Such Is life

Flash Fiction

Such Is Life

Jane, walking along the path in the park like she did every day. Not because she liked it, but because her doctor threatened her. If she didn’t keep up with her daily walking, she might not be walking anymore soon… How could the seventies be so much harder than the sixties were?

Granted she was not the most physical person on earth, but walking every day was boring. She would much rather be watching TV! She laughed at her thoughts. Living alone, she found that she talked herself into a lot of stupid thoughts. Fortunately, eventually realizing they were stupid. If she wanted to be able to walk, she should not sit on the sofa all day watching stupid TV shows.

Suddenly a voice came from behind her. “Don’t move!” It was a man’s voice. Her first thought automatically assuming it was a crook trying to steal her money. Too bad, she had no money on her. It almost made her laugh again!

But then the voice said, “You have a very large spider on your sleeve! Don’t move, I’ll get it off!”

Jane froze. A man came around front, with a stick in his hand, and on top of the stick a very large spider!

“Oh, my goodness!” she said, for lack of knowing what to say. “Please don’t kill it!” Jane never killed living things if she could save them.

“Oh, I won’t! I just didn’t want you to get bitten! He’s a gorgeous one, isn’t he!” And the man set the spider down on a low branch near the path.

Jane looked at the man, familiar…? Could this be David from high school? Sixty years ago?

Jane and David got married three months later. They had a very sweet, twenty odd more years together.

Such is life.