A Love So Strong

Long Goodbye

I stayed in that hotel room for three weeks, three weeks for a for a few hours with Lindsey at her church. Any sane person would call me crazy for going so far out of my way for barely any time with 'some girl'. But any sane person would have never been in love like I was. She would sit with me at the back of the church. "All the things that don't make sense to me, they make sense when I'm with you." Is one of the many things I would whisper in her ear, while we hold hands between us so her parents wouldn't see. I didn't quite understand why it would matter because if they turned around they were bound to see her fiery cheeks or my thoughtful face. On the third, and final Sunday, the last of her I would see for the next two years, was far too short. But even if it lasted a week or a year, it would have still fallen short of the time I needed with her. We stood beside the church, in the shade, in the same place we always stood after church. "You know I'm coming back, don't you?" I said, holding her tight against my chest while she whimpered into my chest.

"Yeah," She managed to sputter. "I still can't stand to see you go." She said, looking up at me, through her moist eyes. I stood there, intranced by her stare and not knowing quite what to say. So I slowly leaned in and kissed her forehead, causing a tear to run down her cheek, as if it was trying to excape the pain I could see in her eyes. My calist thumb swept it off of her face then I said what came to mind.

"Princess, you know how to be certain I will come back?" She shook her head 'no'. I had always known she worried that I would leave her forever. "I will come back because I need you. Like long grass needs the wind." Her expression became puzzled, understandably, I wasn't ever sure of where I was going with this. "The, the grass needs the wind because that's what brings it life. I know any person would say that its actually the sun and rain, but that's only part right. If the grass could talk it would say that none of that stuff would matter without the wind. the wind lets the grass move, dance across the field like the most graceful ballerina. So you see, without the wind it would merely stand there, motionless, lifeless. without you I would be no more than that grass without the wind, so you know I'll come back, cause I need you." Her smile and laugh relieved the stress that was building up. She kissed me swiftly then looked at the top of my head.

"And... because I've got your hat." With that she swiped it off me and put it on her own, it falling down over her ears and eyes because it was so big. I grinned brightly.

"Yes you do, and it looks super cute." Her cheeks glowed under the ragged brim of my hat. "It's almost been a hour." I stated, looking at my watch. Once my eyes trailed back up to hers I could see the tears begin to well up again. "Shh Lindsey, I'll visit, remember? Any time I can." I lifted my hands to her cheeks. "Every time you feel a breeze, and you see the grass in the fields dancing their dance, know that I'm thinking of you." It took most of my effort to leave her, and what was left to keep my tears in until I had driven around the corner. There I parked for what must have been fifteen minutes until I could control myself enough to drive back to the hotel.

* * * *

The hotel room was dark and all my belongings were already packed. So I crawled into bed for the night, but I didn't sleep. I only thought about the girl who kept my heart, she felt so far away even though she was only a couple blocks down the road. I would give anything to be laying with her, to feel her against me, her hands in mine. I was up before the sun, knowing that the trek I was about to set off on was going to be a long one. Once the truck was loaded down, bringing back memories of when I started off in the other direction as what I would be going today. I drove the truck quietly past her house, looking and hoping to see her in a window, waving me goodbye for now. Of course she was still asleep but a guy can dream, can't he? "See you in a little while." I whispered faintly, then it was off to Canada.