Got to Get You Into My Life

Paul paced around behind the back of the house, running his fingers through his hair. He couldn't remember the last time he was this angry. As he paced, he got angrier, and even walked around to the front of the house....
"Come on..open up! Start bloody raining already, get me out of here!" Nothing happened. But up in the atmosphere the clouds were full, and lightening lit up the sky, as thunder rolled.

Suddenly it began to rain, but not the kind of rain Paul was hoping for. This was a torrential downpour, that drenched everything, including him.

There was nothing he could do but run up on the porch. He stood there for a few minutes, then went inside. He went up to the bedroom, that had been prepared for him by Mona and Emma.

Emma.....oh, how he did love her, despite how angry he was. As he lay there across his bed, he began to calm down. He thought about the words he had said, and came to the conclusion that they were harsh. How could he leave her? His answer, he couldn't.

He thought about going into her room to apologize, but he realized that she might still be angry herself. No, he should just let her cool down. Things will look different in the morning.

Even though it was still fairly early in the afternoon, his eyes began to get heavy, and they fluttered shut, and he fell asleep.

*******

The morning shined bright and clear, as all traces of the storm the day before were gone, except for a few puddles out in the yard.

Paul yawned and stretched, and rubbed his eyes. He still lay there for a while, listening to the birds sing, and the chickens making noises out in the yard.

He rose, and stretched somemore, before standing up. He noticed he had slept in his clothes, so he walked to the dresser, and picked out some clothes to wear, and went to take a shower.

After his shower, he dressed, and walked out into the hall. He knocked on Emma's door, but heard no reply.

"She must still be asleep." He whispered to himself, before walking downstairs. He walked into the kitchen, and saw Mona, busy with breakfast.

She turned as he walked into the kitchen...
"Well, goodmorning sleepy head. Y'all must have been tired. Neither one of you came down for supper last night."
"Yeah, i was rather tired, actually." Replied Paul, as he sat down.
"Emma awake?"
"I don't think so, I knocked on her door, but she didn't answer."
"Ok, well, can you try again? Breakfast is almost ready."
"I would, but I don't think she wants to talk to me right now."
"Why?"
"We had a fight yesterday."
"Aww, a lover's spat..."
"No, I'm afraid it was more than a lover's spat. It was a full blown fight."
"I'm sorry to hear that..want me to talk to her?"
"Would you? And, please tell her I'm sorry? I said some things I shouldn't have said, and I...." he choked up with his last words, and Mona came to give him a little hug.
"I'll talk to her, and it'll all be alright, ok?"
"Ok, thank you Mona.."
"Anytime.."

With those words, she turned and walked out of the kitchen, and up the stairs.
Paul heard her knock on Emma's door, and call her name. Soon she came back down the stairs, and returned to the kitchen, calling Paul's name.

"Paul...."
"Yeah, what's wrong?" He answered, as he quickly stood up.
"She's not in her room, and her bed hasn't been slept in... Paul I'm worried... where could she be?!"
"I'll go find her.."
"Oh please do, please find her?! She's my baby.. she's all I've got!"
"It's ok, I'll find her.." he said, patting her shoulders.

He ran out into the porch, and called her name, but no answer.
He went out into the yard, looking everywhere he could think of, but she was nowhere in sight.

Something urged him out into the woods. Surely she didn't come out here.. He walked, stumbling over branches, making his way through the dark woods, seeing nothing.

All of a sudden, he became aware that he was not alone. He turned to see an old, gray haired lady standing there.
"Hello, who are you?"
"I'm Emma."
"Really? That's me girlfriend's name, or was..."
Emma smiled.. I understand, I had a husband once. We fought all the time when we were dating, and even a few times after we got married... I'm sure you two will work things out."
"I hope so, by the way, you haven't seen a blonde girl walk through here, have you?"
She smiled again..

"She went that way.."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome.."

He turned in the direction she had pointed.. then she called him..
"Paul.."
"Yeah.."
"You will forgive her, won't you?"
Paul smiled.. "I already have. I just hope she'll forgive me."
"If she's smart she will.. But, know this, she's been through a lot.. You see, her mother treated her that way. She knows no different. She needs someone patient to teach her a better way."
She smiled again...
"Will you do that for me?"
"Yes, I will, cause I do love her.."
"I know you do. I knew it from the start."
Paul turned his head once again to where she had pointed, then quickly turned back, but she was gone.

He looked all around him, but he saw no sign of her. He had no choice but to continue his search of his Emma.

He came up on an old tree house..
She couldn't be in there...could she...
Climbing up the steps, he looked in.

There she was, all curled up into a ball, in a corner of the little tree house. He climbed inside, and crawled over to her.

"Emma..."
She sprang up at the sound of her name.

"What.." Her voice barely above a whisper.
"Emma, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said those things to you.. I didn't mean a word of them."

Emma said nothing, still gazing down.
"Emma, please talk to me?"
"I...don't want to.."
"Can i hold you?" Emma only shrugged her shoulders, as Paul crawled over to her, taking her in his arms. As he did, her tears fell, as she began to cry..
"I....I'm sorry...I shouldn't have acted that way...I... oh God...I...Now, I've lost you..."
"Hush now, you haven't lost me. It's alright now..." Emma still cried, and Paul just held her, and let the tears flow.
"I love you Emma..."
"I love you too, but...."
"But what?"
"You're going to leave me when that rain starts.."
"Emma, I'm not leaving you.. When that rain does start, we're leaving, together.."
"Promise?"
"I promise Emma..."
"Ok.."

After a few minutes, her tears stopped.
"Hey, let's get back to the house. Your mum is worried sick."
"Ok.." Paul lifted her chin, and gave her a gentle kiss, before they both climbed out of the tree house.
"I didn't think you were up here.. was this your tree house?"
"Yeah, my grandpa built it for me years ago."

Paul put his arm around her, and led her out of the woods..
"You know, i nearly didn't find you.. But I saw this old lady.... her name was Emma too, by the way.."
"Really? That was my grandma's name!"

Paul's face suddenly turned white, as the realization hit him, that he had just been talking to a ghost.

"Umm... Let's get out of these woods Emma....like now!"