
The progressing of this story has reached basically the present day. There are still blanks I can fill in, and I think I will add more pieces over time. Colour in a little more between the lines, tell more stories of Maddie.
However at the moment I am truly struggling with how I feel about where things are with her. As I’ve talked about recently both here and here, Maddie’s impending departure has caused me great happiness and deep sadness.
I am rarely finding myself with the ability to cope in recent weeks.
We had opportunity a week or two ago to spend an extended period of time together, the first time since she had told me about her secondment.
My car was in for servicing, and I had caught a cab into work – stupidly expensive as I don’t live that close to the CBD where I work. Maddie and I found ourselves texting during the day – she understood as she always did, that I was upset, and was checking in on me – as she always did.
She offered to come and drive me home, rather than catching another expensive cab home at the end of the day. She lives in the complete opposite direction from the city than I do, so it was really going out of her way to help out.
I think it was more a clever way of her checking up on me, and being able to look me in the eye whilst doing so.
As always, it was magnificent to see her – any time with her is precious, but I was honestly scared how I would feel sitting there with her for about an hour knowing how screwed up inside I felt, and how I knew she was going to probe into what was going on in my head.
My trouble is that I can never say no to her – so I found myself sitting next to her as she drove me home through the inner city streets, and the wider expanses of the middle suburbs of this city.
We talked of course, but she could tell I was “off” – and she knew immediately what was on my mind.
“You’re sad I’m going away for a while, aren’t you?”
I wasn’t – right from the start I was happy for the opportunity she was taking for herself and her career.
“I’m sad that you might not come back…”
No more words were spoken for some minutes. She reached over and grabbed my hand.
She just held my hand.
She’s always known when to speak, and when not to. She always understands the moments we have shared over 40 years.
Finally she spoke.
“Andrew, I am only going for two years, and while it’s true to say that I don’t know what will happen while I am over there, I plan to come home…”
I needed to hear that, but it still wasn’t a categorical statement that she would return.
I was shaking like a leaf. I loved being there with her, but I also wanted to get out. The flickering changes in my brain were like those lines you see when a video cassette was getting worn out.
Still all there, but hard to see, and hard to hear.
I was spinning. Spinning in pain.
“I really am happy for you that you’ve gotten this opportunity. I could never be sad that you are doing what you want to do…”
“But I’m breaking your heart, again – aren’t I?”
More silence.
“You’re not breaking my heart Maddie, I’m breaking my heart…you have your new man, and I know how good he is for you and that makes me happy. There’s just a part of me that has never managed to let you go.”
More silence.
“That’s the part of me that’s hurting…”
The rest of the journey was quiet, and soon we were in front of my house.
We were still holding hands.
I smiled at her and hopped out of the car, walking toward my front door.
I was trying not to look back, but from behind I heard her engine stop, and her door open then close.
I could hear her heels clicking up the front path behind me, and I could smell her perfume getting closer.
She grabbed my arm and turned me around to face her. She was crying.
We hugged. We just hugged and hugged and hugged.
“You’ve always been a part of my heart too Andrew…nothing can change that…”
It’s ironic that I chose “Don’t Stop The Car” as the music for my previous post. It’s taken me quite some days to write this one, and that last one was written the night before this trip home in her car.
I didn’t want this car ride to end, but I had to get out.
Yet, she still made the moment almost perfect.