A Brief Conversation
Eyes tracing the snow-dusted cracks between stones where weathered concrete filled the frosty gaps, he strolled forward. Boots planting firmly on the frosted rocks and then kicked out half absent-mindedly half animated, the man walked on, arm wrapped around the shoulder of a girl, his checkered sleeve scrunching a divot in the soft beige fabric of her coat.
"Garland," she said in a hoarse voice crackling above the breeze whipping by, as she turned to look up at his brown eyes, "Do you think growing old together is the right objective?"
Garland looked into her grey eyes smiling curiously up at him. "Where's this coming from?" he retorted softly, sliding his arm from her shoulder to adjust his scarf as he continued pressing himself against her side.
"Oh nevermind." she chuckled, turning back to look further along the path at the street, lamps casting warm orange glows into the swirling air.
"I'm curious, Eli. Seems like a big question; I just wasn't expecting it, y'know?"
Eli trudged on, the gray fabric on her non water proof boots began to darken as it got slightly damp from the droves of snow she kicked through.
"I guess I'm just thinking," she continued after a while, eyes fixed on the pulsating light glinting off of a car's hood a couple yards away, "I love being with you--and love you, of course--but everyone always talks about growing old together. Doesn't that miss the present?"
"Doesn't that just mean spending our lives together?" he offered, bearded face turned to her.
"But even that. Why is the importance always placed on the future. The nebulous, indefinable future. If I love being with you now, isn't that enough? Shouldn't it matter more for it to be good and loving for the present?" she exclaimed outwardly, breath crystallizing in swirling arcs escaping from her mouth.
"Do you not think we're gonna last?" Garland asked, his tone betraying a tinge of concern.
"No--I mean yes," she corrected shaking her head, "I think we're gonna be together for a long time. I love you and want to be with you."
"So what's with the philosophizing?"
"If the burden is on the future, then doesn't that forget the present? We don't live in the future; we'll never live in the future. We only have now--the present. Shouldn't the burden be on being happy and loved now? Now and always?"
"I don't think I understand what you're getting at?" He expressed, placing his arm around her.
"Nevermind," she sighed, turning to look at him with a weak smile, "Let's get to dinner. It's cold"
