THE PEARLS
As the old man's driver parked the black Lincoln near a freshly ploughed snowbank, the heavy snowfall became even heavier. The handsome old gentleman opened his door with one hand, trembling as he did so. In his other, hidden carefully inside a velvet pouch, were the pearls. Time stood still as did he, remembering the picture of her with those pearls wrapped seductively between her bare bosom and drifting downward inside her aqua, silk, one-piece "teddy". At least, that's what he remembered them being called in 2004.
When he voiced his admiration of the long string of pearls, she gave them to him awhile later to "keep" for her. The old man often held them at first and fondled them intimately as if he was fondling her. But as the years passed and seasons turned into years, the two friends traveled in separate directions and seldom had any connection to one another. He packed them away with his beautiful memories of her. But life has a funny way of holding on to a memory, especially a favourite one. And he was her's as she was his. This morning, standing at his old but very expensive vehicle with his own private driver, he sat back down inside it before entering the gates. And remembered......
Their's was a short affair and one could not even call it an "affair" 'though it certainly was "a love affair to remember." They had fallen in love with love; he told her that she was his soulmate; she told him that she loved him with all of her heart. Their affair was never consumated but their hearts touched, their souls mated and love survived in the wind, near the sea and in the stars. When circumstances dictated the ending of their relationship and outside sources added closure to even a mutual friendship, they eventually lost touch. His marriage and reputation took priority and she never expected he would choose her, a divorcee. She would hear of his retirement; he knew of her success as a writer and read and re-read her work. And he was proud!
The pearls were kept in a special black, velvet pouch and a few times a year, he would take them out. Strange, but they still carried her aroma. He would hug them to his heart and feel her soft arms wrapped around him, holding him closely to her breast. He didn't know if the pearls were real or not; he didn't care. To him, they were priceless.
The last time they had seen one another was strictly by accident. They were each attending a large reception in town and he saw her before she caught his stare. As they each made their way to the punchbowl, it seemed as if there was not anyone else in the room but she and he. Their dark eyes locked; she touched his arm; he smiled broadly. To him, she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. People were close by so she swiftly and softly said "It's wonderful to see you again, Will." He wanted to say something in reply but only had time to respond with "And you too."
As he was whisked away by his family he turned back to look at her and he 'winked'. Her heart melted on the spot, though over 20 years had passed since he had first done so. His knees were weak and he asked his wife to take him home. That's where, once alone in his room, he got out her pearls and lovingly caressed each one.
Now, lost in deep thought, he heard his driver cough and recalled what he was there for. The old man opened the gates, schuffled through them and shut them behind him. One could barely see the fresh flowers, their color in sharp contrast to the white, pure snow that had just fallen. Some of the flowers were in the shape of a cross, a musical note and of course, a book. As he stood before her grave, pearls in hand, he bowed his grey head in prayer. It seemed as if she was there in spirit as he placed the pouch of pearls deeply underneath the snow and far into the black surface of the soil where her cremated remains were buried. He had promised her many years ago that he would return them to her but never did. They both knew he wouldn't; he couldn't. And she felt honored that he had kept them all through the years.
He had been devastated and shocked to hear of Jade's passing on their local radio station and immediately went out for his daily walk by the waterfront. It was so very frigid that he wished he had remembered his jacket; he could see his breath in the morning air but strangely, never felt the chill. When he returned to his home, he found her pearls and hugged them to him tightly. He knew then it was finally and forever, over. Now, as the softly falling snow covered thm both, he cried. He wept for her, for her passing and now, for losing her forever. Now he finally knew how she felt many years ago when he broke her heart.
As his driver waited patiently beside the car, the old man stood up as straight as he could these days, and winked at his soulmate sleeping deeply in the frozen earth. Suddenly, the snow stopped and he heard a noise in the empty cemetery; he steadied himself with his cane and looked into the brown eyes of a deer who was standing close to Jade's final resting place. It was as if the proud, beautiful animal was saying "Go on home now, old man. She's ok; I'll stay with her tonight."
The driver watched in his rear view mirror as the sad old man bent over in the back leather seat; he seemed to be deep in thought and lost without his velvet pouch, eyes closed. The driver wondered what had been inside that little bag? As he continued to watch, the old man took out his handkerchief to blow his nose & wipe his eyes. Were they tears? The big warmed car sped towards home and as they did so, the old man began to hum a "melody." And he never stopped until they pulled inside his garage.
It was the tune "A LOVE AFFAIR TO REMEMBER" from the 1957 movie; some songs live forever; some memories never die. Memory is one gift of God that death cannot destroy!
As the old man's driver parked the black Lincoln near a freshly ploughed snowbank, the heavy snowfall became even heavier. The handsome old gentleman opened his door with one hand, trembling as he did so. In his other, hidden carefully inside a velvet pouch, were the pearls. Time stood still as did he, remembering the picture of her with those pearls wrapped seductively between her bare bosom and drifting downward inside her aqua, silk, one-piece "teddy". At least, that's what he remembered them being called in 2004.
When he voiced his admiration of the long string of pearls, she gave them to him awhile later to "keep" for her. The old man often held them at first and fondled them intimately as if he was fondling her. But as the years passed and seasons turned into years, the two friends traveled in separate directions and seldom had any connection to one another. He packed them away with his beautiful memories of her. But life has a funny way of holding on to a memory, especially a favourite one. And he was her's as she was his. This morning, standing at his old but very expensive vehicle with his own private driver, he sat back down inside it before entering the gates. And remembered......
Their's was a short affair and one could not even call it an "affair" 'though it certainly was "a love affair to remember." They had fallen in love with love; he told her that she was his soulmate; she told him that she loved him with all of her heart. Their affair was never consumated but their hearts touched, their souls mated and love survived in the wind, near the sea and in the stars. When circumstances dictated the ending of their relationship and outside sources added closure to even a mutual friendship, they eventually lost touch. His marriage and reputation took priority and she never expected he would choose her, a divorcee. She would hear of his retirement; he knew of her success as a writer and read and re-read her work. And he was proud!
The pearls were kept in a special black, velvet pouch and a few times a year, he would take them out. Strange, but they still carried her aroma. He would hug them to his heart and feel her soft arms wrapped around him, holding him closely to her breast. He didn't know if the pearls were real or not; he didn't care. To him, they were priceless.
The last time they had seen one another was strictly by accident. They were each attending a large reception in town and he saw her before she caught his stare. As they each made their way to the punchbowl, it seemed as if there was not anyone else in the room but she and he. Their dark eyes locked; she touched his arm; he smiled broadly. To him, she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. People were close by so she swiftly and softly said "It's wonderful to see you again, Will." He wanted to say something in reply but only had time to respond with "And you too."
As he was whisked away by his family he turned back to look at her and he 'winked'. Her heart melted on the spot, though over 20 years had passed since he had first done so. His knees were weak and he asked his wife to take him home. That's where, once alone in his room, he got out her pearls and lovingly caressed each one.
Now, lost in deep thought, he heard his driver cough and recalled what he was there for. The old man opened the gates, schuffled through them and shut them behind him. One could barely see the fresh flowers, their color in sharp contrast to the white, pure snow that had just fallen. Some of the flowers were in the shape of a cross, a musical note and of course, a book. As he stood before her grave, pearls in hand, he bowed his grey head in prayer. It seemed as if she was there in spirit as he placed the pouch of pearls deeply underneath the snow and far into the black surface of the soil where her cremated remains were buried. He had promised her many years ago that he would return them to her but never did. They both knew he wouldn't; he couldn't. And she felt honored that he had kept them all through the years.
He had been devastated and shocked to hear of Jade's passing on their local radio station and immediately went out for his daily walk by the waterfront. It was so very frigid that he wished he had remembered his jacket; he could see his breath in the morning air but strangely, never felt the chill. When he returned to his home, he found her pearls and hugged them to him tightly. He knew then it was finally and forever, over. Now, as the softly falling snow covered thm both, he cried. He wept for her, for her passing and now, for losing her forever. Now he finally knew how she felt many years ago when he broke her heart.
As his driver waited patiently beside the car, the old man stood up as straight as he could these days, and winked at his soulmate sleeping deeply in the frozen earth. Suddenly, the snow stopped and he heard a noise in the empty cemetery; he steadied himself with his cane and looked into the brown eyes of a deer who was standing close to Jade's final resting place. It was as if the proud, beautiful animal was saying "Go on home now, old man. She's ok; I'll stay with her tonight."
The driver watched in his rear view mirror as the sad old man bent over in the back leather seat; he seemed to be deep in thought and lost without his velvet pouch, eyes closed. The driver wondered what had been inside that little bag? As he continued to watch, the old man took out his handkerchief to blow his nose & wipe his eyes. Were they tears? The big warmed car sped towards home and as they did so, the old man began to hum a "melody." And he never stopped until they pulled inside his garage.
It was the tune "A LOVE AFFAIR TO REMEMBER" from the 1957 movie; some songs live forever; some memories never die. Memory is one gift of God that death cannot destroy!
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