A Touch Of Happiness. Juan Moisés De La Serna
I hope it does not go very fast - I said to him jokingly.
- Don’t worry that it doesn’t go over forty, otherwise it starts bringing out smoke, and we will not be able to see anything, by the way, where are you going?
-I am looking for a church that is open, do you know of any?
- Oh my, all the ones I know are behind the manifestation, all … except for one. It is old and small, but it was my favourite one, I have not been in that area for a long time. I was born there nearby you know, and I was baptised in that church. I did not do the rest of the sacraments, but God is not going to find out, right? He asked jokingly.
-He is supposed to be everywhere, I replied without laughing at his joke.
-Well, yes, but do you think he is going to pay attention to a humble mechanic whose only ambition is to repair a tacky car?
-Good man, I pointed out.
-Well, I do what I can, but as I say, church does not suit me.
- You don’t have to apologise, we al have felt hurt sometimes or betrayed when plans do not come out as we expect.
-Yes, indeed, you wouldn’t understand.
-Who is it? I asked expectantly.
- What?
- Whose loss do you feel sorry for?
-I don’ know if it’s a pity, sometimes I think it’s rage or impotence, the man said, squeezing the steering wheel very hard.
-But God is not guilty of it, he only lets his creatures act, he does not choose the moment.
-That’s not enough for me, I prayed a lot, I even asked him to take me and lea-ve my love behind. He did not even give us time to get married, even though I wanted it.
- Why didn’t you?
-She fell into a coma, after a high blood pressure, she was diabetic and nobody had told us. It was a hot day, I can still remember how the air seemed to burn. We had the windows of the house wide open, I was waiting for her parents to visit, so I could ask them her hand in marriage.
She wanted to come home earlier to prepare everything because she wanted me to make a good impression on them. She went shopping, and that day the lift wasn’t working, so she had to climb the stairs.
Arriving home, she left the groceries in the kitchen, gave me a kiss and told me that she was going to relax a while, that she needed to rest.
I was preparing some canapés, and putting the groceries in the refrigerator, and when I finished, I set the table for lunch, and in the small living room where I had the TV and my in laws would sit, I put some trays with something to eat.
Everything was ready, and I was surprised that my wife did not come back be-cause that’s how I considered her despite that fact that our engagement was not yet official. I went to look for her in the bedroom, and I saw her sleeping peacefully, I went out and left her a little while longer, until her parents arri-ved.
I opened the door for them, and knowing that they would take some time until they came up because the lift was not working, I used the opportunity to call her, so she could prepare, but she did not respond.
-Come on darling, you have to get up, they’re going to come up at any moment I said trying to make a hurry.
But she seemed deeply asleep, I approached her and with a kiss I tried to wake her, but she did not move either, so I shook her gently, and not even at that. What worried me the most was that her breathing did not change and seemed very soft and weak.
I got scared and started to shake her harder, I called emergency, and the next thing was that the emergency doctor told me that she was in a coma.
I didn’t understand how this could have happened, I told them she was a healthy girl, that she exercised once in a while and ate very well.
-That’s not the problem, her body was not working well, and she never recei-ved treatment, said the doctor.
-But we did not know anything, at least she never told me.
-This type of case is very common, the discomfort of diseases, sometimes ca-mouflage adapting to the rhythm of life depending on own’s possibilities, and thus without any effort it seems that everything is fine.
-So, she could have been ill for a long time?
-I can’t give you total assurance, but I think so.
- And why did this happen? I insisted in asking.
- Do you know if she had breakfast this morning?
I asked her parents who had followed me, and as me, were devastated by the shock, and they told me that she didn’t eat anything that morning, nor at noon, because she said that she was so nervous that her stomach was empty.
The doctor told me even before I could ask him.
-That could be the cause.
-And the lift? Said her father.
-Which lift? Asked the doctor.
-It was not working today, we live in the eighth floor and she had to climb with the groceries.
The doctor lowered his head and said,
-I would not be surprised if what happened was the conjunction of these two or more factors.
-And now what? -I asked.
-Now it is a matter of waiting, we have given her treatment, with a little luck her body will recover.
- Will she not have sequels? Asked the father.
-We cannot know yet, it’s very soon, let us study her a little more and we will inform you of the results.
That’s how it all ended, at that moment I felt very guilty for not giving her all my attention when she came back home loaded, if I had given her a glass of water, maybe she would be alright now, or simply if I had changed our en-gagement day to another day when the lift was not broken, it would have been enough. And the food…, because she had not eaten.
We had already spoken about everything, and her parents agreed, it was just a formality, to meet and eat some pasta and nothing else, why had she not eaten anything? She did not tell me she was nervous about anything, nor did she tell me she was feeling bad when she arrived.
I gave it a lot of thought, but above all the idea of wanting to marry her any-way possible. I knew it was not the best time to talk to her parents about this subject, butt I thought that could help her recover.
I had heard of people who had come back from the coma, after listening to their favourite singer’s song, or when a dear person spoke to them, maybe, if we got married, and she listened to the words of the priest, she would react, if only to say, “Yes, I do”.
The idea seemed absurd to me, but I could not get it out of my mind. I ap-proached her father, and I told him how excited she was for our commitment and that she would have loved to get married soon.
The man started crying as soon as I mentioned her, so I preferred not to say anything. I asked a nurse, where the chapel was. And I went to sit down, it was a small room where there were some benches to pray.
So I did, and I prayed for her, and I offered my life in return and whatever else I had or could do. When I was calm and that moment the priest was coming in, I took that opportunity to tell him about the situation and what I had thought and he told me,
- Son, it’s not going to be possible, as long as she’s in that state, she does not own her will, so I cannot marry you.
-But …, what if that saves her?
-If she does not give her consent it has no validity before God -that been said he picked up something and left the place.
I was somewhat annoyed at the priest, for denying me what I most wanted, and I asked for the same thing again in my prayer, adding that he should let me marry the person I loved,