By Jocelyne Ross
Word Count: 865
Rating: G
Summary: While Joyce lies comatose, she relives her life with her husband and family, as they try to wake her up.
Day after day , Gabriel’s unwavering voice reached her. His voice carried her away to her dear beautiful native country, where she had lived her whole life till the day of their wedding.
***
She looks around her: her mom and dad are sitting at a table with her uncles and aunts and cousins. The moon is high in the sky, round and beautiful; she can see in the far distance the mountains surrounding her little village.
A moment later she is standing with her sister, when their parish priest introduces them to an American visitor. She turns to greet the young man; their eyes meet. She has a feeling her life will never be the same. She does not want their first conversation to end—she can tell that he doesn’t either. He tells her about how his luggage was lost at the airport, and how few nights ago he woke up the sounds of bombs. He could not believe his ears—he had never heard real bombing before. And he loves her country’s food and, oh, the music and on and on he went…
Even though Joyce’s country is enjoying peace now after many long years of war; from time to time some group of people who cannot forget nor forgive and so they do some mischief here and there to have the false satisfaction of power and heroism.
Joyce always thought that if mothers take over the politics in her country there will be no more fighting nor hatred because mothers will not send their children to war, fights and more often their deaths as easily as men do.
At the party; Gabriel is still talking while Joyce is hanging on his every word, she can see her mother standing behind him, waving to her and her sister to come to the table. It is time for the dinner party to begin. Joyce looks back at him—he is still talking to her about the beautiful places and ancient ruins he has been visiting in her country. Joyce decides to invite him to join her at her family’s table to share dinner with them.
***
They see each other every day for the next three days. Yet during those brief days, they spend so much time together and visit many beautiful places that three days feel like a lifetime.
On their last day together, they walk on the golden sandy beach, take a boat into the sea, jetski, enjoy lunch in a restaurant overlooking the Mediterranean sea; afterward they drive up into the mountains, have dinner overlooking the deep valleys, and watch the sun sink down into the red colored sea.
“I will be back soon,” Gabriel declares.
“Do you think when you come back, we will still be close to each other—like we are now?” she asks, worry showing itself clearly on her face.
He assures her that everything will be just the same, then he tries to kiss her.
She pushes him away gently and tells him: “Gabriel, you may laugh at what I am about to tell you, but that’s fine with me because I am convinced that it is the right thing to do.”
“What is it?” Gabriel asks, trying to smile, but seeing her face makes him realize the seriousness of what she is about to tell him.
“I am keeping my first kiss to be my wedding gift to my husband. That’s why I have been stopping you very gently from kissing me, not because I don’t like you… Oh Gabriel, the feelings I am experiencing are so foreign to me; sometimes I feel as if my heart is going to break free from my chest because it is so full of joy and…love.” The last word is barely audible as she blushes and looks down.
He puts his hand under her chin and raises her beautiful face up, looking lovingly into her beautiful dreaming big eyes: “I am not laughing,” he says seriously. “Now I know that I will have to marry you to get those kisses I’ve been trying to get.” He smiles.
“Don’t joke, Gabriel. You barely know me.”
“I am not joking! I know all that I need to know: I know that I love you, dear Joyce. I loved you the first moment I saw you, and I know I always will.”
They embrace tightly, hoping to make time stand still—and this moment last a lifetime.
***
Gabriel’s voice begins to fade, but Joyce’s mind is racing. She remembers what happened next as if it were yesterday. She sees the two of them at the airport, Gabriel assuring her that he will call often and write to her as well; he implores her to call him and to remember him—and not to forget their time together.
She sees herself as she looked that day, a puzzled look on her face, as she wonders why Gabriel would call and write her, since they lived so far away from each other. Although she longs to be with him, she is sure that she will never see him again. The thought fills her with sadness, and their goodbye is a tearful one.
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