The Blind Beggar: Final

The clock of life moved tick by tick and Boulos grew weaker.  Pancreatic cancer had returned.  Doctors said they could only make him as comfortable as possible.  After so many miracles demonstrated in their lives, Amal was standing in faith another was coming.  She wanted her husband with her for a while longer.  Her hope was waning. 
Lacking strength to move about on his own, Boulos was bedridden for more than two weeks.  At one point he rallied and Amal believed it to be the miracle response to her prayers. Then Boulos declined quickly. 
On the last night on his earthly home, the family gathered around his bed.  There had been vigils for 3 days and each time someone entered the room to allow another to leave for a while, they believed he was dead.  Never a large man, Boulos looked particularly small in this emaciated state. 

Amal, Said and Adeline were seated around the room talking softly about current events when a noise came from Boulos.  Amal rushed to his side and sat on the bed next to him.  Weakly, Ali requested,” My Amal, describe the sunset to me.”

“But it is night.  There is no sunset.”
With more force in his voice than his failing body should have been able to muster, Ali stated, “I see a wonderful horizon.  It calls to me.  Tell me what YOU see.”

Amal understood these to be the last moments with her love.  She squeezed his hand and forced back sobs.  “The Mediterranean is more beautiful than ever.  I have never seen such a paradise, my Ali.”
“Y, yes, I see it.  More, tell me more.”

Tears streaming, Amal continued, “The Garden of Eden is in the distance and a heavenly chorus sings angelic harmonies.  Colors, dear Ali, such colors no eye has ever seen, illuminate the whole horizon.  It is as if God feels it a special day to paint the canvas anew.”
She looked at Ali, who was still, on his back and with his head tilted back. His breaths were shorter. 

In desperation Amal cried, “Damn you, Ali, don’t you leave me again!”
He focused his eyes on hers and whispered, “But my Amal, I, I want to.  Who could not want to go?”  Amal looked at her children who were crying.  Boulos lifted his arms as if reaching for someone.  Amal released the hand she held.  She prostrated herself next to Boulos and held him.  She willed life into her husband.  Slowly, his arms returned to the bed.  One of them was around her torso.  She was ever conscious of the pressure of the arm on her body.  That was how it felt whenever he hugged her.  Then she felt dead weight.  Amal’s lips quivered.  She knew he was gone and held the body tightly.

Said and Adeline cried as they moved to their mother.  Putting his hand on his mother’s shoulder, Said whispered, “Mama.  He’s gone.”  It was not a consolation to his mother but a means of expressing his own grief. 
“I know.  I want a few minutes alone with him.”

Said and Adeline glanced at each other not convinced it was the best thing.  Finally, Adeline said, “Ok mama.  We’ll be in the living room.”
After her children shuffled out and closed the door, Amal cried.  “My Ali, why must you leave me again?  Oh God, why must you take him away from me?”  More cries filled the silent room.  “Why couldn’t I go first?”

A bone chilling pain overwhelmed Amal and she wailed with deep sobs that shook her body.  Would she ever stop?  Amal thought that impossible.  Her love was gone again and no miracle could reverse this.  There would be no seeing him on the street or receiving messages online out of the blue.  This was forever.
Many images flashed through her mind.  She heard Ali’s laugh and felt his fingers on her face.  Joy and pain darted about her consciousness.  She fought to calm herself but it only made her pain worse.  With her eyes closed Amal concentrated on the room. 

She felt Ali’s body next to hers and the weight of his arm.  She heard hushed conversation and sounds of mourning in the next room.  Then, faintly, she could hear water crashing against the coast.  Amal fought to block out all else.  She got up from the bed and walked to the window.  She listened again.  Yes, she could hear the waves from the coast. 
Her view of the Mediterranean was always a source of inspiration and strength.  Then she remembered how her faith rekindled when she and Ali married.  God was still in heaven and she believed Ali was in a better place.  With tears still in her eyes, she walked back to the body of her husband.  It was the shell, the chassis for the spirit the just left for heaven. 

Still crying, Amal bent down and tenderly kissed Ali on the forehead.  Losing her love would stay with her the rest of her life but she would trust God had a plan.  In the meantime, Amal would mourn her husband.  She would honor him by remembering and savoring everything about him.  She would even accept the pain of his departure. 
Straightening up, she said with every bit of conviction her heart possessed, “I’ll see you beyond, my dear sweet Ali.”  Then she turned to go into the next room to be with family and friends.  Said and Adeline moved to her and the three hugged.  She kissed each on the head and whispered, “We’ll get through this too.”