Songs for the Soul Ch. 02

Joan ran up the stairs to her apartment, checking her watch and muttering, "I'm late."

Arriving at her door she slipped the key in and unlocked it. As soon as it opened she ran towards the ringing phone, and picking it up she sank onto the couch.

"Hello, Joan?" the voice on the other end asked. A faint smile appeared on Joan's face.

"Fred darling," she replied, the smile growing broader..

"Were you out? This is my third call." Fred, her fiancé said, the smile on his face mirroring Joan's as he leant against the wall of the pay phone he was using.

"Oh!" Joan said, "I'm so sorry love, I got caught up at work. You won't believe what happened…"

And so the conversation went on into the night for Joan, and into the afternoon for Fred.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Oceans apart day after day
And I slowly go insane
I hear your voice on the line
But it doesn't stop the pain

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"You're going where?" Joan had cried as she looked at Fred.

"New Zealand." Fred replied apprehensively. Joan rarely got worked up over things, but this was one of those times.

"New Zealand! Do you have any idea how far away that is, and for a year? How could you accept this project without discussing it with me?" Joan said, agitatedly, "

"I know Joan, but it's an excellent opportunity for me. If I can oversee the construction on this building properly, and do a good job, I'll be able to get that promotion I've been working for. Come on Joan, please try and understand," Fred said, attempting to placate her.

"Understand! You're asking me to understand? How would you feel if I told you I was going to go away for a year to some strange country, and without even discussing it with you?" Joan asked, not willing to listen to whatever Fred was trying to tell her. He had done things that agitated her before, but this was too much.

"You could come with me." Fred said quietly, looking at Joan. "We don't have to be apart; you could come."

"You know I can't." Joan snapped. "I have a lot of patients scheduled for surgery in the next two months. I can't leave all that and come with you. It's just not possible. But you don't have that sort of commitment. You can still say no; please don't go." Joan said.

"I have a commitment too Jo," Fred said, his voice now hardening. "I've given my word."

Joan looked at him, not able to believe what she was hearing. Fred had committed to going for a whole year without even asking her?

She struggled to compose herself and said quietly, "You've made your decision, and I've made mine so there's nothing more to be said."

Fred moved to embrace her, but Joan pushed him away.

Fred sighed and said, "I don't want it to be like this Joan."

Joan said, coldly, "You should have thought of that when you took this up this project without consulting me. Now please leave."

The 'please' came out as a whisper, a whisper that barely hid Joan's pain.

Fred stared at her for a moment; she did not return his gaze. He the turned and left.

* * * * * * * * *

I took for granted, all the times
that I thought would last somehow
I hear the laughter, I taste the tears
But I can't get near you now

* * * * * * * * * *

Fred and Joan stayed apart; Fred sulking and Joan constantly breaking down in tears, but both convinced they were right. Fred had arrived two days after they had their fight, to pick up his things. Joan had watched in stony silence as he packed.

After that day, they did everything possible to avoid each other, although it was breaking their hearts, but pride had reared its ugly head.

More than two weeks to go before Fred had to leave, but they were busy ones for him. He had to get a lot of things to get in order before he could go, so he had taken leave of absence from work and was tying up the loose ends.

He and Joan were still not speaking to each other, despite their friends' attempts to get them back together again. Both were still bitter and angry, and refused to even see each other.

News of the separation reached Fred's sister, Freya. Knowing how deeply committed to each other Fred and Joan had been, she flew in from New York to find out what was going on.

Freya first spoke with Joan, and then Fred. After much persuasion and cajoling she managed to get them both to agree to talk to each other at least once before Fred left.

So, on the Saturday before he was due to leave Fred and Joan met in a restaurant they both liked and might prove to be neutral ground.

When Fred arrived, he found Joan already sitting at one of the tables, staring at the wall before her. He made his way to the table and sat down, not meeting her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Joan said softly;

Fred looked at her.

"I'm sorry," Joan repeated, "sorry that I refused to listen. It was just that I was confused and angry, because you didn't ask me before you made your decision. I understand what this means for you, and I'm sorry, I was inconsiderate."

It wasn't easy for her to say these words, but after Freya had talked to her, she had come to understand that Fred had to do this to fulfill his dream, and he'd had no intention of hurting her. She had over reacted, and now regretted it.

Fred, hearing her apology, was stunned. He felt that he too had an apology to make.

He put his fingers under Joan's chin and lifted her face up to his so that he could look into her eyes.

"And I'm sorry too," he said, "for not having discussed it before I said yes to the job. It was wrong of me; but to be truthful I knew that if I had asked, you would have said no."

Joan smiled sadly; he was right of course, she would have said no.

They kept the conversation light throughout dinner, not wanting to say anything that might disrupt this moment of truth and tenderness between them, and most of all, not wanting to mention anything that might finally bring to a bitter end their relationship.

It was when Fred was driving Joan home that they actually talked frankly. This time, Fred took the initiative.

Joan was looking out the window when she noticed that he was going the wrong way. Instead of turning into the street that led to her apartment, he had turned into a park. Puzzled, she looked at him as he switched the engine off.

"Jo," he said uncertainly, "I'm going away, but the truth is, Jo, I love you. These past two weeks have been hell without you. Even when I'm gone, I still need to know that I can always come back to you. I love you Jo, and I want to come back to you."

Joan looked at Fred. Then without warning, tears began to stream down her face.

"Don't you realize how much I'm going to miss you?" she wept.

"I know darling," Fred said, "but if you'll wait for me, I swear I'll be faithful to you."

That night in the apartment they loved each other as they had never done before, secure in the knowledge that theirs was a bond that would not be defiled.

* * * * * * * *

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The Qantas aircraft stood whining softly, just beyond the departure lounge.

Fred held Joan in his arms.

"I'll come back to you my love."

"I know, my darling," Joan murmured.

They kissed and Fred left her, joining the other passengers as they boarded the aircraft and shortly after it taxied to the runway; it paused, then the engines roared and gathering speed it took off.

Joan watched the aircraft until it was a mere dot in the sky. There was something she had not told him; something that might have stopped him from leaving. She wondered how he would feel when he returned to meet the child she now carried in her womb

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Once again, a big thanks to my editor Ray, who looked through this submission carefully, even rewriting it where necessary. Thank you so much Ray.

The lyrics used in this submission are from Richard Marx's song - Right here waiting. Its a lovely song, that I suggest you listen to.

Thanks for reading me, and please vote. Any feedback I get is very important to me, so, if time permits, also leave a comment, on what you think of the story. Thank you.