Coward!

Coward!

After hanging up the telephone, Alyssa Danby crumpled to the floor, and dissolved in tears. Every now and again, she pushed forth a heart-wrenching moan as if her heart was truly breaking, and she felt that it was. In a sudden fit of rage, she tore the engagement ring off her finger, and flung it across the room.
“How could he do this to me?” she wailed.


Alyssa had now the impossible task of forgetting her fiancé, John Pitt. She knew that she would never forget that fateful telephone call. She had been in such a good mood before the call, thinking of the wonderful life they would have shared together; however John managed to effectively ruin her mood forever. She didn’t know if she would ever get over him, but she knew she had to, for her sanity’s sake.


A knock at the door startled her. Part of her wanted to ignore the intrusion on her grief, but another part (namely her heart), thought that John was at the door, saying that the phone call had been a joke, albeit a very cruel one, and he still wanted her in his life. This thought gave her the strength she needed to get up off the floor, and open the door. She felt as if she was moving underwater, she was so slow.
Alyssa was so slow that the knocking abruptly stopped. She slumped down next to the door; her strength had leaked out of her like air leaking out of a balloon.


Half an hour later (though it seemed like hours to Alyssa), she heard a key in the lock. Whoever had knocked previously opened the door and called
“Lyss? Are you here?”
The man who had opened the door heard a moan behind the door; he looked and found Alyssa on the floor.


“What are you doing on the floor?” the man asked.
Without waiting for an answer, he helped Alyssa to the couch, and sat next to her.
“Now what’s wrong? I know there’s a problem, so you may as well tell me. Does your mood have anything to do with John?”
At the mention of her ex-fiancé’s name, Alyssa moaned again.
Peter became angry.
“Did he hurt you? Where is he? I’ll kill him!”
“Peter, please don’t. Anyway, he’s in Vancouver.”


“What’s he doing there, and how do you know that?” Peter asked, still angry.
Alyssa took a deep breath.
“He called me. And yes, he hurt me. Very much so. But it’s better if I forget him. I don’t know how I’ll be able to, though. I still love him very much.”


Peter suddenly noticed something.
“Where’s your engagement ring?”
Alyssa thought for a moment.
“Over there somewhere, I think.” She motioned by the phone.
Peter found the ring, and handed to Alyssa, but she refused to take it. Her eyes filled with tears.
“I told you, Peter, it’s better if I forget John.”


“You still haven’t told me why, and I won’t leave until you tell me.” Peter said.
“I can’t. It’s too painful.” Alyssa said, through her tears.
“All right. I’m sorry. The last thing I want to do is cause you more pain. Maybe tomorrow you’ll feel up to telling me, and if not, I can wait until you’re ready. I am staying here tonight, though.”


Alyssa smiled through her tears.
“Thanks, Pete. But there’s really no need.”
“Lyss. I insist on staying. You’re too upset to be alone.”
Alyssa nodded.
“Okay. I know that you’re right.”
Peter made up the sofa-bed in the living room. Before going to sleep, he told Alyssa
“Remember, Lyss. I’m right in the next room. If you need anything at all, you can wake me.”
In the middle of the night, Peter heard Alyssa cry out
“Don’t leave me, John! You’ll never love her like you love me!”


Peter rushed into Alyssa’s room, and woke her up.
“You were having a nightmare, Lyss. Can you tell me about it?”
“Did I say something?” Alyssa asked.
Peter repeated what Alyssa had cried out.
“What did you mean? Did John leave you for someone?”
Alyssa started crying again.
“I don’t want to talk about it, Peter. I can’t. I told you: it’s too painful.”


Peter sighed, and nodded.
“That’s fine. I don’t want to force you into anything you’re not ready to do. I’ll be right in the next room if you need me. Try to get some sleep.” Peter kissed his sister on the forehead, and left the room.
Alyssa tossed and turned, and finally drifted into a dreamless sleep.


The next morning, Alyssa pretended that nothing untoward had happened the night before, so Peter abandoned his idea of again asking Alyssa about her nightmare.
“Good morning. Would you like some coffee?” Alyssa asked.
“That would be great, thanks. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Why do you ask?”
“Well last night—“
“Oh that. I didn’t have any more dreams. I went back to sleep, and slept like a baby.”
“Can you tell me about John now?” Peter asked hesitantly, afraid that Alyssa would start crying again.
Alyssa sighed.


“Not now, Peter. It’s too early to talk about unpleasant things. Now, how do you take your coffee?”
Peter was confused; it was if a new Alyssa stood before him.
“I don’t understand. Last night, you were so upset, but now you seem almost resigned to not spending your life with John. What happened?”
“Peter. Can’t we please talk about this later? I promise I’ll explain everything to you. Just not now. I’d like to enjoy my coffee in peace. Now, what would you like for breakfast?”
Peter was still confused, but answered
“I don’t know. Anything would be fine.”
Alyssa laughed.


“I don’t know the recipe to make ‘anything’. Tell me what you want, and I’ll make it.”
Towards evening, Peter sat with Alyssa. They had just finished dinner, and were enjoying time together before bedtime.
“You don’t have to stay with me again tonight, Pete. I’ll be fine.”
“I want to stay, Lyss. I admit you were okay all day, and I still don’t understand why, but you may have another rough night.”
Alyssa’s face suddenly crumpled.
“Oh Pete. How am I going to make it without John?” she asked, as the tears flowed down her cheeks.


“I thought something was wrong all day. You don’t have to pretend with me, Lyss. I want to help you through your pain. But all I know is that John somehow caused you pain, and for whatever reason, you feel that you have to forget about him.”
“I do have to forget John, Peter. I just don’t know if I can.” Alyssa sobbed.
“Please tell me what John did. I can’t help you unless I know.”
“I keep telling you: it’s too painful.” Alyssa said.
“Alyssa. Please tell me. I really do want to help you.”
Alyssa sighed.
“All right. I’ll tell you. I have to forget John because he called to tell me that he had gotten married in Vancouver.”
“Oh Lyss. I’m so sorry to hear that. John’s a coward, that’s all.”


“How do you figure that?” Alyssa asked, trying to compose herself.
“C’mon Lyss! He didn’t even have the nerve to tell you about this other woman. It’s obvious that he had been cheating on you, and he married the other woman instead of you. I’m going to Vancouver to teach him a lesson.”
“Please don’t go, Peter. I need you here with me. Besides, I don’t want you to anything that you’ll regret later.”
“But Alyssa, I’m trying to my duty as a big brother, and protect you.”


“That’s sweet, Peter. But you don’t need to protect me anymore. I can protect myself. Please don’t go to Vancouver.”
Peter smiled.
“All right. I won’t go. But I still want to do something for you. Do you feel up to meeting someone new?”
Alyssa shook her head.
“I’m afraid not, Pete. I need some time to get over John, as hard as that will be. I just don’t know if I can forget him.”
“You will forget him, Alyssa. You’re very strong. You can do anything you put your mind to. I hope you know that.”


“I do know that. And just being here for me will help tremendously.”
“I’ll always be here for you, Lyss. Can I tell Mom and Dad about this?”
Alyssa hesitated.
“I’d rather tell them, Pete. I don’t know if I can do it immediately, though.”
“They’re going to notice that you’re no longer wearing your ring. At least Mom will.”
The next day, the phone rang while Peter was still there. When it rang, Alyssa looked up hopefully. Peter understood that look.
“It won’t be John, Lyss. I know you’re hoping that it is. I wish it would be as well, so I could give him a piece of my mind.”
Alyssa asked her brother to answer it, and to take a message. She didn’t feel up to talking to anyone.


Peter answered the phone, and after listening awhile, he held the phone out to Alyssa.
“It’s Mom, Lyss. She’s insisting on talking with you.”
Alyssa went to the phone.
“Hi Mom.”
“Alyssa honey? Are you all right? Peter wouldn’t tell me anything.”
Alyssa sighed.
“No Mom. I’m not all right. In fact, I doubt if I’ll ever be all right again.”
“Why? What happened? Did you and John have a fight? Well don’t worry. You’ll make up soon.”
Alyssa started crying into the phone. Peter took the receiver from her.
“I’ll call you later, Mom.” he said, and hung up.


“Will I ever stop crying over John?”
Peter nodded.
“Eventually, you’ll feel ready to meet someone new, and you’ll forget all about John. It’s just going to take time.”
“How much time?” Alyssa asked through her tears.
“That’ll depend on you. I told you though: you’re very strong.”
Peter called Alyssa regularly for the next six months. At the end of that time, he asked
“Are you feeling better, Alyssa?”
“I think that I’m over John. I went out for the first time since he left me, and I met someone!” Alyssa said, sounding excited.
“Oh Lyss! That’s wonderful. Tell me all about him.”


“Well, his name’s Stephen Danube, and he works for IBM. We’re going out this weekend! I really like him, Pete!”
“That’s great! Good luck on the date, and let me know how it went.”
That weekend, Stephen picked Alyssa up promptly at seven. They were going to dinner, then a movie afterwards.
Monday evening, Alyssa called Peter.
“So how’d it go?” Peter asked, as soon as he heard his sister’s voice.
“It was wonderful, Pete. I’ll tell you a secret: I’ve fallen in love with him.” Alyssa smiled into the phone.


“How does he feel about you? Do you know?”
“I think he feels the same. When he kissed me-“
“Wait a minute. He kissed you?” Peter interrupted.
“Yes, and it felt wonderful!”
“I’m proud of you, Lyss. It didn’t really take that long for you to get over John. I hope it works out with Stephen.”
“So do I.”
Things worked out so well between Stephen and Alyssa that three years later, Stephen asked her to move in with him, then a year later, they got married.