Andrea

A Chapter by Aranel Earwen

Maybe I am over reacting. I don’t know. Charles and I have been dating for a year and have been engaged three months of that year. We don’t even live in the same state! He is making an effort though; I mean I am on my way to pick him up from the train station now. He is coming for a job interview here in Las Angeles. He didn’t even mention me moving and getting a job closer to him. He must really love me, right? To drop everything and do all this just so he can marry me. Right.

We are fine, just fine. I keep telling myself that; that we are fine and in love and so ready for this marriage. My dad doesn’t feel that way. He never really liked Charles or the idea that we are dating long distance from day one. He didn’t like the way we met either.

It was on my last vacation. My friend, Chelsea, who will be my maid-of-honor, and I went on a cruise to the Bahamas. We had both had a rough year, her getting out of yucky marriage and I losing hope on ever getting into one. Does it need to be said that we needed some girl time? The first night it was karaoke night. I hate karaoke but Chelse’ just loves it so I bit my lip and went with her. It was a long night and there was lots of drinking.

I, already drunk, saw Charles over across the room staring at me on multiple occasions and when I would make eye contact he would shift his gaze to Chelse’, whom was singing her little heart out with her annoying Texas twang. I got tired of this game and decided I would stare at him till he looked back at me. Our eyes met and he summoned the nerve to buy me a drink. We ended up sitting together and talking the night away. Chelse’ made me promise to sing something at the karaoke party but I didn’t want to do it alone. I was able to talk Charles into doing it with me. We sang “We Can be Lovers” from our favorite musical, Moulin Rouge and Charles always says, “That is when I knew I loved you.”

I always felt that he was a bit corny for my taste. His taste in coffee; now that was weird! Who drinks their coffee black? People that jump into a relationship too quickly and then cheat on their wife, that’s who! What is this is all an act and he ends up not liking the idea of us being married? He has already been divorced! He has grown kids! He has already completed that whole dream of ‘I am going to grow up and get married and have a bunch of kids and be successful!’ I am almost fifty; I am still young. I still have time for love right? What if we are just rushing into this trying to beat the clock? What am I saying? I love him.

That night on the cruise, I was pretty drunk. He could have easily gotten me back to his room but he didn’t. He took me back to my room and helped Chelse’ get me in bed and went back to his room. He called in the morning to see how I was doing. How sweet was that! He had made me a plate from the breakfast buffet because he thought I might want to sleep in. I joined up with him and we spent the day lounging by the pool talking about our lives and what brought us on the cruise.

When we got to Key West, our first stop on the trip, we spent the day together at the beach on the jet skies. The second one we went shopping and spent the day in the shops and then on the third stop us went snorkeling together. The week was almost up and I went back to his room. I knew we had sped things up too quickly. Now we are engaged. It’s too soon. I have to talk to him. It’s 4:27; his train hasn’t gotten in yet. I guess I will call him. Where is my phone?

“We could be heroes forever and ever-,” that’s our song, its playing on the radio. What am I thinking? I am in love with Charles and we are going to get married. I am so stupid to doubt that we will live a happy life together. Wait it’s my phone, not the radio, that’s Charles’ ringtone. I flip it open, “Charles? Hey, I was-,“ there is nothing but static, “Charles? Hello?” He must have gone through a tunnel, I’ll try calling him.

“You have reached Charles Peck. I am currently unavailable, please leave your-“ I guess I will listen to the news, that helps me clear my head sometimes, other people problems take my mind off my own.

“The number of dead is unknown but so far there have been 57 people located and sent to the local hospitals. For those who are just tuning in with us, commuter train 457 to Las Angeles was hit by an oncoming freight train. We have a total of 225 riders and 57 people located-,” oh Jesus, I slam on the breaks. That’s Charles train.

“We could be heroes forever and ever-,” the tune carries on through my car. I answer my phone. Static.