There is a story about a close relationship I would like to share with you all. It involves a regular couple, Jim and Samantha. Now Samantha is your average girlfriend, but she is absolutely in love with Jim. Jim is the same towards Samantha and they make sure to let each other know this every day. Jim was always a gentleman, treating Samantha like a princess, like every girl dreams about, until one day he had proposed a little game for them. Jim had asked Samantha to see if she could last 24 hours without contacting him or any of his close friends or family. Of course Samantha refused to at first but Jim upped the stakes and promised that if she could succeed in this task that he had asked her to do, that he would love her for the rest of her life. Samantha being a very sensitive person reluctantly agreed, noticing how badly Jim had wanted her to do this.
The following day started and Jim was not lying beside her in their bed. The 24 hours had started and she could tell it would be a hard 24 hours already. She had made breakfast accidentally for two and watched the untouched eggs from across her table as she ate solemnly. She watched TV lying down on the couch without knees to rest her head upon. She stared at her cellphone contemplating whether or not to text her beloved, but thought otherwise. Jim must have been doing something very important or something very mean. Thoughts of malice began to crawl into Samantha's mind. Jim could be out drinking with his friends because he was tired of being with her, or worse. He could be out cheating on her with a different, much more beautiful woman.
Samantha began thinking of all the times he could have begun his little cheating ways. He had told her many times that he was heading for the hospital for his checkup, but it always seemed fishy to her that he went so frequently. She had trusted him completely so she would not question it otherwise, but now it got her thinking. What if it was true? Jim could not have asked her to not contact her for 24 hours just to go out with his other lady friend; he could have done it like before if it were true. Samantha sighed in relief, Jim would never do such a thing, they had been through far too much. The rest of the day was eventless and Samantha had retired to bed early in an attempt to end the day as soon as possible.
The next day, Jim was not beside her again. She had received no texts or any messages in their answering machine about his whereabouts. It had been 24 hours, she was sure of it. Samantha drove to Jim's parents' house to find out exactly what was happening. She was far too occupied in her mind to notice all the cars parked around the building. Her spot right on the driveway was empty and seemingly reserved if anyone else had noticed other than her. She could hear noises from inside the house, many people were in there. She knocked on the door only to find it open. She entered the house and saw many of Jim's close friends and family with looks of sadness upon them, some of them crying and visually upset. Her confusion deepened and she began to feel a different emotion creeping up, dread.
Jim's picture upon a frame was placed on top of an adorned coffin in the middle of their living room. Her eyes slowly examined the scene, unnoticed that all the eyes upon the room were now upon her. There was a note, a note addressed solely for her placed on top of the coffin that no-one was to touch other than her. Samantha quickly grabbed the note, pushing back the obvious scenario in her head and thinking that this was all a charade. The note had read, "You did it baby, I'm so proud of you. I knew my princess could do it, now can you do it every day? I love you forever and ever."
Jim had been slowly dying from cancer for many years. He had tried his hardest to keep it hidden from Samantha, some people say he was a selfish person for keeping it hidden from her, but it was his own decision. Life gives us moments like this that shape who we are. It may not be quite as extreme as Jim and Samantha's story, but hardships are part of life, and it is something that we all share.