Walking
"Please, go ahead of us".
The male half of a well dressed older couple turned suddenly in front of me. He must have heard the sounds of my feet behind him on the narrow path between buildings that led to the parking structure. He and his wife had been walking slowly, carefully.
I was confused. "No rush, take your time." I waited. I did not feel any hurry. I had found the last xmas gift I wanted to get for that trip. I was done.
His wife stopped and turned then as well, holding onto the wire fence on the right boundary of the path. She glanced at me, and then peered tentatively up the narrow lane ahead, poorly lit with cracked and holed cement. She looked at me again, a weak smile on her face.
"Go ahead" he repeated, firmly.
I blinked, and wondered what was up. But I went. Went right by him, nodding at the mrs. as I walked by. I walked straight ahead, quickly. Mind back to paper and gifts.
The passage ended in a "T", another walkway perpendicular to the one I was on with the wall of the structure in front of me. As I turned, I looked back.
They hadn't really moved. Both of them were back there, watching me. I watched them for a moment, watching me. Confusion again. They resumed walking. I finished my turn and headed to the door of the structure.
I got to my car, opened the door, and got in. I turned the car over, hitting the radio and waiting for the heat to start.
Fear. They were arfraid of something. Me? I had just come from my shop, in a nice jacket and black sweater. Not really intimidating. Something in the passage then. The walk itself maybe, chewed up from hard winters and little care, with a few dangerous steps to be certain.
No. They had been walking before I got there, the man walking next to his wife, almost ahead of her. But they stopped as I walked by, and waited for me to make my turn. They were waiting for me to reach the end of the path. To see if it was all right.
They were afraid of what was at the corner, or, more precisely, around it. Not too afraid to move, but very willing to send me, or someone, through it first, in case.
I wonder what they were thinking. I wonder if they both felt worried silently about what was up that path, around that corner, or if one was worried and the other caught the fear, or if they both commented on it when they first reached the path. I wonder if they had walked this path before, or if this was new to them.
But they kept moving. At least they did that. Together, and despite the fear of one or both. I think they felt relieved I was there to show them it was safe, or at least, safe this time. But they were going, whether anyone was going ahead of them or not, whether something was around that corner or not.
There are worse ways of walking, I suppose.
17 December 2002