Another Place: View from a Bridge

Mena had been nervous about meeting the children, she thought they might not accept her as they had us, but she was wrong. They took to her straight off, welcoming a new playmate. Our meeting had set me thinking though, causing me to wonder if there were other people here that I knew. I approached Kelly, who seemed to know the rules of this place rather well.

"You can't go looking for people you might know I'm afraid." Kelly frowned.

"Why not?"

"They might get jealous that you're going back and they're not."

"But what about Mena?"

"She actually needed to see you. You don't think that it was a coincidence do you? Mena needed some help to show her the way forward. You and Sue gave her a nudge in the right direction."

"Couldn't the guide have done that?"

"Maybe." Kelly sighed. "But you know how resistant she is to being forced to do something."

I nodded, remembering how Mena always had to do things her way.

"She will be all right though."

"Yes Dave, she will. Somehow, you and Sue have set her on the right track and she'll be fine now. It might take another month or so, but I think she'll find what she needs now. You've helped another lost soul find its way." She smiled a sad smile. "How we're going to cope without you I shudder to think."

"Well, I'm only doing what I was asked to do. I'm sure you can replace me when the time comes." I was a little embarrassed by this sudden praise, until I saw the twinkle in her eye. She was pulling my leg!

"Almost certainly. The guide is good at finding people to work for him." Kelly grinned. "Now buzz off, I've some possible replacements to interview."

Now we were coming towards the end of our contracts and I couldn't help but remember our time together was probably finishing. Sue put this down to the fact of our impending departure. On the morning before our last show the guide visited as promised. He didn't mention the memory loss to Sue, presumably having been forewarned by Kelly. He just told us to go to sleep as normal, and when we awoke, we would be back on the bridge where he'd found us. As he went to leave I asked if I could speak to him outside, out of Sue's earshot.

"About the other issue, anything new?"

He sadly shook his head.

"No. I've been looking for loopholes, but can find none."

I sighed.

"That's going to make me pretty unique then. The only person to leave here sadder than when they arrived."

"Maybe, maybe not. You are supposed to lose your memories of this place, but love is the strongest force in the universe, so who knows?"

"But YOU are supposed to know. It's you that runs this place." I was angry now. Time was short and I wanted proper answers, not wishy-washy maybes.

"You are very perceptive, but I have to obey my own rules. Why else would I have them?"

"And I've got more problems than when I arrived. What have you done to my life?" My anger exploded in a crescendo. The guide just let it wash over him.

"The answer to your biggest problem lies within you. I can do no more." He turned and left. I threw up my hands in exasperation and then managed to calm down before going back inside.

"What was that about?" Sue asked cheerily.

"Just something I wanted to say to him." I shrugged, avoiding an outright lie. I put my arms around her. "We've got one more show to do. Let's plan a great finish."

"You? Plan? That'll be a first." She laughed.

"You cheeky mare!"

We were approaching the end of our last show. It had been our best one ever. We'd played Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb', U2's 'One', and Joe Bonamassa's 'India/Mountain Time' for the umpteenth time. 'Kashmir' had got yet another outing, as had 'When The Levee Breaks' and 'Fear Of The Dark'. 'Freebird' had caused a mass outbreak of air guitar once more. All our co-workers had popped in to say their goodbyes and Kelly had watched the whole show for the first time since our initial week. There was just time for a couple more tracks.

"Okay knob-twiddler, this will be your last pick. What's it going to be?"

"This is for you button-pusher. Me as well, I suppose. Remember when you played that soppy Cliff song for me?" I nodded. "Well, this is what it gave me. 'Moment Of Clarity' from Roger Waters." She cued it in.

"This is a nice little piece." I said to her as the track played.

"I know you like it, and I think it has some meaning for me."

"Me too." I smiled at her and reached over to hold her hand for a moment. "I wish we could go on like this forever."

"Our time here is up." She shrugged. "Can't be helped." The song finished. Sue cued me one last time.

"So, what will be our last song I hear you all ask? Well, I'm not going to break with tradition and not dedicate it to my wonderful girl Susan, but I am going to dedicate it to all of you out there listening as well. Our last track ever is Thin Lizzy's 'Still In Love With You'. Goodbye, and don't forget us."

"Yes, goodbye. We've loved doing this show for you. And thank you for your support."

"So. Thin Lizzy. 'Still In Love With You'." I started the track and went around to Sue and kissed her.

Kelly came in and hugged us both. There was something I had to ask her.

"Kelly, why have you never got 'green-eye'? Are you on a contract like us?" I had been wondering about this for the last month or so now. Kelly and the two of us were the only ones left from the starting team now.

"I'm not on the same sort of contract as you, and I doubt I'll ever get 'green eye'."

"But why? You seem happy enough."

"At first I was employed as a junior guide." She sighed. "And I screwed up. I failed to save over a thousand souls from a big shipwreck."

"How did that happen?"

"I mistimed my arrival and they had all become lost in the wastes of time. I can never make up for that." She looked sadder than I'd ever seen anyone, even Sue on the bridge. "But doing this, with your help, I've assisted a lot. Over the past year many people have found their peace thanks to us." She smiled weakly. "I'm going to miss you two. You made this project happen. I couldn't have done it without you. I hope you find what you need back home. I mean it." The last part was obviously directed to me. I knew she was hoping for a miracle for us, but it was one I couldn't believe in.

We all hugged again, Sue and Kelly on the verge of tears. I took Sue's hand and led her out into the night.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"I thought we could have one last walk around together."

"But it's dark."

"So? Please Sue."

"All right, a short walk won't hurt." We wandered around for a while, just holding hands, not talking. I wanted this to go on and on. It was nearly time and I was sure I was going to lose her back in the real world but eventually we turned for our home for the past year.

Sue and I entered our apartment for the last time, still buzzing from that wonderful last show. We knew that when we awoke we would be back on the bridge where we had met. Sue still didn't know that our memories of our time here would probably be gone. That was what was supposed to happen; I knew that from talking with the guide. She would retain the piece of mind that she had found here, and some other measure of her feelings. What I would retain the guide didn't know, so this may be the last night of happiness for me. As we snuggled down in the bed, I kissed Sue for what I thought would be one last time.

"That was nice." She smiled, yawning. "See you in the morning; back on the bridge I suppose?" And then she rolled over and closed her eyes.

"In the morning." I whispered without conviction. Sue was soon asleep, I could tell from her breathing as I lay with my arms around her, but I couldn't or wouldn't drop off. I didn't want to fall asleep and wake up not being in love with her. I held on to consciousness for as long as I could, nearly two hours, but I succumbed eventually.

That had been a waste of time, as Susan and I re-entered our world at the same time. She was leaning against the bridge rail on her haunches, and I was crouching in front of her, holding her hand. And then I realised that I could remember those hours trying to stay awake, and the last song we'd played, and the first, and everything else! I looked into her pretty face and lovely green eyes. She was looking at me strangely, her hand moving up to my face.

"Sue! Susan! Can you remember too?" I asked excitedly.

"What?" She answered distractedly.

"Can you remember the year we just spent together?"

"That? Of course I can Dave, its just...your eyes. You've got 'green eye'. How can you have 'green eye' here and now?"

"I've got 'green-eye'?"

She nodded, reaching into her bag and pulling out a small mirror. She passed it to me and I looked at my eyes. She was right; I did have the same sort of green flecks in my eyes that I had seen so often in those who had found peace or happiness. I suddenly recognized why. The guide had said there was a problem with me, that only Sue and I could solve. I realised that as soon as it was obvious that Sue and I both had our memories of the radio station, that we still had our love, my problem was solved, hence the 'green eye'. The guide had been wrong and right at the same time. He was wrong when he thought we wouldn't remember our time in the other place, but he was right that love was a powerful emotion. Mine and Sue's love had been so strong that it had held all our memories in place, every little thing we loved about each other. Instead of trying to explain to a puzzled Sue, I just held her close, hugging her to me.

"It doesn't matter, I still have you, so nothing else matters."

"So what happens next?" Sue said from the depths of my hug. I sat back.

"I suppose we have to find..." I stopped as I saw a letter in Sue's pocket that hadn't been there the first time we were on this bridge. "What's this?" I asked, pulling out the envelope. Strangely, although it had been in Sue's jacket, it was addressed to both of us. I squatted beside Sue so that we could both read what was inside. It was a contract for a radio show for the local station! As I passed it to Sue to read properly, a note fell out of the envelope. I picked it up. On it was a three word message: For services rendered. It was signed: Your Guide. I turned my eyes skywards and whispered my thanks. I put my arm around my beautiful redhead and kissed her.

*

The songs mentioned in the above story are:

Kashmir by Led Zeppelin. From the album Physical Graffiti.

Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd. From the album Gold And Platinum.

Poison by Alice Cooper. From the album Poison.

We Will Rock You by Queen. From the album Greatest Hits.

Feel Like Making Love by Bad Company. From the album 10 from 6.

Celebration Day by Led Zeppelin. From the album Remasters.

Miss You Nights by Cliff Richard.

You Shook Me All Night Long by AC\DC. From the album Back In Black.

In These Arms Tonight by Bon Jovi. From the album Keep The Faith.

Just Good Friends by Fish. From the album A Kettle Of Fish.

Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd. From the album The Wall.

One by U2. From the album Achtung Baby.

India/Mountain Time by Joe Bonamassa. From the album Live From Nowhere In Particular.

When The Levee Breaks by Led Zeppelin. From the album Led Zeppelin 4.

Fear Of The Dark by Iron Maiden. From the album Best Of The Beast.

Moment Of Clarity by Roger Waters. From the album The Pros And Cons Of Hitchhiking.

Still In Love With You by Thin Lizzy. From the album Live And Dangerous.