"The Truth Today..."

Charles Kelly and Stephen Christopher Harris

Stephen Christopher Harris and Christopher Flournoy

As I lay awake last night thinking of the 892 days that had passed, I thought about the last "Happy Sunday" in January. It wasn't really "happy," for just below the surface, I was suffering in great pain and anguish as the "Anniversary That Never Was" rapidly approached.

We'd been out to breakfast at I-Hop in Pineville that sunny winter day... We never could go to the I-Hop near the house, I often thought that it was because he'd frequented that one with someone else, or perhaps he was afraid his "friends" might see him there with me. Nevertheless, I was happy to be with him, because true love forgives every slight and heals every wound. After breakfast that Sunday, he actually indulged me in a rare shopping trip. I was looking for some cooking tools to make him a special dessert.

After visiting the mall and several other stores, we arrived at Crate and Barrel. He had gotten warm in the car and wanted to put his coat in the trunk. When I opened it, he saw the briefcase that had his photos in it there in the trunk. I'd actually forgotten putting it there earlier in the week... He didn't say anything right away, but on the way out of the store he finally asked, "Why do you have my pictures in your car." I told him I'd tell him later, and we went on about our way to the next store in search of what I needed. We finally found the right items at William Sonoma and we were off home.

Later that afternoon, as I was preparing dinner, I went out to the car and brought the photos in, putting the briefcase in the hall closet. I don't know if he noticed it there the next day or not. But last night, as I silently recalled that sunny day, I thought about what I had intended to tell him about why I had his photos. I remembered that my plan was to tell him why on the "Anniversary," but fate and "his demons" had other plans for us that day.

This is what I had planned to tell him:

"I was going to give them back to you,Dearest... I just wanted for you to miss them and see what it felt like to have your "memories," (or at least the tangible evidence of them) taken away... For then, you might somewhat understand my pain... the pain you so often said you could so clearly see on my face. For it was two years ago that you took away all my "dreams," and every precious desire of my heart."

As I was haunted in my sleepless ritual of remembering and as the sun rose on the 893rd day, I thought if only I could, I'd ask him, "What became of all your sacred promises, Dearest...?"

As for the "Anniversary That Never Was," I spent it in "solitary confinement" while he spent the day vainly attempting to obliterate the evidence of the promises he'd made. And that is "The Truth Today."