the hunter failed the hunt

my wife had already left after our late lunch. i decided to bide my time at the mall. i was so full with the delicious vegetarian dish i ate i deemed it necessary for me to walk around a bit till the bloated feeling subsided.

well, this mall is already preparing for the christmas holidays. lots of decorations are already in place. enticements in very conspicuous places. reminders to shoppers about forthcoming sales. wow! i can't deny i was not affected by these various calls to part with my hard earned money.  i had to go inside several stores to look at the advertised wares.  i'll wait till december to decide if i really need them.

i got tired of window shopping so i propped myself in one of the two-seater corner tables in the mall's fastfood area.  i  took out the latest book i bought from my favorite book sematary and read on.  this was the plague dogs by richard adams.  i'm just in the early pages but having read adams' watership down i know i'd be well rewarded again by this excellent author.

a young lady occupied a seat by the other table beside mine. she looked worried. agitated. she was perspiring and kept fanning herself despite the air-conditioning. she was obviously waiting for someone.  a short while later, a young man seated beside the young lady. they exchanged hurried hellos.  the young man was more agitated. he has this forlorn, dejected look in his face.  he unzipped his backpack and pulled out a plastic document case and placed it on the table. the lady fidgeted on the document case and opened it.  the man cupped his head between his hands not saying anything and looked sadly at the papers his companion was now examining.  they guy let his head droop further down towards the papers until his forehead touched them.

"but, they told you to come back tomorrow, didn't they?"  the lady blurted, " didn't they?"

 i did not hear any reply from the young man.  his head's still resting on the document case and papers on the table.  i snuck an immediate side glance.  both were not minding my being near them.  i saw the guy was silently weeping.   the lady was aware of this and tried to lift the guy's head upward, gently, lovingly.

 the lady asked again, " didn't they?"

"yes," it was a very faint answer from the guy, "i really don't know now what to do. can't seem to get them to hire me.  i passed the written exam."  he wiped the wetness in his eyes with the paper towel he pulled from somewhere beneath the papers that remained inside the plastic case. "that damn interview though. that interviewer. can't seem to please her."  he was explaining to himself not to his companion.  his head drooped forward again and rested on the papers.  he was no longer weeping.  " i really don't know what to do. what to say ... " his voice was begging for compassion.

"but, they told you to come back tomorrow, didn't they?" the young lady asked a third time.

"yes."  the guy gathered his papers on the table and shuffled them. he placed them back inside the plastic case.

"then,"  the young lady smiled a sweet smile to her young companion,"it means they have not totally rejected you.  you have to go back tomorrow!"

she has this wide-eyed expression of hope on her face. a pleading look. an enticing warmth on her words of encouragement. not very unlike those forceful sale come-ons i just came across while window shopping some time ago.  the young man wiped the remaining wetness in his face and eyes again.  he smiled back.

they both stood up and walked towards the escalator.  i followed the two with my eyes.  as the escalator ascended  i saw them hold hands.

 i know it is a strong grip. of assurance. of hope. of support.  of faith, that the next morning will be different.