Letters In the Moonlight of Taj Mahal

Letters

Take care, Marc.

Lyla

* * *

Two hours later.

After Keenan and Kyle and their wives have filled me in on their trip and thanked me for taking care of the children, I thank them for the wonderful souvenirs they brought back for me. They kiss me and I hug the little ones a final time before they leave. Closing the door behind them, I quickly pick up the remaining toys the grandkids left on the floor and deposit them in the basket with the rest. Then I rush back to the computer, doing my best to contain the giddiness filling me at the sight of Marc's message in my in-box.

Lyla,

Your letter ended abruptly, and after pondering it for a bit, I think I know why. Because of the difference in our ages, you seek to put a space between us that shouldn't exist. We are friends, are we not? And true friends hold nothing back. I will admit I am enjoying our correspondence more than any face-to-face conversation I have ever had with anyone, and my thoughts travel to you more often than I ever intended, but I don't mind. Do you?

Marc

"Please, be there," I whisper as I type a response.

Marc,

I do consider you a friend, a good friend in fact. And I guess I did feel the need to pull back a little. Truthfully, I feel the same about our letters and I have grown to treasure your words, but opening myself to vulnerability is hard, and that is what I feel like I am doing.

My heck, I don't think I have ever been so open with someone. What are you doing to me?

Lyla

His response comes five minutes later.

Lyla, you can trust me. Trust me with what is in your heart. I promise to hold it like the most precious and fragile thing in the world. Now, I need to say something and I hope it doesn't frighten you any more than you already are.

I don't feel as lonely anymore.

- - -

Marc, I don't feel lonely anymore, either, and I am not afraid. Not much. This is all so new to me and I may need to adjust a bit. The one thing I can really appreciate in this is all this typing is improving my skills substantially without lingering writer's cramp. That's something:-)

- - -

Yes, that is something, though your penmanship was very beautiful to me.

Lyla, what do you dream about? Share your thoughts with me. Tell me the things in your heart that others are not aware of, things you have never shared with another living soul.

- - -

This goes back to my mutually baring all comment:-)

Well, I dream of traveling more to beautiful places. I dream of learning new things, like painting, playing the violin, and I want to spend more time improving my piano playing. I long to view space through the Hubble telescope.

I pause a moment before writing the next line, giving my mind a chance to talk myself out of saying what I am about to.

But right now, more than anything . . . I would like to view an Outer Banks sunset with you.

Your turn.

- - -

Ah, Lyla, your words . . . allow me a moment before I respond.

With my hands clasped in my lap, I sit patiently waiting and wondering what he is thinking. Then his response comes.

- - -

I wish for you to view something close to my heart: The Taj Mahal in the moonlight. Anytime of the day it is beautiful, but the sight of the Taj in the moonlight is the most beautiful sight in the world.

Have you ever heard the story behind the building of the Taj Mahal? You probably have. You know, even after building the beautiful mausoleum for the woman he loved beyond reason, the King's son overthrew and imprisoned him in a nearby building in a room with a view of the Taj Mahal so he would forever see it but never grace its halls again. And according to legend, before his imprisonment, all the builders & craftsmen had their hands chopped off by the King so that the Taj Mahal could never be replicated. All were awed by the deep love the king, Shah Jahan, harbored for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

I haven't been back to India in over a year, however, each time I have visited the Taj Mahal, I have tried to imagine the great love the King felt, but it is always hard. In any case, my fondest dream is to view the Taj Mahal, in the moonlight . . . with you.