Status: New. Posting regularly.
Silent
Seven
My mom had called me sobbing the day after in incident with Aellea. It hit me like a ton of bricks- and not the death of the sweet old woman that I had seen every now and then growing up- but rather how it would effect my now not so quiet girlfriend.
I was using the term girlfriend very loosely.
I know I had no right to go there. No right at all. No right to knock on her front door. Her grandfather answers and his face falls, as if he was hoping for someone else.
“Hi Mr Morgan- I’m so sorry for your-”
“She’s upstairs second door on our right.” He says. He’d heard the apology far too many times. How could one family have to suffer so much death. I’d only lost one grandparent, but this man had lost his wife, his son, his grandson, all in too short a time.
I walk upstairs and to the second door on the right. The room was bright and open. Only one couch sat in the room, the rest were stacks of canvas, two easels. “Aellea” I breathed and she looked up from her painting. It was of her Grandmother. It looked nearly done. “Hi.” I say and she ignores me.
“I wanted to let you know that I’m here, I’m here for you to cry on or scream at or antyhing.” I say and she ignores me again. How could silence- something I thought I loved to much, piss me off so much now.
“You know its easier to greave if you open your mouth and talk to someone!” I say my tone of voice was something I’d even get mad at.
“What the fuck do you know about grieving?” She asks and drops her paint brush, the red swiping her arm in a gruesome way.
“Aellea- I-” He starts but I shake my head. “Don’t you dare.” She cuts me off and her grandfather runs upstairs after hearing two voices.
“I’m going to grieve the way I want to, you dick. You can’t tell e how to do this.” She huffs. “If I want to be sad because I couldn’t give my grandmother the only thing she wanted I’m going to be sad THE WAY I WANT TO BE SAD.”
“What did she want?” I ask “What did she want?”
“SHE WANTED ME TO TALK, SHE DIED NOT HEARING HER GRANDDAUGHTER SAY I LOVE YOU FOR A WHOLE FUCKING YEAR.”
“Ally.” Her grandfather said and hugged her tight. “It is so fucking good to hear your voice again.” He said and she nodded, hugging her back.
“John- you’re staying for dinner.” He said
“No he’s not.” She huffs.
“Yes he is.” Mr Morgan laughed.
The day of the funeral I didn’t sit with Aellea during the service. I sat with my family in the middle of the church. I didn’t trust myself around her. I was a totally different person. More demanding, more commanding. I was trying to be better.
The ceremony was normal, nothing too memorable happened, besides the sheer amount of people in the room. There was no more room to sit, the walls were covered with people wanting to pay respects to this women, a great testament to her character.
A school teacher in her earlier days. Worked in the community, gave back. More than a modern citizen.
At the cemetery I run up to grab Aellea, pulling her off to the side. “I got you something.” I breathe and reach into my pocket. “Is now the time?” She asks, wiping her eyes.
“Yes.” I breathe and take out the card, the kind were you could record yourself. “John you didn’t even right in-”
“Tell her. Tell her you love her.” I smile and pet her hair. “Press record and tell her, you can leave it with her.”
She presses the button. Its a long pause before, “I love you.” Comes out of her mouth. She lets go of the button and it plays back.
“Thank you John.” She says and kisses me gently. She goes back up to the front and someone, Mr Morgan, claps me on the back. “Thank you John, keep her talking.” He said and brought me up to the front, to hold her hand.
I was using the term girlfriend very loosely.
I know I had no right to go there. No right at all. No right to knock on her front door. Her grandfather answers and his face falls, as if he was hoping for someone else.
“Hi Mr Morgan- I’m so sorry for your-”
“She’s upstairs second door on our right.” He says. He’d heard the apology far too many times. How could one family have to suffer so much death. I’d only lost one grandparent, but this man had lost his wife, his son, his grandson, all in too short a time.
I walk upstairs and to the second door on the right. The room was bright and open. Only one couch sat in the room, the rest were stacks of canvas, two easels. “Aellea” I breathed and she looked up from her painting. It was of her Grandmother. It looked nearly done. “Hi.” I say and she ignores me.
“I wanted to let you know that I’m here, I’m here for you to cry on or scream at or antyhing.” I say and she ignores me again. How could silence- something I thought I loved to much, piss me off so much now.
“You know its easier to greave if you open your mouth and talk to someone!” I say my tone of voice was something I’d even get mad at.
“What the fuck do you know about grieving?” She asks and drops her paint brush, the red swiping her arm in a gruesome way.
“Aellea- I-” He starts but I shake my head. “Don’t you dare.” She cuts me off and her grandfather runs upstairs after hearing two voices.
“I’m going to grieve the way I want to, you dick. You can’t tell e how to do this.” She huffs. “If I want to be sad because I couldn’t give my grandmother the only thing she wanted I’m going to be sad THE WAY I WANT TO BE SAD.”
“What did she want?” I ask “What did she want?”
“SHE WANTED ME TO TALK, SHE DIED NOT HEARING HER GRANDDAUGHTER SAY I LOVE YOU FOR A WHOLE FUCKING YEAR.”
“Ally.” Her grandfather said and hugged her tight. “It is so fucking good to hear your voice again.” He said and she nodded, hugging her back.
“John- you’re staying for dinner.” He said
“No he’s not.” She huffs.
“Yes he is.” Mr Morgan laughed.
The day of the funeral I didn’t sit with Aellea during the service. I sat with my family in the middle of the church. I didn’t trust myself around her. I was a totally different person. More demanding, more commanding. I was trying to be better.
The ceremony was normal, nothing too memorable happened, besides the sheer amount of people in the room. There was no more room to sit, the walls were covered with people wanting to pay respects to this women, a great testament to her character.
A school teacher in her earlier days. Worked in the community, gave back. More than a modern citizen.
At the cemetery I run up to grab Aellea, pulling her off to the side. “I got you something.” I breathe and reach into my pocket. “Is now the time?” She asks, wiping her eyes.
“Yes.” I breathe and take out the card, the kind were you could record yourself. “John you didn’t even right in-”
“Tell her. Tell her you love her.” I smile and pet her hair. “Press record and tell her, you can leave it with her.”
She presses the button. Its a long pause before, “I love you.” Comes out of her mouth. She lets go of the button and it plays back.
“Thank you John.” She says and kisses me gently. She goes back up to the front and someone, Mr Morgan, claps me on the back. “Thank you John, keep her talking.” He said and brought me up to the front, to hold her hand.