Emma's Story

“You are one demanding husband”, said Emma, with the obvious quivers in her voice that old age brings. She looked over her shoulder and could see James, her son, and Jenna, James’ wife, standing next to the car and smiling back at her.

Emma waddled through the grassy patch and walked close to her husband, Clarke. She was dressed in a grey overcoat and on her head, had one of her round, black hats, tilted fashionably to one side. “You look absolute perfect in this!!”, Clarke had once said to Emma, when she had worn the same dress on one of their anniversaries.

So today, dressed in one of Clarke’s favorite and with her husband favorite flowers in hand, Emma was standing, looking lovingly on to the small area of land where her husband lay, resting in peace.

She placed her right hand on the gravestone and with much effort seated herself next to the grave, with the gravestone supporting her back. “A caring son, a loving father and the most wonderful husband that one has ever been”, read the epitaph. After minutes of silence Emma spoke again, “Even at the age of eighty seven, you make your wretched wife travel so far to come see you.”

Emma’s face, though now a criss-cross of wrinkles, was once the most beautiful in town. Time and again Clarke would be elbowed by his friends and cousins on being so lucky to have her. However, old age could not steal away the divine radiance, as Clarke liked to call it, off her face. Nor could it do anything to defile the beauty of Emma’s eyes, which looked like green marbles, only a few shades darker than the greenery around.

After having seen enough of the floating clouds, she shut her eyes and let out a short but heavy sigh. With that she spoke again, “You remember what day it is, don’t you?” “ It’s our diamond jubilee dear… Happy anniversary.”

Having said this, she moved her hand through the grass, as her lips tried to feel Clarke’s kiss on the breeze that swept pass her. And then, she smiled. The very same smile, which adorned her face, when Clarke had for the first time, kissed her after they took their vows in the church.

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“It’s late”, Jenna said as she shifted close to James. “Yup”, replied James. “It’s been thirty minutes. Mom hardly sits that long”. “The kids are alone back home”, Jenna said. “I think I will go and check on her”, and with that James walked towards his mother, who was still sitting and smiling, with her eyes closed. She seemed so peaceful that James hesitated to disturb her. However he stooped and tapped on her shoulder. Emma’s lifeless body slid to the ground…

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“ What took you so long beautiful?”, Clarke said as he watched his wife of 25 walking towards him. “It was you who left me ten years back Mister” and landed a light and the most loving punch on his chest. “Though I knew you would wait”, she finished. “ Well then, time to leave” said Clarke and with that took her hand in his and slowly started climbing up the golden stairway which awaited them… And before I could see any further, a bright white blinding light engulfed and took them away.

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