LOVE BIRDS, A NOVEL: THE FINAL TALE-BEYOND THE FLESH

CHAPTER ELEVEN

BEYOND THE FLESH

FRIDAY, OCTOBER, 30, 16: 00 hrs

    The news of Naomi’s death spread like wild fire, and for the next three months Henry received a host of sympathizers and letters of condolences from friends and associates. Mrs. Graham fainted when she heard of her daughter’s death, and was hospitalized for days. At the hospital, she kept seeing her daughter’s phantom in her sleep. She wept each time she saw her, stretching her hands as if receiving a baby whose voice she could only hear, but not see. Naomi, had died an untimely death, and her spirit longed to carry her child. However, with each passing day Naomi’s mum got over the torment.  Meanwhile Mrs. Philips, Henry’s mum, took care of little Henry junior, still mourning. Henry’s father and Mr. Graham were the first to visit Henry, telling him to be a man. At the funeral which attracted people from all works of life, especially alumni of Johns Hopkins University, who couldn’t control their tears as the white gold designed coffin was been lowered six feet below, the reverend Mark Jones asked God to grant the bereaved family the fortitude to bear the loss, as he urged the congregation to start making their ways straight, because they never knew when death would knock on the doors of their lives. At that point the former school mates of late Mrs. Henry had the fact of their own mortality stare them in the face, seeing one with whom they attended classes, wrote exams, and even quarreled with being covered in earth.

             For Henry, one didn’t need to go into his heart to feel his grieve, for months after Naomi’s death, while other members of the family had gotten over it, including Rooney his kid brother who was in his final year at the George Washington University where he was studying Law, he still grieved. Nights, after nights Henry wept, seeing very real images of his late wife. Those wedding pictures that hung on the white painted walls of Henry’s residence worsened the situation. Henry couldn’t remove it, seeing that as a way of honoring his wife, but he still couldn’t help weeping and breaking down at the mere sight of the pictures, even on his happiest days, which were becoming rarer with each passing day. Life was meaningless for Mr. Henry without his lovely wife, and sometimes he acted like her spirit even touched him sometimes, at night, while he slept, for he usually mentioned her name in his sleep while he rubbed his hand. His whole world was crumbling and he was fast loosing concentration at work. The worst however happened when he mistakenly connected a brain nerve to an optical artery, thus resulting in partial paralysis, and mental confusion in the patient who almost passed away, if not for the intervention of other doctors at the Harvard Medical center. The operation was traced to Johns Hopkins University hospital, and a panel set up to investigate the case. After months of argumentative deliberations, Doctor Henry was placed off the hook, with the panel saying he needed a mere psychological attention, and that his loss of concentration was due to his wife’s untimely death. He was thus given a suspension, during which he was meant to seek the services of a psychologist. At the psychologist’s office, a conversation ensued between Doctor Henry and Dr. Fred Jakes, a bald headed, plump man in his late fifties, from Columbia University.

           “You see Mr. Henry” Dr. Jakes started.

          “The solution to your problem lies in your palms. You have to shift your attention from what you have lost to what you have. Think about your little boy, your kid brother, your parents, in-laws, and colleagues. Think about your career, and that way you would be able to gain you concentration back” Dr. Jakes continued.

          “Doctor, I have tried all that, but it doesn’t seem to be working” Dr. Henry complained.

         “May be you should consider dating someone, who could possibly fill the vacuum, your late wife’s death had created in your heart” Dr. Jakes said smiling to ease the pressure that was beginning to build on Henry.

        “Alright doctor. You have been of great help. Thanks” he said shaking the psychologist’s hands, before leaving the office.

    Months later, Henry ran into Sophia who had visited Washington DC on a vacation. They had not seen each other for years, and she had blossomed into an adorable woman. It was a happy reunion for both of them, and they soon began getting on well. She seemed to be a duplicate of Naomi and Henry loved her as much as he loved his first love. Henry finally began dating again, and his performance at work began improving remarkably.

         “I’m really sorry for the death of your wife. Please accept my condolence” Sophia said pitifully.

          “Oh thanks, may her gentle soul rest in peace. I love her even in death” Henry said tears in his eyes.

          “But with you Sophia, I can move on excellently. You and Naomi kind of have a lot in common; beauty, love, foresight, care, loyalty and integrity. Please help me have a better love life without Naomi” Henry pleaded.

         “I’ll try, considering the fact that it’s not easy being another” she said,

         “Nooo, I’m not asking you to be Naomi. In fact I love you the way you are” Henry said trying to make her more comfortable.

         “It was Saturday evening, and Sophia visited. Her presence was most pleasing to Henry’s parents as it has helped their son have life again.

         “Thank you my daughter for being there for our son. God bless you” Henry’s mother said. Henry’s dad had being to his house on a short visit, but his mum had been with him, taking care of Henry’s son, her grandson, since the death of his mother.

        “The pleasure is mine Mrs. Philips” she responded with a smile.

    That evening Sophia wore a v- neck blouse which revealed her cleavage, and from her neck hung a gold necklace.

         “Where did you get that from?” Henry asked pointing at the necklace.

         “Oh this, I bought it from a jewelry shop in New York. Why do you ask?” Sophia responded.

         “It looks just like the one I bought for Naomi, the night before she went into a coma which lasted for months, It was a symbol of our love” he said emotionally.

         “Oh, I’m sorry if it brought back painful memories. I’ll stop wearing it if that will make you feel better’ Sophia said trying to console him.  

        “It is okay, it makes me feel better when you wear it. I love it. Just keep wearing it, and even if I didn’t buy it for you, I’ll like it to serve as a symbol of our love” Henry said as he kissed Sophia.

      Monday morning is always busy for Henry as he’s got lots of appointments to keep. This was after his suspension was called off, and with Sophia’s presence, he soon gained full concentration, most of his life restored. He was running up the stairs to catch-up with a surgical appointment, with a couple of surgeons who had been waiting for close to an hour to begin a brain tumor operation, when wind blew dust into his nose. He immediately had an attack for he was Asthmatic. He had also forgotten his inhaler in haste, and had reported late for traffic jam. Eyewitnesses took him into the hospital, where he was said to be suffering an acute case of the disease. Further diagnosis also revealed the need for a Kidney Transplant.

           “What’s all this. Just when I was beginning to fall in love with him, his life has been placed on the edge of a precipice” Sophia thought to herself, as she sat by his hospital bed.

          ‘Don’t worry baby, you are going to be alright’ she said kissing him on his forehead and gently wiped his forehead with her index finger. This woke him up.

          ‘Sophie’ he said adjusting to a sitting position as he continued.

          ‘You know there are some people we get to meet in life at some point in our journey through this world, we only get to know them for so long before they are separated from us. No matter what happens, Sophie, I want you to know you are one of the best gifts life gave to me. I will always love, cherish and appreciate you. I love you’

          ‘It’s okay sweetie, save your energy. The doctor said you need all the rest you can get. I love you too baby, and we will have all the time together when you get out of here’ Sophia said to Henry who at this point appeared to be gradually passing away. He had lost his appetite for food and drive for life.  He could hardly breathe with his constricted airwaves and his weakened kidney was doing very little in eliminating liquid waste from his body, and as a result lots of toxins were being stored up in his system. The dialysis machine he was placed on was not working effectively with his body to get rid-off as much waste as was needed, especially because he was simultaneously  placed on a lot of medications to help alleviate his asthma.  

   The Kidneys of Henry’s parents were not compatible with his, and so was Sophia’s. The doctor said that by genetic analysis, since his mum’s genes were dominant over his father’s, someone in her lineage with a similar genetic composition was needed. This was Henry’s late grandmother.

          “Three months later, Henry died, leaving Sophia in sorrow. His family mourned him for months. His kid brother, Rooney missed him the most. Immediately after his death, his spirit left his body, and in a white cloud Naomi’s spirit appeared and beckoned on it. They both kissed passionately before disappearing into the clouds to continue their love in the great beyond. Death was no parting for them.