Sapphic Voices General Fiction

Always Live Life To The Max

She was hurt, angry, her body trembling as she pulls on her running shorts and t shirt; She pulls her socks on, ties up her running shoes, and stretches quickly before she steps out into the cold. Going out to the front gate, she looked both ways along the footpath; she wasn’t sure where she was going, but all she knew was that she wanted to run. Taking off at a jog, tears still threatened to run down her face, whipping them away, determination filled her spirit. She ran, trying to block those horrible hurtful thoughts of love from her mind.

The wind was freezing against her, and burned in her lungs as she went, but still she pushed on; releasing, forgetting. She ran to the local park at least a kilometre and a half away from her home, not passing many people on her way, running for what seemed like ages to the very edge of the park to a small white post which marked the perimeter. Bending over, grabbing hold of the pole, she tried to rid herself the pain of a stitch in her ribs; puffing and blowing out white breath into the cold air. She smiled, and this is where she started to pray to god.

‘Dear God, please hear my prayer, be here by my side, my friend, give me strength and lift my soul up and fill me with your warmth and light. I leave here at this pole, my old problems, my old hurt, my old love. I leave the thought of her.’ Touching her head, then her heart, then the pole again, she gave away her pain and grief of a love lost. Turning around and looking back though the park to where she had come, she saw another white pole way in the distance that was where she was going.

‘I’m leaving here; I’m leaving this all behind, and running towards my future.’ This is where she left her hurt, running full bolt towards the other white pole way in the distance, it was so far away, but she still pushed herself forwards. Lungs burning, legs turning to jelly, sweat beading down her brow, still halfway she pushed her tired body forward. Almost there, racing for the white pole. ‘That was my past, this is my future.’ Leaning on the white pole, puffing and smiling she began to laugh.

‘This is my first step towards my future.’ Smiling she let go of the white pole, stepping her aching body forwards feeling a wave of accomplishment flow through her. She kept walking, hearing footsteps approach behind her, looking back she slowed down to let the man pass, but he slowed down once he was by her side. ‘Hello, I like your tattoo!’ The man said pointing at the writing on her arm. ‘How much for a tattoo like that?’ He asked smiling; he was very hard to understand and was obviously not Australian. ‘Oh I drew it on my arm myself.’ ‘Very good!’ he said, ‘I’m Max,’ he said, offering his hand to her which she kindly took, his hand was warm, and brought hope to her.

‘My names Kaitlyn,’ she replied, letting go of Max’s hand, the two strangers still kept walking through the park. ‘I’m from Bali.’ Max said, ‘This is my tattoo, it’s a tribal one,’ he lifted his sleeve and showed her the tattoo on her arm. ‘That’s very cool,’ she said smiling, ‘I like art, I’m an art sort of person,’ Max continued on, ‘When people see my tattoo, they think rough, they think that I’m rough, but I’m not I just like art.’ He laughed, causing her to laugh to, his radiant joy filling the air. ‘Me too.’ She replied, still laughing. ‘You should go to Bali; it’s a very beautiful place!’ Max said, still smiling, she agreed, as Bali was one of the places she wanted to visit for many years. Finally it was time for her to leave.

‘Well Max I’ve got to go!’ She smiled at this kind stranger, who at very odd timing brought hope and laughter into her life, causing her to see that maybe god was indeed there, telling her to live life to the Max; or it was just a strange coincidence, Max is one man she would never forget. ‘Okay, good-bye Kaitlyn, I might see you around running again.’ His grin was wide, warm and happy. ‘Thank you Max.’ She said, walking across the road and continuing towards home. She was full of happiness and joy, and energy over took her body, she began to run again. On the way home, she saw a pretty flower, picking it for her mother, smiling; she ran all the way home, now full of hope.

I would like to thank this man from Bali, this kind stranger Max who walked into my life in a time of hurt and anger, filling me with hope and laughter and optimism towards my bright future. Cheers Max, thank you for helping me to see the brighter side of life, and that a break up isn’t the end of the world and that you will recover from it. Max helped me to see that there is other people out there waiting for me, a whole world full of people, filling me of hope all I have to do is think of that conversation with Max.

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