Just One More Page

Why eyhyl why?!?!

Ethyl, age 63. As her gray hair glistened in the moonlight, complimented her complexion, it brought a tear to her 65 year old husband, Harold's eye. Harold begins to walk towards the love of his life, with each step in the same time as his heart that beats for her. He looks over her shoulder to find an old, velvet colored, leather journal. He comes around the corner of the bed, and kneels in front of Ethyl. She stays staring down at the old journal, then looks up at Harold with a red nose, watery eyes, and tear stained cheeks. Another tear escapes her eye. Harold wipes away the tear and climbs on the bed, and begins to read the old, yellow, worn out pages.

The first page had an old photo of them. In the old, black, and white photo, Ethyl stays looking straight at the camera, with a bright, shining, beautiful smile that could light up any dark, gloomy room. To her left stands Harold. His arm around her waist, staring at Ethyl in awe. The expression on his face showed how much he absolutely loved and admired her. He looked back and forth from the picture to present day Ethyl, thinking about how happy he is that it has been so long, and they still have the same love and affection they did when they first met.

In the picture Harold was 20, and Ethyl was 18. They've known each other before that, but that was when Harold finally had the guts to ask her on a date. They first met in the summer of 1968. Ethyl was a nurse for the troops at an early age of 16. Harold on the other hand was 18 and fought for his country. Harold always had a thing for Ethyl, but couldn't tell her. So to give her little hints, he would fake injuries or illness to go see her. Ethyl was too young to travel with them, so Harold would write her meaningful letters. Even though, at the time, she didn't feel the same, she kept all the letters in a personal chest that her grandmother had given her.

Harold read a few pages and saw a few pictures. Then, he took a peek over his shoulder, and found Ethyl sound asleep. He slowly and gently lied Ethyl down on the bed, and covered her with a blanket. He couldn't get the beautiful memories they shared out of his head. He put the book on his nightstand, curled up with Ethyl, feel asleep, and began to dreaming of their life together. That night he dreamt of every first. He dreamt of their first date, their first kiss, their first time meeting the families, their first road trip, their first house together, and their first and only baby.

They were gonna name the baby Abigail, after Ethyl's grandmother, but Ethyl and the baby became very sick. Thankfully, Ethyl made it through and is very healthy, but the baby died the next morning after birth. The sickness then made Ethyl unable to reproduce.

Harold woke up in tears, thinking about those tragic, yet magical moments. He wiped away the tears, and rolled over to find Ethyl still asleep. Harold was always the first one up, so he heads to the kitchen to fix up some breakfast. He brews some coffee, cooks up some eggs, buttered some toast, and friend some bologna, Ethyl's favorite. As he sits at the table with the aroma of coffee and eggs, he begins to worry. Ethyl still hasn't awoken. Thinking that she is just tired, he begins to eat his breakfast. Still waiting for Ethyl.

As he finished the last few drops of coffee, he travels upstairs to see what is taking so long. He gets down on one knee and whispers, "Ethyl, honey, breakfast is ready." No response.

"Ethyl-" he says gradually getting louder. Still, no answer.

"ETHYL!" he screams frantically, not knowing what to do. He checks her pulse, nothing. He bends over her, but no heartbeat.

"What is happening? Why her God? Why now?" he questions aloud.

'Is she gone? She can't be gone! I don't want her to be gone! Why couldn't it have been me?' All of these questions racing through his mind.

The room was spinning, he begins to feel dizzy. He wobbles over to the telephone and tries to dial 9-1-1. '9-' His finger slips, the phone drops, and so does he.