Chapter 13
A/N: Okay, this is going to be THE last chapter. I promised you a twist, didn't I? Anyhoo, presenting the last bit of My Happily Ever After – Enjoy!
Instead of leaving right after the wedding ceremony, Jake and I chose to leave for our honeymoon two days after the proper wedding. I'd mentioned that we'd bought a condominium apartment overlooking the beach, didn't I, and that we were currently on "poor" mode? Well – here's the thing about Jake – he insisted that a honeymoon was a once-in-a-lifetime thing (I mean, it is) and that he wouldn't get it past me if he didn't give me a proper honeymoon. According to him, a honeymoon was part of the groom's duty to the bride, after all.
So, with the bit of money Jake had left over from his accumulated payment, his bottom bit of savings (for the rest he had used to buy the apartment), my own savings, the money Aunt Alice and Grandma Esme had left me, the money Leah had left for us as well as the money Jake had lent from Rebecca and Billy, we were able to scrape together an exotic Europe honeymoon.
From the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, we made our way to the snowy mountain-caps of Switzerland, and then across to the baguettes and Eiffel Tower of France. We stayed for four days each in Switzerland and France (my parents used to crack jokes about Switzerland being neutral, which I could never understand). Then we flew from France to greet the cappuccinos and tiramisus of Italy, and then to the exotic relaxations of Spain.
From Spain, we would take a direct flight back to Seattle…back home. The whole trip had lasted fifteen days, with two nights spent on the plane. The 12h-30min flight would mean having two meals and a sleep on board, which was not exciting news for me since I wasn't one of those who felt totally at ease on the plane.
Jake and I sat in economy class, six rows from the back, seat 62A and 62B respectively. In the middle of the wide aisle were four connecting seats, and then two more seats on the double aisle on the other side. The plane was cool and comfortable, with the pillows and blankets the flight attendants offered us, and I tried to feel at ease.
Apart from the high altitude and lower level of oxygen on the plane that usually got me a downright headache, I felt something wrong…an intuition. Something of the sort that my late Aunt Alice was always known to have. She'd stare off into space for ages and then speak of an imminent threat, a danger in that spooky voice belonging to phony people at a carnival who claimed the ability to look into your future. Uncle Jasper would often tease her about it, while I'd always wondered exactly what she had seen in those so-called visions of hers. After all, she was only human.
It wasn't my first time having this sort of intuition, and even though they rarely came, when they did they were almost always right. This intuition seemed much stronger and more…real than the rest had been before. It forced into my mind a picture of this plane plummeting from the sky, crashing into the rocky mountains or the ocean below.
I wouldn't know how it could happen, but this sixth sense told me that I would not live to see it. This flight would end in tragedy.
I sank my head into my heads and groaned quietly. "What is it baby?" Jake asked quietly, lifting my chin up to meet his gaze.
I tried to get rid of that horribly pessimistic feeling. It must just be me, I forced myself to think. Why, Nessie, are you overreacting? For such a little intuition it can have much greater effects on you, can't it? The pilots are flying this plane perfectly well. You'll live past this flight; of course you will. You'll live and see your babies grow and be with Jake for many more years to come.
I told Jake about my intuition. Despite my attempts to push it out of my mind, it always came back, stronger and stronger…I saw Jake trying to laugh the matter off. I saw that with my own eyes. But was it just my imagination or had there been a flicker of anxiety and troubled frustration in those black eyes of his?
Minutes later, the plane jerked violently forward. Several of the passengers cried out in shock and I very nearly lurched out of my seat. The seatbelt warning light flashed on and Jake put a strong, reassuring hand on my shoulder. There was comfort in my touch but I couldn't be comforted at all.
The plane jerked back and forth in a rough movement that shook me to the core not only physically but also mentally. The two sides of me battled in a tense argument: the rational side of me, which battled for a longer-than-usual turbulence, and the illogical side of me, which battled for the intuition coming true. Either way, it seemed as though now the illogical side was winning…I kicked myself mentally, trying to make me believe that the rational side was right. After all, both sides were in my control. Figurative, overactive imagination was the culprit responsible for creating those two imaginary sides of me.
"What's going on?" Jake attacked the tall blonde flight attendant as she strode past us with a worried expression on her face. The plane jerked backwards again and a baby burst into tears.
"Sir…" The attendant looked at a loss, but she plastered on a bright, smiling face to respond to Jake's question. "Oh, sir, please remain calm. We're simply experiencing a slight turbulence now. It'll be fine. Trust me, I've experienced something worse. Everything will be all right."
"I hope so," I heard Jake mutter as the flight attendant rushed away on her heels. Nervously, I picked at the hem of my blue-and-silver halterneck dress. I leaned back into Jake's open arms, trying to absorb the warmth and comfort I felt in them. My safe haven would always be here for me, as I would be for him.
Just minutes after Jake had questioned the flight attendant, the plane jerked violently again; this time, it was followed by a loud bang. The sound vibrated throughout the cabin and made the bags stowed in the overhead compartment shake. My toes shook as well and I huddled further into Jake's arms.
The plane suddenly lurched into a speedy descent and plunged down once, twice…The yellow oxygen masks dropped down from over our heads. This time, most of the other passengers cried out in shock. An elderly couple behind us whispered softly to each other, then the old lady said to her husband, "If the plane crashes, I can't swim, darling…"
"I know, Margie, but neither can I. But it won't come to that, I promise, it won't…"
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking," Captain Hassenwood said over the speaker system. "We are currently experiencing a slight engine failure, so if you would please remain calm and put on your oxygen masks. Do not panic, please; there is nothing we can't fix. There is, however, an estimated delay upon our arrival at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport…"
Seconds later, a deafening sound tore the silence in the cabin apart. It sounded like metal being hit, burnt, and then forcefully ripped apart, making a terrible screeching noise following the sound. It drowned out all the passengers' cries and prayers, but one voice stood out among us.
It was the voice of a young English boy. "Momma, Momma! The engine's on fire! Look, there at the engine, look! Oh…" his voice trailed off. I leaned forward in my seat and saw his eyes strained, looking out of the window at the horizon. "Momma, I can see the buildings! Look, there, the tall one! I can see a glittery globe…I can see the buildings!"
I heard the rushed, heaving pants of his mother. I heard the panicked cries of everyone on board. I heard Jake whispering my name. I heard him whispering how he would always love me.
I saw passengers closing their eyes in prayer. I saw them screaming in frenzy. I saw the blonde flight attendant hurry pass us again. I saw a crack in the floorboards.
I felt panicked; my intuition was coming true. I felt the warmth radiating from Jake's always-open arms. And, most strongly of all, I felt my love for him too. I felt…the impact.
The plane made contact with the ground. I may only hope that a good-hearted person may bury Jake and I together. I may only hope that we will meet in our afterlife, and to love and be loved again…
Death should be considered a tragedy. It is.
But to die in the arms of him whom you love…
It's not.
To die with him whom you love, it's not something one may have upon death when one wishes for it.
No.
To die with him whom you love…
It's a privilege.
A/N: How did you like that? I myself shed a few tears while writing this. I should try a few more happy endings :) Remember to review! I heart you!