From My Mind to....

Did I See That Right?

DAY 8:  Write about a time where you overheard or saw something you weren't meant to. What was it, and - in retrospect - are you better off or worse off for having overheard/witnessed it?

I had a humorous incident occur when I was five that I detailed in a short essay. 

Boys Will Be Boys  (E) Be careful about what you say around me. #1894678 by JACE

 

I'd like to say I learned the wisdom of thinking before I act.  But too many times in my life I've failed to heed that lesson.  One time in particular really should have given me pause to think.  It became a rather thorny dilemma as it involved a fellow soldier.

I used to think that a clandestine meeting was better held in public with lots of folk around most likely unaware of the various dramas that occurred around them as they went about their day.  I was in such a crowd at an outdoor cafe when I spotted the wife of my friend across the way.  She didn't see me and I was about to go say hello when a man came up to her, hugged and kissed her.  It was just a peck on the lips.  To be honest, I thought it might have been a brother.  They sat down and leaned in close to talk quietly.  I decided not to bother them.

I saw my friend sometime later and casually (yes, I was curious) asked how long Tina's brother would be visiting them.  Dan said Tina didn't have any brothers, and asked why I thought she would.  I was stuck.

I mentioned I'd seen them at the cafe, and they seemed ... uh, familiar with each other.  I thought more so than business acquaintances, though I didn't say that to him.  He asked me to describe the man, which I did.  He asked a few more questions.  I was getting pretty apprehensive and picking my words carefully. He just sat there quietly for a few minutes and then said he had to go.  I asked if there was anything I could do for him.  He looked me in the eye and said, "No."

I later learned he and his wife split up.  We never did talk again, and he rotated out about two months later.  To this day I don't know if he knew about his wife's affair before I mentioned seeing the man, or if he was just too embarrassed to talk with me, or if he blamed me for bringing the meeting up in the first place. 

To be honest, I hadn't thought about this in years.  Guess it still haunts me a little.  Oh, and clandestine meetings should not be in public.