Goodbye My Love

A short story with silent characters on love and its restraints

Goodbye My Love
I sat down on a bench at the train station, I was waiting for my last train, I was going on my last voyage for I knew I won’t be coming back. Everything will be left behind, the riches, the pleasures, the parties, and above all the love. Life had been so caring and kind with me but today I see it was heartless for letting me know all the goodness of life and then snatching it away from me in a deadly way two months ago. I couldn’t tell her by then and I couldn’t face her, how was I supposed to look at those mesmerizing eyes and tell her I was dying? I knew that it would be a knife that would stab her right through her heart and I wasn’t prepared to deliver her doom in person, I loved her too much to do that and that’s why I wrote her a letter this morning. I have just one more week to live and that’s why I’m leaving. In the letter, I feel I narrated a story, our story and how we met three years ago at this train station and on this bench. This was our meeting point, the point where my life finally found its entire meaning and I think she also found her true self with me. Life and love for us both were a fairy tale that seemed filled with happiness, yes we quarrelled like other couples but we stayed together knowing that we made each other fully complete. When I learnt that my cancer was at an advanced stage and that just two months were left, I wept bitterly alone for I couldn’t afford to let her see me this way. But I decided I would enjoy each moment I spent with her, hasting up our plans so that we could fulfil every dream before I departed forever. She many a time questioned my rush and I responded saying I loved her too much and I wanted to enjoy more moments with her. I quit my job so we could travel round the world as that was her biggest dream, she wanted to be with me in front of the Tower of Eiffel so we went there and took so many pictures that I’ve kept in a special safe so she remembers me when I’m gone. She wanted to see the Tahj Mahal in India so I took her there too, we also went to Wall Street and saw the twin buildings, and I remember she was astonished at their height and magnificence. She had always wanted to get into a helicopter so we rented one which was black with red stripes, her favourite colours. On our third anniversary, we went to a park, a very beautiful one, looking at each other we smiled and kissed each other ceaselessly, then we lay in the grass looking at the beautiful night sky. Then we saw a shooting star and each made a wish, my wish was for her to find someone to make her happy after my death. Her wish, she never told me and I was very sad at that because I wanted to fulfil it for her but I couldn’t. Today it’s time to leave and she probably is reading the letter in tears, learning about everything that made me sad and the unimaginable love I have for her. My time is up as I see my train arrive, I expected her to come but maybe she’s in such a turmoil that she can’t come, I’m about to board my train when I hear a familiar sweet voice scream out my name. I look back only to see her running to me in tears, I break down too in front of curious eyes, I open my arms receiving her, she is crying endlessly and I try to comfort her. I lift up her face and look at her green eyes and give her a last kiss that carries all my love, pain, sorrow and desires in it. She knows it’s the last kiss and last hug so she pulls me closer to her till I can breathe with difficulty. My train is about to leave and she wants to say a word but I halt her by placing a finger on her soft pink lips. She remains silent as she feels my hand slip away from hers, I can’t look at her in the eyes anymore, and I go without turning back as she falls to her knees crying again. I get into the train and sit at the window so I can see her, she is completely broken apart, I point at a red rose on the bench on which we met and wave at her as a sign of goodbye and farewell as the train gets into motion.

Author's Note

I hope you enjoy this short story that hides a part of me.