Screaming With Karl

I first met him when I was only sixty-three. I was in the auto repair shop carrying a computer when he dove in. He was wearing a jet black surgical mask, which caught my attention right away. It really accentuated his larynx, but I pretended not to notice.

I was about to set the computer down when he slipped beside me. I guess he startled me, and I clumsily dropped the computer right by his feet. We both bent over to pick it up. It was one of those awkward moments, and we both began to scream.

After stumbling apologies, he asked me to go to the insurance agency for an ice cream soda. I accepted, and our relationship took off from there. We didn't even know each other's names yet.

At the insurance agency, I learned that his name was Karl, and that he was a doctor. This was fascinating to me, coming from my career as a dancer.

I guess it was love at first scream. Some might say we had bags of popcorn in our eyes, but we felt we were perfect for each other. He was seven years younger than I, but the age difference didn't matter to us. Even today, we are still screaming for each other.