La Jeune
1/1
The six year old Zack Baker sat in the front with Brian’s family. With glossy eyes, it was his turn to say walk up in front of all the crying strangers and say what he could get out.
“My names is Zack Baker, or Zacky as Bri calls me,” his mother smiled sadly at him from the second row of chairs, urging him on, “I am Bri’s best friend,” he smiled looking towards that box where his friend was sleeping soundly.
“I sometimes get jealous when he hangs out with Matt and not me, I love Bri but I’m important so he should be with me more, I love him more than Matt does.” From the fourth row down, Zack heard Matt giggle.
“But I am Bri’s best friend,” Zack looked down, his smiling fading, “Mama told me this was the last time I would see Bri, and I was really angry, because, I’m a big boy, and I can see Bri whenever, but Mama told me after this, no one would see Bri again, and I was really confuse,” his father looked at him reassuringly, and Zack smiled because he said confused wrong, and looked at a very pale Brian expectantly, waiting for him to wake up and correct him. Brian didn’t budge.
Zack lowered his head and kept speaking.
“Mama said Bri was dead. And I didn’t think kids could die, because only old people die right? So this must be very special, if Brian is dying, because he is younger then me and stuff. So Brian is really special. I guess he got really sick,” Zack sighed, he didn’t know how to explain it to these crying people, there were so many of them, and he barely understood himself, “It’s not like, if he coughs on me I’ll get sick, because everyone let me stay with him for two weeks and stuff.”
A little tear slid down the boys white cheek.
“I don’t know why he’s dead. I love Bri and I don’t like that. I get what I want most of the time,” he sniffed into the microphone. He walked over to the shiny, black box where Brian was sleeping.
“Brian Elwin Haner Junior, I’m not happy with you. You’re not listening to me and I miss you and I love you, and I don’t know why you’re cold, but you’re dead, but that means you’re asleep, but they don’t ever give you a blanket and stuff to keep you warm,” Brian’s mother wailed, and Zack let out a little laugh, “Your Mama misses you too Bri.”
Zack put his hand on Brian’s chest, over the spot where his heart use to beat.
“Bri showed me everything I know,” Zack smiled ruefully, his tears falling full force, “He even showed me where the heart is.”
Zack’s left hand curled against his own chest feeling the dull beat, out of sync with the beatless chest of Bri, when they use to beat so perfectly together.
“So Bri, don’t worry,” and he looked across the people who were in the church, “Thump, thump, thump,” he tapped his own chest, “you’ll always be alive in my heart.
“My names is Zack Baker, or Zacky as Bri calls me,” his mother smiled sadly at him from the second row of chairs, urging him on, “I am Bri’s best friend,” he smiled looking towards that box where his friend was sleeping soundly.
“I sometimes get jealous when he hangs out with Matt and not me, I love Bri but I’m important so he should be with me more, I love him more than Matt does.” From the fourth row down, Zack heard Matt giggle.
“But I am Bri’s best friend,” Zack looked down, his smiling fading, “Mama told me this was the last time I would see Bri, and I was really angry, because, I’m a big boy, and I can see Bri whenever, but Mama told me after this, no one would see Bri again, and I was really confuse,” his father looked at him reassuringly, and Zack smiled because he said confused wrong, and looked at a very pale Brian expectantly, waiting for him to wake up and correct him. Brian didn’t budge.
Zack lowered his head and kept speaking.
“Mama said Bri was dead. And I didn’t think kids could die, because only old people die right? So this must be very special, if Brian is dying, because he is younger then me and stuff. So Brian is really special. I guess he got really sick,” Zack sighed, he didn’t know how to explain it to these crying people, there were so many of them, and he barely understood himself, “It’s not like, if he coughs on me I’ll get sick, because everyone let me stay with him for two weeks and stuff.”
A little tear slid down the boys white cheek.
“I don’t know why he’s dead. I love Bri and I don’t like that. I get what I want most of the time,” he sniffed into the microphone. He walked over to the shiny, black box where Brian was sleeping.
“Brian Elwin Haner Junior, I’m not happy with you. You’re not listening to me and I miss you and I love you, and I don’t know why you’re cold, but you’re dead, but that means you’re asleep, but they don’t ever give you a blanket and stuff to keep you warm,” Brian’s mother wailed, and Zack let out a little laugh, “Your Mama misses you too Bri.”
Zack put his hand on Brian’s chest, over the spot where his heart use to beat.
“Bri showed me everything I know,” Zack smiled ruefully, his tears falling full force, “He even showed me where the heart is.”
Zack’s left hand curled against his own chest feeling the dull beat, out of sync with the beatless chest of Bri, when they use to beat so perfectly together.
“So Bri, don’t worry,” and he looked across the people who were in the church, “Thump, thump, thump,” he tapped his own chest, “you’ll always be alive in my heart.