Carl Scharwath, has appeared globally with 150+ journals selecting his poetry, short stories, interviews, essays, plays or art photography (His photography was featured on the cover of 6 literary journals.) Two poetry books ‘Journey To Become Forgotten’ (Kind of a Hurricane Press).and ‘Abandoned’ (ScarsTv) have been published. His first photography book was recently published by Praxis. Carl is the art editor for Minute Magazine, poetry editor for TL Publishing Group, a competitive runner and 2nd degree black- belt in Taekwondo.
BYWAY
The road between the two lovers held anticipation and unknown
dangers. Erik and Rebecca were the silhouettes on standby in a
landscape of romance.
Erik- married with two young daughters and a beautiful wife
celebrated 14 years of marriage. The marriage although perfect in the
beginning began to visibly change like a snowy winter scene fearful of
revealing what lies beneath. Everything was exciting and held potentials
as they shared the same interests, joys and fears. Slowly an erosion had
occurred. Life overtook romance and a crevice between them had
opened wide and exposed repetitiveness and boredom. They no longer
held the same interests and sadly Eric looked forward to his career and
the time away from home. His job as a publisher also proved an
excellent way to have an affair. His mistress worked in the same office
and lived only one mile up the road. Erik’s gain in weight and cigarette
smoking had begun a few years ago and this needed to change. He
began to run, bike and stopped smoking. His wife Ellen had no interest
in either and although she was proud of her husband’s healthy
transformation, she did not join him in any physical activity and
discovered the hobby of painting as her new interest.
“I will be over tonight after work and I cannot wait to see you. I
love you Rebecca.”
Rebecca- a single, hardworking, and beautiful woman was always searching for someone
special to complete her. She had two previous relationships that were not consummated due to
Rebecca’s high standards for a future husband. Her family and friends did not understand how
such an amazing woman could not find love. Rebecca’s career as a book editor was her number
one passion and gave her satisfaction while life passed her by. Her slow accumulation of wealth
and the enjoyment of the finer things in life made her fearful of someone taking advantage of her
and this also contributed to her being single and selective.
“Thank you, Erik, I love you too and lets just relax for a couple of hours and I will make
you a special dinner. I hope you can stay longer as our weeknight visits are getting shorter and
shorter”
Working in the same office at a book publisher afforded them the perfect opportunity to
begin a relationship as friends. They would meet for lunch, discuss their lives and share some
laughs and sometimes more intimate thoughts of their future dreams.
To their amazement they lived one mile apart on the same country road where they
occupied beautiful homes on an opulent space of 2 acres or so each. On a lunch break this
epiphany was revealed.
“ Your kidding, what is your address again?” said Eric with a face that held future
possibilities.
“ Yes, it is 208 Rune Lane.”
A smile erupted in happiness warmed his face as he said, “ Wow we live only 1 mile or
so apart, I cannot believe we had not run into each other before.”
“Well I only moved here about 4 months ago.” Said Rebecca.
The work relationship between them had eventually blossomed into love. Rebecca
unknown to her at the time, was an innocent mistress, Eric wanted to fulfill the emptiness of his
failing marriage, have some fun and keep this lie from her as long as possible. Living less than a
mile apart on the same country road was perfect for their meetings. Eric, a runner would tell his
wife he was going for a long run after dinner and would return in about 2 hours or so. Rebecca
thought this was so adorable that her boyfriend would run to her house spend some time together
and then run home again.
After 3 months into the relationship Rebecca noticed the time with her lover
seemed to get shorter and she wanted to confront him on this very fact. “You always seem in a
rush to get back home; you have never invited me over to your house and we can never talk on
the phone except by text at night. Please tell me- are you married?”
Eric with eyes trying to tell something you can’t know began to finally expose the truth.
“ I love you Rebecca and you do not deserve what I am about to say, Yes I am married, I
never planned on doing this to my wife or family. I just needed a friend, I just needed to
find happiness as my marriage and the love of my wife had changed. I never thought I
would fall in love with you this deeply.”
Rebecca began to cry, and her words seemed distant and reached out through the noise in
her own head. “ I fell in love with you the first day I saw you at work. How could you do
this to me? I gave you my life, my body and my future.”
“I am so sorry to do this to you. I love you so much and feel so alive every time I am with
you. When we have more time let’s sit down and have a talk about our future.”
“Our future? Rebecca answered while thinking that no relationship will now exist just a
joint claim on the past.
“Yes, our future- I want to be with you and want to discuss how together we can make
this happen.”
Rebecca although suspicious still believed in their love and happiness between them. She
would continue to meet and plan with her lover and knew in her heart that eventually they would
be together forever.
Months went by with no changes. They had their work lunches, their two-hour night
visits and an occasional day out on a weekend. The relationship became as predictable as
spring weeds always forcing themselves out of odd places.
Eric was beginning to feel trapped. The constant questions from his wife about being
away from home, the pressures from Rebecca to commit his life to her and the thoughts of
committing adultery were changing his psyche. The drama in his life was like an avant-garde
black and white 1960’s movie shot on a Bolex video camera baring his soul without speech.
He knew something had to be done. It was not fair to his lover or his wife to continue this
affair. Leaving the house for his run, telephone in hand, judgement day was here. His fingers
trembled as he dialed the number knowing he was searching somehow for a new beginning.
“Hi baby, I just left the house for my run and wanted to know if you are leaving soon as I
have something important to tell you.”
“Please tell me it is good news and that you are leaving your wife?”
This statement caught Eric off guard, and he hesitated before saying “ I wanted to tell you
in person, I still want to come over tonight. I love you Rebecca, but I just cannot do this
anymore. Leaving my wife and child would be devastating to them.”
“What about me?” said Rebecca through an eruption of tears.
“I am so sorry; I am sorry I did this to you and was not honest from the beginning.”
Rebecca hesitated and said “Perhaps the magic of our love was only created in my head,
a wish or a dream that everyone has? No! Our time together does feel absolute. Your touch
awakened my soul, your breath quickened my heart, your words filled me with life. I feel so sad.
Eric was deeply touched by what she said and wanted to comfort her on their last
night together as lovers.
“ I will wait for you sweetheart at your house and we can talk about everything there.”
He decided instead of running to her house to take a bike ride instead and told his wife he
would be back in about two hours.
Rebecca in tears left work at almost the same moment to meet her fate and she hoped not
the ending of their relationship. She decided she would do whatever was necessary to save what
they have.
Her nerves had to calm just enough to put the key into the ignition and race home to see
Eric. She was anxious about what destiny awaited and how her life might change forever. The
country road home was just ahead, and Eric should be at her house by now. She started to speed
up and reached for her phone to text Eric that she should be there any minute. The tears came
again, as she had trouble seeing the keyboard and looking up at the road where the first words
seem to follow her vision from the phone screen to the windshield. She looked down to type the
last few words and the car jolted in an impact along with a deathly loud medal twisting sound.
Hyperventilating, crying and in a panic state she looked around and saw a crumpled bicycle with
a body on the side of the road. In a dream state, frozen and unable to walk she dropped to her
knees and crawled. Her fate not in focus started to sharpen around the edges. Eric came into her
clouded vision and laid lifeless on his stomach. No words would emit from his lips only a trail of
blood staining their history.
“Eric, Eric,” she screamed over and over. His comatose body offered no response. She
reached down to feel for a pulse on his wrist, his neck and listened for any breathing. Her only
true love in life was gone and it was her fault. She ruined his life, his family’s life and her own
life.
She knew what to do next, somehow, she was able to dial 911 to notify them of the
accident without any other information and ran to her car. So many thoughts were flashing in her
mind- a kaleidoscope of intense images mixed with her life story flashing off and on. She pushed
the gas pedal to the floor and knew what fate awaited ahead a few miles. The ledge and deep
gully right before the bridge would now accept her sins. Just a violent jerk of the wheel to the
right and the pain would be gone.
In the hospital room Eric’s wife held his hand and had been there for him day and night.
He was in a coma for four straight days and she never gave up that her husband would come
back to her. She suddenly felt movement from his fragile fingers and saw those beautiful eyes
open taking in a new rebirth.
He sat up quickly and spoke loudly and to his wife “Rebecca, I love you, I love you so
much and I am sorry.”
