When
Winter came, they were tucked under a blanket by the fireplace, daily. They
looked out of the window into the cold land, imagining what their lives once
were. Their cabin was hidden under white as was the ground and trees. The air in
the woods was thick. One had to breathe harder to get a little oxygen. There
was hardly anyone or anything in the snow. Occasionally during the day, some
kids sledding would slip by in the distance; though never close enough to
speak. The birds and squirrels were gone. The days were short, and the nights
long. At night, the entire land felt like a dark cave. But her wish was for
them to spend time where they spent their honeymoon. The last thing he wanted
was for her to be cold. So, he promised, this winter, their last winter, would
be a warm winter in spite of the cold gusts that came into the cabin stinging
their skin.
When
she fell asleep, he leaned into kiss her lips and hoped the warmth of the kiss
went from her lips into her blood. He always thought he would be the one to die
first, that he would die young. But here she was, instead, deep in his arms
dying from something he didn’t understand. It was autumn when they found out. For
a moment, through all the cold in their lives, he felt how alive she was in
this season. He was with her. He stretched his arm around her watching her
breathe slowly. He met his hand with her hand and the golden ring they each
wore locked together in their hands’ embrace. It would be the just the two of
them until the end. The end was something he didn’t want, but he knew it was
coming. All he could think about was how he hated the cold, how much he wished
winter had never come, at least, not right now. He held her tightly.
*****************
When
Spring went, the weather was perfect, but she was gone. All the windows in the
cabin were open and it had been nearly two months since he last used the
fireplace. He had cleaned out most
of their belongings. The damp woods were busy and he tried hard to let it
distract his loneliness. He knew others were around because the breezes often
carried their voices. The roof was wet from the morning rain and raindrops were
still falling from the gutter to the ground. It was hard, but remembering her
rejuvenated his spirit. He stepped outside the cabin and looked around as if it
were for the first time. The For Sale sign was staked into the green grass in
front of the walnut-wooded cabin. A couple of vines had grown from a nearby
tree and found themselves twisted around the base of the sign. He had been here
with her and her presence still warmed him. He had no regrets.
He
looked down at his golden ring and he held it upward towards the sun, the ring
glistened and seemed to radiate the land around him. The trees and grass looked
greener. The end had come, but he was still here. The area seemed vast and
open. He felt his lungs full of air. Life was pulsing around him. He then held
both rings in the palm of his hand. He took a piece of string and put the two
rings on it, together. He tied a knot making a necklace and put it around his
neck. A happy union, he wore proudly. It had taken some time, but he had
finally worked up the courage to leave. Summer was whispering his ear. The
whistling of the birds sent a happy beat into his spirit and this beat would
help him find a new beginning. All he could think about was how much he loved
the Spring, how much he needed it, at least, right now. He grabbed the rings
tightly in one had and held them close to his chest.
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