Status: Not sure on the title for this story or the names in this story. But it's an idea I've been thinking about for a long time considering photojournalism is something I am extremely into, so I would love to hear what some people think of it :)
The Life and Death of Someone Famous.
Chapter Two
"Why do I gotta try all these on, Mom?" Flight asked me, looking down at one of the many suits I was having him try on.
"Because... Flight, we have to talk."
I went over to Flight's bed and sat down on the edge of it. Flight followed and sat down as well. After he sat down, he looked up at me and said, "What's wrong, momma?" He sounded so innocent then. Would I actually be able to get out the words to tell him? I had to. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth, letting the words finally escape, no longer weighing me down.
"Dad has passed away. He's no longer coming back...His funeral is next weekend, which is why I'm having you try on all these suits right now."
He looked down, then back up at me. "So it'll be like how Dad usually isn't home, anyway?"
"Yes...Just like that." I answered, tears rolling down my cheeks lightly.
Flight hugged me, and gave me a kiss on the cheek. After that I collected myself and went back to trying to find the suit he was going to wear to Robbie's funeral. If only I could take the news as well as Flight did. But then again, I hadn't explained how it happened. I couldn't put that much on him, not now at least. Maybe once he's older, when he'd understand better. Would he? I'm Thirty-five and I don't understand it myself.
------
The days following up to the funeral seemed to pass by so slowly. That could have been a bad thing or a good thing, depending on how you look at it. I didn't want the funeral to come, I didn't want to see my sweet, loving husband all cold and... dead, laying there in a casket. On the other hand, I just wanted to get this over with, I just wanted to be able to so "I'm okay" again. But the truth is, I'm not okay. I don't know when I will be. How does one get over the loss of someone so close?
It took me a long while to get out of bed on the morning of the funeral, days could have passed and I wouldn't have noticed. It almost wasn't worth it getting out of bed in the morning anymore. The only thing that kept me going now was my son. But I couldn't live this way forever. There would have to come a time when I could get out of bed just for me.
Finally, once I got out of bed, I prepared breakfast for Flight and myself, put on the outfit I had planned for the day, then did my usual make-up and hair routine. Soon enough we were both ready and on our way. I knew there would be a decent amount of people there. Robbie came from a pretty big family. But, even though it was such a big family, they were still very close-knit. My family was close as well, but I didn't have as big a family. I was an only child, Robbie was one of 6 children. I had few Cousin's, Aunt's, and Uncle's, Robbie had many.
Robbie was so loved and so cared for by everyone, that's why what happened to him came as such a surprise. And yet... at the same time it wasn't surprising. His work was dangerous, I knew that, he knew that, everyone did. His work was also depressing, it could make even the happiest person go insane. I remember when he first told me what he was going to be doing for work.
------
It was 1968, Robbie had just come home with a camera. "Rainbow! Come quick!" He yelled throughout the house, obviously excited to show me what he had in his hands.
"What is it, Windsong?" I said, just before I entered the room. The smile on his face was brighter than the sun. "I got a camera! And I know what I'm going to do with it, I know what I'm going to do with my life!" I must have had a confused look on my face, because he continued on with, "I want to be a photojournalist! I want to take pictures of people who are struggling. I want to prove to people what is going on, with more than just words. I want to help!"
I was so happy for him at the time, and I still am. He changed the world. But if only I had known then what I know now. That he would be one of the ones to go in and never come out. He would change the world for the better, but from that his family members lives would change forever as well. At least if I had known then, known that he would die, I could prepare for it. Then again... hadn't he told me this might happen? I could have prepared for it... I guess I just thought he wouldn't... die. That he couldn't.
------
I slowly walked up to the casket with my right hand on Flight's shoulder. We knelt, and I squeezed my eyes shut. I didn't want to see him, I didn't want to look at my husband's dead body. It was all too much. Then I felt a hug. I looked to my side to see Flight hugging me as tight as his arms would let him. "It's okay, Mommy," he whispered, "you have me to take care of you. I'm still here. Daddy will be watching us from a distance like he always has."
We got up and walked away from the casket. I turned my head to look at Robbie one last time. Flight noticed, and grabbed onto my hand. It seemed at though that was the only thing keeping me from breaking, as if me breaking would start from my hand and go throughout the rest of my body, but Flight keeping my hand together prevented the rest of my body from falling apart.
It was a long day. The rain was cold, and it felt like shards of glass hitting my skin... Or maybe it just seemed like that because my heart had been hurting so much and everything around me felt painful and cold. The sun could be shining, the flowers could be surrounding me completely, and I would still not be able to find true happiness from it. The sun shining on my skin would still hurt, the flowers all around would still make me sad.
But the day came to an end eventually, and I was able to lay in bed once more. "Robbie, if you can hear me," I thought, "I need you right now. It's not fair that you were taken away from me. I need you. Help me fall asleep tonight... Please." And with that I closed my eyes. I'm not sure if it was just me being too hopeful, or if in some sort of crazy way Robbie could hear me from wherever he was now, but I could have sworn I felt some sort of pressure pressing up against my back as I slept on my side, warmth hugging my waist. Maybe I was too tired, maybe I was going crazy, but maybe... Just maybe... The one thing I needed was helping me get through the night.
"Because... Flight, we have to talk."
I went over to Flight's bed and sat down on the edge of it. Flight followed and sat down as well. After he sat down, he looked up at me and said, "What's wrong, momma?" He sounded so innocent then. Would I actually be able to get out the words to tell him? I had to. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth, letting the words finally escape, no longer weighing me down.
"Dad has passed away. He's no longer coming back...His funeral is next weekend, which is why I'm having you try on all these suits right now."
He looked down, then back up at me. "So it'll be like how Dad usually isn't home, anyway?"
"Yes...Just like that." I answered, tears rolling down my cheeks lightly.
Flight hugged me, and gave me a kiss on the cheek. After that I collected myself and went back to trying to find the suit he was going to wear to Robbie's funeral. If only I could take the news as well as Flight did. But then again, I hadn't explained how it happened. I couldn't put that much on him, not now at least. Maybe once he's older, when he'd understand better. Would he? I'm Thirty-five and I don't understand it myself.
------
The days following up to the funeral seemed to pass by so slowly. That could have been a bad thing or a good thing, depending on how you look at it. I didn't want the funeral to come, I didn't want to see my sweet, loving husband all cold and... dead, laying there in a casket. On the other hand, I just wanted to get this over with, I just wanted to be able to so "I'm okay" again. But the truth is, I'm not okay. I don't know when I will be. How does one get over the loss of someone so close?
It took me a long while to get out of bed on the morning of the funeral, days could have passed and I wouldn't have noticed. It almost wasn't worth it getting out of bed in the morning anymore. The only thing that kept me going now was my son. But I couldn't live this way forever. There would have to come a time when I could get out of bed just for me.
Finally, once I got out of bed, I prepared breakfast for Flight and myself, put on the outfit I had planned for the day, then did my usual make-up and hair routine. Soon enough we were both ready and on our way. I knew there would be a decent amount of people there. Robbie came from a pretty big family. But, even though it was such a big family, they were still very close-knit. My family was close as well, but I didn't have as big a family. I was an only child, Robbie was one of 6 children. I had few Cousin's, Aunt's, and Uncle's, Robbie had many.
Robbie was so loved and so cared for by everyone, that's why what happened to him came as such a surprise. And yet... at the same time it wasn't surprising. His work was dangerous, I knew that, he knew that, everyone did. His work was also depressing, it could make even the happiest person go insane. I remember when he first told me what he was going to be doing for work.
------
It was 1968, Robbie had just come home with a camera. "Rainbow! Come quick!" He yelled throughout the house, obviously excited to show me what he had in his hands.
"What is it, Windsong?" I said, just before I entered the room. The smile on his face was brighter than the sun. "I got a camera! And I know what I'm going to do with it, I know what I'm going to do with my life!" I must have had a confused look on my face, because he continued on with, "I want to be a photojournalist! I want to take pictures of people who are struggling. I want to prove to people what is going on, with more than just words. I want to help!"
I was so happy for him at the time, and I still am. He changed the world. But if only I had known then what I know now. That he would be one of the ones to go in and never come out. He would change the world for the better, but from that his family members lives would change forever as well. At least if I had known then, known that he would die, I could prepare for it. Then again... hadn't he told me this might happen? I could have prepared for it... I guess I just thought he wouldn't... die. That he couldn't.
------
I slowly walked up to the casket with my right hand on Flight's shoulder. We knelt, and I squeezed my eyes shut. I didn't want to see him, I didn't want to look at my husband's dead body. It was all too much. Then I felt a hug. I looked to my side to see Flight hugging me as tight as his arms would let him. "It's okay, Mommy," he whispered, "you have me to take care of you. I'm still here. Daddy will be watching us from a distance like he always has."
We got up and walked away from the casket. I turned my head to look at Robbie one last time. Flight noticed, and grabbed onto my hand. It seemed at though that was the only thing keeping me from breaking, as if me breaking would start from my hand and go throughout the rest of my body, but Flight keeping my hand together prevented the rest of my body from falling apart.
It was a long day. The rain was cold, and it felt like shards of glass hitting my skin... Or maybe it just seemed like that because my heart had been hurting so much and everything around me felt painful and cold. The sun could be shining, the flowers could be surrounding me completely, and I would still not be able to find true happiness from it. The sun shining on my skin would still hurt, the flowers all around would still make me sad.
But the day came to an end eventually, and I was able to lay in bed once more. "Robbie, if you can hear me," I thought, "I need you right now. It's not fair that you were taken away from me. I need you. Help me fall asleep tonight... Please." And with that I closed my eyes. I'm not sure if it was just me being too hopeful, or if in some sort of crazy way Robbie could hear me from wherever he was now, but I could have sworn I felt some sort of pressure pressing up against my back as I slept on my side, warmth hugging my waist. Maybe I was too tired, maybe I was going crazy, but maybe... Just maybe... The one thing I needed was helping me get through the night.