No sparks at all?

Sited at the back of the Bus, Sheila was completely oblivious of her immediate surroundings.  It was 7:00pm in the evening but the Sun was still up.  It was summer and everyone wanted to take in as much sun as they could. Shoppers milled in and out of shops along the crowded streets wearing flimsy clothing.

“Excuse me!” Standing beside Stella was an old lady who wanted to get into the seat beside Sheila.  Sheila didn’t take any notice until the old Lady gently tapped her shoulder.

“Oh I’m sorry” She moved in and the lady took the aisle seat.

Sheila’s mind was on Ricky.  She had been friends with Ricky for about six years.  Nothing romantic, it was just plain friendship. That was until yesterday.  They had gone on a Dinner date and out of the blues Ricky had come out with a marriage proposal!

Sheila still couldn’t believe it.  Ricky was like her brother! He practically knew everything about her.  Even all her former Boyfriends! Why in the world would he want to ruin a good friendship? She took out a photograph they had taken together a few months back and examined it.

“Your finance?” It was the old lady beside her.  She was starring at the photograph with a smile on her face.

“Oh no!” Sheila responded promptly.

“What a shame!” The old lady’s face fell. “He looks like a nice boy” she mumbled, obviously disappointed!

“Well, he just asked me to marry him” Sheila volunteered without thinking.

“But there are no sparks!” she continued “I’ve known him for like six years, he’s more like a brother and I don’t think I can see him in a romantic way”

The old lady shook her head slowly. Wrinkled in her plain brown cotton dress, she looked at least eighty years old.

“That’s the problem with you young folks.  You’re much more interested in the wrapper than the gift.  Friends make the best lovers my child! The best marriages are between two real friends, not two acquaintances who think they’re in love!”

“But he’s not really my type” Sheila protested.

“And who is your type?”

Sheila paused a while. Wondering why she was discussing something that intimate with a stranger but then, maybe she needed some advice!

“Well, I prefer big muscular men!” She remarked slowly.

The old lady smiled. “Are you dating any right now?”

Sheila laughed, she was a little embarrassed. “No”

The old lady shook her head slowly. “Is there any strong muscular fellow anywhere whom you’ve known for six years who you’re hoping to get married to?”

Sheila wondered what she was getting at. “No”

The old lady sighed. “The true worth of a man is in his strength of character not in the size his muscles!”

She stared out of the Bus for a few minutes and Sheila began to wonder if that was the end of the conversation, but then she turned, pointed at Ricky in the photograph and spoke again.  “Is this your friend honest, dependable and caring?”

Sheila nodded without any hesitation. The old lady smiled. “From what you’ve said about this your friend, I think you should give his proposal a long thought. Sparks are good but they normally go out in about two years and you may not like what you’ve ended up with after the sparks are gone!”

She paused to cough slightly before she continued. “Character is what you need to go the long haul.  I am not saying that sparks are not important.  I’m just saying that they’re not as important as you think, if you want to be married for a very long time!”

“It’s all so confusing” Sheila muttered. The old Lady chuckled. “Ah, but getting the sparks to fly is not as difficult as you think. A lot of pleasant surprises await you if you can be patient my dear”

Sheila was going to ask just how to get the sparks flying when the Bus slowed down and came to a stop.

“My stop” announced the old lady, rising from her seat.  “I wish I had known what I just told you when I was your age.  It would have saved me quite a lot of heartaches; I tell you!”

She lingered at the steps of the Bus to wave. Pointing at Sheila, she spoke loud enough for everyone in the Bus to hear her.

“Sparks will go out eventually and after the sparks, who do you have with you? A friend or a stranger?”