The Bolt (short story)

It is cold, icy cold. I miss the touch of warm hands, I miss to be hold and cherished. I miss the secrecy in our relationship. And I know you feel exactly the same.

    Do you remember we met for the first time, here at the same stairs?
I was so glad you were more experienced than I was. For me it was the very first time. Virginity at the highest level: untouched, blanc, a total unawareness of what life kept in store for me....
    You asked me if I was scared but I could not answer your question. I had never been scared before. Well, this is not true, maybe the moment I left my youth behind me and told I had a purpose in life. A useful purpose; meeting people, probably for longer periods of time, opening doors. The latter sounded so exciting, it indicated there was an other world. Other people, other rooms, other adventures.

    So scared? No, not really, more nervous but in a very nice way. You will recognize the feeling that you want something to happen but at the other hand you are scared it is going to happen. You want to postpone it but are disappointed when it takes too long.

    When we met, you were on your own too but seldom alone, so you told me. Yet you thought you missed someone or something. As if you were not complete.
I never had that feeling, I always felt if I was one of a kind and both our feelings turned out to be right. Although we both were lonely being separated for short times, I could cope with the lonely moments. Not you. Although you loved our time together, I always knew you could not give me more than half of your heart. As you asked me on forehand, I will not go deeper into this right now, the memories still hurt you. I am so sorry!

    Let's remember the cheeky and funny times when we were part of secret liaisons. The very first time I blushed all over and felt very warm, even without being held! You said I was allowed to close my eyes but soon would learn to keep them open. And you were right. I have to say that it all became a bit boring with the same partner and I was not the only one thinking this. The change of partner after a few years did all of us good although you and I were less often together. But the excitement returned.
   I have to say I preferred the first room with the glowing lights, the King-size bed, the soft pillows and comfy duvet. The second location was more... uhm... business like. Not so cosy but then of course I had nothing to say about it.

    We do agree that we had each other more to tell with different partners. Secrets and true events like that one time that her husband found out she was not going to the Women's Flower Arrangement Society but arranging something totally different!! It happened to me and you were almost jealous when I told you about it.
   The evening started very romantic. I just laid down, the candles lit, the striptease for one in full gang. The champagne bubbled in the glasses and the temperature rose! This time I did not close my eyes; I was not shy any more and fully admit I enjoyed it.
    Then all of a sudden that loud bang on the door! And again and again! We did not know what to do but before we realized what was going on, the door flew open and an extremely angry man with a nasty purple colour in his face, galloped into the room like a drunk and furious bull!! I even imagined coming steam from his nostrils. He tried to talk but his fast beating heart took his breath for a while.
    And she.... she grabbed her cloths and held it against her well developed bosom. Her eyes wide open in great fear. I have to say, with her mouth wide open she was less attractive.

    The row her husband started was heard over the entire hotel, the manager did not only needed to call for assistance but also an ambulance. No, it was not the husband who needed medical help....

Unfortunately I never leaned how it ended because I never saw her again.

    You told me about the appointment that went completely wrong, how embarrassing was that!! I can hear you laughing again. Fortunately the hotel had a very good name for secrecy and the 'victims' a good sense of humour but what a fuzz to get the right people together..... Please tell me again!

    “Alright, once more and yes, it was funny, very funny. Waiting for the appointment, all dressed up (or should I say, not so dressed up??), relaxed and in the favourite pose which she liked so much and that always started the passion.
It was very quiet in the room, the romantic music in the background was very soft but just right to create the atmosphere that was needed. Dimmed lights and here too, champagne waiting in the cooler. And there was the soft knock on the door before it slowly opened. First a leg appeared, then a hand with the most beautiful roses you have ever seen. Then a head with short blond hear, green eyes, a trimmed beard on square masculine jaws. Well, these jaws soon dropped when the green eyes noticed it was either the wrong room or the wrong gender!

    Imagine you are expecting a lady and you see a man! This was embarrassing for both sides of course. But with our very good sense of humour we laughed and laughed. The booking office downstairs was called and it turned out they made a mistake but at the end everyone got reunited with the right person.”

    Oh yes, I can't get enough of the story but it sounds if you left a few juicy details, how come? Because you are ageing? Or have we been left on our own for too long? There are so many possibilities after so many many years of a busy and eventful life. And of course this all happened before you found your other half. You never knew you were one of a twin.
    You were so happy to have found that one and only that looks like you, in all details, even the bolt. The bolt and the beautiful (my little joke...).

Together you went everywhere, just in case off. Fortunately I loved both of you and as a trio we got along very well.

Photo: @mudde.photography (Instagram)

    Ah.... the good old times. Very old times as the hotel has been abandoned long ago. The decay has set in, the smell of mould and the humidity caused by leaking pipes and a rotten roof is getting stronger by the year. The dust is now spread everywhere but hardly disturbed by the birds, mice or rats that live here and have there own liaisons. But they don't use us for it.
    
   

   We are left on the stairs to rust. It will not take long before we can't remember our previous lives as keys of the Secrecy Ensured Key Club, owner of the hotel where we went from one warm hand into the other and where we learned about a life of the members that not many keys in their families knew about.


Word of thanks: the photo of @mudde.photography (Instagram) inspired me to write this story and I was given permission to use the photo as an illustration for which I am very grateful. Thank you Camiel!

Links: please visit the beautiful Instagram account of Camiel Mudde and his even beautiful Facebook account.

Note: the story is pure fiction! A figment of my imagination!

Helen