P. and T. kiss in public. A swift, light peck on the lips, so full of tenderness and respect. T. squeezes P.’s hand and he holds it, drawing strength from its warmth and reassurance. I watch them in awe. They are a handsome couple. Tall, slim, with undeniable presence. There is something unique about them. A beauty I can’t put my finger on. A quality of being fully alert, fully in the present, fully alive. The beauty of survivors, of those who have grown a garden full of flowers despite life’s storms and gales. A silvery glow surrounds them. Silver dust particles float in the air and gently land on you if you come close enough.
At T.’s eightieth birthday party, the many children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren she and P. share have erected a marquee in the garden, because the house isn’t large enough to accommodate all those who have travelled to join in the celebrations. There’s a jazz band. The place is heaving with friends and relatives of all ages. These aren’t just guests. They’re individuals whose lives have been in some way or other touched by P. or T., or both. A friend comes up to me, who has known T. and P. for several decades. “They truly enrich other people’s lives,” she says. I agree.
All of us there have a speck of silver dust embedded in our skin.
P. has an authoritative yet velvety storyteller’s voice that changes fluidly from North American to English. I love listening to him reading poetry on the radio. I also love sitting at their massive, round, pale wood kitchen table, sipping whisky and listening to him explaining life, death and the universe according to Samuel Beckett. His lean face is lined with furrows life has filled with passion for words, ideas and, of course, the theatre.
We are sitting in the lounge, by the fireplace, P.’s blue-green eyes light up and he gets carried away expressing his admiration for Tennessee Williams. He has forgotten that there’s a bowl of olives in his hand, and that it’s slowly tilting. T. comes out of the kitchen. She presses her lips together. “P.!!” she finally snaps with loving frustration. He rushes to his feet, his bushy eyebrows raised, and begins to pass around the olives.
When we go to stay with them, I feel as though I’ve come home from home. Digging into the heartiest, richest, most comforting cauliflower and cheese you’ve ever tasted, w give T. our various bits of news. To everything I say, she reacts with intensity. Her surprise is genuine, her shock outraged, her sympathy deep-felt, her delight joyful, her excitement passionate, and her laugh like a gurgling spring that rises from the depths of the earth. There is an impish twinkle in her dark brown eyes.
T. and P.’s friendship is not a static feeling, it is an action that carries, depending on the need, hugs, advice or weapons to defend you. If they wrap you in their friendship, then they don’t merely stand and watch your life but take part in it. For them, to love is to get involved, and not be a dispassionate bystander. They will nurture you, and fight for you. They are the kind of friends you know it is an indescribable privilege to have in your life. A glow with silver particles that land on your skin, and become embedded in it.
Scribe Doll
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So lovely, Katia! One can tell immediately how important these people are by their generous and beautiful description. How lucky are you, how lucky are they.
Thank you, Eva :–)
This gave me such a warm feeling- and it made me wish to go sit in their warm house and eat cauliflower cheese with them.
I think you’d love them, Annette. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Reblogged this on A View From the Hill.
Thank you so much for reblogging this.
Reblogged this on Jane Wilson.
Thank you, Jane.
Baucis and Philemon indeed. They must live by divine guidance, spreading its glow. That you feel at home in their company speaks for you. Wonderful friends.
What a beautiful comment. Thank you. Yes, they are very special, indeed, and I feel immensely privileged.
This is beautiful – I think I know who you are talking about!! Salx
;–)
What a delight to read, and a treasure we all must have! Love, Catherine
Thank you so much, Catherine.
What a magical piece, Katia! P. and T. sound like perfect friends. ~nan
They are. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Friends like T and P are rare–they come but once in a lifetime–if you’re very lucky, perhaps twice. I’m glad you have them, Katia because T and P are passionate and intense and truly caring people.
Yes, they’re unique – like gold dust. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
What a lovely description of dear friends, as precious as the fine glints in their hair. 🙂
So glad you liked it, Barbara. Thank you.
You are very fortunate to have the kinds of friendship we all wish we had; but then, I think of even the little I have known of you in following your posts, and I think you deserve it: you will be like them when you are old!
They’re my role model. Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting.