‹ Prequel: Tell Me, Will It All Be Okay?
Status: Hiatus
I Feel Our Memories Fade With Time.
Time Flies
*~Tyler’s POV~*
“Tyler, wake up. First day of high school.”
I groaned, and mumbled something even I couldn’t understand. I pulled the covers off and looked at my dad.
“I’m up.”
He chuckled and walked out. I still couldn’t believe I was starting high school. I had already gotten my schedule, and was in all the same classes as Kyle and Steph, so there was a plus side right there. I already knew I was going to ask her to the Homecoming dance. I got up, showered, and got dressed. Then I went downstairs to eat breakfast.
“Your mother would be so proud of you,” dad said.
I looked up at him. He was smiling.
“Really?”
“Yes. You’re starting high school, you’re learning how to play bass. Who knows, maybe someday you’ll be in a band too.”
“That would be neat. Maybe I can bug Kyle to get a guitar.”
“Heh, yeah. You ready to go?”
I nodded and cleaned up my dishes. I grabbed my backpack and dad drove me to school. I met up with Kyle and Steph to chill for the ten minutes we had before the bell. The school day went by as normal. Ice breaker this, meet new people that. After school, the three of us went to the park. We had to walk by the cemetery though, and I was tempted to stop. I gave in to that temptation.
“Guys? I wanna do something really fast. You can come, or wait here if you want.”
They decided to follow me in. I walked to my mom’s grave and I squatted down. Steph and Kyle stood back.
“Hi, mom. Umm…I was just walking by, and I decided to stop. I had my first day of high school. It went well. I think I’m already gonna like it. Dad misses you a lot, and he always tells me that you’d be so proud of me. He’s teaching me how to play bass. It’s actually very easy to learn. Dad says I might get famous. I’m sure then you’d be proud of me. I’m making really good friends, and everyone is doing fine. We all miss you. I love you, mom. God? Take care of her.”
I stared for a moment. A moment to take in a few memories. I was going to, but my mind went blank. It felt as if those memories were fading slowly. Then I realized that this year would be the ten year anniversary of her death. It upset me to think of it. I got up and the three of us walked out of the cemetery. We went to the park and sat up on the platform by the high slide. We talked and did the little bit of homework we had. An hour later we headed to our houses.
“Dad? I’m home!” I shouted.
He came downstairs, and greeted me. Then we went out for dinner and I talked about my first day of school. When we went home, we went into the basement to play for a while. Dad was really getting impressed with me.
“You really are getting good.”
“Dad? You tell me that all the time.” I laughed.
He laughed as well and went to ruffle my hair.
“So, when are you gonna ask Stephanie to be your girlfriend?”
“Dad!? I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. “I wanna ask her to the homecoming dance, but I don’t know how. How did you ask mom to marry you?”
“Well, it wasn’t a traditional way…” he laughed. “It was the day she told me she was pregnant with you. She came to me and said it, and then I came out and told her ‘You couldn’t wait to tell me that until after I asked you to marry me?’ Then she started to respond, but then she realized what I said. And that was how I asked her to marry me.”
I was laughing, but then I figured out how I was going to ask Steph. Traditions were never big in our family, and I knew. I went to take a shower and go to bed then. I still had trouble believing I was in high school. It was a good feeling, but it was weird. I was laying in bed for a while, then I heard voices. I went to my door and listened. It sounded like Uncle Frank.
“Frank? What are you doing here? It‘s late.”
Bingo.
“I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Well, come downstairs. Tyler’s asleep.”
I listened to their voices go away, and I snuck out and followed. They were in the living room, but I could hear them from the stairs. I sat and listened.
“Frank? I’m aware it’s been ten years already too, but what’s wrong?”
“Ten years later, and it’s still sinking in that she’s gone.”
“Don’t think for one second you’re the only one affected by this.”
“I’m not. It’s just…I don’t know.”
“Frank? I need to say this. Please, please, please don’t take it the wrong way, but I really need to say it. Don’t try to score pity, just because she was your sister. She married me. I loved her just as much as you did. I get upset too that she’s gone, but you keep carrying it on, trying to be all upset and affected by it. You have to stop this, and just say it to yourself, ‘Lisa’s gone, and she’s not coming back.’ I know it hurts, but I do it. You have to tell yourself the truth. I’m not trying to be harsh. Also know that she wouldn’t want you to be upset all the time. She wants you to live your life. You have a wife and a daughter, do it for them, and for all of us.”
Even I was stunned by what my dad said. I listened for Uncle Frank’s response. There was silence for a few moments. Then there was a sigh.
“Well, I’m not gonna take it the wrong way, Mikey. You’re right. She is gone, and she is not coming back. Thanks, Mikey.”
“Frank? Wait a minute. Turn, and look at me.”
“What?”
“Don’t be sarcastic about it. I mean every word I said.”
“I’m not. I know you mean it. I know it’s all true. I actually wanted to hear that from you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. And I can only thank you for it. I’ll let you go to bed now. Thanks.”
I heard footsteps coming in my direction, so I ran back upstairs to bed. I immediately fell asleep too, barely taking time to think about what my dad said.
“Tyler, wake up. First day of high school.”
I groaned, and mumbled something even I couldn’t understand. I pulled the covers off and looked at my dad.
“I’m up.”
He chuckled and walked out. I still couldn’t believe I was starting high school. I had already gotten my schedule, and was in all the same classes as Kyle and Steph, so there was a plus side right there. I already knew I was going to ask her to the Homecoming dance. I got up, showered, and got dressed. Then I went downstairs to eat breakfast.
“Your mother would be so proud of you,” dad said.
I looked up at him. He was smiling.
“Really?”
“Yes. You’re starting high school, you’re learning how to play bass. Who knows, maybe someday you’ll be in a band too.”
“That would be neat. Maybe I can bug Kyle to get a guitar.”
“Heh, yeah. You ready to go?”
I nodded and cleaned up my dishes. I grabbed my backpack and dad drove me to school. I met up with Kyle and Steph to chill for the ten minutes we had before the bell. The school day went by as normal. Ice breaker this, meet new people that. After school, the three of us went to the park. We had to walk by the cemetery though, and I was tempted to stop. I gave in to that temptation.
“Guys? I wanna do something really fast. You can come, or wait here if you want.”
They decided to follow me in. I walked to my mom’s grave and I squatted down. Steph and Kyle stood back.
“Hi, mom. Umm…I was just walking by, and I decided to stop. I had my first day of high school. It went well. I think I’m already gonna like it. Dad misses you a lot, and he always tells me that you’d be so proud of me. He’s teaching me how to play bass. It’s actually very easy to learn. Dad says I might get famous. I’m sure then you’d be proud of me. I’m making really good friends, and everyone is doing fine. We all miss you. I love you, mom. God? Take care of her.”
I stared for a moment. A moment to take in a few memories. I was going to, but my mind went blank. It felt as if those memories were fading slowly. Then I realized that this year would be the ten year anniversary of her death. It upset me to think of it. I got up and the three of us walked out of the cemetery. We went to the park and sat up on the platform by the high slide. We talked and did the little bit of homework we had. An hour later we headed to our houses.
“Dad? I’m home!” I shouted.
He came downstairs, and greeted me. Then we went out for dinner and I talked about my first day of school. When we went home, we went into the basement to play for a while. Dad was really getting impressed with me.
“You really are getting good.”
“Dad? You tell me that all the time.” I laughed.
He laughed as well and went to ruffle my hair.
“So, when are you gonna ask Stephanie to be your girlfriend?”
“Dad!? I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. “I wanna ask her to the homecoming dance, but I don’t know how. How did you ask mom to marry you?”
“Well, it wasn’t a traditional way…” he laughed. “It was the day she told me she was pregnant with you. She came to me and said it, and then I came out and told her ‘You couldn’t wait to tell me that until after I asked you to marry me?’ Then she started to respond, but then she realized what I said. And that was how I asked her to marry me.”
I was laughing, but then I figured out how I was going to ask Steph. Traditions were never big in our family, and I knew. I went to take a shower and go to bed then. I still had trouble believing I was in high school. It was a good feeling, but it was weird. I was laying in bed for a while, then I heard voices. I went to my door and listened. It sounded like Uncle Frank.
“Frank? What are you doing here? It‘s late.”
Bingo.
“I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Well, come downstairs. Tyler’s asleep.”
I listened to their voices go away, and I snuck out and followed. They were in the living room, but I could hear them from the stairs. I sat and listened.
“Frank? I’m aware it’s been ten years already too, but what’s wrong?”
“Ten years later, and it’s still sinking in that she’s gone.”
“Don’t think for one second you’re the only one affected by this.”
“I’m not. It’s just…I don’t know.”
“Frank? I need to say this. Please, please, please don’t take it the wrong way, but I really need to say it. Don’t try to score pity, just because she was your sister. She married me. I loved her just as much as you did. I get upset too that she’s gone, but you keep carrying it on, trying to be all upset and affected by it. You have to stop this, and just say it to yourself, ‘Lisa’s gone, and she’s not coming back.’ I know it hurts, but I do it. You have to tell yourself the truth. I’m not trying to be harsh. Also know that she wouldn’t want you to be upset all the time. She wants you to live your life. You have a wife and a daughter, do it for them, and for all of us.”
Even I was stunned by what my dad said. I listened for Uncle Frank’s response. There was silence for a few moments. Then there was a sigh.
“Well, I’m not gonna take it the wrong way, Mikey. You’re right. She is gone, and she is not coming back. Thanks, Mikey.”
“Frank? Wait a minute. Turn, and look at me.”
“What?”
“Don’t be sarcastic about it. I mean every word I said.”
“I’m not. I know you mean it. I know it’s all true. I actually wanted to hear that from you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. And I can only thank you for it. I’ll let you go to bed now. Thanks.”
I heard footsteps coming in my direction, so I ran back upstairs to bed. I immediately fell asleep too, barely taking time to think about what my dad said.