A Beautiful Lie
Chapter 7
They entered the cemetery together; Jared supported by Tam, Tomo with Celia, and Matt with his girlfriend, Sophia. Shannon had been released from hospital only the previous morning, and was accompanied by his mother. They, along with other various family and friends of Penne’s, had come here from the church where her funeral had taken place, and now gathered around the spot where she would be laid to rest. Her grave was not far from Dom’s; his funeral had been the day before.
Jared rested his weight on his good leg, dropping his crutches so he could wrap an arm tightly around Tam’s waist and also rest a hand on Shannon’s shoulder. The tombstone had already been placed in the ground, reading:
Penelope Mansfield
1983 – 2004
“You’ll never fade away”
After the burial, when people started leaving, Jared noticed Shannon sitting on a bench alone. He was getting more and more worried, as his brother seemed to be coping a little too well. He turned to Tam, “You can go if you want. I’m going to go and sit with Shan for a while.” Tam nodded slowly, and Jared looked closely into his girlfriend’s eyes, “Are you sure you’re ok? I know this past week has been pretty rough for you, please tell me if you’re not coping.”
“No, I’m alright, considering. But thanks for asking; it’s really nice to know that you care so much.”
“Of course I care. I love you, remember?” They kissed, then Tam left and Jared made his way over to where Shannon was sitting.
The cemetery was almost empty now, and Jared put his crutches on the ground as he sat next to Shannon on the bench. A minute passed in silence, then Jared said softly, “Do you want to talk about it?”
Shannon shook his head, not looking at Jared, “Not really.”
“Ok, but remember, I’m here for you if you do want to talk, day or night… are you ok though?”
Shannon still wasn’t looking at Jared, “I’m fine.”
Jared rolled his eyes, as this had been his brother’s exact response every time the subject of the crash came up, and he knew it wasn’t true. “Come on Shan, we don’t lie to each other. Look at me.” Shannon sighed and finally looked over. “Tell me the truth.”
“I am,” Shannon snapped, “I’m fine, don’t worry about me.”
Jared could hardly bear to see his brother acting like this; they usually shared everything with each other. It was so unlike Shannon to say that kind of thing that Jared shook his head in disbelief. “Of course I worry about you, you’re my brother.” And he pulled Shannon into a hug, holding him around the stomach so as not to hurt his mending ribs.
The two brothers sat there for a long time; Tomo entered the cemetery again as the sun was setting. “You two alright?”
Jared started; he’d been so immersed in his own thoughts that he hadn’t noticed Tomo sitting next to him. “Tomo, f*ck you scared me. Yea, not too bad.”
Tomo informed them that their mum was getting worried, and, errand now completed, started talking with Jared about how things had changed. After a while, he realised that the painkillers he was taking were wearing off, so Jared moved closer and started massaging his aching neck and shoulders. Shannon remained silent through all this. When the sun had sunk below the horizon, the three of them left the graveyard, returning to their homes and praising the end of another long day.
Jared rested his weight on his good leg, dropping his crutches so he could wrap an arm tightly around Tam’s waist and also rest a hand on Shannon’s shoulder. The tombstone had already been placed in the ground, reading:
Penelope Mansfield
1983 – 2004
“You’ll never fade away”
After the burial, when people started leaving, Jared noticed Shannon sitting on a bench alone. He was getting more and more worried, as his brother seemed to be coping a little too well. He turned to Tam, “You can go if you want. I’m going to go and sit with Shan for a while.” Tam nodded slowly, and Jared looked closely into his girlfriend’s eyes, “Are you sure you’re ok? I know this past week has been pretty rough for you, please tell me if you’re not coping.”
“No, I’m alright, considering. But thanks for asking; it’s really nice to know that you care so much.”
“Of course I care. I love you, remember?” They kissed, then Tam left and Jared made his way over to where Shannon was sitting.
The cemetery was almost empty now, and Jared put his crutches on the ground as he sat next to Shannon on the bench. A minute passed in silence, then Jared said softly, “Do you want to talk about it?”
Shannon shook his head, not looking at Jared, “Not really.”
“Ok, but remember, I’m here for you if you do want to talk, day or night… are you ok though?”
Shannon still wasn’t looking at Jared, “I’m fine.”
Jared rolled his eyes, as this had been his brother’s exact response every time the subject of the crash came up, and he knew it wasn’t true. “Come on Shan, we don’t lie to each other. Look at me.” Shannon sighed and finally looked over. “Tell me the truth.”
“I am,” Shannon snapped, “I’m fine, don’t worry about me.”
Jared could hardly bear to see his brother acting like this; they usually shared everything with each other. It was so unlike Shannon to say that kind of thing that Jared shook his head in disbelief. “Of course I worry about you, you’re my brother.” And he pulled Shannon into a hug, holding him around the stomach so as not to hurt his mending ribs.
The two brothers sat there for a long time; Tomo entered the cemetery again as the sun was setting. “You two alright?”
Jared started; he’d been so immersed in his own thoughts that he hadn’t noticed Tomo sitting next to him. “Tomo, f*ck you scared me. Yea, not too bad.”
Tomo informed them that their mum was getting worried, and, errand now completed, started talking with Jared about how things had changed. After a while, he realised that the painkillers he was taking were wearing off, so Jared moved closer and started massaging his aching neck and shoulders. Shannon remained silent through all this. When the sun had sunk below the horizon, the three of them left the graveyard, returning to their homes and praising the end of another long day.