memyselfandi

They say that scent is the strongest sense tied to memory. You know, like that deodorant commercial? Anyway, I was running some errands yesterday, and in passing, I caught the smell of someones perfume. I couldnt tell you what kind it was. The only thing that registered in my brain at that moment was Ruth Ann.

So, who is Ruth Ann? Shes a girl I dated for a summer when I lived in New Yorkthirteen years ago. That very moment that I smelled the perfume, I thought of her, and for the rest of the day, I couldnt stop thinking about her.

I thought about her natural red hair. I thought about her pale skin and how it was covered with freckles on nearly every inch. I thought about her sweet, southern accent, and how she sometimes affectionately referred to me as buddy boy. The smell of her perfume reminded me of this.

When we first met, there was chemistry from the beginning. The problem was that she had a boyfriend who happened to be out of the country at the time. I knew and respected that, but one night, she changed everything in a moment of spontaneity. As Ruth Ann and I casually walked to a subway stop after work, she interrupted me mid sentence, threw me up against the side of the Empire State Building, and kissed me. This wasnt a peck, but a deep, passionate kiss that lasted for what seemed like an eternity. All these memories brought back by the smell of a perfume.

Then the memories of Ruth Ann flooded my brain. I remembered what her skin tasted like on those hot summer nights we spent together. I remembered apartment sitting with her in Brooklyn, and how we fucked all night while watching silent films and listening to Beatles records. I remembered going to the Guggenheim Museum with her, and she showed me her favorite Paul Klee drawing. I remembered us getting locked out of her apartment on a really hot summer day, and how I tried for hours to pick the lock before we paid $200 to a locksmith. All these memories came back because I smelled her perfume.

At the end of the summer, I helped Ruth Ann move to a new apartment. It was a third floor walk up on the lower east side. After that, I could feel the winds of change coming. I knew her boyfriend was returning soon, and that she never told him about me (although she wouldnt admit to it). It broke my heart to know what was coming, so in order to protect my precious feelings, I slept with someone else; someone she knew. Damn perfume!

I think we were both sad for a while after that, but somehow we both knew it was for the best. So maybe it was a summer fling, but I grantee we both developed some feelings we didnt expect. I never really kept in touch with her, but I heard through mutual friends that her boyfriend returned, and they were happy. Good for them. I dont know whatever happened to Ruth Ann, but I know that today, I miss her because I smelt her perfume.