The Trip - A Love Story - pipTalk Forums

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SPIRIT
Senior Member

since 2002-12-29

Posts 1745
California Desert

0 posted 2003-01-22 11:13 PM

THE TRIP
A LOVE STORY

Emily switched off the downstairs lights after locking the front door.  She then slowly ascended the very elaborate curving staircase that led to her bedroom.  The room was a decorator's dream in shades of soft pink, lace and roses.  Roses were Emily's passion, be they fresh, silk or porcelain.  Her bedroom and the rest of her house abounded with roses everywhere.  Emily was a very feminine lady, as her home well attested to.

Even her light bulbs cast pink hues and her bedroom was a fantasy of soft glows and magical moods.  The scent of roses lay heavy in the air, not only from the fresh in crystal vases, but from the potpourris and personal perfume that Emily lavishly used.

Emily, sitting at the large dressing table was exceptionally happy at the image that smiled back at her through the ornate and heavily beveled mirror.  At sixty eight her hair was very white, and very thick.  She had been to the local beauty parlor that day and her hair was full, fluffy and framed her face in softness.  A shampoo-in rinse had added delicate, barely noticeable highlights of rose pink, and the effect was very becoming.

She wore, as always to bed, a crisply ironed high necked, long sleeved lace trimmed nightdress.  It flowed gently over her quite firm but generously rotund form.  For some unknown reason, although she had already removed her make-up Emily felt the urge to touch her cheeks with blush and to pink her lips.  Then, still not feeling quite complete, she added pale blue eye shadow and a light coat of mascara to her thinning eyelashes.  She looked at herself with a sense of pride before moving away from the dresser.

Without a doubt Harry would be tremendously happy by the way she had kept herself up, especially as she was so lonely.  Harry had always taken a lot of trips during their marriage, but this last one he was on seemed to be taking forever.  Harry and Emily had been together for forty-six years, and Emily, especially Emily, was a completely devoted partner in the marriage.  She had always been more than understanding about Harry's long absences, but in all honesty her patience was beginning to wear a little thin.  Emily felt, in fact, at the end of her rope.

Before climbing into her bed she plumped up her pillows.  Then she shut off all the bedroom lights except for her reading lamp on her nightstand, and made one last quick trip into the bathroom.  Emily loved to read in bed and was quickly enmeshed in the affairs of heart that filled the pages of the modern day romances that she liked to read.  So caught up in what she was reading Emily failed at first to hear her telephone ringing.  It was a low ring, but extremely persistent and she finally became aware of the strange noise invading her privacy.  Slowly Emily raised the handset and held it up to her ear.

How well she knew that familiar voice on the other end; it was undoubtedly her Harry, her beloved Harry.  How profusely he apologized to her for the length of this last trip he had taken.  There were not enough words to tell her how much he loved her.  All thoughts of retribution were swept swiftly from Emily's mind as soon as she heard his dear voice.  How his voice filled the aching lonely void in her heart, and as always, forgiveness for his absence was speedy and complete.

Emily listened with joyous anticipation as Harry told her to get dressed.  They would go away for a few days to get to know each other again, and to make up for the lost time.  A second honeymoon he jokingly called it.  He reminded her to leave a note for Joanie, their only child, so that she would not worry about them, then he told her to hang -up and go get dressed, as he would be there within the hour.

Emily stared at the phone in her hands for a moment, then collecting her thoughts she put it back on the cradle and scurried out of bed.  She dressed in her prettiest suit, pale blue silk and got out her favorite hat and sat it jauntily on top of her fluffy hair.  Her white gloves she laid on the nightstand, she wouldn't put those on until after she had written her note to Joanie.  She virtually ran downstairs to find a pen and paper, and once the note was written she left it on the hall table and hurried back upstairs for her gloves.  How excited she was, never had anyone loved anyone as much as she loved her Harry, and the thought of him finally coming home was almost more than she could bear.

The next morning Joanie, who came by every morning to have coffee with her mother, was surprised not to be met at the door, as she usually was, by Emily.  Getting out her key she opened the door and noticed immediately a note addressed to her in her mother's handwriting.  It was propped in front of a vase of yellow roses, on the hall table, exactly where Emily had left it. The note appeared to have been written somewhat hastily.  It stated simply that Joanie's daddy had called the night before and that he and Emily were going on a small trip together.  Emily had signed off  'see you soon, we both love you very much and I am so thankful and happy to be seeing your father again, all my love dearest, Mother'.

Joanie turned pale and seemed unable to catch her breath.  She leant against the hall table to steady herself.  Then slowly, sighing softly to herself, she eased her way up the long stairway.  At the top of the stairs she forced herself to enter her mother's bedroom.  Emily was sitting upright in her wing chair; her gloves were on her lap as were her hands, which sat daintily crossed, there on.  A look of joy was upon her face. She had removed her hat and tossed it carelessly onto her bed, as if she had changed her mind about wearing it.  Emily had made her final transition, and this was just as Joanie had suspected.  After all Harry's last trip had been of a very final nature.  He had passed away, five years earlier.

How different,the dark that scares us,
From the dark, behind our eyes,
That we hide behind to protect us
From the dark that scares us. ©das

amusemi
Senior Member

since 2001-12-08

Posts 1262
A State of Disarray

1 posted 2003-01-23 11:07 PM

Breath taking! Don't change a thing. It's perfect and wonderful.

SPIRIT
Senior Member

since 2002-12-29

Posts 1745
California Desert

2 posted 2003-01-24 10:10 PM

Thank you!

lorenlynn
Member

since 2003-01-27

Posts 203
California Beaches

3 posted 2003-01-27 07:22 PM

A touching read, so nice.

Rainbowdust
Member

since 2002-12-05

Posts 320
Sydney, Australia

4 posted 2003-01-27 09:34 PM

Absolutely beautiful! I loved it!

The soul would have no rainbows, had the eyes no tears.

SPIRIT
Senior Member

since 2002-12-29

Posts 1745
California Desert

5 posted 2003-01-27 11:47 PM

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it.

JamesMichael
Member Empyrean

since 1999-11-16

Posts 33336
Kapolei, Hawaii, USA

6 posted 2003-02-18 02:38 AM

Reminds me of that song "Strange Things Happen In This World"...James

Jason Lyle
Senior Member

since 2003-02-07

Posts 1438
With my darkling

7 posted 2003-02-20 11:57 AM

beautiful........as I have come to expect of you.
Jason

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