Apart & Together

Apart & Together
Apart.
They were suddenly at the same stall at that market, the one with the clothes and jewelry from far away places. They didn't know they were standing side-by-side. They didn't know they were together again, because they had wandered.
In silence, separately, they reached for the same thing. Green and black stone embedded in leather. A beautiful thing hand-made by someone they would never meet.
Their hands touched. They stopped and turned to each other. They smiled as they saw each other as though for the first time. They looked into each others eyes in that way people so rarely do. They saw each other.
Hey. It's you.
Hey. Yes, it's me. And it's you.
It's me and you again. How long has it been? 15 years?
Almost 20.
Wow. Almost 20 years.
They kissed and they hugged a 20 year hug.
Together
They were suddenly at the same stall at that market, the one with the clothes and jewelry from far away places. They didn't know they were standing side-by-side. They didn't know they were together again, because they had wandered.
In silence, separately, they reached for the same thing. Green and black stone embedded in leather. A beautiful thing made by someone they would never meet.
Their hands touched. They stopped and turned to each other. They smiled as they saw each other as though for the first time. They looked into each others eyes in that way people so rarely do. They saw each other.
Hey. It's you.
Hey. Yes, it's me. And it's you.
It's me and you again. How long has it been? 15 years?
Almost 20.
Wow. Almost 20 years.
They kissed and they hugged a 20 year hug.