left behind
Shari DeAngelo
I went out for a walk, just after the rain had stopped. Can you believe someone left these behind? Seems like I had a dream about red roller skates once. I'm sure now that I did.
The following is written by curlsdiva. and I am forever indebted to her for sharing what this photo inspired.
"The weather didn't look too promising but she'd promised herself that today was the day.
In the trendy sports store, she had been surrounded by youngsters chattering excitedly as they compared skate stories. More than once, she almost bolted, but stuck to it, even when the salesperson (surely younger than her granddaughter?) asked if she'd like the skates gift-wrapped.
The park was busy with family strollers. She stopped at the bench by the front gate, took the beautiful red skates from her pack and put them on. There, they didn't look so bad.... Standing upright, with a flare of nostril that said 'damn what people think', she pushed off along the path. Within a few strokes, she had found her rhythm and was bowling along, ears tingling in the breeze.
Then she saw the dog.
Parentage one hundred per cent mutt and bouncing happily around its boy, all paws and drool. She smiled indulgently as it came bounding across. And suddenly she was examining the herringbone pavers of the path from ground level. The owners of the dogs appeared, all apologies, treating her, she realised with irritation, like a 98 year old who'd lost her walking frame as well as her marbles. With very little dignity left, she was helped to a bench where she sat, winded, for a few minutes.
Then with a sigh, she untied the laces of the red skates and placed them on the bench beside her. Head held high, and in stocking feet, she walked off, not glancing back once."
Used with permission by curlsdiva.
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