Still Waiting

"This is so cliché." Gareth thought as he escorted his mother out of the car. Looking at the cloudy morning sky.

"Mom? Can you explain to me one more time why we are doing this?"

Ariana Hendricks did not answer right away, she was scanning the parking lot for a woman that would fit the description that was given to her.

"Gareth, please understand that this is something that I have to do before I die." She said softly.

"Then please explain it to me one more time and make me understand why you have to visit a grave in Singapore. Who is this person? And what has this got to do with you?"

"I guess we are still early." Ariana said in soft voice more for her own benefit.

Almost immediately, a silver Subaru pulled up a few spaces from where they were parked. Gareth then saw the driver, a beautiful Asian woman exited the car and started to walk in their direction. Her long black hair cascading down her back in natural waves. And as she came nearer, he could see that her eyes were a beautiful shade of brown, expressive with a slight tilt that lots of Asian women has. Her skin was porcelain smooth. Her figure slim with curves at all the right places. It's safe to say that he was smitten.

Ariana took a step in the direction of the approaching woman and smiled.

"Hello, are you Miss Ariel? The daughter of Ian?" Ariana asked as she open her arms to hug her.

"Yes, I am. You must be Mrs Hendricks." Ariel smiled returning the hug. Then looking at the handsome man standing behind. "And is that Gareth?"

"Oh where are your manners boy?" Ariana tease her son seeing that he was almost struck dumb by the beauty in front of him.

"He's usually more talkative." Ariana turning back to Ariel and taking her arm. "And you dear please call me Ariana, I have been divorced from Mr Hendricks for a long time now." Ariana smiled.

"Hi, I am Gareth." He introduced himself, finally finding his voice.

"And I am Ariel." Ariel had to suppress a giggle. "He is really tall and handsome." She thought to herself before deciding to shift the conversation to the reason for this meeting.

"Ariana, my dad wanted you to have this." Ariel took out a package that looks like a book and handing it to Ariana. " He left specific instructions to contact you in his will. And that this item to be handed to you personally."

Ariana could not prevent a tear from falling down her cheek as she took the book and held it close to her chest. "I will read this later. Can you take me to see him?" She asked Ariel.

"Sure, just follow me." Ariel smiled and began to guide Ariana through the gates of a Christian Cemetery.

Gareth knew that it was so wrong to be ogling the back of the Asian woman walking with his mother but he just could not keep his eyes off her beautiful figure. Her breast looked perky under the elegant blouse, he guessed that she was about a 32B. And her ass fitted so snugly in her jeans in a near perfect upside down heart shape. He started to imagine how her beautiful legs would feel wrapped around his waist as he pounds her.

"Gareth? What are you thinking about?" His mother's voice bringing him back to the present. He suddenly felt like a pervert for having such thoughts while walking in a cemetery.

"Nothing mom, just trying to understand what's all this about." He replied.

Soon enough the small party stopped at a peaceful spot in the shade of a nearby tree. A marble headstone marking the grave. The earth around the grave clearly indicates that the grave was a fresh one. Ariana took a few steps forward and look down at the headstone. It read :

IAN TAN

Born 19 December 1972

Died 26 June 2042

He waited all his life.

He is still waiting.

Ariana could not stop the tears now. "Oh my darling Ian bian."

She caressed the headstone gently. "I am so sorry baby. I am finally here now. Wait a little longer and I will be with you soon. And you don't have to wait anymore."

Ariel stood beside Gareth watching the older woman starting to sob silently. Her own tears started to fall.

"Do you know their story?" Gareth quietly asked Ariel.

"I read a bit of my father's diary. It seems that he truly loved her." Ariel replied wiping the tears of her cheeks.

"Although your mom kept pushing him away, he loved her so much that he kept coming back. When your mother threatened to cut all ties did he finally agreed to be friends. But he still continued to love her regardless."

"His last words were that he regretted that he could not see her nor hear her voice one last time before he passed. I have never seen love like this, he loved her since the age of 42. The diary that I passed to her was the last one he kept."

"He kept wishing he could go back in time to change things, to undo the mistakes he made." Ariel added.

Ariana then stood up and turned towards Gareth. "Son when I die, I want to be buried next to him. You must make sure of this."

"Mom? Who was this man?" Gareth softly asked the grey haired lady.

"He was the only man that ever loved me." Was all Ariana said.

She then turned to Ariel and took Ariel's hand in hers. "Thank you dear."

"Ariana, I was with him when he passed." Ariel said."His last words were tell Ariana that Ian loves her."

"I didn't know about the diaries until the reading of the will." Ariel continued. "It was his wish that the last diary to be given to you."

Ariana clutch the diary tighter to herself as if wanting to absorb it into her body.

"He was a good man." Was all Ariana could say through her tears. "Son, if you really want to know the story, I will tell you when we get back to the hotel."

"Would you mind if I joined you?" Ariel asked. "I want to know what happened too."

"Sure Ariel. He was your father after all." Ariana replied.

As the party slowly made their way out of the cemetery, unseen by them , a man stood in the shadows watching them.

"Come Ian, it's time to go." Said the angel behind him, gently putting a hand on Ian's shoulder.

"Please? Just till they leave then cemetery?" Ian turned toward the angel, tears rolling down in rivers down his face.

"Don't worry Ian. She will be with you soon." The angel said. "And HE has decided that you will be together in your next life. So take comfort in that."

Turning back to glance at the party now nearing the gate. Ian whispered one last time "Te iubesc draga mea. Mi-e dor de tine."

Then slowly both Ian and the angel turned and walked towards a bright ray of light.