"It's been 5 years Quintin, weeping and killing yourself over them won't bring them back to life" Zoe was fond of saying this whenever he saw Quintin looking outside the blurry glasses of the window.
But how could he not, regrets and the unending pain never left him alone, yet he couldn't stop himself from looking through the window like he would see them once more, just like in his dreams... He Mariah and their twin Lily and Leah.
5 years and he wished he could have changed the hands of time, wished he stopped her from leaving but instead, he stood from the window of their home watching them leave, he was truly the definition of a crowd, just because he put his pride as a priority instead of his heart, Mariah warned him but he didn't listen, she told him that his decision could cost him a lifetime suffering but yet he went against her words, now here he was staring at the window with an expectation at heart if only they could come back.
But the reality is that they are not coming back, he chose to go to war and neglected his family, and when Mariah left with the kids, he thought she was only going to his sister's house just too cold off for sometime before she comes in terms with his decision, she always did so, so it won't change this time he thought_ but he was wrong, from the moment they left he never saw them again, only to have found 3 dead bodies burnt and buried with only one means of identification_a diamond ring on the fingers of one of the corpse.
From that moment till date, Quintin had never been the same. So when Zoe talks that way he understood that he had not the extent of his pain, so he never blamed him.
"Leave me alone Z, I'm not in the mood for your lectures," Quintin responded, his mind far from reach as he looked at the little olive tree, Mariah planted, it was no more little as it has grown rather big and strong over the years. Not far from the olive tree was a little farm and her flower garden that has not been taken care of for the past five years.
A very small smile graced his lips as he relived the memories of the good times he had his beloved with him, he recalls how he gets back from work seeing his wife all busy and lost in her garden while she sang without taking note of his presence, he would sneakily grab her waist startling her... before she could find it in herself to scold him, he would silence her with a passionate kiss, watching how she gave in to him.
It was memories like this that had his heart aching, and when he thought about his two beautiful girls, the future he would have given to them whenever he saw them all happy and ready to jump on him after work. He couldn't help but cry.
But tears as they say never bring back the dead, so he somehow hoped in his next life he would listen more, maybe at held to his wife's warning, maybe why he was feeling this way was because of the death anniversary of his wife and kids.
He sighs heavily looking around the room, he sighed even more when he didn't see Zoe, Zoe was his friend but they were not closed, he met him in the war, and since then they because close.
He stood up looking around the room that had changed so much after 5 years, it had no life anymore, drained of its beauty but something was just really off about the room today, he couldn't place or point out what he was feeling, clearly it was because its anniversary of his family...but was it?.
As Quintin claimed on the bed he once shared with the woman he held dear to his heart, he slept off where he had a dream. A dream that was different from the rest, after his family died he developed a habit of not sleeping in the night because of the nightmares that follows.
But tonight was different, he saw Mariah in her beautiful gown, glowing skin, breathtaking smile, her eyes full of life as she danced around the kitchen singing so angelic, he saw his beautiful girls in matching outfits dancing along sides with their mom ever-gorgeous just like the first day he saw them, it was like he was reliving the best moment of his life.
Walking closer to them, he noticed they had not turned to look at him, so he went even closer in an attempt to touch his beloved, but his hands seem to pass through them like they were ghosts, he attempt touching his girls but the same thing over and over again.
"Mariah, my heart talks to me."
"Please, I need to look at me, just once please LOOK AT ME!!."
Frustrated and pained as he shouted and plead for just a little affection from these people he once called him but they never heard his cries with tears he woke up.
"Please just this once let me be with them, I miss them so much" talking to no one in particular, just himself but was he? Because the figure standing just at the other end of the room was listening, looking at him with unseen eyes.
"They are gone, why do you choose to suffer my child."
A voice so smooth, so soft almost unreal startled him. Raising those sad eyes, he graced with the
stunning being he had ever seen.
A being with hazel red eyes, the most beautiful green hair he had seen, and long ears that seem inhumanly, it appears that he couldn't even tell if this being was a male or a female, and what he noticed was this being had no legs, even if it did it wasn't invisible as the being was walking on air or floating on air rather.
"I, ah, who are_how did you get in here?." Quintin couldn't help how his voice quivered after seeing the creature.
"Ha. My bad manners, it's been a billion years since someone's pain woke me up, I am the spirit behind every olive tree, I have been called so many names, but you can call me Livjot, I grant a wish held with so many emotions, like desperation and pains like your child, so make a wish."
"What are you talking about? What wish? And how did you get in here." Quintin asked uncertainly.
"Oh isn't it obvious, the window_ I could smell your pains from my home whenever you sat here, it came in waves, and thanks to your wife I have a home, the most comfortable after so many centuries."
"I-i don't know if it's was selfish to go back in time, i-if this is real, the wishing and all, I would love to be with my family, this time forever "
"Yes I can do that but it comes with a little price, are you willing to pay."
"Yeah I will pay, anything please just let me see them please." Quintin desperation was deep enough to be heard in his voice.
"So be it..."
The last thing Quintin saw before passing out was revolving lights like stars.
"Quin, Quinny, wake up my darling, you are going to be late for your morning wakes."
Like a dream Quintin couldn't believe what he just heard, he didn't want to wake up if this was a dream, tears rush down his eyes as he couldn't believe it.
"Oh, Quinny does it hurt? Are your eyes hunting again?" He heard Mariah asking in a gentle voice which got him thinking why he couldn't see a thing even with his eyes all open.
"Mariah my love is that you?." With trembling hands, he touched her face yet he couldn't believe it was her, was he dreaming but why couldn't he see her?
"Daddy! Daddy!! Daddy!!!."
papa, you're awake? Mama made strawberry pie and pumpkin pie."
"I'm hunrry."
He felt his two sweet hearts jumping on him, and for the first time in a long time, Quintin felt complete, genuine happiness hugging his kids. And that's when struck him that to be with what he loved so much he had lost his sight to see, so he was blind but they were all here, he could feel them but never see them, lost in his thoughts.
"It's hungry Lily, not hunrry."
The little voice of Leah brought him back to reality.
"Now girls go downstairs and wait for your daddy and me, we would be down in a minute."
And just like that he heard little feet running out of the room, he couldn't help but smile and remember how his girls always loved pies.
"Quintin are you okay, you haven't been yourself seems you woke up, you know you can tell me anything right my darling."
He heard how concerned Mariah was, her hands caressing his face in a way to reassure him she was there for him.
"I-it's nothing my love, I'm just so happy that you're in my life, and I don't want to lose you for anything."
Mariah couldn't help but smile, Quintin was never a romantic sort of guy, so for him to come out so plain means something was bothering him or he just wanted her to feel special and loved.
"I know Quinny I love you so much_ oh would you look at that!." Mariah was thrilled with excitement.
"What is it my love, remember I can't see." Quintin chuckles cause he found it funny.
"Oh I'm sorry my dear, it's just my olive tree, it's growing faster than I thought it would, it gives the garden this beautiful look."
"Wish you could see this, wish you could see me." Mariah sighed sadly.
Quintin got up from the bed, he felt the room was filled, felt it was neat after five good years, he wanted to tear up but he was too happy to do so, instead he made his way carefully to Mariah, who assisted him.
"I can see you right here in my heart, there's nothing more special than that."
He knew he couldn't see, but he felt how his lover smiled warmly at him, he felt the fresh wind coming from the same window he would sit in agony and self-defeat, but today it was different, today he was happy although he would never get seeing anything not even his beloved face, he was filled with a sense of satisfaction. Through this window, he has seen a lost life now found without sight.
Thanks for reading...
#inkwellprompt #127.
Imagine are from reliable source.
