My Own Personal Earth Angel

The year was 1991 and it was a year that changed my life. Like ships passing in the night, one man unknowingly saved me with kindness, love and intense passion.

Here is my story.

My husband and I drove into the small town of Broome, in the far north of Western Australia. I was excited as this was a town that held many memories for me. My husband had never been here before but I had spent time residing in this glorious town a few years back. I was looking forward to visiting old ground.

We were only going to be here for two and a half weeks as my husband had a couple of weeks work and then we’d head back to Kununurra, where we currently lived. As I wasn’t working at the time, being back in Broome was going to be a wonderful vacation for me, or so I believed, as we drove down the Main Street and pulled into the motel in which we had a room booked. Home for a few short weeks.

However, the trip did not turn out anything like I imagined.

My husband was a wonderful man, when sober, but get a few alcoholic drinks into him and he changed drastically. He became mean, argumentative and usually violent, like the flicking of a light switch. Seconds was all it took.

Three days we’d been in town and we headed out on a Friday night to the local pub for dinner and a few drinks. I know now in hindsight that wasn’t a smart decision.

After dinner and quite a few drinks, that switch inside my husband was flicked and an argument ensued. It didn’t take long to escalate further and with one punch to my lower back, I was floored. Cowering on the pub floor, my husband towering over me and holding my breath, hoping someone, anyone, would come to my rescue but it was not to be.

People back then tended to believe it was better to mind your own business than get involved.

Finally my husband turned back to the bar to order another beer and this gave me the opportunity to crawl across the pub floor and outside into the parking lot. I was injured and unable to stand.

As I crawled across the parking lot heading towards a vacant taxi, I felt a strong set of arms gently lift me from the ground. I’d come across a knight in shining armour and my saviour gently carried me across the lot to the taxi, deposited me gently inside and slid in next to me.

I heard him give instructions to the taxi driver to take us to the Broome Hospital emergency.

During that drive he held me in his arms and comforted me as I lay broken, sobbing and in terrible pain.

Once we arrived at the hospital, this knight of mine carried me inside and laid me gently on a hospital gurney. He left me briefly to find a nurse and explained what had happened and I was attended to pretty quickly. Seems he had friends in high places.

I was admitted for the night and given something for the pain. Tests were taken and as nothing was broken I was advised that, all going well, I would be released in the morning.

My saviour gave strict instructions to the nurses to ensure that my husband could not visit me while I was a patient of the hospital and once I was comfortable, he turned to leave.

I asked him to stay a little longer as I didn’t want to be alone and he smiled gently at me as he sat by my side. He then introduced himself to me and told me his name was Simon.

As I began to drift off to sleep, Simon said his goodbyes and informed me he would be here to pick me up in the morning on my release. With that he left the room and I didn’t really expect to see him again.

But Simon proved me wrong. Sure enough, once the doctor had checked me over in the morning and agreed to my release, Simon casually walked through the door with a beautiful smile adorning his face. I let a giggle pass my lips as he informed me my chariot had arrived.

It was as I lay there gazing up adoringly at this Earth Angel that I realised how handsome he was. He was of a similar age to me, gorgeously tanned skinned and shaggy blonde hair. Picture perfect in my eyes.

I carefully climbed from my bed and slowly followed him to my chariot, which happened to be his own personal motor vehicle. He helped me into the passenger front seat, closed my door with a smile and raced around to climb into the driver’s seat. He pulled out of the parking lot and drove the streets of Broome until we pulled into the driveway of a tiny cottage, neat and well kept.

Simon had driven me to his home and offered his full hospitality for as long as I needed it. I promptly burst into tears as I had never felt this kind of generosity before. I couldn’t speak through my tears so just nodded my head in acceptance. Simon’s smile widened at my agreement.

Simon helped me from the car and led me inside. He led me to a large bed and left me to rest, checking on me periodically.

And it was in this small abode that I spent the next two glorious, magical weeks.

Over those two weeks, Simon and I became close and we laughed, lived and loved through two glorious weeks in one of the most intense and passionate love affairs I have ever experienced. We had found our own little patch of paradise and no one else in the world existed. It was our own personal bubble of love and happiness.

Until the day my husband pulled up outside to tell me it was time to leave town.

My heart broke all over again because I knew I had to do the right thing. I knew I had to leave Simon and our love. I knew I had to pack those two weeks of memories away and leave town with my husband. I was married and what I was doing was wrong.

Simon and I had no future, not while I was a married woman.

So I left my heart in that little cottage that day, kissed Simon sweetly goodbye, thanked him while the tears cascaded down my face, climbed into my husband’s car and with a final wave to Simon, let my husband drive us away and out of Broome, heading home.

Like two ships passing in the night, Simon and I never saw each other again but his love, kindness and generosity was the gift I needed to begin the transformation into the strong, courageous woman I was to become.

It took me another six months but I did eventually leave my abusive husband as the memory of Simon’s gift to me lived on, reminding me that I deserved better and there were kind, generous, loving people in the world. People waiting to become part of my future.

I left Kununurra the day I left my husband and I have never looked back.

As to Simon, he will always live in my memories as my own personal Earth Angel. He will never be forgotten as long as I shall live.

I wrote this poem for Simon on 3 October 1991, the day my husband and I arrived back in Kununurra, but Simon has no idea that I ever wrote this.

Time With You

Two weeks is all we had

And even those were stolen,

But there was a lot of love given

And for this I am beholden.

***

I know that we are not together

But in my heart I belong to you,

I'll never forget those days we had

Even though they were but few.

***

We dated, we danced

We talked, we made love,

We cuddled, we kissed

And I enjoyed all of the above.

***

We spent enough time together

To make an impact on my life,

I'd come back to spend some more

If only I wasn't someone else's wife!

Like ships passing in the night, we never crossed paths again but meeting Simon had a huge impact on the direction my life took. For that I’ll always be grateful to this wonderful and loving man who helped me become the woman I am today.

Please click the link below my name to read more of my work. I would also like to thank you for taking the time to read this today and for all your support.

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Originally published on Medium