Short Story of Forever Love
Photo credit: allyeargarden from morguefile.com
He woke up excited. After ages…
Today was a happy day. He even hummed a happy song, a song of love, a song she loved to hear while cooking for him his usual breakfast. But today he was cooking something she loved – crisp bacon and tomatoes, with scrambled drippy eggs. He wasn’t a good cook but wanted her to know that he cared.
This day, every year, he always cared. He drew himself along leisurely bath, filled the tub with her favorite bath bomb – typical woman’s scent – lavender. He hated that! But she loved that. He wanted her to know that he cared.
After bathing, he took out his Sunday clothes, he caressed the lapels of his grey sports jacket which she insisted he buys for himself and almost had a hissy fit when he tried to refuse. Putting it on, across his bony chest, he felt how she would have felt while hugging him from behind. He wanted her to know that he always cared.
Looking into the mirror, he combed his hair back, away from his face and then stopped. She liked to play with his hair, he ran his fingers through his hair, just the way she would have done and smiled at his reflection. He looked younger. He felt younger. And all he wanted to do was to make her feel that he cared.
He walked out of the door with a picnic basket, filled with the food he cooked, a bottle of wine, two glasses and a plaid tattered picnic mat. On the way he stopped his car in front of the florist and picked some carnations, well this girl, like any other girl, loved her flowers. So flowers it was. He wouldn’t dare show up without those! She will haunt him forever. He chuckled at the thought. He went a little extra. For himself a red rise for his jacket and pinned it on it. She would adore that! He simply wanted her to know that he cared
He reached. And walked towards the gate, circumnavigated towards the back and across the grass, the boulders and headstones, he walked his usual familiar path and stopped at her grave. Smiled and arranged the flowers on her headstone which simply read, “Beloved Forever”.
He spread out his mat and took out two place settings, lovingly he poured wine in two glasses and offered a toast to this day.
This day was the most important day of the year for him. Only because it was important for her. She used to travel back in time this day, she looked and acted like a teen in love. And he wanted her to travel back in time once more. And he wanted her to know that he cared. As he has been doing this for 25 years now, every valentines day since she was gone.
And she did know that he cared.
–END–
