The piece of parchment read "August 14th, 1976". Today marks the one year anniversary. A hand reached past me and grabbed the paper I had been glancing at taking it from my view. The smell of smoke came in a cloud from the man. The bright light of the sun damn near blinding me as it peered through the window. I looked at the clock in the left corner of the room telling me it's time to leave.
This time of day was always the busiest on this street, everyone getting off of work at the same time. I came falling down to the ground as I shouted, "hey watch where you're going!" Quickly coming back to realize that it was useless. I dusted off myself after getting up.
There she was. My lovely Christine. A year later and she still had the same routine every day. I ran across the street to walk beside her. No greetings necessary, she knew I was here. Her hand laid open on her side as I reached to embrace it. She retracted when our hands came in contact, looking around for something. Anything. But to her dismay she won't ever find what she is looking for. Her eyes began to water I could see. Out of instinct I reached up to wipe the tears away, but nothing would come of it.
The rest of the walk was still silent as always, until we reached the destination. Her solemn features as still as stone as she walked through the door of the place I once called home. The scent that was once so familiar to me is now gone, replaced by an apple scented candle. She took her shoes off as she sat down on the couch in the lounging area. I took a seat across from her, admiring her stature and complexions. Her amber hair had light curls in it. Her eyes as dark as coal shone whilst the fire illuminated them. She reached across from her for a book. "Beauty and the beast", her favorite I remembered she told me the first time we properly met.
Suddenly the noise of the front door awoke me from my thoughts, as a man I've come to know as, Alexander entered the room. I was rather fond of Alexander. He truly loved Christine almost as much as I. He came in and kneeled by her side taking her hand and placing a kiss on it. Her face bared a smile as he did so. "Hello my love" he spoke softly. His hand sat resting on her stomach as he added "hello there little guy". A wide smile on his faces showed his white teeth and dimples as he looked up to Christine. "I can't believe, just in 6 more months and we'll have a little mini Christine walking around."
It's a pain not being able to cry any longer, for when anyone else would cry, I am just left with this feeling of crying yet no tears would ever come. It made me feel Inhuman.
I excused myself silently as I walked down the hall. Stopping to look at each new memory strung up replacing my own. A picture of Alexander and Christine walking down the park, replaced one of me as a child in the sand of a beach meticulously plotting where each pillar should stand for the structure I had been in the process of making. I remember that day, I cried for hours after the water had come and ripped the whole thing down, the salt of the air making my nose run more on the way back. I chuckled to myself, turning down the hall and up to the second floor of the house. I had made my way to my old bedroom. Nothing had changed much, I can still see me and Christine laying there after a tireless day of working in the garden outside. My hand would always land in the same place every night around her waist. The imprints of our sleeping body's still on the mattress she now shared with another. I still remember the way she laughed every time we watched her favorites movies. The way her eyes would crease just the slightest bit, the corners of her mouth as wide as can be. And every once in a while she would laugh so hard she ran out of breath, a wheeze escaping her as she rolled on the floor trying to contain herself. I smiled softly to myself as the memories came flooding back.
Unbeknownst to me an hour had gone by and they were sitting at the table eating as I sat down between the two. They discussed their days at work and the boring contents that came. I had been sitting silently just observing. Soon enough they both finished their plates, washed them and went to their bathroom to freshen up before bed. I took this as my cue to leave as I silently snuck out the front door.
Having no real place to go I just wandered for hours mindlessly. Passing many familiar shoppes and restaurants on the way around the town, until I came up to one spot in particular. The crosswalk right outside the local market. I still remember that day as though it was yesterday.
-July 16th 1971
Work had been swamping me with things to do all week and I had just needed a break. Why can't I ever just get one break. As I sat on my couch next to the fire I remembered I had needed to go groceries shopping. The weight of my mind telling me to just do it tomorrow had almost won though unfortunately I knew I wouldn't have time tomorrow.
It's not like there was a long walk to the store, I just hadn't felt the desire to have to do this in my one break of the week.
I checked the list in my head and remembered we needed... shit. I forgot what I needed. I had no other choice but to go home and remake the list, and possibly write it down this time as to not forget. As I was walking back down the road I came from I had seen a woman running past me. She bumped into me and dropped what seem to be her wallet I ran after her to try to give it back, she had headphones on so she couldn't hear me shouting and unfortunately no one seemed to try to help get her attention for me. She clearly seemed distracted as she was looking at the floor about to run into oncoming traffic I realized that she was about to be hit. Running as fast as I could just before she took the step off of the sidewalk I grabbed her by the arm and I pulled her backwards as fast as I could. For a moment she screamed until she landed on the ground next to me. The people around us had only watched, some taking pictures, some whispering amongst their companions, and others just didn't even take a glance as to what was happening. Soon enough she looked at me as to say "what the hell" so then I gave her wallet and she finally spoke "sir I hardly think that was necessary all for a simple wallet that isn't even mine." I could have sworn it was hers but never the less I spoke in return. "Ma'am I didn't yank you out a crosswalk for nothing, you were about to run into oncoming traffic" I spoke with a deadpan face. Her face lit up red with embarrassment as she realized she was the one who over reacted here. As we both got up she said many apologies. "Sir I owe you my life. My name is Christine, what is yours?"
"Axar" I said in hopes that she would leave me alone. Though she was pretty and in any other circumstances I would probably had tried to talk to her, I was not in the mood.
"Thank you Axar. I truly owe you my life." She spoke her thanks. I had given her one nod and turned on my way back home.
———
Thinking back to that day, I wish I wasn't so rude on the first encounter with her. Little did I know the days to follow would be the best days of my life.
