Mary's In India - a short stroy based on the song of the same name by Dido
Not long after I started being active on the Sims3 site, there was a contest to write a story based on a song and its lyrics. The contest instantly appealed as I am always drawn to good songwriting, across many genres, and I believe that the lyrics make the song. It was a toiugh choice, but I finally settled on a favourite of mine - Mary's in India, by Dido. I felt the song just leant itself perfectly to a wider story. The challenge was to incorporate some of the song lyrics into the story, which, if you know the song, should be easy to spot.
This had never been Danny Allegretto's life plan. He thought he had it all worked out. After all, he had been with Mary since high school. They knew everything about each other, shared highs and lows and when Danny asked Mary to marry her, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the answer would be yes. Except Mary's.
Mary loved Danny, but his plan to get married, settle down in Sunset Valley, have a few kids and grow old together wasn't enough for her. Mary loved Danny, but she needed to see things, travel and she felt a pull to help those less fortunate than herself. She wanted to teach children in the slums in India, to give something back form the great education she had received herself. And then maybe visit China for a while, or Egypt. Maybe in 5 years she could see herself settling down, getting married. But she needed to find herself first.
Mary loved Danny, but his plan to get married, settle down in Sunset Valley, have a few kids and grow old together wasn't enough for her. Mary loved Danny, but she needed to see things, travel and she felt a pull to help those less fortunate than herself. She wanted to teach children in the slums in India, to give something back form the great education she had received herself. And then maybe visit China for a while, or Egypt. Maybe in 5 years she could see herself settling down, getting married. But she needed to find herself first.
"5 years?!?!" Danny couldn't believe what he was hearing. "5 years? But we have it all here. I have a good job, the daycare and schools are good. Why wait? You can teach here."
They argued long into the night.
Danny couldn't understand Mary's need to do this. Mary suggested that Danny came with her, but he baulked at the idea of leaving his home, his family and friends, his job. As dawn was breaking and after many tears had been shed on both sides, Danny issued an ultimatum. "It's me or India."
Mary was heartbroken. She had never wanted it to come to this. But she couldn't just give up her dreams. She knew she would always regret it. She looked at Danny though tear-filled eyes, as if to soak up a final memory of him, shook her head, promised to call him, and walked out the door. She never looked back....and she never made that call...
They argued long into the night.
Danny couldn't understand Mary's need to do this. Mary suggested that Danny came with her, but he baulked at the idea of leaving his home, his family and friends, his job. As dawn was breaking and after many tears had been shed on both sides, Danny issued an ultimatum. "It's me or India."
Mary was heartbroken. She had never wanted it to come to this. But she couldn't just give up her dreams. She knew she would always regret it. She looked at Danny though tear-filled eyes, as if to soak up a final memory of him, shook her head, promised to call him, and walked out the door. She never looked back....and she never made that call...
*********************************
Danny was lonely. He was hurting hard. Many times he wished he'd never given the ultimatum, and begged Mary's parents to tell him where she was so he could get in touch and at least apologise. But Mary's parents knew how heartbroken their little girl had been when she boarded that plane to India, and they steadfstly refused to give Danny any information at all.
He turned to Mary's best friend, Lisa. Lisa knew where Mary was, but she too was mad with Danny for hurting her friend. Yet Lisa couldn't help feeling sorry for him, after all they were good friends too, and until recently Danny had been a near permanent fixture in Lisa's life, as the three of them had often hung out together. Lisa tried to cheer him up a little; she took him out clubbing to try and help him move on. But he'd just sit at the bar and drink.
Danny was lonely. He was hurting hard. Many times he wished he'd never given the ultimatum, and begged Mary's parents to tell him where she was so he could get in touch and at least apologise. But Mary's parents knew how heartbroken their little girl had been when she boarded that plane to India, and they steadfstly refused to give Danny any information at all.
He turned to Mary's best friend, Lisa. Lisa knew where Mary was, but she too was mad with Danny for hurting her friend. Yet Lisa couldn't help feeling sorry for him, after all they were good friends too, and until recently Danny had been a near permanent fixture in Lisa's life, as the three of them had often hung out together. Lisa tried to cheer him up a little; she took him out clubbing to try and help him move on. But he'd just sit at the bar and drink.
Danny was drinking a lot these days. He barely ate, just drank and slept. Unable to get into work at all, he was not surprised to get a letter from the office telling him he was fired. He became thin, unkempt and Lisa couldn't bear to see him fall apart so much. She thought about giving him Mary's number. But, given the state he was in, she didn't think it was a good idea for him to talk to her.
So, she kept visiting him, kept talking to him, and eventually Danny began to come around. The drinking eased off, and he smartened himself up a bit.
So, she kept visiting him, kept talking to him, and eventually Danny began to come around. The drinking eased off, and he smartened himself up a bit.
He even started telling Lisa that he was happy again, but his eyes didn't tell the same story.
One night Lisa persuaded Danny to come over to hers and she cooked for him. She was still concerned that his was so thin. As the wine flowed they talked about Mary, how they both loved her still. He told Lisa he's packed up Mary's books and her letters and things. He believed that he was finally ready to move on. He took Lisa's hand and thanked her for pulling him out of his depression. As he held her hands in his, he realised that he didn't want to let them go...
In an instant Lisa realised that there had been other reasons why she hadn't given Danny Mary's number...she had never thought of him as anything other than Mary's boyfriend, but these past few weeks...
"Danny, I..."
"Shhhh..." replied Danny, putting a finger on her lips. "You don't have to say anything tonight, I know...", and he took away his finger and replaced it with his lips...
One night Lisa persuaded Danny to come over to hers and she cooked for him. She was still concerned that his was so thin. As the wine flowed they talked about Mary, how they both loved her still. He told Lisa he's packed up Mary's books and her letters and things. He believed that he was finally ready to move on. He took Lisa's hand and thanked her for pulling him out of his depression. As he held her hands in his, he realised that he didn't want to let them go...
In an instant Lisa realised that there had been other reasons why she hadn't given Danny Mary's number...she had never thought of him as anything other than Mary's boyfriend, but these past few weeks...
"Danny, I..."
"Shhhh..." replied Danny, putting a finger on her lips. "You don't have to say anything tonight, I know...", and he took away his finger and replaced it with his lips...
And they "danced", and they drank, and Lisa saw some things Mary problaby never got the chance to see...
*********************************
For a several months after that things started to look up for Danny. He spent a lot of time with Lisa, and started to eat better, work out again and even started looking for a new job. Despite all of this however, he still couldn't mend the ache in his heart every time he thought of Mary. And in Sunset Valley, memories of Mary were everywhere, especially when he was with Lisa, Mary's best friend.
He knew Lisa thought she loved him.
*********************************
For a several months after that things started to look up for Danny. He spent a lot of time with Lisa, and started to eat better, work out again and even started looking for a new job. Despite all of this however, he still couldn't mend the ache in his heart every time he thought of Mary. And in Sunset Valley, memories of Mary were everywhere, especially when he was with Lisa, Mary's best friend.
He knew Lisa thought she loved him.
But how could he fully reciprocate when even as he looked into Lisa's eyes, his thoughts were still on his first love, wondering where she was now, what she was doing.
As he packed his bags one lazy summer afternoon, a year to the day that Mary left him, he thought about the irony. Mary had begged him to go with her, and he couldn't bear leaving friends and family. Now he couldn't bear being near them...
He left a note on the table for Lisa. He felt like a huge jerk for leaving things this way, but he couldn't bear to see the hurt in her eyes as he said he was leaving. He left the house unlocked, knowing that Lisa would come over after work and walk straight in...
He left a note on the table for Lisa. He felt like a huge jerk for leaving things this way, but he couldn't bear to see the hurt in her eyes as he said he was leaving. He left the house unlocked, knowing that Lisa would come over after work and walk straight in...
The station was busy, as uual, Danny went to the kiosk to buy his ticket. One way.
Pulling his suitcase he crossed the foyer and headed to the bookstore. He didn't want to look out the window as the train left Sunset Valley, he didn't want to have to say goodbye. Jostling through the crowds near the store, he bumped into someone, knocking a beaded bag off their shoulder.
"Sorry, excuse me," said Danny, barely glancing in the direction of the incident.
"D-Danny?"
Everything around Danny froze. He knew that voice. He knew that if he turned around he would see the eyes he fell in love with in high school, the lips he often wished he was kissing instead of Lisa's.
If he turned around he could crush her to him, stroke her hair, breathe in her scent. tell her he was wrong, that he loved her still, and that he would wait for her to be ready. He would ask if she was home for good, and whether that could mean...?
If he turned around....
If he turned around he might see her holding hands with another man, merely passing through to see family, and announce an engagement before heading off to China or Egypt or God knws where. He didn't know what had brought her back so soon after her plans to travel for 5 years. What if this was nothing, just a passing through? Could he cope with seeing her face and having to watch it turn away from him again?
If he turned around....
********************************
Lisa parked the car in Danny's driveway. Taking a deep breath, she got out of the car and headed over to the door. She'd been preparing for this moment all day, but now that she was here, she was uncertain about how it would play out. Fighting down another wave of nausea, she went into the house.
"Danny?" she called out. She could hear the nerves in her voice. 'Relax', she thought to herself, 'it's going to be ok. Good even, I'm sure of it'. She was surprised not to find him in front of the tv on the sofa or making dinner for when she turned up. 'Maybe he's upstairs.' she thought, as she crossed the hall towards the stairs. Then she saw the note on the table.
'Hmmm, maybe he's gone out to get groceries,' she thought to herself. 'But he really shouldn't have left the door unlocked'.
She opened the note, her mind half on her own prepared little speech.
"Ohhhhhhhhh," she cried, "Please, no, Danny." Tears streamed down her face as she sank onto the sofa, clutching her stomach, as if to protect the new life growing in there from the pain she now felt....
Pulling his suitcase he crossed the foyer and headed to the bookstore. He didn't want to look out the window as the train left Sunset Valley, he didn't want to have to say goodbye. Jostling through the crowds near the store, he bumped into someone, knocking a beaded bag off their shoulder.
"Sorry, excuse me," said Danny, barely glancing in the direction of the incident.
"D-Danny?"
Everything around Danny froze. He knew that voice. He knew that if he turned around he would see the eyes he fell in love with in high school, the lips he often wished he was kissing instead of Lisa's.
If he turned around he could crush her to him, stroke her hair, breathe in her scent. tell her he was wrong, that he loved her still, and that he would wait for her to be ready. He would ask if she was home for good, and whether that could mean...?
If he turned around....
If he turned around he might see her holding hands with another man, merely passing through to see family, and announce an engagement before heading off to China or Egypt or God knws where. He didn't know what had brought her back so soon after her plans to travel for 5 years. What if this was nothing, just a passing through? Could he cope with seeing her face and having to watch it turn away from him again?
If he turned around....
********************************
Lisa parked the car in Danny's driveway. Taking a deep breath, she got out of the car and headed over to the door. She'd been preparing for this moment all day, but now that she was here, she was uncertain about how it would play out. Fighting down another wave of nausea, she went into the house.
"Danny?" she called out. She could hear the nerves in her voice. 'Relax', she thought to herself, 'it's going to be ok. Good even, I'm sure of it'. She was surprised not to find him in front of the tv on the sofa or making dinner for when she turned up. 'Maybe he's upstairs.' she thought, as she crossed the hall towards the stairs. Then she saw the note on the table.
'Hmmm, maybe he's gone out to get groceries,' she thought to herself. 'But he really shouldn't have left the door unlocked'.
She opened the note, her mind half on her own prepared little speech.
"Ohhhhhhhhh," she cried, "Please, no, Danny." Tears streamed down her face as she sank onto the sofa, clutching her stomach, as if to protect the new life growing in there from the pain she now felt....
The End.