I was called away once or twice to check on other patients and when I returned for the third time I knew the end was near. Less than five minutes later I saw Death appear. He smiled at me in greeting and placed a hand on Mrs Granger’s chest. She took one last sharp intake of breath and exhaled slowly. The heart monitor flat lined and the Grangers began to cry. I closed her eyes and left them alone with their grief.
As usual, Death followed me from the room. I went to the staff room which, not surprising for that time of day, was empty.
“How is he?” I asked as soon as I knew we were alone. I had been too upset to ask after Kris the previous day.
“He’s fine,” Death said. “Worried about you. You are working too many hours. If you don’t start to cut down, I will stop visiting so often.”
It was an empty threat and we both knew it. Death enjoyed our conversations as much as I did. “Yeah, right,” I said sarcastically.
Death sighed dramatically. “How about this then? Promise me you will work less and I will give you a message from Kris.”
“I promise,” I said hastily. Death would have given the message without the promise eventually, but I was in no mood for bartering. I was tired and wanted to hear what Kris had to say.
“A deal with Death is binding you know.”
“I know,” I said. “I promise to drop at least one shift per week, now tell me what Kris has to say.”
Death smiled, knowing that I would not go back on my word. “He asked me to tell you to cancel all plans for your birthday.”
“Why,” I asked, but Death had already vanished.
10th August 2008
At Death’s request I cancelled all of my plans for today. I upset a few friends in the process, but they will get over it. All I can say is that it was so worth it. I woke up this morning wondering who would turn up and what they had planned. So far every time I have needed a ‘date’ for an occasion, be it a wedding, a party etc., one of Kris’s relatives has arrived at my door at just the right time, ready to escort me. How anyone down there knows when I need one I have no idea. I guess someone is keeping a very close eye on me. My friends are beginning to think I go through men like water.
The only constant is Ankou. He turns up regularly. I have tried to explain to everyone who meets him that he is just a friend who travels a lot, but I don’t think anyone believes me.
Kris’s sister, Spatha, turned up as my ‘date’ for a friend’s engagement party earlier in the year. That got people talking I can tell you. I heard a few comments like ‘no wonder she cannot seem to get serious with a man’. It was quite entertaining. If only they knew the truth.
I ate breakfast alone and was still in my dressing gown when there was a knock at my door. Not particularly caring that my hair was a mess I answered it and almost screamed. Kris was standing in front of me.
Without a word he took me in his arms, held me tight and kissed me deeply.
“I have missed you so much,” he said when he eventually released me.
“I can tell,” I said, a little breathlessly. “Why are you here?”
He grinned. “Apparently we have both behaved ourselves a lot better than expected, so I have been granted permission to spend the entire day with you.”
“Just the day?” I asked, raising my eyebrows suggestively.
“Unfortunately,” he said. “Now go and get dressed,” he continued, turning me around and pushing me toward my bedroom.
“I need to shower,” I said. “Care to join me?”
I won’t go into any details; let’s just say it was the longest and most enjoyable shower I have ever had.
As a result of my ‘distraction’ a lot of the morning had gone before we hit the road. Kris had borrowed Ankou’s Ferrari, which he drove at a much safer speed than his cousin usually does, and we were soon heading down the freeway. He refused to say where we were going, only telling me to wear sensible shoes for walking in.
“You’re taking me to the zoo?” I asked in surprise as he pulled into the car park.
“Yes. I wanted to do something a normal couple would do on a date.”
“It’s perfect,” I said with genuine pleasure. I hadn’t been to the zoo in years and could think of nothing better than spending time strolling around it with the man I love.
It was a wonderful day. We visited each of the animal cages, reading the interesting facts on display about them and listening to all of the keeper talks that we were in time to hear. We shared hot dogs for lunch, followed by ice-cream, and Kris held my hand every moment we were together. It felt so normal it was great.
It was a little sad seeing all of the animals locked away, but they seemed healthy and well cared for and a lot of them were playing in the sun. We were even allowed to feed some of the goats and sheep in the barnyard enclosure. But most importantly we were doing it together. I can’t believe how romantic the day seemed. It was just an ordinary day, but it felt like the best one of my life.
All too soon it was closing time and we were forced to leave. Kris drove me home and told me to change into something smart enough for a restaurant. I still had the red dress given to me by Pestilence, and the shoes. I hadn’t worn them since returning to Earth and was pleased to see they still fit me. I put my hair up in a style I rarely used any more.
Kris took one look at me and shook his head. “No,” he said bluntly.
“Why?” I asked in surprise. “I thought I looked alright.”
“You look more than alright,” he said, walking up to me and slipping his arms around my waist. “And that is the problem. I only have a few more hours before I have to leave and I am already envisioning peeling that off you.”
“In that case, who needs to eat?” I said, taking his hand in mine and leading him into the bedroom.
By the time we came out again I was dressed in something a lot less revealing and we had certainly worked up an appetite. Kris phoned the restaurant to make sure they could hold our table for us. Luckily they were not fully booked and promised to do so.
The place he took me to was a long way off five star, but was cosy and the food was really good.
“This is my favourite place to eat whenever I am in the area,” Kris said. “You can relax and be yourself while eating portions that are a decent size. It is reasonably priced and the staff really make you feel welcome.”
“And how often are you in the area?” I asked.
I’m sure he blushed slightly. “Not very often,” he replied, refusing to meet my gaze.
“Uh-huh,” I said, not believing him.
“Well, I may have checked up on you once or twice during the first few years.”
“Once or twice?” I raised an eyebrow.
“A week,” he said. “Until great-grandmother found out and banned me from ‘spying on you’ as she put it. I wasn’t,” he added hurriedly. “I just wanted to see you.”
“I know,” I said, smiling at him.
I was too full for dessert, so he got me home just after eleven. Ankou was waiting outside my door when we arrived.
“You’re late,” he said by way of greeting.
“Sorry,” Kris said, not sounding it in the least.
“We have to go.”
“Just ten more minutes?” I asked in as sweet a voice as I could manage.
Ankou sighed. “Make it five.”
I shut the door before he could follow us inside. I intended to make the most of those five minutes.
I managed to stretch the five into fifteen before we were interrupted by loud banging on the door.
“I have to go,” Kris said, running his hand gently down the side of my face.
“When will I see you again?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” He started to walk away, then stopped and rummaged in his pocket for something. “I almost forgot to give you this. Happy birthday.”
He handed me a small box, tied up by a ribbon. I undid the bow and opened it up. What I saw inside made me gasp.
It was a ring – a thin band of gold with a small diamond in the centre.
“It’s beautiful,” I exclaimed.
“I made it myself, even the diamond.” I had no doubt that he was telling the truth. I removed it from the box and put it on the third finger on my right hand.
Kris shook his head. “It’s not an engagement ring. Apparently I’m not allowed to give you one of those yet, but I want you to wear it on this finger.” He removed it from my right hand and slipped it onto my left. It was a perfect fit.
With his finger he traced from my knuckle to my wrist. “A long time ago people believed that there is a vein that runs from your ring finger all the way to your heart,” he said. “That is the how the tradition of wearing your wedding ring on this finger came about. It would mean a lot to me if you would wear it here.”
“I promise I will never wear it anywhere else,” I said. He turned my hand over, kissed my palm, then released me. We didn’t say goodbye and I didn’t show him to the door. I just watched as he left, wondering when I would see him again.
19th April 2009
Tammara got married yesterday and I could not be happier for her. Derek is a wonderful man and treats her well. Despite my objections Tam insisted that I be chief bridesmaid. Thankfully she chose a dress that was comfortable and fashionable. Some bridesmaids dresses I have seen have been so ghastly I would not be seen dead in one, but Tam has good taste in everything it seems.
As chief bridesmaid my first duty (after organising the hen’s party of course) was to make sure the bride got a good night’s sleep. She moved in with Derek a number of years ago, but we both spent the night at her father’s place, leaving her house free for Derek and the boys to enjoy his last night of freedom.
It was rather a subdued evening, with Tammara and her father reminiscing about her mother and commenting on how much she would have enjoyed all of the preparations, while my thoughts strayed to the underworld. I don’t think I will ever get to experience my own wedding and that makes me a little jealous. I wondered who would turn up as my ‘date’. This was one occasion where I really did not want to be escorted by a demi-god; I just wanted to be left alone to enjoy the wedding without anything or anyone reminding me that Kris was not there, but Tam insisted that a spot had to be left at the table for my ‘plus one’. She even went as far as to break tradition and make space for him on the main table, whoever he turned out to be.
Don’t get me wrong; all of Kris’s family that I have met so far have been great fun to be with and went out of their way to make sure I was having the best time possible, no matter what the occasion. OK, there have been one or two who have been a bit strange and I would rather not see again and I am pretty confident that I won’t as I think someone down there is somehow reading my diary. Maybe one of them is reading it over my shoulder as I write. Hades does have the helmet of darkness which renders him invisible after all (or so the myth goes). What is to stop him from lending it to family members? No, I am going to have to stop thinking along those lines or I will never want to get undressed or shower ever again.
Now where was I? Oh yes, the evening before the wedding. As I said, it was a subdued atmosphere, but not sad. We knew Tam’s mother would be there in spirit and would be very happy for her. Her father was a little nervous and went to bed early to practice his speech a few more times before going to sleep.
After a few glasses of wine Tam and I also turned in for the night, though sleep was a long time coming for me. I could not stop thinking about Kris. Seeing my best friend so happy made that little part inside of me that was always empty grow until I felt like it was going to consume me.
I had a restless night and woke early, so I made breakfast for the bride and her father. The wedding was not till 2, but it was not long before people started to arrive. First came the florist with the bouquets for the bride and bridesmaids, a dainty basket for the little flower girl and a chrysanthemum for the button hole of the bride’s father. His next stop was Tammara and Derek’s house with matching button holes for the groom, best man and ushers.
The next to arrive was the other two bridesmaids, both cousins of Tammara, closely followed by a couple of beauty therapists, each equipped with foot spas and manicure/pedicure kits. Most of the morning was taken up by the four of us relaxing as we were pampered.
Next came the hair stylist and the makeup artist. The bridesmaids were dealt with quickly and efficiently, leaving plenty of time for the bride to be worked on. The results were staggering. Her short brown hair had been trimmed into a neat bob that perfectly framed her heart shaped face. A delicate amount of makeup had been applied to her milk-chocolate coloured skin, making her dark brown eyes appear larger and more tantalising. I had always regarded her as very pretty; today she was beautiful.
My hair was curled into ringlets, with some pinned up, but most left to cascade down my back. My dress was a full length, light blue, off the shoulder number. The wedding was to take place on the beach so we would be bare foot for the ceremony. That meant that we didn’t have to wear high heels, so the matching shoes were low and perfect for dancing in.
Once I was ready I helped Tammara get dressed. The gown she had chosen was a light shade of cream, which went great with her skin. Tam often complains about having an unattractive neck. She’s wrong, of course, but that didn’t stop her insisting that she would only get married in a dress that covered it up. I argued against it, saying that she would be too hot, but as soon as I saw her I knew she had made the right decision. She looked fantastic. She is not particularly tall, but her slim waist coupled with the long train gave the illusion of additional height.
A short while later the flower girl was delivered to the house by her doting parents. The time to leave was rapidly approaching, so when I heard a knock at the door I assumed that the cars had arrived.
I was wrong.
I opened the door and gasped. Ankou stood there and the sight took my breath away. I think I have mentioned once or twice how gorgeous he is, but I have never seen him looking as good as he did then. I was going to be the envy of every girl at the wedding. I think even Tammara would sneak in a few admiring glances when she knew her husband wasn’t looking.
“So you are my date,” I said. “You have really excelled yourself, if you don’t mind me saying.”
Ankou grinned at me. “Actually, Tammara invited me. Your ‘plus one’ is someone else. He is parking the car at the moment.”
“Oh,” I said in disappointment. Maybe I wasn’t going to be the envy of everyone after all.
Then my ‘date’ came into view and suddenly I no longer cared about anyone else. Kris was here. I hadn’t seen him in eight months and now here he was, casually strolling up the path toward me, hands in his pockets and whistling.
“Hi honey,” he said, as though we hadn’t been apart for over half a year. I threw my arms around him and kissed him long and hard.
“Put him down,” Ankou said in amusement. “You will smudge your lipstick.”
“Who cares,” I said and kissed Kris again.
“I take it you missed me,” he said when we finally split apart.
“No. I kiss everyone like that.”
I took the two demi-gods inside and made introductions.
“You look fantastic,” Ankou told Tam. “Are you really sure you want to get married?” I’m sure she actually thought about it for a moment. But only a very small moment.
She was saved from replying by another knock on the door. This time it actually was the wedding cars, so Ankou and Kris said their goodbyes and headed off while all of the bridesmaids and the flower girl climbed into the Bentley.
As we pulled away I glanced out of the back window and saw Tammara being helped into the Rolls by her father. He seemed a lot more nervous than she was. I couldn’t help smiling to myself. This was going to be one hell of a day.
By the time we arrived at the beach a very large crowd had already gathered. There was a collection of shoes at t
he edge of the sand; I guess most of the guests had decided that bare feet was the way to go. As I disembarked from the car I glanced around, looking for Kris. My eyes caught Derek’s as he paced up and down and he smiled at me. If I was there then he knew Tam was on her way. Not that there was ever any doubt about her turning up.
Looking away I finally managed to track down my date. He had his back to me, looking out to sea, while Ankou was chatting up a leggy blonde whose dress was so short it barely covered her assets, if you know what I mean. I was desperate to go up to him, but I had a job to do, so I stayed put.
As I stared down the road, wondering what was taking the Rolls so long, I played with my pendant. It is something I have got into the habit of doing without realising it and let go, allowing it to drop down onto my skin as soon as I noticed what I was doing.
Where was Tammara? She should only have been a couple of minutes behind us. I glanced at my watch. She was due ten minutes ago. I looked across at Derek, who mouthed ‘where is she?’ I shrugged my shoulders.
I looked back down the road and breathed a sigh of relief as the car came into view.
“What kept you?” I hissed as Tam climbed out.
“It is good to keep men waiting,” she said with a grin. She had delayed the chauffeur on purpose!
The bridesmaids and flower girl took their positions in front of the bride and the string quartet started the traditional ‘here comes the bride’.
We walked slowly down the ‘aisle’. OK, so it was just a gap that had been left between the chairs, but you know what I mean. Once we reached the celebrant we moved to the side, allowing the groom his first proper look at his bride. A stupid grin spread across his face as he stared at her with adoring eyes.
Diary of a journey through Hell Page 29
