As I awoke and turned to look at my clock to see the time, nothing looked familiar. For a moment I thought that perhaps I was still dreaming. Taking a deep breath I slowly sat up in bed. Looking around my room nothing was in it's place, it seemed so different.
What happened, where was I, am I perhaps dreaming and cannot wake up, or possibly in a coma? I can't be in a coma if I am able to sit up and move freeley. I certainly can think, and so I sat on the side of my bed.
Putting on my slippers and reaching for my robe, that hung on a hook next to my bed, was an unusual picture hanging next to it. As I stood up to put on my robe I could not stop gazing at the picture. It was that of a woman sitting in a green velvet chair. She was dressed in a blue satin gown that was trimmed with lace along her V-shaped neckline. A beautiful broche hung from her neck. It was a Cameo with, what appeared to be,a black glass setting behind it.
In her hands, resting on her lap, I noticed a small key, barely visible. She was a very pretty woman with fair skin, blonde hair, and a very beautiful smile. Her lips painted pink, and a small amount of blush on her cheeks, gave her that look of innocence.
Still mesmerized I asked myself what happened,"Am I still me, why does everything seem so different?" As I glanced into the mirror there seemed to have been a sudden change in me. Patches of gray were scattered throughout my hair. There appeared to be more, deeper, lines on my face. How can this be, I am only 25 years old.
Gaining my strength I became eager in wanting to know what this mystery was all about. On the wall I noticed the calender had a different date. It seems that I had missed out on 25 years of my life! That explained the graying hair and the lines on my aged face. Astonished, I sat back down on the edge of my bed, trying to remember what had happened. Everything was just a blur, I then realized, I was 50 years old.
Eager to learn more of what actually happened, I decided it was time to find out. Feelings of fear began pulsating throughout my entire body, but the time was here to grasp hold of my life once again.
I stood up and made my way out of the bedroom fearful of what I was about to face, however, the time was here. I began to descend down a staircase, that of a circular one. The bannisters on both sides were so brilliant with shine I did not want to touch them. Hestitantly, I knew to hold on for fear of falling. After all, I was very weak from whatever trauma my life had been through. Taking a deep breath, I continued making my way down the stairs. Glancing up, I saw pictures of myself and the beautiful woman from the picture in the bedroom.
Finally reaching the bottom of the staircase I entered the main dining area. Gazing around at such beauty, that of one you would see, and read about, in a fairytale. It was absolutely an elegant Mansion.
Making my way into the kitchen I stopped frozen in my own steps. This beauty before me, it was her. She sat sipping her cup of tea, or coffee, not yet noticing me. Just like the picture upstairs, there sat this lovely woman with a green velvet dress, trimmed in black lace. Her hair was blonde, long and beautifully cascading about her shoulders.
Suddenly it happened, looking up in such surprise, her cup went crashing to the floor. Sitting there not knowing what to do or say she looked as if she were going to pass out. Gasping in her breath, she sprang from her chair and ran to me, arms out-stretched as if to engulf the world, with a smile like none I have ever seen. My eyes filled with tears, reaching out to her, I felt my life coming back to me.
We stood there, for what seemed like eternity, just holding one another. Embracing each other so tightly, we did not want to let go of the warmth we felt inside. Her kiss was that of such tenderness. So soft were her lips, hair smelling like that of a familiar aroma, yes that was it, Vanilla Musk!
It was then that I realized this beautiful woman in my arms was my beloved wife of 25 years. Softly speaking to me, in that whisper of a voice, it was then that I knew she had been by my bedside day in and day out. It was like a dream coming to reality, for now I can remember hearing her soft voice talking to me as I dreamed.
Finally allowing our grasps of embrace to loosen, we searched one anothers eyes filled with tears of joy and emotion. Taking my hand in hers she led me out onto the balcony, where we sat enjoying the beautiful clean spring air, and, were served a breakfast made for a King and Queen. This was the start of our new lives all over again.
A woman appeared with a man along her side. They served our breakfast wtih huge smiles, and a twinkle in their eyes filled with emotion too.They seemed familiar, but I somehow could not remember quite who they were. Bearing no importance for the moment my wife and I continued with breakfast.
Alexandra was my wife's name, as if it were made for her and her alone. Knowing how perplexed I felt with all that had happened to me, she went on to explain what had happened and how all of this came to be.
Traumatic tales I listened to, intently, as she softly and slowly spoke. She explained to me of the accident I sustained while working. I was an Engineer and had been drawing the blueprints for a new job. It appeared that one of the roofs caved in on me while walking through the building we were setting out to restore. From there I was taken to the hospital where the doctors explained to my wife that I was in a coma. Not knowing how long it would be I remained there for almost a year. They explained to Alexandra that they would have to feed me intravenously, keep me as comfortable as possible, and just wait it out. Time was the big factor of it all. Wanting me with her, my wife convinced the doctors to finally allow me to come home and be cared for there.
She went on to breifly explain to me of how I began coming in and out of a normal state of sleep to where I was now able to eat, take my medication, and from there continue to drift off back to sleep. Which led me to this wonderful day.Able to, once again, get out of bed and come down to join my wife for breakfast after 25 long years.
Bewildered at what I heard left me speechless for quite a while. Giving that soft smile of hers she gently said to me,"Johnathan, it's quite understandable for you to react the way in which you are. Don't feel as though you need to ask many questions, it will come a little at a time. We will begin our lives all over again, whatever it takes, I will be by your side and we can make this journey together, one day at a time."
Feeling such love from my wife, this wonderful woman sitting by my side, I took a deep breath of the clean fresh spring air. It seemed like a day that was made for us, our new beginning. I gave a sighe of releif.
Alexandra and I took one day at a time and learned to love one another all over again. As I thought to myself, the picture of her holding that small Key, was the answer. It was the Key to our Hearts!
Together that night while turning in for bed, we knelt together alongside our bed and prayed. We thanked God for seeing us through our Tragedy. We thanked him for giving us the strength, and, for watching over us.His guidence brought us to this night to be together as man and wife, once again,and praised him for the years we have to look forward to together.
Many years were taken from Alexandra and Johnathan as man and wife, freinds, and companions. Their faith in God, as well as their love for one another, helped keep them strong.
Out of something bad may come something good. The future holds so much love for them together, grateful are they for their faith in God and their love for one another.
Believe in love, follow your dreams,and listen to your heart.It is a path worth taking.
Alexandra and Johnathan did, and finally the Key was the holder of their Hearts.

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