Proposal
"Will you marry me?" she asked.
His hands froze, pausing whilst he peeled the potatoes. She swallowed. Then, very slowly, not looking at her, he turned his head, and said, "No."
She didn't move. He sighed.
"You don't understand what you're asking. Do not be so juvenile. Listen to yourself." He began to peel again. She waited, but he spoke no more.
"What if I change?" she said.
He closed his eyes, sighing again. "Must you?"
-
I was walking down the road, and I thought, "Hey, this would be good situation to write about!" I mean, it's played in my head before, but it's strange how when writing it, I changed it from what I imagined. I imagined him to be a lot more succinct, and her to be a lot more shocked. But here's how it would fare:
She fumes a little, but eventually she cools off and realises, "Actually, I am a bit childish sometimes." So she goes away and joins this activist group, helping to bring about democracy and equality in another city. She gains some great friends along the way who help her become a better person, and all the while, she thinks about the one guy whom she loves and wants to marry. There are people who don't like her, but she learns to see from their perspective, and in doing so, acknowledges her flaws.
She becomes well-liked in the city, but unfortunately has to leave. Her friends are sad to see her leave, but promise to support her should she have any problems. She thanks them, and goes back home.
He's still there, earning a living, and she thinks about how much she's changed, how she doesn't have much money but honestly, she's just happier to be alive and cares more about being happy and making other people happy than anything else. It's a weird thought to her, but it's true, she observes.
She asks him again. He gives her a long look, and she knows that he can tell she's changed. But he sighs, and says no. Why? Because although she's changed, he's still the same man, with the same principles - kind and caring, thoughtful and quiet, but regarding her as a child.
For some reason, his answer hurts her more than she thinks it should. But she doesn't know whether they can stay friends any longer, and so decides to pack all of her stuff and move out properly. He doesn't stop her.
When she exits the house, her friends from the city waiting in their car outside, he kisses her on the forehead and wishes her good luck.
But she takes his rejection to heart, and knows that she has a long way to go before she will become a suitable partner. Her friends tell her otherwise, but she just smiles and sits back, staring out of the window whilst they drive to the city.
And he's inside the house, wondering what to do with the extra food.
-
Wow, this came out longer than I expected.