Love on a solstice

Sometime In The Present

A ninety year old Zoe sat at her terrace watching the master of the sky rise in all his glory, spreading arms of golden rays dispelling the night's dark clouds bringing with it feelings of warmth and joy; the scene breaking long built dams causing a flow of memories. Memories from many a summer solstice ago when she was young. Memories of moments both good and bad, cold and warm, happy and sad. She could not help but take a little boat trip down memory lane to the days of her childhood dark like winter solstice at the northern hemisphere. The days of her youth, when love finally made a way, clearing her path out of the tunnel into an almost blinding light. A light that has stayed with her longer than the day on the summer solstice during which they'd met. Light that keeps her world alight even with her age induced blindness.

Sometime In The Past.

Little Zoe sat beside the window a blank expression on her face watching the sun rise, a habit she'd adopted since her father's death. She watched as his Majesty bright as hammered gold portrayed flamboyance spreading it's golden rays all across the morning sky. She watched, as the first soft rays of the star king made a break from the dark clouds caressing her five year old cheek; The heat enough to warm her not hot enough to burn her. She'd heard of the summer solstice. She'd heard that it's the years brightest day. The day when the sun is at its peak creating an illusion that the day will never turn into night. She wished her life was just like that s never ending day all light and no darkness. But, wishes aren't horses are they? It's such a pity that beggars may never have the chance to take a ride.

Little Zoe had grown up with her father Elias Adonis. He was a rice farmer, warm and humble as he was handsome. He had met his untimely end at the hands of robbers a few weeks ago taking his last breath in the tiny arms of little Zoe an event that left her feeling devastated casting a dark cloud on her just beginning life. Her mother had died when she was born. You'll agree it's no wonder why she felt like she was cursed, why she had made a habit of staring at the rising sun at dawn wishing that one day the darkness in her life will allow the influx of light. That this night will someday soon bow to a new dawn.

With no other family, no brothers, sisters, aunties or uncles, she'd had to stay with aunt Carissa their neighbour. Zoe!!! called aunt Carissa. "There's no breakfast out there in the grasslands you know". "Come here, Let's have you cleaned up and get you some breakfast ". Aunt Carissa had been nothing if not nice to little Zoe for all the time they've been together. Her love the only reason why her little soul have not been taken over by demons crumbling her world into total darkness. The day went by and dawn bowed to dusk; light finally giving way to the arrival of night and still little Zoe looked out the window watching as the night's king assumed the throne summoning to himself his servants who arrived in twinkles making the once bland looking sky glitter like a sequined blouse. One, two three, four, five, six, seven, eight, thousands of them more than she could count. Their beautiful display lulling her into a peaceful sleep.

Zoe awoke to the infiltrating rays of the golden disc as the earth took a turn around it's orbit spinning to get a feel of his majesty's gleam casting away the night's dark cloak spreading warmth as it made a graceful ascent to it's throne in the sky. She watched as the first soft rays of the star king broke through her curtains caressing her 18year old cheeks. His Majesty portraying flamboyance sending her a gold plated smile from across the morning sky and unlike it was 13 years ago she had a reason to return the Sun's charming smile.

It was summer solstice once again one day in the year when the sun is at it's peak creating the illusion that the day will never turn to night. Her life seems more like this now. There was so much light that darkness felt threatened, retreating, taking refuge only in her past. For the first time since her father died she felt genuinely happy. Finding her other half had quite the effect on her. Time loses its sense of motion whenever they look into each others eyes, there's no past, no future, only now. Everything seems to look more beautiful, the sky wears a new shade of blue, the leaves rustling in rythymic motions, even the scent of the flowers is better accentuated whenever he stands close. The sun has never shone brighter, the birds have never sung better, he was to her like the sun at dawn, their love dispelling darkness only light had room in their world. She wished their love will go on forever wished it will go on far longer than the suns stay on the summer solstice during which they'd met.

Sometime In The Future

On a beautiful summer solstice when the flowers were in full bloom, the sky wore a new shade of blue, rose, dandelions and magnolias decorated the headstones of two lovers in a celebration of love eternal.

Love indeed is a beautiful thing and for Zoe, love was like a lantern making her path clear. A love forever was her only wish and although wishes are not horses she managed to earn herself a free ride. One that lasted for 72 years, a love that lasted till their very last breath as they could not bear to part one another not just in life but also in death.