17 April 2012
Chapter One: A Fine Wine.
The water soothes my aching body. I bathe gently in the water, oblivious to the sun diminishing on the horizon. All that's important is my little bubble of time and space. Here and now. Nothing but.
Jeremy glides through the water to meet me. He starts kissing my neck. I can feel his warm, heavy breath on my body. He moves up to my lips, kissing me gently but with passion. Always so gentle.
I hardly notice. I'm stuck in my own little world. I'm thinking, my life is so complicated at the moment. Right now, I don't have the thought capacity to deal with him as well.
I only take notice when his tongue makes contact with mine.
"Stop", I whisper, pulling away, "I'm not..." I can't think of an excuse, we have known each other since before I can remember. Over the past year things have started to get romantic, but we've never got too physical.
"Not what?", asked Jeremy. "I'm not... It just doesn't feel right" "It's OK, I understand" he whispers with his lullaby voice. He doesn't understand, but I don't mind. That's what I love about Jeremy, never shy but never pushy. Confident, but not cocky. Kind, not aggressive.
I rest my head on his shoulder for what feels like no time at all, I close my eyes for what seems like a moment. I only get woken by Jeremy's voice, his sweet, velvet voice, whispering into my ear. "Wake up, Sapphire", his voice is like a fine wine, to be sipped, and savoured.
"It's getting dark, we should go in" he says. I stand, letting the moonlight glisten across my dripping, naked body. We stride through the water towards the beach. I dry and clothe myself.
We walk up the beach. I sink my feet into the wet sand. Hand in hand, he walks me to my door. He kisses me a gentle goodnight. "I love you", he says. I say next to nothing when Jeremy is around. Nothing needs to be said.
I walk into my house, I eat and drink and watch T.V. But I don't notice, I'm thinking about Jeremy. I lie in bed, thinking how Jeremy's like the sun. The warmth on my face. His breath is the gentle breeze on a scorching day.
Jeremy's love is like a fine wine, to be sipped, and savoured.
Chapter Two: The Question.
We run down the beach, hand in hand. Laughing, running, laughing.
The water slows our pace, until we eventually fall. A white boat sails towards us. I feel intruded, this has always been our spot, mine and Jeremy's.
The boat comes towards us, I'm slightly worried, the gleaming sailing boat seems to be coming towards us awfully fast. I hear Jeremy's fine wine voice. "Surprise", he looks at me, waiting for a reaction.
I'm slightly perplexed, what's the surprise. Then I realise, I look up at the glinting exterior of the sailing boat. There, written in the finest calligraphy, the words 'For Sapphire'.
I throw myself at him. He falls over, splashing in the water, the force of my embrace knocking him off-balance. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" I clamour. I start kissing him passionately.
After what felt like an eternity he pulls away. "Are we going to get on", he asks, pulling me towards the boat.
I stand at the bow of the sailing boat, leaning against the railings, with my arms outstretched. I finally understand why that woman did it in Titanic; it's brilliant. The wind whipping my face, looking at the deep blue sea. I feel as if I'm the mistress of the ocean.
Jeremy comes up behind me, his breath on my neck and his outstretched arms aligned with mine add to the Titanic effect, but it's better. This story will have a happy ending.
"I love you, Jeremy", I whispered the words, as if I'm scared too loud a sound may destroy the moment. "I love you, Sapphire", the moment is like a fine wine, to be sipped, and savoured.
He turns me round to look him in the eye. I immediately lean forwards to kiss him, but feel his index finger on my lips. He pushes my kiss away while shaking his head.
I look at him, he's Jeremy, but he's not my Jeremy. His bright, carefree eyes have suddenly become sad and sunken. His usual impeccable posture has become a baggy slouch.
"What's wrong", I ask him, worriedly. "I...", he cant seem to finish. I'm very worried now, in all my years of knowing Jeremy, I don't ever remember him being lost for words.
"You... What?", I ask him. "I... I have to... I'm emigrating to Melbourne." I look at him in disbelief, this can't be happening.
"But...", I start. "I'm sorry", he says. He looks so deflated,"The University of Melbourne have offered me a job teaching economics, I'd be the youngest teacher they have ever employed. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity."
I'm crying now. "But what about us!" I'm shouting now, "Us against the world you said! Together forever you said!", he seems to be shrinking into the corner. I should be comforting him, not shrieking at him. But I don't care, he's leaving me, he deserves everything he gets.
"Was I a fool to fall in love with you?", I'm quieting now, "Finally, something was going my way. I hoped that once, just this once, it wouldn't be taken from me." I've started whispering. "It won't be", he replies. I open my eyes, confused.
He gets onto one knee, and from his pocket he swipes a small, black casket. He flicks it open to reveal, encased in the finest velvet, a golden ring, holding in its central a glittering sapphire.
"Sapphire Deveruex Horizon", he addresses me with my full name, "Will you do me the honour of accompanying me to Australia and being my lawful wedded wife?"
Chapter Three: The Confession.
I walk into my house. Slightly dazed by the events of today, I walk to the dining room without taking in anything of my surroundings.I sit down to find a cold pasta sitting at my seat.
"Where have you been." I look up to see my Mother addressing me. With her pale flowered dress and softening features she looks so vulnerable, as if a gentle breeze could lift her off her petite, heeled feet.
"Your mothers talking to you, answer her!", My Fathers advancing years made him no less intimidating. He's wearing the same beige shirt he always wears, a chequered brown tie and a shiny, chocolate-coloured blazer. Under the table he wore dull, brown trousers and brown shoes that are always impeccably shiny, although I had never once seen him polish them.
I often wonder if he has anything other in his wardrobe other than these identical suits he wears, but I'd never dare to go and look though.
"I've been... Sailing", I say uncertainly.
"Not with that Jeremy boy again?", moans my Father. Then I realise, I'm going to have to tell them, one way or another.
"Mother, Father", I must be more easy to read than I thought, as Mother and Father seemed to be able to sense something is wrong."I'm moving to Australia."
For a few moments there is silence. Then chaos reigns.
"Why!", demanded my Father. So what could I do. I told him the truth about Jeremy and the proposal and the University of Melbourne. I see their shocked faces.
"Sapphire Devereux Horizon", funny, two people had called me by my full name today. Jeremy and my Father."You are not leaving this house!"
"I'm an adult now, and I'm going!", I shout, standing. "You've just gone twenty, you shouldn't be getting married, you're a chi-" "Derek...", My Mother lays a hand on my Fathers shoulder. He sits, bristling.
I nearly sit down, but then my Mother starts. "How could you do this to us, at such a fragile time, what about Danny?."
Danny, how could I have forgotten about Danny.
My Mother starts again. "He won't be able to live without you, you know how he is."
Danny. Poor, poor Danny. His mental disability stops him making friends, I'm all he has. He confides in me, I'm his air. Take me away and he might... Do the unthinkable.
Unfortunately, at moments when you're angry at the world, this logic doesn't go through your mind. And you say things you may live to regret.
"It's not my fault he's a retard!", I shout. My Mother is aghast, she looks at me, on the verge of tears. And my Father. The only two emotions I have ever seen him display are neutral and angry, but now he just looks ashamed. "Go." he whispers,"Just go"
I run, I run as fast as I can. Over the sand, I dive into the water fully clothed, I'm attempting to drown myself.
I'm starting to slip out of consciousness, about to take my first breath of the water. When I feel a strong pair of hands grip and pull me. I don't have the energy to refuse.
Jeremy lifts my head above the waves. I take the breath my burning lungs so strongly desire. I bury my face in his shoulder, and cry.
Chapter Four: Evangilina.
"The 10:15 to Australia is now boarding"
The notifications seem loud and rough to my ears. I've been up since four-thirty. We trudge slowly towards the plane, neither of us sure this is the right choice.
The forced smiles of the attendants annoy me - 'You think you've got it bad, try being me, I'll happily swap'- I think to myself.
We find our seats and sit down next to a woman wearing pink, blinding pink. Head to toe, she was covered in the stuff.
"Hey, I'm Evangalina, what are your names, you two make such a cute couple!!", she wasted no time with introductions then, and, by god, the speed at which she spoke. It was more than just no spaces, it was if the last letters of the first word were inlaid with the start of the second.
Fortunately for Evangalina, Jeremy spared her my irritable manner by answering her question first.
"I'm Jeremy and this is Sapphire", he says. "Grrrr", she's flirting,"You're gorgeous, I could eat you up."
I'm getting angry now, so I lift my hand to eye level and tap my engagement ring with a stern look. Unfortunately, that doesn't shut her up.
"Ooohhhh... When did you get engaged" she's prying. "Just last month, in fact-". This question and answer session lasts until a beauty programme comes up on the in-flight entertainment.
Jeremy lies back on his seat and sighs. I feel his cool hand on my cheek. He turns my head and looks into my baggy eyes. "It'll be all right", he
Jeremy • Opuss № I