A sudden gust of wind followed by a momentary pause of eerie silence and then the low humming sound of air blowing over the meadows like a child attempting to play the flute for the first time. There’s no rhythm, patterns, or beats – only a continuous hum with a deflecting velocity. The sound was soothing to the ear for so long until one mistakes it for the unheard wallows of condemned souls traversing the Earth as their nearly rotten bodies lie cold and dead in the graves.
The darkness outside was too overbearing, with an annoying tendency to drive even the most sane minds to the point of exhaustive depression. Yet, Lily stood right in front of the half-broken window overlooking the meadow, trying to catch some movement among the ransacked graves. The low flickering light of the half-burnt candle on the wooden table in the center of the room did little to illuminate the gravel path outside. She really didn’t need to be in the dilapidated house. Still, it is the only place Lily could call home.
Lily had the promise to keep, and she upheld it without hesitation or regard for what others might think. She no longer cared because when she did, the world tried to exploit her forgiving heart and toyed with her soul. Lily smirks at the thought of her soul because all she felt in the last ten years was a lifeless body, a skeleton still covered in flesh and skin while her heart pumped blood to make her look alive. That was a camouflage. Lily clearly remembered the day when the love of her life walked out of the door. She was standing exactly where she is now, trying to scream out her lover’s name and begging him not to leave her alone. But her pride turned off her sound box while her deep-rooted emotions choked her voice. She stared blankly into the meadows watching him slowly walk away. There were no tears, no goodbye kisses, and no promises of return. All she felt was a gaping hole in her heart. This hole increased by inches each passing year as she gradually felt less and less of a human. Since then, Lily’s constant companions were the dead, lying soulless in their graves.
But today, it was different. The stormy winds blew in a stray of hope, so she stood before the window looking and hoping – if he came!
There was no clock in the house; hence, no telling how long she had been standing in the same spot. More than once, Lily felt the need to go back and sit. But her feet were frozen, and the muscles were non-responsive to her brain’s signals. She knew he had never said he would come back someday. Lily could have picked up the broken threads of her life and moved ahead and far away from this place. Yet, she never left because Lily promised him that she would wait – no matter how long it took. And she waited as seconds turned into days and days into years.
However, working as a nurse in the local hospital kept her busy for most of the day. But the nights were lengthy and tormenting. There were fleeting moments when Lily voluntarily allowed her tears to flow down like streams from her eyes. The other nights were spent in endless waiting. And again, there were times when Lily felt she was reaching the tipping point and looked for ways to rip out her life but stopped herself a few seconds before the sharp blade could slit her wrist. She questioned her decision occasionally, wondering at her futile attempt to cling to the invisible phantom that controlled her choices.
‘She is stupid.’ ‘I guess she just lost her desire to live.’ ‘Maybe, she is possessed.’ Yes, the cruel comments from her fellow workers often drove her to the threshold of biting the proverbial bullet. But she always succeeded in dragging herself back into the dark pit where she had taken refuge since the fateful day.
So now, here Lily is – standing and waiting for the person who once ignited her soul and drove her to the waves of passionate ecstasies, the one who made her laugh and cry in a cycle, and the one who showed her love that consumes your very existence. He held her hand when her world abandoned and shamed her, walked by her side, and turned her life into the heavenly garden of Eden.
The distant call of a bird disrupted her momentary phase of introspection. Lily saw the darkness of the night gradually receding from the horizon and the faint light of the day spreading its wings progressively for the new flight. Another day came with no hint of hope for her. Lily gave a long sigh and turned away from the window. She knew she would return tonight, and as long as the wait continued….
