I remember it as if it were a tale told by the hearth on a rainy evening, the way old folk in the English countryside still speak of the days gone by.
Evelyn Harper was the most unremarkable guest at the birthday celebration of her college mate, Molly Bennett. The two girls had studied together at a regional college in Yorkshire, and Molly, with a sweeping gesture, invited everyone who could manage to attend. Yet many of the other girls were heading back to their country cottages for the weekend.
Evelyn, shy and softspoken, finally gathered the courage to accept the offer. She was not the sort to roam out at night, and she had just turned eighteenthe same age as Molly. Still, she did not feel inclined to spend her own birthday surrounded by guests.
She had no close friends, and her parents persuaded her to stay at home, to spend the evening with her grandparents, Aunt Maud and Granddad Ted.
It turned out that a birthday at five or at eighteen feels the same, she thought sadly. Of course, Evelyn loved her family, but she could not see when she would truly become an adult, independent and seen. When, she wondered, would any of the lads notice her quiet beauty, her modest charm?
Evelyn dreamed of love, yet she was embarrassed by herself. She was not as flamboyant as Molly, nor as bold as their mutual friend, Sophie Clarke. The other girls dyed their hair, dressed fashionably, sometimes even daringly, especially when they went out after college, drawing disapproving remarks from their tutors. Evelyns wardrobe, however, was always chosen by her mother, while her grandmother knitted sweaters. She resented that the granddaughter rarely wore the old-fashioned knitwear.
Indeed, she could not bring herself to step out in Grandmas dated cardigans; she kept them for home, and then only in the chill of winter.
On the night of Mollys party, the college crowd gatheredtwelve lads in total. When the dinner concluded and dancing began, Evelyn slipped out of the flat and settled on a bench by the stairwell. No one even noticed her departure. She felt a pang of shame at the sight of strangersyoung men she barely knewthough, truth be told, no one ever paid her any attention at all. That, perhaps, upset her most.
She glanced at her pocket watch.
Perhaps I should be on my way; my mother will be worrying, she mused. I promised I wouldnt be late
Suddenly a young man emerged from the entrance, not a guest of Mollys. He took a seat on the edge of the bench and stared mournfully at the windows of Mollys secondfloor flat, from which cheerful music and laughter drifted.
Are you from there? he asked Evelyn abruptly. She nodded toward the windows.
Hows she doing? Dancing? Having fun? he pressed, his eyes melancholy.
Gathering her courage, Evelyn replied, Cant you hear? Its all merriment inside.
Exactlythats what birthdays are for, the boy said. Ive been moping all evening, barely even having tea and cake with my family, like a child in a nursery.
Evelyn raised an eyebrow, surprised.
Thats my lot as well, she said. Are you her friend? she asked, nodding again toward the flat.
In a way, he admitted. Id be glad to be friends with her, but she hardly notices me. She didnt even invite me to her birthday, though weve been neighbours for years. She sees how I look after her garden, yet she pays me no mind.
He fell silent. Evelyn sighed in understanding, then spoke suddenly:
Dont fret. Im feeling the same. Whats the point? No one notices us. I walked away and no one saw. So I suppose Im an invisible personexisting and not existing at once, and it matters to no one.
Come now, he tried to soothe her, youre right. There are folk like us, unlucky, perhaps.
No, she corrected, not unluckyjust unnoticed, unobtrusive. Perhaps thats a kind of freedom, a quiet independence.
Do you think so? he asked, intrigued. By the way, Im Paul Whitaker. And you are?
Evelyn, she answered.
They lingered awhile, listening to the music and stealing glances at the glowing windows, each hoping Molly might appear and summon them inside to dance. But no invitation came.
It has been pleasant meeting you, Evelyn said politely, but I must be on my way home. I promised I wouldnt linger.
Allow me to walk you a bit, at least to the bus stop, Paul offered.
Together they strolled through the park, chatting and smiling shyly. Paul sensed that his attention seemed to warm Evelyn; the pink flush on her cheeks, the dimpled smile, the way she looked away when he lingered on her long lashesall of it filled him with a sudden, gentle joy. He began to tell amusing anecdotes from his youth, hoping her bright laugh would linger a little longer.
When they reached the stop, Evelyn thanked him and prepared to board. Paul lingered, refusing to leave until she was seated. By chance, she missed the first omnibus and caught the second.
Climbing aboard, she waved at Paul as if they were old friends. He stood at the shelter a while longer, unable to move. The image of her expressive eyes and dimpled cheeks lingered in his mind.
He turned back toward his own house, then realised how badly he wanted to see Evelyn again. He had taken neither her phone number nor her address. How could I be so careless? he thought, feeling the awkwardness of the moment settle like a cold mist.
The next morning Paul awoke early, sprinted up the stairs to Mollys flat, and knocked. She opened the door, a hint of annoyance in her tone.
What are you doing here again? Im not going out with you, Paul. Ive told you that.
No, Im not asking that, Paul blushed. I just need the contact of your roommate. She was here yesterday; I have something to give her. She left a note on the bench. Could you give me her number, please?
Whose? Molly asked, puzzled.
Evelyns, he replied.
Evelyn? Which Evelyn? she hesitated. Oh, you mean Ivy Right, Ivy. Hold on.
A few moments later she handed Paul a slip of paper.
Heres her number. Shes quiet, that one. Molly smiled, closing the door.
Elated, Paul clutched the note like a talisman and hurried home. The whole day he rehearsed words, his heart thumping. As evening fell, he called Ivy.
He invited her for another walk, promising ice cream. To his delight, Ivy accepted, her voice over the line softer, sweeterperhaps even more melodious than he imagined.
They met in the park, shared a cone, and discovered many shared interests. Their characters aligned like two pieces of a puzzle.
Now its my turn to invite you, Ivy said as they said goodbye, a mischievous grin on her lips. Next time, lets skip the park and go to the cinema. What do you say?
From that moment they were inseparable. They went to films, museums, and, within a year, began traveling together, already spoken of as a couple. Two years after that first shy encounter they married.
Evelyns mother declared it was far too early for her daughter to wed, while her grandmother beamed, Well done, dear. Youve found your fate and settled down. No need to keep swapping suitors. With a lad like Paul, youll have a good husbandhell look after you like a child. What more could you ask for?
Their classmates teased, Look at the quiet one, already married! And Pauls beaming like the sun.
Both glowed with the happiness of having found in each other understanding, care, and the love they had long dreamed of.
Even now, years later, they smile when they recall that bench by the stairwell, the place where an unnoticed girl and a wistful boy first crossed paths, a simple moment that set the course of their whole lives.
