Keep Safe Forever

Sarai’s face glowed in the streams of sunlight that shone through the window. Behind the podium she spoke with warmth and fondness. We were there to offer our condolences to the family and friends of Robert Goodson. A man none of us knew until a few weeks ago - not even Sarai.

 About two years ago Sarai opened an organic health goods store called “Earth’s Abundance - Natural Remedies and Treatments.” She never intended to get rich or cure cancer, she only wanted to help people however she could. She was a pharmacist by trade but wanted to be free from the pressures of big pharma who seemed more interested in profits than patients.

Three weeks ago a hunched over old man wandered into her store in search of a cream for his arthritis. Despite the balmy temperatures that day Robert wore wing-tip shoes, pressed slacks, a white buttoned down shirt, a bow-tie and a light brown jacket he left unzipped. He carried a cane but he didn’t use it on every step. He was tall and slim and seemed despondent if not tired. Some steps would draw a grimace from his thin lips but he persevered.

He told Sarai his neighbor mentioned something she saw online called “Mother’s Remedy” that was supposed to help with the arthritis. Sarai had not heard of that but she did have some other creams and ointments that she suggested he try. Hunched over and fighting the discomfort he could barely look up to meet her eyes. He agreed to whatever she had to offer. After she rang up the sale he reached in his pocket and pulled out a money clip with several twenty-dollar bills folded neatly inside. He pulled out three bills and craned his neck to look her in the eyes when he handed her the money.

Sarai smiled and saw the slightest spark of life in his eyes. He smiled back with his thin, pink lips.

“Robert” he said and gently raised his hand holding the clip.

“I’m Sarai. It is such a pleasure to meet you Robert. I sure hope you get to feeling better soon,” she said with a warm sincerity.

He smiled with a wry grin and said “Well … I doubt it, but I have to try.” He pivoted to the door and shuffled away.

Sarai smiled and thought of her grandfather who passed away some years ago. She remembered how much she missed him and thought how nice it would be to spend an afternoon with him again. She watched Robert shuffle to the door and out of sight. A tear wanted to form in one eye, but she wiped it away and went back to tending to the store.

A few days later Robert returned. Sarai had a few customers at the time so he wandered around in her store pretending to browse even though he couldn’t read any of the signs or labels in the store.

“Good morning Robert,” she said from where she stood.

Slightly embarrassed from the attention but also proud that she remembered him, he nodded and continued to browse the shelves. Sarai finished with her customers and walked over to Robert for a proper greeting.

“Good morning,” she said with exuberance. “You seem a bit taller today.”

Robert smiled and stretched his back slightly higher.

“Yeah - I guess your cures are working.”

“I guess so. You know Robert, you dress so nicely. Do you dress this way every day?”

“I do. I don’t know why - just - you know - old habit.”

“Well you look wonderful. Is there a Mrs. Robert?

“Oh, ha … uh no, no Mrs. Robert. Never been married to tell the truth.”

“How about you? Is there a Mr. Sarah?”

“No. Well, there was … but now it’s just me and my mother. My grandmother lived with us for a while, but she passed away last month.”

“I see. I’m sorry to hear that. Well I won’t trouble you anymore. I’ll be on my way.”

Robert smiled and turned to shuffle back home.

“Oh! Mr. Robert, was there anything you needed?”

“Oh” he laughed at himself, “yes, uh my doctor told me to get some vitamin b and c and d.”

“I have the vitamin C and D but I’m out of B-12 until tomorrow. Can you come back?”

Robert smiled and nodded. Happy to have an invitation to come back, he made his purchase and walked out the door. Every day, for the next two weeks, Robert would come down to the store shopping for something. He had plenty of ailments and Sarai had plenty of remedies.

One morning Robert walked into the store standing tall and this time, without his cane. Sarai noticed how much better he was doing and couldn’t help but think something from her store was helping him. Or perhaps it was the walk, Robert had mentioned he lived a few blocks away and walked back and forth to the store. Regardless, she had become fond of Robert and looked forward to his visits.

She discovered Robert had been in sales most of his life. After highschool he started selling vacuum cleaners door to door. Later he worked his way into construction materials and worked on projects from the Hoover Dam to the Panama Canal. He lived in many places in the US and traveled the world for work and pleasure. With no family to tie him down, he made the most of his bachelor days. Sarai knew he had not been married but she asked if in all those travels, did he ever fall in love.

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Once, he said. It was my first summer after I graduated highschool. I was only 19 years old. I was selling vacuum cleaners and I was going to be in town for two weeks. My first day, late that afternoon, a young lady named Sarai opened the door and she was an angel. She had long beautiful brown hair that draped over her soft shoulders like silk. Green eyes, olive skin and dimples perfectly paced by the good Lord himself. We spent that first week going for walks around her neighborhood every evening. We would walk for hours until the sun set at the end of town.

My first Saturday night in town, her parents let me take her to get a hamburger and see a movie. It was a John Wayne film I believe. I spent every minute I could with her for the next seven days. She was going to Williamsburg in the fall - William and Mary. Not the type of girl to settle down with a vacuum salesman, but my heart was hers.

The next Saturday night, before I had to leave, her church hosted a dance. I had seen the signs around town and I asked her to go. We danced all night and before it was over, I invited her to take one more walk with me. We knew her parents wouldn’t like it so we slipped out the back door without anyone noticing. I had a blanket and a bottle of wine all set up by a creek nearby. We talked all night - and - as young people do - we gave into our passions. She’s the only woman I ever loved.

After that night, I would write her letters every day but she never wrote back. A few months later I went to her house and was told she didn’t live there anymore. I asked around town but it was as if she never existed. Then I tried to find her at the college but no one seemed to know her - it was like she never existed there either. I tried to write a few more letters hoping they would be forwarded to her new address but they were all returned. I tried to move on but there was no point. My heart was hers.

I remember - on her left shoulder - she had a birthmark that looked like a heart. Our last night together was the first time I saw it. When I did I said “There’s my heart! You stole it from me the first time I saw you and I was wondering what you did with it. You put it right there, on your shoulder, to keep safe - forever.”

“Keep safe forever,” Sarai said in unison with Robert.

Puzzled, he looked at Sarai but didn’t know what to say. But she did.

“Robert - how do you spell Sarai’s name?”

“With an i,” he said “S-A-R-A-I.”

Tears welled up Sarai’s eyes. She had heard the story Robert just told a thousand times from her grandmother - the woman she was named after.

“Robert, she wasn’t there because - that night - your last night together - she got pregnant. So her parents moved here. She never went to William and Mary but later,  she did become a teacher.”

Robert’s eyes were filled with tears and he quickly grabbed a shelf to steady himself. 

“Pregnant? Oh my Lord! Where is she? What happened to the baby?” he asked.

With cracks in her voice and tears rolling down her cheeks she told him - “Sarai has passed on, but the baby grew up here. Your baby, Robert, is my mother.”