Golden Drops Of Honey

By Samaa Ved Moola

It’s the 4th of August 1926, the skies grew new colours as the flowers flourished under the honeyed rays of glamorous light and in the corner of it all, almost hidden like treasure yearning to be found; her. She stood twiddling her fingers with her head down focused on the grass, subtly oblivious to the sunflowers crowding around her as if she was the belle of the ball, she certainly looked the part, stunningly adorned in a white off-shoulder dress that ends just above her knees. I missed her…

“Hi love” I beckon softly, knowing there’s a smile that’s crept its way across my face.

“Hi darling, how are you?” she gleams. She’s most beautiful when she opens her arms anticipating a hug from me - I can’t believe she wants one from me - her face glows golden.

“I’m good darling, how are you?”

“I’ve been better. What took you so long?” her arms cross as her feet make little stomps.

“The car took longer than expected to pick me up,” I say while smirking and running my hand through her hair.

Hours fly by and we lay in the grass, she only sees the flowers and sky but all I could see was her golden skin glistening, her burgundy locks of hair scattered perfectly across the mud. I remember the times her eyes didn’t glitter the way they do now, the times her skin dulled to nothing and she curled up on the floor, stiller than midnight air. I loved her then, I love her now and I’ll love her always. We spent five years together and every day lingers a little in my mind. I feel the warmth of her encapsulating the field, each sunflower turned towards her and she’s droning on about how much she loves the water. I’ve heard this story a million times over and I’ll hear it a million times more. She’s enchanting…

“I’ll miss you Plearim… I am going to miss you so much,” she whispers into my ear, hugging me tighter than before.

“I’ll miss you too,” I say before leaving her with only a kiss.

The world shrunk since then, the silence growing becoming ever deafening. It’s been two weeks of no contact, she’s disappeared and I have no clue where. I’ve been sending letters to her every day and I’ve been visiting her friends and family, but no one seems to truly know what’s going on with her. The weeks have grown into months and are still growing. I’ve tried visiting her house but she refused to meet me. Please talk to me…

“Give her time,” Slaetha tells me, she’s trying to comfort me but it fails to work.

“I need to see her, that’s all I need to see that she’s okay” “I know but since none of us knows what’s going on with her, we need to wait”

“I have been waiting! It’s been three whole months!”

“I’m sorry Plearim, I know it’s difficult but there’s nothing we can do”

I agreed to meet Slaetha because I knew I needed to try and distract myself from her. But it isn’t working, she’s gone and no one can do anything about it. We sat for an hour or two, not once was she out of my thoughts, she lingered there almost like a taunting curse. Where has she gone? I want her here…

On November 18th 1926, I got a letter. The one I feared, the one I longed for, the one that seemed to be hidden from me - it’s her.

Dearest Plearim,

I’ll miss you. We were once bosom friends, now star-crossed lovers. Yet I feel a detachment. I haven’t a sorrowful moment with you, yet I steer further away. I’ll hold you dear in my heart as will my family, although, they are not much anymore. I know the pain of losing a father and brother, my mother knows the same, now I fear she will know the loss of a daughter as well…

I hoped it would not come to this, I hoped not in this way, yet I know I have lost all control. I have loved you with all the love I had left, I now know there is no more to give. I’ll miss your honeyed eyes and darkened hair, I’ll miss your crooked smile and your button nose, I’ll miss the shades of brown that crawl up your skin, but most of all. I’ll miss the way your eyes glitter even through the darkest of nights. I apologize for not contacting you, I could not stand the thought of looking you in the eye anymore, it was too wretched. The last time we met, I could barely hold eye contact. I needed to look away, to talk about anything other than us. I scarcely succeeded...

I’ll be leaving now. Into the waters, where I’ve always belonged. I’ll join my father and brother and wait for my mother to follow. If you happen to join me, I’ll wait, if not, I’ll hope. Hope for a better life for you, one where you can peacefully live, grow and love. One where your flaws cannot follow, one that lasts an eternity in happiness and only a second in sorrow. I love you Plearim, my love for you could know no bounds and I will not be bound by it, ever. I will wait or I will hope for you. I’ll keep you dear till that day and beyond. I’ll miss you, Plearim…

With love,

Hadleya

I can barely voice her name… Come back… I’m here. I’m here. I’m here. I’m here. Please, listen. I’m here. I want to help, I want to try, please. Just listen. I am right here. Please… Words seem to have ceased existing, the skies have caved in and the earth smells murky like death has cursed us all and death won. I should have helped…The words grow louder and louder, the wind intrusively introducing itself, the cluster of noises create a silence never known and all I can hear is static… Why can I hear static? It ends. There’s no noise now… What must I do?

By Samaa Ved Moola