The faint light of dawn was starting to creep up from under the eastern horizon of the small-uncharted island. The sea was unusually calm. Gentle waves were caressing the soft sandy beaches. Some small hermit crabs were foraging for bits of food. The branches of the tall coconut trees were dancing in the breeze, brushing against one another and producing a low-key song befitting the solemnity of the scene. Suddenly, a booming sound of an explosion pierced the beautiful panorama as a ball of fire appeared in the sky at the distance engulfing a small plane. It seemed to hang there for a moment and then crashed into a shallow area of the sea. It partially sank in the water while the fire continued burning in the part sticking above the waves.
Helen was trying frantically to unfasten her seat belt. When she finally succeeded to free herself, she jumped into the water. She swam for a short distance, her leg hurting so badly. Then she stopped and started to call loudly, “Sam…Sam…where are you, Sam?” When she got no answer, she kept repeating her frightened call. She was feeling cold now, so she swam towards the shore, as the pain in her leg was becoming unbearable. Her mind was beginning to play tricks on her. It seemed like the more she swam the farther the shore became. She was becoming too exhausted, and she didn’t realize that she was bleeding profusely from several wounds in her head, neck and body until she struggled to pull herself onto the sand of the beach where she fell face down, as half of her body was still in the water. She was now shivering and when she tried to turn, she screamed agonizingly because of the horrible pain in her broken left leg. So, she mercifully fainted and lied there motionless. However, she didn’t stay unconscious for long. Sea gulls were getting bolder, and as one of them started to dig his beak into her arm, she was awakened screaming. Completely disoriented, she dragged her shattered body on the sand till she reached the foot of a coconut tree. As she sat up, she leaned on the tree and her eyes travelled to the wreckage of the plane still jutting up in the sea at the distance. Her face was covered with sand mixed with blood and pools of tears. She closed her eyes as her mind was flooded with the images of the night before.
They just left the reception hall after their extravagant wedding. Helen was pleading with Sam, “We can still change the plan. Please…” He laughed as usual and said the same thing as before, “Honey, believe me you shall enjoy this whole trip very much… you are married to a pilot. You should get used to flying.” That is when his sister Margaret answered as they were all getting into the Limo, “Sam you are being stubborn. Why should she have to endure that kind of anxiety on her wedding night? You like flying Mr. show off, but look at her. She is frightened.” Sam shrugged her off, “Helen loves me, and she trusts me, Right Honey?” Helen held his arm and said, “Of course I trust you, but I am afraid… I shall always be scared every time we say goodbye before you fly…I wouldn’t know if I would see you again.” He touched her beautiful face and kissed her, “Rest assured sweetheart, we shall never have to say goodbye.” They arrived at the airport and as they were getting out of the limo, Margaret finally said, “You see, Helen loves you, but you only love yourself.” To which Sam answered with roaring laughter, “Stop being jealous sis, if everybody loves me, should it be wrong that I love myself as well?”
Helen started sobbing, and in her agony looked at the wreckage of the plane, then she looked at the expensive diamond ring, Sam put in her finger a few hours before. What good is the diamond if Sam is no longer there? She started crying loudly. She closed her eyes as she remembered looking at the small plane against the clear moon light. Everybody was busy transferring the luggage from the limo into the plane while she stood there with a sinking feeling squeezing her heart. As soon as they were in the air Sam said, “why don’t you close your eyes and get some sleep, you look so tired honey?” she looked at him and said jokingly, “should I say good night, good morning or…goodbye?” he turned to her pretending to be hurt and reiterated again, “I told you, rest assured. We shall never have to say goodbye.”
The sun was now gloriously covering the world with warmth and light. Helen’s mind was undulating into different stages of consciousness. In her stupor, she was beginning to murmur incoherently, “you promised… we …never…goodbye.” She saw everything wavy and fuzzy. Silhouettes of many ghosts appeared and disappeared. The pain was gradually fading. She thought she was dreaming when one of those ghosts loomed large and foreboding. It even had a rolling distorted sound, which she could not understand. It came closer and closer until it grabbed her and held her very close…very close…very…
Sam has just found her… he held her limp body crying and screaming hysterically, “Please, Oh Helen please don’t … Don’t leave me…Oh my God Please…please forgive me…forgive…”
Some promises are not meant to be kept, yet somehow this one was. They never had to say goodbye.
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*James 4:13-14