Effanbee
The Fly
Say goodbye, girls - this is the END!
Free Falling
Chapter 16
Walking in the Parnell rose gardens, blessed by the warm sun, surrounded by delicate perfume and rainbow colours. Petals like silk, sensuous under my fingertips, scattered across the paths in soft mosaics.
A shady seat beneath a tree enticed me to rest a while. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, blissfully lost in the dreaming afternoon. I kicked off my shoes, cool grass beneath bare feet, all senses heightened, all colours, scents, sounds and touch ringing like bells of purest tone.
This is love, I thought. Unconditional and infinite. I love him so very much, more than I thought possible. And if he’s not here, in person, it doesn’t matter. Wherever we are in the world it will never be too far away.
The power of it took my breath away, brought tears to my eyes there among the roses.
As if I’d manifested it from my thoughts, the sound of his voice.
‘An angel in the garden. Is she real or did I dream her?’
‘We dreamed each other and we are both real,’ I said without opening my eyes.
Softest touch of his lips, the texture of the roses. I opened my eyes. ‘How did you find me?’ I asked.
Bono smiled. ‘I’ll always find you, Roo.’
I stroked his face with my fingertips. Bono leaned into my hand like a cat, half-closing his eyes. For a long while we did not speak, the depth of our feelings negating the need for words.
‘Are you ready to go back to the real world now, dearest man?’
‘Yes, I am,’ said Bono quietly. ‘I’m seeing things a little differently now, angel. This has changed me a lot, you know.’
‘It’s changed us both, Bono,’ I said. ‘It’s been an interesting journey along this path we’ve travelled together.’
‘We haven’t reached the end, Roo,’ said Bono. ‘We’ll meet up again, further down the road.’
‘I’m sure of that,’ I said. ‘I’ve got so many dreams and plans for the future, Bono. Nothing’s going to hold me back now.’
‘It sounds as if my cynical little woman has had a revelation,’ remarked Bono with a smile.
‘Ah, Bono. Ever hopeful that my pagan soul will be redeemed,’ I said, laughing softly. ‘It’s not God that’s lifted the scales from my eyes, dear one. It’s love, pure and simple.’
Bono took my hands and rested his forehead against mine.
‘Darlin’, don’t you know they’re one and the same thing?’ he whispered.
*****
Epilogue
10 years after
Janey looked out on the misty landscape. Veils of rain swept across the sea, which raged and foamed and crashed against the shore.
‘Touch of the blues today, dear?’ asked Sam. He regarded his wife over the top of his newspaper.
‘All kinds of blue. I miss her so much, Sam.’ A tear spilled down Janey’s cheek and Sam folded his newspaper, went to put his arms around his wife.
‘I know,’ he said gently. ‘We all miss her. She will be remembered though, by many people, through her work at Sweetwaters.’
Janey rested her head against Sam’s broad shoulder. ‘I always felt she missed out, not being able to do what we’re doing now. You know, Sam, just sharing simple, everyday things.’
Sam stroked Janey’s hair, grey now like his own, like all the other people they knew of the same age. Those who had any hair left, anyway.
‘When I first met Roo,’ he said thoughtfully, ‘I got the impression she was driven by something, or searching for something. Later, I realised what it was.’
‘She found it, in Bono,’ Janey agreed. ‘All that love she had for him, Sam. It seemed so cruel that they couldn’t be together. I almost hated him, you know, but Roo would defend him like a tiger, there was no arguing with her.’
‘He loved her too, Janey,’ Sam said. ‘Adam used to say it was amazing when they were around each other, like an electric field. That sort of force can’t be denied by time or space, they both understood it.’
‘Roo said it set them both free. I don’t know if I’ll ever understand it,’ Janey sighed. ‘She was happy in the end, though. The retreat at Sweetwaters was never work to her, she said. It was giving something back to the world.’
‘Tomorrow we’ll be giving Roo back to the world,’ Sam said. ‘She wouldn’t want you to be so sad, my love. Remember all the good times you had together.’
‘Roo always prescribed wine and a large bar of chocolate for the blues,’ Janey said, wiping her eyes. ‘That or some horribly strenuous form of exercise.’
‘Then let’s combine all three,’ said Sam with a smile. ‘With the exercise taking a slightly gentler form.’
*****
There is always a wind blowing here, at the place where two seas meet, thought Edge. Even when the rest of the world is still. He looked at Bono, standing beside him.
‘There are voices in the wind, Edge. Can you hear them?’ Bono said distantly.
Edge shivered. ‘Roo heard them when we were here all those years ago,’ he said. ‘She said they told her that when this day came it would be the start of a great adventure.’
Bono stood silently as the wind whispered, ‘All will be well, all will be well.’
I have everything a man could wish for, he thought. Why, then, do I feel so empty? I never thought you’d go before me, angel … will you be there to light my way when my time comes, as you were always here for me in this world?
‘It’s time,’ said Edge quietly. Bono nodded agreement. Roo had been very clear about not wanting any speeches, no eulogies. Only in people’s hearts, she had said.
So Edge lifted the plain black urn and opened the lid to the sky, letting the contents catch the wind in a grey swirl.
Bono watched the small cloud rise and disperse over the sea, feeling his heart go with it. He raised his face to the sky, God speed my love, I’ll see you on the other side …
The wind caressed his face and Bono closed his eyes, feeling an eerie energy which gathered and suddenly slammed into him with a force that made him gasp.
Edge turned in alarm, seeing Bono with his head thrown back in agony or ecstasy, Edge couldn’t tell.
Bono shuddered as the pure energy flowed through him, filling the emptiness, making him whole again. The voices in the wind flowed together into one, no more than a whisper but very clear – only love, now and forever, for you my love – and then gone, as suddenly as it came.
Bono opened his eyes and there was the sky and sea, as it always was, and the wind was once more just a wind. He turned, seeing his family, his friends, the people he loved around him and felt truly blessed.
Edge was watching Bono carefully, knowing that something strange and powerful had happened. Bono would put it into words, Edge knew, later. For the present Bono just half-smiled and shook his head.
They turned and started up the steep path together, leaving the place of souls behind, and the world moved on.
Free Falling
Chapter 16
Walking in the Parnell rose gardens, blessed by the warm sun, surrounded by delicate perfume and rainbow colours. Petals like silk, sensuous under my fingertips, scattered across the paths in soft mosaics.
A shady seat beneath a tree enticed me to rest a while. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, blissfully lost in the dreaming afternoon. I kicked off my shoes, cool grass beneath bare feet, all senses heightened, all colours, scents, sounds and touch ringing like bells of purest tone.
This is love, I thought. Unconditional and infinite. I love him so very much, more than I thought possible. And if he’s not here, in person, it doesn’t matter. Wherever we are in the world it will never be too far away.
The power of it took my breath away, brought tears to my eyes there among the roses.
As if I’d manifested it from my thoughts, the sound of his voice.
‘An angel in the garden. Is she real or did I dream her?’
‘We dreamed each other and we are both real,’ I said without opening my eyes.
Softest touch of his lips, the texture of the roses. I opened my eyes. ‘How did you find me?’ I asked.
Bono smiled. ‘I’ll always find you, Roo.’
I stroked his face with my fingertips. Bono leaned into my hand like a cat, half-closing his eyes. For a long while we did not speak, the depth of our feelings negating the need for words.
‘Are you ready to go back to the real world now, dearest man?’
‘Yes, I am,’ said Bono quietly. ‘I’m seeing things a little differently now, angel. This has changed me a lot, you know.’
‘It’s changed us both, Bono,’ I said. ‘It’s been an interesting journey along this path we’ve travelled together.’
‘We haven’t reached the end, Roo,’ said Bono. ‘We’ll meet up again, further down the road.’
‘I’m sure of that,’ I said. ‘I’ve got so many dreams and plans for the future, Bono. Nothing’s going to hold me back now.’
‘It sounds as if my cynical little woman has had a revelation,’ remarked Bono with a smile.
‘Ah, Bono. Ever hopeful that my pagan soul will be redeemed,’ I said, laughing softly. ‘It’s not God that’s lifted the scales from my eyes, dear one. It’s love, pure and simple.’
Bono took my hands and rested his forehead against mine.
‘Darlin’, don’t you know they’re one and the same thing?’ he whispered.
*****
Epilogue
10 years after
Janey looked out on the misty landscape. Veils of rain swept across the sea, which raged and foamed and crashed against the shore.
‘Touch of the blues today, dear?’ asked Sam. He regarded his wife over the top of his newspaper.
‘All kinds of blue. I miss her so much, Sam.’ A tear spilled down Janey’s cheek and Sam folded his newspaper, went to put his arms around his wife.
‘I know,’ he said gently. ‘We all miss her. She will be remembered though, by many people, through her work at Sweetwaters.’
Janey rested her head against Sam’s broad shoulder. ‘I always felt she missed out, not being able to do what we’re doing now. You know, Sam, just sharing simple, everyday things.’
Sam stroked Janey’s hair, grey now like his own, like all the other people they knew of the same age. Those who had any hair left, anyway.
‘When I first met Roo,’ he said thoughtfully, ‘I got the impression she was driven by something, or searching for something. Later, I realised what it was.’
‘She found it, in Bono,’ Janey agreed. ‘All that love she had for him, Sam. It seemed so cruel that they couldn’t be together. I almost hated him, you know, but Roo would defend him like a tiger, there was no arguing with her.’
‘He loved her too, Janey,’ Sam said. ‘Adam used to say it was amazing when they were around each other, like an electric field. That sort of force can’t be denied by time or space, they both understood it.’
‘Roo said it set them both free. I don’t know if I’ll ever understand it,’ Janey sighed. ‘She was happy in the end, though. The retreat at Sweetwaters was never work to her, she said. It was giving something back to the world.’
‘Tomorrow we’ll be giving Roo back to the world,’ Sam said. ‘She wouldn’t want you to be so sad, my love. Remember all the good times you had together.’
‘Roo always prescribed wine and a large bar of chocolate for the blues,’ Janey said, wiping her eyes. ‘That or some horribly strenuous form of exercise.’
‘Then let’s combine all three,’ said Sam with a smile. ‘With the exercise taking a slightly gentler form.’
*****
There is always a wind blowing here, at the place where two seas meet, thought Edge. Even when the rest of the world is still. He looked at Bono, standing beside him.
‘There are voices in the wind, Edge. Can you hear them?’ Bono said distantly.
Edge shivered. ‘Roo heard them when we were here all those years ago,’ he said. ‘She said they told her that when this day came it would be the start of a great adventure.’
Bono stood silently as the wind whispered, ‘All will be well, all will be well.’
I have everything a man could wish for, he thought. Why, then, do I feel so empty? I never thought you’d go before me, angel … will you be there to light my way when my time comes, as you were always here for me in this world?
‘It’s time,’ said Edge quietly. Bono nodded agreement. Roo had been very clear about not wanting any speeches, no eulogies. Only in people’s hearts, she had said.
So Edge lifted the plain black urn and opened the lid to the sky, letting the contents catch the wind in a grey swirl.
Bono watched the small cloud rise and disperse over the sea, feeling his heart go with it. He raised his face to the sky, God speed my love, I’ll see you on the other side …
The wind caressed his face and Bono closed his eyes, feeling an eerie energy which gathered and suddenly slammed into him with a force that made him gasp.
Edge turned in alarm, seeing Bono with his head thrown back in agony or ecstasy, Edge couldn’t tell.
Bono shuddered as the pure energy flowed through him, filling the emptiness, making him whole again. The voices in the wind flowed together into one, no more than a whisper but very clear – only love, now and forever, for you my love – and then gone, as suddenly as it came.
Bono opened his eyes and there was the sky and sea, as it always was, and the wind was once more just a wind. He turned, seeing his family, his friends, the people he loved around him and felt truly blessed.
Edge was watching Bono carefully, knowing that something strange and powerful had happened. Bono would put it into words, Edge knew, later. For the present Bono just half-smiled and shook his head.
They turned and started up the steep path together, leaving the place of souls behind, and the world moved on.
