I met mark in 11th grade. He was my lab partner, and how lab partner went to something more, I don't know. But the way his eyes glimmered when he got a good grade on a test or when he got an answer right in class always made my heart stop. He was also in my government class; he always paid more attention in this one. He told me his dream was to be a lawyer, the best in the business. Just like his dad.
I had always wanted to be a dancer. The way they turn and leap always inspired me. I began classes in 6th grade. Since then, I've done ballet, tap, jazz, and pointe. Everything the college wanted.
Azalea Candie Dance Academy. Prestigious. Legendary. And I got in. Mark was down the street. Harvard. We had an apartment. A two bedroom, two bath. It overlooked the city and gave a perfect view for sunsets. And at night, the stars were as light as his pale green eyes. It was always my stress reliever when he wasn't there. The cool air of Massachusetts was much better than Rhode Island, where I lived until I was 14. Then, my mom got transferred here. Here I met my friends. And here, I met Mark.
Harvard turned out to be more stressful than he thought. He always flew through school. He didn't expect such a bump in the road. The homework and the nights hit him hard. With none of his guy friends in this part of the state, he was forced to stay home. Surrounded by his burdens of law school. I tried to help, but he only pushed me away. I understood, of course. The most prestigious college in the country. Who wouldn't stress? Still it upset me that someone I loved so much was in pain.
Then it happened. He stayed out one day and went to the doctor. When he came back, his face was void of color.
"Cancer," he choked out. "same as my father."
He had been complaining of lung aches and trouble breathing, but he had had bronchitis, so we thought no worry. But the doctor was right. A tumor was growing in his left lung. And he only had 3 months.
Needless to say, he dropped out of school. He told me if he only had 3 months, there was no way he was spending it stressing. He was always strong willed like that. He did anything he wanted. No one could tell him no. We spent the next month exploring our city. It really is a beautiful town. Flowers bloom and trees hang everywhere. But he wanted more. To leave our city. At this point, I was out of school. So we went.
Our first stop was London. He told me he wanted to see everything, and he knew a place. He drug me by the arm all the way there. The London eye. He told me it was like a Ferris wheel, but clear so you could see the city. To be honest, I was terrified. But I couldn't say no to him, so I went. But he had a surprise. When we got to the top, I was stunned. The beauty of a city from this high was amazing. But what was more amazing was when I looked over, and Mark was in one knee, holding a ring. He told me that day he wanted to be with me his whole life, even if that was a couple months. I was crying at this point, as you could expect, and i said yes with all of my heart.
Next, He said since we were engaged, he wanted to go to Paris. 'The city of love' as he called it. He wanted a private ceremony on top of the Eiffel Tower, and he somehow got it.
After we were 'officially' married, we explored everything, and ended up staying there for 2 weeks. We explored the Catacombs and walked the streets. We even went shopping in their famous shops. At points, we forgot about the cancer, and only focused on us. On him.
Then it struck him. We Had only been back home a week, and He fell walking to our kitchen. And that's when the world turned. I remember blue and red, and people telling me to calm down. But I couldn't. My husband was passed out on the floor!
He survived on the ventilator for 2 long hours. Then he went brain dead, and I think I did too. I had to pull the cord. I couldn't let him lay in pain. It was the hardest thing I ever did. The hardest thing I ever will do. TO see him lying in that bed. I had to leave the room.
But the point of a eulogy isn't to dwell on their death, it's to tell how they impacted your life. And Mark did. He taught me to be strong willed, brave, and ,most importantly, a fighter. He didn't give up until his brain did, and he will always be my motivation and the love of my life.
-p.s.
