nathaniel rubbed his arm for a second to be sure it was going to be fine, then waved at the children to indicate all was forgiven.
He took a few moments to look around at the people in the park. People watching was interesting too, as another form of gathering information, but not one Nathaniel was particularly good at. Especially when a person looked like that!
She was all that. Nathaniel found he couldn't look away. Long curly blonde hair that shined in the sun and bounced with every step she took. Flawlessly smooth skin like a porcelain doll, but the color of lightly roasted peanuts or a perfect tan. A true hour glass shaped figure, bust and hips created curves every which way she turned. Strong long legs that kept going up and up. Heels high enough to show off her ankles and make her walk in that way that drives men nuts. All of which was nicely displayed by the dress that flared slightly at the thigh and form fit all the way to the neck without seeming to cling anywhere.
She looked to be his age too. And she was the perfect height as well, just short enough that she needed heels but not so short that even in heels you looked down on her. When she momentarily turned his way to flash a smile at someone, his heart jumped. Her eyes were as blue as the sky above them today, with a sparkle of life in them he had seldom seen in anyone over five years old. He didn't care she was way out of his league, he wanted to meet her. He wanted to talk to her. He wanted...
...to not suddenly be at a loss for words as the girl passed him by.
Nathaniel watched with a sinking heart as she walked away. With every step she took his disappointment grew. He desperately wanted to call after her, to go after her, but he couldn't find the courage.
And then, as her purse swayed with her walk, something slipped from the corner and fell almost soundlessly on the grass. Nathaniel's eyes locked on it. Just as quickly as his hopes jumped he bolted from the bench, not even thinking to take care for his laptop, which dropped forgotten to the ground. All that mattered in this moment was the object she had lost.
On reaching the item he found it to be a small mirror. It didn't really matter to Nathaniel. He said a silent Thank You to whomever was listening as he picked it up. Then he took a deep breath, and quickly jogged up behind girl.
He reached out to tap her on the shoulder, but at the last moment couldn't bring himself to mess up the vision that she was. He was sure he would do so if he touched her. "Um, excuse me?" he said instead to get her attention.
She turned around, and they both stopped walking. On seeing it was indeed her attention that was being sought, she gave him an inquisitive look. With her eyes now actually on him, Nathaniel lost all memory of what was going on and merely looked back at her. She was beautiful and mysterious, and paying attention to him! Why was that again? Oh right, he had her make up thingy. He was about to offer it to her when she spoke.
"Yes?" she prompted him.
Nathaniel lost all ability to think in that moment. Her voice was soft and angelic, like the most pleasant song. He loved the sound, and simply wanted to hear more.
"Do I know you?" the girl asked after a moment of silence had passed.
Her question made Nathaniel jump slightly as he came back to the world. "Oh, um, uh," he fumbled for words while his mind worked as fast as it could to understand her question and seek out the answer. "I mean. No," he smiled to try and cover for the awkward moment. "I don't believe we've met before," he finally managed to say and sound coherent.
She nodded, but pulled her purse into a more secure position as she looked around. "Can I... help you with something?" she offered hesitantly.
Suddenly Nathaniel found he was very nervous. He hadn't meant to scare her. He didn't want her to think he was dangerous, or some sort of weirdo. Not that he had done such a great job of proving otherwise thus far.
Good going, he chided himself as he started fidgeting with the object in his hands.
Just get yourself out of this!"Um, no, um...." He looked down at his hands, and seeing the mirror remembered why he was in this position in the first place. "Oh, here. You dropped this." He held it out to her.
The girl's attitude changed abruptly when she saw the mirror. She smiled sweetly at Nathaniel. "Thank you," she said. As she took it, her hand gently touched his. But he didn't notice.
She's smiling at me!The girl tucked her mirror securely back into her purse, gave Nathaniel a parting smile, and turned to walk away. That Nathaniel did notice.
"Wait!" he called after her. She turned half way back towards him with an expectant look, but kept walking. He only hesitated slightly, this time knowing what he wanted. "What's your name?"
She giggled slightly. "Rosemary!" she called over her shoulder, then turned again and headed out of the park.
Labels: Story, The Lost Song
