Undying Love

 

UNDYING LOVE

Elizabeth stood on the cliff edge watching and waiting for her fiancé Henry’s ship to come into the harbour. She knew he was coming home. She would feel it

The sun went down but still she waited. She stood on her favourite spot and waited; like she had done so many times before. The clear night grew cold but no ships sailed into the harbour.

Elizabeth felt sad, she just wanted Henry home by her side so that they could make the plans for their wedding. ”Oh Henry,” she pleaded sorrowfully, ‘please come home to me.’

Each evening she’d walk the short distance to the cliffs edge hoping to see his ship come in. Each evening she went home disappointed. Then, one evening .Elizabeth went home and put on the wedding dress her mother had given her; the one her mother wore when she got married.

She imagined Henry at her side as she began to waltz around the room. Glancing in the mirror she imagined Henry was holding her close ‘‘Oh Henry, Henry, how I wish you were really here,” she murmured brokenly.

The next evening Elizabeth made her usual short journey to the cliff edge. Her heart fluttered. In the distance she could see a ship sailing towards the harbour. Was it Henry’s? She couldn’t be sure. She prayed it was. She stepped forward – just a little for a closer look.

She felt the ground shift. Heard the ripple of loosened rock as the cliff gave way beneath her. In desperation she frantically grabbed hold of rocks and branches but she was not strong enough to hold on. She fell onto the sandy beach below.

A few weeks later Henry returned from sea. He searched for Elizabeth on the cliff edge, puzzled that she was not there to welcome him home. His excitement ebbed a little but he wasted no time going to see his beloved Elizabeth – his bride to be.

Grabbing up a posy of red roses from the flower seller he whistled as he hurried in the direction of Elizabeth’s cottage. He rapped cheerfully three times.

Nancy, Elizabeth’s sister answered his knock.

”Hello Nancy, I’ve brought these for Elizabeth, my bride-to-be,” Henry smiled glancing over her shoulder.

 

“Henry,” Nancy said broken hearted.

She dropped her head and asked him to come in.

When she had finished telling Henry what had happened she buried her head in her handkerchief tears dripped down her cheeks,

Devastated, Henry could not believe that his beloved Elizabeth was gone.

He hugged Nancy and with a sorrowful goodbye left. His cheerful whistle turned into tears as he thought of her. But as he made his way home he gave the occasional little smile remembering the good times they had: the dancing and the long walks on the beach and the love they had for each other.

The next day Henry went to the grave where Elizabeth lay. Tears ran down his cheeks as he laid fresh red roses on the clay.

“Oh my love,” he sobbed brokenly,” if only I had come home sooner you wouldn’t have fallen over the edge of the cliff. You fell – waiting for me. Oh my Elizabeth, I am so sorry”.

A gentle breeze fanned Henry’s face. He listened. He was sure he could hear the whisper of Elizabeth’s soft words within the breeze, ”Henry my love, it is not your fault, I will always be with you.”

Henry looked around. He could not see anyone. He knew instinctively it was Elizabeth sending him a message of love and reassurance.

He turned to the gravestone and kissed it.

“Goodbye, for now,” he whispered.

His head low he walked from the grave.The gentle breeze blew again and within the breeze he could hear, ”Until we meet again my love.”

Henry lifted his head and smiled, He now knew that Elizabeth would always be with him.

He walked the short distance to the cliff edge, where Elizabeth had last stood. In the distance he could see a figure, its long dress blowing slightly in the breeze; the figure was gazing out into the horizon.

Henry scrambled over the rocks and on to the sand below. But by the time he had reached the spot where he had seen the woman she was gone.

He stood staring watching the sun go down, He thought of Elizabeth falling at the same spot. Tears choked his throat. I should have been here to save her – home on an earlier tide. He held his head in his hands and blamed himself for Elizabeth’s untimely death.

He felt the breeze blow gently like a whisper in his ear. ‘‘Don’t blame yourself my love, it was an accident”

Still blaming himself Henry lifted his head and sadly walked home ”Oh Elizabeth I wish you were here”

For a long time after her death Henry didn’t go back to sea; He could not bring himself not to be near her. He took to walking to her grave – laying flowers – in his mind he was asking her for guidance,

The gentle breeze fanned him and within it he could hear Elisabeth’s voice ”It is time my love, to roam the seas again” Within weeks Henry was ready for his next voyage.

Reaching the harbour he saw again the figure in the long dress. He now knew it was Elizabeth. She beckoned him to come closer. He could feel the coldness of her hand’

Elizabeth walked by his side holding his hand as he stepped onto the ship. He knew then that she and he would be together always.

As the ship sailed out Henry and his crew sang songs while they worked, Henry could hear the gentleness of Elizabeth’s soft voice as she joined in.

He sang at the top of his voice, the crew didn’t know what came over him, but at least he wasn’t shouting orders. They thought.

One night as they lay sleeping a storm blew up. The ship began to rock,” Haul down the sails,” Henry ordered the crew. The wind blew harder and the sea grew rougher. The ship rocked as the wave after waves as high as cliffs crashed against it

Henry was blown overboard into the icy churning waters. His ship floundered in the waves.

Something grasped his hand. He stopped fighting the wall of water and sensed the soft breeze. He could see Elizabeth; she was beckoning him to her below the surface of the water. He stretched out his arm towards her. “Elizabeth!”

“Come, Henry, we will be together forever now,” his bride-to-be smiled.

By Collette McHugh

Guest Writer Januaary 2015