The Blind Beggar: Part XIV

Boulos lay on his cot as his mind whirled.  He retraced the feel of Amal’s face and thrilled at the thought.  He had touched his love after so many years.  His heart ached to enjoy her presence in the here and now.  To know she was alive and well was heaven. 

Emotions and thoughts rushed so fast it began to overwhelm him.  Therefore, he concentrated on his surroundings.  In the room, he could hear the hum of the lights overhead.  Then he noticed the sound of a man beginning to snore.  This man snored with a ferocity Boulos wished he was deaf rather than blind. 

Noises came to him from outside.  The window was four cots away.  He could faintly pick out the evening crickets.  Then he noticed a group of people speaking loudly.  Boulos believed it to be a party of some kind.  He imagined a birthday party for he heard the excited voices of children mixed with adult voices.  There was merriment in their sounds. 

A breeze blew in through the window and Boulos caught the faintest hint of rain.  He remembered his uncle often saying that if we wish to see the rainbow, we must have rain.  He suddenly felt melancholy and longed to see a rainbow.  Of course, that would never happen.  Still, Boulos believed he would never see Amal again but he did mere hours ago.  Miracles do happen. 

Boulos sent his spirit to Amal hoping she would hear him.  In his heart and from the bottom of his soul he said to her, “My Amal, you cannot imagine how my spirit soared to finally be with you even for those briefest of moments.  Even now it all seems a dream, my angel.  Oh hear me, my love.  I could never say it when we were young but I have always loved you.  The whole of your life is joy to me.  Oh, that I could see you again.  I hang in this balance.  Seeing you is heaven but now that I’ve seen you, to not be with you is hell.”

He felt tears well up in his eyes.  He rolled over to his side and pulled the sheet up to cover his face.  Boulos continued, “Oh my Amal, my Amal.  In my heart you are always mine.  How I wish that could be so but our lives are on different paths.  To what purpose did God cause our paths to intersect?  I am a shipwrecked man.  I drank brine and I am mad in my desire for more.  Oh God, how can I go on?  Amal, my Amal, please know my heart” 

Amal finished putting the children to bed and went to the kitchen to finish cleaning.  She stopped and closed her eyes for a moment.  She could feel Ali’s touch on her face and she raised her hands to mimic what she felt.  Her fingers danced across her eyes and cheeks.  Again, she felt the thrill of Ali’s touch.  Euphoria leapt in her soul.  Her spirit was no longer confined to her heart but flew through the sky above her flat.  She smiled as her body began to sway to an unheard melody.  A symphony of angelic instruments played and she was in harmony with the tune.

“What are you doing? Her husband called out.

Reality plummeted and crashed down.  Embarrassed and ashamed, Amal looked at her husband but said nothing.  He asked, “Did you not hear me?  What are you doing?”

“I was cleaning the kitchen.”

“No, you were just standing there like a fool with your hands on your face.  What is that all about?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know anything.  Hurry and finish in here.  I want you in bed quickly.”