Rekindled Love

Boxes littered the living room floor and for as far as you could see. I pulled one down from the stack that had built up. If truth be told I had started to build a fort. Childish yes, I know, but I had needed something to entertain myself…. maybe this was why she was leaving.

I sat myself down upon it to watch the news report. With most of the furniture having already gone. My sister’s words rang out in my head “Look on the Brightside bro things can’t get any worse!” Oh, but they can I thought and just had. The reporters message rang out that the country was on a nationwide lock down. Quick images flew across the screen of people being stretchered into hospitals, people collapsing in the street and the army rolling into town. Taking up positions and barricades being built. The army I thought…. this all seemed a bit over the top. This all had happened very quickly. Yes, there were rumors, murmurs even that something was going on. Reports on people falling ill had risen, but not to panic they told us…yeah right. How quickly this had all changed.

I didn’t get a chance to catch the rest of the report as to what they assumed had caused the sudden rise in the virus. My wife’s booming voice had begun to drown out the tv as she got up from the one armchair that I had managed to claim….and yes as it stood at this moment in time she was still my wife.

“Well that’s just great isn’t it,” she said storming past me. Trying her best not to make contact. As if I was infected “Just great,” she shouted slamming the bedroom door of the little two bed flat we owned. It wasn’t much, but it was ours. A place to begin married life together and to start our own little family. Our love nest as she once called it. That had been two years ago now. In such happier times. They were becoming harder to remember.

Somehow, I had the feeling that this was all going to be my fault, crazy I know, but my fault none the less…. just like everything else had been over the last six months.

My attention was once again drawn to the tv. A tall balding man in a nice suit stood at a plinth using a lot of words that I had no idea what they meant. Also over talking with his hands, not sure if this was making him feel important. Don’t get me wrong I didn’t think of myself as stupid, my wife would probably say otherwise and had, but a dictionary wouldn’t have gone a miss right now. I am sure they threw half these words in to try and calm you down. To make you think that they knew what they were talking about. Then just as quick as it had started it was over. All the panic that once filled the screen was now just a notice board.

·        Please stay in doors

·        Keep all windows and doors closed

·        If you feel unwell call 111 and someone will get back to you

·        If you need supplies call 555 and we will get them to you asap

·        Action will be taking against anyone found outside

·        Follow these rules and this will all be over very soon

……………. MORE TO FOLLOW……. STAY SAFE

The sun was beating down. Not a cloud in the sky. Damn it was hot. Days like this I wished we had saved a little more and got a nice little house with a garden. Nothing great just a small patch of grass and a little patio area. Just enough to soak up the rays. Don’t think I could have spent any more time at the in laws though. All we had was a balcony. It wasn’t much. Two chairs and a table and you were pretty much done for space. The view wasn’t all that either, concrete everywhere you looked. Would be nice to have a garden, but I suppose none of that mattered anymore now.

I leant over the side and scanned the surrounding streets. Man, it was quiet. Not a sound. Not a car, voice or even a dog barking, just total silence. It was creepy. Started to feel like something straight out of a horror movie.

“What do you think you are doing?” came the voice from the doorway. Even with that stern evil look on her face she was the most radiant beautiful person that I had ever seen. “They said keep all windows and doors shut and your sitting out here putting us both in danger!” she turned round and stormed off “idiot!” was the final word I heard before it became just a mere grumble…well at least she was talking to me now.

I was never one to sleep in. Even more so in the last few months. I had been relocated to the spare room. A six foot plus man cramped into a put-up bed waking up alone wasn’t much incentive to stay in bed. I had started to do an inventory for food to see what we had. I had come across some eggs and bacon and I knew we had some bread somewhere. Now all I needed was some beans and we had ourselves a party. I rummaged around the kitchen finding pots and pans that had been boxed. I opened a few more boxes and found all I needed. While breakfast cooked away, I laid the table.

“What’s this?” she said drying her hair with a small towel. It was part of a set we had brought back from our annual holiday to Yarmouth. “I really like the colours,” I recall her saying and me arguing that we had brought a case full of towels with us…. of course, I lost, and we bought them.

“Why have you gone through the boxes?”

“It’s breakfast,” I replied, “And I needed things to cook with,”

“You have things…we sorted that out,”

I let out a sigh not wanting to argue again “Please just sit…please,” as I pointed to one of the rickety dining room chairs. Thinking about it now I hadn’t faired to well with the whole separating stuff, but I felt that this was not the time to bring it up as she sat down.

We hadn’t sat down at the table together for months. I had forgotten how it felt, it felt nice. I looked across towards her and even with a mouthful of food and frizzy hair she looked beautiful. She tucked into the eggs and bacon and seemed to enjoy it. I had never been much of a cook, but I had learned quickly of late. In fact, I hadn’t been much of anything. I had spent most of my days in the last year working and my nights in the pub…maybe this was why she was leaving.

“I have started to do a stock take on the food we have,” I blurted out to break the ice

“Sounds a good idea,” came the muffled reply

“Yeah I thought so…. you know just in case,”

“Has anything else been reported on the news?” she said glancing up from her plate

“No,” I replied as I quickly tried to swallow what I had in my mouth “Just the same as before,”

“I suppose no news is good news,” she said looking back down at her plate finishing the last of her breakfast. With that the conversation was over. As was the breakfast “Thank you,” she said standing up from the table

“Its ok I’ll deal with that,” pointing towards her plate

“Oh, ok thank you,” she said walking past me and back towards the bedroom. I finished off the last few bites of my bacon and smiled away to myself. It wasn’t much, but it was nice.

A few days past by. The little glances grew along with the occasional smile. The conversation wasn’t much, but it was pleasant and nice…It was a start.

I turned on the tv to check the afternoon news, but once again just as it had been the day before there was none. All that came up was the same details as before. More to follow… when, I thought!

The noise outside drew me onto the balcony. I looked around, but I could not see anything. Something was going on and it was close. It was another scorching day, maybe the hottest yet I thought, far too good to be stuck inside, but what could we do…erm what could we do?

I searched through several of the boxes. Ah there it is the big yellow towel I had been looking for. Another holiday purchase. I took it and laid it across the balcony floor. With the two chairs and the small table there wasn’t much room, but enough for what I needed. I placed two bowls of water in front of the chairs and then went back in to find the finishing touches.

I called out down the corridor “You might want to see this,” and made my way to the balcony. I heard the bedroom door open and the thumping of feet on the floor “What is it has something happened?” as she made her way onto the balcony “I thought I said….” And then she stopped as she took in the site before her and let out a little laugh. My heart melted. I hadn’t heard that for what seemed like a lifetime. Oh, how I had missed that sound. “What’s this?”

“Please sit,” I said pointing towards one of the chairs

“But…...”

“No buts just sit…please,” I quickly cut in with as I took her by the hand and helped her to her seat “This is about the time we would usually go away,”

“Well we haven’t for….”

“So, we can’t go to the beach, so I have brought the beach to you,” as I handed her a drink of sorts. Some sort of concoction that I had thrown together

“What’s in this?” as she took a sip

“Probably best not to ask, but it’s got a little umbrella so its sophisticated” I added as we both laughed.

As I sat down next to her, I bent down and removed her shoes and placed her feet into the bowl of water “See now you can paddle your feet in the sea,”

“I can’t believe you have done all this,” she smiled

“Oh, wait hang on a minute,” as I clicked a button on a stereo next to me and out played the sounds of the beach. Waves crashing, seagulls singing, close your eyes and you were there.

She pointed to the corner of the balcony “Is that….”

“Yes, the bucket and spade you made me buy on the wettest day of the year,”

She laughed and took another sip of her drink pulling a very sour face “Well I wanted to build a sandcastle,”

“And as I recall you did,” as we both chuckled “To everyone else’s amusement,” as I looked across at her “If I remember you even paddled your feet in the sea,”

“You always have to paddle your feet in the sea when you go to the beach,” raising her feet out of the bowl and smiling

“I’m sure we even had an ice cream,”

“Yeah that wasn’t one of my best ideas,” as we both broke into laughter

The afternoon passed along nicely. A few more drinks, some more reminiscing, some great chat and a lot of laughing. On one of the many laughs we locked eyes. This is the moment I thought. I was nervous. I had kissed this women thousands of times, but this time I was nervous. Just like it was the first time all over again. As I moved in, she moved in as well. Butterflies circled my stomach, but it felt great knowing that she wanted to as well. Just as our lips were about to lock there was a massive bang.

We both sprung up and peered over the balcony. The army were moving in. We had been seen. “Inside now,” came the call from the ground “Windows and doors should be locked,” was the last thing we heard as we jumped back inside laughing like naughty school kids.

“Ooops!” I said as we both continued laughing “I think we might be in trouble,”. Our eyes locked once more “Thank you for this,” she said “It was fun,”

“Well who doesn’t like going to the beach,” I said. And with that she made her way back to the bedroom stroking my arm on the way “I’m glad you had fun,” I called out after her.

I rifled through some of the boxes in my room labeled clothes. I know it is in here somewhere. There it is. I pulled out a black tux that I had bought once for a casino night. I didn’t own a suit, but this would do. I tried it on. It still fitted…. well a little bit snug, but again it will do

I knocked on the door with some half dead flowers in my hand. As she opened it, she laughed “What are you wearing and why?”

“I was wondering if I might take you out for dinner?”

“What???”

“Please come on,” as I ushered her out of the room “Oh and these are for you,” I handed her the flowers

“There lovely thank you,” she said as we made our way to the kitchen “wow,” as she stood there looking around. Candles filled every side, music played out in the background. Two places were set at the table. Plates and cutlery laid out. A wedding gift from my Aunt Hilda. The truth was it wasn’t the nicest, but it was what I was left in the split.

I sat her down in her seat moving it in towards the table “This is…well I’m lost for words,” she said

“Ah but the best is yet to come,” I said as I removed the silver plate cover to reveal beans on toast “Tonight’s special for my lady,”

“Oh, why you shouldn’t have,” she smiled

I picked a pot up from the table “Seasoning…. its grated cheese, but you know,”

“Thank you, sir, I will,” as I sprinkled some onto her plate.

I picked up a bottle of wine “Would the lady like to try the house red…...I found it in the back of the cupboard…but again you know,”

“I would love to,” she said as I poured her a glass and sat down in my chair “I think I might be a little under dressed,” as she looked around

“That’s ok I think I might be a little over dressed. Anyway, I think you look great just the way you are,” lifting my glass to toast her, as she done the same “Bon appetite,”

“And you,” as we tucked into dinner

I watched as she finished the last of her desert and licked the spoon. Vanilla ice cream, a tin of peaches and a grated chocolate bar that I found in the cupboard. Not great, but seemed to go down well “I want to say I’m sorry,”

“You don’t need to dinner wasn’t that bad,” she said finishing off her spoon and placing it into the bowl

“No not that,” I smiled “I meant about…well you know everything,”

“Wow that’s a lot of apologizing,” taking another sip from the house red

“I know the man I had become,” I said, “and I’m sorry,”

“It wasn’t the man that I married, the man that I fell in love with!”

“I’ve enjoyed these last few days,” I said

“Me too. That’s the guy I fell in love with!”

“Do you still love me?” I asked

“Of course, I never stopped. I just didn’t like the man you had become,”

I got up out of my chair and knelt in front of her. She looked surprised and got up “What are you doing,”

“Will you marry this man again…. give me another chance,” there was a pause as the butterflies circled again and then she smiled

“Yes,” she said now laughing as I jumped up. We hugged and we kissed, and I swept her off her feet and headed for our bedroom.

The noise from outside woke me from my peaceful sleep. I looked at the clock for what it was worth anymore. I hadn’t slept in this late for quite some time. Then I hadn’t woke up holding her within my arms for what felt like an eternity. I smiled, brushed the hair away from the side of her face and softly kissed her cheek. I didn’t care what was going on out there. There was nowhere in this world I would rather be.