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The heart of our maze
I was hiding in a sea of musty old mattresses
and sheets that held dreams
leaked into their patterned designs and structures
of threads. I knew where I was going as soon as you started counting at one. Almost to four now.
Our youth lay in that maze and we,
too wise for our age, were on an adventure to recover
that which we took for granted when our minds were
carefree and our worries never extended beyond
whether we would get caught filching just one more
sugary confection from that jar that was just the
right height.
When I gazed out of my place, I could see you counting
by the stairs that spiraled down into the forbidden room,
forbidden because we made it so,
because it was great fun to have a forbidden room.
The obstacles we passed in order
to avoid the forbidden room will stay
in my mind forever, as will your face,
flushed red from the adventures of our youth.
You had rainbows dancing on your eyelashes as the sun smiled his rays down upon you,
and I think that was the first time I had ever felt my heart jump. You were almost to six now.
I noticed you trying to peek but deciding against it,
just in case I was watching.
I was.
I noticed your fingers drumming on the wall by your side in your impatience to stop counting and do what you do best,
find me. Your rhythm sped just a little,
and the numbers were flying by. Almost to nine now.
I checked my surroundings once more, making sure I was completely hidden, as you exclaimed ten and
whirled around, ready to begin the search.
The brown orbs darted back and forth as
your body twisted around angles searching me out.
In nine smooth steps, you covered the room and approached
our most intricate hiding place.
I saw you scale the maze of mattresses and sheets with your eyes and noticed the way they
smiled.
I would have reached out then,
your eyes were just so compelling,
but the competitive streak still ran strong six years later. You observed the maze for four seconds, and as if we were never away, you reached around to the
only entrance into the heart of the maze. I shrunk back towards the imitation walls on the inside,
determined that you wouldn't win.
All I had to do was tap your shoulder before you saw me.
Easy.
I saw your hand first, and slowly reached out focusing only on your shoulder.
Your body slowly came into view, careful as ever,
and I moved more cautiously. Your eyes took in
the perimeters of the old maze we built so many years ago and then noticed my fingers reaching out,
one inch away from your shoulder and you whirled,
and caught my hand and pulled me back into the heart of our maze.
Our eyes met and they tangled.
Our hands became intertwined.
In the heart of our maze, of the greatest representation of the youth we were out to find, I realized that
childhood was forever gone but what we had
at that moment was with us all along, and would be life long.
