Return to Paradise

Lisa gazed out over the Caribbean Sea, feeling the faint breeze against her face - eyes shut, the white sand warm between her bare toes. The place was beautiful beyond belief, but it was still unable to ease the grief she felt as she remembered the last time she had been here.
     She had married James right here on this spot three years ago to the day. Dressed in a simple white shift dress, miniature white roses attempting to tame her long dark curls, Lisa had been happier than she had ever thought possible. James was even less formal but utterly irresistible in creased summer trousers and a loose white cotton shirt. His dark hair slightly ruffled and his eyes full of adoration as his looked at his bride to be. The justice of the peace had read their vows as they held hands and laughed at the sheer joy of being young, in love and staying in a five star resort on the Caribbean island of the Dominican Republic. They had seen the years blissfully stretching ahead of them, together forever. They planned their children, two she said, he said four so they compromised on three (two girls and a boy of course); where they would live, the travelling they would do together - it was all certain, so they had thought then.
     But that seemed such a long time ago now. A lot can change in just a few years - a lot of heartache can change a person and drive a wedge through the strongest ties, break even the deepest love. Three years to the day and they had returned, though this time not for the beachside marriages the island was famous for but for one of its equally popular quickie divorces.
     Lisa let out a sigh that was filled with pain and regret. What could she do but move on, find a new life and new dreams? - the old one was beyond repair. How could this beautiful place, with its lush green coastline, eternity of azure blue sea and endless sands be a place for the agony she felt now?
     The man stood watching from the edge of the palm trees. He couldn't take his eyes of the dark-haired woman he saw standing at the water's edge, gazing out to sea as though she was waiting for something - or someone. She was beautiful, with her slim figure dressed in a loose flowing cotton dress, her crazy hair and bright blue eyes not far off the colour of the sea itself. It wasn't her looks that attracted him though; he came across many beautiful women in his work as a freelance photographer. It was her loneliness and intensity that lured him. Even at some distance he was aware that she was different from any other woman he could meet.

<  2  >

     Lisa sensed the man approaching even before she turned around. She had been aware of him standing there staring at her and had felt strangely calm about being observed. She looked at him and felt the instant spark of connection she had only experienced once before. He walked slowly towards her and they held each other's gaze. It felt like meeting a long lost friend - not a stranger on a strange beach.
     Later, sitting at one of the many bars on the resort, sipping the local cocktails they began to talk. First pleasantries, their hotels, the quality of the food and friendliness of the locals. Their conversation was strangely hesitant considering the naturalness and confidence of their earlier meeting. Onlookers, however, would have detected the subtle flirtation as they mirrored each other's actions and spoke directly into each other's eyes. Only later, after the alcohol had had its loosening effect, did the conversation deepen. They talked of why they were here and finally, against her judgement, Lisa opened up about her heartache of the past year and how events had led her back to the place where she had married the only man she believed she could ever love. She told him of things that had been locked deep inside her, able to tell no one. She told him how she had felt after she had lost her baby.
     She was six months pregnant and the happiest she had ever been when the pains had started. She was staying with her mother as James was working out of town. He hadn't made it back in time. The doctor had said it was just one of those things, that they could try again. But how could she when she couldn't even look James in the eye. She hated him then, for not being there, for not hurting as much as her but most of all for looking so much like the tiny baby boy that she held for just three hours before the took him away. All through the following months she had withdrawn from her husband, family, friends. Not wanting to recover form the pain she felt - that would have been a betrayal of her son. At the funeral she had refused to stand next to her husband and the next day she had left him.

<  3  >

     Looking up, Lisa could see her pain reflected in the man's eyes. For the first time in months she didn't feel alone, she felt the unbearable burden begin to lift from her, only a bit but it was a start. She began to believe that maybe she had a future after all and maybe it could be with this man, with his kind hazel eyes, wet with their shared tears.
     They had come here to dissolve their marriage but maybe there was hope. Lisa stood up and took James by the hand and led him away from the bar towards the beech where they had made their vows to each other three years ago. Tomorrow she would cancel the divorce; tonight they would work on renewing their promises.

A UN AMIGO

No puedo darte soluciones para todos los problemas de la vida,
ni tengo respuestas para tus dudas o temores,
pero puedo escucharte y compartirlo contigo.

No puedo cambiar tu pasado ni tu futuro.
Pero cuando me necesites estaré junto a ti.

No puedo evitar que tropieces.
Solamente puedo ofrecerte mi mano para que te sujetes y no caigas.

Tus alegrías, tus triunfos y tus éxitos no son míos.
Pero disfruto sinceramente cuando te veo feliz.

No juzgo las decisiones que tomas en la vida.
Me limito a apoyarte, a estimularte y a ayudarte si me lo pides.

No puedo trazarte limites dentro de los cuales debes actuar,
pero si te ofrezco el espacio necesario para crecer.

No puedo evitar tus sufrimientos cuando alguna pena te parta el corazón,
pero puedo llorar contigo y recoger los pedazos para armarlo de nuevo.

No puedo decirte quien eres ni quien deberías ser.
Solamente puedo quererte como eres y ser tu amigo.
En estos días oré por ti...

En estos días me puse a recordar a mis amistades mas preciosas.
Soy una persona feliz: tengo mas amigos de lo que imaginaba.
Eso es lo que ellos me dicen, me lo demuestran.
Es lo que siento por todos ellos.
Veo el brillo en sus ojos, la sonrisa espontánea y la alegría que sienten al verme.
Y yo también siento paz y alegría cuando los veo y cuando hablamos,
sea en la alegría o sea en la serenidad.

En estos días pensé en mis amigos y amigas,
entre ellos, apareciste tú.
No estabas arriba, ni abajo ni en medio.
No encabezabas ni concluías la lista.
No eras el número uno ni el número final.

Lo que sé es que te destacabas por alguna cualidad que
transmitías y con la cual desde hace tiempo se ennoblece mi vida.

Y tampoco tengo la pretensión de ser el primero, el segundo o el tercero de tu lista.
Basta que me quieras como amigo.

Entonces entendí que realmente somos amigos.
Hice lo que todo amigo:
Oré... y le agradecí a Dios por ti.

Gracias por ser mi amigo.

Tienes que saber

Si alguien te hace llorar no se merece tus lagrimas ,porque quien realmente se las merezcas nuca te hará llorar.

 

La tristeza es saber que amas a alguien  despues de haberle perdido.

Who were the Suffragettes  ?

By 1903, some women became so frustrated that men wouldn’t give them the vote  that  they decided to form a new organisation. This was called the Womens   Social and Political Union but they were known as the SUFFRAGETTES and they were prepared to use violent and aggressive methods to get what they wanted. However, the Suffragettes hoped that  whatever  tactics they used, no one would be physically hurt except perhaps themselves. The leader of the Suffragettes was a woman called EMMELINE PANKHURST.

What did the Suffragettes do?
For over ten years the Suffragettes tried to get Parliament to change the law and allow women to get the vote. At the start of their campaign they held large meetings, shouted at politicians and wrote petitions to Parliament, but this did not make much difference. So the methods changed and became more militant (more aggressive). They smashed windows, burned post boxes and bombed and burned buildings. Some women were arrested and went to prison. When they were in prison Suffragettes went on HUNGER STRIKE and refused to eat. Eventually the women were FORCE-FED. A tube was forced down their throat and liquid was poured down. It was very  painful.

The First Conventions On July 19, 1848, in a Methodist Church in Seneca Falls, New York, the first Women's Rights Convention was held. Two very well known women in the suffrage movement, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, organized the convention. This was the first time that a convention had convened to discuss specifically women's rights. A Declaration of Sentiments, written by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, was powerful and provoked protest, discussion, and conflict. Many thought that the idea of women voting was preposterous due to the fact that men did not feel that women were capable of such intelligent and complex thought. To Elizabeth Cady Stanton and many other women, winning the right to vote would give women the tool necessary to obtain all other rights

 The 19th Amendment

The fate of the amendment was in the hands of the TennesseeState Legislature in August of 1920. This state had the definitive vote in deciding whether the United States would allow equal voting rights for women. The majority would be won by 36 states. By August 1920, 35 states had ratified the amendment. This ratification by 36 states was referred to as the "Perfect Thirty-Six." Their symbol of unity was the yellow rose while the anti-suffragists chose he red rose as their emblem. Tennessee legislators indicated how they would vote by wearing either a yellow rose or a red rose on their lapels. by the end of the vote, freedom had been delivered to all American women. On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment became national law. The United States Congress agreed to add 42 words to the Constitution. They read:

Chapter 1

It was a gorgeous view of the peaceful and unique Swiss mountains. I was looking through the window for the last time, when I felt someone’s cold breath on the back of my neck and a hand clutching me from my shoulder. Instinctively, I turned around to see who it belonged to but, strangely, there wasn’t anyone in my room. 

Shortly afterwards I had moved to France with my mother. My dad had died over a month ago. The police said he was killed by an animal, while hunting in the forest. However, I can’t really believe that version…

The moving was rough and tiring because not many of our belongings could fit in the tiny one bedroom apartment. Now, I have to share a room with my mom. However, she already has a job and, even though it is not the best post, for me it symbolises a new beginning. Especially after my father’s death. 

My life in Paris is so different from the one I had in Switzerland. In Paris I’m quite distressed and the rain makes me moody, but I can’t tell mom about my depression as it would break her heart. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a good day for me: I will start school and I’m sure I will be able to make new friends fast as I’m quite a sociable person.

The morning of that special day arrived, and I was cooking while preparing my stuff for school. It was a bit difficult for me for I’m not very experienced, but I’m a much better cook than my mother anyways. Once I had finished breakfast, I walked –towards the wooden, old door while talking to my mom.

-Bye mom have a good day; see you at dinner time – I shouted from the door.

-Good luck darling, have fun – she replied from our bedroom.

As soon as I went outside through the door, little cops of snow gently touched my face and melted on my hot skin. I started cantering through the street that was covered with slippery ice when suddenly a blood-red bike ran over me. When I recovered from the shock I realized a boy had fallen besides me.  He was handsome and he had blue eyes and brownish hair. However, what most impressed me was his voice when he spoke to me, like angels singing in heaven.

-Are you all right?! – He exclaimed, embarrassed.

That day ought to change my life.

It was a gloomy night when it all happened. I was asleep in the car when rapidly the little vehicle was pushed away by a truck and crashed an old tree. Immediately, the tree fell on top of the car. While the chaos was occurring the window near me cracked, and some parts of it injured my face. When the ambulance arrived I knew something had gone really wrong but the worst part was when I heard my father’s voice crying for help. Instinctively, I tried to open my eyes but I couldn’t, I was in coma…

I found myself inside an ambulance while the doctors were examining my body in many different ways: they were testing my ears, my mouth and, worst of all, my eyes. Afterwards, they connected me to a strange machine that helped me breath. It went up to my nose and down to my mouth. I paid loads of attention to every word I was hearing, in a failed attempt to recognise my parents’ voices. As the hours passed by I started to feel the fear invading by body and I could hear my heart beat faster every second, what if something had happened to them?

After a few minutes we arrived at the hospital, and I was feeling more lost than ever. The touch of the doctors’ hands lifting my body to take me away in a stretcher towards the emergency room was worrying me. I was making my best effort in order to wake up – but I simply couldn’t.

Every day my best friend, Alex, would come to visit me at that depressing hospital room but my parents didn’t come once. At first, I thought they were too frustrated to have the courage to come and see me in such a state. However, as time passed, I realized there must be a much obscure reason for their lack of visits.

Today Alex told me about my best friends, Isabel and Chloe.

“Isabel asked me to tell you that you must wake up soon so that you can go to Prom…” His voice went quieter as he spoke, until I couldn’t understand a word of what he was saying. Then, he must have noticed this and so his voice grew louder again.

 “Hey Katy, I know you can’t hear me, but I want to ask you something. I was thinking… would you like to go to Prom with me?”

Inside my head I was shouting “Yes! Yes! Yes!” but my lips wouldn’t move and not a single word came out of them. Then he would just sit there quietly, expecting no answer at all. Then, we were interrupted by my nurse, Linda, who had come to take me to be showered. It was time for us to say goodbye, and he did so by kissing me on the forehead. Now I was alone in the dispirited room.

Doctor James came into the room without a single bit of hope.

“Well Kate, It’s about time you should know something that happened the day of the accident: darling, your parents are dead… They died three months ago but we didn’t want to give you the terrible news given your state. I hope you can understand, and that it won’t affect you that much.”

I felt totally devastated. Even if a part of me had known it since the beginning, I had refused to accept the trauma of my parents’ death.         But now, this sudden realization had come over my head like a jar of cold water.

The month passed and I was still in the same state. Alex continued to come and Dr. James checked me every day. But today, I felt that something was going to change. The day started strangely, Alex hadn’t arrived yet and I was wondering when Dr. James was going to come. I hadn’t heard them since the day before. Even my nurse, Linda, hadn’t come to wash me up like she always did.