Subject: Fw: Story from a husband - please read it slowly
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; q9 C) _4 V& p. S, O' nWhen You Divorce Me, Carry Me Out in Your Arms/ H! W: R; t% w* I u0 Y
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On my wedding day, I carried my wife in my arms. The bridal car stopped
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& `* P2 G, r+ @. lfront of our one-room flat. My buddies insisted that I carry her out of 4 Q3 M+ h' H% l$ ~
the
: R( Y% h# w+ ?: a l |car in my arms. So I carried her into our home. She was then plump and * s0 q. ^ e! j3 }' M
shy..
; T+ d( f( L7 X2 JI was a strong and happy bridegroom.* c( K; R' i1 {
2 j2 t3 g. |; f9 YThis was the scene ten years ago.
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The following days were as simple as a cup of pure water: we had a kid; 2 Q8 z% Y1 T% t. ?, A4 q' m
I
w3 p/ K/ c& }: Xwent into business and tried to make more money. When the assets were, w0 V" c; D1 d# |
steadily increasing, the affection between us seemed to ebb. She was a 7 C, h3 ]" X5 ^2 W
civil
# q! b8 U1 U5 Rservant. Every morning we left home together and got home almost at the ! J% b! w; r0 U( U
same
( c. _ Q* M; R t v. x( Vtime. Our kid was studying in a boarding school.# d0 O- Z3 n% S+ N3 x& z: U
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Our marriage life seemed to be enviably happy. But the calm life was
4 f. A' ~2 H- y5 z! S% u" _more
6 r" y, O3 c7 v0 v, Q" H" vlikely to be affected by unpredictable changes.# g0 |' ~% ?- ^9 q' E% V
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7 m, l4 w! k, B( G2 QDew came into my life./ b0 a3 k8 m1 c9 k+ c6 h: K
% \+ l2 k- K& A! J8 c) z- W' ZIt was a sunny day. I stood on a spacious balcony. Dew hugged me from
& G- N5 K6 l0 q/ k6 S) O8 c3 ~/ xbehind. My heart once again was immersed in her stream of love. This 7 v; r& U- j% B+ \: s+ L
was the
9 ?- v- F! m. I. W4 Lapartment I bought for her.
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Dew said, you are the kind of man who best draws girls' eyeballs. Her . [6 ]0 U/ V- S9 u* y
words n# K7 ]* S4 ^! ?
suddenly reminded me of my wife. When we were just married, my wife
% H+ p* ~" u3 R1 w, ~said,9 ?7 W% I* G. G) w
Men like you, once successful, will be very attractive to girls.
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Thinking of this, I became somewhat hesitant. I knew I had betrayed my
* z' K! F- B3 Kwife.. But I couldn't help doing so.9 e: c& z1 D. i8 z1 b. A8 y% o% G
. a, w; p# z8 f! vI moved Dew's hands aside and said you go to select some furniture,
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I've got something to do in the company. Obviously she was unhappy,
8 i' T1 |8 |* h0 u/ nbecause$ ^, n4 Y- B% O0 l
I had promised to do it together with her. At the moment, the idea of
1 l6 i# }7 W9 y: t: E+ Odivorce became clearer in my mind although it used to be something, L% D1 }7 B% y5 x/ ^: j
impossible to me.- D `2 a$ P( @( d* r
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However, I found it rather difficult to tell my wife about it. No
/ r: s1 u- {# o9 X( {6 I, b z$ dmatter how
4 Y/ T& ~' k! A' o' E: smildly I mentioned it to her, she would be deeply hurt.6 O0 F R9 t# ?
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Honestly, she was a good wife. Every evening she was busy preparing D4 B5 z# K4 m! h
dinner.: @7 n8 r+ j4 [3 N; g3 \7 O! G1 ]
I was sitting in front of the TV. The dinner was ready soon. Then we , O! k/ s5 P$ ^8 Y3 v2 S
watched
! n7 w& ~4 M+ |2 \TV together. Or, I was lounging before the computer, visualizing Dew's
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This was the means of my entertainment.
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3 K5 R1 f) `( a- kOne day I said to her in a slightly joking way, suppose we divorce,
& v l) f9 C0 ~( }what
2 T! r. \, d N) S7 kwill you do? She stared at me for a few seconds without a word. 0 u; q/ V' ]4 Z6 i3 ^. o! j
Apparently: w# Q6 j: W; [
she believed that divorce was something too far away from her. I / F6 @4 K9 \, O* ?& F' ?
couldn't
( V- i9 W" z r Aimagine how she would react once she got to know I was serious.
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% Q$ q) F) d# D" `, |When my wife went to my office, Dew had just stepped out. Almost all : s/ y9 s' Y$ t
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staff looked at my wife with a sympathetic eye and tried to hide
4 {( d- q3 p) w0 ^: hsomething
$ h9 v! p4 `; }" l7 W! s9 Lwhile talking to her. She seemed to have got some hint. She gently ' n6 u9 q7 p8 Z9 I6 o) T @$ ]
smiled at j" x4 p2 o+ k ~# S0 K. I
my subordinates. But I read some hurt in her eyes.) j1 t2 ?& i- }) K# ~
8 F7 _3 t& D4 _' tOnce again, Dew said to me, He Ning, divorce her, O.K.? Then we live& E8 @# K3 E; r* C, e" a* \5 p
together. I nodded. I knew I could not hesitate any more.2 |0 W8 u9 G, c, z: `& q' a
/ t' {! X1 x5 g5 P) U# aWhen my wife served the last dish, I held her hand. I've got something
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+ r9 Y( \- g% X4 Atell you, I said. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the
/ ], X$ n' r2 w; j' t; }3 ]hurt in
j0 L- C% ]. E' W5 }3 pher eyes. Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let
" b# o; }1 L u; h1 uher
$ J8 a d0 B" t$ G/ ^know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the serious topic. m3 D8 |9 Z- j
calmly.
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2 S. S* x/ y9 T2 sShe didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly,
! H# j- w. z) N4 G$ gwhy?
5 c3 e. c" A. w) OI'm serious. I avoided her question. This so-called answer made her
^6 X8 V8 r# ?* W8 b. Qangry..
" Z: U I' W5 C7 d$ F6 BShe threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man!, m( @5 T/ ~! [
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That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she * I( @# e+ r6 U
wanted
* F( q/ a5 {5 Nto find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give 0 P. U$ b* @5 ^$ m3 b t/ Q
her a
! I: f+ |7 P$ {satisfactory answer, because my heart had gone to Dew.
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' g* Y9 t( t# `1 p; F; rWith a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated " }/ [1 g; C6 x7 D/ m
that% m# p! S: s9 B3 {5 c9 O& `
she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She ( }* {7 J2 P# l, {* ~9 i+ V
glanced7 X, P; V8 M" E b8 [( t8 j/ P
at it and then tore it into pieces. I felt a pain in my heart. The ( b5 Z. ~/ w7 D U X% k
woman who
6 Z9 J/ h/ w7 g }4 X4 uhad been living ten years with me would become a stranger one day. But
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0 V* G! A8 w! k5 q% K Q: h$ Pcould not take back what I had said.1 R# u' w( m3 Q$ k
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Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected
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see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce
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had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer.
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: Z+ W) W/ X6 H- U" KLate that night, I came back home after entertaining my clients. I saw
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# s0 R8 K0 M4 wwriting something at the table. I fall asleep fast. When I woke up, I ' }8 ]4 {2 K( A+ i2 b5 J5 N4 d
found
# I2 ~( R8 v8 X4 u2 _: Mshe was still there. I turned over and was asleep again." @2 m( @9 O- p9 t' {+ c2 v
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She brought up her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from
' c% p# r0 ]# y @me, but
; S2 k1 H/ A9 lI was supposed to give her one month s time before divorce, and in the3 |0 ^ j4 G6 y/ K2 c; q
month's time we must live as normal a life as possible. Her reason was) q2 N9 [( h4 c: u2 \4 [2 P+ n- n
simple: our son would finish his summer vacation a month later and she
* o3 T6 t- P$ d8 H/ i* r9 \0 mdidn't want him to see our marriage was broken.
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She passed me the agreement she drafted, and then asked me, He Ning, do : @0 D5 M- M9 I5 H
you, |' Q" m- W7 i) t& b
still remember how I entered our bridal room on the wedding day? This
P2 b! o, X1 J5 X O9 Y5 fquestion suddenly brought back all those wonderful memories to me. I
7 a9 Q0 O- Q" J6 h3 ]- j& B5 ~nodded
: X) v; c& y4 Sand said, I remember. You carried me in your arms, she continued, so, I ' h6 O. j& ^0 N1 M
have
5 V0 r- w: U+ I% @! p% _a requirement, that is, you carry me out in your arms on the day when $ {+ K6 h! A+ [8 q6 ~( ?
we! E' C$ s7 m* W; r9 s
divorce. From now to the end of this month, you must carry me out from
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bedroom to the door every morning.
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( u) u: U {0 q; fI accepted with a smile. I knew she missed those sweet days and wished
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end her marriage romantically.) w c+ q0 N+ N7 B
3 c, L. f. |0 \$ {I told Dew about my wife s divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and: {9 g1 p3 e+ A1 b, r
thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she does, she has to face
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result of divorce, she said scornfully. Her words more or less made me : g; n. D' G6 B4 Q X5 B
feel4 c) n8 L, c1 Y! g. j( Z; j
uncomfortable.) T3 U5 V: T, Y1 `$ d0 J
- n0 |: j: }! RMy wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention ' s7 K8 w4 K3 h! s: h5 C, s, s l
was: V& K" l) L, L) c1 Q" m/ T" N
explicitly expressed. We even treated each other as a stranger. So when
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/ Q& k" y, S* D& b% c- S7 @carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son
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behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a ( X5 T7 ^* A S
sense
' E3 T0 s$ l* j+ ?of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I % y/ k7 h v" Z2 c4 m6 E
walked
( E( ~! e. _9 |, Z9 D8 Q2 r8 _) Eover ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said
& q% E' k) j6 w2 D0 gsoftly,! C s, n, Y5 D* ~
Let us start from today, don't tell our son. I nodded, feeling somewhat
( m3 z0 Z# k) j: a7 t! n) [: lupset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for a bus, I 7 e/ C# n& S6 s4 l( t3 }8 P
drove' L5 i" c4 _ B3 _$ C+ Q' F( |9 K
to the office.
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On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my' }% Y: F" {5 G" I4 Z3 i+ s% ^
chest. We were so close that I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. a; `$ ~) y# D4 C4 w
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realized that I hadn't looked at this intimate woman carefully for a
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time. I found she was not young any more. There were some fine wrinkles
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her face.
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On the third day, she whispered to me, the outside garden is being1 k5 t9 I: `& t! q' v% j
demolished. Be careful when you pass there.
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On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I seemed to feel that we were . Z# I8 d5 c3 d# [# n* `+ D( c
still. T$ D* T k+ N- c4 `1 i; }
an intimate couple and I was holding my sweetheart in my arms. The
% v: t+ L! f/ Hvisualization of Dew became vague.
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" B9 \" Y- Y) E$ s; F* LOn the fifth and sixth day, she kept reminding me something, such as, 5 e+ J9 i$ y3 A# |2 z% w: M$ Z
where5 X/ ^; t/ ^8 E( S
she put the ironed shirts, I should be careful while cooking, etc. I
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The sense of intimacy was even stronger. I didn't tell Dew about this.% d3 d* @/ f) m- a' b3 i
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I felt it was easier to carry her. Perhaps the everyday workout made me
' l. S6 g" t* l/ C7 \, cstronger. I said to her, It seems not difficult to carry you now. She 2 T) ]- T2 p% I8 t0 b
was. ]( H8 M8 ^/ w* _9 F# i$ [
picking her dresses. I was waiting to carry her out. She tried quite a + U) U) {! v w, h! k/ q J
few% w. j7 F1 ~8 z
but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have0 c4 k4 E! o& V7 {1 t1 \/ A
grown bigger. I smiled. But I suddenly realized that it was because she
% y: D R+ t( w5 q) vwas
, }: Q3 H7 C' Q; _, l( [thinner that I could carry her more easily, not because I was stronger. ' X2 o& ~. S' O G$ t6 \
I
- j2 G" [- v4 f5 p- q. c( f$ b7 Fknew she had buried all the bitterness in her heart. Again, I felt a - N; v0 n. x: d3 f& G" V$ q
sense
4 B/ x7 U' w- n7 [of pain.. Subconsciously I reached out a hand to touch her head.* v# u( a0 A5 T! h' o) {
: n) e4 M- P8 K9 U) Q: HOur son came in at the moment. Dad, it's time to carry mum out. He
) o' E, `5 y& A1 O7 Csaid. To
4 h" B! S- Q/ d, ~him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had been an essential # j5 C' ?# |7 O2 y; n
part of
0 N; k0 P0 h3 a& ehis life. She gestured our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I
5 [9 R/ Y3 W aturned my face because I was afraid I would change my mind at the last h: ?( z8 l1 N/ n" \2 ]* q
minute. I held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the
% S8 X6 O- k8 Z3 k; A' tsitting
0 @0 j f% ?" e( vroom, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally.
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held her body tightly, as if we came back to our wedding day. But her
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lighter weight made me sad., }, h; o. W b3 J8 O2 A/ u; q
9 f7 h1 J1 `) j, \On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step.
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I5 M, @9 X6 A) P {5 vson had gone to school. She said, actually I hope you will hold me in . m* N/ @; T S* T+ c
your9 Y- N: L, a) ]+ f j3 Y
arms until we are old./ Z, o+ Z8 P4 ^8 {* J
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I held her tightly and said, both you and I didn't notice that our life
% B7 j1 s8 {& v% Alacked intimacy.
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1 o9 F; v* I- W3 Z; h. TI jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid
% Q$ b# W0 ^3 C8 C% ^1 Bany
# [$ C- j# v3 X) a$ `delay would make me change my decision. I walked upstairs. Dew opened 5 [- b& J; D/ \; I, V" e `# P
the
# B7 W* ? I4 G B! Xdoor. I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I won't divorce. I'm serious.
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She looked at me, astonished. The she touched my forehead. You got no$ }+ d, [. \+ r9 _
fever.. She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I
3 T& f" q& E* u- v/ |can, E% Y( ^- c2 m. S( P
only say sorry to you, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring
! p3 a' Z4 h6 b8 Zprobably
* ]* k4 }9 t: U. T( @1 Q( @& g6 cbecause she and I didn't value the details of life, not because we
0 u1 `: Y3 I, ]' Q% Wdidn't6 N! M8 g0 s u( s0 d! T
love each other any more. Now I understand that since I carried her . \& H$ t" m+ i+ A
into the8 ]) u* n7 L% X$ G, V/ b& w
home, she gave birth to our child, I am supposed to hold her until I am 8 }% T8 Z* V5 y) g9 V
old.2 g1 D8 L% A2 m ^/ S7 D" h. V5 N* L
So I have to say sorry to you.
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+ e9 ]4 J# ^8 \1 q$ T+ ODew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then
. @" l- S+ J# T4 r sslammed the
; r: K4 F* ^7 d% D: kdoor and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove to the office./ y: j9 O6 R+ F
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When I passed the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet for my - d7 h7 k( U; ? e; {6 X/ H$ B
wife
9 |) q! a7 V! s8 \+ M Vwhich was her favorite. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the . J) W5 a2 I: ^' w
card. I
2 k7 E- @. d* asmiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until we are old.
