Autumn Showers...Part 2

John was beaming at her all excited and glowing and turned around to introduce Megan. On seeing her Shelly was so shocked literally felt faint. John instantly steadied her and led her to the couch in the living room. Megan followed him, asking if she needed some water. Shelly recovered her composure quickly but could not quit looking at Megan. She thought “ She was all that I was not.” She was dressed in an obviously expensive black dress cut to perfection, showing her shapely figure to the best advantage. A fragrant perfume was clinging to her and she had her hair stylishly done. Her black heels clicked into the wooden floors and she held herself quiet beautifully.

But there was one thing common between them. They look alike, just like twins, but they were not. It was the first time they were laying eyes on each other. John was excited and was chattering something which did not register on both the ladies present. Megan who was for the first time seeing Shelly was also surprised and shocked but was able to control herself efficiently without letting any of her emotion pass through her carefully made up face. She looked at John very adoringly and said “what a nice surprise”!! John looked at Shelly and said “meet Megan Meg of our high school days” She was one of the brightest and very intelligent women I had ever met even back those days.” I met her at the party few weeks ago and at first I thought what you were doing there dressed so smartly among these high flying strangers. But Megan here recognized me instantly and she came forward to speak to me. But the resemblance between you guys is so very uncanny. Two pairs of blue eyes fringed with heavy curls, one with its innocent look and the other heavily made up in a silver mascara followed John as he poured drinks for all of them.

Shelly took the drink offered by John and thought of the day they met two decades back. Shelly had finished the secretarial course from the community college as soon as she finished high school and had joined a small business company as an apprentice secretary. On one sunny afternoon, Shelly was as usual busy with typing her letters for the day when a there was a tap on her typewriter. Shelly feeling very irritated on this intrusion looked up to see a young man, smartly dressed waiting for her attention. He grinned sheepishly and said “ Guess you didn’t recognize me”!!
Shelly was amused at this guy’s apparent excuse to get her attention. She raised her eyebrows at his question and said “ Was I supposed to know you”? The young man at once became contrite and said “ I am sorry. Aren’t you Megan Saunders?”
For which she replied No, she is Shelly Manning. The man apologized profusely and said that she looked exactly like a person he had known before.

He still gawked at her as if any minute she would change her mind and say that she really was Megan and was just pulling his legs as she used to. But Shelly was back to typing in her little typewriter looking like a very efficient secretary. John lingered there for some more time trying to catch her attention. Megie as he called Megan from his college days, was very busy in trying not to look up to him. This made him sure that it was Megie who is trying to play a trick on him. With more enthusiasm he tapped once again on the typewriter.

Shelly tried not to look up at the handsome stranger. Though she felt elated and excited about the notice she was receiving from him, she felt shy and did not know how to react to this situation. Still she tried to act miffed when John tapped on her typewriter again. “Can I help you with something else?” she asked impatiently. John lost his bluster on seeing this and just made a mock salute and marched away. Shelly felt bad at having snapped at him so. She would have done anything to have the moment back.

She again met John few weeks later while she was enjoying her lunch in the nearby park. It was an autumn sunny day where the trees where all ablaze with riots of colors and leaves were strewn across to form a cozy hideaway in a nook of the park. She saw a smartly dressed guy on his way from one building to another through the park. He was carrying a small briefcase on one hand and reading the newspaper on another. She remembered him at once and was watching his progress from her little corner admiring his lithe body and the confident strides. Suddenly he looked up from the newspaper to directly see her eyes on him and there was an instant recognition in them. Their eyes met and it was like time froze. Both were reluctant to tear their eyes from each other. A slow smile broadened his face and he mouthed a Hi and was walking towards her. Her heart started beating fast. She was so unprepared for this and was wondering what she would tell him when he finally got there.

There was no need for that as he greeted her cheerfully saying Hi Megie……Instantly Shelly was provoked and said in a stoic manner that she was Shelly and not any megie. This did not deter John. He again said Hi Shelly and sat near her on the bench. He then said “ I am sorry that we got off so wrongly. My name is John, John
Smith. I work for Atlas Inc. as an assistant security officer. Just recently moved here. I am from Iowa.” That started their relationship which was to continue for almost 20 years now. That day Shelly remembered that she went to work very late after lunch with a silly smile plastered on her face which did not dim even after getting scolding from her boss.

Nursing her drink in her hand Shelly looked up at Megan again. Megan was also staring at Shelly. John was rubbing his hands together gleefully as though he had done something he wanted to do for a long time. Presently Shelly asked Megan how they two knew each other. Megan replied in her very cultured and soft tone that they met during their high school. She looked at John tenderly and said that they go long way back ....