The Lonely Road

It was a lonely road. The river of concrete wrapped halfway around the park, past thick undergrowth on the left hand side. It was getting late now, but it was that part of summer where it barely matters; the sun was only just beginning to set, cutting the sky up into segments of orange and red. Her dog barked, apart from that it was quiet, save only the wind rustling in the trees. Inside the park the swings swayed, very slightly, as if shaken by invisible riders.

She sighed, her breath melting in with the wind; these summer days were long, these dusty roads were endless. Only her thoughts kept her company on these long solitary walks.

And hand touched her shoulder, ‘Surprise.’

Him. She knew his voice in her ears, his breath on her neck, ‘James!’ she said, turning to him, leaping into his embrace, ‘I can’t believe you’re back!’ She nestled her nose into his shoulder and kissed him repeatedly.

‘Hey.’

‘How did you do that?’ she asked, beaming at him, ‘How did you manage to sneak up on me like that?’

He shrugged, smiling. ‘I saw you coming up the road. I thought it’d be more fun to surprise you… But how are you? How have you been? Ow, I missed you so much baby. I can’t even tell you how happy I am to see you again.’

For a moment the hug tightened, then he set her before him, kissing her lomg and hard.

‘I’ve been fine,’ she said as their lips parted, ‘But James, James, I’ve been so worried. Some of the other girls got letters, saying their men had – you know – and I was so so worried,’ her eyes filled with tears, ‘So worried I might get one about you…’

He masked his own face with a smile, trying to hide his own apprehension. ‘Don’t be silly,’ he told her caressingly, ‘It’s really not as bad as everyone says it is. And you know me, I’m as strong as an ox. Nothing bad’s gonna happen.’ But the images of the friends fallen beside danced in his mind.

She broke into sobs in his chest, her fingers clutching onto his back, ‘Oh James,’ she wailed, ‘James… I’ve missed you so much…’

He held her, kissing the side of her head lightly and stroking her hair. ‘It’s ok baby, it’s ok.’

It took some moments for her to pull herself back together, ‘Well,’ she said, sniffing, wiping her eyes, ‘Now that you’re back we can do whatever you want; we can go out, drink stupid amounts together, stumble round town… We could get a movie, cuddle up on the sofa, I could cook…’

‘I think,’ said James, looking thoughtfully at the coloured sky, ‘I’d like to go home.’

She smiled, ‘Sure.’

They walked to their house hand in hand. The sunset had reached its full glory and the whole sky glowed, painted a magnificent fiery red. She immediately took it upon herself to tell him everything since their parting, without missing the smallest detail, not because she was a big talker but because her heart for so long had longed to speak to him, to pour her soul, and now they were together again she found herself desperate to bridge the gap that time had placed between them. He for the most part remained silent, every now and then asking her an unthought question, regularly turning away and looking to the sky, preoccupied, as if, beneath his cool surface, there was something he was dreading to see every time he turned his eyes and, when it never appeared, he looked again because he knew its arrival was inevitable. Waking nightmares: the curse of a soldier.

Once home he took her straight to the bedroom, slowly caressing her hair before moving down to her neck. She lay back completely submissively, giving herself up to him, closing her eyes and offering him her lips.

He took them, meeting her mouth with his own. Then his lips travelled down her body as he peeled off her dress, wondering her stomach, down to her hips; exciting her senses and arousing her fully.

Then he came back up to her, rejoining her mouth, and she took him into her, their two bodies melting into one. Love was made deep into the night, slowly at first, then faster, as they exploded into passion, slowly climbing the ladder to incomparable climax. They came apart from each other exhausted, sweating, but delighted. Reunited, they fell asleep locked in each other’s arms, happy that they had back what they had missed for so long.



*



He woke after a few hours. For a moment he looked at the face of his sweetheart, so calm in her sleep, before he pulled out of her arms and put on his clothes. Dressed, he headed over to the window, where the morning was just breaking but the sun was not yet visible, and he starred out.

She woke, feeling him gone, and, opening her eyes, she saw him standing silently by the window, fully dressed with his bag over his shoulder. Suddenly her heart was wrenched.

‘You’re leaving, aren’t you?’ she said.

He turned, startled. ‘Baby…’ he started, ‘Go back to sleep.’

You’re leaving – aren’t you?’ she repeated.

He shook his head despairingly, ‘Katie, don’t make this any harder than it already is.’

‘No,’ she said, rising from the bed and rushing over to him, ‘You’re leaving me.’

‘Kate, please.’

‘When?’ she demanded. ‘When are you leaving?’

He swallowed. ‘Now…’

She wrapped her arms around him. ‘You were gonna go,’ she moaned, ‘You were gonna go and not tell me.’

‘Kate,’ he said firmly, pushing her off him and throwing her a shirt to cover herself with, ‘Please. Don’t make this any harder than it already is.’

‘I love you,’ she wailed, moving back over to him.

Again, he pushed her away, then he looked hard at her, with big tearful eyes, pain on his face. Slowly he began to shake his head. ‘Goodbye Kate,’ he whispered.

He turned and walked towards the stairs. She ran after him, shouting, trying to pull him back, but he ignored her. He opened the door and waked out towards the station. She, left in the doorway, naked, called after him:

‘No! James! Please! Please! James! Please! Please! Please don’t go…’

But he determinedly walked further and further away from her, without turning back once.

She walked back into the house and went back upstairs. Again she felt insufferably alone but more now than she had ever done before. She went back over to the window and looked out, the sun by now was just beginning to rise over the horizon, the morning rays just beginning to colour the sky, and she cried, her whole body shaking.







James was killed three weeks later. Katherine never heard from him again.