The Day My Light Disappeared
By Jett Sutton
When the sun cleared, and I looked for my beautiful wife, I gazed around, but she wasn’t there. She was nowhere in sight.
“Man, I hate my job,” I thought to myself, “and this old piece of junk car too.” I opened my car door, and hopped inside onto the scorching, black leather seat. As the garage door rose to let the daylight in, there she was, and man was she looking better than ever. When I saw her, I remembered that is who I do all of this for. She is why I stay with the job I hate and the same car I’ve been driving for nine years. I do all of this to see her beautiful smile and to make her happy.
“Hey beautiful,” I yell as I get out of the car. "How are you?! “
"I’m doing great!" Jessica says with bountiful enthusiasm. "I have great news! If we move back the wedding one day, we can have a solar eclipse wedding! How did I not know about this before?!"
“No way!" I say in excitement. "That would be great!”
“You're not going to invite your brother, are you? I mean, after he tried to hurt me and lied to you about me."
“Yeah, yeah I know. I’m not sure. If he gets jealous again he could try to hurt you, and this is a day for happiness. Don't worry. I think he will be able to control himself. I'll have my dad look out for him,” I say with cautious enthusiasm.
“You're right," says Jessica. He is family though.“
“I promise you’ll love this day! I have worked so hard to make sure that everything I’ve done is for you!”
“I love you,” Jessica whispers with not only her voice but her dreamy eyes. “I love you, too.”
* * *
The next month moves ridiculously slow. All I can think about is the wedding. The thoughts of a future with her and eventually kids rages my mind as I create new beginnings. As I arrive to work, everyone has seemed to have herd the news. An endless echo of “Congrats, Mark” and clapping have seemed to start out of nowhere the minute I walked through the door.
"Thank you! I tell everyone. I've never received this much attention at work. No one ever seems to be in this good of a mood."
The next week was full of surprises, as I drudge through my job, little things would happen to brighten my day. People would put cake in the lounge and leave little gift cards as “gifts.” Man, could this time leading up to the wedding get any better?
August 21, 2017 Carbondale, Illinois
"Man, do you look beautiful today," I say in awe. "I feel as everyday is a blessing because of you." We’ve been dating for three years, and after all this time with her, I still feel as I need to impress her.
“Hey!” my father yells.
“You're a little late, I say. It's 11:00, and totality happens at 1:30. You were supposed to be here an hour ago!"
“I'm sorry," dad says, "it was a hassle getting your brother ready.’
“I understand," I say. "I’m surprised he even came.”
“Hey, Mark," my brother says.
“Hey! Thanks for coming, it means a lot to me and Jessica.”
As everything comes together, I feel a little nervous, almost like I’m getting butterflies. The catering comes, the band sets up, and everyone seems to have a blast. Hours feel like minutes, and they fly by so fast. The next thing I know the minister is up on the the stage.
"Do you accept Jesica as your wife?" he says with a slight smile because he knows what I'm going to say.
I grin with a definite, "Yes," as she does the same.
At 1:20, we reach the time of totality. The sky darkens into a sepia tone, and I grab my wife as a roar of cheers fill the outdoors. I hold on to her, but I slowly lose my grip. She seems to melt away. I squeeze harder and harder, but I can't seem to hold on. I panic. I begin to run around losing my mind as I call her name but cannot find her. When the sun cleared, and I looked for my beautiful wife, I looked around, she wasn’t there. She was nowhere in sight. Everyone is as lost as I am. I look into the crowd, and as I examine all of the people present, everyone was there from before except my brother and my wife.
“Man, I hate my job,” I thought to myself, “and this old piece of junk car too.” I opened my car door, and hopped inside onto the scorching, black leather seat. As the garage door rose to let the daylight in, there she was, and man was she looking better than ever. When I saw her, I remembered that is who I do all of this for. She is why I stay with the job I hate and the same car I’ve been driving for nine years. I do all of this to see her beautiful smile and to make her happy.
“Hey beautiful,” I yell as I get out of the car. "How are you?! “
"I’m doing great!" Jessica says with bountiful enthusiasm. "I have great news! If we move back the wedding one day, we can have a solar eclipse wedding! How did I not know about this before?!"
“No way!" I say in excitement. "That would be great!”
“You're not going to invite your brother, are you? I mean, after he tried to hurt me and lied to you about me."
“Yeah, yeah I know. I’m not sure. If he gets jealous again he could try to hurt you, and this is a day for happiness. Don't worry. I think he will be able to control himself. I'll have my dad look out for him,” I say with cautious enthusiasm.
“You're right," says Jessica. He is family though.“
“I promise you’ll love this day! I have worked so hard to make sure that everything I’ve done is for you!”
“I love you,” Jessica whispers with not only her voice but her dreamy eyes. “I love you, too.”
* * *
The next month moves ridiculously slow. All I can think about is the wedding. The thoughts of a future with her and eventually kids rages my mind as I create new beginnings. As I arrive to work, everyone has seemed to have herd the news. An endless echo of “Congrats, Mark” and clapping have seemed to start out of nowhere the minute I walked through the door.
"Thank you! I tell everyone. I've never received this much attention at work. No one ever seems to be in this good of a mood."
The next week was full of surprises, as I drudge through my job, little things would happen to brighten my day. People would put cake in the lounge and leave little gift cards as “gifts.” Man, could this time leading up to the wedding get any better?
August 21, 2017 Carbondale, Illinois
"Man, do you look beautiful today," I say in awe. "I feel as everyday is a blessing because of you." We’ve been dating for three years, and after all this time with her, I still feel as I need to impress her.
“Hey!” my father yells.
“You're a little late, I say. It's 11:00, and totality happens at 1:30. You were supposed to be here an hour ago!"
“I'm sorry," dad says, "it was a hassle getting your brother ready.’
“I understand," I say. "I’m surprised he even came.”
“Hey, Mark," my brother says.
“Hey! Thanks for coming, it means a lot to me and Jessica.”
As everything comes together, I feel a little nervous, almost like I’m getting butterflies. The catering comes, the band sets up, and everyone seems to have a blast. Hours feel like minutes, and they fly by so fast. The next thing I know the minister is up on the the stage.
"Do you accept Jesica as your wife?" he says with a slight smile because he knows what I'm going to say.
I grin with a definite, "Yes," as she does the same.
At 1:20, we reach the time of totality. The sky darkens into a sepia tone, and I grab my wife as a roar of cheers fill the outdoors. I hold on to her, but I slowly lose my grip. She seems to melt away. I squeeze harder and harder, but I can't seem to hold on. I panic. I begin to run around losing my mind as I call her name but cannot find her. When the sun cleared, and I looked for my beautiful wife, I looked around, she wasn’t there. She was nowhere in sight. Everyone is as lost as I am. I look into the crowd, and as I examine all of the people present, everyone was there from before except my brother and my wife.