"Hi Joshua," Jane walked through the gate of her next door neighbor's yard, a sweet and innocent smile on her face.
Eight year old Josh Chasez looked up from the tackle box he had just thrown in the back of his dad's pickup. Today was their annual fishing trip together, they had taken one every year since Josh was only two.
"What do YOU want?" He asked little Jane in an annoyed tone. He couldn't understand why she was always around, girls were icky, and she was the ickiest of them all. She always followed him, making goofy faces and just plain being annoying. They had grown up together and he hated the way their parents were always making them play together.
"I'm going fishing with you and your dad."
"Oh no you aren't, this is me and dad's special trip, just us guys, NO GIRLS ALLOWED."
"Yes I am, he invited me the other day since my daddy's always too busy to take me fishing."
"What would a girl like you want to go fishing for anyways? Don't you know you have to touch WORMS and icky slimy FISH?"
"I know that, but I like fishing and your dad said I could go with you, so I am!"
"No you're not!" There was no way Josh was going to let HER ruin his day with his dad, they had NEVER taken a girl, not even Josh's mom. "DAAAAAD......."
*His dad looked down and smiled, said we can't leave her behind, Son I know you don't want her to go, but someday you'll change your mind*
"What is it son?" Josh's dad walked out of the house, his own fishing pole in hand, and looked down at his young son.
"Tell her she's not going, this is a GUYS day out, girls aren't allowed to go!"
"Well, we're making an exception this year, I invited her along."
"DAD, you didn't, this is supposed to be OUR special trip, just you and me, we can't take her, we just can't!"
"I thought it might be nice to have a visitor along with us."
*And Johnny said, take Jimmy Johnson, take Tommy Thompson, Take my best friend Bo, Take anybody that you want, as long as she don't go Take any boy in the world, daddy please don't take the girl*
"But why do you have to take HER as a guest? Of all the guys on the block? Couldn't you have picked one of them?"
"They all have their dad's to take them fishing, Janie's dad is out of town a lot and doesn't get the chance to take her, so I volunteered and offered to allow her to go with us on our fishing trip."
"Dad, no, I don't want her going, please!"
"She's going and that's final, and what's more you WILL be nice to her Joshua Scott, I won't have you being rude to our guest!"
"Fine, whatever."
Josh reluctantly got into the cab of the truck and noticed Jane giving him a winning smirk as she climbed in next to him. He shot her an evil look and she stuck her tongue out at him, he was just about to stick his out back when he noticed his dad watching him, so instead he just gave her a half hearted smile.
*Same ol' boy, same sweet girl, ten years down the road He held her tight and kissed her lips in front of the picture show*
"So, how did you like the movie?"
"It was a little too scary for my taste, but it didn't matter, because I was with you."
Josh, or JC as he was now called, wrapped his arms around Jane and pulled her in close to him. Jane rested her head on his chest and sighed contentedly. They had both done a lot of growing up in the past ten years. Josh had grown out of his 'girls have cooties' stage and begun looking at Jane as more than the pest next door. During their freshman year in high school he had asked her to the homecoming dance, and the two of them had been a couple ever since. Now that they were both seniors, they planned on getting married after graduation and going to the same college together.
"I love you so much Jane Marie."
"I love you too Joshua Scott."
JC pulled her into him and gave her a deep, passionate kiss. They held the kiss a few minutes until Josh felt something pulling them apart.
*Stranger came and pulled a gun, grabbed her by the arm, Said if you do what I tell you too, there won't be any harm.*
The man grabbed Jane away, holding a gun to her. Josh felt a feeling of sheer terror run through his veins and down his spine at the sight of the one he loved in such a dangerous position.
"Wh...What do you want?"
"Just keep you mouth shut and do as I say, or your little pretty is gonna be blown away."
"Don't hurt her," JC took a step towards the stranger, who swung the gun to poing towards him.
"Don't move, don't take one more step, stay right where you are or it's all done and over with!"
"Please, don't do this," he took another step, his eyes never leaving Jane.
"I'm warning you, stay where you are."
"Josh, please don't try and be a hero, just run, save yourself." Jane began pleading with him, a look of fear on her own face.
"I'm not leaving you Jane, I love you too much."
*And Johnny said, take my money, take my wallet, take my credit cards Here's the watch that my grandpa gave me, here's the keys to my car, Mister give it a whirl, but please don't take the girl*
"What do you want? Name anything and I'll give it to you, just please don't hurt her, I beg you."
"What do you have on you?"
"I have about $100 cash, my wrist watch, and a ring that's been in the family for years."
"Let me see them."
Josh took the money out of his wallet and laid it, along with the watch and ring, on the ground in front of the gun man.
"That's all I have, it's everything valuable that I own."
The stranger looked at the things lying in front of him, then back up at JC. He grabbed the money and ran, throwing Jane to the side in his haste to leave. As soon as the assailant was gone, Josh ran over to where Jane was lying on the ground, curled up in a ball.
"Baby, are you okay?"
"Yes, I think so, just a little shaken up."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Okay, let's get out of here." JC helped her to stand up, then the two of them left the area as quickly as they could, still clinging on to each other in fear.
*Same ol' boy, same sweet girl, five years down the road, There's gonna be a little one and she says it's time to go.*
JC and Jane had gotten married right out of high school, and were now expecting their first child soon.
"Josh, sweetie, it's time."
"Time for what?" He asked distractedly. He was doing some paper work for his new job, and sometimes he got so into what he was doing, he barely paid attention to the outside world.
"You know, time, like for the baby."
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure."
JC ran around their small apartment in an absolute frenzy. He grabbed
the
suitcase they had packed a few weeks earlier, threw on the first
clothes he
saw and slipped on shoes. Jane had to laugh through her pain at him, he
was
more worked up and nervous than he was.
"What are you laughing at?"
"You, it's so cute how hyper you're getting."
"It's my first child, I'm a little excited, now come on, let's go." He
carefully helped her down to the car, then drove them to the hospital
as
quickly and as safely as he could.
*The doctor says the baby's fine, but you'll have to leave,
'Cause his momma's fading fast, and Johnny hit his knees, and there he
prayed...*
"Mr. Chasez?"
"Yes," JC jumped up from the waiting room chair and ran over to the
doctor.
"How is she, what's happening?"
"Well sir, you have a beautiful baby boy, 8 lbs 9 oz, 18 inches long.
He's
doing fine, a real strong baby."
"And Jane?"
"There were several complications during birth, she lost a lot of
blood, and
we couldn't get it stopped, then her heart rate and blood pressure
dropped.
We ended up having to deliver the baby by emergency C-section."
"I...Is she going to be all right?"
"It's too early to tell, but things don't look good, not good at all,
if she
makes it through the night, it will be a miracle, and then we'll have
to
take it one hour at a time."
*Take the very breath you gave me, take the heart from my chest
I'll gladly take her place if you'll let me, make this my last request,
Take me out of this world, but God please, don't take the girl.*
JC's knees gave out from under him, and he sank to the floor, his body
shaking from sobs. They had been through so much together, he couldn't
lose
her now, he refused to. Unsure of what to do, he did the one thing his
parents had always taught him to do in a rough situation, he prayed.
"God, please don't do this, I love her so much, I can't stand to live
my
life with out her, she means everything to me. I can't raise this baby
on my
own, I need her to help me, please don't take her from me God, please."
*Three days later*
JC stood, holding his son, and looking at the torn up ground. It hurt
so
much to lose her, and he wasn't sure what he was going to do with out
her.
As he stared at the grave where his wife's body now laid, he thought
back on
the times they had spent together. The time she had ruined his special
day
with his dad........
"I'm going fishing with you and your dad."
The time he had almost lost her once before.....
The man grabbed Jane away, holding a gun to her. Josh felt a feeling of
sheer terror run through his veins and down his spine at the sight of
the
one he loved in such a dangerous position.
"There were several complications during birth, she lost a lot of
blood, and
we couldn't get it stopped, then her heart rate and blood pressure
dropped.
We ended up having to deliver the baby by emergency C-section."
As the baby started fussing, JC pulled the tiny body in closer to his
chest.
His son was the only thing he had going for him now, his strength to
keep
him alive and help him survive life without Jane.
"Sssshhhh, baby, please don't cry, daddy's here, daddy will always be
here,
he's not going to leave you. We're all we have now, it's going to be
rough,
but we'll get through it. Daddy loves his little boy."
JC held the baby close to him and rocked him back and forth until his
cries
subsided. Taking one last look at the grave, JC turned and walked away
to
make a new life for him and his son on thier own.
*Jonny's daddy was taking him fishing, when he was eight years
old.....*
© Copyright 2000
"Oh no you aren't, this is me and dad's special trip, just us guys, NO
GIRLS
ALLOWED."
"Yes I am, he invited me the other day since my daddy's always too busy
to
take me fishing."
"Wh...What do you want?"
"Just keep you mouth shut and do as I say, or your little pretty is
gonna be
blown away."
And finally, the day he had lost her forever.....
"I...Is she going to be all right?"
"It's too early to tell, but things don't look good, not good at all,
if she
makes it through the night, it will be a miracle, and then we'll have
to
take it one hour at a time."
