I was seventeen the first time I saw him. He was leaning against the rail of the stairs, watching me as I boarded the train. I don't know how long he had been watching me, I only noticed him as the train arrived. I felt no menace from him, but his eyes…they were so intent. They were the bluest of blue, and they seemed to glow in the dim light of the train station. Maybe that was just my imagination. He stood about 6"4, and his dark hair curled slightly above his collar. He was dressed in jeans and a button down shirt, and he had a long dark jacket over the top. He appeared to be in his thirties, but his eyes said he was a lot older. He was muscular, with broad shoulders and slim hips. He looked like he'd stepped of the pages of a magazine, or the cover of one of those trashy romance novels. I held his gaze as the train pulled away from the station. For many years later, his eyes haunted my dreams.
The next time I saw him, I had just celebrated my twenty fifth birthday. I was crossing the street in front of my apartment, when I noticed him in the shadows, right outside. For a moment I paused. I recognized him right away …..I'd recognize those eyes anywhere. I was surprised to see him again, was he stalking me? After all, I had moved to this apartment only a year before….. how could he possibly have known that? I wasn't afraid of him, in fact, his presence was calming. That sounds weird, I know.
He stepped from the shadows then, and I stopped in surprise. He looked exactly the same as he had when I'd first seen him…..nearly ten years ago. His face hadn't aged at all. Only his eyes showed the passing years. They were still as blue as I recalled, but the glow seemed to have dimmed slightly. They looked old and tired, like he had seen too much of the bad things in life.
I stood there looking at him, waiting for him to speak. You'd think that a silence like that would be awkward, wouldn't you? It wasn't. It was…..peaceful. I can't explain, I know I must sound crazy. It was almost a spiritual experience, like when you are in church, and it's quiet, and you are alone with your thoughts, and with God.
Suddenly a car door slammed further down the street, and I turned to the sound. When I turned back, he was gone. I stood there for a few minutes more, turning things over in my mind. Who was this man, and why was he watching me? How had he known where to find me? And why wasn't I afraid of him?
Slowly, I climbed the stairs to my apartment and unlocked the door. Stepping inside and switching on the light, I closed the door behind me. I made my way into the lounge, throwing my coat and my bag onto the couch as I passed. Moving through to the kitchen, I found a glass and poured myself some wine.
Walking back into the lounge, I kicked off my shoes and curled myself onto the couch. Putting my head back, I closed my eyes, still thinking of my mystery man. They say that the eyes are the window to the soul. If that's true, then this man had an old soul….old and sad. But beautiful, I could see that in him.
I wondered if I would see him again. I knew that I would dream of him again…..after all, I had been dreaming of him for years.