This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 14; the fourteenth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction and does not bear any resemblance to any person living or dead. Any resemblance is purely co-incidental.
It was time when Jacob’s mother could finally celebrate her son’s wedding in their hometown Mangalore. The hesitant and shy Jacob was captured in love with the woman of his dreams… Laura. Fortunately for both families, belonged to the Catholic Church, of whom both were God-fearing children. The long awaited day dawned, Jacob and Laura were now lawfully wedded with God and family as witnesses… and they lived happily ever after… or did they…?
Jacob and his family kept his excessive drinking habit a secret because otherwise, Laura, or for that matter any girl would never agree to marry him. Jacob was a addicted-drinker… but still was in his limits initially. Although Jacob lost control of his senses, he was manageable because even with his addiction, he had one thing which many in the family did not… his big heart. He was the most loving man Laura could ever find… and that’s what made her stand by him… come what may.
Laura with all the love that she gained and poured over Jacob, had her limits too. As days went by, Laura could not bear her husband creating a scene at home and around the neighborhood whenever he returned drunk. She did not bear the office-bar-home-sleep routine. She was in a prison of her own. She had to get out. When opportunity struck, she instigated Jacob to take up the new job in Dubai and the couple moved away from jeering neighbours.
Was Dubai any different for them… or for Laura at least? No… and Laura knew it! She knew that there was nothing to stop Jacob from making married life hell for her, so she chose to use him instead, than cursing herself for marrying him. Although he unleashed his fury when drunk, Jacob was still deeply in love with Laura. He never asked for accounts, never doubted her or never even questioned her integrity. He got abusive and physical when drunk. But Laura took that more to her heart, than penetrating into the depth of his love.
Laura rose to the occasion like a politician… with love, sympathy and crocodile tears, she forced Jacob into getting her siblings and other family members to Dubai too. Laura too took a job of her own to at least manage herself financially, if not for Jacob. Through him, she managed to settle her siblings and others to their content.
Jacob did not care for the marriage, but still loved Laura. Laura was using the marriage, but overlooked the love…
As clever months passed by for Laura, and her ‘plan’ turned out to be successful… she was convinced that now she could well manage herself and she no longer needed Jacob. To rid herself from the final hurdle that Jacob stood, she took a divorce! Jacob, with no strength to bear the deceit and dis-trust agreed to let go off Laura! Little that Jacob know that whatever he did would never let him forget Laura…
With an attempt to destroy all memories of Dubai… Jacob returned to Mangalore. Due to drinking, even more excessive now, he lost his job, he lost his friends… and most importantly his self. All he had was that one bottle of alcohol from dawn to dusk. With every gulp of the addiction, Jacob drank his sorrowing life, which was destroyed already and slowly destroying him little by little.
Fourteen years later, Laura lived happily re-married… with a good husband, and two beautiful sons of 9 and 12 years of age. One fine day, Laura got a call from Mangalore from Jacob’s weak Mother, with news that Jacob is living his last few weeks on the hospital bed, with all his internal organs finally torn apart by the liquor.
Although it was an era passed now, Laura felt the love that Jacob actually had for her, and for humanity sake, Laura was determined to see Jacob for the last time before he went away. She took a day off from work, told her family that she’d be back in a day or two, and hurried with the first flight to Mangalore.
Call it karma or fate, but Laura unfortunately boarded the Air India flight that crash-landed at the Mangalore Airport killing everyone aboard. Jacob unknowingly, is slowly drifting away to meet her in heaven, still waiting on earth for Laura to return…
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