The Last Memento.
Watching, waiting, raging.
I didn’t like standing there and waiting. I would of left but I had something to do. I had to do this, tonight was my last chance.
In the empty ally way there was no light but the flicking green street light,. There were no cars. It was midnight and it was threatening to rain, that was my only saving grace, as long as the moon was covered then I could go unnoticed.
What was taking so long?
The door to the club hadn’t moved for the last 30 minutes. I checked my watch for the hundredth time. He should have been out of there 15 minutes and 38 seconds ago, and patient was not my strong suit, and something smelled rancid.
The moved so I stood up straighter, hope filed me. It had to be him. There was no more time left.
Booming music escaped the heavy door filling the ally way with techno and the foul smell of booze. The lights from within hid his features; but I knew, I knew it was him when I could smell the overpowering aroma of conifer hit me. He always seemed to have that scent that reminded me of our home town in Washington.
“Jessica?” His angelic voice hummed in my ears, making me feel lighter then air.
“Hey Jessie.” I waved. Jessie and Jessica, that was a long time joke among our friends.
He jogged up to me, I sighed in relief, he hadn’t been drinking, “it’s late Jess. You shouldn’t be here alone.”
“I wanted to see you off, and I’m not alone anymore.”
“Thanks Jess.” he gave me a small hug and started walking. The silence was fine, as long as he was there but he wouldn’t be there much longer. I felt a sliver of panic, a need to fill that silence.
“Iraq,” Jessie whispered. I looked up at him, “it’s along ways away isn’t it?” I couldn’t say anything, all I could manage was a nod. “fighting for my country. This is going to be fun.”
I laughed with him. “just promise not to get yourself killed okay?”
He laughed harder and promised me that he wouldn’t, but the feeling that he wouldn’t was still there. I knew the war would take him from me.
We got to his car and I rode with him to the airport. On the way we talked about all the stupid things we had done in high school.
He waited with me outside the check point in till five minuets before his flight had to leave. I held his hand the whole time and he would offer a squeeze every once and a while. He would never know how much that one thing effected me. He couldn’t know. We had always been friends, we lived in Washington together and dumped into each other in college.
Jessie’s phone went off alarming us that he had to go, I stayed with him in till he went through the check point. He gave my hand one last squeeze, leaned down and kissed me.
I stood there stunned as he went through the metal detectors.
He gave a last wave and turned his back to me. I felt the tears fall down my cheeks as I ran to the small glass divider, and called to him. “JESSIE! I love you!”
He stopped, dropped his stuff and ran to me. He wrapped me in a huge hug nearly pulling me over the small wall. I didn’t care, I just clung to him feeling absolutely pathetic as he kept whispering, “I know.”
“Please don’t go!” I begged and begged but he just shook his head saying he had to go.
He kissed me a few more times in till I stopped crying. He put his forehead against mine and told me he loved me too but he had to leave.
I let him go. I put on a smile and told him to come back to me safely. He told me he would, kissed my forehead and with that he was gone.
Two months later I got a letter from his mother saying that he died. In the envelope was the necklace that he had always wore. The one that I loved.
I never take it off.
I didn’t like standing there and waiting. I would of left but I had something to do. I had to do this, tonight was my last chance.
In the empty ally way there was no light but the flicking green street light,. There were no cars. It was midnight and it was threatening to rain, that was my only saving grace, as long as the moon was covered then I could go unnoticed.
What was taking so long?
The door to the club hadn’t moved for the last 30 minutes. I checked my watch for the hundredth time. He should have been out of there 15 minutes and 38 seconds ago, and patient was not my strong suit, and something smelled rancid.
The moved so I stood up straighter, hope filed me. It had to be him. There was no more time left.
Booming music escaped the heavy door filling the ally way with techno and the foul smell of booze. The lights from within hid his features; but I knew, I knew it was him when I could smell the overpowering aroma of conifer hit me. He always seemed to have that scent that reminded me of our home town in Washington.
“Jessica?” His angelic voice hummed in my ears, making me feel lighter then air.
“Hey Jessie.” I waved. Jessie and Jessica, that was a long time joke among our friends.
He jogged up to me, I sighed in relief, he hadn’t been drinking, “it’s late Jess. You shouldn’t be here alone.”
“I wanted to see you off, and I’m not alone anymore.”
“Thanks Jess.” he gave me a small hug and started walking. The silence was fine, as long as he was there but he wouldn’t be there much longer. I felt a sliver of panic, a need to fill that silence.
“Iraq,” Jessie whispered. I looked up at him, “it’s along ways away isn’t it?” I couldn’t say anything, all I could manage was a nod. “fighting for my country. This is going to be fun.”
I laughed with him. “just promise not to get yourself killed okay?”
He laughed harder and promised me that he wouldn’t, but the feeling that he wouldn’t was still there. I knew the war would take him from me.
We got to his car and I rode with him to the airport. On the way we talked about all the stupid things we had done in high school.
He waited with me outside the check point in till five minuets before his flight had to leave. I held his hand the whole time and he would offer a squeeze every once and a while. He would never know how much that one thing effected me. He couldn’t know. We had always been friends, we lived in Washington together and dumped into each other in college.
Jessie’s phone went off alarming us that he had to go, I stayed with him in till he went through the check point. He gave my hand one last squeeze, leaned down and kissed me.
I stood there stunned as he went through the metal detectors.
He gave a last wave and turned his back to me. I felt the tears fall down my cheeks as I ran to the small glass divider, and called to him. “JESSIE! I love you!”
He stopped, dropped his stuff and ran to me. He wrapped me in a huge hug nearly pulling me over the small wall. I didn’t care, I just clung to him feeling absolutely pathetic as he kept whispering, “I know.”
“Please don’t go!” I begged and begged but he just shook his head saying he had to go.
He kissed me a few more times in till I stopped crying. He put his forehead against mine and told me he loved me too but he had to leave.
I let him go. I put on a smile and told him to come back to me safely. He told me he would, kissed my forehead and with that he was gone.
Two months later I got a letter from his mother saying that he died. In the envelope was the necklace that he had always wore. The one that I loved.
I never take it off.
Community Member
I love the story!