Write a story with the title: ‘The broken promise’.

THE BROKEN PROMISE

It was many years later that I returned to the town. I was forty years old and still unmarried. Like me the town too had aged fifteen years. The trees were taller and there were many buildings where there had not been any before. I looked about me; the drab, grey Registry of Marriages building still stood there. Even the new coat of paint, did not make it look any brighter; at least to me. I remembered that it was at this building that all my hopes had been shattered.

Agnes and I had been childhood sweethearts. We had lived next door to each other. Her brother, Richard, was my best friend. Agnes was the first girl of my life and the last. When she left me, I just could not place another girl in my heart where she had been. We had everything going for us from the start. Our parents did not object and we had no rivals to fight. I thought I was the luckiest man alive; for Agnes was as cheerful as the morning sun. Living with her as her husband just had to be the happiest thing in the world. Then suddenly, on the day of our registry wedding, she changed her mind.

I remember the day as if it was yesterday. I was dressed in my only suit and my family was standing around me at the Registry. Then Richard arrived, “Strange,” I thought, “why is he dressed in a t-shirt?” Then he came up to me with a very depressed look, ”Agnes has locked herself in her room and has asked me to call off the wedding,” he announced. I rushed to Richard’s motorcycle and we rushed down to her home. I knocked and knocked at her door, as did all her family members, but she did not answer. I could hear her crying though. After an hour or so, I left and went home. For some unknown reason, she had decided to break her promise. That night, I left town — deciding never to return.

Yet here I was; back again after 15 years. I was still bitter, but I had stopped hating her, and the world. Briskly I started walking home. I was not sure if my family, or hers, still lived there. Anyway, I would know soon enough. As I reached the gate, I saw my mother hanging out the clothes to dry. I just stood and stared at her. She took a long look and suddenly recognition dawned on her. She gave a yell, “Michael, has come back!” and rushed into my arms. There was much crying and hugging and crying as all my family members came out. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned round to face Richard.

“She died Michael,” he blurted out breaking into sobs.

“What do you mean?” I shouted.

“Our dear Agnes died of cancer a month after you left,” he said and screamed in obvious agony. Then it suddenly dawned on me: She had refused to marry me because she knew. Then I remembered that she had gone to see a doctor the day before the wedding date because of stomach pains.

I could not stop the tears in my eyes as they flowed freely. “Stupid girl,” I cried, “didn’t she know that I would gladly have married her even if we could live as man and wife for just one day?” I could not stop crying and everyone joined me. I would have liked to just drop on the ground and die just then.

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