By saffire2000@yahoo.com
Date: 2 March 1998

What is a chance meeting?

Do you believe in love at first sight?  Could it be really love?  You can see a
person and be attracted to them but love? No, it is not possible.  You don't 
know a thing about that person, I argued.  They all thought I was cold and 
bitter, maybe I was.  It is not possible to know someone by just looking at him, 
I said again.  They ignored me and went on, speaking of trifle characters like 
Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler, they might as well have thrown in Mickey and 
Minnie to top it off.  How can you know someone at all?  You can be with someone
for years and wake up one day wondering who the hell they are.  Talking, living, 
loving, laughing, cooking, cleaning, camping... everything and yet, one day it's
a stranger you kiss as you head of to work.  How can I believe in love at first 
sight? I asked them, I plead with them to explain how they could believe in 
their love constitution, this undeniable truth that they held as self evident.  
Make me believe, I asked them.  They looked upon me with sympathy and regret.  
And I knew, I had lost.  Not this battle but the War.  He had won, not them, I
would forever be a prisoner of his betrayal.  I ran but could not escape, how 
can you hide from the truth.  Or was it true?  He had lied about everything, 
maybe I could salvage truth from his lies.  My running slowed to a walk and I
found myself in front of the book seller.  The holder of truth, books.  
Slowly, one step at a time I walked up the steps to the glass door.  The door 
opened as I arrived and I cowered as if spirits were welcoming me into a foriegn
domain.  Two older teacher-ish looking women came out.  I stepped in before the
door closed.  I took a deep breath smelling the paper and dust.  I was about to
head to the back of the store when I heard a voice.  "There are some really 
good love stories on the shelves in back there."  I turned to see a man with
the most gloriously honest eyes I had ever seen.  And I thought to myself, well 
maybe not love at first sight...