You Promised

Chapter Seven

Chapter 7.
The two weeks passed. I spent every available moment with him. We went on picnics with his family as well because he was aware that, as well as me, other people wanted time with him. John hadn't been called up. He has, apparently, a slight heart tremor which forbids him from going into battle. It was a huge relief to hear. Now I can spend as much time as I want with Adam without any guilt.
When eventually that day came, I am standing on that cold slab of concrete, the platform, with his family. I have my arm wrapped around his waist and with the the other hand I hold Lily's hand. All too quickly, the train rolls into the station. My eyes fill but I fight back the tears. Adam squeezes my waist and I'm reminded again that I wish I could go instead of him. His mother holds a handkerchief to her face. Lily makes no effort to hide her pain. She clutches my hand so tightly I think it may fall off.
Adam walks away from me to put his bag on the train. When he comes back, he hugs his mother and tells her that he will write to her. She breaks down and weeps on his shoulder. He tells her that he will always be her little boy which sends her into another round of hysterical crying. He manages to pull her gently away then he turns to Lily. He whispers to her that she needs to be strong and that she has to look after mother for him. Then finally he turns to me. He takes my hand and we walk down the platform away from his family.
I struggle to keep a straight face as he wraps his arms around me for what I hope is not the last time. I stand on my toes and kiss him. He pulls away after a moment. I stare into his eyes, searching for the words I can use to keep him with me.
'Ami.' He says breaking the silence between us. 'I need to tell you something.' I tilt my head. He takes a deep breath. 'If.....if it had been different.' That's when I stop him. I don't want to hear about what could have been. I tell him to stop but he shakes his head. 'I have got to say this.' He says earnestly but with difficulty. I let him go on. He takes another deep breath. 'Ami....I...I love you. And if this hadn't all happened.....I would have married you.'
I find that I can't breathe, the urge to cry is about to overwhelm every other instinct in my heart. He is holding me now. Grasping my shoulders tightly. 'I will be back. And when I do come, I will ask you to marry me.'
I can't stop the tears now. They flow freely down my face in a stream that I think will never end. These monsters that are trying to take him from me have now taken something much bigger from me. A life. With a man I adore. I will never forgive them for it. But, even in this harsh world with it's evil dictators and armies that pillage and burn, our love is here. And in this moment, I do believe that he will come back to me.
Again, I reach up to him. I kiss him with all the strength that I have left in my body. He pulls me closer to him, my tears falling down my face as I bury my face in his coat.
'Come home to me.' I whisper into his coat as he cries softly onto my hair. He slowly removes my arms from his neck. I grab his hand and he holds it, just for a moment, then the station master blows his whistle and Adam lets go. I lean on my toes for another kiss but he pulls back. His face is covered with my tears and his own. I close my eyes, mentally making a photograph of his angelic face, burning it forever in my mind.
I feel like he is taking the colour from my world away with him. The further away from me he is, the more bleak my world becomes. He steps up onto the train, then he looks back at us. Mrs. Green, sobbing into her handkerchief waving goodbye, Lily, lying in a crumpled heap on the floor wailing loudly, and me. Standing alone with tears streaming down my face still with my hand held out where he let go.
The train starts to move. I sprint to keep up with it. I see him in one of the windows, I race along beside him. He smiles at me, then the train goes too fast for me, and disappears down the tunnel. With Adam.