Looking For Delilah

A young man goes in search for a girl he's never met, and isn't even sure she actually exist.

Looking For Delilah

“Hey there Delilah,” the words pounded through my skull like a broken record, over and over and over. I wanted to scream, but the silly tune remained stuck in my brain.

Traffic zipped past, horns blared, cabbies shouted obscenities. New York was utter chaos. Even so, through all this, nothing could subdue the gentle guitar, soothing voice, and catchy lyrics pinned by a group called The Plain White T's

“Hey there Delilah, what’s it like in New York City?”

The city streets of New York were abuzz with thousands of people going here and there with no apparent order, but always in a rush, phones attached to an ear, lost in their surroundings. A small group stopped at a corner. Like Pavlovian dogs they waiting for the signal to turn green giving them permission to go.

Pigeons swooped downward and then upward perching on a window sill waiting for their morning feeding.

I wondered, as a rat darted under foot,

“How had things come to this?”

Somewhere here, in this mad, crazy, mixed up rush, was a girl named Delilah.

Don't misunderstand, it's not the same Delilah as in the song, I'm almost certain of that.

No, this one was real. She's a living, breathing, flesh and blood Delilah.

I couldn't say as we had ever met, or at least, not that I had noticed, but I’m sure to recognized her when I meet her.

She will shine as brightly as the morning star, just like as in the song,

“Time Square can’t shine as bright as you.”

I was almost certain she would stand out amongst the masses.

She would be the only thing that would make sense in a society of insanity.

But what madness had brought me to this point in life? Did I really believe I would find her here... here in this city of noise and chaotic frenzy?

What was I thinking?

Delilah; what a silly name. I don’t know a single person named Delilah, and yet, here I am, roaming the streets of New York City searching for some girl who may, or may not exist.

Stumbling onto Times Square, I looked around.

Billboards flashed bright lights advertising, “BUY THIS,” or “BUY THAT!”

One sign read, “Fly to the far reaches of the world on OUR Airline. $Only One Million Dollars.$

All those lights, it seemed like such a waste of electricity.

Suddenly, right in front of me, I heard a loud swoosh! It was a noisy bus door opening. It immediately caught my attention.

I watched as a hoard of pedestrians rushed off to get to other places.

Just then, as from out of nowhere, there she was. She was angelical, pure, and, like me, completely out of her element.

Delilah, I was certain of it, stood directly in front of me.

I was dumbfounded and speechless, palms sweating, and face growing flushed.

She looked at me and tapped me on the shoulder,

“Excuse me sir,” she said softly, but can you guide me to the nearest subway entrance?”

“No,” I answered, “ I’m actually lost.”

“Oh my,” she giggled, “That’s too bad. Well, thanks anyway, bye.”

No sooner had she said good bye, she was gone, disappearing in a mass of humanity, swallowed up by the jaws of pandemonium.

I turned around, walked to the nearest bus depot, and caught the next bus home.

I smiled as I thought of her, lost in that mad city.

In a few days I would be home in my quiet little East Texas home, snuggled up next to a warm fireplace with my favorite dog. I called him Rat because sometimes he looked pretty ratty.

But as far as Delilah goes, well, I think of her from time to time, smiling as I do, and think of that one brief moment in time. She‘s a thousand miles away from here, but, oh she looked so pretty, yes she did.

Memories of her are here, right here, here somewhere in my heart.

Author's Note

Aren't we all looking for Delilah?

Reviews

[DecentlyOkayWriter]

"She‘s a thousand miles away from here, but, oh she looked so pretty, yes she did."
. . . . .
(Wait, wait, wait, this is too clever to not mention)

I'm not quite sure what brought me to this short story, but rest assured I almost had a heart attack when I realized all the tiny little references. Even if this was written a whole twelve years ago, it still has enough relevance for me to write this. Stunning work :)

[@]

I don't know that song, so on credit I won't call you an idiot for letting her get away :-)

[Marie]

So...he might not have able to keep the real Deliah, but he will always have her memory.
Very good story.