Dedicated to Russ
White Roses
by Kate Jones ©
Boarding the train
she notices there's only one remaining space left. she'll have to
sit next to him. He,being a man who looks to be in his late sixties, early seventies, with a bouquet of flowers resting on his lap. He'll be harmless enough she supposes. Taking the seat, he looks at her, he may be in his seventies but he still appreciates a pretty blonde.
As the train rumbles out of the city all she can think about is
getting out of her business suit and into some comfortable shoes. The train stops suddenly,causing passengers to lurch forward, in the process, the flowers rocket out of his grasp and onto the floor. She instinctively reaches down and retrieves them for him, handing them back. She takes a good look at him. Long-legged, he's tall, perhaps six foot three or four inches,
slender and broad shouldered, bald but with a decidedly handsome
face, dressed neatly in jeans and a short sleeved navy blue shirt. He must've been a dreamboat during his younger days. He was still good-looking for a man in his seventies! He thanks her
and they ride in silence.
The fragrance of the flowers wafts up toward her. she turns to
look at him. "Beautiful roses."
He looks down at the roses and then at her. "Yes, they are,
aren't they?" smiling at his train companion, "white is her favorite, she wore one in her hair on our very first date."
"I buy them for her every year on our anniversary. The woman
grinning back, "oh,that's so sweet!! I'm sure she loves them."
"Well, after thirty six years they're no longer a surprise,
but yes, she does love them."
She sits and wonders how two people can stand each other for
thirty six years. As if reading her mind he says,"thirty six of the happiest years of my life! Did we have our disagreements and spats?" "Hell,yes!!" His eyes lighting up,"but the love and laughter more than overshadowed those."
"She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever layed my eyes
on" He turns to face the woman, "and you know she just gets more beautiful with each passing year."
As the train rocks from side to side toward it's desination, she
marvels at a man still so obviously in love with his wife after all this time. It gave her hope that there must be guys like that out there, somewhere.
The train stops at a suburb of the city. she bids him good bye
and wishes him a happy anniversary. Being a warm day for May, she puts the roof down on her convertable and starts the engine. Thoughts of getting home and a nice long,cool shower occupy her mind as she sees him up ahead, waiting at a bus stop. Pulling
her car to the curb, she offers him a lift. He carefully climbs into the car, his knee replacements are starting to wear out and slow him down. She glances over and sees him holding the roses gently but firmly. She imagines that's how he caresses his wife in his big,strong hands and she smiles for them.
"I hope just because you picked me up you won't be expecting
any favors of a sexual nature." she looks over at him, startled,then sees the wry grin and the twinkle in his eyes. They both chuckle as he continues, "I'll be flattered as
hell, but I'm faithful to her. Always have been, always will be."
She follows his directions and as she sets the parking brake her
eyes mist. He gets out of the car and half hobbles, half walks through the wrought iron gate and makes a left turn.
He stands at the foot of the grave and says a silent prayer, then
with some difficulty, places the white roses at the base of the tombstone. Not wanting to eavesdrop, she can't help but overhear him say in a clear, commanding, loving voice, a voice with the strength and tenor of a man half his age..."You're my sun and moon sweetheart!"
If she had to, she would swear on a stack of Bibles, that through
the rustling of the leaves, carried on the gentle spring breeze, she heard a distant yet distinct voice reply...
"And you're my blue sky and stars darling!"
White Roses Revisited
The Prologue:
"And you're my blue sky and stars darling." as he lay dying, that phrase she responded with so lovingly kept repeating in his head. while the nurses and doctors rushed around in an orderly panic, wheeling resuscitating equipment through the doorway, he
contentedly passed away. After five minutes of his monitor displaying a flatline, the attending physician pronounced him dead.
The Reunion:
"Well, I'll be damned, there really is a tunnel and a bright
light!" Being pulled through at a speed unknown to mortal man he was at the light in an instant. As he came to a rapid but smooth stop he saw them, his parents, relatives, friends. a feeling of
support struck him. Greeting earthly friends, "Hey Don! Good to see you again!" he heard bawdy laughter in his soul.
"Barry!!?? I thought for sure you'd be heading in the
opposite direction, just like me!!" Both laughed and nodded their heads in amused agreement. He recognized them all, but they were fuzzy, out of focus, as if he were looking at them under water. Walking to his father, "We have so much to talk about, dad." Stopping just short of him, he felt a sudden burst of overpowering love and understanding. it was radiating from his father's eyes.
But where was she?? He searched from face to face. Why wasn't
she here!!?? "Honey, I can't travel as fast as you can. It took me a little while to follow you." Turning around,he found her face just inches from his. As their eyes met, his entire being was filled with love so pure and unconditional, eliciting rapture so extreme it made him weep. There were joyous tears streaming down her face as well. Finally they felt, felt soul deep, what they really meant to each other.
Feeling her arms around him, he understood. The bitter cold
winter nights when he turned his heat up as high as he could afford to, and covered himself with an extra blanket yet still felt chilled, it was her arms around him that provided a sudden
comforting warmth.
"Yes sweetheart, I've been with you all along. I've never
left your side." "Remember the night you went out late for cigarettes and soda?" Rolling her eyes as she continued, "and the man tried to rob you in that alley? Let me tell you honey, it took the work of the Hebrews building the pyramids to get that cat to the fire escape and push him on to the mugger's back. It was worth it though,seeing the look on your's and the robber's faces, not to mention the cat's face, was priceless! I don't know when I laughed more!"
Staring at her in amazement. "I've never felt the kind of
emotions I'm feeling right now! Never so strongly, I mean from others! I've never completely understood how much people cared about me!"
"There's a period of adjustment sweetheart. You see,we're
all the essence of what we were on earth, we're made up of what was important to us in our lives. You feel, from me for instance, the overwhelming love because you were and always will be the most important person in my life, because you were and always will be a large part of my essence. In a sense honey, what you're feeling is all the love you've given me reflected back to you." She looks around, smiling. "I was going to say, it's pretty earth-shaking, but that wouldn't be appropriate, would it now?"
As he hugged and shook hands with those who came to meet him, he
promised to spend time with each and everyone of them. taking his hand in hers she lead him down a path covered with crisp, vibrantly colored autumn leaves. On either side of the path, tulips, lilac bushes and bird of paradise plants, in full bloom were delicately covered with just a dusting of snow. The room was filled with white roses their first night together again. She
was as glowingly beautiful and he, every bit the dreamboat, that they were on their very first date. The sweet scent of the roses mingled in the air with the passionate sounds of their lovemaking. Gazing into her eyes, "you mean you can do this here?"
"Oh darling", a look of complete wantonness on her face,"of course, after all, this is heaven!" They spent their time together as they had on earth. Loving, talking, laughing, taking long walks, enjoying each other. They always went together to greet newcomers,no matter which one of them knew him or her.
Until..............
He runs through the doorway, his knees are in perfect working
order ever since he arrived, "honey, it's time for us to go." she walks slowly toward him, puts her left hand on his right shoulder, her right hand on his chest and touches her forehead to
his. A tear rolling down her cheek, "Well,I suppose we'll find each other again. We always do. Remember when we were twin sisters in the late 1800's?" Laughing through her sniffling.
"Or when I was your manservant in ancient Egypt?"
"No honey, you don't understand... we're done! We're not going back!!.. WE'RE DONE!!!!!!"
As he lifts and spins her in circles, she exclaims, "no, I
don't understand.. Where do we go from here?"
The Epilogue:
It had been a long day. The meeting ran late and she couldn't
wait to get home, but first she drove by the cemetary. There were no white roses, he had died eight years ago. She considered putting the roses there every year this time in May, but it occured to her that the roses had been something between them and them alone. It just wouldn't mean the same if she did it. Night had already fallen by the time she pulled into the garage. Entering the house she heard her husband call her name. "Come out here! I'm out back." She opened the french doors that lead to the yard. "Sweetie, did you plant any night blooming roses? I didn't even know there was such a thing!" She notices the rose bush at the right corner of the flagstone patio has blossomed. Large, creamy white flowers stood out against the night. She looked at her husband.. speechless.
"And take a gander. It's a night of firsts." His head tilts backward, she follows his gaze upward. "Have you ever noticed them before sweetie?"
There in the sky, were two new stars, so close to each other that
they seemed to shine as one. The combined light set the night firmament on fire, out glowing everything else in the heavens.
A fire to last for eternity and beyond!
