Caroline

A flash fiction piece about a young woman who changes the life of an old man by showing him the beauty and opportunities of life.

The orange in her hair made the pigeons gawk. She danced and sang all the way out of the bus. Caroline, they called her---a flame if I ever saw one. Once her dainty feet hit the pavement, the city turned to gold. I remember seeing her that day, brimming with hope and optimism. The energy I had once seen in myself oh, so long ago. As if she were a fairy tale damsel, her melodious voice carried the birds away, filled the block with ember sensations, and engaged the weary beggars. Though I saw the same scene every day, something was different about Caroline. Surging like a graphically animated being, the woman glided passed the first few pedestrians.
"Hello there!" she said. "Pleased to meet you!" she beamed. "Isn't the world just full of passion and love?" she rang.
I chuckled and tipped the brim of my hat, thinking her journey would end right then and there. But when she passed me that fateful day---late in August when the humidity was so thick you would be considered a prude if you so much as smiled---I stood corrected. Standing in front of me with her cherry red lipstick, her batty lashes, and her vintage dress shoes, she changed my life.
"The world is full of opportunities!" she exclaimed, raising her suitcases chock-full of every item to her name. "Go out and seize them!"
My neck was bent inward. The startling echo of her perfectly pitched voice caught me off guard. I was stunned by her bright countenance, her blossoming aura.
Blinking like an idiot, I watched her traipse down the final stretch of sidewalk. Her heart burst with light. Each step she took was followed by an earthquake that rocked me to the very core.
Caroline, they called her.
When the rest of us sought refuge, she sought enlightenment. When the city burned from scalding rays, she pranced through them. When my own inferences tried to make me feel better about myself, she spoke. Who was this dame?
Though I never saw Caroline again, I always stood by that same spot---a few yards from the old bus stop---in hopes of seeing someone like her. Year after year, I take her place and greet the guppies, starstruck and naive. It is my own voice I hear when I say, "The world is full of opportunities! Go out and seize them!"

Author's Note

I'm not a baby, so help me write better!

Reviews

[Jordan T. Hawkins]

"engaged the weary beggars" "blossoming aura" "heart burst with light"
I got great pleasure from these lines. I like your writing. I also liked that you were able to wrap up the entire story from beginning to end in less than a page.
My only critique is about your pen name... May I ask, what's your middle initial? Greg Hanks just isn't all that catchy. Maybe Gregory would have a better sound to it. idk...but the story was good!

[Eileenws]

Caroline sounds like a very interesting person. As I was reading I was wondering if she had special needs. The point of the story is that she has a message. Go out and seize opportunities. Nicely done. Eileen