Flickering Reminiscence
by Jaebi and Thunder Falcon
A ray of light reaches through the blinds and gently pulls on Her eyelash.
He watches as she opens Her eyes, full and bright, as if the distance from dream to wake is as simple as stepping from one room into another.
"I leave tomorrow," He says. "After that, we may never see one another again. Tell me the thing that matters for us and for life. Tell me what it is you want me to know above all else."
She takes a concentrated breath and then says,* "Now that I have chance to for it to be officially documented, I want it made absolutely clear that I asked you, to pick up some eggs at the store. You always remember the milk, no problem. You love milk. But you always forget the eggs, because you hate eggs. And then later claim, very innocently mind you, that I never told you to get them in the first place." She laughs with a little mischief, making his heart grow weak. "But now I have irrefutable evidence."
The television screen flickers a moment and she smiles.
He remembered shooting the video on the morning of her birthday. But the recorded memory of her waking up had been the real gift. Nevertheless, he vowed this would be the last day, the last time, he would ever play the tape.
"I leave tomorrow for that business trip. After I come back, we may never see one another again," he says with greater conviction.
"Oh, don't worry. I still love you, even if you don't remember anything I ever tell you." She smiles again, the light playing across her face as if she were alive.
How he wished, she were still alive.
Turning off the player he picks up his suitcase, almost certain he will be able to break himself of the mournful habit. But as he walks out the door, he's already waiting to see her face again, if only as flickering light, playing over and over again.
Copyright © 2009 Thunder R. Falcon /Jaebi - All Rights Reserved
