Undying

I finally heard her car idling on level "D." I felt ridiculous, stealthily creeping around a parking structure in the middle of the night. But I almost immediately spotted Annie standing behind a pillar while she talked to a man who was equally hard to see. It was dark and shadowy down there. Hence, I had no problem creeping near enough to overhear the conversation. Annie was just saying, "This is the last of it. You have everything you need."

The man's voice said, "You are a true patriot and a brave woman. The American people owe you a debt of gratitude." Annie said, steel in her voice, "You can repay me by making sure that nothing gets traced back to me. You HAVE to protect me as your source. I have a wonderful life and a husband who I love, and I'm pregnant.

My eyebrows shot up to my hairline. I was going to be a daddy!!?? We had been trying for almost a year. When was she going to tell me THAT!!! Then it dawned on me. Annie had said that she had something important to tell me tonight. The mysterious man laughed and said, "Don't worry. We only identify you as Deep Throat. No sexist innuendo THERE." Annie chuckled and said, "You only wish. I reserve that strictly for my husband."

Annie arrived home bubbling over with relief and the joy of what she was about to tell me. I was appropriately surprised and overjoyed. I would have been a dead man if I'd told her that I already knew, because I was lurking in the parking structure when she had handed the last batch of Watergate material to Woodward.

The identity of Deep Throat was a well-kept secret until Mark Felt claimed it. Woodward quickly confirmed, even though there was abundant proof from the timing of things that Deep Throat couldn't possibly be Felt. Of course, Annie worked directly for Felt at the time and my wife was a person of courage and integrity. More relevantly, Felt's confession came in 2005. By that time our youngest, Mike, was 27 years old and flying an F-15E Strike Eagle over Iraq. Coincidentally, August 4th, 1974, the day that Nixon resigned, was also the day of our daughter Brooklyn's first birthday party.

*****

You don't think about the end-game until you get there. That's unfortunate. Because, the end of your life is when all the important questions get asked. Did you justify your existence? Did you add a little value? Or, were you a waste of oxygen, a taker, not a giver? Your story's already been written. So, there's no way to change the ending.

I was content with my life. I'd done interesting work, which had contributed in a small way to advancing mankind. I'd fathered three wonderful children. They'd grown up to be effective adults, and more importantly, decent people. But the primary comfort in my old age was the love of the woman who was sitting next to me on the little stone bench in our favorite spot, overlooking Saline Point.

I had a couple of lucrative patents and Annie had retired as a Circuit Court judge. Maryland weather is depressing in the winter and the climate in the Windwards is always perfect. So, we bought a place on the north shore of the island of St Lucia.

I could still do a few laps in our Olympic sized pool. But an old man insisted on standing between me and the mirror. Of course, Annie had never aged; at least in my eyes. Alarms had been going off in my head for weeks. It was nothing substantive, just a premonition. But it wouldn't go away. I turned to my dear wife and said with too much anguish in my voice, "I would be lost without you." Her eyes crinkled with concern. We'd been married for over fifty years. She knew what I was implying. She said, "I know that. So, I know you'll be right behind me if I go first."

I said, "I think it's going to be the other way around my love. But either way, thank you for this life." I looked into her sweet eyes and the love I felt for her was reflected back at me full force. We kissed like eternal lovers. The gentle breeze picked up. The sun was shining brightly, It was hot in the tropics. But I could feel the icy fingers tapping me on the shoulder.

EPILOGUE

Annie came running up the hill toward me. It was a lovely spring day, not a cloud in the sky. The grass was green and lush, and the trees were in their first glorious bloom. Behind her, three adult children and a host of friends were gathered around a grave. It had only been two months. But I felt like it had been forever. I marveled at her beauty, long chestnut hair, gorgeous face and superb body. I thought to myself, "How could I be so lucky?"

She rushed into my arms and we kissed passionately. The gears of the universe began to creak into motion. She said, "God!! I missed you!!" I chuckled and said, "I haven't been dead THAT long. I've just been waiting around for you to catch up." She gave me one of her glorious smiles and said contented, "I hope the next life is as happy as this one's been." I grinned back at her and said," We always have each other. That's good enough for me, no matter what cards we get dealt."

Then I added playfully, "I wonder if they'll have flying cars?" My eternal love and everlasting soulmate whacked me on the arm and laughed merrily. Then, as we had done for millennia, she gently took my hand and we walked together into the bright light.