24 Hours

The Final Chapter

"I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.” John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

Tristan’s POV

        Isolde ran off as soon as she told me her name. I thought about her often but I never told anyone about the twenty-four hours we spent together. There wasn’t really anyone for me to tell anyway. I had a strong suspicion that I would never see her again.

        My suspicion was confirmed two weeks after I first met her. I returned to the diner where we first met. I did that often in hopes that I would see her again but also because Will was a good friend of mine.

        When I sat down in my usual stool, Will returned from the kitchen. “Tristan, it’s so good to see you. I have something for you. Someone came in a few days ago and asked about you. She asked me to give you this envelope and I told her I would.”

        I’m ecstatic, “Was it her?”

        “No, I haven’t seen that girl since she first came in here two weeks ago. Come to think of it, she looked an awful lot like her though. Same sad look and everything.” He handed over the letter and I took it, eagerly. “Are you going to eat anything?”

        “Not tonight.” I was in a rush to get out of there so I could read the letter. I slipped off of the stool and hurried out the door. “See ya later, Will.”

        On the front in print it simply said, “Tristan.” I opened the letter and began to read.

Dear Tristan,

I’ve never really been good at writing letters. It seemed strange and rather impersonal to me. I always had a hard time getting what was being said in my head to come out right on paper, but here goes my best try.

First, I want to say thank you. Thank you for saying yes to the weird girl who asked you to spend twenty-four hours with her. Thank you for opening up to me and allowing me to open up to you. Thank you for the best twenty-four hours of my life. I will never forget them.

Secondly, I want to say I’m sorry. By the time you receive this letter, I will probably be dead. I have cancer. Like father, like daughter huh? Sorry, that wasn’t funny. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you right away but I wasn’t sure how. How do you tell someone that you’ve just been diagnosed with cancer and will probably die within the next two weeks? My answer was simple, you don’t. For that I am sorry.

Finally, I want to tell you the truth. I promised you that when the twenty-four hours were over I would explain to you why I felt the need to tell you that story. When the twenty-four hours had passed my answer was simple. My name is Isolde. That was not a lie. My name is Isolde and you probably assumed that I told you that story because I thought it was cool that our names went together like that. At least, that’s what I wanted you to believe. The truth is that the important part of that story was what Tristan said to Isolde as he lay dying. He said, “You were right. I don’t know if life is greater than death. But love was more than either.” I wanted to know if life was greater than death and if love was more than either. I can’t tell you that I ever found out the truth because I only knew you for twenty-four hours. I didn’t fall in love with you but I could have. Tristan, I could have loved you but I never got the chance. I’ll tell you what I did find out from those amazing twenty-four hours we spent together: I still don’t know if life is greater than death. But our love could have been more than either.

Love always,

Isolde

        I leaned up against the side of a downtown building. I slowly sank to the floor with my back trailing against the wall.

        I’ve never really believed in an afterlife or anything like that but Isolde did and so I spoke as if she could hear every word that I was saying. “I don’t know if you can really hear me right now, Isolde. Hell, I don’t even know if you’re really dead. In your letter it only said that you might be dead. However, on the off chance that you can hear me then I have a few things to say. First I want to say thank you. I’ve never met anyone like you and you showed me that there was more to the world than meets the eye. Secondly, I want to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry that this happened to you. You didn’t deserve it. You deserve the world but somehow you didn’t get it. They always did say that life isn’t fair. Lastly, I want to tell you a secret. I wanted to know too. That’s the reason that I agreed to stay with you for those twenty-four hours. I wanted to know the truth about life, death and love. Looking at you that night made me believe that I could find the answers with you. I didn’t love you, Isolde, but I wanted to love you. All I wanted was to love you and now it’s too late.”

        I opened the envelope to put the letter back in when I noticed a small piece of paper sitting in the envelope. I took the paper out and on it there was an address: 1760 New Court Drive. I pushed myself off the ground and made my way down the street.

        It’s never too late.

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Hey all you readers! I'm glad that you have stuck me til the end and enjoyed this journey with me! I had a great time writing it and all your comments are wonderful!

Thanks again and remember: Before Romeo and Juliet there was Tristan and Isolde

L.E. McCombs