They were young, they were free and they were in love. Clara and Keith were the happiest couple. They had been childhood friends and then college sweethearts. They were always sincere and loved each other deeply. It was the 80s and their love like the song ‘Against all Odds’ was blooming everyday.
One day Keith approached Clara. He looked sad and Clara asked, “What’s wrong Keith?” Keith said that he had given an interview and his posting would be in another country. He had to leave in a few days. Clara was distraught but she would never come in the way of his success. She wanted him to be happy. Clara and Keith made a promise of love that they would write to each other. Keith took a vow that he would marry her one day.
Clara and Keith one Wednesday morning said their tearful goodbyes at the airport. Keith embraced her and reminded her to write to him. Then he was gone.
Clara could not hold back and wept. She wondered if Keith would forget her now that he would be so far.
Clara missed him so much that she wrote to him that very day. She filled her letter with love and wanted to know if he had settled down comfortably.
Days passed Clara didn’t receive a letter from Keith but they had promised to write to each other. So Clara wrote her letters. She wrote down almost everything sometimes. What she did that day, what she ate and what she didn’t do. She wrote as if she would write in a diary. All her thoughts, emotions and feelings. Most of all she wrote why he never wrote to her.
She thought of making a call but she never got through. She waited for him to but it never came through.
Clara was determined that if she kept sending the letters he would write back. She worried if something had gone wrong.
Dave’s parents didn’t know that Clara and Keith were seeing each other. They thought them to be the best of friends. Clara was scared to ask them about him but she did. They said he was doing fine at his job and was very busy.
Clara sobbed deeply wondering what to do but she never gave up. She wrote her letters.
On Christmas morning a year had passed since Clara wrote her first letter. Clara didn’t feel like herself and was alone in her room. Her Dad knocked at the door and came in. He sat down and said, “I know about you and Keith. That you’ll love each other. You have been friends all your life. When the first letter came I kept it. It was because I thought you were too young to love. You had to work and be someone. The letters kept coming and I never let you see them. He is a faithful boy his last letter came yesterday on Christmas Eve. I can no longer do this to you. I hope you can forgive me I did it for your good but your love is stronger than any other. I only read the first letter. The others are all sealed. Clara these are Keith’s letters. Merry Christmas.”
Clara wanted to be angry but she was weeping miserably when she saw the pile of letters from Keith. Her dad left her alone. Clara wept as she opened each letter and found that he too wondered why she never responded to the things he had said. Was she not receiving his letters? Clara went through every single letter and then went through them again. She decided what she must do she booked a flight and the next day she flew to him.
She wondered if he would be home as her taxi drove in towards his street. When she rang his doorbell Keith did open the door. He was so surprised to see his Clara standing there and swept her inside. They kissed for what seemed like an eternity. Clara told him how his father had withheld his letters for so long up until Christmas morning. She said she never gave up on believing he loved her too. He said he tried calling her but her Dad said you were always out. “Clara you are the love of my life. I have never stopped thinking about you and I wonder why your letters were so strange. I should have done something but I got absorbed in work. You’ve come so far for me Clara. I love you. Will you marry me?” Clara hugged him tightly and said, “I’ve always wanted to.”
That New Year’s Eve Clara and Keith watched the fireworks together. The Christmas miracle in their life had brought them together finally. The letters were their miracle holding their love, warmth, trust, sincerity, loyalty and friendship in them. It would from now on, be a season for love and happiness and new beginnings.
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