It is so damn hard being a widow ( based on a true story)
Hi, my name is Prudence; they call me “Pru” for short. I have a daughter, Luna. She is 5-year-old, I am 27 now. Surprise, huh? Too young to be a mom for 5 years old child. I am going to tell u something that can make u even more shocked, I am a single parent, no husband. Luna is fatherless. There are so many things that keep bothering me, not only my mind but my life. It happened since I met him. He is Clint. He is a single dude, I am a widow and that is the cancer of the problems I face now… the root, the main problem. “A widow” It is a word that effected me a lot now.
Let me tell u a short story of mine back 8 years ago. When everything seemed so perfect for me..I got married when I was 20 years old with Ken. He is my first love. We had a relationship when I was 15 years old. They called it puppy love, but not for us. We got married, settled down. We rented a small house at the suburb area. I loved my daily routine; I loved it even more when Luna was born. I woke up early in the morning, prepared breakfast, did the laundry, right after Ken went to work I did all the chorus happily, as a conclusion I enjoyed myself as a housewife. I didn’t go to work anymore before I was a teacher.
3 years of marriage, that was the happiest moments in my life. But everything turned into a nightmare just in 3 months. Ken was founded by his friend fainted on his way home. It was November; it stayed fresh in my mind. His friend called me and told me that Ken was hospitalized. I grabbed my bag and ran as fast as I could to the hospital and turned into paralyzed when I saw his weak body lying on the white bed. I cried….
The doctors called me; they explained what my husband suffered from and what made him in a coma condition. Their voices buzzed into my ears went straight into my mind which made me even cried more badly. Ken’s lung was in a great damage. He suffered from Tuberculosis. I tried to remember the symptoms’ of that disease in Ken’s dailies. None but except one morning he coughed so bad in the bedroom and did more flushed than ever before, I saw some red spots on his towel but he said it was his shaving. It was his coughed.
3 months I had to go back and forth, house, school, hospital. Yup, I got back to work to afford our needs, Luna and I must go on. Luna and I stayed at my parents’ house. They took care Luna. Luna was 9 month old that time. ICU room with 2 long rows of beds. Ken laid at the corner. The sounds of machine that attached to his body, in and out small hoses from his mouth and nose made me shiver. I was so damn weak but didn’t want to show him what I felt inside. I believed Ken knew I was standing next to him even he was coma. I always sang a song next to his ears and he tried to blink his eyes as a response to it and to a story and to a wish that I whispered softly to his ears. I kissed him on his cheeks and rubbed his body with oil. His body was getting stiffed because he never did any single movement.
It was 28 of January, a month before Luna 1st birthday, 18 days after our wed anniversary. I never knew that day was the last day I sang songs for him, the last whisper into his ears, the last wish” please don’t go” into his ears, the last gentle rub to his body. I never knew that was the last day I touched his right chest with a tattoo (It was my name written on his chest). His body was too weak I was so sure he couldn’t stand it anymore. I carried Luna, she was fast asleep in my arms. I stood in front of his body and I spoke out loud, I tried to keep my voice firmly but I was shaking inside as I said, “ Ken, I love you, Luna and I need you but I know Ken U have suffered a lot. So Honey, we let u go, do not worry about Luna, I will take her of her. We love u pa.” As I finished my words that was his last deep breath.
He passed away. He has gone with all the love he has for us, with a half of my soul, Luna’s soul. Everything turned so bleak, my eyes felt sober. I hug Luna as I sat next to his dead body. “Good bye, my love. So long Honey, Wait for me in heaven. Till we meet again Ken. I will always miss u.” I tried to shake his body hoping that he would awake and kiss me gently as he did every morning. His dead body didn’t move. I keep shaking till my sister grabbed my hands and take me to her arms. I cried..”Ken, don’t go now…stay with me. Luna needs u.”
I ask Ken’s family to bring his dead body and to burry in his home town. So I can go on with my life. Since then nights seemed forever, I cried in the mid of night, wishing that he lay next to me. Then I thought..I have to be strong; I need to move on for Luna. Luna is the only treasure I have now. She looks like his dad. Her eyes, nose and the way she laughs. I see a reflection of Ken in Luna.
WIDOW, I have no problem with that 5-letter-word. I just don’t get why people say it is so hard being a widow. Luna gets all my attention. My career as a teacher runs smoothly. Luna and I stayed with my parents now. I always tried my best to fulfill Luna’s needs. Luna is the apple of my eyes..Now my life is everything about Luna. I get used being a single mom. I carried Luna just by myself. Luna never falls asleep in a father’s arms. I tell a story of her father instead of reading story book children for her bed time. I don’t whether Luna understands it or not. I just want to let her know everything about her dad.
4 years has passed away but still can’t get rid Ken out of my mind. Keep walking on the past, dream about him every night. People around me keep asking me about my next ..you know what I mean, a relationship with someone new. I just simply reply, “it never crosses my mind”. Frankly speaking it is not easy to do.. It is even more difficult than forcing Luna for her toilet training. How can I get crush with someone when Ken is still inside my mind. I still long for him, but then I never answer all the questions rudely. I also tell them that I don’t know about the paths lay in front of me and people who stand along my path maybe one of them will be my next partner in life (tough in my mind it still seems impossible). Till I met Clint.
He is a single dude. Yeah….a young man who still likes to hang out with his buddies, spend his time clubbing or pass a drink. I met him when I have to go back to my dad’s hometown which is his mom’s too. It was my granny’s death ceremony. Never really looking at him in detailed, Ken’s memories are still controlling my mind and never know that we can get that close in a short moments. (Clint and I). Since we have to share the seats in an ambulance (Get in charge to bring my granny’s dead body back to her village), so we start a wacky and bit phony conversations and in my surprise I enjoyed the conversations. We stayed there for a week. Clint and I are having a good talked, I told him everything about my life and How much I miss Ken and he let me know that he just got his heat broken by a girl that he got crushed to. In a conclusion, we get the rhythm of it.
It is time to go back to my beehive’s activity so is Clint. We do say good bye and…It is making me sad. We have to go back to our activities. I take the morning flight so I still can get to my office and do some works. It is continually….. the conversation, the jokes between Clint and I even it is just by the phone and it is for 3 months…. My friends keep smiling at me when my phone is ringing…”now, your phone is ringing very often huh ? as they chuckle by and the meeting that supposed to be happened in my room turn into a gossiping time.
Something is not right about this….and it is keep buzzing in my mind. I get used with Clint’s simple questions like..have u eaten your lunch?, where are u now, and don’t forget to send me a text if u have reached your office or house. There is a butterfly under my belly, its wings keep flipping and it tickles me a lot, makes me feel funny. I am in love again….Oh no…it can’t be happen….It can’t be. Now, a word widow is a problem for someone.
One night Clint and I talk about ‘this’ and we make a deal not to contact each other for a week just to let ourselves a space to think it all over again. And a week it is just damn long to pass without knowing what he is doing out there………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Today is the day. It is been a week, he’ll call me in 20 minutes…I wait and wait………..it rings, my phone rings I grab it and listen to a voice…..Oh my God, how I missed his voice….yes.. I am in love…Clint has brought a new color for me, he makes it brighter for me to live on. Then the conversation starts, it is about a commitment. I tell him that this is an open relationship and he has to decide it now. I just can’t wasting my time and attention in doing something which is blur for me..Then we decide that we are going to try it..My status is not a problem at all for him, not at all…….
Till I know that his peers do not like his decision to get along with me as they know I am a widow. Clint is now has stopped spending his time to a club or pass a drink. I get all his attention which makes his friends more dislike me (in my point of u). They even make a forum to discuss it. I do complain about this matter to Clint. Objection as I said to Clint. “Who the hell are they? I do not even know them. How can they say such words about me, they judge me just because I am in love with u?” “I am not a hocker, a prostitute, or a bitch.. I am just widow. Is it that horrible for them?” and it is now just like a cancer for our relationship. It is keep continuing for 2 years. Now I learn to get used with them. I am just hoping they’ll try to know me or maybe try to put their selves in some one’s shoes or maybe try to look at themselves before stating about someone, they can be even worse than their statements don’t they?
Well guys, thank you for reading my short story. I’ll continue writing my story and share them with u. and of course your comments are most welcome. This is not the end this story yet……I still have plenty to write. So long and Thank you. Wait for the next chapter it is so damn hard being a widow.
Sincerely,
Nublessin