Double M is My Man

~ 16 ~

Not to mention I made a huge 'whack' when my bum collided with the ground. I sure hope that doesn't leave a bruise but wow, does it ever hurt. No one better have saw that.

"Are you alright?" Asks the woman, I mean man, who stopped kissing her/his boyfriend. I guess they must have heard my little struggle there.

The embarrassment that these two people know I fell causes my cheeks to heat up slightly. In this cold temperature, they can't burn the bright red they usually turn into but this light pink blush is enough to warm my face up. I get up as quickly as possible to avoid any more people noticing.

"Yeah, totally. I thought the bench was longer," I say while brushing off sum snow off my bum and legs.

The couple's mouth fly open as wide as their eyes, finally realizing that they were actually sharing this bench. Now it's the girlfriend/boyfriend who's cheeks are heating up, knowing that I overheard the whole 'my talent is cross dressing' convo.

At that point, I knew it was my time to leave. These two have finally come to terms with loving each other for who they are. Even though it was my bench first, I'll be the honorable, respectful one and give them the privacy they deserve.

So I embark on my quest to find another unoccupied bench, leaving the couple alone in their own universe.

I walk down the wide path near the south end of Central Park, slowly making my way north while carefully examining every bench.

The next one after the bench I left has yet another couple it. The only difference is that the girl is laying on top of the guy, snuggling into him. I'm going to take a wild guess that they are trying to keep each other warm and not do anything daring out in public.

At least, that's what I'm hoping they're doing.

Hmm...I'm doing a lot of hoping today; more than the usual.

I glance to the opposite side of the path, spotting two kids, siblings in fact, patiently waiting on the bench while their mother cares for her infant in the stroller. The boy, most likely the oldest one judging by his size, has his head turned away from his sister. He's completely oblivious to the little girl who is cautiously wiping a booger on the back of her brother's winter jacket.

She is so perfectly careful that the boy doesn't notice her placing the icky booger right in the center of the boy's back.

One thing's for sure: this young girl will grow up to be a phenomenal prankster.

Time to check out the next bench over. I walk north on the path, sliding a bit on the ice underneath the fluffy snow. Looks like I'll have to continue my search because this next bench has been claimed by an elderly woman. The old lady is bundled up for extreme Siberian conditions instead of our New York winter. I can barely see her face with that huge, thick scarf she has wrapped around her. The only thing clearly noticeable are her hands which are exposed to the bitter cold.

Why on earth would the lady not be wearing her gloves?

Because she's throwing bits of bread into the snow around her, even on the bench itself.

I take a pause, wondering if I should inform the elderly lady if she is aware that the birds have migrated to the warmer south (at least that's where I think they went).

...nah! Best way to learn is through experience and not from the words of a teenage girl.

Correction: a pathetic teenage girl because she can't do something as simple as finding a single empty bench.

It felt like I've been walking for ten whole minutes until I finally found an unoccupied bench at the other end of the park from where I originally started.