London, England
April 2004

Elanah walked through the foggy London streets, down Park Lane by Hyde Park. She had been in London for several months. She likes London. She likes the weather, the streets, the restaurants, even the smell of the city made happy.

It was fall; winter would be coming through these London streets soon. Elanah was wrapped in a parka as she turned into Hyde Park. She walked over a knoll and leaned against the Tree. The leaves were falling from the Tree. She exhaled slowly, her breath creating crystals in the air like fog. She loved this park, at night. This place of quiet calm, Elanah loved this place more then almost any in the world.

Elanah brushed two leaves from her hair as she looked around the park. It was then she saw him through the fog cresting over a knoll. He is British, average height, skinny with pale skin. He wore a brown slacks and button down shirt with a jacket, but wasn't wearing his glasses today. In his hands a bottle of wine with two glasses and, he is so sweet, a sunflower. She smiled as she walked toward him. He smiles and stumbles a bit as coming down the miniature hill. He sets down the wine and the glasses and envelops her in a hug and kiss.

As she returned the hug they slipped on the frost ground. It was cold and damp, but she didn’t care. Elanah loved him and he made her happy. She loved his thin frame, his unkempt hair and his smile. She loved his soft pale skin and un-scarred hands. What she loved most was his un-scarred eyes, those eyes have not scene the horrors the world can bring. The loved the fact that he was not military; He was the opposite of all the men she grew up with. They were military men, the violent, hardened men who see more death then life. Elanah loved the hope in his eyes, the joy he had for life and mostly, she loved that he loved her.

He stands and helps Elanah to her feet. He holds out the sunflower with a smile

“Hello my Dear.” He says to her in Arabic

“Hello my good Sir.” She says to him in English

“And how are you Love The man says in English

“Better Now” Elanah says, in Hebrew, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kisses him deeply.

As the kiss ends they walk to the tree, their tree, the kiss was soft and loving. The Kiss, no teeth, no force, no hard teeth, It was warm and heartfelt. There was no grasping hands no pulling hair... no crying… no pain.

“How was your day Dearest” he responds in Hebrew

It was always dearest, or love, or other honorifics. When he spoke to her, he spoke with love, with attachment, with caring. Never bitch, slut … or whore. There was never anger or rage.

“My day was fine. It was long, physical therapy was hard”

“…and just therapy?” He asked quietly and with concern.

Elanah promised him she would continue to go to therapy. She loved him for that. She loved that he made her promise. He made her promise that she would take care of herself. She loved that he didn’t think she was crazy. She loved him because he never said

Just get over it . Instead he said “When your ready to be done, be done, but we both know your not ready yet.”

“It was fine Lover” she said in Hebrew

“Grand” he responded with encouragement.

One day she would tell him. One day she would tell him what really happened. That she wasn’t attacked in an ally. That she wasn’t a student at Oxford.

He leaned against the tree, she leaned against him. He poured her a glass of wine and hands it too her. He pours himself a glass of wine. They talked for a while, they laughed for a while longer. He sang to her, she read to him out of her journal.

“Don’t you think its time to get a new journal?” He said “Yours looks like it has been through a war zone.”

She looks down at her journal, her refuge. This book had provided her an escape. She could not think to part with it.

“I’m not saying to get rid of it, I am just saying maybe its time to get a new one. Like this one here” He reaches into his bag and hands her a leather bound journal. She untied the leather cord that held it closed and found, in between the rice pages, two envelopes. One Labeled: READ ME FIRST and the second one saying, READ THE OTHER ONE FIRST.

Elanah opened the envelope and began to read, and cry. She looked at him and smiled and cried. He looks at her, he looks into her. She drops the letter and begins to open the second envelope, holding back the tears. Elanah’s hands shake as she tears off the end of the envelope and tips it on its side. Out slides a ring… with a diamond in the middle…

“It was my Grandmother’s”

She slid the ring onto her finger, it fit perfectly

“So will you?”

Elanah reached her hands out and hugged him and kissed him deeply “Thank you, thank you, oh god yes”

She looked at the ring as he hugged her back. She looked at the ring and cried, tears of sadness and joy mixing. Knowing she would need to tell him everything, knowing that because she may loose everything to get what she wants.

the ring