A Man's Promise to His Wife

Jack Gustafson, a seventy-eight year old electrical engineer retiree, ran down Huntington Avenue towards the local bus that was pulling away from its stop. In a fevered sweat, with a bouquet of Tulips swinging in his left hand, he yelled three times for it to stop, each time raising his voice higher than the last, but it was to no avail.

A person close to the bus who saw Jack running diligently to catch up to it, stepped a safe distance in front of it, trying to halt its momentum. The bus driver slowing down, blared its horn at the man to get out of the way, allowing just enough time for Jack to catch up.

With his heart ringing in his ears and sweat pouring off his brow, he thanked the kind person, stepped onto the bus, paid the fare, and sat down in the nearest available seat. He couldn’t have missed this bus, as the next one wouldn’t come for another hour, and he was on his way to meet his wife for her birthday. They had always met at 5:30 and it was now 5:00.

Jack, using his hand as a makeshift fan in order to cool himself off, sat patiently on the bus, waiting for his stop to come up. Finally, after 20 minutes, the bus driver yelled out, “Hillcrest Cemetery!” This was his stop.

Jack got off the bus and made his way to his wife. Upon arriving at her tombstone, he knelt down and put the bouquet of Tulips, her favorites, in front of it. “See, I told you I would always make it,” Jack said. “I would never miss this.” Tears started running down his face, “I miss you and I love you so much, Beth. Happy Birthday, sweet heart.”