The permanence of a smile

On what has become my journey of choice to and from ‘work’, this morning, something happened.

It was not one of those OMG, I can’t believe that just happened moments, but more of an insightful one.

I was in the taxi when a lady came in and sat at my side opposed to my left.
She said a general hi, but upon realizing it was me she kind of used her elbow to tug me in the side and all I could do was smile then said, “Hi. What’s up?” But I noticed something, well more like two things.

With kids, the tugging into the side with the elbow is more of a provocative, offensive gesture. One that would give rise to a fuss or a fight, but with adults, it’s the opposite.

It’s a sign of contact when a handshake is impossible and a hug is not permitted given the time or the limited space and the reaction, depending on the situation, is usually the reaction I gave – a smile. And this brings me to my core epiphany.

Moments after I had first smiled at her, I realized that the smile had not crept off my face like it ought to have done and this instigated another smile followed by another and then slowly they faded from my face, but I became conscious of the fact that, while the smile had left my face, I was still smiling.

For my heart had made a curve identical to the one my mouth makes when I smile and I smiled again because my heart was smiling; I realized the permanence of a smile.

It doesn’t come then disappear in a jiffy. It lingers, as if wanting to tickle you into laughter, gently forcing you into experiencing something else; something more.
It kinda runs an errand through your entire being, walking leisurely in an effort to ensure that no cell, no artery, no intestine was left untouched by its effect.

And having experienced infinite smiles prior to this moment I wonder how much permanence was in them? Was there any permanence in them at all? And if the answer to the latter question is no, does it mean that prior to this morning I’ve never smiled for there is nothing temporal about a smile, but simply a persistent permanence.