To Leap From Heaven [A Romantic Thriller]

19.

"Kim says, ‘Hi”’.

"Tell Kim I said, ‘Hi’, too."

They were lying in bed. Their love and intimacy had grown to the point where they knew each other's likes and dislikes. Matt told her he wants to sit down with her parents and talk things out. This hide-and-seek was getting on his nerves, and although exciting, it was not doing their relationship any good, and he wants to move forward. They had, tentatively, spoken about marriage, or at least of getting engaged.

"I hear you, and I feel the same way, but this is not the time. The country is in a mess, and he barely has it under control, and I don't want to talk about my personal life with him just yet. He has a lot on his plate, and I suggest we wait until things have settled down. Hopefully then he'll be in a more receptive mood. Besides, I'm still at university, and I don't think he'll give his consent while I'm studying. He might consider you a distraction and have you removed. Be patient, my love. Everything will work out fine."

Matt's jaw dropped in an attitude of disappointment, and she tried to cheer him up by citing all the benefits they stood to reap by exercising patience.

"I hate it when you talk sense." He kissed her passionately and held her tight. "But you're right. You know your father better than I do. Let me know when's the right time to approach him."

"I wonder if I should get you a pink, blue or white diamond engagement ring? Which would you prefer?"

"That decision I will leave to you, but if I don't like it, I will throw it back in your face."

"Oh, yeah?"

They started a pillow fight until the pillows broke and the feathers flew, and it appeared as if they were caught in a feather storm.

They gathered every feather and stuffed it in a pillowcase before settling down under the covers. Matt was to take it with him, and dispose of it in the forest. But in the dark it was not that easy, and one is bound to overlook a single piece of down feather which might be the evidence someone needs who comes snooping around the cabin on a regular basis.

Matt said, "That's what I'm talking about. We can't even have a decent fight and scream and shout."

"That day will come, and then we can do it as often as we like. And as to the color of the ring, I would love anything you put on my finger, even if it's a piece of string."

"A piece of string it is. Thank you for saving me sleepless nights and a ton of money."

"Don't you dare."

They lived in, and for each other, but the world still existed, and from time to time it became necessary to face reality. However hard they tried to avoid it, the doings of the outside world affected them whether or not they acknowledge its existence.

"You never told me what you thought about the country's policy regarding the death sentence."

"It is a necessary evil. The killings had stopped. Our country is a much safer place for its citizens, and foreign investment and the tourists are flocking back. The Treasury is happy, unemployment is dropping and so are the prices for basic goods and services. And except for the unhappiness of a few, our country was never more prosperous."

"I agree with you on everything Matt, except that we are paying for it in blood. I respect Life,... I don't know anymore."

There was hopelessness in her voice. It was a question of Either Or, with no gray areas in-between. She could not see a middle ground, which added hugely to her frustration. She wished she had known what to do.

"What if some of them were really innocent?" she asked.

"Apparently, the jails are full of innocent people while the criminals are walking free."