The radio was playing our favorite song. I turned and looked at her, singing like no-one was watching her, even though she wasn’t the best of singers, and she wasn’t reaching the high notes it didn’t matter, she was as beautiful singing out of tune as she was silent and sleeping. The wind was searing through her long brown hair, her bronzed skin glistening in the hot summer sun, and the light occasionally making her hazel eyes sparkle. She turned and caught me starring. Quickly I looked to the highway ahead, and started singing again. Her hand reached out and rested on my thigh.
“How much longer till we reach the next motel?”
“Uhm, I’d give it another 40mintues or so,” I replied.
I turned to my left and gazed over the endless horizon of sand sun. I could taste the fresh air. And smell her orange and mango hair, as the desert breeze blew the scent in my direction. Her hand still gently making it’s way up and down my thigh. She rested her head on her hand and closed her eyes. We had been driving for a while, the heat and the long journey was making her tired.
We arrived at the motel. Shortly after 12 midnight, by now she was fast asleep and wrapped up in the dusty old blanket lying in the back of the car. I went and booked us in for the night, and returned to effortlessly lift her from the car. Her long hair draped over my arm, and she snuggled her head into my chest. I carried her up to our room, and lay her out on the bed. I could watch her sleep for hours, her heavy breathing, and the occasional smile and sigh as she dreamt wondrous things made the time I sat there pass so quickly. I progressed to the window, and looked out to the crystal clear sky, and the mirror like moon. Such beauty surrounded me. I really was overwhelmed.
I moved back to the bed, and climbed in softly beside her. I lay for a few seconds more, watching her deep in sleep, then kissed her on the head, and drifted off to the land of nod.
The heat of the sun beaming in through the tattered net curtains awoke me. I rolled over to my left to where she lay. She was awake. Her beautiful hazel eyes starring straight at me. Such innocence. She smiled.
“Good morning baby. Did you sleep well?’ she asked.
“ Yes thank you, and did you?” I replied.
She just simply nodded, and leant her head into mine. I reached out my hand to her chin, and gently pulled her head up. I kissed her She pulled her head back slightly, looked me in the eyes, and smiled again. I ran my fingertips slowly down her neck, over her collar bone. I slid my hand down her arm and grabbed her hips pulling her closer. I kissed her again. We continued fondling, caressing, kissing and exploring each other for some time. For so long I had wanted someone to be close to, now I had that and so much more.
As the afternoon sped on, and the evening drew near, we new the time had come. We knew what we had to do. We got dressed, and made our way back to the car. She grasped my hand and stopped in front of me before we left the motel. I had seen so many expressions on her face, but never one like this. I could see the fear in her eyes. They pierced my heart, as did the words that followed.
“Daniel, promise me, you will never leave me. No matter what happens today, I want you to know that I love you more than anything. I would give my life for you Daniel. No-one has ever made me feel this way..”
“What’s brought all this...”
“You don’t need to say anymore, just promise me that you’ll always be here to kiss away my pain away.” She interrupted.
“I promise you, I promise you that and so much more.”
We drove for some hours. Laughing and joking with each other. Not a care in the world, even though, considering the circumstances, we both should have been quiet and reflecting. Planning and hoping. But it didn’t matter. Every moment we spent together was a moment we would never get back, so those final few hours together where precious. I new deep in my heart, that they would have been the last few hours, the last memories and moments we would make and share together.
I listened to her singing out of tune again, I just grinned. The grin soon turned to a frown as I seen the ruins on the horizon. I turned to her.
“We’re almost here.”
She stopped singing and turned her head away. The sun made the single tear falling from her beautiful eyes shine, like liquid diamonds, it fell, and landed on her sun kissed lips. It tore me apart to see her cry. She was so proud, and so determined she wouldn’t, yet I could see hear weep silently inside. Out of everything that followed that day. That single tear, filled with so much emotion, and so much pain, hurt me the most.
We pulled into the burnt out ruins. They hadn’t arrived. I put my hands to my head, and leant forward. Why was I so stupid, so inconsiderate, and so immature? I felt her soft touch on my face. I couldn’t look at her. The suffocating hate I had for myself for bringing her here, for making her witness this made turning away from her easy.
I got out of the car and made my way to the drunk. Over the hill I could see the dust from the dry ground rise. They where coming. She must of seen it too for she came running from the car and flung herself into my arms. This could be the last time I’d hold her. The last time I would feel her soft lips with mine. The last time I would run my hands through her hair, and gaze into her universal eyes.
“It’s not over yet..” I whispered as they pulled up.
I lifted the bag from the trunk and made my way to them. She hustled behind me. We stood there. With the bag in one hand, and her hand in the other, we stood amongst them. They circled us, and I felt the grasp of her hand tighten. She pulled herself closer to me. I threw the bag to the ground and stepped back. They made a parting in the circle and in stepped Ray. He kicked the bag full of money to the side and paced closer to me. My heart raced, and my eyebrow twitched. I closed my eyes for a few seconds, and just inhaled the desert air. My senses heightened, I could taste her on my lips. I could feel her chest pounding against my arms. I could smell her orange and mango hair. I could hear the chuckling of the other men, and his footsteps sounded like earthquakes in my mind. The soaring heat of the sun beamed of my forehead. I felt so alive.
The beautiful images in my head where soon shattered by the first blow. The first fist to the face. I fell to the ground. My nose was thumping like the loudest drum on earth. I felt weak and small. I opened my eyes, but everything was blurred. So helplessly I struggled to my feet. But each time the pounding sensation from my nose forced me to the ground. Then I heard her scream. The second most awful noise I would ever hear. She screamed my name and I vaguely seen her feet being dragged across the ground. I had to protect her. I scrambled to my feet. Then it came, the second blow. This time to my ribs. Again I crumbled to the ground. My vision became clear as I lay there gasping for that beautiful desert air. I looked up, and seen her, struggling in between two men. They where holding her back. I wished they would turn her the other way, so she couldn’t see me in my weakest hours, but they didn’t, they made her watch every blow I took. Every cringe and expression on my face they made her watch. She cried, I could see the tears streaming from her eyes, the strain in her body as she struggled to protect me, and comfort me. I don’t know what hurt me more, 3 men kicking me in the chest, punching me in the face. My ribs, my nose, my whole body… or her crying, the pain and suffering in her voice sent shivers down my spine..
I awoke to her leaning over me. I reached for her face, and felt the sharpest pain in my chest. A mix of her tears and the rain beating of and pouring onto my grazed face.
I knew things where bad. I tried to lunge forward several times to comfort her, and let her know that things would be okay. But each time the excruciating pain in my chest forced me to the ground. I felt my eyes rolling back in my head, and I could slowly see this gleaming white light shinning into the back of my eyes.
“Daniel, Daniel No! Not know, we have so much to do Daniel. You can’t… Daniel!” she sobbed bitterly. I pulled her head closer to my lips, apathetically kisser her on the cheek, and whispered to her.
“You take my breath away Annie…”
And with that, I closed my eyes.