Two Men
Same neighborhood, two different worlds
Two Men
The two men nodded as they passed each other on the narrow city sidewalk. In a larger, more busy area, a mass of pedestrians could not have borne the effort of acknowledging each other. But this was an old, residential neighborhood and pedestrians were occasional, not frequent. And so, they nodded.
It was late afternoon, on one of the side streets that led from the commercial area into the residential part. It was not all that secluded, but it was apart from the busier, more trafficked area where the businesses were.
A few days later, they passed again, nodded again. This time they both subconsciously registered that they both must live nearby, or they would not have passed by twice. Over the next few weeks they passed each other a number of times more. The one man was newer to the neighborhood, and he thought that it would be appropriate for him to stop and introduce himself, but the other man seemed too deliberate in his step to be detained.
And so, it remained. Each had a life to live, and their lives intersected only occasionally, only on this narrow city sidewalk which joined the commercial area to the residential area.
The man who was new to the neighborhood was married. They were younger, had no children, but anticipated starting a family before too long, once they were a little more settled. They were becoming established in their careers and wanted to hold off on the kids until they could more easily accommodate them. And they needed to establish themselves more solidly, financially. They had just bought a house, which stretched their finances, in one of the trendiest neighborhoods in the city. Urban renewal was working wonders, bringing back to life old buildings that had been neglected and had been serving only as a last refuge of the poor. It was indeed a beautiful area, with mature trees that flourished, even though surrounded by concrete and brick. The buildings were old, over a hundred years old, but the houses, the neighborhood, were being methodically rehabbed, not to perfection, but to a desirable quaintness.
The couple decided to try a restaurant in the commercial area, one that they had not yet been to, but which had been recommended. The restaurant was not large, seating perhaps thirty people. But that made it more intimate. They were asked if it was their first time there. When they said it was, they were told of some of the features of the menu. It was busy, bustling, but not crowded. Not yet. They had beat the rush by a little bit.
They ordered and were enjoying the meal, with wine, discussing their plans, their future. It was busier now, in the restaurant. The man absently looked as a bus boy came and cleared a table not far away. It was the other man, the one that he passed regularly on the sidewalk. He felt awkward, but didn’t know why. It seemed that their combined destiny was to pass each other on the sidewalk, and now that destiny was disturbed. As he observed the bus boy, the bus boy looked up and saw him. They nodded.