a tale of joy and sorrow part 3. the end

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PART 3 OF 3 this just came to me
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Things were going perfect, me and Bree were engaged to be married and collage was a breeze for us.

Mike and Bree set their wedding date for may 7th and me and Kent were going to hold off a little while until we were more financially stable before we tied the knot.

I helped in the planning and was Bree’s maid of honor, she was so beautiful when Jerry her father walked her down the isle.

It was kind of funny, because Jerry stood at six foot three next to Bree who without the three inch heels stood right at five feet tall.

Mike was so happy he could barely contain it, as he stood there putting the ring on her finger I could see his hands shaking.

And when he kissed her we thought she was going to suffocate before he let up.

The wedding went off without a hitch and they were the happiest couple I had ever seen.

A few weeks later I received a phone call from Bree, she asked me to come over to her and Mikes new house.

When me and Kent arrived Bree was sitting in the living room but when I walked in my eyes immediately went to what she was holding.

It her left arm was a new born baby boy and in the right was a girl.

She looked up at me and smiled,
“Say hello to your new nice and nephew”.

“OH MY GOSH WHEN”!!! I yelled out.

“The adoption papers finally went through and we just got back from Russia last night”.

“When did you go to Russia”.
“four days ago”.
“And you didn’t say anything”.
“Of Corse not it wouldn’t have been a surprise if I had”.

The boys name was Nicolai or Nick, and his twin sisters name was Natasha or Sasha, they were so adorable and I knew they were very lucky to have the parents they had.

Me and Kent were going to adopt when we got married the next year when Kent got his degree in computer networking and engineering.

Every thing in our life was perfect until that night, I still wonder if things would be different if I had not been so lazy and stayed at work.

I was working at a bar and grill at nights and going to school in the day, that night was slow and I was board, I had done my home work during the hour I got for lunch well supper I guess you could call it.

I begged and begged my boss to let me out early, I didn’t have anywhere to go or be.
I just wanted to get off and go home to rest.

It was 9:30 pm, and my shift usually went to 11:00.
My boss finally agreed to let me take off and I was out the door in a flash, I was walking to my car when I heard yelling.

You ever heard the saying curiosity killed the cat? Well that night it came close to being true.

I wondered what it was so I snuck up to the edge of the alley and peeked around the corner, I saw two men arguing over something then one of the men pulled out a knife and stabbed the other in the throat.

I stumbled back and knocked over some stacked boxes and a garbage can. I ran as fast as I could to my car, I jumped in and fired her up and right as I was pulling out of the parking lot my back glass shattered and I heard a few more of the bullets hit my car as I sped off.

When I got home I was in such a state of shock I never herd Kent come in, nor did I realize I had been sitting there all night because the sun was starting to come up.

I told him what happened and he called the police, the cops took my statement and we went to the station were I looked through some books till I found the man.

Juan Garcia, was his name.
He was a small time gang member and had one hell of a temper.

The police asked me if I understood that I would most likely be called to testify against him, I was scared and wanted him of the street so I had no problem with it.

Well the weeks went by slowly and I went to work at a different restaurant, the day of the trial I was aloud to testify without Juan in the room.

He received thirty years behind bars and I went home.

A year passed and I had almost forgotten about Juan, I was looking forward to my wedding.

Bree was going to be my maid of honor and was helping me pick out mine and the brides maids dresses.

We had all sorts of fun, I don’t know what it was but I had a weird feeling in my gut when I woke up that morning.

Me and Bree had a ball, my dad gave me his little card and told us to have fun, my dad had just hit it big in the lottery when the numbers he gave in landed nineteen million five hundred and fifty thousand big ones in his bank account, that is after taxes.

My wedding was going to be grand, my dad had forked out eight hundred thousand bucks for his princess, even though I told him I just wanted a simple wedding.

But he wouldn’t have it, this being the only time he would be able to give his only daughter away, so he was going to do it in style.

Kent had just graduated with his networking degree and the wedding was in three days, him and mike his best man went to find tuxes while me and Bree looked at dresses.

We looked all morning and couldn’t find the perfect one.
Until I saw it, it was in a far off corner. It was the most beautiful dress I had ever laid my eyes on.

I asked the clerk and my jaw hit the floor and Bree gasped when she told us it was a custom made one of a kind dress. Price tag, $95.000.00!!!

I slumped my shoulders because I couldn’t do that to my dad, then I felt a large hand on my shoulder.

I looked up to see my dad standing there, I almost passed out when he told the clerk” If it fits we’ll take it.

Bree started jumping for joy and telling me how pretty I would look in it as I walked down the isle.

To my amazement it fit like it was made for me, I guess all the working out and the karate will help a girl stay slim and sexy right.

Me Kent, mom, dad, Bree and mike went out to the olive garden where the boys had proposed. We talked for almost four hours about everything.

From the good memories to the bad ones, we had a great time and it was one of the best nights of my life.

Know in the time since I had met Bree I had started going to church more often then I used to, I wasn’t the best Christian in the world but I wasn’t the worst either, little did I know that on that night something would happen that would put my faith to the biggest test of my life.

When we were leaving the boys were in the bathroom and my parents had already left a few minutes before.

Bree went to the bath room as well so I started for my new Cadilac Escalade, I was walking across the lot when I saw a man come out from between some cars.

He had a ski mask on and was heading for me, I wasn’t that far from the front door but I couldn’t run.

he lifted the gun and said ”Juan says hello” I closed my eyes bracing myself for the moment the bullet would tare through my body.

I felt something warm press against the front of my body and something tighten around my waist then I heard the gun shot and a click.

But I didn’t feel anything, I opened my eyes in time to see Kent tackle the man after his gun jammed.

But I felt the life drain from my soul when I looked down to see that Bree had her arms wrapped tightly around me, she looked up at me and she had a little line of blood going down the side of her chin.
She smiled and said I’ll see you at the gates sis, as she fell to the ground.

I would like to say that she held on till the ambulance got there but the truth is that the best friend I ever had died in my arms that night.

Mike was in such shock they had to carry him to the hospital, I wasn’t much better.

On the day that I was suppose to walk down the isle they lowered the casket of the best person I had ever had the pleasure of knowing into the ground.

My whole world was crushed I was a complete wreck for months after, if it wasn’t For Kent I don’t know what I would have done.

It was almost a year and a half later before me and Kent were married in the court room.

My heart had a huge hole that couldn’t be filled even with his love, every night I would close my eyes and dream about my friend.

I would see that big goofy smile, the same goofy grin she always had even when she died she was smiling.

But even with all my grief I knew of three other people who were taking it harder then anyone else.

Mike was so heart broken he had to sit in a wheel chair at the burial, sometimes I think the only thing thats kept him going is his love for Nick and Sasha.

They had lost there only mother and were still to young to really remember her.

Mike kept his faith strong believing that’s what Bree would have wanted.
Me I let mine almost slip away to the point it was almost gone, I had blamed a lot of people including God for what had happened.

But the day I regained my faith and started to believe in miracles again was three and a half years after Bree’s death.

Me and Kent had searched every orphanage in the state of Wyoming and the surounding stats, but we just couldn’t find the right child.

We had all but given up when it happened.
I went to get the mail one afternoon when I got home.

I looked through it and saw a small letter that was addressed to my neighbor down the street.

I don’t know what made me decided to open it knowing I would be breaking the law but I did.

Inside was a pamphlet about a children’s home in the state of Main, It was a long way to drive so I put it back on the counter to return to my neighbor at a later time.

The pamphlet kept coming to my mind and was driving me crazy so a few days later I called and set up a meeting and although Kent said I was crazy a few more days later I was at the home talking to the owner.

I was taken around the place and didn’t see anyone that felt right, I was thinking the whole trip was a waste of time when I saw her.

In a corner playing with a little doll house sat a girl of about three years old with hair so blond it was almost white, I started watching the child play and decided to walk over to her.

I knelt down beside her and asked her what she was doing,

“Pwain wit my ouse” she said in a cute little voice that would melt the coldest of hearts.

I asked her what her name was” She looked at me with a big smile on her face and said””Bwitny” I sat and played with her for about another thirty minutes and then she looked at me with those big beautiful sky blue eyes and asked me to put her hair into a pony tail.

I smiled and took the little pink hair band she pulled out of the doll house, I grabbed a hand full of hair and went to pull it up into a pony tail when I froze.

I slowly moved her hair away and felt the tears start to come out, right there on the back of her little neck in the same place Bree’s was, sat a perfectly shaped heart birthmark.

I put my arms around her and knew I had found my daughter.

I had to stay in Main for quite a while before everything was said and done, when we got back home we had a big welcome back party and Britney Ann Peterson was welcomed the family.

That night I went and did what I still sometimes do today, I went out to the barn behind our at the time new house and turned on the light.

I walked over to the behemoth of a vehicle that was once my best friends pride and joy but is now my most prized position and climbed in.

I sat in the passenger seat and relived those days of riding with Bree through the back roads and trails of Wyoming, some times I swear I can still her jolly laugh and every time it brings me to tears.

I got back in church and regained my faith and it became stronger then ever before.

I’ll never forget the day I sat face to face with the man who shot my best friend and told him that I forgave him for what he had done.

Carlos broke down in tears and confessed that he too had found faith and was truly sorry for what he had done.

Since he had been in prison he had given his life to Christ and had become the new prison Chaplin. He had personally convinced the warden to start a scared straight program and a class to educate young at risk kids about the reality of gangs and living a life of crime and where they could get you.
Either dead or in prison.

We still keep in touch, and he’ll be getting out in thirty five years, I feel sorry for him because when he did what he did he was just a naive fifteen year old kid who let someone use him and ruin his life.

I left the prison that day feeling twenty tons lighter, I never got the chance to forgive Juan to his face. He was stabbed to death by a rival gang member in the prison yard fight before I got the chance.

Needles to say my life seems to be back on track, me and Kent will soon be renewing our vows with a proper wedding and guess what, i still fit in the dress. I will always remember my best friend and all the good times we had as well as the bad.

I know one day we will meet again but until then, I’m just going to pull this thing up between my legs and keep living life to its fullest.

I love and miss you Bree. RIP your friend Becky.

The end.

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Comments

a tale of joy and sorrow part 3. the end

Bittersweet yet full of Hope.

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine
    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

did i

kayla don's picture

Bring anybody to tears, i know i couldnt stop crying as i wrote this story.