Short Story: One Last Time...

      It’s that time of the year. Spring looms as this marks the end of the chilly winter. After finally completing Cambridge, the dull ride on the railway coach is what separating me from my hometown Eastbourne down South of England. An indescribable feeling when you're able to take a sigh of relief knowing that you have removed an heavy burden from your parents shoulders. Finally, with this degree that I've own relying on parents income is no longer an issue. How I miss my family. In times like this I would just put on my earphones, turn on the Beatles classic playlist and simply float away.

The problem I have in taking long rides is my fragile mind often diverts to my lost childhood sweetheart that I still truly love until this very day. It has been four painful years and she might as well have forgotten my existence. The more I figure out the actual reason she left me for, the more the questions arises instead of answers. The busy coach arrives as I boarded with the coach having more passengers than the number of seats. Oh boy, how foolish was I to have taken the coach on a Saturday. They say nothing happens without a reason and what do you know, there she was sleeping peacefully whilst resting her head on the shoulder of a man which looks like my successor. There are no words to describe the joy that flushed my eyes at that very moment. She probably went on a vacation with her new found love in Norwich and heading back to the same destination as I am. My mind was filled with words to say to her. Her new man was staring at me not knowing the love life that the girl resting on him and I once shared. He must be having the time of his life. I do not envy but hope he can be the one to fill the shoes that I failed to.

 If only I'm given the chance to redeem my mistakes and an opportunity to make amends by starting anew, I would grab it with both hands like my life depends on it. Stations after stations passed by and she was still resting her eyes. Even now I am unable to see her pretty eyes but her pitch black hair, velvet skin and radiant lips was there for me to admire along the way. I must have angered him. He must have been wondering why I was looking at her the whole time as I was driven by joy and strength. Shivers ran down my spine as it was announced that Eastbourne as the next destination. Before he started waking her up I rushed to the next coach with a heavy heart. Deep inside, I knew she just would not want to meet me. He might have told her that some weird man was looking at you while you were asleep but at the deepest core I can put my money on that she will never ever have guessed that it was me, her one and only true love. Yes, today was the day I met my love that I will never be with and may not see her ever again. That ride back home will be one of the best moments of my life as I was grateful enough to see her for one last time in which I will cherish till my last breath.

by Ivan Vincent