‘In the universe of ambiguity this kind of certainty comes only once and never again no matter how many lifetimes you live.’
‘But she’s sat frozen by her responsibilities staring at the back window harder than she had ever looked at anything in her life.’
‘Soon his left signal light will come on. In a moment he’d be gone.’
Francesca gripped the door handle and felt it move.
The traffic lights were still on red. If she was going to do it, she only had a few more seconds.
The lights changed but nobody moved. Richard commented on the truck in front. “He’s a long way from home.”
Francesca felt her heart stop as she grasped the door handle even tighter.
And then Richard was honking his horn.
“What’s he waiting for?”
Francesco could answer that question.
What had Richard done wrong? He had stood by her.
There for all his husband and fatherly duties as was expected.
So why had Robert come into her life and changed it forever and how would anybody ever understand?
The children, would they hate her?
Was she prepared to run the risk?
Some people go through their whole lives never having experienced the feelings, the oneness, and the passionate completeness of the last four days.
Richard is getting impatient now and honks the horn again.
Robert Indicates left and begins to move.
The rain is relentless and mesmerises Francesca in her pain
At the next junction Robert winds down his window and lets the rain batter his face.
Before he pulls away he takes her necklace, the chain with the cross, and hangs it gently around and the rear view mirror. It sways with the vibration of the engine.
There is no pause and rewind in life.
Sometimes we only get one chance at true happiness.
And sometimes it seems to come too late.
Francesca died of natural causes.
Her doctors were puzzled.
It had been some years since a broken heart was taken seriously.
An undoubted medical condition.
But far too simple to be considered in this modern technological world
Francesca ashes’ were taken to Roseman Bridge, where at last she could feel Robert’s touch and know that in this special place he would stand by her for eternity.
***
With thanks and admiration to Robert James Waller for giving us The Bridges of Madison County and Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep, for surely, one of their best performances, ever.
Bio
I think I should explain…The photos have nothing to do with the story. I added them instead of writing a bio. It encapsulates a recent 24 hour period. An antidote, if you will, to the sense of loss, lingering after the story. I wonder, did anyone else think of ‘Bridges of Madison County’ when they they saw the picture Hannah provided? I couldn’t think of anyhting else!