A Friend of Mine
Nativity
By all accounts, the nativity play went well. There was a minor blip in the middle when one of the wise men was almost lost to shyness, but it was otherwise good enough for Juliana to sink into one of the seats in the front row, relieved.
Juliana was alone. Needing the quiet, she’d volunteered to clear the stage and props from their place in the school assembly hall. She was just about done—only the manger remained untouched, sitting in the very centre of the stage where the children had been gathered not half an hour before. A little break was in order, she’d decided, dropping her face into her hand and sliding her fingers back through her hair. She was shattered.
“God, that baby’s so life-like.”
Juliana startled at a familiar voice. She looked up.
On the small stage stood Benjamin, hand on his hip as he comically leaned over the manger like a curious dog meeting a new baby for the first time. “It’s so creepy,” he continued, poking a finger down into the plastic doll. Dogs probably behaved better with children.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Juliana asked.
Benjamin straighten up, smiling easy. “Thought you’d be happier to see me,” he said, jumping down from the stage, bypassing the steps. Juliana fought the urge to scold him. “Sorry I missed the play, by the way,” he added, resting both hands on his hips this time. He had those puppy dog eyes.
Frozen to where she sat, Juliana stared up at him. She was going mad. Benjamin was murdered two weeks ago and she’d been seeing him everywhere, clear as day, as alive as a dead man could be. There was still a trial and possible appeal to sit through before his belongings could be returned and his body could be released by procurator fiscal. It was all too much, and she was going mad.
“You’re gonnae miss a lot,” Juliana said eventually.
Benjamin gave her a sad smile before taking a seat beside her.
He sat quietly, hunched forward a little. Between his knees, his hands squeezed together, his knuckles turning a ghostly white and a tension shooting up his arms hard enough to make his shoulders quiver from the effort. With the gentlest of sighs, he turned his face to her, still with that smile on his face, but his eyes so murky and sad that Juliana felt her stomach drop through the floor. He really was sorry, despite none of this being his fault.
He leaned forward then, nudging Juliana with his shoulder. “Hey,” he said, “you know that’s not true.”
A mess of blonde hair fell into Juliana’s face as she shook her head. “Don’t give me your ‘I’ll always be with you’ shite, Ben.”
“I was just trying to help,” Benjamin muttered, falling back into his own space. He rested his hands on his knees as they bounced. “Not much I can do, to be fair.”
“No?”
Benjamin shrugged; Juliana placed her hand over his and began thumbing over his knuckles. His knee stopped shaking.
Juliana was alone. Needing the quiet, she’d volunteered to clear the stage and props from their place in the school assembly hall. She was just about done—only the manger remained untouched, sitting in the very centre of the stage where the children had been gathered not half an hour before. A little break was in order, she’d decided, dropping her face into her hand and sliding her fingers back through her hair. She was shattered.
“God, that baby’s so life-like.”
Juliana startled at a familiar voice. She looked up.
On the small stage stood Benjamin, hand on his hip as he comically leaned over the manger like a curious dog meeting a new baby for the first time. “It’s so creepy,” he continued, poking a finger down into the plastic doll. Dogs probably behaved better with children.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Juliana asked.
Benjamin straighten up, smiling easy. “Thought you’d be happier to see me,” he said, jumping down from the stage, bypassing the steps. Juliana fought the urge to scold him. “Sorry I missed the play, by the way,” he added, resting both hands on his hips this time. He had those puppy dog eyes.
Frozen to where she sat, Juliana stared up at him. She was going mad. Benjamin was murdered two weeks ago and she’d been seeing him everywhere, clear as day, as alive as a dead man could be. There was still a trial and possible appeal to sit through before his belongings could be returned and his body could be released by procurator fiscal. It was all too much, and she was going mad.
“You’re gonnae miss a lot,” Juliana said eventually.
Benjamin gave her a sad smile before taking a seat beside her.
He sat quietly, hunched forward a little. Between his knees, his hands squeezed together, his knuckles turning a ghostly white and a tension shooting up his arms hard enough to make his shoulders quiver from the effort. With the gentlest of sighs, he turned his face to her, still with that smile on his face, but his eyes so murky and sad that Juliana felt her stomach drop through the floor. He really was sorry, despite none of this being his fault.
He leaned forward then, nudging Juliana with his shoulder. “Hey,” he said, “you know that’s not true.”
A mess of blonde hair fell into Juliana’s face as she shook her head. “Don’t give me your ‘I’ll always be with you’ shite, Ben.”
“I was just trying to help,” Benjamin muttered, falling back into his own space. He rested his hands on his knees as they bounced. “Not much I can do, to be fair.”
“No?”
Benjamin shrugged; Juliana placed her hand over his and began thumbing over his knuckles. His knee stopped shaking.