Life Together 一生相随

    One fine day, an old couple around the age of 70, walks into a lawyer’s office. Apparently, they are there to file a divorce. Lawyer was very puzzled, after having a chat with them, he got their story.

    This couple had been quarreling all their 40 over years of marriage nothing ever seems to go right.

    They hang on because of their children, afraid that it might affect their up-bringing. Now, all their children have already grown up, have their own family, there’s nothing else the old couple have to worry about, all they wanted is to lead their own life free from all these years of unhappiness from their marriage, so both agree on a divorce.

    Lawyer was having a hard time trying to get the papers done, because he felt that after 40 years of marriage at the age of 70, he couldn’t understand why the old couple would still wants a divorce.

    While they were signing the papers, the wife told the husband. “I really love you, but I really can’t carry on anymore, I’m sorry.”

    “It’s OK, I understand.” said the husband. Looking at this, the lawyer suggested a dinner together, just three of them, wife thought, why not, since they are still going be friends.

　　At the dining table, there was a silence of awkwardness.

    The first dish was roasted chicken, immediately, the old man took the drumstick for the old lady. “Take this, it’s your favorite.”

    Looking at this, the lawyer thought maybe there’s still a chance, but the wife was frowning when she answer. “This is always the problem, you always think so highly of yourself, never thought about how I feel, don’t you know that I hate drumsticks?”

    Little did she know that, over the years, the husband have been trying all ways to please her, little did she know that drumsticks was the husband’s favorite.

    Little did he know that she never thought he understand her at all, little did he know that she hates drumsticks even though all he wants is the best for her.

    That night, both of them couldn’t sleep, toss and turn, toss and turn. After hours, the old man couldn’t take it anymore, he knows that he still loves her, and he can’t carry on life without her, he wants her back, he wants to tell her, he is sorry, he wanted to tell her, “I love you.”

    He picks up the phone, started dialing her number. Ringing never stops. He never stop dialing.

    On the other side, she was sad, she couldn’t understand how come after all these years, he still doesn’t understand her at all, she loves him a lot, but she just can’t take it any- more. Phone’s ringing, she refuses to answer knowing that it’s him. “What’s the point of talking now that it’s over. I have asked for it and now. I want to keep it this way, if not I will lose face. “She thought. Phone still ringing. She has decided to pull out the cord.

    Little did she remember, he had heart problems.

    The next day, she received news that he had passed away. She rushed down to his apartment, saw his body, lying on the couch still holding on to the phone. He had a heart attack when he was still trying to get thru her phone line.

    As sad as she could be. She will have to clear his belongings. When she was looking thru the drawers, she saw this insurance policy, dated from the day they got married, beneficiary is her. Together in that file there’s this note.

    “To my dearest wife, by the time you are reading this, I’m sure I’m no longer around, I bought this policy for you, though the amount is only $100k, I hope it will be able to help me continue my promise that I have made when we got married, I might not be around anymore, I want this amount of money to continue taking care of you, just like the way I will if I could have live longer. I want you to know I will always be around, by your side. I love you.”

    Tears flowed like river.   

    When you love someone, let them know. You never know what will happen the next minute. Learn to build a life together. Learn to love each other for who they are,Not what they are.

    【中文译文】：

　　在一个阳光明媚的日子里，一对70多岁的老夫妇走进了律师事务所。显然地，他们准备到那儿办理离婚手续。律师对这对年老的夫妇提出要离婚的事感到非常困惑。后来，跟他们交谈了之后，他得知他们之间有这样一段故事：
　　
    这对夫妇从40年前结婚之日起就一直吵个不停。他们似乎找不到共同点，一切在他们看来都格格不入。 　　

　　由于担心他们的离婚会给孩子的成长带来不良影响，这对老夫妇把离婚的事搁浅到现在。现在，他们的孩子都长大成人了，也有他们各自的家庭了。于是，这对 老夫妇再也没有什么事可以担忧的了。他们现在渴望的就是过各自的生活，免受这些年来婚姻带给他们的种种不幸。正因为这样，两个老人都赞同通过离婚解决事情 的争端。
　　
    律师极其艰难地为他们拟造了一份离婚协议书，因为他觉得，经过婚后40年的相濡以沫现在两个老人都70多岁了，他就是弄不明白为什么这对老夫妇仍然坚持要离婚。
　　
　　当他们签署文件时，老夫人遗憾地告诉丈夫：“我真的很爱你，但我再也不能忍受下去了，我非常抱歉。”
　　
    “没有关系，我理解。”她的丈夫有点悲伤地回答道。看到他们夫妇还有一线挽救的希望，律师于是建议他们三个人一起去吃顿晚餐。就他们三个人，老夫人想道，为什么不呢，反正他们很快就成为朋友了。

    餐桌上，这对夫妇沉默不语，尴尬的气氛顿时弥漫开来。
　　
    第一道菜是烤鸡。立刻地，老夫人的丈夫夹了一个鸡腿给她说道：“尝尝这个，我知道你最喜欢吃鸡腿了。”
　　
　　见到这种情景，律师心想，他们相亲相爱到这个地步本不应该提出离婚的。然而，出奇意料的是，当老夫人接过丈夫所夹的菜时，眉毛却很不自然地皱了一下答道：“这就是问题所在，你总是自以为是，从来没有顾及过我的感受，难道你就不知道我很讨厌吃鸡腿吗？”
　　
　　她一点也不清楚，这些年来，她的丈夫一直使尽办法讨她开心；她一点也不知道，鸡腿是她丈夫最喜爱吃的食物。
　　
    他一点也不清楚，他的妻子会认为他完全不了解她；他一点也不知道，他妻子讨厌吃鸡腿，尽管他把自己最喜爱吃的都给了她。
　　
    那天晚上，两个老人都睡不着，各自在自己的床上辗转反侧，辗转反侧。挣扎了几个小时后，老夫人的丈夫终于忍耐不住，他发觉他仍然深爱着老夫人。他的生活不能没有老夫人，他要她回来，他要亲口告诉她，“我很抱歉；”他要亲口告诉她，“我爱你。”
　　
    于是，他拿起电话，开始按老夫人的电话号码，铃声响个不停，但另一边却没人接。尽管对方不接通他的电话，他还是一直不停地在按着重拔键。
　　
    另一方面，老夫人也很伤心，她搞不清楚为什么经过多年来的相处她丈夫仍然一点都不了解她。事实上，她也非常爱她的丈夫，但她再也不愿意跟他一起生活了。电 话铃声在响，老夫人知道是她丈夫打来的，但她心意已决不再接他的电话。 “现在谈论还有什么意思呢？我和你的感情已经结束了。当初，第一次提出离婚的人是我，那我现在也得保持这种现状。要不然，你会说我反悔，那我岂不是很丢 脸。对，对，就这样下去。”老夫人心想道。电话铃声仍然在响，她于是索性把电话线拉开了。
　　
　　悲剧就这样发生了，她一点也不曾记起，她的丈夫有心脏病。
　　
    第二天早上，老夫人得知她丈夫昨晚已逝世的消息。她径直向他的公寓里跑去，发现死后的丈夫躺在沙发上，手里仍然拿着电话。那天晚上，当她的丈夫试图接通她的电话时，心脏病突然发作，他就这样离开了她。
　　
　　尽管她很悲伤，老夫人仍不得不亲自动手清理他的遗物。当老夫人认真细致地翻着一个抽屉时，她发现了一张保险单。保险日期从他们结婚之日起算起，毫无疑问，保险受益人是她。在这个文件夹里，还有一份就是她丈夫亲手写的遗嘱，里面说道：
　　
　　“献给我最亲爱的妻子：当你读着这封遗嘱的时候，我确信我已不在人间。我为你买了这份保险。虽然金额总数才区区100英磅，但我希望它能帮助我继续履 行我们结婚时我所起的照顾你一生一世的诺言。我不能再陪你一起度过你的余生，但我希望保险金额里的钱能够帮助我实现照顾你后半生生活的愿望，就像我可以重 生的话那样照顾你。我同时也想让你知道，我会一直在你的周围，在你的身边，保护你关心你，我爱你！”
　　
　　老夫人读着读着，泪水如小河流水般奔涌而出。
　　
　　当你爱着一个人的时候，务必要让他们知道，因为你永远不知道下一分钟将会发生什么事。学会一起生活，学会互爱，不是他们是你的什么，而是他们是你的谁.