“Even a chance acquaintance is part of one's destiny.” 袖振り合うも多生の縁
Two clouds, floating ever so slowly through the soft blue sky, one from either direction, moved closer on a path towards collision. Angels, their beautiful song filling the air like a lullaby, sat serenely on separate pillows of softness, gently flapping their enormous wings to deflect the heat of the sun's rays from the cloud's tiny inhabitants.
The tiny souls, cuddled within the silken folds, glanced across the gap and in lightening recognition, they reached out. Before their chubby fingers could touch, thunder boomed and a puff from their guardian’s breath blew the clouds apart. Continuing separate but in the same direction, the angels resume their soothing.
Both women reached the entrance to the Lamaze class at the same time. Neither paying attention to the other, one searching the contents of her purse, the other looking over her shoulder and urging her lagging husband to move faster. The collision of their large pregnant bellies causing a surprising halt to their forward motion. “
Whoa, Jesus Christ, did you feel that?” The purse digger rubbed her stomach. “I think she tried to jump right into you.”
“Whew! Yes, I felt it.” The other released a breath. “I thought my heart was going to stop, he jumped so hard. Look how he’s kicking.” She raised her top, exposing her trembling stomach. “He’s been so quiet lately, but he’s definitely awake now, Jaanu.” Turning to her husband, she stepped away from the door.
“I told you he was fine. Smart fellow,” The father pat his wife’s belly before pulling down her shirt. “already knows his attention should be on the ladies. I will do my best to teach him to respect them."
Three weeks later, Paisley lay in her little glass isolate, her face turned to her left and her eyes trying their hardest to focus on the face of the baby staring at her.
“His name is Malachi.”
Turning to face the voice whispering into her left ear, Paisley’s mother looked into the face of the mother from the Lamaze class.
“Oh, hi. So, that’s who he is. That explains it, I’ve been here ten minutes. The nurse has turned her face to the window three times and little Paisley always turns back to watch him. He’s quiet and content only when they're facing each other.”
“That’s so bizarre. Do you think infatuation starts young?”
“Sure seems that way.”
“I didn’t know you would be having your baby here.”
“I wasn’t supposed to, Paisley was in a rush. Seemed as if nothing was keeping her from coming. We go home tomorrow.”
“We leave in a couple of hours.”
And that's how they lived life, continuously rushing past destiny.
Accidentally enrolled in the same baby classes, same schools-brushing past, but never really meeting. For years Paisley and Malachi’s paths running parallel, but never crossing. In school she would have the urge to lookup, see him watching her from across the room, hallway, schoolyard and move in his direction...only to have something redirect their steps. Until many years later, when fate stepped in as they bumped each while trying to enter the revolving doors of an office building. Her huge red wagasa 和傘 falling from her hands and landing at his feet.
Paisley clutched the material covering her heart as Malachi released a rush of air. One of his hands holding her elbow to steady her while the other put the Japanese umbrella back into her hands.
“You’d swear we’ve been through this before. Feels like deja vu.”
“I know. I felt it too, geese.” She laughed, head down as she lifted her backpack to her shoulder. “I thought my heart was going to stop.” And stopped, she thought it had when she raised eyes and found herself looking up, into the face lowered to her height.
For years she’d imagined what she would do if she had a chance to meet him face to face and now that she had, all she could do was stand like a love-struck groupie and calmly try to get her heart rate to slow down.
“Well, don’t die right here, we’re already holding up the line.” He indicated the people behind them with a tilt of his head. “You go first.”
“Oh, gosh.” Turning, she hurried through the entrance.
Digging her hand into the side of her backpack in search of a pen, she never slowed her forward movement, knowing full well a pause would cause the rotating momentum of the glass doors to stop abruptly. She was so intent on getting the pen and a slip of paper, she never noticed the rotation ceasing until she ran full speed into the door in front of her- hitting her forehead with such force, the flesh broke. She felt herself tumbling backward and braced herself for the pain from hitting the floor.
Almost as quickly as she fell, she maneuvered her embarrassed form into a position where she could use her elbow to push into a standing position. Paisley was surprised to feel her body lifted from the floor and the contracting muscles of a powerful chest tighten under her cheek as the forward movement of his body started the rotation of the doors to open into the foyer of the building. Continuing across the foyer until he lay her on the seat cushion of the nearest settee.
WHEN CLOUDS TOUCH
