The Dinosaur
The dinosaur cast his gaze over the damsel, in her eyes he found his immortality. It all happened nearly twelve months ago as I was walking through the woods. My life was still a mess after Rob had walked out on me to shack up with his pretty little ‘legs up to her armpits’ Jezebel of a petrol attendant. I of course had ten years, two stone, three kids and a pimple on her. Why does life do that? At thirty-five I felt old, well worn, and discarded. My eyes had sagged, my bum had drooped, and well, my boobs were rapidly heading for southern counties. As I walked through the woods that day with my dog Kai, I was ruminating, on what had caused the collapse of our relationship. After all if Rob had been a blissfully happy married man, Venus herself couldn’t have turned his head, never mind some bleached blonde petrol seller, with a penchant for micro mini skirts. Rob was six years my junior, maybe he had just been too young to settle down. With hindsight and a post-mortem of our life, I can see that he had always been restless, begrudging the fact that he was a husband and father with responsibilities that had to be met, before he could go swanning off to the pub with his mates. Though wasn’t his youthful exuberance one of the things that I loved about him? That little-boy-lost look when we got into a confrontation over money. His excited rambling, when he had one of his Get Rich Quick schemes that always fizzled and died when he was struck by the next one. By the end of our marriage, our lives were cluttered by a half written novel, a half restored classic car, a half built greenhouse--for the market garden-- and 63 demijohns filled with some green and festering liquid that was going to be the ‘Vin de Harrison’. He had the first three Bat-man comics ever, the first set of football stickers ever, and the first divorce in the Harrison family...ever. I was missing him, but now I can see, that I was missing him in the way that I would miss Billy, our eldest, if he ever went off to college. I missed his enthusiasm, I missed tidying up after him, I missed being needed by him. I looked up from my self-indulgent depression; and he was there. The dinosaur. He was sitting on a tree stump in front of me, looking for all the world like half a mountain. I smiled at him and said “Hello”. People did that in the woods. Even if he was a dinosaur, it was perfectly all right to say hello. It was a dog thing, most of the people who walk in the woods are dog owners, that in itself affiliates them, and makes them all part of a big free club. He raised his hand, smiled and said “Hi”. At that moment fate decided to take a hand, I would have walked straight passed him, had not his hippopotamus of a dog come hurtling along the path towards me in some madly exciting, chase game. He was followed closely by Kai, with his tongue hanging out, and spittle flying in all directions. There was no escape. This whopping great beast of a Bull Mastiff was almost upon me still in full flight, he caught me at the back of my knees, sending me sprawling across the path, with my legs akimbo, and my mouth agape. Kai was close on the dogs tail, grinning all over his stupid face. He lept over me with an excited yelp which could well have been “Mother what are you doing, lying on the floor like that? Come on, get out of the way, I’m gaining on him.” The dinosaur was at my side in an instant, his face full of concern. He helped me to my feet, apologising all the time. My face was as red as some of the autumn leaves that were still clinging here and there to the trees. I was trying to muster as much dignity as I could as I assured him that I wasn’t hurt. At that second the hooligans reappeared, this time Kai in the lead, and The Mastiff barking happily at him to slow down. The dinosaur moved like lightening, and before I had the chance to protest I found myself surrounded by a huge arm, which pulled off the path to safety. By this time we were both in hysterics at the dogs antics, and couldn’t move for laughing, though I was tremendously aware that his arm was still wrapped securely around my waist to save me from overbalancing. Sadly at this point he removed said arm, in order to hold the hand out for me to shake. “Well” He said still laughing, “If you’ve quite finished flinging yourself into my arms, perhaps we ought to introduce ourselves, as, it appears our dogs have already done so. I’m Dave pleased to meet you” Once again I felt my cheeks beginning to burn. The arrogance of the man, I was just about to retaliate with a cutting retort when I looked up and caught the twinkle in his eye, and again we started laughing. I introduced myself, and it seemed the most natural thing in the world to fall in step as we began walking down the path, after all we were both headed in the same direction. We talked dogs, and we were each introduced, to the others trouble maker. When we came to an intersection in the paths it seemed a parting of the ways was inevitable. Kai and I, as was our custom, were heading off on the cross path to the pond, where we usually sat for a few minutes looking at the water, one of us occasionally swam in it, though even he, wasn’t that stupid in November. Dave hesitated it was clear that he had intended to go straight on, and back to the car park. It seemed the ‘Boys’ had other ideas, and went hurtling off along the track towards the pond. Suddenly we heard an almighty splash, followed by a chorus of rowdy barking. We both set off at a run, it was late November and the water would be cold at this time of year. Although the weather itself was inclement, occasionally the rain let up, the sun shone, and it was fresh, just right in fact for walking in the woods. We got to the pond in time to see, Blitz, Dave’s Mastiff, climb onto the bank,he ran towards us, stopped and then, shook! Once again Dave’s arm magically appeared around me, only this time he pulled me firmly into his chest, and swivelled us both round so that all the muddy pond water hit his back. I was very loath to move from this extremely comfortable position, He smelled wonderfully of Opium for Men, and snuggling into his rust coloured, knitted Jumper was a lovely place to be. We laughed a lot that day, as we have laughed every day since. The dogs tore off again, Mastiff chasing Rhodesian Ridgeback, Ridgeback chasing Mastiff, and we found ourselves sitting on a bench at the water edge looking onto the calm murky water. It was beautiful there. Whenever the opportunity arose I stole a look at Dave, the more I looked the more I liked. He had deep clear grey eyes that crinkled at the corners. The crinkles became a valley of creases when he smiled. He had a thick, full head of dark hair, It looked soft, and almost begged to be twiddled as it curled boyishly into the neck of his Jumper. Only the bits above his ears were peppered with eye matching grey, it was very attractive. He was big, six foot two, and very broad, he looked after himself. His Jumper fit where it touched and it was obvious there was no spare fat on him, unusual for a man of his age. Hmmm his age. How old was this Dinosaur that I found myself so very attracted to? He turned out to be forty-seven, twelve years older than myself. That was the start of the best twelve-months of my life to date. And now I’m sitting alone, on ‘our’ bench at the pond reflecting. Dave and I are getting married at twelve-o-clock tomorrow. The biggest problem we foresee in our future, is how on earth we are going to keep our two dogs, under control, not to mention my three kids, and his two. On visiting weekends when we all get together the place becomes a madhouse, kids and dogs everywhere, but we wouldn’t change a thing. Oh the difference those few years he has on me make? Yes they do matter. I love his wisdom, his maturity. His knack for knowing just what to say and when to say it. I love to be supported, rather than always having to be the support. I love my dinosaur. Whoever it was who said that age is only a number was a very wise old owl.
Copyright © 2000 Sue (Sooz) Simpson |