Sheryl had just buried her husband. They'd lived a long life of love, care and tenderness. She'd adored him. Loved him. Taken care of him. Fed him. Kissed him. But the time had come and he'd had to leave her. Perhaps to prepare her place for where she'll rejoin him in the afterlife. If that was it then the afterlife would start off with a bang as she questions him why he left without notice
"You can't just get up and go to work in the morning without telling people about your vital dying plans Jonas. Where do we put the dinner we'd made you? It was some gourmet shit. And it cost me a lot for you not to come eat it. Instead you felt you had to die and leave me?"
Her eldest and only daughter Bianca sat next to her in the living room that night. They were going through their photo album. Sheryl and Jonas Saheel. A life of growth, joy, sadness, love and majesticness. They flipped the pages from their times in school, meeting up, going out, work, fun together and many more. Then came the wedding day. Bianca nudged her mother after spotting her on the opposite page. She was clad in a long white gown and veil that covered her face. Next to her stood a young man with a puffy moustache. He held her arm in his while she held a bouquet of lilies in the other. She was having a hearty laugh after Jonas had a make a joke about the priest’s bald head as they walked out of church with everyone congratulating them.
"Rev Paul’s bald spot is so shiny it's killing my eyes. We might miss the steps and die on our wedding day. Do you see this sun? It's 2pm-on-a-Monday sun"
"I guess it shines that bright at 10am when it's your wedding day. My happiest and brightest day ever." She'd replied him
"Look at him. He's so handsome isn't he? Aww" she ran her thumb over his face with a lifted lip of sadness. She clutched a hankie in her hand to wipe her tears and nose periodically.
"Yeah mum. He sure is. Do you miss him?"
"It feels like 2years of missing someone in these 2days he's been gone. You can’t imagine it dear. It's infinity. Galaxies and galaxies"
"By the way mum, how did you two meet?"
Sheryl told her daughter the story of her parents' lives. About her life, childhood, school and meeting Jonas. They'd met in a class meeting for a course they shared at university. They'd co-operated to pass it but sparks always flew whenever they met to discuss gas chromatography. One night as they studied under a lamp he'd kissed her at his desk. She'd kissed him back and then stopped and ran home. They'd had a huge discussion on the matter later at school and they decided to be weird together. She felt the same way about him but had been scared to say anything. They dated till they left school, worked, stayed together and given new life together.
“My best night would be during our first year out of campus. We were broke and watched TV most nights because we couldn’t afford outings like our friends. We watched too many movies and series. But then one night we get home and there is no power. Id had a long and stressful Friday so we napped till 7pm. We get up, go and get snacks. Eat and watch our movie on a laptop as music blared in the neighbouring bar. After the battery was drained we decided to sleep off again close to midnight but failed. So he got up and lit a candle and sat next to our bed. I asked him what he was doing and he said he couldnt sleep so he’ll stare at the burning candle till he sleeps off. I wasn’t asleep either so I got up and sat next to him with a candle burning between us. He asked me to get the pillows and I did. He sat on his like a monk while I leaned on mine. He was in silk shorts and I could almost peep up them.”
"Ew mum. He's my dad"
"Sorry. Anyway I was in this short night dress. He pulled two blunts for the dressing drawer and handed me one. He lit his, sucked and puffed slowly. He hummed and said I am a monk. Monks are creepy dudes" in a vibrating bass computer voice.”
Sheryl chuckled at the memory just like she did in that moment years ago. She'd lit hers, sucked and choked. He'd reached her back and patted her saying, "pat pat. Go slow girl. Don’t rush the lungs”
Then they smoked on in silence till the blunt started to hit and extreme clarity set in.
She said to him, "Lungs are like a gas chromatography system. They qualify and quantify what you sniff in and give a detection of sample compound e.g a blunt on your brain data acquisition. Nostril is the pump. Lung is the column."
"Holy Moses. Girl that's it. Oh my Gahd! It's freaking me out"
Every new knowledge felt like gospel truth.
Then he said to her, "So filterers are basically HPLC six-exclusion columns because they hold the big particles and let the small ones through though the other is the reverse. Big ones go through. Small ones stay"
"Wow. That's amazing Jonas. I married a genius"
"We are married?"
"I think so. We're so perfect together"
"Yeah."
They’d switched and put the pillows next to each other with their torsos on opposite sides of the pillows. Faces next to each other on the pillow as they puffed marijuana smoke O's into the air. They played destroying each other's O's. Their pointed up lips touched each others cheeks and they knocked into each other to stop each other. Suddenly he’d stopped and stared at her play under the candle light. She was gorgeous and happy under the candle light. He loved her deeply.
"You're are so fucking beautiful. Dear lord" He bit his lip.
She stopped playing and looked at him. He smiled at her and said "I love you Sheryl"
Not the first time he'd said it but it felt a million times stronger than all the other times combined.
"Aaww" she’d said. “I love you too Jonas"
He'd edged closer and kissed her. The intensity and electricity had been so strong. Pulled them together into the middle. And they'd made love. In the spoon cuddle, on top of him, he behind her and finally he above her with his pillow under her lower back. He'd worked away gently into her. Passionately. Thirstily. It was magical. It was rainbows everywhere. She echoed his name as he began to go fast nearing climax. He'd called hers back. She'd called him again in extreme pleasure nearing her climax as well. They’d both shouted each others names as the nut cracked in between them where their bodies joined. He'd finished inside her and she on him. He'd fallen on her chest and she'd hugged him with her four limbs.
"It was our best night together. We smoked drugs, talked about gas chromatography and made love on the carpet after he said he loved me.
"Eeww mum. Ew. Couldn't you leave that part out?"
"Sorry girl but now that I calculate it that’s most definitely the night you were conceived"
"Not helping mum"
“One of my best days ever. I knew then I wouldn’t let him go. But I did today. I hope I'll get to see him again"
"You will mum”
Sheryl’s eyelids squeezed out more tears. She pressed her hankie under her eyes to dry them. Bianca reached over and hugged her mother as they both comforted each other in tears and joyous memories. They cried together as they hugged.
Then Sheryl’s eldest son Marcus burst in.
"Bianca where's the knife? Were trying to get through some big green fruit"
Bianca raised her finger at him to be silent.
"Marcus. A moment please. We are having a nice moment here. Be quiet"
He was silent for a few seconds then jumped in again.
"Cmon Bianca. A boy needs his watermelon"
"Just get him the knife" Her mother broke the hug and said to her
She got up from her pile and frowned at Marcus as she walked past her mother and Marcus out of the door. She raised her hands at him as if squeezing his dumb head. But he showed her under his bottom lip and followed her to get the knife. She stayed with her brothers briefly as Marcus cut watermelon. They were watching Spongebob Squarepants buy a self-driving car. After having a slice of Marcus's melon, she returned to be with Sheryl. They'd talked some more till they slept off after passing a flask of liquor between each other. The same flask Jonas had failed to empty. It was lying in his bed side drawer till the girls found it and stoned themselves to sleep.
