Querencia

Old Souls

"What are writing in there?" he asked her from afar. When she didn't answer, he walked closer to her and finally heard her gentle sobs. He rushed to her side.

"What's wrong darling?" he asked with urgency. Tears were rolling down her pale cheeks and landing on the paper she was writing on. She still wouldn't answer him. She simply kept on writing. He wrapped an arm around her as he sat down next to her against the wide tree. He read over her shoulder.

The world is a beautiful place
The world is a lovely place
The world is a splendid place
The world is a pleasant place

She scribbled down the same phrase over and over again only changing the adjective every time. He wondered when she would run out of kind things to say. More than that he wondered why she was crying. He looked up at her face and noticed a small smile. It occurred to him that she was crying tears of contentment, tears of peace. He held on to her fragile body slightly tighter and went back to reading her words.

The world is a pretty place
The world is a romantic place
The world is a benevolent place
The world is a wonderful place

She stopped writing suddenly and looked up at him. She kissed his wrinkled cheek.
"What are you writing about today sweetheart?" he asked again.

"The world as I remember it. I can't remember much but I can remember the two of us," she replied in a barely audible tone. She rested her head against his shoulder. Her white hair shone in the sun. She had stopped crying finally.

"I'm happy you still remember us," he stated mostly to himself. He was worried that she would forget him. He didn't want her to forget the lifetime of lovely memories they had created together. It would surely break his old heart. She seemed to have read his mind.

"I won't forget you. Everything I write is about you and the way you make the world such a happy place to be. I write so I don't forget," she explained simply.

"Why do you cry?" he finally had worked up the courage to ask her.

"I cry because I'm scared that I'll forget even though I write and because everything I write about is so important to me. You're so important to me."

"I'll make sure you remember. I won't let you forget," he told her. He loved her so much.  So much that he never told her that she promised to remember him everyday. You see she forgot about him every day of the week however, never for long because he was always there to remind her of him again.