A Veiled confession

In a small room in a house, devoid of any light. Stood two people, a man and a woman who began to talk late into the night. Currently standing apart, the woman sitting on the edge of the bed, her hands folded tightly together, all while the man leans against a dresser his hands placed firmly behind his back.

“It’s been a while since we’ve done this... you know having one of these talks.” The man’s soft voice carried through the darkness, as both were hardly able to see each other, let alone their facial expressions.

“I know we used to do this all the time when we were kids. Go into a closest or somewhere dark just to make our own confession box.” The man looked at the ceiling fondly, recalling the memories of their past talks. This was made especially easy by the all-consuming darkness that stood in the room.

“But I’m not the one who called for this talk, though I do have a lot to say. But this isn’t about me, this is about you.” The man lowered his head and looked at where the woman was seating, even in the dark he could see the diamond ring he had given her being fiddled with by her long lean fingers.

“So, my dear Madam. What is it that called for this?” Though he couldn’t see the woman, he still knew and perfectly remembered what she looked like. Her long golden hair sparkled in the sun, her soft lips that often soothed him when he himself called for these meetings. But now.... but now the softs lips were silent. Only a silent cry was all they could produce. The increasingly hot room soon felt fridged cold. This woman hardly ever cried and when she did, it was not over trivial matters.

Now the once aloft tone of the man was gone. He could feel his heart beginning to race, anxiety and worry creeping into his blood. His hands that rested upon the dresser behind him now were exuding sweat.

The woman turned her head in the direction of the man, the man she had known since she was a kid. The man who used to pick fights with her bullies just to protect her. The man who held her tightly in his arms during the passing of her father and mother. Now, she could feel the air around him shift with unease. Leaving her to continue to fiddle with the diamond ring as she softly cried.

“I know I should have told you when it happened. But you have to understand; I was terrified of how you would react. If you would abandon me.” Then the silence returned, on the man’s face sat a tight expression. Truly wondering how to react, wondering if his worse fears had been confirmed. After all she had grown distant over the past month, going places with her “friends” presumably to go shopping but hardly ever returning with shopping bags. Not to mention that he was never allowed to go with them; it was just a girl’s trip.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that he began to grow angry at her as he presumed the worst. But he also tried to push away the anger, the fear as he knew this woman. He did not believe her to ever do such a thing. Not after all these years. Now as he walked towards the woman both of their hearts sped up. Each one not knowing what was coming next. Soon the man knelt down in front of the woman grabbing her hands that were dripping with sweat as well. Even bothering to give them a small kiss before placing his forehead against hers.

“This is our safe space. We created this environment for a reason, so we can tell each other anything. Remember back in high school you broke my bedroom window with a rock? You know I never knew who it did until you confessed it to me in our safe space. For like a week my parents and I thought it was some criminal trying to break in or something.” He weakly laughed, taking in the smell of her perfume that he had bought her for her birthday. It was the scent of Jasmine, one that she and him both loved.

“I remember, when I told you, you weren’t even mad. You just laughed and I remember thinking that incident would be the end of our friendship.” She smiled at the man as the tears still slowly shifted down her cheeks and off her chin.

“Yet it wasn’t. Like I said, you can tell me anything.” He softly reaffirmed her.

“I can’t. I can’t. I’m scared. I’m scared how you will react. What you will do.” The man felt like his heart was being squeezed, though his words were soft and comforting but these new words were crushing and feeding the fuel of fear. But not anger, he hardly was ever angry with her and when he was, it was never for a long, a day or two at most.

“But I know I have too. Just don’t be angry with me, please. Please don’t be angry with me.” She weakly repeated her words, getting choked up as she spoke. The man said nothing, as he wouldn’t make a promise he couldn’t keep. This broke the woman’s heart and made her further hesitant to tell him. But she pushed through her fear and silently whispered her secret into his ear. Often having to restart as her slow tears was now a roaring river, causing her to stutter when she talked.

The man pulled back his head away from her, trying to search her eyes for something anything. But the darkness that left them mostly anonymous obscured the answers he was searching for within her eyes.

“P-Please do-don't be angry.” She squeezed his hands, trying to pull him in, not wanting to see him go. But she was not strong enough as he pulled away and began to walk towards the closed door. Now having his back towards her, not wanting to look at her. Not because he was furious, but because he now cried silently in the dark.

“How could you keep this from me for months. Why would you hide this from me!” He had failed to keep his voice even, but the pain was too strong.

“I-I wa-was scared. I didn’t -wa-want you to leave me.” She tried to calm the man, to explain why she did what she did.

“Til death does us part. That is what we said, do you really think so low of me that I would take back the oath that we made? On that day I knew what I was signing up for! On that day and no matter what happened, I was going to follow through with the oath. Even if it broke me inside.” He tried to calm himself by taking a deep breath. It wasn’t her fault; she thought she was sparing him.

“I know I shouldn’t have done it. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” She finally said, now able to form a sentence without stuttering. Slowly the man turned around the tears in his eyes hidden in the dark as he walked over to the woman. Once again gently touching her forehead with his own.