“When someone you love,
Becomes a Memory…the
Memory becomes a treasure,
For the love of that person,
You will love that person for
The rest of your life…”
Mavis was an 18 years old African-American girl who relocated with her tourist parent to
Mavis was a highly matured young girl who had had much more experience than most women crammed into a lifetime. She was loved and respected by everybody including all the tutors. Although, she was only seventeen, she was intelligent, emotionally matured, sensitive, brilliant and socially appealing. She was also a very pretty girl with a very agile and athletic stature.
I had not taken notice of Mavis attractiveness for almost three months. But when we became friends and very fond of each other, I began to see her in a different light. I remember we were both very funny kind as we used to tease each other. Every little thing we would make jest of. We do and share things together and also go to the school library together to read and share ideas with each other.
Before Mavis and I became close, I remember one afternoon when the weather was so hot. We were in the Mathematics class and I was tired and reckless. My mind was completely out of the class and the only thing I was busy with was steering endlessly at Mavis where she was sitting. I noticed her mind wasn’t in the class either and throughout the whole session in the class that day, Mavis and I were secretly stealing a look at each other, and you know when two people look searchingly into each other’s eyes, emotions are heightened and the relationship tipped towards greater intimacy. At a point, we would smile at each other and put our eyes away. I was taken aback and shaking when Mavis confidently came directly towards me after the class and said “Hi, ‘am Mavis Baby Arthur…I know you are…King…King of Tomorrow, right?”. I was speechless and didn’t know what to do or say. I only nodded my head in affirmation because I was so nervous and that was because I had never experienced anything like that in my life. But I was still happy that I had such a pretty and brilliant girl as a friend. The most interesting thing was that I couldn’t believe that I could have a foreigner as a friend, an American for that matter. For the first time in my life, I felt so important. It was like a Miracle. There were butterflies in my stomach!
As the months rolled by, Mavis and I fell passionately in love. It was so strange for many people to believe that two young lads like us could feel what adults felt for one another. Even, my parents found it very difficult to comprehend, but Mavis parents did understood and they would never do anything to hurt her feelings. I was so glad about this and from that moment on, I began to believe in myself and I really owed that to Mavis. Mavis taught me so many things and opened my eyes to the world. From Mavis, I learned to develop and grow mentally, emotionally, socially and intellectually. She taught me how to think like a grown-up man. She was so kind, caring, loving and very romantic. She was so blunt, honest and straightforward. She taught me how to love and how to do that genuinely. She showed me the meaning of true love because Mavis loved me sincerely with all her heart. She loved me unconditionally in spite of what or who I was or where I was from. The chemistry between us was so strong that we had to promise each other that we would have a lifetime together as husband and wife after we are both done with our higher education. Every time, my grey spirit was always yearning in desire to see Mavis, hold and love her with an Angel’s passion beyond the utmost bound of human thought, seeking a newer world with her and sailing beyond the sunset and the baths of all the western stars until my last breath. Each passing day, I was always full of joy…but Alas!...Joy has a slender body that breaks too soon, for today, my Mavis has now become my MEMORY.
Mavis later traveled back to the
Below is a copy of the letter written to Mavis published in the Daily Times Newspaper in 1993 tittled…”To Mavis My Love!”
This is for you (Mavis), the true and genuine love of my life. I hope you will have fortunate chance to read this wherever you may be. I’d be missing you for the rest of my life!
I remember you made me to realize
That it is only once in a lifetime…
But now I know, it does happen often
In our entire life when we sleep and wake
Up one day to discover that what we cherish
Most in our lives just disappear and gone forever!
How can I face the world alone now Mavis?
Oh no…! I’m missing you now. Poor me!
Though I know I’d be missing you forever…but
How?…how I wish you were here now…coz
I doubt if I’d ever live to see a true friend like you.
I also remember one of those beautiful days
We spent together here in
Down, I remember you once asked me why do
I feel everything is against me? I remember you
Always tell me it was not as bad as I thought…
Mavis, with your magnetic power of persuasion,
I remember you once told me that it was
Just little endurance that I needed. I could
Recall that in your warm hands during those
Wonderful and splendid moments, you charged
Me to learn from old, experienced and successful
People. To listen to them…that I would discover
That it is the little endurance that they had that
Kept them going through turbulent storms. That
If things were ever hard for me, that what I
Needed was to try to endure, which I did…I
Remember you told me that endurance was the best
Weapon against difficulties.
Mavis, all these I remembered and tried to do
But I am so sorry I can’t go on now…How
Can I?...when I had loved you with all my heart
And suddenly out of the blue…I woke up that
Morning to find my gentle and helpless heart
Full of your love now broken apart…Oh!...
The agony is too much for me to bear…the
Pain is too hard for me to conceive…I am
Dying helplessly…I don’t know what to do
With my life anymore Mavis!
When you told me you were leaving…that
You had to go coz your parent needed to
Relocate back to the
Had no choice but to leave. Your words drove
Me crazy, it caused me anguish to think that
The beautiful dreams I had had will no longer
Be mine…the idea of it poisoned my life…
Now my life was gradually turning into hell…
Every moment, I pinned for you…I ached for you…
But why Mavis?...why do things like this happen?
Why are the most beautiful moments in life over
In the flash of a moment?
I know without you…I fear for my life. I am dying
A little everyday…this is what I feel…and that is
Why I hate my life now…that day was one morning
I can never forget. There was brightness all around.
But for me, it was dark all around. I could not see a thing.
I wonder why people say love is pure…that those who
Love find God?...I wonder what path I had suddenly
Treaded?...what is this love all about?
An unsolved mystery
Whose joy it is? And
Whose ruin is it?
Whose life is it? And
Whose death?
Why? Why Mavis do you have to do this to me?
I have always loved you so much and will always
Do even if I don’t get to see you again. I really missed
You a lot amidst of the pain and agony that enveloped
Me right this moment. I am especially missing your
Wonderful and beautiful smile I had always seen in
Your face, but until I finally see someone else who
Can prove to possess your magnificent qualities,
Your love will continue to ring like a pendulum in
My memory for the rest of my life.
Goodbye Mavis!
Your love always,
King of Tomorrow.
Although I have moved on with my life today without Mavis being around…but the mere memories of those days of missing Mavis still brings me out in cold sweat.
