Sweet Mary.

He heard her first.

She was hard to miss, cursing loudly like a sailor.

Not that he knew any sailors.

She sounded distressed and angry.

Then a giant grunt and a lighter flickering.

Then he heard nothing at all.

Then the smell of sweet Mary.

Then crying, the saddest cry, it broke his heart.

He had to see her, the curiosity killing him.

The fence was just an inch below his head,

a little stretch and he could get a good glance at her.

What if she saw him? What would he say? Are you okay?

He’d run into her maybe once since they moved next door.

If he’s caught he could avoid her for a while, but does he want to?

She was beautiful, he remembers, a grin growing on his lips.

He hears the lighter again, a couple of times. It won’t light.

Another grunt and what sounds like a lighter being thrown half way across the yard.

He catches tiny glimpses of her through the cracks of the fence.

His chance. He’ll run inside and get a lighter.

No. That’s creepy. She’ll wonder how he knew.

She’ll wonder, was he just sitting there in the shadows listening, watching?

No. Pass. He’ll just go back inside.

She heard him first.

A loud smash and a groan, it was hard to miss.

“Hello?” she asks, wiping tears from her face.

She heard a loud gasp next and then the tiniest of squeals.

He sounded tragic and pained.

Another groan.

Then she heard nothing at all.

“Hello? Are you okay?” she says standing up now.

The fence was a couple inches above her head,

the tips of her toes still not enough to see over it.

“Sir?” she says as she looks through the cracks in the fence.

She could see a large figure lying on the floor.

Contemplating his death.

She ran into him once since they moved here.

He was handsome, she remembers, warmth growing in her cheeks.

She had an overwhelming feeling of dread that he was dead now.

She can’t see if he’s breathing.

Should she climb the fence, perform CPR? Is that drastic?

She wonders the touch of his lips.

She’ll climb the fence.

She looks around for something to stand on.

“Sir?” she says more worried now.

He figures if he doesn’t move she won’t see him.

He lies there, like a possum feigning death.

“Sir?” He hears her worried voice again.

Then something being dragged towards the fence.

He jumps up.

“I’m-I’m okay!” he screeches out.

“Just came out for a smoke, couldn’t see my way around.”

He fumbles with his words.

Not wanting to explain he’d tripped over a chair and landed on his balls.

Excruciating pain aside, he was talking to her.

“Oh okay” she says faintly disappointed.

She had been so close to climbing.

The stool so close to the fence.

She takes a big drag to calm her heart.

Pumping with “about to save a man’s life” adrenaline.

She had been a little excited.

“You sure you’re alright?”

She tries to sound empathetic.

Not wanting to walk away.

Disappointment aside, she hoped he’d want to talk.

He was thankful for the fence just then; glad she didn’t see him fall.

Grateful she couldn’t see him now cradling his poor balls.

She looks through the cracks again, wanting to see him.

Wondering why he was holding his crotch.

“Yes I’m perfect, thank you though!”

He says trying to sound as perfect as possible.

He hears her walking away.

Think of something to say, anything!

He gets closer to the fence, what’s she doing?

She walks towards him.

Then a small hand pops up.

“Need a light?” She says at the tips of her toes.

Stretching her arm as much as possible so he can see the lighter.

She can feel his surprise.

“Yeah, um thank you.” He smiles now.

He grabs the lighter from her stretched out hand.

Then realizes he has nothing to light.

She can see him clearly through the cracks now.

Coddling his crotch still.

He looks around for something to light.

She smiles now.

“This might help your balls.” She says trying not to laugh.

She had the sweetest laugh.

His cheeks burned.

She can see him.

He stretches and sees her for the first time.

He grabs the joint never leaving her eyes.

She grabs the stool and lugs it closer to the fence.

He picks up the fallen chair and moves it towards the fence.

They sit in silence.

Then they sit in conversations.

Then they stand in laughter.

They heard each other first.