Only Just A Dream

He was standing at the very edge of the cliff. Beneath him the unforgiving waves crashed against the rocky shore. He could see nature in all its glory from up here, the vast ocean lay in front of him, and the rain beat against his chest in torrents. A poetic end, he thought, for this was where he had proposed to her.

Though nobody will say it from his appearance, he was a very romantic kind of a guy. This place, this cliff matched his requirements perfectly. In front of him was the enormity of the ocean, in all its glory. Behind him were the woods, not too dense, mind you, the kind of outcrop one would find in a park in the city.

He had planned this day perfectly, since he was a little boy. At first it was meant for his first love, or crush, some might say, but then he realized that he would propose whoever was insane enough to love him, in this way.

Like every girl does, she had asked him what he could do for her. Seizing his opportunity he said, that he could make the very heavens rain for her. Some might call it cheesy, others corny, but she found it endearing. He couldn’t possibly love her more, and she felt the same.

After three weeks, all the arrangements were done. Through a narrow path cutting across the woodlands, they made their way to the cliff. There they sat and talked, till nightfall. The stars twinkled in the night sky and the moon cast it’s glow on the two lovers. Slowly but surely, he knew, that faithful moment was arriving. After a while, she pointed towards the night sky, was that a shooting star she saw? And another, and yet another, and they just kept on coming. He had kept his word, he had made the very heavens rain for her. As the stars fell, he brought her close to a loving embrace, and they sat together in each others arms. The shower soon ended, and she had tears in her eyes, for what she had just witnessed, was beautiful, in every sense of the word. Then he told her to look behind, as a text from him alerted his friends in the woods to set the second part of the plan into motion. His friend took a lighter, and set fire the the little piece of rope. Within seconds the rope burnt away, setting alight the fireworks at it’s end. As the little pockets of gunpowder made their way into the heavens above, he took the small box out of his coat pocket. Then, they burst. They were of the kind that writes a message in the skies when they exploded. In this case, it was just four words, but they lit up her whole world. Across the sky, were the words, ‘Will You Marry Me?’ She could barely breathe, as she turned around to look at him, he was on his knees, the box in his hands now open. He didn’t say anything, not that he didn’t want to, but he couldn’t, he just gave her an uncertain smile. She took the ring and slipped it on. It was a elegant sapphire, set in platinum. Then before he could even say something, she bought him close into a lingering kiss. Sure, they had kissed before, but today it felt different, today it felt complete.

They got married three months later. It was the happiest day of both their lives. She looked gorgeous in her wedding gown, enough to make a goddess jealous. And well, he didn’t look half bad either. It was the beginning of a new life.

Little did he know it would change in a year.
It was the night before their wedding anniversary, their first one. He had planned an amazing day for her, and they had both taken their days off. Though, she had an appointment with the dentist in the morning, her premolar was killing her. He planned to get up early and give her breakfast in the bed, and then drive her to the clinic. They went to sleep, nestled in the security of each other arms.

He woke up and looked at the clock, it was 10. Dammit, he was supposed to be up at 7. He noticed that she wasn’t in the bed. He went downstairs, thinking that she should be back from the clinic by now, since her appointment was at 8. His favorite breakfast was on the table, along with a note that said that she was the one who switched off his alarm, so he would wake up late, so that she could give him this surprise. He smiled as he set down to eat, wondering why she wasn’t back yet. Just then his phone rang. It was an unknown number, he picked it up.

“Mr. Rayman?”
“Yes, who is this?”
“This is Officer Jackson from the Ivy County police department, we are sorry to inform you that your wife was involved in a car accident. Some passerby had called the ambulance, but by the time she had reached the hospital it was already too late, we are sorry for your loss.”

The line went dead.
So did his entire world.
That was this morning, his first wedding anniversary, their first wedding anniversary. Funny how life could change in a matter of moments, just last night he was the happiest man on the planet, and now all the world’s riches couldn’t bring back what he had lost. Later he found out that there was some drunk man passed out in the middle of the road from last night. She didn’t see him till the last moment, and swerved right, straight into the woods. Her airbags failed to deploy. It was the very woods his friends had been hiding in that faithful night when he had proposed to her.

It was poetic indeed, he thought, everything ends where it began. Then closing his eyes, he takes the leap.

***

He opens his eyes, he is at home, in his bed. He looks to his right, she isn’t there. He checks his phone. It’s the 5th of October, 2016.

Their first wedding anniversary.
He looks at the clock, it’s 10.
He rushes downstairs, everything is exactly the same, the breakfast, the note.
His knees buckle underneath him, the hopelessness he had felt crawling it’s way back into his throat.

Just then his phone rings. He picks it up.
“Mr. Rayman?”