I Looked at Her, and She Looked at Me

I felt like writing a story, which I usually don't, so I thought I might as well do a romance since I usually don't do that either.

I looked at her. And she looked at me. There are millions of words at a writer's disposal to write down his feelings for a woman. None of them can describe the way I love her.

I met Mary the first time a long time ago. They're a funny thing, romances. They come to us in many forms. Sometimes love just comes naturally and it's love at first sight. Some are identical to the cliche love movies of the 21st century. Mine just so happened to be one of the most cliche of the lot. We met each other, and despised each other. We grew closer, then drifted apart. We met each other later on down the road and then continued down that road for the rest of our lives. Our relationship was a regular romantic comedy. I kept expecting to turn around to see a video camera following my every move.

But such was not the fate of our relationship. Our anger at each other was real, our frustration with each other was real but our love for each other was more real than either of those combined.

It all started one sunny afternoon. Typical setting for a love story just waiting to be had. I ran up to her. 

"Hey Mary!" I exclaimed, my eyes gleaming with anticipation and mischief, "I have a friend I want you to meet!"

"No way! You have a friend?" she replied.

I proceeded to respond to this insult by pulling a slime-soaked newt that I had found in the grass next to the big slide and dive bombed it down the back of her shirt. She responded to this attack by shooting her hand quick as a machine gun to the sides of my face, leaving a blood-red mark in the shape of a handprint imprinted on my cheek. My friends acted as my fellow comrades and flew to my aid. Her friends acted as her own fellow sisters-in-arms and rolled up to her side. The boys' turned around and showed the females the unseen side of the moon, while the girls shot their snake-like tongues out at us while throwing handfuls of rocks found on the playground surface at the boys' squadron. The boys had no other choice but to spread a smokescreen of sand into the eyes of our opponents and then quickly retreat before the enemy had time to respond.

Of course, this is was in the times of when we were all in our elementary school years. Very immature. As we grew up and matured, we settled our disputes with much more well-mannered solutions. Only a few more things changed as the years passed. One of those things being that I had grown out of the omniscient fact that all girls were infested with contagious, deadly germs, commonly known as cooties. Us guys were terrified of those things weren't we? God knows what cooties actually did. I guess that cooties were just early reminders from God that girls are in charge of us, boys.

Anyways, I had begun to realize that Mary was actually quite the, well, in lack for a better term, she was a babe. So one day I mustered up the courage to actually talk kindly to the girl who I have had a long absolute abhorrence for. And she said yes. My hear must've stopped for a good twenty seconds. 

"Did I just seal a date with Mary?!" I thought. But the truth was, I did. I couldn't believe it myself. The idea of us going on a date was unheard of. However, it happened and I couldn't be more terrified.

The day of our first date, I was terrified. I was powerless under the influence of her feminine charm. Our date was to consist of going to the park and taking a walk. If we wanted to afterwards, we would go out to eat somewhere. Of course, nothing a boy plans out when it comes to love ever turns out the way we want it. We never went out to eat. We didn't want to. We were content just sitting together on a park bench with my arm around her shoulders and her head leaning against mine. Then I looked at her, and she looked at me. And I kissed her.

She was so beautiful then. She still is. Even now as a snake-like tube runs into her arm while she lays here on this hospital bed with the disruptive sounds all around us, alerting the doctors about the functions of all her vital organs. 

I still can't believe it, how much I love her. She is just so perfect. Even with her hair grayed by the passing of years, and her wrinkles on her face, worn in by the effect of living life too lively. But I know she doesn't regret a single moment of it. Nor do I. I made some of my best memories with this woman, and I don't want anything to change.

I put my hand on her cheek as I kneel down next to her bed. And slowly, she opens her eyes. And then I look at her, and she looks at me. She smiles. I know there's not much left time to be had with my wife. I try my best to smile back at her while I hear the beep-beep-beeping of the machine measuring her heart rate gradually get slower. A tear drips down my and runs down my cheek. Mary reaches up with one extremely weak hand and wipes it away. She looks me in the eyes lovingly and says, "You'll always have a friend in me. I love you so much." And the beep-beep-beeping slows into one long monotonous hum. The doctors all rush in and try multiple ways to revive her, all unsuccessfully. I walk away. I know there's nothing that can be done. Mary's gone. I went home and cried.

Three years from that day, I am in the same situation. I had a heart attack and fell down, bashing my head on the sidewalk I was walking on. So many things are going on around me. I am so confused. People are moving everywhere. I don't know who anyone is because they're all wearing masks. It's terrifying. My vision is blurry, I can't move my arms or legs and a tube is going down my throat so I can't talk. I don't know how long I've been here, but I do realize how long I've been in this world. Heh, heh...it's been a long time. I try to listen to what the people around me are saying, but I can't understand any of it. But I do end up hearing one slow beep, that only gets slower. I'm scared. But at the same time, I'm excited. The beeping gets slower. In a frenzy, my eyes around the room looking from person to person as each one talks frantically to the other. The beeping stops, and makes way for one long monotonous hum. My vision blurs even more, and everything is black.

I wake up to see a small light at the end of what seems to be a long black tunnel. I stand up and start walking towards it. As I walk, the light only gets brighter. I end up making my way out of the tunnel. I stumble backwards for a second. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. It's Mary. She's sitting on the cloud-looking ground and when she sees me, her smile widens and she runs towards me. I pick her up and hug her as tight as I can. And then I look at her, and she looks at me.

"Let's go to our new home," she says. And hand in hand we start walking towards these enormous and beautiful pearly white gates. The man then opens the gates. Then I look at Mary, and she looks at me. And we both agree that this is the most beautiful thing either of us have ever seen.

Author's Note

Reviews appreciated! I don't write many stories, so tell me what you think! I know it's not perfect, so be honest, but not too harsh =)