MARCETTA DAVIS - THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON

Marcetta Davis is currently living in small town of Live Oak, Florida.  She currently is in college studying Creative writing at Full Sail University in Orlando, Fl.  She works during the day as a preschool teacher and at night goes to college online.  Her dreams is to put out stories for Pixar, Disney and Lucus films.  Her influences are Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Harrison Ford, Ron Howard, and George Lucus.  Marcetta enjoys the Golden Age of Hollywood and inspires her constantly.  She hopes to someday see her stories come to the silver screens around the world.

---

 
​                   The Far Side of The Moon 
 
" Do you realize if you fly that rocket you may not come home?"  Madeline said.  It was her last ditch effort to convince her husband not to go to space.  " What happens if something goes wrong in space?  There is no coming home or saying good bye to me or your children." 
Madeline said not being able to hold in her anger.   David  wrapped his arms around her and let her cry. 
" You knew this was a possibility when we got married. This is my dream and I am going for it.  I want this, Madeline it would be a better life for us."  David said stroking her long ebony locks. 
Looking up into his stormy grey eyes she could hardly talk.  "Is your job worth more than your life, me and our unborn child." She said in a whisper.  "It is not enough for me, to sit here and dream with you."  she said as she pulled away from him.
"That is not fair, you throw at me our unborn child.  I am scared and all I am asking for is your blessing and support.  I want to make our child's future great, there is always risks. 
Some of the greatest achievements come with great risks.  I am going and you can either be the good wife and stand by me or you can be the wife that everyone feels sorry for me." 
David said as he turned his back to the woman that he loved with all of his heart. 
Madeline walked slowly behind David and wrapped her arms around him.  She could feel the tense scared muscles that lied under his tanned skin relax at her touch.  " Do you remember when we met?" She asked kissing the side of his face.
"How could I forget? You were the young secretary of the Boeing company .  You wanted to know everything about airplanes.  I wanted to be an astronaut and did not care how to get there." He said as he lovingly rubbed her arm.
"Things don't change that much do they? I mean I still work for Boeing and you are in the Astronaut core.  I think the only change is we are married and expecting a baby." 
Madeline said letting go of him to turn and face him.  "What can I do to change your mind?"
She said hoping to change his mind.
" Nothing sweet girl, I am leaving for the moon tomorrow morning.  I will be home before Christmas.  Most of all I will meet that little baby in the spring because I am going to live. I choose to live."  David said in an assuring yet scared voice.  He was not sure he was trying to convince himself or her.
He got up and changed into his pajamas while Madeline reached into her pocket of her grey pea coat to get a present for him.  He walked behind her and sat on the bed in total silence.  His body told the story of being exhausted and scared of facing death in the face. 
 
She sat behind him, resting her head on his shoulder just inhaling his scent.  She loved the wooded  smell of his aftershave.  "  I have a present for you to take with you to the moon."  She said giving him the small black and white picture.  "  I want our child to see the moon with you and be with you." She said crying and letting the tears fall like rain.
David sat and just stared at the picture of the sweet innocent being that knew nothing of him. " I have a present for you, too." He said with tears spilling out of his grey stormy eyes.
" I am going to name a mountain on the moon after you. It will border the Sea of Tranquility and a crater.  When you get to missing me you can stand out there and look.  I will be there looking at you."  He said with a gentle kiss on the lips that went further. 
The morning crept upon them suddenly like a thief in the night.  David looked at his wife sleeping peacefully.  She looked like an innocent child, clutching on to the blanket with her hair splayed across the pillow.  He reached over and grabbed his astronaut polo shirt and his favorite pair of khaki pants.  He leaned on the bed careful not to wake her, and gently kissed her temple.  This was the way he wanted to remember his wife and his future that she carried.   He reached for his duffle bag and car keys and walked slowly for the door, until he forgot something highly important.  He reached on the table and grabbed the ultrasound picture, he then left a note for her. 
"Madeline, tonight I want you to look to the moon and watch me.  I will be watching you.  Love, the Man in the Moon."  He placed the note right beside her pillow. He walked slowly out the door as if memorizing his house.  He knew the risks of being an astronaut, and living was one of them.  It was not a right but a privilege to live.