Their Second Chance - At Last

Again, on his annual vigil, he sat alone on the riverbank lost in thought. He didn’t know how long he’d been there as the only thing on his mind was his beloved Julia. It was so many years since they had been together and, although his whole being ached with an overwhelming longing to be with her he still wasn’t sure they’d ever meet again. He had relived that last night together over and over until it was so embedded in his mind he knew he could never be free.

They had both been together at high school but never really mixed and, as she was a year younger, their paths seldom crossed.  However, if they did happen to pass by they always smiled at each other as if drawn by some invisible thread. So their first proper meeting, by the local river one glorious day in late summer, was purely by chance. 

The air, much as this evening, had been filled with a mellow warmth that was host to buzzing bees and humming flies darting around the marshes, reed beds and the last of the wild flowers in bloom. A few wasps were drunkenly weaving their way about having feasted on the late blackberries together with apples, from the nearby orchard, that had fallen, rotten, to the ground. The hazy atmosphere hung over the whole area like a soft gossamer shawl keeping out the onset of Autumn’s cooler days.

He had been sitting lazily on the bank side, occasionally casting his rod into the water hoping to catch something to take home for his mother to cook for their evening meal. She had wandered down from her parents’ large house where she had been in the beautiful gardens watching over her younger brothers and sisters. She was now free for time to herself as the young folk had been taken inside for their tea.

Lost in thought she manoeuvred the narrow path, trying to keep her long hippie skirt away from the brambles, so she didn’t see the slender, prickly tendril snaking across the parched earth in front of her. Suddenly, she found herself tripping, tumbling forward and landing in an unladylike heap in the dried, brown foliage at the edge of the path.

Edward was shaken out of his reverie by her startled yelp and, turning around, saw a vision of loveliness with long, tousled, blonde hair sitting on the gravel, brushing dust off her skirt and rubbing her knee.

“Are you alright?” he asked jumping to his feet.

Her twinkling laugh was music to his ears. “Yes thank you, I’m fine, I just didn’t notice the bramble. Hence my sudden downfall!”, she answered ruefully, lifting her head to look up at him.

“Oh it’s you”, they exclaimed in unison as their eyes met.

He helped her to her feet, dusting the dirt and dried grass from her back whilst she shook the front of her skirt to destroy the evidence of her clumsiness.

Turning to her he extended his hand. “Edward”, he said by way of introduction. She shook his hand, her bright blue eyes looking directly into his soft brown ones saying “Julia, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you”. His heart skipped a beat as he detected her cheeks blushing in a most delightful way.

He brought himself back to earth explaining “the path is uneven and gets worse from here on”.

“I know”, she glanced at him demurely “perhaps I’d better go back home and try and make a lady of myself again!” He was captivated again by her infectious laugh feeling that, from that moment on, she was the only girl he would ever want in his life.

“I’ll walk you home just in case you don’t look where you’re going again”, he said smilingly mocking her. She tossed her head flicking her long blonde curls and, pretending to be affronted by his mockery, strode off in the direction from which she’d come. 

He gathered up his fishing stuff and ran after her. “I’m sorry. He blurted out, “I didn’t mean to offend you”. He was about to carry on apologising when he saw the laughter in her eyes, the enchanting smile on her face and realised she was teasing him. 

“Oh I see, it’s going to be like that, is it? I can see I’ll have to sharpen my wits if I’m to keep up with you! Unless you fall down again and then I’ll have no trouble keeping up!”. They both enjoyed the humour and continued to banter until they reached her garden gate.

From that moment on they were inseparable. They spent their free time together at school and continued to take long walks hand in hand, by the river, through autumn and into winter, whenever possible. They walked and talked so earnestly that, in time, they knew everything about each other being in wonder at the similarities in their outlooks, dispositions, honesty, integrity and the empathy they felt towards each other. As winter and spring gave way to summer once more, their love for, and devotion to, each other was undeniable. 

Unfortunately, she had an over domineering father who had no intention of letting Edward, or any other young man, waltz his daughter off into the sunset. Her help was needed at home as she was extremely good at looking after her younger siblings when both parents went out. 

So, after many tearful battles he finally put his foot down, refusing to give his permission for Julia to even see Edward anymore and threatening harm to Edward if they disobeyed him. At this Julia ran out of the house to tell Edward that, for his sake, she could no longer see him as the last thing she wanted was for him to come to any harm.

She ran along the path until she came to the wide bend where the river seemed to gain strength, rippling its way downstream. The water had eroded the bank making a small beach like area complete with a fallen tree that gave them something to lean against. It was definitely their favourite place. She saw Edward sitting, waiting for her with his fishing rod in his hand. 

He heard her screaming his name and ran towards her, aware of her father charging behind her like a raging bull. He gathered her up in his arms asking what was happening. Breathless from running she was unable to explain that, for his safety, she couldn’t see him again before her father was upon them. His puffy face was bright red - partly from the exercise his big, flabby body was unused to, and partly from the anger he felt towards his daughter as he assumed she had disobeyed him and gone to see her beloved regardless. Little did he know she was carrying out his instructions.

The older man reached them and lunged towards Edward grabbing his arm. “You stay away from my daughter”. He screamed into Edward’s face, his own contorted with rage. 

Whereupon Edward, realising danger, tried wrenching his arm away from the vice like grip. Unfortunately, in doing so, he completely lost his balance and fell backwards towards the river, his hand clutching his adversary’s jacket, causing them both to fall, as one, into the cold water.

Edward felt his back hit the riverbed, winding him and making it impossible to move the heavier man on top of him. His legs, now entangled in the weeds, stopped him from getting his head above water to breathe. Meanwhile his foe, realising what was happening beneath him, took advantage and held Edward’s body down until it appeared lifeless. He then pretended to try and lift Edward to the surface, telling his daughter that the boy’s legs were trapped, and he couldn’t save him. 

It was then that Julia, without a thought for her own safety, jumped into the water to try and help her beloved, pushing her father out of the way such that he stumbled and fell headlong into the water again, this time striking his head on the rocky bottom. He did not surface again. Julia was left clinging to her motionless Edward never, for one moment, thinking of deserting him or what the inevitable consequences might be for her. 

As the years went by Edward would stand at Julia’s gate to get just a glimpse of her – but he never saw her. In time different people moved into the house so he assumed her father had taken the whole family away, to where? He didn’t know. He could only hope that one year, on that fatal anniversary, she would come to him at their special place.

*    *    *

Fast forward to today. A technological age full of angular, futuristic buildings and vehicles that seemed to slink silently along like cats on the prowl. The small, sleek, gleaming craft moored near the bend in the river was no exception. Its brilliant white shell had turned to the prettiest of pinks as it absorbed the colour from the large, orange sun set low in the sky. The boat was like a chameleon that changed colour constantly depending on its surroundings, preventing the ultra-modern style and shape looking too incongruous against the natural beauty of the river and marshes.

 It was early evening and the dying sun was sending its last vestiges of orange light across the landscape. What a lovely way to spend a honeymoon, Monica thought as she looked up from the book she was reading, what a good job we keep some of the old traditions going! She wondered if she should go below and project the rest of the book on to the wall mounted screen, but she still liked to read a “proper” book and, besides, the atmosphere on deck was too magical to want to tear herself away from it.

“That’s really interesting” she called to Martin who poked his head up through the stairwell to ask what she was talking about. “I’ve been reading about the two High School lovers who used to meet on that small beachy bit a long time ago, until they were torn apart by her despicable father.  Funny I wonder what a High School was like. Can’t imagine not studying from home like we all do now. Hang on – it was actually 100 years ago to this very day. Legend has it that the boy, he was called Edward, still wanders around waiting for his love to return. That is soooo sad. I wonder if we’ll see him at all.  Apparently, the awful father still hangs around as well looking for young lovers to prey on. It happened about this time of day as well” she grimaced looking at her watch. She shivered as Martin sat down beside her.

 “It’s ok, it’s not you”, she smiled. Perhaps I got too involved in the story, but it is a little scary as we are definitely young and in love! Hope we’re not in the wrong place at the wrong time” she said apprehensively. “I almost feel as if we’re not alone, or am I just talking something up?”.

He pulled her close, watching as the coolness of the early evening met the heat of the day resulting in a gradual mist building up and moving up the river. “You’ll be ok” he whispered lightheartedly into his new wife’s neck, I’ll always be here to protect you!”. Inwardly he wondered what it must be like to just meet someone by chance and fall in love. Young people nowadays were paired up by ultra-super computers – and given three possible matches to find the right partner. Fortunately it had been third time lucky for him!

*    *    *

Edward saw the mist as well. He was mesmerised by its slow-moving, ever changing form as it glided along the river, covering everything in its path. He thought he must be seeing things as, gradually rising from the water, the form seemed to become Julia. Surely he was dreaming but, the more he watched, the more it became her. This beautiful, colourless apparition with flowing curls and the loveliest of faces, was now enveloped in a cloak of grey that still allowed him glimpses of the peasant skirt beneath he remembered so well.

She gave him the gentlest of smiles and beckoned him to join her. It seemed the most natural thing to take his place beside her – after all this was what he had been waiting for all those years. They swept silently on gripping each other’s hands tightly. She turned her head and stared back into the greyness with a frightened look. This made him glance back as well – and then he realised that way down river the mist had changed to a thick fog that was beginning to gather momentum, swirling and rushing to catch them up with a velocity he couldn’t believe. His heart sank. He had recognised the shape the fog was taking on as …………. Julia’s father.

Julia sped forward pulling him with her until they came across the small  boat neatly moored with two young people, very much in love, visibly wrapped in each other’s arms. By this time the furious fog was fast catching them up.  Julia quickly enveloped Edward with her cloak, the two separate misty bodies becoming one that descended on the boat, covering it completely thus hiding it from view. Its thickness muffled any sound Monica and Martin made as they felt its dampness enveloping them. 

The fog, now raging and looking just as malevolent and angry as Julia’s father had been when he drowned, swept over the shielding blanket unaware that his prey, both living and dead, was beneath him. As he sped on upstream, finally failing to wreak havoc, he began to lose control and gradually dissipated into thin air as if he’d never existed.

So, one hundred years after that dreadful evening, Julia finally got there in time and, together with her love was able to put an end to her father’s evil wanderings. She and Edward were given their second chance, at last, to be together for eternity.

The ghost story is no longer of any interest to anyone, so Julia and Edward are free to roam the river at will, content in each other’s company, and able to go to their special place when the heat of the day meets the coolness of evening – knowing her father will never harm anyone again.