6.
Morning arrives and an ovation greets Sam and Delia as they are the last of the wedding party to enter the hotel dining area. It is time for the newly-weds to become the king and queen of breakfast time. Their banquet table equipped with thrones had even been set up to one end of the dining room prior to their arrival. This is the kind of friends they had, never willing to allow a perfect moment to pass them all by.
It's difficult for Samuel. He wants to enjoy this moment and he is enjoying it. It just feels to him as if he is not good enough, in his own mind it has been tainted with failure. He feels that he does not deserve all that he has. Why does Delia love him so? He can't allow himself to be negative, and he sure as hell cannot allow Delia to see how it is that he feels. For her, he must be strong.
She does love him, right? Of course ... she does, the current moment would not be what it is otherwise.
He does all he can to push away those negative feelings for all around him there is love, laughter and joy. Then there is that face again. An unidentified man, Samuel sees this man exit the dining room. How long had he been around? Samuel excuses himself and heads off to follow this man.
'Excuse me ...' speaks Sam picking up speed to catch up with the stranger. 'Excuse me ... sir.'
The stranger stops out in the hallway and turns. The space he and Samuel occupy has them well away from everyone and anyone else.
'I know you right? I have seen you before.'
'You may have seen me before Samuel, but we have never met prior to this moment.'
'Who are you?'
'That is not important right now ...'
'How do you know my name? What do you want?'
'Who says I want anything? ...'
Perplexed, Samuel stands silently for a moment. The man before him soon speaks again.
'Alright, you got me. I do want something. All I want is to give you and your beautiful wife a gift.'
'A gift? My wife doesn't know you, does she?'
'No Sam, she doesn't.'
'Then why do you want to give us a gift?'
'Two reasons, one is because I can and two is because it will fill my heart with joy if you accept my gift. You see, I know you recently lost your job. I know you and Delia cannot afford a honeymoon. I want to gift you both with a honeymoon of a lifetime.'
'You are having a laugh, right?'
'I am deadly serious, and please, you must accept this gift.'
Samuel stares for a moment then looks back toward where he had been a few moments prior. He at this moment has just one question.
'What's the catch?'
'I assure you good sir, there is no catch. Just love your wife and all is well.'
There is a catch though. There is always a catch ... well perhaps not directly in this moment though in the time which will follow ... love his wife and all will be well ... his love for Delia is there, gift or no gift.
7.
Jack did fall down that hill and Jill did come tumbling after. Once she did this, she was not quite the same Jill as she had been before the tumble, perhaps this is a part of a story left out. In keeping with that thought then maybe her tumble only happened because his did first. If Sam tumbles, will Delia follow? What if Sam's tumble has already happened? Is such a thought a worthy one to have?
Half past three in the morning and Samuel is lying on his back in bed. With the biggest of smiles on his face he stares up at the ceiling. He feels good, he feels great. He turns his head to the left to see his beautiful wife asleep next to him.
The Gods surely have blessed him, given him an amazing wife, six months of marriage and a new job that he is only one week away from beginning. Maybe soon he can afford to take his wife away to somewhere tropical maybe, somewhere exotic. Yeah, she'd like that, she'd love it.
As he continues to stare in amazement a moment occurs, a moment to completely stump Samuel. In her sleep Delia begins to speak.
'Gotta go back ... gotta find that door ... need to go back.'
Delia soon turns onto her left side and settles. Samuel can only assume that Delia had been dreaming, dreaming of what though?
Ten to eight and Samuel awakes in an empty bed. Realizing he is alone; Samuel crouches up and looks around. No sign of Delia. He can't help but think the worst. Why did she go? Where is she gone? ... There is the sound of movement coming from downstairs. Panic over, Delia is simply just up already. Sam gets up, heads downstairs and is greeted by a kiss on the lips. He has no idea as to why he had a moment of panic when there was nothing at all to be panicked about.
'Good morning handsome' she says before moving off to continue getting herself ready.
'Morning ... hey how about coming back to bed?'
'Sorry, no can do' she replies with a smile, 'until you get back to work someone around here has got to make a living. You are looking forward to next week, right?'
'Of course, I am. Quick question, last night you were talking in your sleep. You said that you need to get back, need to find the door. What's that all about?'
'No idea, just dreaming maybe.'
'That's what I thought.'
'Sorry I can't get a little more philosophical. Right now, I need to get to work.'
There is another kiss and pretty soon Samuel is alone in the kitchen of the home he shares with Delia. He takes a few seconds before heading back to bed. Once outside, Delia ensures that Samuel is not about to come her way. For it is not her place of work that Delia is about head off to, it is information she needs to seek.
It is not long before Delia arrives to and sits at a computer console. She searches through fantastic images, then through images of various doors. 'How do I get back?' she asks herself. 'There must be a way.'
'It is easier than you think' speaks the voice of a man standing only a few feet away from Delia.
The voice belongs to barman and co-owner of Morgan Fay's bar, Owen Barnes. 'It is time yet though when it is ... all you have to do is Follow the Yellow Brick Road .... and don't forget the keys ... you will need keys ...'
****
Strange, this roller coaster ride that both Samuel and Delia have boarded. Nothing is set in stone even if the ride itself appears to be. Whether sitting next to each other or riding this train of ups and downs separately, this particular ride takes you right back to the beginning then round again for some more 'fun'. If you move quick enough, you might just see where you have been, or where you will be.
