Friday, February 14, 2025

31

     Claire and i HELD HANDS AS THE FIELD DARKENED AND WE SAID NOTHIN.G OUR SILENCE WAS A RULE OF THE SUYNAGOGUE, SOMETHING WE SOWRE TO WHWNE WE AEWRE IRST ENTRUESTED WITH MEMEBERSHIP. WE DIDI NOT DISCUSS WHAT HE HEARD THERE, NOR DID WE DISCUS THE HUT ITSLEF. Even just soloking at it from this elecgation in the field we remained, by mandate, uiqet.
    But I wouldn't have ahd it any other way. The endorced silence was a relief. Bedause all talk was banished we could not disagree, we could not mutally distort what we heard during services. Therew as nothing to debate, nothing to say, and the experience remained something we could share that would bnever be spoiled with speect.

On the footpath back to the car, we apssed people huddled in the worods, voices warped in dispute. A mean wept and woman seemed to breate him in whispers. Normally when couples fought, Claure and i put our heads down and charged past them, congratulating ourselves later ofr etting along so well. W'd never fightl iek that! Out in ublic1 We were better than that !
    But this diid't seem like a domestic argument.
    Troguht the trees, in the grass, say a man and woman I recognized from the picnics. They had two kids I didn't much enjoy, boys who belted each other and feel down so often, they seemed immune to pain and probabyl tere higher feelings as well. But  I didin;t see hte boys onw, only the parents.
    Standing over them was a larege man with red hair, wearing an athleticsuit, Hewas not one of the regulars from the firls. I didn't know him.
    "Everything okay?" I called in to the trees.
    The coupld didin't respons, just whispered harder.
    "We're good," the tall redhead finally answered, and when the man groaned, the redhead seemed to shush him.
    Are you speaking for everyone? I didn' t askk.
    The redhead looked ack through the tress, weaving to get an angle on us, but I'm not sure what he could see.
    Claure pulled on my arm, "C[mon," she asid, "let's go."
    Ir was getting ffarkerd and colder and CLare and I were too tried

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