Continuum

It was night, the stars were out, and the moon was bright. He could smell her smell: citrus perfume, Burt’s Bees Chap Stick, and spearmint gum. Tall cedar trees grew on either side of them. They were lying on the top of Freedom’s Peak, a notorious cliff overlooking the lake from which daring thrill seekers plunged for minutes of fame. A place of much activity during the day provided the two with pure bliss and complete solitude during the night. They stared at the stars. He wondered what she was thinking about and if she remembered their first date; he had brought her here with a bucket of fried chicken, two beers and a guitar. She had looked beautiful underneath the cedar, her features barely visible in the moonlight. He had clumsily serenaded her with sweaty hands and a shaky voice. Now they were five years older and madly in love.

He lay there and remembered everything he loved about her. He lay there and thought of how he couldn’t remember anything before the day they met. He lay there and imagined what it would be like to live without her. He lay there and decided that he couldn’t ever leave her. He lay there and breathed and thought. She rolled over, very gently, and laid her head on his chest. She fit perfectly.

“Baby,” he whispered. “Yeah,” she whispered back. “Marry me,” he said. She said nothing. He just laid there and breathed. After a few moments she stood up. “What’s the matter,” he asked. She again said nothing. She walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down. “Baby?” he asked. She turned and looked at him. “Yes,” she said and she smiled.

Her smile.

Then she jumped. “Woooo!” she yelled. He raced to the edge of the cliff and watched her body fall for what seemed like an eternity. Then she hit the water and she disappeared. He held his breath.

Then he saw her head shoot out of the water and he breathed again. “What’d you do that for?!” he asked. She laughed.

Her laugh.

He knew he had to join her and jump. He thought of how he needed to jump because she jumped. He thought of how she was brave enough to jump and how she was okay. He thought of how happy he would be once he jumped and joined her in the water. He thought of her. He jumped. 

---Shereen Rabie