“I just had to see you... please... don’t be mad.” I could hear the voice in my head but the words caught in my throat. I just stood there in front of you. Didn’t know what to do. Didn’t know what else to say. I shivered a little in the cold night air. You took a step towards me and ever so slowly, gently, without a word, you put your arms around me and pulled me close. You felt so good in my arms. Warm. Soft. Safe - as you should be. All at once, everything was right with the world. And though we couldn’t see them, I could tell the angels were smiling down on us. We were one. You placed your head on my chest, and I could feel the soft rhythm of our hearts and the warmth of our breaths, echoing in the stillness. A moment in time, perfectly frozen, captured for all eternity. There we stood. Alone. Not a soul in sight, rooted to the cracked pavement outside your house, bathed in the dim ochreous glow of the flickering street lamp. Our shadows gently swaying to the wistful descant in our hearts, even as we stood still, silent, melting into each other.
So many things I wanted to say. I wanted to tell you how much I loved you. How empty my life would be without you. How you meant the world to me. The touch of your skin, the scent of your hair, your gentle smile, your lilting laugh, the way you wrinkled your nose and pursed your lips when you couldn’t stay mad at me, your little squirrel kisses and most of all... the way you felt in my arms.
But we just stood there... in silence. I didn’t dare say a word, didn’t want to break the spell. It was perfect. I didn’t want the moment to end.
But it did.
You looked up at me and with a weak smile, whispered,”Take care of yourself.” With that you turned and walked past the gate, into your home, closing the door behind you, never looking back.
Tweetybird came scampering up to the gate, wagging her tail, looking up at me. I knelt down and she licked my face, her droopy eyes gazing deep into my soul, whimpering mournfully. Somehow she knew. We would never see each other again. I finally found my voice, and hugging her, I whispered what I knew all along I needed to say but just couldn’t bring myself to:
“Goodbye.”
copyright 2012 blackcherry media
About Me
- kula
- Ramesh Kula is the author of one of Singapore’s best-selling series of horror books “SOULS”. To date he has sold over 250 000 copies of “SOULS”. Two of his latest titles “SOULS – BACK FROM THE DEAD” and “WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OLD KAMPONG SPIRIT? – The Graphic Novel” are now available internationally via amazon.com. His first comic story “H.E.L.L.” was published in the 1988 Singapore Festival of Arts Edge of the Fringe publication. He also participated in the 11th Singapore International Film Festival with a short film he wrote and produced, “Lucy – A True Story.” His stories have also appeared in the Straits Times and several overseas publications, notably UDOLPHO, the Gothic Society magazine (London). He is also a lyricist having written and recorded songs and released two CD albums “Ghost” and “Fading From View”. He is currently the managing editor of Blackcherry Media.
