Through The Years
Copyright 2016 Michaela Lafferty
The rain battered against the window as Henry Roth sat hunched over in the old, tattered leather seat. It was the heat that emanated from the fire place that seemed to be warming his decrypt bones and to any individual who entered the room the blistering heat would be too much to handle, however, in his old age Henry was finding it difficult to soak up heat.
Henry’s hooded eyes moved across the room as his gaze lingered on the cluttered fireplace where the remnants of his life were held in frames of all shapes and sizes. His eyes landed on one of his first ever memories with his wife, Victoria who had passed away several years ago due to a terminal illness.
He thought back to that day which occurred forty years prior and couldn’t help but feel those same butterflies he had done at age nineteen. In his old age Henry found it difficult to recall memories but that day he remembers as clear as day. The photo shows a young couple immersed in one another as the young woman stares into the camera lens while the young man stands over her with his gaze locked on her soft features.
That day began like any other as Henry’s lanky legs moved from foot-to-foot as he nervously wrung out his hands. Nothing could bring Henry down in that moment as his first date with Victoria Bell seemed to keep him going even as he worked the morning shift at the local bakery.
Her name second name was very fitting, Victoria Bell who was in-fact the bell of the town seemed to draw the attention of many young men. That’s why it had seemed so absurd that she had chosen him instead of someone from a better off family. Although it was the late seventies the social standing of an individual still held importance.
When finishing work that day he can re-call walking down Main Street with the biggest grin on his face that he was sure that if his smile widened any further his face would split in two. On his way to meet Victoria he had purchased a bouquet of roses and as Henry stood outside her house he took a deep breath and flattened down his attire. He hovered over the threshold of her front garden and nervously approached the front door and raised his shaky hand.
The door snapped open and Henry’s gaze met Victoria’s soft brown eyes and in that moment his heartbeat began to pick up. It was in the smile they shared that Henry knew his life was about to change for the better.
It was later on in the day when the picture perfect moment had been snapped by a stranger. The two sat on the wall that separated the calming beach from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The clicking of the camera caught Victoria’s attention however Henry’s attention seemed fully captured by Victoria.
When individuals look at that particular picture they always asked if they image was setup and when they hear the answer no they always seemed baffled. No one seemed to understand how one person could be so enraptured by another human being. Henry on the other hand had no trouble explaining what was so fascinating about his wife and that even after all the years of being together he still was intrigued by her to this very day.
A smile made its way onto Henry’s wrinkled face at the thought of the memories that were tied to the framed photo. It had seemed bittersweet to recall the memories of his wife after her death several years prior. Ever since her passing away Henry hadn’t known what to do with himself, he was retired and his children were all grown up and no longer needed his help. He now filled his time by staring off aimlessly into the distance while thinking about his younger years and occasionally wobbling down to the pub.
Henry could never understand how life could be so fleeting and how it could capture both wonderful and cruel moments. He felt the tears build up behind his eyes causing him to clench them closed. A bitter laugh fell from his lips as his head dropped, after Victoria’s death he had cried so much that he thought he no longer had any tears left, apparently not. Shaking his head he angrily wiped the tears away and tightened his grip on the tartan blanket draped over his legs.
His eyes made their way towards the second photo frame. The frame held a picture of a young couple in their early 20’s who had just gotten married. Behind the couple was an old church and floating in mid-air around them was confetti. Their facial expressions embodied the meaning of happiness as the two stared at each other in mid laugh.
Twenty-one year old Henry sported a sharp black suit with a small sunshine pin placed on his right lapel to symbolise their first date. The weather that day was chilly as the sun hid from the prying eyes of the world below it, however the blinding light hadn’t come from the sky it had come from the girl sitting beside him.
When Henry had laid eyes on Victoria that day he couldn’t help but re-call the first time he had laid eyes on her. The feelings he’d felt that day washed over him and his grin widened even further.
He allowed for his mind to wander back to that day and recalled feeling deflated at the news of experiencing a wage cut. The sun beat down on him as he moved towards the local bus stop and it was then when he looked up that he noticed her in-between the large crowd. It seemed as if the sun had adjusted pacifically for her purpose causing it to give him a clearer look into her appearance. Her hair hung past her chest as it shined in the sun showing various shades of brown as it fell down in light ringlets. His eyes fell towards her yellow sundress which complimented her tanned skin tone.
At first her eyes danced over him and he can remember repeating the words “see me” over-and-over again in his head. When she turned her head in his direction he waited patiently in hopes that she’d return the smile that was plastered on his face. As soon as her mouth widened into a smile he knew in that moment that he would have to see her again.
Flash forward three years later and he couldn’t believe that he was going to marry the woman he truly loved. Her dressed flattered her in every way possible as it clung in all the right places. His smile widened at her appearance as he noticed her hair was styled the exact same way it had done three years prior.
That day had been everything they had imagined and more as their friends and family joined together to celebrate their marriage.
Henry’s fingers instinctively ran over his wedding ban, his hands had turned decrypt over the years but the gold ring around his finger had remained shinning. Through his life there was two things that had remained constant; his wife and children. His two children where now in their late thirties with their own lives to lead and their own children to look after.
It was written somewhere that when you retired from the workforce you spent your last remaining days on earth with your loved ones. Both Andrew and Elizabeth visited at least once a week along with the grandchildren so it wasn’t like he was completely cut off from society, however these were the years in which you spent your days with your other half, travelling the world or doing whatever your heart desired. He felt as if he been dealt a terrible fate, his wife falling ill followed by himself and now he spent his days alone but he wouldn’t trade his life for the world because he’d lived a full life.
His head moved in the direction of the fireplace once more to where there’s a picture of a couple in their late 20’s. Within the photo there is a young child who is at least two years old and his small hand is engulfed by the older mans hand. To his left is a woman is cradling a baby while the man has his free hand woven around her waist. They are in fact the picture perfect family with all but the baby grinning at the camera.
The backdrop within this particular family photo is an old house and from what you can see it looks weather beaten and slightly run down. From the expression on the family’s faces you wouldn’t be able to tell because to the couple in the picture this was a brand new start and they viewed this home as their very own palace.
It was the moments leading up to that picture tha
t made Henry smile, it weren’t an easy feet to get that picture as the baby fussed while the boy moaned and rubbed at his eyes. That day had been very long due to the travelling between towns and riffling through unpacked boxes dotted around the house. Not only had it taken a physical toll but a mental one due to the fact that they both were leaving their families behind as Henry accepted a job out of town.
The weeks leading up to the move were just as stressful as they both spent the time debating on whether they should move or not. Arguments had been raised and their families opinion had been made very clear. Henry can remember that many nights had been filled with tears and laughter as they both worked out
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