A Proper Goodbye

“I don’t know, but I think it’s so we can say a proper goodbye to each other, I didn’t get to leave anything else for you so…” He grinned, the way Gebriele had always loved, the little boy caught look.

The night air, which had been hot and stifling, was suddenly cool and refreshing as she looked up at him. It suddenly occurred to her she had something very special to show to him, “Kersen I need to go get something, if I run inside to get it, will you still be here when I get back.”

He thought and acted as if he were listening to something, then nodded yes and said, “Hurry.”

Gebriele, flew into the house, opened her parents bedroom door without knocking, her Mom and Dad who were both reading looked up at their wild-eyed daughter, “No time to explain call Mom and Dad Tennery, tell them they have to get over here in the next 2-3 minutes, there is a miracle standing on our front porch, hurry.”

As she left the room her father grabbed the telephone, something in her voice told him don’t ask, after calling them he and his wife scrambled out of their bed, threw on their robes then headed downstairs, they saw their daughter fly out the front door in front of them. ‘Now why did she get him up they wondered.’

Kersen was stunned when Gebriele returned, the screen door slamming shut behind her, she was holding a child, a boy by the looks of him around 5 or 6, Kersen noticed Grebs was shaking as she moved across the old banister front porch towards him, ‘it still needs painting,’ flickered across his mind.

Gebriele sat down on the porch the sleepy child hugged his mother, “You did leave me something Kersen, you left me our son, growing in my womb, and this beautiful little boy is Kersen Winder Tennery, your son my love…. Our son.”

Kersen was speechless, but then no more than Grebs parents who had emerged from the house and were now standing on their porch, staring at a young man on their front porch that had been murdered 6 years ago that very night. Kersen looked at both of them, “Could I have a hug, I need to say goodbye, and I don’t have very long.”

Both of the Winder’s moved slowly past their daughter and grandson to face him, Mrs. Winder grabbed Kersen followed in short order by her husband. After a few moments in the embrace Mrs. Winder remarked, “Now my boy, go meet your son, he asks about you a lot.”

Kersen nodded and knelt down in front of Gebriele and reached out a trembling hand to touch his son, the child looked up at the man in front of him,” Are you my real Daddy?”

Kersen replied, “Yes son, I am your Daddy.”

Kersen put out his arms allowing his son to come to him, for their first embrace.

His son held him smiling, “I prayed to God for a long time to send you back and help Mommy not to be sad anymore, so she can be happy like me. I know a bad man hurt you, and God has to have you in heaven so you won’t hurt. I love you Daddy and I will take care of Mommy for you.”

Kersen thought he sounded so grown up, he was very proud of his son.

“My son, my precious child, I love you too and I love your Mommy so very much. Thank you for taking care of her because I can’t. But don’t worry I will watch over both of you even when you can’t see me or hear me. Now let me tell you a secret only we can know, Promise.”

“Promise,” the child replied, making an exaggerated X over his little chest.

Kersen smiled and returned the gesture, “I Promise you, when it’s time for Mommy to go be with God, a long time from now, I will come to her and take her to heaven, Ok.”

“Ok Daddy,” came his proud answer.

“Now I need you to go to Grandma and Grandpa, because I need to give your Mommy and my…. Wife enough loving to last until the end of her life.”

Kissing each other, father and son separated with, ‘ I love you, and goodbye’ exchanged for the last time this side of eternity.

Grabbing his love, while still sitting on the porch, they both held on to each other allowing the moment to fill them to the brim, feeling two more sets of arms enfold him; he looked up into the shocked faces. “Momma, Daddy,” he said as his parents were also allowed to partake of the miracle of a child’s faith.

For a few brief moments of time, three families said the things to each other that are necessary for healing, then at Kersen’s insistence, final goodbyes spoken, hugs and kisses exchanged, Gebriele took Kersen’s hand and walked with him towards the road knowing it would be their last walk for a while.

Kissing her fiercely, Kersen took his love in his arms, “Grebs, I want you to get out and experience life, all it has to give. Find the things you want to do, go to the places you want to see. Find love, accept it in return, give of yourself as much as you can, but remember when it’s all over I’m coming to get you and for a long time we will share each other with just God, because I’m waiting for you.”

They kissed one last time then looking deeply into each other’s eyes, said goodbye. Gebriele hugged him and closed her eyes. After she felt, his arms go limp from around her, she stepped back away from him, a few moments later, she slowly opened her eyes, looking around, and he was gone. Sighing, she heard the door on the mailbox creak, going over she looked inside to find six envelops, one addressed to each of the six people in the two families. No one would ever reveal to the other’s what he had written to them, no one ever asked.

Gebriele grabbed the letters, as she turned towards the house she heard his voice on the wind near her ear, “Goodbye, I love you Grebs.”

A single tear fell down her cheek, “I love you too my Kersen, thank you…. Goodbye.”

She heard him sigh, and then the sounds of the night came rushing back into her mind. She stood and cried for a few minutes, only there was no sadness, only joy, it filled her so completely, she had to let it out and tears seemed so appropriate.

Looking eastward, she saw the first light of the dawn of a brand new day break the horizon. Her heart was light, as were her footsteps, she turned and walked towards the house, ready to face a future that was suddenly bright with promise.

Epilog:

Two weeks after her 83rd birthday Gebriele lay in her hospital bed, her body failing, waiting patiently for her best friend to come and escort her to her new home. Her oldest child Kersen, now 65, was in the room, talking and reading stories to his mom as she rested. He looked up as the door to the room opened to find his father standing there, looking much as he remembered him from all those years before.

Kersen stood, his dad said, “Hi, sorry you can’t hug me, I don’t have a physical body for this trip. “

“I understand Dad.”

“Thanks for watching out for your mom for me, I love you for it all the more.”

“Yer welcome Dad, Uh, I want to know something, are you…I mean, will you.” the embarrassment shown on his face.

“Son we will both come back for you and your lovely bride, but right now your mom and I have a date, so tell her goodbye.”

Mother and son said their peace to each other, returning to his seat near the window he watched as his father moved over by the bed. Kersen looked at Gebriele, he had a huge smile on his face, “You Ready.”

“Yes love, I’ve waited patiently for you, for such a long time.”

Taking his best friend by her hand, Kersen gently pulled Gebriele up from the bed towards himself. Their son watched in awe as a spirit of his mother stood from within her body she looked to be 20 years old. The two Lovers embraced, said goodbye to their child, then they slipped out the door as the cardiac monitors blared their trumpet call ‘another person freed to eternity.’ Kersen sat in the chair in the corner of the room as the hospital staff made a valiant effort to save the old woman, the doctor finally said, it’s too late.

Kersen distinctly heard, “Grebs wait up,” followed by, “well hurry up slow poke,” and the laughter of little children as they run through the meadows on hot summer days fading away in the distance.

Kersen smiled gathered his things to go sign the appropriate paperwork, make the phone calls to his three half siblings, then get home and try to explain this to his wife.