(Hang, Chapter VI)
They walked in silence, far from the ocean's edge, and far from civilization, it seemed. Chandler gripped Monica's hand tightly as they proceeded. It seemed as though he was afraid that she'd run, or disappear, should he let go, or even loosen his grip. Monica watched him intently, as he made his way down a path he obviously knew well. His jaw was set tight, and his eyes were hazy. They walked down a tree-covered path, and the further they went, the thicker the jungle seemed to get. Thick, leafy trees covered the sky above, and twisted twigs and branches snaked their way over the dirt path. Eventually, the path seemed to disappear entirely, and the fleeting thought that Chandler was leading her into the jungle to abandon, or kill her nearly made her chuckle out loud. Chandler paused briefly at a small cliff, before reluctantly releasing Monica's hand to climb down the rocky cliff face. He hopped down, and turned to help Monica, who was already making her way down. As she neared the bottom, the rock she was balanced on gave way, sending Monica flailing toward the ground. She felt a set of strong arms wrap around her waist, and pull her to safety. They stood face to face, locked in a strangely uncomfortable embrace, for an unusually long period of time. Then, as though he had just come out of a trance, Chandler released Monica, and took a long step back.
"Thank you, for-uh…catching me," she whispered meekly.
Chandler said nothing; he simply smiled, and proceeded down the "path".
They walked for several minutes more, and then suddenly came upon a clearing. The sight before her caused Monica to gasp in wonder.
Tropical flowers of all shapes and sizes framed a small, turquoise natural pool. Cascading into the pool was a small, shimmering waterfall. The pool was completely surrounded by thick foliage, and Monica wondered how Chandler had ever found this slice of paradise.
"Eden," Chandler whispered softly.
"What?" Monica started at the sound of Chandler's soft voice.
"That's what it's called," Chandler finally looked at Monica, though his eyes still carried a blankness that Monica found unsettling.
"Oh. Chandler, it-it's amazing."
"It's my favorite place on the island," Chandler smiled, as he made his way down toward the water. Monica watched, as he stripped off his sleeveless shirt, flimsy sandals, and board shorts, and dove into the water. He swam to the middle of the pool, then turned to face her, his arms skimming the surface in front of him, helping to keep him afloat.
Monica began to undress, then hesitated, when she realized that she was not wearing a bathing suit. She smiled ruefully, when a new realization came to her—he'd seen her naked before—a lot! She shook her head as she stripped off her shorts and tank top—but opted to keep her bra and panties on. She wondered why she suddenly felt so shy around a man she'd known for the better part of her life. He's your husband, Monica told herself. Ex-husband, she corrected, her heart hurting at the thought. But they were, in the eyes of the law, divorced. And they hadn't been intimate in over two years.
Two years.
She gingerly stepped into the water, and was pleasantly surprised to find it quite warm. She looked up, and noted that Chandler had seemingly disappeared. She waded deeper into the water, her eyes searching for where he could have gone. Suddenly, he resurfaced, in the same spot where he'd been initially. Monica screamed and jumped back. Chandler smiled mischievously, then swam toward the waterfall.
Monica shook her head, but followed Chandler through the pool and toward the waterfall. She emerged on the other side, only to find Chandler wading on the other side, his face once again somber.
"Chandler, I—"
"Don't, Monica. Don't tell me you're sorry. Don't tell me that you love me and that you need me. I can't—" Chandler sighed, and looked up at the dark rock face that curved above their heads, "I don't want to ruin this…place…this moment." His voice was raspy, and Monica had to strain to hear him over the spray of the water.
"I wanted to thank you…for sharing this place with me," Monica smiled, and moved closer to Chandler. She saw him tense at the invasion of his space, and she backed away slightly. After an uncomfortable, long silence, Chandler turned to stare at the back end of the waterfall.
"I thought of you," he finally said softly, "When I found it. I knew you would love it."
"Really?" Monica's voice was small and shaky.
"Yeah," Chandler looked down at Monica and smiled, "It's almost as stunning as you are."
Monica felt her eyes tear up, and she looked away from Chandler quickly.
"I don't deserve that," she said coldly.
"Maybe not," Chandler sighed, "but it's true."
"What are we going to do, Chandler? Where do we go from here?"
"I'm not sure. But I can't let you hurt me again. I won't make it again, I won't survive it."
"I know," Monica whispered.
"But," Chandler sighed, "I can't not be with you. I can't walk away, knowing you want this too."
"You—you're willing to give our marriage another chance?" Monica's eyes lit up, and she smiled hesitantly.
"No," Chandler shook his head, and watched Monica's face fall, "Not yet," Chandler smiled.
Monica nodded slowly, as she took in everything Chandler was telling her. And for the next hour, she let him release all of his pent-up anger and frustration with all that she'd done. She tentatively told him that she'd returned from Paris right after he'd left, and he chuckled at the irony. They swam back to the other side of the pool, and wandered back into town at about noon.
"I have to go," Chandler said, as they reached the road that led to Leilani's—the road where their journey had begun.
"Okay…I should probably find the others," Monica laughed stiffly and rolled back on her heals.
"Yeah. I'll see you later, okay?"
"Okay."
Monica watched, as Chandler shuffled toward his bar, and she sighed heavily. He was willing to try—and that's all she could ask of him.
~***~
A few hours later, the group made their way down to the beach, all of them visibly relaxed upon hearing the news that Chandler and Monica had talked. Monica had purposely left out the tiny detail that they'd talked at 'Eden'—she knew her friends well enough to know that they would all beg to see it. It was Chandler's special place, and it was his decision to make whom he shared it with.
The group found Chandler working at his bar once again. Monica noted that he, too had showered and changed, and she felt her heart lurch—he looked amazing. He flashed his friends a grin, and pulled off his white apron as he approached.
"Hey, there you guys are," Chandler smiled, "you wanna go to the beach?"
"Uh, sure, but don't you have to work?" Ross asked.
"Eh, David can handle this crowd," Chandler tossed his apron onto the bar, and led the group out toward the beach.
"But won't your boss be mad?" Ross continued.
"He IS the boss," Harry boomed, causing Ross to jump and screech.
"Hey Harry," Chandler laughed, and then introduced his friends. He glared at Harry as he introduced Monica, daring him to comment again.
"Well, it's nice to finally meet these friends Chandler's always going on about," Harry chuckled, as he slapped Chandler on the back.
"HARRY!" a small, Hawaiian woman shrieked, as she ran toward the group.
"What's wrong, Meili?" Harry crinkled his brow.
"Lia and Ricky…they were in the water…I can't find them…" Meili struggled to talk through labored breaths.
Harry and Chandler glanced at each other, and sprung into action, both ripping off shirt and shoes as they ran at full speed into the ocean. Following Meili's extended finger, they dove into the pounding waves, and swam out past the breaks.
Meili and Chandler's friends jogged toward shore, and watched intently as the two men dove under the water, searching for the missing children.
Moments later, Harry emerged, his large arm wrapped protectively around a small, unconscious child. The little boy looked like a rag doll in Harry's arms, as he rushed toward shore. He lay the child on the sandy shore, and immediately began CPR. After a few tense moments, the child sputtered out a large quantity of water, and began wailing immediately. A small crowd had gathered on the beach, and collectively sighed when the child was revived. With one child out of harm's way, the audience focused on the water once more.
Monica had never taken her eyes off of the water. She watched, as Chandler dove in and out of the water, searching for the other child. David, Chandler's bartender, had heard the commotion on the beach, and came jogging out as Harry was resuscitating Ricky. He ran out toward the water, knowing that Chandler would be getting exhausted.
Chandler pulled Lia's limp little body to the surface, and took a long, deep breath. The girl needed help, but Chandler wasn't sure he had the strength to get them both back to shore. His predicament was solved, when he saw David approaching.
"Chandler, you okay?" David yelled.
"Yeah. Take her, David, get her to shore," Chandler gingerly handed Lia to David.
"What about you?"
"I just need a minute to catch my breath. I'm fine," Chandler smiled, "Go!"
David nodded, and swam back to shore with Lia.
Chandler took a deep breath, and looked toward shore. He could see the blurry images of his friends, and could see Monica watching him, as the others helped David to shore. Taking another deep breath, he told himself that swimming in would be a lot easier, since he was swimming with the tide. Although something in the back of his mind told him he should wait a moment more, he decided he was strong enough, and began swimming toward the breakers.
The wave was unusually large, and seemed to come out of nowhere. It pulled him under without warning, and sent him careening toward the ocean floor.
Monica watched in horror, as a gigantic wave pulled Chandler under. Behind her, she vaguely heard the sounds of the other child being revived. She counted the seconds, and scanned the water, her anxiousness overwhelming her. Finally, when she could take it no more, she turned to Harry and screamed.
"Harry—Chandler hasn't come back up."
The dawn in all its majesty
Is stealing me away
The dawn in all its honesty
Is turning me to clay
And through the bars of iron rain
Way beyond and back again
I hear the voice of Eden cry
Lift me up I'm walking on high
It's real love
Real love
This world in all its clarity
Is glorious, is fake
This world in all its vanity
Is more than I can take
And down the road the iron wheels
Chain my heart to how it feels
I hear the voice of Eden cry
Lift me up I'm walking on high
It's real love
Real love
Real love
Real love
And something in the heart of me
Is telling me it's time
To meet the eye of destiny
And leave it all behind
And through my bones an iron rage
paints my soul upon the page
I hear the voice of Eden cry
Lift me up to walk on high
Makes me wanna lay and die
It's real love
Real love
Real love
Real love
The dawn in all its majesty
Is stealing me away
Real Love (David Gray)