*Please play the music while reading the story*
12 hours ago...It was in Caren’s room. Caren was busy packing her clothes into a luggage. Her sister, Sharon Larson Lee, was standing next to her watching her packing with disappointment. Sharon was furious about Caren’s reaction towards Toby’s sudden death and she argued with her. Kelly was there watching them helplessly.
Sharon: WHAT! Are you crazy or something?
Caren: I….I have to…
Sharon: You have to? ….After all these years of forgetting him and now you telling me… you have to! What is the point of going to Maya Beach? I thought you told me years before that you will not go there anymore…. not in your life time?
Caren: Sharon, Toby is dead and I have to know…
Sharon: Know what? What is there to know? Have you forgotten what he did to you? How…how he hurt us, your parents and you….especially you? As far as I am concern that bastard can die a thousand times for all I care… You.. you are always so soft….always so naïve….. Damn you’re so STUPID!
(Kelly couldn’t stand watching Sharon scolding Caren blindly without caring for her feelings and interfered in the conversation.)
Kelly: Sharon!.... Stop it. She’s your sister. It’s not right to talk to your sister like this.
(Sharon turned towards Kelly.)
Sharon: You shut up! It’s between me and my sister….our family matter. SHUT UP!
Caren: STOP IT! Sharon….just stop it!
Sharon: Why don’t you listen to dad and mom? Your friends and all? Why don’t you listen to us?
Caren: Listen to you? (started to sob)….. It’s because I listened to everyone 10 years ago … that ….that…. (sobbed heavily)….
Sharon: You are doing it again….. Cry when you think of him. ARRGGGGG! I don’t know what to say to you anymore!!!!!
(Sharon quickly exited the room and slammed the door hard.)
Caren: (sobbed)….. Kelly…. I am sorry about Sharon’s behavior. She…. She’s always lose her temper easily since she was small.
Kelly: I think your sister is right this time, Caren? What is the point of going to Maya Beach? Is the music box so important?
Caren: ……
Kelly: You are falling back to your previous life that you’ve hated so much and wanted to forget. These 10 years I have seen you so happy and I was so glad that you finally able to move on after your divorce 10 years ago. And now, you ….(sighed slightly)….…. I mean….. do you remember that it took you three years to get over him after your divorce…….(sighed again)… Is it worth it to search for that music box?
Caren: (started to cry)…….HuhhhhuhuhuHuhuhhuhhh....
(Seeing Caren in an emotional state like the way she was before, it broke Kelly’s heart tremendously. She quickly hugged Caren with sympathy. Hoping to pacify her emotion.)
Kelly: Oh! Caren… this… this is all not fair to you. So not fair.
Caren: Kelly…. I know that I should have forgotten him…. and….and I know I’ve hurt my sister and my parents again…… I know that I have let everyone down… but…..but…(sobbed)……this is something I have to do…. I have to find out and…. I have to know…. (sobbed)……
The music box was …. was …. the only thing that was sacred and special… the only thing that I can find solace in my pain… andda.. andda…..(cried profusely)…..uhuhhuhhuhhhhhh…..
Kelly: Closure…… you need closure, isn’t it?
(Caren just nodded.)
____________________________<>_______________________________
(In Caren’s mind, 10 years ago at Los Angeles Family High Court. The divorce case between Toby Patrick Damson and Caren Larson Lee was called up in front of Judge Warren. Caren’s lawyer, Kenneth Chandler was representing Caren in the proceedings. The Judge asked both parties, Toby and Caren to stand up and asked them whether they are agreeable for a mutual divorce. Both of them nodded.)
Judge Warren: Okay I am granting two of you a divorce by law effective today.
(Judge Warren was scribbling the order on a legal document.)
Judge Warren: Is there anything ..... any of you want to say to this Court before I call the next case?
(Suddenly Toby raised his hand to the surprise of Caren and her lawyer, Kenneth. Even the crowd at the public gallery was watching him tentatively as it was quite unusual for a petitioner to say anything after the Court has granted a Divorce Order. Usually both parties would walk out of the Court room separately and be parted separately. Moving on with their new lives as single again.)
Toby: Yes I do. Your Honor…. (paused for awhile.)
Judge Warren: Well! Mr. Toby Patrick Damson. What do you want to say to this Court?
Toby: …… (silent)
(Toby ‘s head was facing down. Feeling rather depressed as his life has just turned into a lonely world by just appearing in Court that day.)
Judge Warren: Mr. Toby. Are you alright? Do you want to say something to this Court?
Toby: …….(still silent)
Judge Warren: Mr. Toby. My patience is wearing me thin. Do you want or I shall call the next…
(Before Judge Warren can continue, Toby quickly answered.)
Toby: I almost died….I.....
Judge Warren: ???
(At this juncture, Kenneth quickly stood up and made an objection. Fearing that Toby would say something bad that would prejudice his client, Caren, in the proceedings.)
Kenneth: My Lord! I have to object to this.
Judge Warren: Overrule! Sit down! Mr. Kenneth.
(Judge looked at Toby again for awhile and understood his emotional state.)
Judge Warren: Mr. Toby, please continue.
Toby: Sorry! My Lord. I don’t mean to waste the Court's time. I…I…..just…
Judge Warren: It’s okay. Mr. Toby. I have judged hundred of cases like yours and I understand your desire to express your feelings on this particular day. Please continue. I can give you only 1 minute of my time here as I got another 50 cases to be heard in my Court today. So please do the honor to this Court what you have to say.
(Kenneth stood up again.)
Kenneth: My Lord. This is highly irregular and my client….
Judge Warren: SIT DOWN! Mr. Kenneth! This is a family Court and not a civil court of law. We are dealing with people’s emotions here and the least a Court can do is to allow some flexibility in the procedure to ease any form of hardship or burden that may arise for these parties today. NOW SIT DOWN and give Mr. Toby a chance to say something in my Court.
Kenneth: Yes! Your Honor. Much obliged.
(Kenneth sat down and looked at Toby tentatively. So was Caren and the crowd at the public gallery behind them.)
Toby: Thank you. Your Honor. I ..ah….
(Toby looked at Caren but Caren turned away.)
Toby: Twelve years ago, I almost died when I gave her, my wife….I mean my …..ex-wife this.
(Toby handled out a music box from his bag beside him.)
Toby: I had appendix and was lying at a hospital desperately making calls to American Express to deliver this gift to her… I still remember…..(sighed and grinned a little)…. It was our 2nd Valentine …..
Toby: And she loved it very much….. (sighed)… She even played the music box every night before she sleeps and she always sleep with it next to her pillow…. (started to sob)…….My Lord…. All…..all I have to say is that I wasn’t a good husband to her. (sobbed)…. I hurt her so much…and…andda…. today….just now before our case was called…. She returned this music box to me…. and said
She doesn’t want it anymore……(sobbed)
(The crowd murmured with sympathy and Caren was seen slowly wiping her tears away.)
Toby: …if ….if…..only I have ….. (sobbed)…huhhuhhhuh......
fulfill my promise to her that day, My Honor … the promise I made to her 13 years ago….. hhhuuuhhhhhh.....the promise to find her…..the…hhhuhhuhh.....
(Before Toby could finish what he wanted to say, Caren stood up and quickly ran out from the Court room. While Kenneth quickly stood up and apologized to the Court for Caren’s sudden behavior, Toby ran behind her. Toby tried to catch up with her and managed to grab Caren’s arm just outside the Court’s building after chasing her all the way from the upper stairs to the Court’s front gate while shouting her name.)
Toby: Caren! Wait!
Caren: Don’t touch me!
(Caren’s arm swang away from Toby’s grab.)
Toby: Caren! Please! All I want….. Can..can … we talk?
Caren: There’s nothing to talk. I want to go home. My parents are waiting for me.
Toby: Wait…. All I want now is to make things better for you….please… don’t go.
Caren: It can never be better! Toby!
(This time Caren walked away so fast. Crossing the street and leaving Toby behind. While staring at his precious ex-wife walking away from him, he can see her image getting smaller and smaller and slowly she disappeared into the crowd. At that moment, Toby felt a sharp pain in his heart. It was an emotional pain that came striking his heart so fast that he realized his greatest fear of losing Caren in his life has finally come and became a reality. There is nothing he can do anymore to change that. With all this emotion erupting in his mind, Toby slowly lowered his head in agony. Feeling extremely sad and heart broken while walking slowly at the pathway opposite the High Court building.
Suddenly he received a short message system via his handphone from Caren. It said “You will be better off without me”. After looking at that message, Toby cried in silence and stood still for a moment. He finally understood that Caren insisted divorce that day not because her parents wanted her to do so. It was because Caren wanted to let him go so that he can have a better life without her. In his heart, he finally knew that Caren was quietly suffering in silence like him where both individuals could not live with or without each other but it was Caren who did the first and final sacrifice that day for a better future for both of them. After realizing this, Toby blamed himself for ending their marriage in such a pitiful way and his heart started to ache more and more because of what Caren had just done for him.
Unable to take it anymore, Toby quickly called his good friend, Pamela Tanning, with his handphone while standing next to a busy road. Oblivious to all the motorists who were staring at him. Toby got the call through and the phone from the other side rang for a while before a woman picked up.)
Pamela: Hello!
Toby: (sobbed terribly) ….huhhuhuhhh..Huh….I wasn’t a good husband…..Hhhuhssuhuhuh (sobbed terribly)
Pamela: What? Is that…..is that you, Toby?
Toby: ..She…sh….she left me already…huhhhh Huhhhh…. I wasn’t a good husband…huhhhuhh…(cried emotionally.) She….shhhhseeee….. huhuhhhhh….left me..huhuhhh allllready ….huhhh hu hhhh huh left….. left… Oh God!..... Shhhhe ….left….me………huhhuhhhhuhh.
(cried profusely)
Pamela: Toby…. Are you alright? Where are you? Toby!.....Toby!............Toby!
Toby: I ….I…….forgot my promise to her…. Huhhuhuuhuhhh…. (cried profusely)….. Huhhuhuuhuhuhh…. I forrr hhhh..ggot ….. huuhuuhhhhhh……mmmyy huuuuhhhhh……pro…huhhhh….miiiisee!
Pamela: Promise? What promise? Toby! Where are you? Tell me where you are, I will come and get you.…
(After Toby told Pamela where he was, Pamela droved over to fetch him to his home. While Toby was sitting in Pamela’s car, his eyes were staring at the sky through the side window. Both his hands were still holding the music box as he remembered his promise to Caren. The promise to search a heart shaped coral rock for her. Though the promise was no longer relevant in his life anymore, it was a promise that Toby would never forget for the rest of his life.)
_____________________________<>______________________________
<>
Caren: I shouldn't have returned the music box to him ..... It was all my fault that he is dead now...I had hurt him so much. The music box meant a lot to him and to me before the affair. Somehow ... I....I......(sobbed)..... I know that he still loves me...... and I .... I...........just didn't believe him.. and all I ever think or remember was his betrayal.... (sobbed).....but after I met Kenneth and when he told me the truth that was kept from me all these years......I finally know that he still loves me and I didn't believe him before....It's all my fault, Kelly.... hhuhhhuhhh...
Kelly: No! No! It's not your fault. Never your fault. How would you know if a secret was intentionally kept from you? How would you know? It's never your fault, Caren!
Caren: ....Huhhuhhhhhhh.....I just .......just need to go and get the music box back..... so that he... he... huhuhhuhhhhhhhh......knows that I have.........huhhhhuhhuhhhh..... forgiven him.......huhhuhhhhuhhh...... (sobbed profusely and emotionally.)
Kelly: Oh! Caren! You poor baby... come here...
(Kelly hugged Caren tightly and passionately like a sister.)
Caren: Kelly....huhuhhhuhhh...... I just need to go.... I have to..... I want him to know ..... huhuhuhhuhhhhh.... that I know I.....I finally know that he loves me...... I finally know........(sobbed terribly.)
Kelly: Okay! Caren! Okay! (whispered softly.)
(All Caren wanted to do then was to find that music box where ever it was. Hoping for Toby to know that she has finally forgiven him in her heart. Something which she could still do for him to remember how they used to be, the perfect loving couple as everyone used to say.)
