Chapter Twelve: Remembrance
Central Park
Rachel walked towards the stone bench, fighting tears. She saw the letters from years before, lying underneath it. Taking out her pad of paper, she sat down on the bench and began to write.
The Museum
"Ross! Ross Geller," Chandler screamed, as the man walked closer.
"Excuse me, sir, the name's Ronald Greem," the man corrected.
"Ross, please. It's Chandler, your old friend. I know who you are, stop faking it, please," Chandler begged.
"Follow me," Ross said, motioning for Chandler towards a nearby cul-de- sac.
"Ross, please, talk to me," Chandler pleaded again.
"Man, I haven't seen you for years, come here, man," Ross said, hugging Chandler.
"We thought you were dead, or living on the streets," Chandler told him, sniffling.
"I..I don't know what to say, I've missed you all so much," Ross cried.
"Monica... she took it really bad," Chandler whispered, remembering his sobbing wife.
"I can only imagine," Ross sighed.
"It was when we were at the hospital, 'cause Rache..." Chandler stopped himself.
Rachel, Ross thought. He missed her so much, he missed her golden, blonde hair, her deep green eyes, and her loving touch. He missed going to bed beside her, and waking up in her embrace.
"What? Wha.. what happened to Rachel?" Ross demanded.
'I..um, she was in a car accident," Chandler said, tears starting to well in his eyes.
"When?" Ross questioned.
"On her way home from the park that day, she got hit," Chandler stammered.
"It's all my fault," Ross cried.
"No, no it's not, don't say that," Chandler consoled his friend.
"I have to see her, I want to be with her, I love her!" Ross screamed.
"There's still time! Go to Central Park, she'll be at the bench, the one where you had the picnic. You have to hurry, go!" Chandler encouraged his friend.
"Thanks, man!" Ross yelled, as he headed towards the park.
"WAIT! Ross, before you go, there's something you should know," Chandler started.
Ross stopped, "What?"
"After you left, Rachel got pregnant, and..." Chandler began.
"I've got a new baby?! I'm sorry man, I gotta go!" Ross said, as he disappeared out of sight.
"And miscarried."
Central Park
Rachel finished the letter, folded it up, and held it in her hands. Tears ran down her cheeks, and rained on the letter. Then, she gently placed it under the bench, and walked towards the fountain. She sat down on the edge, and skimmed her finger across the water.
Ross peeked his head out from the bush, and saw her sitting by the fountain. There she was... so gentle, and so beautiful. He thought about everything she must have went through, all of the pain he had caused her. He knew he could never make up for everything he had done, but he could try.
He walked over to the bench, and cautiously picked up one of the letters. It read:
Dear Ross,
It's been a year now, and I wish you would just come home. Sometimes, I wonder... why did you do this to me? Why did you have to ruin my life? But, then I realize, you never meant for these things to happen, and I would give the world to see you again...
He stopped, and picked up another letter:
Dear Ross,
I just wanted to tell you how much I love you, because you probably didn't realize that from my last letter. I was upset, and I was going through a tough time in my life, so please... please forgive me. I love you so much Ross, and I wish you could understand how much I care about you. I know you thought that by leaving, you would rid me of a burden, but you didn't, Ross. You rid me of the one thing in my life that I truly cared about... you...
He stopped reading the letter, and dropped it on the ground. I can't do this anymore, I have to see her, he thought.
Rachel held the penny in her hand, trying to make a decision. Every year, she had wished he would come back, but it was useless. Maybe I should just give up, she thought. She chucked the penny into the water, and let her tears combine with the fountain's water. Then, she stood up, wiped the tears off of her jeans, and walked away.
Why was she leaving?! Ross thought. He had his chance, and now it was over. Or was it?
"Rachel!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.
I will remember you...
She heard the voice, and her heart stopped for a moment. It wasn't him... no, it couldn't be. She turned around, and brought her hands to her mouth, tears steadily falling from her eyes. She shook her head in disbelief.
Will you remember me...?
He stared her straight in the eyes, and nodded his head in reply.
Don't let your life, pass you by...
She broke down, and fell to the ground, sobbing.
Weep not for the memories...
He ran over to her, and embraced her on the ground. She embedded her face in his chest, and then looked up, to meet his eyes.
I'm so tired, that I can't sleep...
She touched his face, brushing her fingers against his cheek, to see if he was real.
Standin' on the edge of somethin' much too deep...
He grazed his lips on hers, and gave her a passionate kiss. They both had forgotten how good it felt to be cared for.
It's funny how I feel so much, yet cannot say a word...
She laid her head on his shoulder, and he stroked her hair.
We are screaming inside, oh, we can't be heard...
They stayed there, sitting on the ground at Central Park, for almost two hours.
I will remember you Will you remember me? Don't let your life, pass you by Weep not for the memories
I'm so afraid to love you, but more afraid to lose Clinging to a past that doesn't let me choose Where once there was a darkness, a deep and endless night You gave me everything, oh, you gave me life
I will remember you Will you remember me? Don't let your life, pass you by Weep not for the memories
Central Park
Rachel walked towards the stone bench, fighting tears. She saw the letters from years before, lying underneath it. Taking out her pad of paper, she sat down on the bench and began to write.
The Museum
"Ross! Ross Geller," Chandler screamed, as the man walked closer.
"Excuse me, sir, the name's Ronald Greem," the man corrected.
"Ross, please. It's Chandler, your old friend. I know who you are, stop faking it, please," Chandler begged.
"Follow me," Ross said, motioning for Chandler towards a nearby cul-de- sac.
"Ross, please, talk to me," Chandler pleaded again.
"Man, I haven't seen you for years, come here, man," Ross said, hugging Chandler.
"We thought you were dead, or living on the streets," Chandler told him, sniffling.
"I..I don't know what to say, I've missed you all so much," Ross cried.
"Monica... she took it really bad," Chandler whispered, remembering his sobbing wife.
"I can only imagine," Ross sighed.
"It was when we were at the hospital, 'cause Rache..." Chandler stopped himself.
Rachel, Ross thought. He missed her so much, he missed her golden, blonde hair, her deep green eyes, and her loving touch. He missed going to bed beside her, and waking up in her embrace.
"What? Wha.. what happened to Rachel?" Ross demanded.
'I..um, she was in a car accident," Chandler said, tears starting to well in his eyes.
"When?" Ross questioned.
"On her way home from the park that day, she got hit," Chandler stammered.
"It's all my fault," Ross cried.
"No, no it's not, don't say that," Chandler consoled his friend.
"I have to see her, I want to be with her, I love her!" Ross screamed.
"There's still time! Go to Central Park, she'll be at the bench, the one where you had the picnic. You have to hurry, go!" Chandler encouraged his friend.
"Thanks, man!" Ross yelled, as he headed towards the park.
"WAIT! Ross, before you go, there's something you should know," Chandler started.
Ross stopped, "What?"
"After you left, Rachel got pregnant, and..." Chandler began.
"I've got a new baby?! I'm sorry man, I gotta go!" Ross said, as he disappeared out of sight.
"And miscarried."
Central Park
Rachel finished the letter, folded it up, and held it in her hands. Tears ran down her cheeks, and rained on the letter. Then, she gently placed it under the bench, and walked towards the fountain. She sat down on the edge, and skimmed her finger across the water.
Ross peeked his head out from the bush, and saw her sitting by the fountain. There she was... so gentle, and so beautiful. He thought about everything she must have went through, all of the pain he had caused her. He knew he could never make up for everything he had done, but he could try.
He walked over to the bench, and cautiously picked up one of the letters. It read:
Dear Ross,
It's been a year now, and I wish you would just come home. Sometimes, I wonder... why did you do this to me? Why did you have to ruin my life? But, then I realize, you never meant for these things to happen, and I would give the world to see you again...
He stopped, and picked up another letter:
Dear Ross,
I just wanted to tell you how much I love you, because you probably didn't realize that from my last letter. I was upset, and I was going through a tough time in my life, so please... please forgive me. I love you so much Ross, and I wish you could understand how much I care about you. I know you thought that by leaving, you would rid me of a burden, but you didn't, Ross. You rid me of the one thing in my life that I truly cared about... you...
He stopped reading the letter, and dropped it on the ground. I can't do this anymore, I have to see her, he thought.
Rachel held the penny in her hand, trying to make a decision. Every year, she had wished he would come back, but it was useless. Maybe I should just give up, she thought. She chucked the penny into the water, and let her tears combine with the fountain's water. Then, she stood up, wiped the tears off of her jeans, and walked away.
Why was she leaving?! Ross thought. He had his chance, and now it was over. Or was it?
"Rachel!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.
I will remember you...
She heard the voice, and her heart stopped for a moment. It wasn't him... no, it couldn't be. She turned around, and brought her hands to her mouth, tears steadily falling from her eyes. She shook her head in disbelief.
Will you remember me...?
He stared her straight in the eyes, and nodded his head in reply.
Don't let your life, pass you by...
She broke down, and fell to the ground, sobbing.
Weep not for the memories...
He ran over to her, and embraced her on the ground. She embedded her face in his chest, and then looked up, to meet his eyes.
I'm so tired, that I can't sleep...
She touched his face, brushing her fingers against his cheek, to see if he was real.
Standin' on the edge of somethin' much too deep...
He grazed his lips on hers, and gave her a passionate kiss. They both had forgotten how good it felt to be cared for.
It's funny how I feel so much, yet cannot say a word...
She laid her head on his shoulder, and he stroked her hair.
We are screaming inside, oh, we can't be heard...
They stayed there, sitting on the ground at Central Park, for almost two hours.
I will remember you Will you remember me? Don't let your life, pass you by Weep not for the memories
I'm so afraid to love you, but more afraid to lose Clinging to a past that doesn't let me choose Where once there was a darkness, a deep and endless night You gave me everything, oh, you gave me life
I will remember you Will you remember me? Don't let your life, pass you by Weep not for the memories