Together At Last
by Badger
Dr. Gilbert Blythe walked up the steps of Ingleside and opened the door. When
he was inside he noticed the kitchen light was on. "That foolish girl always turning lights on and forgetting to turn them off." Gilbert thought to himself. Ever since Susan Baker died last winter Ingleside had never been the same. As he went into the kitchen to turn the light off, the new Ingleside maid, Angell Krall, came running up to him. Angell was an 18 years old blonde from the Glen. When she reach the Doctor she yelled "Dr. Blythe, Mrs. Blythe went up to take a nap and when I went up to wake her up she wouldn't get up! She refused to get up! I didn't know what to do, so I left her there!"Before Angell could finish Gilbert was running up the stairs to the room where he and his wife, Anne Blythe, had shared for over 30 years. When he got there, he found Anne laying in bed, her head turn towards the window.
Gilbert walked up to her and said quietly "Anne...Anne...are you all right?" Anne turned her head to see the face of her beloved husband staring down at her. "Gil," Anne said in a whisper, "I'm going to see
Joyce...Walter...Marilla, Matthew and Diana.""Anne don't...please...don't." Gilbert said with tears streaming down his
face."You knew that this time was coming near" Anne replied.
"Yes, I know but Anne...I...can't live without you!"
"Yes you can. Remember at Redmond?"
"Yes but you were there. If you go...my heart will break. Anne, I can't
live without you!" Gilbert said still crying. Anne started to laugh."Anne what is so funny?" Gilbert said confused
"You ! You're acting like we're never going to see each other again." Anne said gazing into her husband's beautiful hazel eyes" We'll see each other in heaven. Gilbert just remember one thing Gil...Gil...I love you!! Nothing
will ever change that. And Gil watch over our children and their children and tell them that I love them. I love you Gil""I love you too Anne" Gil said trying not to cry bur failing
With that Anne left the world to find the others she loved that died before her. But also to wait for her very hansome husband.
As for Gilbert, he prayed that he could die also so he could be with Anne. But he remembered her last wish "Gil watch over our children and their children and tell them that I love them.". Gilbert decided to live so he
could fulfill Anne's last wish.On a dark gloomy day, retired Dr. Gilbert Blythe helped one of his grandchildren out of the car."
"Grandpa Gil, Why do people have to die?" asked Stephanie.
"I don't know. I really don't know." was all Gilbert could say. Jem Blythe,
now grown up and married to Faith Merridith, looked at his Dad an realized how much older he looked since his mother died 2 years ago. As the Blythe family walked to into the graveyard to attend Mrs. Lesile Ford's funeral, Gilbert quickly looked in the direction of his wife's grave but quickly looked away just incase anyone saw him but mostly because the pain of Anne's death came back at full force. Anyone who knew Anne Blythe like her family and friends could not get over her death. Diana Blythe, her fathers favorite, saw the glance and went over to her father. Gilbert felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over to see his daughters face. Tears came to his eyes, she looked so much like Anne. But before Diana could say anything, they came upon the weeping Owen Ford, his daughter, Persis, his son and daughter-in-law, Ken and Rilla."Owen, I'm sorry, I know how you feel. I'm so sorry" Gilbert said as he shook hands with Owen.
"I know Gilbert I know." was all Owen could get out. Owen did know, besides
Gil's children, he and the late Leslie Ford had been there for Gil and knew Gil was there for him.After the funeral some how Gil sneaked away to Joyce's grave, his first child, and put some violets on her grave. Gil wondered what she would be like if she had lived. After thinking about that, he went to Anne's grave. Gilbert laid a pink rose beside her grave. Anne always loved pink roses. Gil thought about the time Anne and he had share and couldn't help but cry. He tried to fight the hurt everyday and succeeding most of the time but every once in a while he just broke down and cried.
It was the 18th of March, 2 days before Anne's birthday. The first one he
would miss.**Back at Leslie's grave**
Nan and Diana started to worry about their father. He had just disappeared! Jem realizing were he was said "Hey, you guys in 2 days it'll be Mom's birthday. The first one Dad's gonna miss. I think we should be with him."
"Exactly what I was thinking!" interjected Rilla.
"By the way where is Dad?" Nan asked.
"Where do you think he is stupid?" Shirley asked his sister.
"oh yeah...right. "was all Nan could say as she though " duh I knew that."
"Look there's Dad now!" Rilla said snapping Nan out of her thoughts "DAD!" Rilla yelled to her Dad.
"Yes" Gilbert said to his children as the ran up to him.
"Since it's gonna be Mom's birthday in 2 days..." Jem said as he was cut off by Rilla who said "We thought we'd come over!"
"No! You have families to tend to. Don't worry about me." Gilbert said
"We are coming over whether you like it or not!" Diana said to her father.
So it was planed that in 2 days the Blythe children and Grandchildren would be at Ingleside.
"Grandpa Gil can you tells us a story about Grandmama Anne?" asked on of the
Blythe grandchildren"Yeah! Grandpa Gil pleeeaaaaaaaase!" said another grandchild.
"Lynn, Steph don't bother your Grandfather" their Uncle Shirley "He's had a bad day!"
"Shirley it's o.k. If they want to hear the REAL stories about your Mother and I then I will tell them!" Gilbert said. Gilbert realized that Anne's birthday wasn't going to be that hard on him (yeah right!).
"O.k. who wants to hear a story?" Gil asked his grandchildren.
"Tell about when you proposed Grandpa Gil!" said 5 year old Mel. Who thought her Grandmama was so, so, very pretty!
"No tell one with alot of action!" yelled 8 year old Walter. He hated that romantic mushy stuff.
"NO the proposal!"
"ACTION"
"PROPOSAL"
"ACTION"
"PROPOSAL!!!!"
"O.k., o.k. you two. We have alot of time. I'll tell one with some action and
I'll tell when I proposed.""Which one is first?" asked Lynn.
"The one with action in it" replied Gilbert.
"Yes" said Walter and all the other boys in the room.
"O.k here we go. One day your Grandmama was in school with your great aunt Diana. And there was this boy who thought your Grandmama was the prettiest girl in the world. That boy thought to himself ' I just have to meet her!'..."
"Was that boy you Grandpa Gil?" asked Trina another Blythe Grandchild.
"Yes it was. Anyways I was trying to get your Grandmama's attention but she wouldn't give my the time of day. So I reached over and grabbed one of her long red braids and pulled on it. She still wouldn't notice me so I pulled her braid again and said 'Carrots...Carrots'. Guess what she did next?"
"She started to cry right!" guessed Steph.
"When is there going to be any action Grandpa Gil? I'm waiting!!!" Walter interjected.
"No she didn't start to cry, Steph and yes Walter we are getting to the action part. As I said before I called her carrots and she... " Gilbert waited "she grabbed her slate and slammed over my head!" Gilbert finished.
"You're lying Grandpa Gil!! Grandmama wouldn't do that to you!! She loved you too much!!" yelled Lynn.
"Yes she did Little Lynn and I can prove it because I still have the slate!"
"What happened next?" asked Mel who was getting over the shock that her
very beautiful Grandmama would do some thing like that."Well, she was punished by the teacher and when school was out I tried to
apoligized but she wouldn't forgive me. What were her exact words again...mmm... let's see here... oh yeah 'The iron has entered my soul Diana' she was talking to your great aunt Diana 'I shall never forgive Gilbert Blythe!' Your Grandmama didn't talk to me for 5 years!""I don't belive you!" cried 5 year old J.J as he ran out of the room. He loved his Grandmama so much that he didn't believe that she could have done that. Nan ran after him.
"Grandpa Gil will you tells us about when you proposed? asked Lynn and Mel at the same time.
"Yes I will. O.k. It was about the middle of our sophomore year at Redmond when I asked.."
"But Dad, Mom always said that you to got married when you were out of Med. School." Nan said as she came back in with J.J.
"Are you o.k. J.J.?" asked Gil who didn't mean to make anybody upset.
"Yeth Grandpa Gil." J.J said with a smile on his face.
"Yes Nan we did get married when I was done with Med. School."
"But you just said that you..." Nan was interrupted by her father who said "I'm getting there Nan! Anyways as I was saying I proposed to your Grandmother in our sophomore year. I asked her and she said 'No'. Gilbert said in a
matter of fact tone."WHAT!!!!!!" everyone in the room said at the same time.
"Yes your Grandmother, Mother, said no to me.
"Then what" Trina asked.
"Well your Grandmama and I weren't the best of friends for the next three
years. Then came along Roy Gardiner. He swept your Grandmother right off her feet. When he proposed luckily your Grandmama said no... again. After we graduated your Grandmama didn't come home right away. She spent 3 weeks with some friends. Meanwhile, I was very sick with typhoid fever.""Did Grandmama know?" asked asked Lynn.
"No not until she got back to Green Gables. One night I took a turn for the
better and got better really quick because one of your Grandmama's friends wrote to me saying that she wasn't going to marry Roy Gardiner.Then one afternoon your Grandmama and I walked to our secret place and I
proposed and she said 'Yes'. said Gilbert.Gilbert was wrong Anne's birthday was really hard on him. Before he burst
out into tears Gilbert got up and said" Goodnight everyone I'm going to bed."Those were the last words anyone ever heard from him again
. That night Gilbert Blythe died of a broken heart. When Gilbert woke up he was young again!! He started to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He pinch himself till his arm was red. Then he knew he was in heaven. He looked around and found himself on the bridge over the Lake of Shining Waters. Then he heard foot steps behind him. He turned around and saw Anne. When they saw each other they ran and kiss very deeply. When they let go of each other Anne looked into Gilbert beautiful hazel eyes and said "I've been waiting.""I know and I'm sorry. Please forgive me!" Gil replied as he looked into
Anne's gray green eyes."I'll forgive you only if you promise me something." Anne said in a whisper.
"Any thing" Gil replied.
"Promise me that we will never be apart again."
"I promise" Gilbert said and he sealed that promise with a kiss.