Life and Island Times July 11 2016– Penelope and Her Man

Here is another one from 2016.

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Marlow was at an evening midtown poker game last night, losing his lunch money for the next day.

W was filling those three hours apart with her evening walk. She loved this time of the day to spot and appreciate the small decorative motifs of Key West.

How far would one have to go on the mainland to see an elderly gentle structure like this one on a daily basis?

W loved spotting the occasional car, filled with possessions as though the driver’s journey was more like a move.

This was the coldest time of year on the island with locals wearing boots, sweaters and even wool watch caps on their heads.

W was wearing warm clothes, when she met Penelope on an evening stroll at the corner of Virginia and Varella streets. Penelope was ensconced in a three wheeled carriage and escorted by her lifetime companion. Penelope was nearly a century old and unable to walk for any distance on the uneven sidewalks of Old Town.

Penelope treasured her morning and evening walks. She and her lover needed the fresh air, since the tropical heat kept them penned up in air conditioned comfort during sunny days on their coral isle

More than the air, these two lovers craved chance meetings like these to strike up conversations and meet, and perchance make, new friends. Penelope and her beau had danced through life together so long that they had outlived all of their contemporaries.

Her companion was thin, erect, and grey haired, possessing piercing blue eyes that had obviously captured Penelope’s heart long ago. While somewhat frail looking, he had pushed his beloved about the streets of Key West for years without much effort despite his advanced years. He occasionally stopped to chat with Penelope on what they were seeing, whom they had met, and old times and events. W suspected these stops allowed him to steady and collect himself.

Despite her sizeable girth, Penelope suffered from the chills of old age. Last night, she was wearing a striking striped sweater for protection against the evening wind-chilled temp in the upper 50s. Her companion wore neat but somewhat worn clothing.

W had never seen such a carriage. It looked primo — designed for creatures of a certain age and needs. Well-built, it was possessed by a solid design of subtle, tasteful touches that were not ostentatious. One of these touches was an insulated beverage holder that had her beau’s morning and evening walk beverages.

Last night’s drink was a craft brewery’s pale ale that he judiciously sipped as the three walkers made small talk over fifteen minutes.

As the winds freshened and the wind chill dropped another two degrees, they parted company. W silently promised herself to stumble upon this couple again in the near future.

Copyright © 2016 From My Isle Seat