The Burger Joint - Everything Coming Together

Ishita took the photograph from wall, kissed William, and her tears erupted.

“Martin we are not supposed to talk about William anymore. Did you forget that?”  Ishita asked Martin misbalancing, holding on to the table in disbelief.

“Sorry Ishita here this guy seemed nice.” Martin said pointing me, and this was the moment I learned her name was Ishita.

“Do you even know his name? He’s a complete stranger, and I don’t want Mary to get hurt again.” Ishita was disappointed.

“Hello Mam, I am Bruce. I am a regular here.” I tried to convince her that Martin wasn’t doing anything wrong he already opened up his life in front of me and now he was going to reveal truth about William.

“I don’t care who you are, can you please step outside the room.” She requested me

“Mommy! Jack is not going back into the box.” A little kid ran out of storage room and hugged Ishita with jack in the box I his hands.

“Junior just a second… Here you go.” She resolved her son’s situation.

“I better run, I have a meeting to attend.”

Throughout my rest of the day, it kept reoccurring to me; my brain storming was in full swing but wasn’t yielding any positive outcome. William was there no more, that’s acceptable if Mary was still in belief that he will come back again, Ishita’s pale skin with a look of no blood in her, but one thing wasn’t clear why Mary was drifting apart from Ishita and her son? I went to the burger joint later for my evening snacks.

“Sorry for that inappropriate behavior earlier.” Ishita came up to me

“Hey it was called for. I was acting too much of a poking person there. It was none of my business.” I looked at her, eyes drained out of tears, face with no life left in it.

“You know after William left us I haven’t talked much about him with anyone.” She said and I knew where she was going with it.

“He got his call from the colonel the same night when he had proposed me to marry him on the surprise lunch he prepared for me, right there in the kitchen.”

“So he was in army?”

“No he was a marine. He made me pancakes that time, and he was really terrible with that.”

“But why you are telling all of this to me?”

“After you left in the afternoon, my son asked me was you his dad?” I nearly spilled my coffee over the table while she said that.

“Ummm.. I think I must leave now.” I said wiping the residue sandwich has left on me but she continued

“It was all so perfect, all the pieces were falling together right into their places. Finally William and I were going to get married, Mary was so happy she gave free meals that day. Mary was the one happiest amongst us; she always wanted me to be the part of family.”

“Then why she’s so changed now? Yelling at everybody? Always so miserable?”

“She thinks what happened next was all my fault. That evening we spent a quite amazing time on the beach house. Until that door knock happened. William got up from the bed and reached the door only to found out that it was his call to serve the nation. He came back with trembling hands; I saw the letter and asked him” as the words continued to reach my ear drums, I fell in to imaginary world again. I was standing right there in the beach house with Ishita sitting on the edge of the bed and William on his kneeling in front of her.

“Honey its time.” William said

“How much do we have?” I asked him

“Not enough to go to church and get married.” He replied in sorrow

“Hey Will it’s not the right time to get into the blues. I will be here only, waiting for you to come and get married.” I tried to cheer him up

“Come hurry up we are going to get married before I leave” he said but the weather has different plans. It started to rain cats and dogs, with Zeus striking lightning bolt down.

“No Will it is not what we are going to do. We are going to burger joint and meet Mary and you are going to spend some time with her.” I got up and get dressed. We reached Mary, William hugged her. And she knew something was wrong.

“Mom, I have got the call, I am going tonight.”

“You mister are not going anywhere, now it’s not only me for whom you have to care, Ishita is also on that list.” Mary resisted accepting it

“But you know it’s inevitable for me, if not today it will be some other day. I will have to leave.” William said and with this another lightning struck the ground

“But it’s all I have got. You are the only important thing in my life.” Mary said

 “We have gone through this many times before mom, and this was the day we have been preparing for.”  William said hugging her

 “Oh that’s bullshit. I don’t want you to go away from me.” She burst into tears as well as the clouds outside, it was pouring hard as if Mother Nature was also against this separation.

“I will be back, I promise, and I will make you happiest woman in the whole world.” William said to Mary

“And you the second most happiest.” He said while group hugging both me and Mary

“I love you Will.” I said

“I love you both William and Ishita.” Mary kissed me

“Martin, will you take care of my girls while I am out of town?” William asked Martin

“Dude you don’t have to worry about it.” Martin replied with a strong voice suppressing his emotions

“Ok you stay here I am going to get my bags, the pick-up would be here any time.”

I was standing on the roof in order to get a longer glimpse of William, rain drops rolling down my face mixing with tears. I waved William goodbye with a smile. I can’t even remember when my smile faded, until how much I waved to him seconds? Minutes? Hours? I just know he left me this note, and beautiful son to live with…

I am lost without you, I will always be near you to make sure you are alright.

Love,

William

“Bruce? Were you even listening?” Ishita shook me off my imaginary world.

“Yes I was, I was just thinking why Mary hates you?”

“She blames it on me; she thinks I was unlucky for William. The day I came into his life, his life was in jeopardy because of me.” Ishita said

“I am really sorry to hear that, but you should be proud of William. He gave his life protecting all of you.” I said getting up

“Thank you for hearing me out, it felt nice.” Ishita said

“Farewell…”

I got out of there and reached my car. There it was laying on the seat next me, letter from marines stating that William never reached the post which he was supposed to reach. His pick-up got trashed into a train before even reaching the destination, and there were no survivors. I was asked to convey this message to his family years ago. But never got the courage before to confront them, and I gave up, it was unfair to crush their dreams. William was a hero in their eyes, and I didn’t wanted that image to fade away and William Jr. to know his father died even before thinking to die for country.