Taking Off
“I’ll be your feet if you’ll be my wings,” he offered, as he pushed her wheelchair through the premises of the spiritual center where they had met the day before.
*
Everything was new and foreign to him when he entered the music room to participate in a choir rehearsal. He still hadn’t noticed the woman, sitting in a wheelchair behind him, when the first song started. She sang the lead part in “I Believe I Can Fly” and her voice immediately shook him. Never before had he heard a voice like that! It seemed simultaneously majestically powerful and highly sensitive, liberating and disciplined. It made him want to cry and laugh at the same time. It was unbelievable! It was an angel’s voice! It was love at first sound!
*
She soon told him why she was in a wheelchair. When she was 25, she was a professional singer in a jazz band. She was young, talented and beautiful, but also unhappy and hopelessly addicted to alcohol. After a drinking night, she had a violent car accident while driving home. Her spine broke and she barely survived.
*
Many months later, she returned to singing, but something had changed. The closeness to death had opened up an interest for spirituality. She entered AA, read everything she could on the topic, and finally ended up at the spiritual center where they met. By then, the old yearning to get drunk was totally gone and she was radiating peace and happiness.
Her spiritual dedication was as attractive to him as was her voice.
*
Four years later, when they were slowly driving home from the last appointment with her oncologist, she turned to him and quietly whispered, “The years with you were the best part of my life.”
*
The doctor’s guess was three months, but less than three weeks later she quietly and imperceptibly left. He had lit a candle in the early evening and was going to sit down by her bedside, when he discovered that she was gone.
Finally, she had her wings and could fly, free from wheelchair, disability, and pain.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleWhew, this is such a tear jerker Christer. The start was so uplifting and I loved the line ‘It was love at first sound!’ I never saw the end coming, was enjoying their happy ever after and then… But although feeling his sadness, there is joy that they met and found happiness and that she is now free from all that weighed her down. You captured all these emotions so well in… Read more »
Sorry Linda, but I had to include the second part of the story. The simple reason is that this is what happened. This is the short, 350 word, version of my second marriage and it’s authentic down to the dialogues. Of course, I was very sad when it happened, but also immensely grateful for the time we had together. And I knew and accepted that she wanted to go. 25 years in… Read more »
Oh Christer, this makes your story more poignant than ever. I can imagine how hard it was to write but how worthwhile to have put it down in words. I’ve tried several time to write about a period in my life that happened 30 years ago but still haven’t got there. I read your story now with new eyes that are welling up. How lovely that she whispered those words to you… Read more »
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThank you, Linda. As you know, writing can be very therapeutic, so I think you should just take a shot at it, sit down with your computer, focus on your memory and let the thoughts and words come. A part of this “auto-therapy” is that when we take time for the process to dive into the memories and the feelings, they behave like living beings. They change and adapt with the communication… Read more »
Sometimes it’s quality not quantity. Only four years together but the very best years and over-riding the sadness at her passing is knowing she is no longer feeling pain. I feel certain she will be with him in spirit forever. A beautiful story, Christer!
So true, Sandra. She is still there, and “he” is very grateful for the time they spent together. Thanks for your kind comment.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleOh Christer, I just read your reply to Linda. I didn’t realise just how close to you this story was. You must miss her very much but I’m sure knowing how much you contributed to the ‘best’ years of her life, and she to yours, and knowing she is no longer in pain, is a little comfort in your loss. I’m glad you could write about it and thank you for sharing… Read more »
Thank you very much for this additional comment, Sandra. I enjoyed writing it and sharing the story with you, even if it was combined with some effort and took quite some time to write. Still, after 20 years, it was very emotional to go back into the memories and to verbalize them. But it was worth it! Now I have my little story, like our parents had their pictures, and I symbolically… Read more »
Hello again Christer, this is a difficult story for me to comment on, especially with it being so tender and personal to you. The moment she said that ”The years with you were the best part of my life”. For me that was the moment she grew her wings and found her freedom. Thank you for sharing Christer.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThanks for your input, Eric. I was hesitant to reveal in my comments that this is a personal story. We normally talk about “the protagonist” in a neutral way here. On the other hand, I feel that there are quite a few of us who have become something that feels like close friends, thanks to our many stories and comments. This made it easier for me to be more personal. I hope… Read more »
I think I can speak for everyone in our writing family, and say that we are honored that you trusted us all enough to share your most precious and sensitive memories. Many of us have indeed become close friends, supportive and caring. As for breaking any unwritten rules, I don’t think so. I think one unwritten rule is that we should all assume a story to be fiction and not autobiographical unless… Read more »
Wow! I couldn’t have hoped for a better comment than this one, Fuji! I have tears in my eyes and feel that our family has been woven even a bit tighter than before. Your excellent way with words proved itself in yet another way. I’m already feeling more relaxed about revealing the facts behind my story, so instead of making more excuses, I’ll say that it was my pleasure to open up… Read more »
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleChrister, it is so true that we give power to the words we write, but words become much more than words when they come from the heart and the soul of the person. We also receive words in the same manner, so we come to know! And as you pointed out, we become friends through and by what we write, we say – this is who I am. I always saw myself… Read more »
Thank you, Eric, for your insightful words. I also often think that it would be nice to invite friends from voice.club to have a chat about life, literature and writing, having a cup of tea or coffee while sitting on my balcony with the mountains in the background. Thanks for putting my mind to ease! I appreciate it.
You covered a lot of years between the couple here and did so seamlessly.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThanks, Danielle. I’m glad you found my story seamlessly told. It can be a challenge to do so when your story covers several years and you can’t use the number of words that Tolkien, Tolstoy or Melville did.
Beautiful and sad at the same time. I wanted to write my story about a girl, in a wheelchair, who is watching the birds flying and wondering how it feels to be free. Your story brings tears to my eyes, it must have been hard to write about this.
Thank you so much, Brigitta. So you were close to writing a similar story? That’s great! In this case, I think my wife had the sensation you talk about thanks to her spiritual dedication and her incredible voice. I’m happy that my story touched your heart. Writing it was both easy and hard. I had all the memories, emotions and details in my mind. The hardest part was to try to convey… Read more »
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleI was moved to tears by your story, Christer. But on the other hand, I’m happy with their love story – about how they met and find happiness. Thank you for sharing this one, Christer.
It was a meeting made in Heaven, Lotchie, and it meant a turnaround for both of them. The gratitude and love stays forever. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Yes, you are right Christer.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleChrister, this is all the more poignant to read after I’d read your comments with Linda. It is a beautiful, bittersweet memory that you’ve shared and I feel honoured to have read it. She went through so much, but at least you gave her the same joy as she gave to you. It takes courage to share painful memories and you’ve done it with such great sensitivity and compassion. Thank you for… Read more »
What a wonderful comment, Carrie! Thank you very much! It means a lot to me to see that I managed to reach a few souls with the story.
Wow! This is indeed a sad story and a tearful one. I love the plot. It’s one of the best short dramas I have read. Well done, Christer.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleIts makes me happy to see that the story connected with you, Thompson. Thank you very much for your generous comment.
Oh! I just read some of the comments and realised it was a personal experience. Oh! Am so sorry for the loss. It’s a good thing that you’ve
gotten over it. Thank you, Christer for sharing something upclose and personal.
I read through the story again. What is the meaning of AA?
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThanks for additional comments and question, Thompson. AA is the organization Alcoholics Anonymous, where the individual can get support for their problems, partly by support from other members, and partly by accepting “a power greater than themselves” that can restore them to sanity.