over time and say and do all the things he wants to at just the right moment. Unfortunately I don’t have that luxury, Angelina. What I do know is that I want to spend every waking minute with you before I leave. I guess what I am asking you is can you take the next two days off work at such short notice? I know it's a lot to ask, but I will be gone for three months and I'd really like to spend what little time I have left with you. Besides, I have one last surprise I would like to share with you before I leave.”
Angelina’s sad expression did not go unnoticed by Joshua, “Two days, are you sure? I mean, well, we have only just met and now you’re leaving so soon.”
“ I’m sorry, it’s completely out of my control, and if I could change it, believe me I would.”
Angelina, stood up, and walked to the window. She did not want him to see her tears. Joshua stood up and walked behind her; he slipped his arms around her and pulled her to him.
“Will you take the next two days off work? Please, Angelina.”
“ Yes, of course I will, there is nothing I want to do more. I will call my boss first thing in the morning.”
They stood wrapped tightly in each other’s arms, neither one not knowing what to say to the other. “Come on, let’s sit down. I have cooked your favourite meal I believe; well, at least that’s what Lucy told me! I want to take you to the lake tomorrow. I own a holiday lodge out there, it was left to me by my grandparents a few years ago and I kept it on. I spent many summers there as a kid. I often stay there in the summer. I thought it would be a perfect way for us to spend our last two days together.”
“ Oh Joshua, it sounds just perfect. When do we leave?”
“ I thought first thing in the morning. We could spend the next couple of days away from the world and getting to know each other even better without any interruption.”
Joshua served up an impressive three course dinner polished off by a large bottle of champagne.
“Can I ask you a personal question, Joshua?”
“ Yes sure, fire away.”
“ During a conversation the other night, you mentioned that you had suffered a loss, before changing the subject. Would you tell me about it?”
“ Where do I begin? Well, a couple of years ago, I was deployed in Afghanistan along with my best friend Jason, who was also from this town. We had been out there for just over five months and were due to go home. We had less than two weeks left out there. This one particular day, my unit was travelling in armoured vehicles to a nearby village. Jason was in the armoured vehicle in front of mine a few hundred feet up ahead when all of a sudden and without any warning, we came under attack from insurgents. Jason and three other British soldiers were killed that day after their armoured vehicle was caught in the explosion. Two further attempts to clear and repair the route claimed three more casualties. There were deep ditches all along the road and this provided the insurgents with the perfect cover to plant their explosives.
“ It's not the most dangerous job in the army but it can get pretty close at times. Army bomb disposal operatives risk their lives daily to make their comrades and civilians safe from improvised explosive devices. Sometimes the unexpected happens and we lose a soldier. No matter how expert you are at your job, sometimes things just don't work out. And the day we lost Jason and the others was one of those times. We were taken completely by surprise.”
Angelina had tears in her eyes as she listened to Joshua and how he too had suffered the loss of his friend. She had never felt so close to him as she did right at that moment.
“Now it’s my turn to apologise. I’m so sorry, Joshua. I totally understand your loss; as different as the circumstances are, we have both lost people we love. I know how hard that is to come to terms with; it changes your perspective on life and not always for the better. It’s like you
Angelina’s sad expression did not go unnoticed by Joshua, “Two days, are you sure? I mean, well, we have only just met and now you’re leaving so soon.”
“ I’m sorry, it’s completely out of my control, and if I could change it, believe me I would.”
Angelina, stood up, and walked to the window. She did not want him to see her tears. Joshua stood up and walked behind her; he slipped his arms around her and pulled her to him.
“Will you take the next two days off work? Please, Angelina.”
“ Yes, of course I will, there is nothing I want to do more. I will call my boss first thing in the morning.”
They stood wrapped tightly in each other’s arms, neither one not knowing what to say to the other. “Come on, let’s sit down. I have cooked your favourite meal I believe; well, at least that’s what Lucy told me! I want to take you to the lake tomorrow. I own a holiday lodge out there, it was left to me by my grandparents a few years ago and I kept it on. I spent many summers there as a kid. I often stay there in the summer. I thought it would be a perfect way for us to spend our last two days together.”
“ Oh Joshua, it sounds just perfect. When do we leave?”
“ I thought first thing in the morning. We could spend the next couple of days away from the world and getting to know each other even better without any interruption.”
Joshua served up an impressive three course dinner polished off by a large bottle of champagne.
“Can I ask you a personal question, Joshua?”
“ Yes sure, fire away.”
“ During a conversation the other night, you mentioned that you had suffered a loss, before changing the subject. Would you tell me about it?”
“ Where do I begin? Well, a couple of years ago, I was deployed in Afghanistan along with my best friend Jason, who was also from this town. We had been out there for just over five months and were due to go home. We had less than two weeks left out there. This one particular day, my unit was travelling in armoured vehicles to a nearby village. Jason was in the armoured vehicle in front of mine a few hundred feet up ahead when all of a sudden and without any warning, we came under attack from insurgents. Jason and three other British soldiers were killed that day after their armoured vehicle was caught in the explosion. Two further attempts to clear and repair the route claimed three more casualties. There were deep ditches all along the road and this provided the insurgents with the perfect cover to plant their explosives.
“ It's not the most dangerous job in the army but it can get pretty close at times. Army bomb disposal operatives risk their lives daily to make their comrades and civilians safe from improvised explosive devices. Sometimes the unexpected happens and we lose a soldier. No matter how expert you are at your job, sometimes things just don't work out. And the day we lost Jason and the others was one of those times. We were taken completely by surprise.”
Angelina had tears in her eyes as she listened to Joshua and how he too had suffered the loss of his friend. She had never felt so close to him as she did right at that moment.
“Now it’s my turn to apologise. I’m so sorry, Joshua. I totally understand your loss; as different as the circumstances are, we have both lost people we love. I know how hard that is to come to terms with; it changes your perspective on life and not always for the better. It’s like you
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