Echoes of Words To Lucy

Today my friend Lucy at work called me and said she had to tell me something and I wouldn't believe it. I was completely right.

She said that she had injured her knee while running and gone to a new chiropractor. She said he had healing hands, and after just two sessions, she felt great. I nodded -- we agree on the benefits of chiropractic.

He asked her out to dinner, and she didn't think he was her type right off, but he was such a nice guy and also handsome, so she said yes. After a few dates, everything seemed to be going very nicely, and then the chiropractor got very serious and said:

"Lucy, you haven't told me much about your past. But you seem like the person who always takes care of others. You're always taking care of others and taking care of yourself. You don't ask for help. You don't want it. Even when you need it. I'm the man who will be the one to take care of you. To give to you without your asking. To take care of you so you don't have to worry about him. Or yourself. You'll have to learn how to accept what I'm ready to give."

I got goosebumps.

"Those words sound familiar," I said.

"Damned right!" Lucy said, "you told me that and fuck if you weren't right!"

"So what did you do?"

"I told him I didn't know how he knew that about me and we'd have to see."

"Oh, so you blew him off."

"No, I didn't blow him off! I blew him!"

Lucy's a card. She was very freaked out by his saying, word for word, what I had told her back in February. But not as much as I was freaked out. I couldn't understand it.

Words to Lucy

Today I met with Lucyfor lunch. We talked of many things. She told me that her psychic Eleanor told her that she would meet a new man and he would want to live with her, but that it was the man after him that would be The One. A man with blue eyes. I joked that it might be me. She laughed.

On the way back to work, she seemed sad and told me, "Maybe I'll never meet the right guy. I'm 45. I've been divorced twice. I've been around. I've dated everyone. They're all jerks."

I wanted to cheer her up. There was this welling up inside me of something cheerful that I wanted to pass on to her. I told her, "Lucy, you haven't told me much about your past. But you seem like the person who always takes care of others. You're always taking care of others and taking care of yourself. You don't ask for help. You don't want it. Even when you need it. Maybe the next man will be the one to take care of you. To give to you without your asking. To take care of you so you don't have to worry about him. Or yourself. You'll have to learn how to accept what he's ready to give."

She flicked away a little moistness from the corner of one eye and said, "Fuck, if only that were true."