Forever Love, a Short Story

It was a beautiful spring day as Martha and Jon busily put in their garden. Laughter filled the air as they squirted each other with the hose and enjoyed sharing the day. The couple were looking forward to dinner out to celebrate their 2nd anniversary.

"I think I'll go in the bathroom first, tonight ," Martha spouted, as she ran into the house.

Jon laughed and hollered back, "OK! You go girl! I'll go get the mail and then I'll get my shower."

He bounded around to the front yard, reached in the mailbox and thumbed through the junk mail until he came to a faded, torn, brown envelope. Jon thought from the shape it was in, it looked as if it had been run through a ringer. He contemplated the fact that it was addressed to his wife in her maiden name of Martha Dunning. Raising his left eyebrow, he scrunched his lips together and muttered, "Hum! I wonder who this is from?"

Upon returning to the house, placed the mail on top of the TV then set off to get his clothes ready for their evening out.

Martha came out of the shower with her head wrapped in a towel. "You can have it now! I'm going to blow dry my hair and I'll be ready by the time you are."

"Sure you will," he chuckled to himself. "Oh by the way, there is something strange in the mail. It looks like an old letter and it is addressed to you, in your maiden name no less. Guess whoever it was didn't know you got married, maybe it is an old letter from one of your x-boyfriends." He chided her, as he passed her in the hallway and reached over to patted her behind. "I put the mail on the TV, just in case you might be interested."

"OH! Is that right!" He had stirred her curiosity now. "I'll have to go look." She wrapped the robe up closely around her, tied the belt and headed for the living room. She shuffled through the mail until she easily found the strange torn envelope and stood staring down at it.

"Well, I guess I should open it to see who it is from," she said to no one in particular and gently pulled open the flap. Slowly she pulled out the faded, brownish paper, unfolded it and began to read.

Dearest Martha,

I can't help but thinking of you. I miss you so and you are so very precious to me. I'm wishing I was there with you, holding you in my arms and not over here in the middle of this mess. But hopefully it will be over soon and I'll be back home before you know it.

We have censored mail, so I can't say much; but I'm lucky to be a pilot and not down below. Those poor bastards are having a time of it. Our Huey helicopters make several runs a day just to pick up the wounded. The medics jump out, grab them and pull them inside. It is a bloody mess. Then, we make a run back to the triage units to get them all the help we can. So many are dying and most of them are so young. It breaks my heart.

God but I wish they had never sent any of us over here. The only thing that keeps us going is the thought of getting back home again to the ones we love.
Thank you for sending me those great cookies. I've shared them with the other guys and they said to tell you, they didn't blame me for marrying you right before I left, if you can cook like that. I don't care about your cooking Martha, but I sure do miss you.

Honey, If I ever get back home, I promise never to go anywhere without you again. Sorry but got to go, as its time for another mission. I'll write again soon. Take care of yourself.

Forever in Love, Ferris
August 12, 1964

Martha suddenly realized the letter was not meant for her. It was for her Mother. There was no way she could give it to her though. The tears began to roll down her cheeks. She was standing there sobbing when Jon came up behind her.

"Hey babe, thought you were going to get ready?" Then he saw the tears. "What's wrong honey?"

"That strange letter ... "

"Yeah, who was it from?" Jon asked.

"It was written by my father, when he was in Vietnam."

"Wow!" Jon exclaimed.

"He was telling my mother how he would never go anywhere without her again. He never did until he died in that car crash that put Mom into the coma. I wish mother could have read this. It would have made a world of difference to her. "

Jon grabbed her and held her. "Oh honey! I know it hurts but she is still alive and maybe one day she will come out of it, then you can read it to her. At least, they loved each other to the end and aren't divorced like my parents."

"I know Jon. That is what makes this all so sad. I was crying because he loved her so much."

He hugged her close to him, "Maybe we can take the letter over to the nursing home on the way out to dinner and you can read it to her then. I'm sure if she got the message, even if the letter didn't arrive until thirty-seven years late it would mean something to her." He held her at arm's length and added, "That letter is a celebration and tribute to their love, sweetheart. One you can treasure even if they can't."

She kissed him gently, tipped her head a little to one side and responded. "You are absolutely right, Jon. Let's go get dressed, maybe we can go by there and I'll read it to her. She may not understand it or hear me, but it would make me feel better if she finally receive his message.."

- - -

Martha bent over and kissed her mother gently on the forehead. "Good evening mother! I'm sorry you're not awake so you could share my 2nd anniversary with Jon. However, I still have something special for you." She sat down, opened her purse, pulled out the brownish letter and began to read.

When she finished telling her mother the contents of the letter, Jon tapped his wife on her shoulder. "Look Honey! Look!" He pointed to her mother.

The older woman seemed to be smiling even though she had Alzheimer's Disease, maybe she had understood the letter after all.

Her eyelids fluttered a little, as the couple watched in amazement. Suddenly her face went flat and her body relaxed.

Jon spoke up, "I think we better get the nurse!" Although the nurse came quickly, it was too late. She had quit breathing and was pronounced dead.

"God Jon, do you think I killed her?" Martha was almost in hysterics.

"No honey, I think she was ready to go and join your father, she just needed to know he would be waiting." He hugged his wife and they went out to make arrangements for the funeral with the nursing home.

"This is some kind of anniversary, Jon," Martha muttered.

"I don't know, honey, if it brought your parents back together, then it has its good side. Don't you think? They did love each other so very much."

"I guess you're right Jon! Mother doesn't have to lay there suffering anymore. We should celebrate their lives as well as our special day."

The couple walked away hand in hand. Martha knew now, her mother and father could rest, once and for all. They were together again.