Shadows

It was a dark night and I did not expect him to be there. He would never be among the people I would like to meet again in life. Not now, perhaps never ever again. It is strange to feel this way when I am fully aware of being a part of him ( a truth I cannot evade, nor do I try any more),but unlike him I have always liked to have an uncomplicated life, fighting against odds to find my bands of black and white. He came and stood next to me, looking exactly as I remembered seeing him last, but I didn't even remember when exactly was the last time I met him. They were all brief visits, none of which with even a tinge of happiness, but definitely filled with hope, rather false hope, however those too have faded, just like the scent of a fresh flower with time. Startled - that's what I was on seeing him. He smirked and said, like he always does, pretending as if the years had never passed by, " Hi bebu, how are you?" I could've believed for a moment as I always did, fooled by him that he really cares but not any more. I replied " I am fine." I didn't want to know how was he doing or maybe I did, but that was asking for too much, walking through dark alleys, the end of which nobody knew, so I decided to stay silent. He continued to smirk and I knew he will soon come up with his disturbing sarcastic remarks and he proved me right. Predicting this man all my life has been the most difficult task ever and yet it came so effortlessly now. "Having a good life? That's what you chose. A life away from me and now you don't even want to acknowledge my presence?" he said. " I gave you the choice to decide that for yourself as well as for me, but as always you seemed to be clueless about it, besides I thought it was your own decision to part ways, to which I gladly abided. Works out fine for me. Clarity. Direction. Stability as I always said", I told him. He gave me one of his mirthless laughters but I decided to not hear him any more. The more he would speak, the more it would aggravate my impatience. I had no nerve for tolerance any more, he had exhausted all of it and I had let him. His existence ceased to matter to me but his memories lingered. I said to him, " You will never change, nor do I expect you to. To each its own. I will never try to run or evade the truth. I am not a coward nor am I an escapist. Escapade has another meaning to me, unadulterated from the one you've shown me and I will hold on to that for it comprises of letting go in order to come back again but that's something I don't expect you to understand. I know I'm a part of you but there is one tiny thing that distinguishes us which makes all the difference. I live with the happy memories and you with the bad ones. I've known love and you've known possession and that's where we are two extremely different beings." 

I left him to his own and walked away, thinking to myself ....why is it that we meet people? They say there's reason for everything so what is the reason for this? ....and soon I realized it was a futile question which has always bounced around in my head, the answers to which have never been close to satisfactory - experience maybe? to know the bad to understand and appreciate the good? Fate? and then I settle for fate as the most unexplanatory answer.