Forgotten Love

Present

      "No! no please let him go, do not hurt him, please..." cried Sabrina. Jason was already lying on the ground. He could feel the burning sand against his cheek but he could do nothing to lift himself up, for his body has given up. For the last time, Jason could only catch a glimpse of the beauty that stole his heart when he first stepped into this holy land. Sabrina was dragged away by her brothers. The sun too had no mercy for Jason, as it blinded his vision while unleashing its fierce heat. His fellow warriors from the west looked down at him as though he was an outcast. Jason just laid there while a drop of tears flowed down his nose and to the ground.

Then

      Jason was a young and excited soldier who marched with his fellow English men with swords, armors and horses for several days and traveled the seas for several weeks, before he finally reached the port of a city. A beautiful city that appeared to be painted with gold and seemed truly blessed by God.
      That wasn't the only beauty that Jason found. As he got off his ship he saw a set of glittering blue eyes searching its way up the dock from a small boat. Her eyes were like the sea that glittered from the morning sun light, topped with a dash of innocence. "What a shame!", Jason thought. He could only see those eyes but not the face that hold's them. Suddenly as she turned towards him, the salty wind blew past his neck and towards her. The scarf covering her face lifted up with the wind, revealing her angelic features. She saw him. Realizing her scarf was lifted up, she quickly pulled it over but not before managing a shy smile while her eyes glanced at him. His hearts stopped for a moment, until he was tapped on his back by his comrade who stepped off the ship a moment after.

Present

      "What were you thinking! We are at war with them! You have sworn an oath to serve this army in return for your soul's redemption. Have you forgotten that?" The whole room below the deck rumbled from the general’s voice. Jason was kneeling on the floor with his head looking down. Standing in front of him was the General and his knights. Striped of his armor and sword, Jason was looking down while his mind kept circling around the women he loved. Jason knew that there was no point of saying anything. The war driven men that stood around him would never understand the love he felt or the pain it caused.
"I should have listened to her", whispered Jason's mind. It was too late when Jason realized this.
      "Get your things ready. You are leaving at dawn and do not try anything stupid". Once again the room rumbled.

Then

      It was the most peaceful moment. Jason was laying back on a rock at the peak of a rocky hill, hidden away from the eyes of the city. The sun was setting, sky was clear and a dim orange light filled the area. On his chest, Sabrina rested her cheek. Her eyes were closed and her hand around his back. She hung on to him so tight as if in fear of losing him.
"Why is this world divided?".Sabrina spoke after a long period of silence. The peaceful moment they had drifted away with the wind. Various thought started flowing through their mind.
      Knowing their faith was inevitable, but Jason said, “It was Men who called this upon themselves, but it doesn’t mean that we should share the same faith. We could be together if we choose to”. For a moment, Sabrina stared at a distance. She observed a pair a white doves flying close together and disappearing into the sky.
“No, we could never be together. Not here, not from where you came. Unless! Unless we run. We go somewhere far away and start a new life. We live differently. Different from what we were thought and we teach our children to live like us”. Sabrina said with a little anxiousness in her voice. Jason thought for a moment. He thought about his home, he thought of his father’s farm and the people he knew. He thought of Sabrina, her family that she loved a lot and the colorful market place that she loved to visit whenever she had the time. They were both very young. Jason was ready to sacrifice everything but he was worried for Sabrina.
“Don’t think too much. Let’s just do it. Let’s run tonight when we still have the time. We can take my brother’s boat until we reach a nearby port and we start our journey from there”. Sabrina proved Jason’s worries were uncalled for. Yet with some hesitation, Jason told Sabrina to wait till the next day.
“We’ll leave tomorrow night if all this still seems right.” Jason said while holding Sabrina’s face close to his with both his palms. A drop of tear, tear of joy, rolled down her blue eyes. They moved closer and there, they had their first kiss. They clenched their eyes so tight as they felt a burst of emotions rouse from the bottom of their heart.
      Later, they went back to the City on separate directions. In the morning of the following day, Jason freshened up and left to see Sabrina at the market place, as she was usually there. They would secretly meet or exchange notes expressing themselves as they always did. But not that day. That day, Sabrina’s brothers were waiting there with her. One of her brother was talking fiercely to an English Knight accompanied by a couple of soldiers. Jason knew something was wrong. The moment Jason got close her brother took a wooden rod and hit Jason on his face sending him to the ground. The evening before, while Jason and Sabrina entered the City, they were careless. They were spotted by a local who reported it to her brother, and soon enough her brother learned about their love.

Most Present

      It is a Sunday morning. Jason is sitting in his front porch, exactly where his father could often be seen while he was still alive. He could hear the church bell ringing at a distance. All the village folks are dressed up for the Sunday Mask and walking pass Jason’s home as he watched. The front door of his house opened and a soft voice is heard while a well groomed lady and two teenage girls approached from inside.
“Honey, the kids and I are going to church. See you later”. It is Jason’s wife Catherine and his daughters, Anna and Belle. The last time Jason saw Sabrina was 20 years ago as he laid on the burning ground, he caught a glimpse of her as she was dragged away by her brothers. Although Jason sat at the same place every Sunday and watch the village folks go to church, Jason prayed. He prayed everyday that Sabrina found happiness in her life.

“God created men and love completed his creation. War destroys both, yet men rage War in the name of God."