The Past 10 Years

Year 1945

Laura Perkins listened attentively to the radio as the events of the war were being broadcast. Eversince her boyfriend Henry had joined in the draft 7 months ago, she had remained actively cognizant of every news about the battlefield, wary for anything that might be associated with her beloved Henry. Everyday she’s in constant terror of receiving any letter or news that might bear Henry’s tragic demise in the battlefield. Everyday she prays for Henry’s safety. She couldn’t wait for the war to end. She missed Henry so much and how she wished she could have him back home already. The night before he left for the war, he gave her an engagement ring and promised her that they would be marrying as soon as he gets back.

Oh my dear, Henry. I hope you’re safe. Please come home. I’m so dying for us to get married. You know how much I love you. Laura closed her eyes and prayed in silence as she touched the engagement ring on her right ring finger.

-Next Day-

She was just having coffee and breakfast when she heard loud pounding on the door. “Laura! Open the door! I have something to tell you immediately!” It was her close friend, Barbara. She sensed a frantic note in Barbara’s tense voice so she hurried to the door and threw it open. Barbara’s face was deathly white but  that’s not all—her husband Ted was with her! Ted and Henry left together when they joined the draft.

“Ted, you’re back! Oh my, this is great news! Let’s all sit down for awhile and ta—.” But Ted had cut her off.

“Laura , I’m afraid this is not a social call,” Ted intoned gravely. His eyes bored through hers and she instantly felt a nagging pang of apprehension. “Barbara and I came here to tell you about Henry.”

Laura felt her heart leapt to her throat as the inevitable of what she’s dreading the most is about to unfold. “Is Henry dead?” She managed in a strangled whisper.

“Yes and no—somewhere in between,” Ted sighed. “He’s been in a coma for 2 weeks now. He was severely shot in the head. He has just been transferred to St. John’s Hospital yesterday hence I had to tell you first thing as soon as I get back.”

“Please I had to see him!” Laura pleaded in a panic-stricken voice hence they wasted no time and fled to St. John’s Hospital in the shortest time possible that they can manage.

* * * * *

Laura was in oblivion when she saw Henry’s motionless body lying in a hospital bed, bounded by several tubes that were said to be the only means of providing life support.

“Henry… Oh. Henry! Please wake up! It’s me, Laura. I’m here now.” Laura whispered as hot, angry tears threatened their way down her cheeks. She fought the urge to grab and shake Henry till he comes to complete consciousness.

Henry’s doctor entered the room to check on Henry’s vital signs and she instantly called his attention. “Doctor, how long will he be like this? When will my Henry wake up?” She demanded tearfully.

Dr.  Johnston gazed at Laura with deep concern on his face. “I’m sorry. I really cannot tell for how long at this time. The bullet wound affected a large portion of his brain. He might be in a coma for months or even years. I wish I could provide you more information. The only thing we can do now is pray for his recovery.”

Laura closed her eyes as the enormity of the situation finally struck her. Barbara and Ted held on to her as she started to buckle, fearing she might faint any minute.

At that instant, Mrs. Masterson, Henry’s mother, strode into the room in her usual haughty manner. She stopped in midstride as she caught sight of Laura. “What is she doing here?” Her voice was as glacial as ice.

Ted spoke up. “She’s here because of me. I told her what happened to Henry. She deserves to know.”

Mrs. Masterson’s cold calculating gray eyes narrowed, her face a mask of pure unadulterated hostility. “Well, you’ve seen what you need to see so you may now go. Don’t make me call the guards to get you.”

Laura restrained herself from slashing out with an angry retort. The minute she stepped into the Masterson’s household when Henry invited her over for dinner one evening almost a year ago, she had immediately sensed the family’s aversion towards her lurking beneath their cold aristocratic manners. She knew then that they have instantly seized her up on her rather plain-looking outfit and knew for a fact that she’s not rich or well-heeled enough to be in style. Worse, they have also learned that she just works as a waitress in a diner where Henry used to visit hence that’s how he met her. Before the dinner was even over, she has had enough already of Mrs. Masterson’s insolent gaze and haughty arrogance. Her spirits faltered knowing that Henry’s family would never approve of a woman of her disposition who was not even born into a family of affluent origins. Yet that didn’t stop her from loving Henry.

She stuck out her chin and regarded Mrs. Masterson with staggering calmness. “There’s no need to antagonize me, Mrs. Masterson. I am perfectly capable of leaving the room on my own without any help from the guards.” She spun and hustled out of the room with Barbara and Ted close at her heels.

*  * * * *

The days turned into months as Laura painstakingly watched and waited for Henry to regain consciousness.  When Mrs. Masterson or any family member is visiting, she would just lurk in the hallway and watch at her beloved from a safe distance, careful not to be seen.  The breakthrough finally came after almost a year as Henry started showing signs of life. He was like a newborn that just came out of his cocoon. He was learning to open his eyes, move his hands and wiggle his toes. And his mind was like a clean slate—he could not remember anything and anyone, not even Laura.

Laura was shattered but that didn’t stop her from her daily visits amidst the Mastersons’ potential knowledge.  She would relentlessly talk to Henry and show him things that might help him recover his memory of her.  But none of them worked. It was becoming a growing frustration for her and the doctors could not even determine when his memories might come back—or if they might even come back considering he’s like a child again learning his first words and steps.

She was barred from seeing Henry six months after Mrs. Masterson learned of her visits. And from then on Henry has been transferred to his home where he could continue his therapy. This made it even harder for her to see Henry and the daily visits turned to weekly ones provided that she remain unseen otherwise she could not imagine the consequences.

It was heartbreaking to see her beloved learn the things that a child of one to three years usually does. She watched in despair as Henry struggled to walk with the aid of parallel bars and as he struggled to speak coherently.

The months turned to years and Henry’s progress has only been gradual. The development was mostly attributed to his motor and cognitive skills but not to his memory. He could already recognize his home and immediate family but that’s about it. Any memory beyond his childhood is still lost in oblivion.

Laura fought hard not to lose hope but her unwavering spirit was slowly breaking its hold. Her friend Barbara who had seen her suffer through the entire ordeal has been deeply concerned about her welfare. She finally confronted her one day. “Laura, you’ve got to stop this! I know it’s hard but it’s been 4 years already and still no progress on Henry’s memory. You’ve got to start accepting the fact that Henry might not be able to regain his memory and remember you anymore.” At that Laura began to burst out crying and Barbara wrapped her arms around her. “Honey, I’m so sorry. But you’ve got to move on. Till when are you going to wait?” Laura looked at her friend and nodded in understanding. “I know but it’s just so hard to give up on a promise that you have cherished so much in your heart. Oh Barbara, It would have been easier to accept if he had died but to know that he’s out there alive and I couldn’t be with him is just killing me!” She paused as fresh bout of tears trickled down her tear-stained cheeks. “I guess you’re right. It’s time to let go.” And she wondered just how in the world she would be able to bear the pain of losing Henry forever.

* * * * *

Henry’s nurse was shaking her head as Laura sought permission to gain entrance to Henry’s room. “I’m sorry, miss. I can’t let you in.  The mistress of the house will be angry at me the minute she finds out that you’re here!” She was nervously licking her lips as she cast a furtive glance about her, thinking that Mrs. Masterson might suddenly appear out of the shadows and pounce on her any minute.

“It will only take 5 minutes at the most. I came here to finally say goodbye to Henry. I swear you will never see me again,” she implored and with that she finally gained the nurse’s confidence. “Five minutes only, miss,” the nurse reiterated.

Henry was reading a picture book as Laura approached. Her heart almost broke as Henry looked up and stared at her blankly. “Who are you? Why are you here?”

Laura’s lips quivered as tears began to choke her.  “Henry, my name is Laura. There was a time when you know me well.  I just came to say goodbye and to return something that belongs to you.” She removed the engagement ring from her finger and pressed it on Henry’s palm. “Please keep this as a remembrance from me. Remember that I’ll always love you.” She embraced Henry and dropped a kiss to his forehead. “Goodbye, Henry. I hope someday you’ll remember me.” She cried as she finally let him go, took one last look at his handsome face and strode quietly out of the room.

* * * * *

Laura resigned from her waitressing job at the diner and flew to her hometown in Arizona. There she took several secretarial jobs. Her big break came when she got hired as a personal assistant to a wealthy and handsome business tycoon by the name of Bill Hughes. It was love at first sight for Bill and he relentlessly pursued her. Laura was overwhelmed by the attention and doubtful of his intentions at first although she was already attracted to him. Slowly he won her over and the feeling eventually became mutual. Bill finally proposed to her after a year of courtship. Their wedding took place in a quiet ceremony in one of Arizona’s finest and oldest cathedrals. Laura has been happy and contented as she joyously took over the role of Mrs. Bill Hughes. Her life has been a bustle of activity as she placed herself in-charge of running the entire Hughes household as Bill is away on business trips most of the time.

Things slowly turned sour a year after their marriage as she began suspecting Bill of having an affair.  Though she has no tangible proof, she couldn’t fight the nagging feeling whenever he’s away on a business trip. She became pregnant several months after and thought that might make his trips less frequent thus spending more time with her. However, she finally got her solid proof when she snooped into his mail one day and found one that certainly comes close to a love letter from a woman named Agatha. A major fight transpired when she confronted him the minute he arrived home. The confrontation only resulted with Laura receiving a heavy blow to her face making her outer right eye and cheek black and blue. She hasn’t been the same ever since and it only left her even more subdued and depressed. An unpleasant circumstance culminated on the fifth month of her pregnancy when she started experiencing excruciating abdominal cramps. To her horror, drips of blood started trickling down the length of her legs to the floor in a grotesque puddle. She almost fainted when the servants fetched her and brought her to the nearest hospital.

Laura felt like being dragged into a hellish dream as the news of her miscarriage was being relayed to her by her doctor. He said it was most likely to happen anyway as according to him ‘her womb was insufficient enough to hold the baby hence the premature contraction occurred’. It only made matters worse when Bill learned the devastating news. He blamed Laura for killing his child and not once did he believe that it had been a miscarriage. He was so enraged to the point that he actually threatened Laura for a divorce that would virtually leave her penniless. Laura was too tired to care in her sea of misery. For all she knew, Bill is capable of doing anything with his money. The divorce proceedings commenced after two weeks. She felt like a ghost just watching everything unfold through a mist that she could never penetrate. Their divorce has been finalized in three months and true to his word, Bill has left her without a nickel under her name. Hence, she was poorer than a mouse by the time she left the Hughes household for good. Fortunately, an elderly couple was kind enough to employ her as waitress in their family-owned restaurant and provide her lodging at the small vacant room which used to be a storage room upstairs. Laura was so grateful that she dedicated almost all her time everyday in helping them out with the chores in the restaurant.

* * * * *

It has been six months after her divorce with Bill when Barbara phoned her unexpectedly bearing the news that would have made her jump for joy several years ago.

“Laura? It’s me, Barbara. I’m hoping you can fly over here in San Diego next week on Saturday. Ted and I are throwing a party for Sue’s 7^th birthday.” She hesitated before finally saying, “And Henry will be there. Laura, Henry’s memory has come back. It started about 2 years ago and I just couldn’t bring to tell you because you’re still married to Bill then. He remembers you Laura. He remembers EVERYTHING. He wants to see you so badly that he’s more than willing to pay for your plane ticket just so that you can be here.”

Laura closed her eyes as Barbara’s words started sinking in. “How is he by the way?”

“He is fine and he looks great. He can speak normally, walk normally and move normally. Everything about him is normal as if nothing happened. You should see him, Laura.”

“I don’t know if it will be such a good idea. How long has it been since his accident? Ten years? My god, a lot has happened since then! I’m not the same person I was, Barbara. It’s like a part of me has already died,” she sobbed.

“Laura, Henry knows everything. Ted and I told him about your divorce, miscarriage and the sort of hell you’ve been through with that monster of an ex-husband of yours. And it’s okay with him. Please come, Laura. I also want to see you and it’s been a long time,” Barbara pleaded.

Laura pondered for a moment and found herself saying yes.

-The Week After at Barbara’s Home-

Laura felt she was thrown back in time when she saw Henry approach her. All of a sudden she remembered their first meeting at the diner, the way her heart almost triple-hammered as she instantly fell in love at the sight of his piercing blue eyes that always make her knees wobble. She thought it would be an awkward moment seeing him after all these years but she was wrong, as if the accident never happened.

“Hi Laura,” Henry greeted warmly. “I’m glad you came.”  He gestured towards the gazebo which is at a good distance away from the party. “I hope it’s okay with you if we move over there? I don’t think we’ll be able to talk much if we stay here with all the kids shouting and playing around.” Laura grinned and nodded in agreement.

“Laura, I understand how uncomfortable this must be for you.” Henry started to say as they both entered the gazebo. “I feel guilty after all these years for the suffering I have caused you.”

“Henry, you don’t—.” Laura began to say but he cut her off. “Please, let me speak first before I lose my nerve,” he pleaded but in a teasing way. He caressed her cheek and gazed longingly at her. “I’ve missed you so much. I’ve missed your face, your eyes. Time hasn’t changed you a bit. You’re still beautiful as ever.”

Her eyes grew moist at the poignancy of the moment. She began to speak again but he hushed her lips with his finger. “I have to speak, remember? As I start remembering, I have no idea how many years have gone by. All I could think of was the years wasted.” He held her hand and kissed it. “Laura, I can’t bring back the past ten years but I’ve never stopped loving you.” He fished into his breast pocket and pulled out the engagement ring that she had returned. “I believe this belongs to you. You know I never break a promise. I hope you would still accept.”

Words were no longer needed as Laura broke down uncontrollably in tears of joy when Henry slipped the ring back to her finger.

Barbara and Ted watched happily from a distance as their dear friend finally got her promise redeemed for the second and last time to the man whom she had loved forever.