Another Chance -'Love Gone To Sleep'

She stood there, her vision   blurred from the tears that welled up in her eyes.
Her legs wobbled   and her body was threatening  to fail her. She was spent from crying. She could feel  her insides hurt. A look at the white rose she held gave her goose bumps. Clifford    was leaving   her.

It felt like she was having  an out of body experience . She wished she  possessed   the ability  to   leave her body and make it sleep forever instead. Her heart   felt like   a   knife  had been   put through it. She watched   as darkness   engulfed her world .  Gradually,  the clouds turned black  and the clock stopped   ticking. At least   it had not ticked in her world for a while now. Clifford  had left her.

Love was cruel.
Clifford broke his   promise   to   her.
He walked   out on her.
He turned   his back on her.

Her mind went back   to   when he had   walked  her down   the   aisle .  Though she had been   young, she felt safe with him.
He had looked   very   handsome in his black tuxedo  towering over her as they faced   each other   to say their vows. Her heart had   raced as he made her, his to have and to hold. Now she could recall there was a part that said 'until death do us apart.'

The tears streaked   down  her cheeks  and she wanted   to disappear just then. Oh  Lord she thought   to herself before she felt the  grip on her waist   tighten.

'Mummy....'
Sonia called. Rudely interrupting her thoughts.

They had been   singing 'Abide with me.'

Nana Akua felt a cold rush of air wash over her.
She felt someone rub her back from behind as she put an arm each around her two daughters. It must have been one of her sisters.  Sonia let go of her waist.

'When other helpers fail
And comfort  flee
Help of  the   helpers
O abide with  me...'

'You have   crossed   your finish line
Now the angels   await you   this minute to welcome you to sleep in the Lord till   the   resurrection   when we shall be reunited with you our   son, brother, husband ,  father and friend.
Goodnight Clifford Khardi...In the name of almighty  God the father , the son and the   Holy   Spirit . ......Amen'

'Amen.'
The crowd  shouted and then the sealing of the   tomb  began.  Darkness lingered on like never before.  Her love, her bestfriend, her biggest fan, the only man she had ever loved dressed in white tuxedo, looking   like he was sleeping   lay in a casket and put in a tomb .  Not her Clifford.

'Mummy...' Isla called as she threw the rose onto the   casket.
Reminding her Mum to do same too.
Sonia threw her rose onto the casket with   so much   reluctance and then Nana Akua.

'Rest easy   my love'  She whispered.  The   sealing of   the  tomb  commenced as mourners began   to   leave  the graveyard one after the   other .  Nana  Akua  didn't   want   to   leave but her sister   took her right hand  to walk   her to the   parking   lot. She saw Frazier put an arm each around  her daughters whilst  they looked on as the tomb was being sealed .  Maya wouldn't   let her stand   there and   acccording   to   tradition, she could not be there whilst the tomb was being   sealed.

The walk to the parking   lot was quiet with people   interrupting   them once a while  to   say hello and express their condolences. She spotted Clifford's   Mum getting  into their car.

She sat in the   passenger's   seat  as Maya drove out of the private cemetary. Maya   turned on the radio as she rested her head  against   the   seat and let down   tears she had   been   holding   up on their   walk to  the   parking   lot. No matter   how much   Maya tried distracting   her sister to prevent   her from   crying, she failed.

She touched her sister's  arm, taking her hand  whilst driving to reassure her that it would be okay. She would have joined   her younger sister to cry but she needed to be strong. Even  as her sister cried a million   tears for her love that   was now laying  in a casket beneath a tomb. Her  world   had just   crumbled down  in her full glare  but they still asked her to be   strong.

'How could  he do   this   to me ?
What am I  supposed   to   do with   the   girls ?
How do we live.....'

She cried out loud.

'Oh God grant me strength .
Grant me strength . ..
Grant me strength now that   my love has gone   to   sleep.'

'Nana he   will take care   of you....'
Maya   assured   her.

Excerpts from  'Another   Chance '

Puppishgirl   blogspot   is two years. I want to thank   everyone   for   reading. Without   you, there would be no Puppishgirl. I appreciate   all of you. Silent readers and the ones who dare to send private messages  as well as post comments. In ernest, I   almost   forgot  about it till someone   reminded me. Thanks everyone!!