Unfailing love

First off Happy New Year. It has been the craziest December in my life. I apologize for not posting. I've seen more of New Zealand I ever imagined I would, celebrated four birthdays, Christmas, New Year and I loved every moment of it. To me New Year reminds me to look back at where I have been and use what I have learned to my advantage for the road ahead. With that said, the original version of this story was written in 2015. I read through it cringing. My grammar was even worse and the story had no tone whatsoever. I've edited and rewritten it using everything I have learned since. I'm reluctant to share the original, but I'll take a vote on my Instagram and Facebook accounts. If you want to see the cringe-worthy original let me know on the vote. Even though I dread it, I can look at the words proudly and acknowledge how far I have come. I am not perfect and neither is my writing. And that is okay, as long as I keep striving to improve. Same goes for you.

Enjoy.Don't be shy to leave your thoughts below.

Photo by TK Hammonds on Unsplash

He arrived like clockwork. Every day since I can remember he brought fresh flowers. His chair stayed spotless, dustless next to the tombstone. The graveyard yearned for his presence as soon as he left. Before the sun shed its blanket of warmth over the earth, he would be there again with fresh flowers.

His story reminded me that the virtue of humanity was not extinct.

They met before the lines next to their eyes engraved into their faces. They were both young. There was one special day at Kindergarten when they could dress up as whatever their heart desired. He wore a cape and a shirt with the letter “s’ written in black. Not for superman; for significant. She hid her innocent cheeks with a striking red mask. They spent the day saving bank robbers, thieves and purse snatchers. The entire kindergarten playground was safe by the time their work was done. Within those small acts of bravery they rooted a much deeper connection. The universe declared them soul mates.

In grade school they became best friends and shared everything. Their fellow classmates became aware that they were different and teasing shortly followed. Because their love was indescribable, they were labelled with a word that could never come close. Different. They were young enough to resist the temptation of conforming to societal norms. Instead they met at the tree house in her yard. He wore his cape and she wore her mask. They didn’t hide, they overcame. In those moments they tore down the labels together and strengthened their bond.

Middle school dictated that having only one friend was weird. Despite their many efforts to fight the urge, they weren’t perfect. Time drove a wedge between them. They were safe and accepted by everyone, but they longed for a safety they couldn’t replicate. Being apart left a hole they couldn’t fill with other friends or hobbies. Neither one could deny the force pulling them back together. Time twisted back in their favour and allowed them to find one another once again. It gave them the opportunity to establish their own identity. In turn it sprouted their friendship anew. Their incredible love broke the boundaries of description.

High school was a different ball game. They stayed best friends but she managed to get her heart broken a few times and he managed to break a few hearts too. They were excluded from every occasion. Every relationship ended with the same fight. No one was willing to date someone who had already given their heart to their best friend. Their denial clouded their judgement. It took them 16 years to realize that they didn’t have hearts to give. It had already been with the other long before. They were the only two of a kind. They were told that opposites attract and failed to consider that they were the exception.

Two years later the top of their wedding cake was decorated with a masked bride and caped groom.

They lived a simple life, knowing their relationship enriched their lives. Time was kind to them and their love stayed as strong as ever. But a void ripped through her heart when she was declared barren. On her 53rd birthday she fell ill and there was no cause of death apart from heartbreak. He cared for and loved her till the day she drew her last breath. With her back against the hospital bed and a clenched fist, she took his hand in her own, “All superheroes reach their end, but it’s the significant legacy that will never die.” She gave him her wrinkled mask. He wrapped it around her head and both were transported back to their first mission as children. With the memory playing in her head she allowed the wind to whisk her away. The tears ran across his face like rivers into the ocean.

For 27 years he has been going to her grave. I’ve faintly heard the stories he tells her. He whispers the names of those who need saving. He asks her to reach those beyond his capacity.

Yesterday was her 80th birthday. Noon. I haven’t seen him. I don’t think I will see him again. I made my final rounds and lingered at her grave. Only the ghost of where his chair used to be remained. Yesterday’s flowers are starting to bow their heads. A smile wiped across my face as I crunched down. I ran my fingers over the mask and cape lying on the tombstone.

Incredible.

Keep an eye out for my Instagram and Facebook vote.

Happy New Year

Time to brave 2019