Albert & Cindy
Tonight I heard the saddest but sweetest love story.
I was in a cab going home, part contemplating my future, part desiring supper. Albert, a kind and soft-spoken gentleman, was driving me tonight.
I usually avoid cabs for obvious reasons, but one thing I always liked about cabs is the fact that I can and will chat with my driver. I always do that. I am not sure how the conversation went but we somehow ended up talking about life after death, and whether long lives are for the sinful or those with much to learn. While I felt it was the latter because of my dad's passing, he believed it was the former because of his wife's passing. Here's why.
His wife, Cindy was beautiful, kind and loved by all. As a librarian, even naughty students liked being around her. She had been working only one year with a new company when she was crushed to death by a metal cage in an air-conditioner accident (I didn't ask for details but Albert says it was in the papers 3 years ago). All her co-workers came to her wake, not once, but a few times. Her still-grieving husband admitted that he never knew sadness during the 20 years with Cindy. Until she died. It felt like a knife had mercilessly sliced through his heart. But, he spoke of her so lovingly and gently, that anyone can tell that his love for her didn't die.
Perhaps it never will. :-)
Albert reminisced his blissful 20 years with Cindy, saying it was love at first sight. However, being shy, he asked her sister out but explained it to the both of them eventually. When they were married, he would have breakfast with her before driving her to work every morning. Even when he himself was running late, he'd assure her he wasn't, just to see her safely to her workplace. And every evening, they would have dinner together. Then together every night, they would chat and even scissor-paper-stone each other on who was to put the coffee on in the morning. His simple words of advice for a happy marriage:
1. Love them like the first day you fell in love. "Love her like she's 17, when we first went steady."
2. Focus on all the positive traits. "When my wife was pregnant, she thought she looked ugly, but I always told her she is the most beautiful woman in the world."
3. If they cannot or won't change their negative traits, accept them, and your partner for who they are.
4. Don't be suspicious, always trust.
He was sparkling as he shared all this with me, but like paper slowly burning into cinders from the edges, it was tinged with the undeniable sorrow of losing one's lover, best friend, soul mate.
He mused that their birthdates matched dates significant to the mythical weaver girl and cowherd (牛郎織女) in the chinese calendar. Here is the fairy tale:
Once upon a time, a human cowherd and a weaver girl, a fairy from Heaven whose duty was to weave colourful clouds, met and fell in love. They lived happily together on Earth as husband and wife, and even had two children. When the Goddess of Heaven discovered that she has been neglecting her work because she married a mere mortal who also neglected his cow-herding chores, the weaver girl was forced back to Heaven. Her husband was upset and tried to reach her in Heaven, further angering the Goddess. So she scratched a river in the sky (the milky way) to keep them apart forever. Since then, the lovers have been watching each other from across the river as they carry out their respective duties. But once a year, on the 7th night of the 7th month (Qi Xi), all the magpies in the world take pity on them and form a bridge to reunite the lovers. Some folks believe that sometime during the night of Qi Xi, the two stars Altair and Vega, usually separated by the Milky Way, will actually unite on the same side!
Of course, a few variations of the story exist but the characters, the love and suffering they share remain unchanged. At hearing that bit of trivia about their birthdates, I exclaimed with childlike wonder, "She's your fairy watching you from Heaven!" How beautifully apt. How tragically similar.
I was in tears by the time we got onto the PIE, the final highway that would bring me home. Albert seemed strong, but confessed to crying in solitude, wondering why such a bliss had to end. Such love was an enviable gift that many long for, and some never seem to find it. He described how appallingly his work suffered after losing Cindy, which led to his current vocation as a taxi driver. I asked if he might have more to learn that way, or if he was to share, teach or inspire with his kindness, wisdom and experiences. He said he's only told a few people about his wife. I told him I was inspired, now realising how defining and fulfilling a good true love can be. He then revealed that when his 3 sons were grown and married, he wants to leave this life and join her. This was how he came up with the analogy that life was like prison where the sinful will remain locked up as punishment. Cindy was so kind; she didn't deserve to stay here much longer so she was freed early. He is now awaiting his release so he can see her again.
He mentioned that he still feels her presence, so as I was leaving his sweet little taxi, I gratefully wished him, "Goodnight Albert," and turning to the empty front passenger seat, I smiled with certainty and said, "Goodnight Cindy."
I was in a cab going home, part contemplating my future, part desiring supper. Albert, a kind and soft-spoken gentleman, was driving me tonight.
I usually avoid cabs for obvious reasons, but one thing I always liked about cabs is the fact that I can and will chat with my driver. I always do that. I am not sure how the conversation went but we somehow ended up talking about life after death, and whether long lives are for the sinful or those with much to learn. While I felt it was the latter because of my dad's passing, he believed it was the former because of his wife's passing. Here's why.
His wife, Cindy was beautiful, kind and loved by all. As a librarian, even naughty students liked being around her. She had been working only one year with a new company when she was crushed to death by a metal cage in an air-conditioner accident (I didn't ask for details but Albert says it was in the papers 3 years ago). All her co-workers came to her wake, not once, but a few times. Her still-grieving husband admitted that he never knew sadness during the 20 years with Cindy. Until she died. It felt like a knife had mercilessly sliced through his heart. But, he spoke of her so lovingly and gently, that anyone can tell that his love for her didn't die.
Perhaps it never will. :-)
Albert reminisced his blissful 20 years with Cindy, saying it was love at first sight. However, being shy, he asked her sister out but explained it to the both of them eventually. When they were married, he would have breakfast with her before driving her to work every morning. Even when he himself was running late, he'd assure her he wasn't, just to see her safely to her workplace. And every evening, they would have dinner together. Then together every night, they would chat and even scissor-paper-stone each other on who was to put the coffee on in the morning. His simple words of advice for a happy marriage:
1. Love them like the first day you fell in love. "Love her like she's 17, when we first went steady."
2. Focus on all the positive traits. "When my wife was pregnant, she thought she looked ugly, but I always told her she is the most beautiful woman in the world."
3. If they cannot or won't change their negative traits, accept them, and your partner for who they are.
4. Don't be suspicious, always trust.
He was sparkling as he shared all this with me, but like paper slowly burning into cinders from the edges, it was tinged with the undeniable sorrow of losing one's lover, best friend, soul mate.
He mused that their birthdates matched dates significant to the mythical weaver girl and cowherd (牛郎織女) in the chinese calendar. Here is the fairy tale:
Once upon a time, a human cowherd and a weaver girl, a fairy from Heaven whose duty was to weave colourful clouds, met and fell in love. They lived happily together on Earth as husband and wife, and even had two children. When the Goddess of Heaven discovered that she has been neglecting her work because she married a mere mortal who also neglected his cow-herding chores, the weaver girl was forced back to Heaven. Her husband was upset and tried to reach her in Heaven, further angering the Goddess. So she scratched a river in the sky (the milky way) to keep them apart forever. Since then, the lovers have been watching each other from across the river as they carry out their respective duties. But once a year, on the 7th night of the 7th month (Qi Xi), all the magpies in the world take pity on them and form a bridge to reunite the lovers. Some folks believe that sometime during the night of Qi Xi, the two stars Altair and Vega, usually separated by the Milky Way, will actually unite on the same side!
Of course, a few variations of the story exist but the characters, the love and suffering they share remain unchanged. At hearing that bit of trivia about their birthdates, I exclaimed with childlike wonder, "She's your fairy watching you from Heaven!" How beautifully apt. How tragically similar.
I was in tears by the time we got onto the PIE, the final highway that would bring me home. Albert seemed strong, but confessed to crying in solitude, wondering why such a bliss had to end. Such love was an enviable gift that many long for, and some never seem to find it. He described how appallingly his work suffered after losing Cindy, which led to his current vocation as a taxi driver. I asked if he might have more to learn that way, or if he was to share, teach or inspire with his kindness, wisdom and experiences. He said he's only told a few people about his wife. I told him I was inspired, now realising how defining and fulfilling a good true love can be. He then revealed that when his 3 sons were grown and married, he wants to leave this life and join her. This was how he came up with the analogy that life was like prison where the sinful will remain locked up as punishment. Cindy was so kind; she didn't deserve to stay here much longer so she was freed early. He is now awaiting his release so he can see her again.
He mentioned that he still feels her presence, so as I was leaving his sweet little taxi, I gratefully wished him, "Goodnight Albert," and turning to the empty front passenger seat, I smiled with certainty and said, "Goodnight Cindy."
posted by yeriller at 3:59 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home