She was dressed in fine array and looking back and forth apparently in search of someone, so the old woman walked over to her and asked, “Are you lost my dear?”
The younger woman removed her designer Sun Glasses.
“No, I am just looking for my husband”, she said as she fluffed her hair. “My attorney has been trying to serve him with divorce papers for some time now but he does not return any of our calls. So I decided to come down to this dreaded dock where he works to serve him with the papers myself.”
The old woman thought to herself, “Young people are so frivolous, in love today and out tomorrow.” She decided to have a little fun.
“Serves him right! If that bum is beating you up, you must leave him immediately!” the old woman yelled.
“No, David would never do that”, the younger woman said while applying her lipstick.
“Well then surely he must be continuously cheating on you and sowing his wild oats all over the place, yes leave him at once!”, the old woman said.
“I doubt that David has ever cheated on me or that he even has it in him to do”, the younger woman said looking puzzled now as she carefully placed her lipstick back into her designer handbag.
The old woman took the younger woman by the hand and leading her over to the table, sat her down for a talk.
“If your husband is not beating you up, is most definitely not cheating on you and is obviously a hard worker, then please help me to understand why you have come down here to this dock all dressed up with divorce papers for him?”
“It's quite complicated”, the younger woman started very sophisticated like. “When David and I got married he was a famous athlete. We had lots of money and David promised to give me the best of everything. But then he got injured so he lost his Major League Contract. Working here at this dock barely pays David enough to handle our bills. It's just becoming too much for me now.” she said in disgust.
“My dear, have you ever stopped to think about what it's doing to David? Have you considered that you are mainly responsible for the bills that his pay can't cover because you so desire the best of everything? David is giving you the best of everything now. As he makes his way early down to this old dock, and takes up the back breaking work of a seaman, I assure you he is giving you his best.”, the old woman told her.
“Be that as it may, I can't afford to stay with David. I've met a very rich man who wants to marry me. The only thing that's standing in my way is David. I need him to sign the papers and be done with it! I won't be young and beautiful forever!” the younger woman replied indignantly.
“You are right”, the old woman said. “You won't be young and beautiful forever, not to the rich man. Not even for much longer, I'm afraid. There will always be one younger and more beautiful than you at his disposal, as you are probably younger and more beautiful than his last. But for David, you will grow younger and more beautiful as the years pass.”
“As the grays begin to streak your well-manicured hair and your eyes begin to grow dimmer behind your designer Sun Glasses, the mere touch of your hand will ravish David with love even more so than when the two of you were newlyweds. But as for the rich man, luckily for you he will have long gone by then.” the old woman finished.
She then got up from the table, walked away and left the younger woman sitting there to her decision. She could feel the younger woman watching her as she walked and the old woman smiled to herself. Even if the young woman were foolish enough to serve David with divorce papers, surely it wouldn't be today.
The dock was buzzing with life and the old woman smiled as she walked along happily. Many of the workers smiled at her and waved to her, so much so that she didn't feel invisible today. She wondered if any of them had been David. She was sure one of them had been, and she hoped that his young wife had changed her mind about divorcing him.
She realized that she hadn't even thought about her love all day. She was sure he was out to sea somewhere hopefully thinking of her and coming to make her acquaintance soon. However, she figured after waiting at the dock staring out into the distance watching the ships from whither they came to hence and back out again for so many years, one more day wouldn't be the death of her.
She felt right at home down at the dock, with the sea gulls flying over her head and the sun beaming down on her. She had really enjoyed meeting Carlos today. Seeing him with his food cart reminded her of when she was a young woman just arriving in America also. She remembered how eager she was to make money doing the thing she loved most. She loved making jewelry. She still did which is why she'd kept those old shells although she had no intention of ever selling them.
“Sometimes the pursuit of money will take the joy out of even your greatest passion”, she thought to herself. The old woman smiled as she remembered how happy her customers always were to purchase the beautiful necklaces she use to make out of the exotic shells she brought with her from EL Salvador.
No two shells were ever alike and they were all arrayed with such radiant color as had never been seen on American Shores. It was her own secret ingredient to add to the melting pot. She hadn't sold any in many years. She didn't need to. She had made a pretty good living for herself and she never went anywhere that required spending money. The most excitement she ever had was a walk down to the dock and back home. But meeting Carlos made her want to pull those old shells out and make beautiful jewelry, just for the joy of it.
“That's exactly what I'm going to do!” she said as she began walking down the dock heading for home. She saw people running and greeting each other; lovers and families and students going away to school.
The old woman felt like a part of the scenery down at the dock. She figured she had been coming there longer than anyone else and she had seen the dock undergo many renovations. She always felt her own sense of pride whenever they were completed. Today she was reminded that life is not a dress rehearsal. We have to do the things that we most enjoy because once the time passes, its gone. No amount of hoping and praying will return that time to you.
“I really should get out and explore this town more”, the old woman thought to herself noticing how grand all of the homes were. The sun's ability to showcase them far surpassed that of the moon. In all of her years living in Santa Cruz she hadn't seen much more than the dock. She always took the same way there and the same way home. But today however, her eyes were opened to the beauty that had always been around her.
When the old woman reached her house she was happy to see her favorite recliner. She had done much more walking than usual down at the dock today and she was tired so she sat down. She had so many ideas for the jewelry she would make. Ideas began to flood her mind so much so that even her favorite recliner paled in comparison.