An Eternal Love Learn English through story level 2
it came from china
a piece of blue silk that lit up the
room with its colors
the peacocks with their shining silvery
tails
the blue lakes and the white waterfalls
the cloudy mountains and the dark blue
trees
it was too lovely to wear
too beautiful to cut with scissors
all through the long years of a marriage
the silk had stayed safely in its box
waiting
but not forgotten
and now the time had come
[Music]
when mr blackie became ill again that
autumn
both he and mrs blackie knew that it was
for the last time
for many weeks
neither spoke of it
but the understanding was in their eyes
as they watched each other through the
days and nights
it was a look
seen in the faces of the old and the
very young
neither sad nor hopeless
just a quiet understanding
they accepted what was coming
it showed in other ways too
there were no more cross words from mrs
blackie about her lazy old husband
instead
she took care of him day and night
she managed their money carefully to buy
him his favorite foods
she let the district nurse visit him but
no more than twice a week
mr blackie went to his bed
and stayed there quietly
he had never talked much about the past
but now he spoke a lot about their
earlier days
sometimes
to mrs blacky’s surprise
he remembered things that she had
forgotten
he talked very little about the present
and never in those weeks about the
future
then
on the first icy morning of the winter
while mrs blackie was filling his hot
water bottle
he sat up in bed to see out the window
he could see a row of houses outside
with ice on the grass in front of them
like a white carpet
the ground will be hard
he said at last
hard as a rock
mrs blackie looked up quickly
not yet
she
said soon i think
he smiled
but she knew he was saying sorry to her
she put the hot water bottle into its
cover
lie down or you’ll catch cold
she said
he lay back against the pillow
but as she moved about him putting the
hot water bottle at his feet
he stared at the shapes of ice on the
window
amy
you’ll get a double plot won’t you
he said
i won’t rest easy if i think that one
day you’re going to sleep by someone
else
what a thing to say
the corners of her mouth moved suddenly
you know very well i won’t do that
it was your idea to buy single beds he
said crossley
oh herb
she looked at the window
away again
we’ll have a double plot
for a second or two she waited by his
bed
then she sat down beside her feet
with one hand resting on top of the
other
this was the way that she always sat
when she had something important to say
you know
i’ve been thinking on and off about the
silk
the silk
he turned his head towards her
i want to use it for your laying out
pajamas
no amy
he said
not the silk
that was your wedding present
the only thing that i brought back with
me
what am i going to do with it now
she said
when he didn’t answer
she got up
opened the cupboard door and took down
the wooden box
all these years we’ve kept it
we should use it sometime
not on me
he said
i’ve been thinking about your pajamas
she fitted a key into the lock on the
box
it’ll be just right
it’ll be a right mistake i think
he
said but he could not keep the
excitement out of his voice
he watched her hands as she opened the
box
and pulled back the sheets of thin white
paper
below them lay the blue of the silk
they were both silent as she took it out
and put it on the bed
makes the whole room look different
doesn’t it he said
i nearly forgot it looked like this
his hands moved with difficulty across
the bed cover
gently she picked up the blue silk and
let it fall in a river over his fingers
oh
he sighed
bringing it close to his eyes
all the way from
china he smiled
i kept it on me all the time
you know that amy
there were people on that ship who
wanted to steal that silk
but i kept it pinned round my middle
you told me
she said
he held the silk against his face
it’s the birds that you notice
he said at first
said mrs blackie
she ran her finger over one of the
peacocks that marched across the land of
silk
they were beautiful birds
shining blue
with silver threads in their tails
i used to like them best but after a
while you see much more
just as fine
only smaller
she pushed her glasses higher up her
nose and looked closely at the silk
her eyes following her finger
she saw islands
with waterfalls between little houses
and dark blue trees
flat lakes with small fishing boats
mountains with their tops in silvery
clouds
and back again to a peacock
with one foot in the air
above a rock
they just don’t make anything as
beautiful as this in this country
she said
mr blackie held up the box
enjoying the smell of the wood
don’t cut it amy
it’s too good for someone like me
but his eyes were asking her to disagree
with him
i’ll get the pattern tomorrow
she said
the next day
while the district nurse was giving him
his injection
she went down to the store and chose a
pattern from the pattern box
mr blackie
who had worn boring pajamas all his life
looked at the picture of the young man
on the front of the packet
and crossed his arms
what’s this
a chinese suit
that’s young men’s clothes not suitable
for me
he said
rubbish
said mrs blackie
modern rubbish
he said
that’s what it is
you’re never putting those on me
it’s not your job to decide
said mrs blackie
not my job
i’ll get up and fight
you wait and see
all right herb if you really don’t like
it
but now he had won
he was happy
oh go on amy
it’s not such a bad idea
in fact
i think they’re fine
it’s that nurse you see
the injection hurt
he looked at the pattern
when do you start
well
this afternoon
i could pin the pattern out after lunch
i suppose
do it in here
he said
bring in your machine and pins and
things so i can watch
she turned her head and looked at him
i’m not using the machine
she said
i’m doing it all by hand
every thread of it
my eyes aren’t as good as they were
but nobody in this world can say that
i’m not still good with my needle
his eyes closed as he thought
how long
hey
until it’s finished
she turned the pattern over in her hands
for
about
three or four weeks
that is if i work hard
no he said
too long
oh herb
you want me to do a good job don’t you
she said
amy
he shook his head on the pillow
i can use the machine for some of it
she said in a quieter voice
how long
a week
she whispered
although the doctor had told him to lie
flat in bed
he made her give him another pillow that
afternoon
she took the pillow from her own bed
shook it and put it behind his neck
then she measured his body legs and arms
i’ll have to make them a bit smaller she
said
writing down big black numbers
mr blackie was waiting his eyes wide
he looked brighter she thought than he
had for weeks
as she arranged the silk on her bed and
started painting the first of the
pattern pieces
he described the journey home by boat
the stop at hong kong
and the man who had sold him the silk
most of it was rubbish
he said
this was the only good thing that he had
and i still paid too much for it
you got to argue with these people they
told me
but there were others who wanted that
silk and i had to buy it
or lose it
he looked at her hands
what are you doing now
you just put that bit down
it wasn’t right
she said
three lips closed on pins
it needs to be in just the right place
i have to join a tree to a tree
not to the middle of a waterfall
she lifted the pattern pieces many times
before everything was right
then it was evening
and mr blackie could talk no more
he lay back on his pillows
his eyes read from tiredness
go to sleep
she said
enough’s enough for one day
i want you to cut it out first
he said
let’s leave it until the morning
she said
and they both knew that she did not want
to put the scissors to the silk
tonight
he said
i’ll make the tea first
after he said
she picked up the scissors and held them
for a moment
then together they felt the pain
as the scissors closed cleanly in that
first cut
the silk would never again be the same
they were changing it
arranging the pattern of some 50 years
to make something new and different
when she had cut out the first piece she
held it up
still pinned to the paper and said
the back of the top
then she put it down
and went on as quickly as she could
because she knew that he would not rest
until she had finished
one by one the pieces left the body of
silk
each time the scissors moved
mountains fell in half
peacocks were cut from head to tail
in the end
there was nothing on the bed but a few
shining threads
mrs blackie picked them up and put them
back in the wooden box
then she took her pillow from mr
blackie’s bed
and made him comfortable before she went
into the kitchen to make the tea
he was very tired the next morning
but refused to sleep while she was
working with the silk
from time to time
she thought of a reason to leave the
room
he slept then
but never for long
after no more than half an hour he would
call
she would find him awake waiting for her
to start again
in that day and the next
she did all the machine work
it was a long boring job because first
she sewed all the pieces in place by
hand
mr blackie silently watched every move
she made
sometimes
she saw him studying the silk
and on his face was a look that she
remembered
it was the way that he had looked at her
when they were young lovers
that hurt a little
he didn’t care about the silk more than
he cared about her she knew that
but he saw something in it that she
didn’t
she never asked him what it was
someone of her age did not question
these things or ask for explanations
she just went on with the work
thinking only of the sewing and the silk
on the friday afternoon
four days after she’d started the
pajamas
she finished the buttonholes
and sewed on the buttons
she had had to work more quickly at the
end
in the four days mr blackie had become
weaker
she knew that when the pajamas were
finished and put back in the box
he would be more interested in food and
rest
she cut the last thread
and put away the needle
that’s it herb
she said
showing him her work
he tried to lift his head
bring them over here
he said
well
what do you think
as she brought the pajamas closer
he saw them clearly and he smiled
try them on he said
she shook her head
i measured you carefully she said
they’ll fit
we should make sure
he
said
why didn’t she want him to try them on
she couldn’t find a reason
all right
she said turning on the heater
just to make sure the buttons are right
she took off his thick pajamas
and put on the silk
she stepped back to look at him
well
i have to say that’s a fine job
i could move the top button a little bit
but really they fit beautifully
he smiled at her
light aren’t they
he looked all down his body and moved
his toes
all the way from china
i kept it with me day and night
know that amy
do you like them
he tried not to look too pleased
all right
a little bit small
they are not and you know it
mrs blacky said crossley
it wouldn’t hurt to say thank you
here
put your hands down and i’ll change you
before you get cold
he crossed his arms
you did a really good job amy
think i’ll keep them on for a bit
no
she picked up his thick pajamas
why not
because you can’t
she said it
it’s not the right thing to do
and the nurse will be here soon
oh you and your ideas
he was too weak to stop her
but as she changed him
he still could not take his eyes away
from the silk
wonder who made it
she didn’t answer
but a picture came to her
of a chinese woman sitting at a machine
making silk
she was dressed in beautiful eastern
clothes
and although she had eastern eyes
she looked like mrs blackie
do you think there are places like that
mr blackie asked
she picked the pajamas up quickly
and put them in the box
you’re the one who’s been to the east
she said
now
get some rest or you’ll be tired when
the nurse arrives
the district nurse did not come that
afternoon
nor in the evening
it was half past three the next morning
when mrs blackie heard the nurses
footsteps
and the doctors
outside the house
she was in the kitchen
waiting
she sat with straight back and dry eyes
with one hand resting on top of the
other
mrs blackie i’m sorry
she didn’t answer and turned to the
doctor
he didn’t say goodbye
she said her voice angry
just before i phoned
hand was over the side of the bed
i touched it
it was cold
the doctor nodded
no sound of any kind
she said
he was fine last night
again the doctor nodded
he put his hand on her shoulder for a
moment
then went into the bedroom
a minute later he returned closing his
bag
speaking kindly
mrs blacky sat still
hearing words
peacefully
brave
the words dropped onto her
they didn’t seem to mean anything
he didn’t say goodbye
she shook her head
not a word
but look mrs blacky
the nurse said gently
it was going to happen
you know that
he was
i know
i know
she turned away crossly
why didn’t they understand
i just wanted him to say goodbye
that’s all
the doctor offered her something to help
her sleep but she pushed it away
and she refused the cup of tea that the
district nurse put in front of her
when they picked up their bags and went
towards the bedroom she followed them
in a few minutes
the doctor said
if you’ll leave us
i’m getting his pajamas
she said
i need to change a button
i can do it now
when she entered the room she looked at
mr blacky’s bed
and saw that the doctor had pulled up
the sheet
quickly she lifted the wooden box
took a needle thread scissors her
glasses and went back to the kitchen
through the door she heard the nurse’s
voice
poor old thing
and she knew that they were not talking
about her
she sat down at the table to thread the
needle
her eyes were clear
but for a long time her hands refused to
obey her
at last
her needle and thread ready
she opened the wooden box
the beauty of the silk always surprised
her
as she arranged the pajamas on the table
she was filled with a strong warm
feeling
the first good feeling that she had had
that morning
the silk was real
the light above the table filled
everything with life
trees moved above the water
peacocks danced with white fire in their
tails
and the little bridges
mrs blackie took off her glasses
cleaned them
put them on again
she sat down and touched one bridge with
her finger
then another
and another
she turned over the pajama coat and
looked carefully at the back
it was there
on every bridge
something she hadn’t noticed before
she got up and fetched her magnifying
glass
as the bridge in the pattern on the silk
grew
the little group of threads which had
been no bigger than a grain of rice
became a man
mrs blackie forgot about the button
and the quiet voices in the bedroom
she brought the magnifying glass nearer
her eyes
it was a man
and he was standing with one arm held
out on the highest part of the bridge
between two islands
mrs blackie studied him for a long time
then she sat up and smiled
yes
he was waving
or perhaps
she thought he was calling her to join
him
[Music]
you