Jenny was shaken with grief, three hours ago she was sitting in her office working on a marketing project for her boss Jeff. He had laid it on her desk and told her it was a rush to launch a new product. She told him it would be done by the end of the day and he had said ” Jenny you always make it happen” and patted her on the shoulder.
She threw herself into it when a messenger came to her door with a dozen red roses, she had a huge smile when she read the card.” Jen babe I love you and will pick you up at 5:30. I made reservations at Gibson’s… Kisses Sam.” Jenny knew this was coming, Sam’s sister Kate could not keep a secret she had told Jenny this was the night Sam would propose.
Jenny got the project done early, and was sitting at her desk going through some emails at 3:37 pm when the phone rang, it was Kate in sobbing hysterics “Jenny it’s terrible Sam was riding his Harley from his Uncle Bob’s office to the jeweler and was hit by a cab driver, Jenny he is dead.” Jenny let out a wail, dropped the phone and collapsed on the floor. People came running into the office and all she could say was “Sam is dead.”
She stood up wiped her eyes grabbed a rose and ran out of the office. She sat down on a bench in the garden area behind the office and let it all out.
She remembered the first time she had met Sam at a college football game and they had been together ever since 4 years today.
The funeral was a week later Jenny placed the rose she had taken from the office and put it on the casket as it was lowered. She did keep one petal and placed it in a plastic envelope and put it in her diary.
Fast forward 2 years. Jenny visits the cemetery every day and each of those days she places a red rose by Sam’s grave. Kate tells Jenny she needs to move on but Jenny said that she could only love one person in her life and that was Sam.
The trail for the drunken cab driver finally went to court. Jenny was there when he was sentenced to prison for 30 years. She spoke in court and said she forgave the driver but wanted him punished. When she left the court the first place she went was the cemetery to tell Sam the cab driver is going to prison… She left two roses this time. One as usual and one for some closure.
So sad but with closure comes the opportunity of new experiences
Beautifully written although extremely tough and sad. There are no words to describe the passing of a loved one. Some stories are quite never closed. I too remember lowering roses on a cascade decades ago. I have been drawing roses ever since. I thought a heart could never be mended. In some ways it perhaps never is, but a new heart is created in time.
Beautiful story Norman. Sad, tender but as Yvonne said very real. Great job my friend.
So glad Jenny found closure. Sad but real.