• User ImageCH.7~Goodbye, I Love You


    “Goodbye Macy. I love you so much!” A tear ran down Macy’s face as her sweet and loving Nigel held her tight in his masculine arms one last time. Macy had just turned 17 and Nigel, being only 18 for 3 months, was sent off to Bakhtaran, Iran, for a 24 month term. In the setting behind the couple, the sun was drooping deep into the California valleys, and the day was coming to a mournful end. A shadow shaded Nigel’s face underneath his slouch cap. With her arms wrapped passionately around his neck, she pulled near to him, in desperation to be with him. The time had come and with her arms still around his neck, he reached down and gently kissed her cold lips one last time. Pulling back in a breath, he pulled her close and snuggled up with him, she inhaled the smell of the gunpowder on his uniform. As his young muscular body wrapped tightly around her small figure, his free hand reached up and caressed her cheeks, his fingers surveying every inch of her face as if to memorize her, every line and shape that he would never forget. Finally, after what had seemed like hours in his arms, he firmly let her go as they called the final role for the green military plane. “Final call for Flight 184, Johnson, McCoy, Lanier, Mitchell, Steinberg, and Howards” the sergeant hollered out the back door. Grasping her pale hand in his, he looked deep into her eyes, and into her soul. “Macy, oh my Macy, I know the hurt you feel. I haven’t seen you smile in what has seemed like years. We’ve made so many memories together, baby, and I know we’ll make more. I’ll be back, you just see. I’ll be your sunshine that lights up the darkest of times. When you see the moon, Macy, think of me and I’ll always be with you.” Nigel pleaded into her eyes, of which salty tears ran. “Oh Macy, I’ll always love you. You and I know that. Please, Macy, I’ll be back, don’t worry. I love you and I will be back to marry you. Please, sweetheart, wait for me.” With that he kissed her hand and the tender show of affection stung worse than anything ever before. She threw her arms around his neck one last time and bawled on his shoulder. “I will, Nigel. I’ll wait for you.”
    Terrified she watched her young love walk into the sunset, duffle bag in hand, and boarded the plane. She tried earnestly to be strong but when he turned and blew a kiss, teardrops rolled off her cheeks onto her gray sweater. Stunned, and in disbelief, she stood and watched through blurred eyes, the door closed and like a bullet, the plane sped off into the setting sun leaving Macy and the broken pieces of her heart shattered there on the runway.
    Even when she couldn’t hear the roar of the jet anymore, she just stood there, still, in hopes that he would return right then. After an hour her legs shot up with pain, and her delicate body crumpled to the ground. The California skies around her were now black, faded to night, the scrapes on her knees and palms from falling stung, but it didn’t compare to the cool sting that still lingered on the back of her hand from his kiss. In her pocket she dug for the small keychain light on her car keys and flipped it on. She then retrieved his tattered old photo from her purse, and starred and cried. She fell over, and the raw cut in her heart stung, and she fell over, laying on the pitch black runway, almost sleeping, and bawling, in disbelief that her future husband was gone, possibly forever.
    crying