In Remembrance of Me
A black-and-white United States Mounted Police Corps sport cycle pulled in past the open gates of Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles. The driver put her bike in park and, while using her foot to bring down the kickstand, took the key out of the ignition. After dismounting from the black leather seat, the young woman in uniform opened the back compartment and removed a single white rose. Finally she proceeded to enter the cemetery's maze of headstones. It was a gorgeous day, with no clouds to be seen, and the birds in the trees were warbling their throaty songs. The woman, a 27-year-old with hair a beautiful shade of auburn and sparkling brown eyes, walked slowly among the graves scattered throughout the cemetery. Eventually, she came upon the one: Sergeant Eugene Tackleberry. She stopped and gazed downward for a moment, her face solemn, as she removed her helmet and said a silent prayer for him. Then, she knelt down and gently placed the rose in front of the headstone, continuing to read the words engraved on it, never tearing her gaze away. After a few minutes had passed, she felt her eyes begin to sting; soon, one tear, then another, slid down her cheek.
God, how I miss you, the officer thought to herself as she ran a gloved hand lightly over the smooth surface of the headstone. Things just haven't been the same since you left us. At that moment, a light breeze floated by her and caressed her face. She could almost swear a soft, breathy voice spoke to her.
"Jessica." Jessica squinted her eyes a bit. The voice on the breeze, it sounded so familiar. Then she shook her head.
"I must be hearing things," she said to herself. "There's no one here except me."
"Jessica." There it was again, except this time it sounded more real. Jessica looked about; still nobody around. She turned her eyes back to the marble headstone that marked Sergeant Tackleberry's resting place. However, she didn't sense there was someone behind her, a person who had been part of her life.
Oh, Eugene, Jessica continued on in her mind, you have no idea how much you were loved. You have no idea. She never got to finish that thought because suddenly she felt a presence near her. The officer slowly looked to her right, where a black glove rested on her shoulder. Her eyes traveled up a black leather sleeve, and she turned her head around to see a familiar face.
"Jessica, why weren't you listening? I've been trying to get your attention." Sure enough, Eugene Tackleberry-rather, his ghost-was standing there, bent over her. Immediately, Jessica's face brightened.
"Eugene!" She threw her arms around him and tackled her husband to the ground. In an instant they were a happy tangle of arms and legs. Jessica planted smooches all over his face, she was so thrilled to see him.
"Whoa, Lieutenant Tackleberry!" Eugene laughed. "Easy on the kisses." When his lips met hers, he gave her one deep kiss. Once they pulled back, he gave her his signature smile. "You're awfully glad to see me, aren't you?"
"I've missed having you around," Jessica replied, lying on her back next to him. "My life's felt so.so empty since you died." She sighed and gazed up at the clear, open sky. Eugene sat up at this.
"But it doesn't have to be like that," he said, more serious now. "I can still be with you, even if it isn't in a mortal state."
"How do you figure that?" Jessica asked, sitting up as well. "I mean, sure, I believe in angels and that God sends them to watch over us. That I've known from the time I was little. But can a dead friend stay with me even though he's a spirit now?"
"It's simple," Tackleberry explained. "If you allow me to, I'll remain with you in your mind"-he pointed to her forehead-"and in your heart." He then tenderly laid his palm on the middle of her chest.
The younger Tackleberry looked disappointed at his words. "How will I know that you'll always be there with me and for me, even though you're not alive any longer? I'm sure you've got other people to look after."
"Just keep me in your thoughts, or even whisper my name," Eugene answered, "and you know what?"
"What?"
"I'll always answer you," he finished. "You only have to listen for my voice on the wind. Or, whenever you pick up a gun, think of me and I'll give you a sharp eye and a steady hand."
"Will it help at all to come and visit you often?" Jessica asked hopefully.
"Sure," Eugene said. Jessica sighed and leaned against him, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder instinctively.
"There's something I don't understand, though," she blurted out of nowhere.
"What's that?" the tall motorcycle police officer asked, turning his head and looking at her.
"If you're a ghost, how is it I can see, hear, and touch you so plainly?" Jessica wondered, shifting her eyes to meet her friend's.
"Angels can do anything," he told her. "I can manifest myself to whomever I choose. Like right now, I'm sitting here talking to you. Of course, I'm visible to anyone else who might happen by, too, in case they get to thinking strange things."
"How often should I come to visit you?"
"Once a month, plus the day we first met, and the day I passed on to the afterlife," Eugene replied. "And bring a white rose every time. That was my favorite flower."
"Yeah, I seem to recall that," Jessica mused. "You gave me white roses on our first date. That was very romantic of you. It was just a shame that you and your wife divorced."
"I couldn't take the fact that her male relatives were so violent. Her brother and their father were practically knocking each other unconscious, and they thought it was fun." Eugene got a distant, almost wistful, look in his eyes. "Kirkland was very pretty; I just couldn't be around her family. But then I met you."
"Well, at least you found the happiness you-" Jessica was cut off sharply when she felt that Eugene was beginning to fade. "Eugene, what's happening to you?" Her eyes began to well up again as she realized what was going on: he was leaving her.
"I wish I could stay, but I'm needed elsewhere right now," he said mournfully. "Don't worry. Keep me in your mind and heart, and I promise I'll stay with you for all eternity." They kissed one last time before he finally shimmered away. His voice called back to her.
"Do it always in remembrance of me." Jessica turned her face toward the sky, though her vision was blurred by the hot tears streaming out of her eyes. She bent over, curled up in a ball, and wept till she could weep no more. Once she was out of tears to cry, she picked up her helmet and walked back to her sport cycle. She put the key in the ignition and revved up the engine, put her helmet on and took one last glance at Eugene's grave, then flipped down the black visor and turned her bike around to exit the cemetery through the gate. As she cruised down the street, a police motorcycle passed her on the other side. It had the Metropolitan Police badge emblazoned on it, and the officer appeared to be on patrol as usual, until he made a U-turn and came up behind her. When she came to a stop at a red light, she glanced in her side mirror and saw the officer lower his dark sunglasses to look at her. Upon closer inspection, it was Eugene! She could see in the mirror that he was smiling, and she swiveled around on her bike to look at him. When he saw her lift her tinted helmet visor, he winked at her, and he could tell she was grinning behind the mouth/chin protector. She turned around and looked in her mirror again; he had vanished, and the smile left her face. The light turned green, and Jessica continued on her way back to department headquarters, but as she crossed the intersection the Metropolitan Police motorcycle appeared again. This time, it roared up beside her, the officer smiling widely. He gave her a quick salute and passed ahead of her, then disappeared into the traffic. This left Jessica with a warm feeling that he was still watching over her, no matter where she was or what she was doing.
A black-and-white United States Mounted Police Corps sport cycle pulled in past the open gates of Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles. The driver put her bike in park and, while using her foot to bring down the kickstand, took the key out of the ignition. After dismounting from the black leather seat, the young woman in uniform opened the back compartment and removed a single white rose. Finally she proceeded to enter the cemetery's maze of headstones. It was a gorgeous day, with no clouds to be seen, and the birds in the trees were warbling their throaty songs. The woman, a 27-year-old with hair a beautiful shade of auburn and sparkling brown eyes, walked slowly among the graves scattered throughout the cemetery. Eventually, she came upon the one: Sergeant Eugene Tackleberry. She stopped and gazed downward for a moment, her face solemn, as she removed her helmet and said a silent prayer for him. Then, she knelt down and gently placed the rose in front of the headstone, continuing to read the words engraved on it, never tearing her gaze away. After a few minutes had passed, she felt her eyes begin to sting; soon, one tear, then another, slid down her cheek.
God, how I miss you, the officer thought to herself as she ran a gloved hand lightly over the smooth surface of the headstone. Things just haven't been the same since you left us. At that moment, a light breeze floated by her and caressed her face. She could almost swear a soft, breathy voice spoke to her.
"Jessica." Jessica squinted her eyes a bit. The voice on the breeze, it sounded so familiar. Then she shook her head.
"I must be hearing things," she said to herself. "There's no one here except me."
"Jessica." There it was again, except this time it sounded more real. Jessica looked about; still nobody around. She turned her eyes back to the marble headstone that marked Sergeant Tackleberry's resting place. However, she didn't sense there was someone behind her, a person who had been part of her life.
Oh, Eugene, Jessica continued on in her mind, you have no idea how much you were loved. You have no idea. She never got to finish that thought because suddenly she felt a presence near her. The officer slowly looked to her right, where a black glove rested on her shoulder. Her eyes traveled up a black leather sleeve, and she turned her head around to see a familiar face.
"Jessica, why weren't you listening? I've been trying to get your attention." Sure enough, Eugene Tackleberry-rather, his ghost-was standing there, bent over her. Immediately, Jessica's face brightened.
"Eugene!" She threw her arms around him and tackled her husband to the ground. In an instant they were a happy tangle of arms and legs. Jessica planted smooches all over his face, she was so thrilled to see him.
"Whoa, Lieutenant Tackleberry!" Eugene laughed. "Easy on the kisses." When his lips met hers, he gave her one deep kiss. Once they pulled back, he gave her his signature smile. "You're awfully glad to see me, aren't you?"
"I've missed having you around," Jessica replied, lying on her back next to him. "My life's felt so.so empty since you died." She sighed and gazed up at the clear, open sky. Eugene sat up at this.
"But it doesn't have to be like that," he said, more serious now. "I can still be with you, even if it isn't in a mortal state."
"How do you figure that?" Jessica asked, sitting up as well. "I mean, sure, I believe in angels and that God sends them to watch over us. That I've known from the time I was little. But can a dead friend stay with me even though he's a spirit now?"
"It's simple," Tackleberry explained. "If you allow me to, I'll remain with you in your mind"-he pointed to her forehead-"and in your heart." He then tenderly laid his palm on the middle of her chest.
The younger Tackleberry looked disappointed at his words. "How will I know that you'll always be there with me and for me, even though you're not alive any longer? I'm sure you've got other people to look after."
"Just keep me in your thoughts, or even whisper my name," Eugene answered, "and you know what?"
"What?"
"I'll always answer you," he finished. "You only have to listen for my voice on the wind. Or, whenever you pick up a gun, think of me and I'll give you a sharp eye and a steady hand."
"Will it help at all to come and visit you often?" Jessica asked hopefully.
"Sure," Eugene said. Jessica sighed and leaned against him, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder instinctively.
"There's something I don't understand, though," she blurted out of nowhere.
"What's that?" the tall motorcycle police officer asked, turning his head and looking at her.
"If you're a ghost, how is it I can see, hear, and touch you so plainly?" Jessica wondered, shifting her eyes to meet her friend's.
"Angels can do anything," he told her. "I can manifest myself to whomever I choose. Like right now, I'm sitting here talking to you. Of course, I'm visible to anyone else who might happen by, too, in case they get to thinking strange things."
"How often should I come to visit you?"
"Once a month, plus the day we first met, and the day I passed on to the afterlife," Eugene replied. "And bring a white rose every time. That was my favorite flower."
"Yeah, I seem to recall that," Jessica mused. "You gave me white roses on our first date. That was very romantic of you. It was just a shame that you and your wife divorced."
"I couldn't take the fact that her male relatives were so violent. Her brother and their father were practically knocking each other unconscious, and they thought it was fun." Eugene got a distant, almost wistful, look in his eyes. "Kirkland was very pretty; I just couldn't be around her family. But then I met you."
"Well, at least you found the happiness you-" Jessica was cut off sharply when she felt that Eugene was beginning to fade. "Eugene, what's happening to you?" Her eyes began to well up again as she realized what was going on: he was leaving her.
"I wish I could stay, but I'm needed elsewhere right now," he said mournfully. "Don't worry. Keep me in your mind and heart, and I promise I'll stay with you for all eternity." They kissed one last time before he finally shimmered away. His voice called back to her.
"Do it always in remembrance of me." Jessica turned her face toward the sky, though her vision was blurred by the hot tears streaming out of her eyes. She bent over, curled up in a ball, and wept till she could weep no more. Once she was out of tears to cry, she picked up her helmet and walked back to her sport cycle. She put the key in the ignition and revved up the engine, put her helmet on and took one last glance at Eugene's grave, then flipped down the black visor and turned her bike around to exit the cemetery through the gate. As she cruised down the street, a police motorcycle passed her on the other side. It had the Metropolitan Police badge emblazoned on it, and the officer appeared to be on patrol as usual, until he made a U-turn and came up behind her. When she came to a stop at a red light, she glanced in her side mirror and saw the officer lower his dark sunglasses to look at her. Upon closer inspection, it was Eugene! She could see in the mirror that he was smiling, and she swiveled around on her bike to look at him. When he saw her lift her tinted helmet visor, he winked at her, and he could tell she was grinning behind the mouth/chin protector. She turned around and looked in her mirror again; he had vanished, and the smile left her face. The light turned green, and Jessica continued on her way back to department headquarters, but as she crossed the intersection the Metropolitan Police motorcycle appeared again. This time, it roared up beside her, the officer smiling widely. He gave her a quick salute and passed ahead of her, then disappeared into the traffic. This left Jessica with a warm feeling that he was still watching over her, no matter where she was or what she was doing.