Letting It Go
It was close to 10 PM, and they were not ready for what was about to strike them.
“Hasn’t he come to see you yet? We only have a few minutes left for the visitation today.”, the nurse at the hospital inquired.
Mary turned her head towards the nurse and said its ok, but her puffy eyes gave it away. The nurse came close and gently ran her fingers through her hair. She looked straight into Mary’s eyes and said, “Take rest now. He might come tomorrow morning, and you don’t want to miss a minute of it.“. Of course, she knew that he would not come. Men in her life ensured that.
Mary couldn’t fall asleep. Her medicines let her be awake for once. She knew deep down that Mark loved her as much as she deserved him. After the accident that paralyzed her, she owed everything to him. It hasn’t been easy for him to handle work, kids, and her being bound to the wheelchair and to do that for ten years.
After she read a message from a woman on his phone a few years back, her will to live life gradually decreased, and now it seems to want to halt. Though the message killed her from inside, she could see why letting Mark live his life was better for everyone. She doesn’t want to be a burden to Mark and the kids. Her will to survive this time was down to nothing.
Her eyes shut. The last bit of life left her body through the tears.
It was getting late. The meeting was still going on. His mind was never in the discussion.
The only reason he stuck with this job is because of the health benefits. He had to be practical with a paralyzed wife bound to the wheelchair and two kids. His colleagues knew what he was going through, and they helped him in many ways.
His phone kept vibrating the whole time. His face started to sweat as he knew it was his mistake. He intended to surprise Jane by coming early, but now he is late, and she will be mad.
The meeting got done, and his colleagues invited him for drinks. He made some excuse and rushed towards his car. He drove it out of the parking and sped like death chased him. He smelled of fear, excitement, and guilt, all at once.
He held the ring in his hand very tight. He kept playing the perfect proposal in his head. Suddenly he remembered that he was supposed to call the hospital and tell them that he would not come for visitation today. His hand scrambled for the phone, and as he looked at the phone to unlock it, he felt something was coming in front to swallow him. The next minute, there was an ambulance, police car, and a fire truck at the scene. The police grabbed his license and said to his colleagues, “His name is Mark. “
His eyes shut. The ring was still tightly clutched in his hand, but the life left him.
The clock was ticking, and the makeup slowly started to feel heavy.
The waiting always hurt her. Jane tried as much as she could to give him the benefit of the doubt. She kept telling herself that things would be different if not for his sick wife. But one can only understand so much.
Jane had always had trouble with love. She grew up in a household where love barely existed. The house was filled with sadness, resentment, regret, and disappointment. She embodied each of them at different times in her life as long as she stayed there. Her emotions were her first enemy.
She always attracted the wrong kind and endured a roller coaster emotional ride every time things ended. Considering all that, Mark was a catch. Sure, her choice could have been better, but life had never given her choice. She always had to take what came along.
Her hands started to shake, and her anxiousness began to unfold. Her mind wandered through conversations and fights she had with Mark before today. She looked at her phone and decided to call one last time. No luck.
Her hands moved like a samurai, picked up the cleaver knife, and slit her hands. A loud cry in pain followed. She held her hand and fell onto the couch next to the kitchen. The red couch absorbed more color to itself.
Her eyes shut. The last bit of life left her body through the final drop of blood.
It was midnight. Loud cheers filled the street with people shouting, “Happy new year. “