Chapter 6: Parting

Chapter 6

Charles, thought nothing more of that rather abrupt encounter with Rose. He cared not whether he saw her again or not. To him, it would be the same as if you and I were accidentally to bump our shopping carts into another’s at the store, we would say, “ oh, pardon me.” Then we would say, “ haven’t I seen you somewhere before?” “ Yes, I think we went to school together.” “ That is right.” et cetera, et cetera. “ Well, good day now, goodbye.” We wouldn’t probably see one another again. We wouldn’t care if we did or not.

When Charles returned home that evening, he found Robert, as usually, idling in front of his television. He related very little of Rose, but let us hear what he said:

Robert began the conversation: “ It is Monday, did you go to the library?”

“ Yes I did, actually.” Charles replied plopping himself into his own seat next to Robert’s. Charles then began to fumble through the CD’s he picked out.

“ Which ones this time?” Robert asked

“ Er, same old; Beethoven, Stravinsky. Those gentlemen.” Charles replied.

Robert glanced a single eye at the CD’s and then turned back to his television set.

“ Oh, and there was something else.” Charles added with an extra touch of blitheness.

Robert smiled faintly, but honestly. His eyebrow raised, as his attention slowly diverted from the television, back to Charles. 

“ And what was that?” He asked.

“ Oh,” Charles felt uncomfortable, he tried to brush it off. “ This girl in the library, she noticed me reading the stamp of my old mentor, that was pressed into a book. She related to me that she had a few books imprinted with that stamp.”

“ Ah, so she did?” Robert replied with wavering interest.

“ Yes, yes.” Charles’s thoughts began to wander back to the library. “She re-approached me a few minutes later, started a short little conversation about music--”

“ What did you tell her??” Robert asked wearily.

“ Nothing, nothing much, actually she spatted off a few of her favorite works of Beethoven, correct names, might I add.”

“ Impressive.” Robert said nodding his head sincerely.

Charles nodded his head in agreement. “ Afterword, she fled. Just like that. She seemed quite apprehensive.”

Robert said nothing, apparently his attention grew back onto the blaring television.

“ She told me her name.” Charles said, mesmerized in his own reflections. “ What was it now??” He closed his eyes, straining to think.

“ Ah, it doesn’t matter now.” Robert tried to ease him.

“No, no, what was it now... Rose! Yes!!” He exclaimed. “ Rose, her name was Rose.”

Robert chuckled at Charles’s endearing enthusiasm, “ Rose is a pretty name.” His chuckle grew into a thin smile.

~

That was all that transpired between the two men, concerning Rose. However, Rose, as she sat basking in the sun of the sunroom of her house, thought quite a deal about Charles. He was very charming, Rose prayed to her Papa that she might see him again. However it reoccured to Rose that she might just be in one of her: “ I wish I had a Dad moods.” So in a way, she tried to rebuff her heart. It was not hasty to give up so quickly, however.