It happened many decades ago that a young man and woman who were in love decided to marry. Though not poor, they had little money and uncertain futures, but that did not seem to matter. They trusted in their mutual love and that fostered a growing faith that their future together must be a bright one as long as their hearts and souls remained joined together.
Before their wedding date, the girl approached her fiancé with a request. “I cannot imagine our ever wishing to part from one another,” she said. “But it may be that with the passage of time, we might tire of each other, or that you will be angry with me over something I might have said or done in haste, and you will want to send me back to my parents’ house. Promise me, my dear, that if this should happen, you will allow me to carry back with me the thing that has grown most precious to me.”
Her fiancé laughed. He could see no sense in her request, but the girl was not to be satisfied until she got him to write down his promise and sign his name to it. Shortly after they were married and began their life together.
They set their minds to improving their worldly position. They were both willing to work hard, and after just a few years, their patient industry began reaping them reward. Their first successes made them even more determined to continue their upward advance, and they worked harder than ever before. As the years, passed their riches swelled. They became comfortable, then well-to-do, and finally wealthy. They were also blessed with two fine boys who grew to become even better men. Then came grandchildren. Life was grand.
They moved to bigger houses and, as they grew old, they found themselves surrounded with all the trappings of a life well lived.
But also with time, it seemed that they began to think more often of either the things they had or the things they wanted rather than of each other.
One afternoon, as they were preparing a dinner feast for several important friends, they argued about some trifling matter—the flavor of the gravy, or perhaps the order of the seating at the table. They began shouting and accusing each other.
“You care nothing for me!” cried the husband. “You think only of yourself, and the things that you have. Take those that are most precious to you, as I promised so many years ago, and go back to your parents’ house. There is no point in our going on together!”
His wife went suddenly pale and stared at him with a distracted look in her eyes, as if she had just seen something for the very first time.
“Very well,” she said quietly. “I am willing to go. But we must stay together one more night and sit side-by-side at our table, for the sakes of appearances in front of our guests.”
The evening arrived. The feast began. It was as bountiful as their ample means allowed. When, one by one, the guests had succumbed to the influence of copious amount of food and wine, and her husband, too, had fallen asleep, the wife had her husband carried to her parents’ cottage and laid to bed there.
When he awoke the next morning, he groggily gazed about him and tried to figure out where he was. He raised himself up on his elbows and at once his eyes gazed upon his wife who was leaning over the bedside.
“My dear husband,” she said softly, “your promise given so many years ago, was that if you ever sent me away, I might carry with me the thing that is most precious to me. You are that most precious thing. I care for you more than anything else, and nothing but death shall part us.”
At once the man saw how selfishly they had both acted. He clasped his wife in his arms, and they kissed each other tenderly. Then they returned to their home where they once again devoted themselves to each other.
Today’s tale comes from eastern European folklore; however, I’ve taken a few literary liberties in adapting the tale to somewhat fit today; not the era but the day. You see, fifty years ago today, I was that young man marrying my young wife, Stephanie. We have lived and experienced all the emotions felt by this short story’s characters.
I have been saving this one for today, Honey.
Happy 50th Anniversary, My Precious!
We have lived and loved together
Through many changing years;
We have shared each other’s gladness
And wept each other’s tears.
And let us hope the future
As the past has been will be:
I will share with thee my sorrows,
And thou thy joys with me.
-Charles Jefferys
Have an AWE-full Weekend!
William “Bill” Bacque