In An Instant

How life can change oh so quickly

I sat quietly watching her. She drank coffee whilst flicking through a gossipy magazine, pausing briefly every now and again to read a few lines or study a photo. I smiled to myself remembering our meeting, the pair of us worse for wear, booze, in a crowded Tenerife bar. We pretty much spent the whole of the next week together, drinking, laughing, loving.
When back in the UK 400 miles separated us , Scotland her home, England mine. As promised, a letter, the first of many written by, lay waiting on her return from holiday (she had stayed on for an extra week ). I told her over and over how much I loved her, missed her, needed her, and that one day we would be married. That was June 1991.
October 1991 she moved down to be at my side. We married in October 1993.
Our daughter was born in November 2000, her mother's double. Beautiful, funny, clever, a most warm, generous human being, the Apple, orchard of my eye. Life has been nothing but great....25years of bliss.

" Have you any regrets " she once asked me, meaning of our life together.

" Only that we didn't meet earlier."

The doorbell rang. She placed the magazine on the cushion beside her.

" Mrs Jacky Stevenson " asked the young policeman.

" Yes, is there something wrong ? "

" Can we come inside Jacky" asked the young WPC.

As I left, she sat in stunned silence.......

Author's Note

Hope you enjoyed. This is very much true to my life (apart from my demise.... obviously)

Reviews

[Trajan]

I enjoy these types of endings, though not in a morbid way mind you. It does it's job and I can appreciate the work. Also, I didn't catch it right away.

[Gee]

Thank you Trajan

[Julia]

I very much enjoyed how the soft and gentle flow of the memories at the beginning then got so abruptly interrupted by the current reality. Nicely written!

[Gee]

Cheers Julia

[A.K. Rohner]

Nice twist at the end there!

[Gee]

Thank you. True story until the last wee bit

[Carol Cashes]

Whoa-ho! Took me a minute, but well done. Sweet with a little bump-in-the-night at the end. Really liked this.
Needs a period after "...didn't meet earlier."
And a question mark after "...is there something wrong?"
Again, a very sweet offering.

[Gee]

Apologies for my punctuation and grammar. I never took a great deal of notice at school, hence my lack of qualifications, and write only simple stuff partly due to this, but mainly so that other simple minded folk might understand the content.
Again thank you for taking the time to both read and comment

[Carol Cashes]

No lack of qualifications, dude, the content is excellent. A period? A question mark? Would that all writing only had these two issues, so easily corrected.

[Samuel Dickens]

I had to study the ending for a bit to get things clear. Everything seemed to be aimed at Jacky, then came the twist. Very good, captivating writing.

[Gee]

Thank you Samuel

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Wow! I fell into your story and crash landed with the surprise ending. It reminded me of the second season finale to the show 'Afterlife' starring Andrew Lincoln. If not for 'The Walking Dead,' I probably would have never known about his roll in that series. The only bad thing about it is that it was only two seasons long, but what a great show. Thank you for the story and for the remembrance.

[Gee]

Thank you kindly

[Ken Simm.]

What an ending. Took me a while to get it but when I did! Tragic and wistful.

[Gee]

Cheers Ken. Selfishly I hope to be snatched before my good lady wife

[Jacob Clifford]

Very apt title. Life can go so well, only to be suddenly change in an instant. Our existences are so fragile that they can be turned upside down in one day.

[Gee]

Indeed they can. Thank you Clifford

[Great Aunt Astri]

PS. I think I may have misunderstood your story, after reading the other poets comments. I will have to re-read your story, although I think I may prefer my interpretation!

[Great Aunt Astri]

Oh, I want to know more!!!! What happened to the lovely young man, and why did the WPC come?
But your message is very pertinent. It is very difficult to judge (in the sense of 'know') a character these days. I have known people, become friends, only to find out that they were not quite what they said they were!

[Gee]

The lovely young man was actually the soul of the that day tragically killed husband seeing his life's love one last time.
Thank you for reading

[Great Aunt Astri]

Oh yes, on re-reading, and now realising what a WPC is, it does make different sense. Not spooky at all! I am sure the 'dead' observe us all the time!

[Great Aunt Astri]

https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.Ws5PLyFNwXgK7V6eoY7rMwEsDQ&w=282&h=196&c=7&qlt=90&o=4&pid=1.7