In Another Life

“So this is my flat. Which I’m pretty sure you remember right?”

I slowly walk through the quaint little flat. It was nice. It was kind of rustic. Lots of metal appliances and furniture pieces with leathers and harsh colors, like deeps reds and blues and silvers and blacks. You’d think that it would look horrid altogether but it was put together so perfectly it felt comforting.

“That’s the thing Xander, I don’t remember anything…”

I sit down on his couch and curl up in the corner.

“I got into a car accident, the car flipped, I ended up in the E.R. I don’t remember anything or anyone from previous encounters or even what I did yesterday or the day before that. That’s why I was acting so careful around you. I hadn’t remembered you, or what you looked like. The only reason why I had even a tiny inkling of who you might be was from the song you wrote me. I apparently kept a diary previous to my accident and apparently wrote everything down that happened to me. I don’t remember my parents, or even you that well, or anything of the sort. And I need your help.”

Xander just sits there staring at me. I just look blankly at him. I tried searching his face for an expression that I could find, but nothing.

“But you just apparently remembered that you had gotten into a car accident.”

“I didn’t remember. I wrote in permanent marker on my hand.”

Xander sighs then comes and sits next to me and picks me up and puts me on his lap and then cradles me, stroking my hair. He kisses my forehead gently then sighs again.

“My poor, poor, Nikai. My poor Monroe. Oh how I mourn for you right now. I love you truly and dearly my sweet…do you believe me Monroe?”

He looks down at me and I nod solemnly then rest my head on his chest. Listening to every breath he took, every beat of his heart. The way his breath hitched when I said his name.

“Xander?”

Staring blankly ahead in thought he subconsciously replies,

“Yes?”

“Will you help me? Please?”

That’s when I start to silently cry. Wishing, hoping that he’ll be like a master at kung fu and

I’m his humble student. But instead of him teaching me the arts of kung fu, he’ll be helping me ‘refind’ myself.

“Of course my dear. I would never think of anything finer to do.”

“Xander, I’m so scared…what if my condition doesn’t get any better? What if it worsens? I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle that…”

Xander’s face turns dark then he looks at me with anger. He grabs my face.

“Nikai Alexis Monroe. You DON’T talk that way around me. Or EVER again. By God’s will you’ll be healed. Why would you say that to me?? Why?? You have no idea what you mean to me do you?!? I love you and I’ll never let you do anything of the sort. Do you understand me??”

By the time he finished his lecture, I saw silent tears stream down his face. I gently wipe them away.

“I promise I won’t say anything of the sort again.”

I sigh then sit up and stare him.

“What can you tell me, about me?”

He chuckles.

“You love chocolate. And I mean LOVE it. It’s like you’re married to it. It actually makes me kind of jealous, you love to read and write novels, you’re almost finished with one and its absolutely exceptional, you hate fried chicken, but if you have to eat it then you’ll pick at it to make it look like you ate it, you won’t have sex before marriage, you love your family and do EVERYTHING for them, you love movies like the Gladiator.’

“You also love romantic comedies, but your more bent on actions films, you play softball, volleyball, and occasionally basketball, you’re currently a student at one of Britain’s finest English institutions, You have a little brother and two older sisters, you have a dad and a mom, you have a puppy named Truffles, you also love to run but sometimes you get too lazy, You have a super amazingly gorgeous fiancé named Xander and you have been dating him for two years, this year will technically be three, but we’re engaged so technically it will be one year as an engaged couple, you love love love going to the beach, you love to travel, you love photography, you love drawing, you love eating, you love discovering new things and exploring new things, you’re the kindest and sweetest person I’ve ever met, you have such a big and forgiving heart, you’re a Christian, you can sing and play three instruments, piano, flute, and guitar, you love music, and I think that about sums it up…any questions?”

I look at him blankly…he remembered all of that?? About me?? But how?? That’s incredible.

“Wow. You’re a pretty good fiancé aren’t you? Wait, what’s my favorite food?”

He smiles.

“You don’t have one.”

“Hmm…interesting. Now we have a lot of work to do, don’t we? We’re going to explore the world so I can re-discover myself…are you in my love?”

He picks me up and spins me around.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. You’ll be Ben Gates, and I’ll be Riley Poole from those National Treasure movies. Except I already have my treasure…you.”

I smirk.

“You love those mushy gushy moments don’t you?”

He laughs.

“I can’t help it. I’m staring at such a beautiful face. You can’t expect me to say anything sensible when I’m around you…that’s what love can do to you.”

I roll my eyes.

“Stop with all of that mushy gushy stuff. I hate that.”

I wrinkle my nose.

Xander’s eyes grow wide.

“Monroe!!!!! You DO hate mushy gushy stuff!!!!! YOU REMEMBERD SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

My eyes also grow wide. That’s impossible…but how?? I hadn’t even been able to remember my where about’s from yesterday. I turn toward him and put my hand up for a high five.

“YES!!!!! Let’s kick this things butt and knock it on the ground. Let’s roll babe.”

We grab our bags that could last a couple of weeks. Luckily I had left an emergency bag full of my supplies that I would potentially need if anything happened to me at Xander’s. Wow, ironic.

And so we left. I had no idea where we needed to start but we were going to start from the focal point of the whole journey: with the first page of my diary. I never liked the word diary. It was childish, petty. I rather use the word journal. It had an essence of purpose and fulfillment . Much more appropriate than ‘diary’. I wonder why I had used ‘Dear Diary’ if I hated it so much. Wait. Another memory.

Today was progressing faster than I imagined. I can’t believe this is all happening. Hopefully I won’t wake up to find Xander next to me and not remember him and having to start everything over.

“So where are we headed?”

Xander pulls over off of the road onto a strip of dirt.

“Paris. The city of love. Apparently, where I first met you.”