Tothose who are married, .. Not married .. and soon to be married, I hope youwill be touched with this story... MARRIAGE. When I got home that night as mywife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you.She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes. Suddenly Ididn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I wasthinking. I want a divorce.. I raised the topic calmly. She didn't seem to beannoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I avoided her question.This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you arenot a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knewshe wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardlygive her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Dew. I didn't love heranymore. I just pitied her! With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreementwhich stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of mycompany. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who hadspent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for herwasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said forI loved Dew so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was whatI had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The ideaof divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer andclearer now. The next day, I came back home very late and found her writingsomething at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep andfell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew. WhenI woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so Iturned over and was asleep again. In the morning she presented her divorceconditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's noticebefore the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle tolive as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had hisexams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our brokenmarriage. This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me torecall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. Sherequested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroomto the front door ever morning.. I thought she was going crazy. Just to makeour last days together bearable I accepted her odd request. I told Dew about mywife's divorce conditions.. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. Nomatter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she saidscornfully.. My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorceintention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day,we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy inhis arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sittingroom, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. Sheclosed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. Inodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went towait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office. On the second day, bothof us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell thefragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this womancarefully for a long time.. I realized she was not young any more. There werefine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken itstoll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her. On the fourth day,when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the womanwho had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, Irealized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Dew aboutthis. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everydayworkout made me stronger. She was choosing what to wear one morning. She triedon quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, allmy dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin,that was the reason why I could carry her more easily. Suddenly it hit me...she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously Ireached out and touched her head. Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad,it's time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother outhad become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to comecloser and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid Imight change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walkingfrom the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surroundedmy neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like ourwedding day. But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when Iheld her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. Iheld her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy. Idrove to office.... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. Iwas afraid any delay would make me change my mind...I walked upstairs. Dewopened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorceanymore. She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead.. Do youhave a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, Iwon't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn'tvalue the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other any more.Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I amsupposed to hold her until death do us apart. Dew seemed to suddenly wake up.She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. Iwalked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered abouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on thecard. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do usapart. That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, Irun up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead. The small details of your lives are whatreally matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, themoney in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness butcannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse'sfriend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have areal happy marriage! If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you. Ifyou do, you just might save a marriage. Many of life's failures are people whodid not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
(Note: This is not my own creation. I got this from my friend's hard disk)
0 comments:
Post a Comment