Lessons relearned
I walked up to the bridge side and stared out at the water. I wanted to get a good look before I left. I didn't know what I was going to do. I had nothing to look forward to. This whole trip had been worthless, I just hoped Ed was having better luck than I was. I turned around and saw that old woman who recognized me yesterday. She pushed her self over to the bridge side with me.
"Are you going to leave soon?" she asked.
"Yeah, there's nothing for me here, no reason to stay."
She just stared ahead.
I turned to her and said, "By the way, how did you know my name was Faye?"
She looked at me weird, "Because that is your name. Faye Yolonda Tivrusky."
"But, my name is Faye Valentine."
She looked confused and said, "What, did you get married?"
I shook my head, "No, when the gate accident happened they lost all data on me including my name. So the doctor decided to name me Faye Valentine. I wanted to know how he knew my real first name was Faye."
She closed her eyes and smiled, "Hmm... I think I know what happened. Tell me, did you ever get a video of yourself and your friends?"
I was shocked. "Yes, how did you know that?"
She opened her eyes, smiled, and said, "Because I sent it to you 50 years ago. Would you like me to explain, or do you remember it yourself."
"Well, my memory did come back, but some parts are still fuzzy."
She sighed and said, "We were the best of friends. You, Faye Tivrusky, me, Amy Fisher, and our third friend Ashely Smith. Together we were a trio that couldn't be beat. We were always together. We went to school together, helped each other with our homework, and helped each other with our problems in life. Each of us also had a crush. I had a thing for this boy named Carlos. You were into this boy named Antonio. And Ashely had a crush on Jobin."
She sighed, "We were unseperable. Untill..."
I was completely emersed in her talking. When I heard her say untill I repeated it like an involuntary reaction.
She opened her eyes and gazed over the water.
"One day, while walking home from school, Ashely got struck by a car. She was in acomma. They weren't sure if she would ever wake up from it. Suddenly, this pretty picture perfedct life we had shattered. I was a mess. All I would do is sit by her bed side and cry. I remeber that day you came by, bent on snapping me out of this.
As soon as I saw you I said, 'My life is ruined. That's all there is to it.'
You sat down next to me and said, 'Hey, don't say stuff like that. Life is what you make it.'
I mumbled, 'So I'm to blame for all of this?'
You just smiled. You were always doing that.
'Listen Amy," you said, "do you really think Ashely would want you here, worrying about eveything.'
I stood up, 'But what about us. We were supposed to be invincible. What's gonna happen to us right now?'
'Who cares.'
'Thanks alot Faye'
'Anytime Amy. Listen, don't worry about the future. It'll come as it comes. Live for the here and now. Ashely will wake up when you come back.' you said to a smile.
The way you were care-free, and just knew that everything was ok. You convinced me to get up, and get on with my life. The next day Ashely woke up. Once again, we were invinsible. No, we were beyond invincible. Unstopable, unbeatable, we could not be stopped. Untill you took that trip in the space shuttle. You wanted to see the stars up close. Then... the accident."
The old lady just seemed to get more and more tired as she spoke.
"You were put in that cryogenic sleep. To be awoken when the technologhy was advanced enough to heal you. I wanted to give up, but I remebered your words. Thats what got me through.
I sent you letters every week, starting each letter with
'Dear Faye, its time to wake up.'
I told you about the week, and told you to get better soon.
Two days before the horrible gate accident, I found that video tape that you made, to send to your self in the future, in your closet. I decided I would send it to you. However, it didn't make it before the gate accident. And so, it got forwarded from place to place. Searching for you basically. I'm guessing that is how you got that video tape. And the doctor must have found one of the letters I addressed to you and figured out your name was Faye. It would make sense."
"Yeah,"I said.
What else was I to say. It all came back to me. All those memories, everything. So much happened, so long ago...
"Faye. Live for the here and now. Don't worry about the future, and don't worry about the past either. Neither can be changed, so just live your life to the fullest."
"Thanks, Amy"
"Thank yourself, its your advice."
I smiled.
See you Space Cowgirl, someday, somewhere."
I walked up to the bridge side and stared out at the water. I wanted to get a good look before I left. I didn't know what I was going to do. I had nothing to look forward to. This whole trip had been worthless, I just hoped Ed was having better luck than I was. I turned around and saw that old woman who recognized me yesterday. She pushed her self over to the bridge side with me.
"Are you going to leave soon?" she asked.
"Yeah, there's nothing for me here, no reason to stay."
She just stared ahead.
I turned to her and said, "By the way, how did you know my name was Faye?"
She looked at me weird, "Because that is your name. Faye Yolonda Tivrusky."
"But, my name is Faye Valentine."
She looked confused and said, "What, did you get married?"
I shook my head, "No, when the gate accident happened they lost all data on me including my name. So the doctor decided to name me Faye Valentine. I wanted to know how he knew my real first name was Faye."
She closed her eyes and smiled, "Hmm... I think I know what happened. Tell me, did you ever get a video of yourself and your friends?"
I was shocked. "Yes, how did you know that?"
She opened her eyes, smiled, and said, "Because I sent it to you 50 years ago. Would you like me to explain, or do you remember it yourself."
"Well, my memory did come back, but some parts are still fuzzy."
She sighed and said, "We were the best of friends. You, Faye Tivrusky, me, Amy Fisher, and our third friend Ashely Smith. Together we were a trio that couldn't be beat. We were always together. We went to school together, helped each other with our homework, and helped each other with our problems in life. Each of us also had a crush. I had a thing for this boy named Carlos. You were into this boy named Antonio. And Ashely had a crush on Jobin."
She sighed, "We were unseperable. Untill..."
I was completely emersed in her talking. When I heard her say untill I repeated it like an involuntary reaction.
She opened her eyes and gazed over the water.
"One day, while walking home from school, Ashely got struck by a car. She was in acomma. They weren't sure if she would ever wake up from it. Suddenly, this pretty picture perfedct life we had shattered. I was a mess. All I would do is sit by her bed side and cry. I remeber that day you came by, bent on snapping me out of this.
As soon as I saw you I said, 'My life is ruined. That's all there is to it.'
You sat down next to me and said, 'Hey, don't say stuff like that. Life is what you make it.'
I mumbled, 'So I'm to blame for all of this?'
You just smiled. You were always doing that.
'Listen Amy," you said, "do you really think Ashely would want you here, worrying about eveything.'
I stood up, 'But what about us. We were supposed to be invincible. What's gonna happen to us right now?'
'Who cares.'
'Thanks alot Faye'
'Anytime Amy. Listen, don't worry about the future. It'll come as it comes. Live for the here and now. Ashely will wake up when you come back.' you said to a smile.
The way you were care-free, and just knew that everything was ok. You convinced me to get up, and get on with my life. The next day Ashely woke up. Once again, we were invinsible. No, we were beyond invincible. Unstopable, unbeatable, we could not be stopped. Untill you took that trip in the space shuttle. You wanted to see the stars up close. Then... the accident."
The old lady just seemed to get more and more tired as she spoke.
"You were put in that cryogenic sleep. To be awoken when the technologhy was advanced enough to heal you. I wanted to give up, but I remebered your words. Thats what got me through.
I sent you letters every week, starting each letter with
'Dear Faye, its time to wake up.'
I told you about the week, and told you to get better soon.
Two days before the horrible gate accident, I found that video tape that you made, to send to your self in the future, in your closet. I decided I would send it to you. However, it didn't make it before the gate accident. And so, it got forwarded from place to place. Searching for you basically. I'm guessing that is how you got that video tape. And the doctor must have found one of the letters I addressed to you and figured out your name was Faye. It would make sense."
"Yeah,"I said.
What else was I to say. It all came back to me. All those memories, everything. So much happened, so long ago...
"Faye. Live for the here and now. Don't worry about the future, and don't worry about the past either. Neither can be changed, so just live your life to the fullest."
"Thanks, Amy"
"Thank yourself, its your advice."
I smiled.
See you Space Cowgirl, someday, somewhere."