Lost Love by Ivor W. Hartmann
Valentine’s, that damn day of year when he remembers her most vividly. They, the sea of strangers who washed through this his last home before the box. They hung up unsightly decorations around the ward. Big, fat and fluffy hearts stringed like impaled limbless teddy bears. He tried to ignore it all by rolling his aching bones and looking out at the dull day outside the windows. But she he could not ignore, nor forget, not today. She is a haunting that reminds his heart it was she, it had always been, since he was sixteen...
This story has been selected for the StoryTime anthology African Roar, please go to the African Roar site for more info on the book.
Lost Love was written by Ivor W. Hartmann.
Copyright Ivor W. Hartmann 2009.
.jpg "Ivor W. Hartmann")
Ivor W. Hartmann, is a Zimbabwean writer. He is the author of Mr. Goop (Vivlia, 2010), and was nominated for the UMA Award (2009), and awarded The Golden Baobab Prize (2009). His writing has appeared in African Writing Magazine, Wordsetc, Munyori Literary Journal, Something Wicked, and Sentinel Literary Quarterly, amongst others. He is the editor/publisher of StoryTime, and co-editor/publisher African Roar, and on the advisory board of Writers International Network Zimbabwe.
7 comments:
Given the theme was Valentines for this story, I used it to explore the idea of a lost love. I think most people have at least one person in their lifetime who can be considered a lost love. That one person with whom it always could have been, but really at the end of the day the love was not strong enough to be fully expressed and explored. No matter the outcomes or lack of them, it is a weak love.
Not that the main character really gets this. He is contented with being bitter and dreaming of what could have been, than confronting that fact that it was really their faults combined that nothing ever happened.
This story is expressed in beautiful language.
I was trying to figure out why he "loved" her. I suppose you are right in referring to it as "weak love". I would go further to say that it was not not just weak- it was non - existent.
I read Thamsanqa Ncube's blog and he posted his short story called "The Visa". He had a similar 'love lost', 'love dilemma' theme, which i called - "No love in the first place!" It obviously gets us to the question - what exactly is love? - I suppose that's a discussion for another day.
Thanks, - your story gets people thinking.
Thank you Sarudzai, perhaps that is it exactly, the illusion of love and or being loved when there is nothing there. Just a mind's folly and ability to create something from nothing, and not only that but believing it to be the reality. Perhaps in this story that is what it takes for the character to not feel alone and lonely as he nears the end of his days.
:) as you say it does stir the mud a bit, asking essentially well what is love really?
I found this really compelling reading. Like the narrator, and many readers, I also have a 'lost love' - we also shared a stolen kiss - but are also an ocean away, with other people, and banned (by his partner) from communicating...
I do think thwarted love has a heightened intensity and anguish - something every writer needs!
And no, not a weak love at all - think of all the energy it consumes, and generates in terms of creativity.
Not every bond is consummated, but it is powerful nonetheless.
All of our loves are First Loves, as each one is as new, fresh and new-born as all the others. I love my wife and am happy with her, but I do not forget the previous First Loved ones, and the are never trully Lost, in my heart. We grow old (and sometimes wise) and our wrinkles are the roadmaps of the past. Many of my wrinkles are of Lost Love joys ans sorrows. Many are of Lost Friends, some refound. None are trully Lost. They all live in here. Thanks for this story. Made me dig up and look at old pictures and memories.
I found this really compelling reading. Like the narrator, and many readers, I also have a 'lost love' - we also shared a stolen kiss - but are also an ocean away, with other people, and banned (by his partner) from communicating...
I do think thwarted love has a heightened intensity and anguish - something every writer needs!
And no, not a weak love at all - think of all the energy it consumes, and generates in terms of creativity.
Not every bond is consummated, but it is powerful nonetheless.
All of our loves are First Loves, as each one is as new, fresh and new-born as all the others. I love my wife and am happy with her, but I do not forget the previous First Loved ones, and the are never trully Lost, in my heart. We grow old (and sometimes wise) and our wrinkles are the roadmaps of the past. Many of my wrinkles are of Lost Love joys ans sorrows. Many are of Lost Friends, some refound. None are trully Lost. They all live in here. Thanks for this story. Made me dig up and look at old pictures and memories.
Post a Comment