The Home

‘Ssh I know. Don’t say a word...’ removing his gloves, Peter softly covered her lips with his cold trembling hands and stopped her before she uttered another word. It’s been almost 10 years now that he left. And today he came back again for her.She hugged him tight the moment she saw him, for she was afraid of losing him again. The touch of him after so many years revived her memory so fresh and alive. It was like everything happened yesterday...‘Come let’s go for a walk...’ he took her hands gently. Peter and Elizabeth started walking along the riverside.

‘The river looks serene more than any other day, isn’t it?’ She asked.

He smiled. They seated in the wooden bench and facing the calm river at that silent hour. The moonlight reflected in the river and made the water to glow in gold and silver. She felt that it was a perfect scenario to fall in love with, where the shimmering moon romances with the calm river. A little far away they saw a young couple carelessly entwined in each other's arms kissing passionately, without aware of their presence. She smiled shyly at Peter.

'Thanks for bringing me here, dear... Feels so refreshing..', she smiled, 'Its been so long we strolled like this, hand in hand.. just you and me... Sigh.. I missed those days.. Pete, I am so happy today and I feel I am reborn’

He looked at her wrinkled gray eyes and cupped her cheeks in his trembling hands, adjusted her stole and planted a soft kiss on her forehead and smiled.  ‘You look really beautiful today...’
'Hah, you always say that. Now I know you have poor eyesight...' she chuckled, nudging him and leaned against his shoulder. This was the day she hoped to arrive, all these years. For he's here now, she could feel the long lost warmth and comfort, after a decade.
Closing her eyes, she thought about their past. The day when he proposed to her kneeling down, singing her favorite song. It happened in this very same location. And later one day, sadly this was where he left her in misery. She tried to recollect what made him to leave her. Tears rolled over her cheeks.
‘I missed you...’ she whispered softly.
‘I missed you too, babe...’ he wiped her tears gently.
‘I never expected you would do such a cruel thing to me. How could you leave me, Pete?’
‘I am sorry dear. I never meant to do it. But whatever it takes.. from now on, I will never leave you. I swear.’
The thought of being reunited with him brought her much delight as she could feel the true love in his eyes and his hug. Nothing more she needed but his closeness.
He covered her with his long overcoat and pulled her closer to him. She opened her mouth to say something. ‘Pete..’

'Don't say anything. Now I am here...' He looked at her eyes.

‘I love you, Liz... I never stopped loving you... I have been waiting all this while for... umm..’ 

He stood and weakly knelt down before her asking for her hand and hummed the tune in his cracked voice, ‘...You say it best... When you say nothing at all....’, her favorite song. She giggled like a little girl happily while he leaned to kiss her pale dry lips. It reminded of their first kiss. But now this one true kiss brought her back alive... ‘I love you too, Pete...’ 

They sat there for long time in silence, cuddling and just feeling the comfort of each other, enjoying the serenity.

‘Shall we go home? Its getting colder.’ she asked in shivering voice after an hour.

‘Hmm...’
They both reached the street where their house was located.
‘Liz, don’t trip down. No need to hurry.’ He laughed as she was trying to walk with unsteady steps. ‘You may need this..’  he handed her the walking stick he was holding.
She pushed that gently aside and laughed, ‘That’s for you, Old man.’

‘We must go home before it’s too late. Dave and Anne must be worried. Pete, you know they missed you a lot.’

‘Liz. wait’, he paused, ’I can’t come.’ He gazed at her.
‘Oh dear, they will be happy to see you again....’ she sounded worried.
Still holding her hands, he asked, ‘Come with me...'

'We almost reached our home. Let's go in..’

Standing outside the gate, they could see through the glass window, their son and daughter talking with their relatives and friends in the living room.
‘Look at them, they seem worried Pete.. they must be looking for me.’
She almost reached to open the gate when Pete called her from behind. ‘I want to show you something, Liz...’
The feeling of being with him was the only one she craved for all these years.
‘I will come now but only when you promise me to come back home. What do you say?’ she demanded childishly.
He nodded. Then they walked past their house and stopped at the other end of the street. It was too dark and the cold wind blowing at their faces. She was confused for standing in front of that huge building holding the name ‘Harley Trust’
‘Why did you bring me here now?’
‘I’ll show you... Come inside...’ He tried to take her in but she was reluctant to walk in.
‘Its so dark here. We better go back to our children. I don’t know what they are doing without me. Let’s go home, Pete.’ she wept.
‘Trust me, don’t you?’ 

She followed him holding his hands, afraid to step into the darkness.

They entered the building. No one was there. They saw a man working inside the security office but he didn't seem to notice them in the darkness.
‘What’s that so urgent you wanted to attend when no one’s here, shall we call that guy?’
‘No let’s not disturb him...’
They went inside further and reached the back side of the building. His sight fixed at the east end of the huge backyard...  

‘Now you are here...’ She turned her head to see what he was staring at...She was dumbfounded at the sight...In the loving memory of

A Wonderful Husband 

& Father

Peter HarleyMay 15th, 1976 

Sep 1st, 2043
Next to him..

In the memory of...

Loving wife, mother

& grand mother

Elizabeth Harley

March 5th, 1978
June 7th, 2053
She now could picture the scene of her family looking sad and dressed in black, mourning.

She also remembered the accident which took Peter away from her at the bridge above that river and left her immobile for the past 10 years.

He held her hands tightly, ’Welcome home, Liz...’
This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.