The Glove Compartment
An Episode
“Raph, I need you to go! I can't face this alone.”
“But Mimi, I didn't even know the girl!”
“For Pete's sake Raph, would you go to a funeral alone? Huh? Huh?”
“No, but that's besides the point, I don't even know her name!”
“Rebbecca Stepford. How could you not remember it? Everyones been talking about her since last week.” As she spoke, Mimi's face contorted into a new guise which had 'What the fuck?' written all over it. It was then that Raphael realized how furious she was becoming, and decided to give in.
“Oh, is that the girl who came over to dinner last month?”
“Yeah, that was her.”
“Crap,” he cursed,“I guess I have no excuse now.” said Raphael, shrugging his shoulders casually. Grinning, Raphael asked, “How good of a friend was she?”
With a tear descending down her cheek, she replied, “We were like sisters, some people actually thought we were.” At that thought, Mimi's lips began to lift into small, kind, smile. “Thanks Raph, this really means a lot to me, I'd feel horrible if I didn't attend; it's just that, well, I'm seriously freaked out by funerals and couldn't bear to go alone.”
“No problem Mimi, when it comes to funerals, I'm really apprehensive. If you told me that I would've agreed on the spot.”
---------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday of last week
When Mr. Brockman, our Dean of Students began to speak, we all knew some was wrong. Typically, he announces that the people who were smoking in the bathroom were caught, or that the behavior at the last dance was unacceptable but, on occasion, he bears somber news. “Dear students and faculty, it is a grievance to inform you that last night, while crossing Main Street, Rebbecca Stepford was killed by a speeding car. Next Tuesday, at eight pm, there will be a service held in her honor at the Catholic church of St. Thérèse. Her family has asked that all those students wishing to attend do so. That is all.” As his message came to a close, all could tell that even he, who had never spent any truly special moments with her, felt great pain as the emissary of that message.
---------------------------------------------------------
While searching for her keys, Mimi looked to Raphael an said “We'll take my car, it's got a full tank.” As she waited for a reply she found her keys under a stack of magazines.
Raphael, who was now upstairs perusing his bureau, yelled “Kay, Mim.”
“I'll be waiting for you outside.”
Knowing that they were already running late, Raphael was now tearing through the contents of his closet. “My Lord, where the hell can it be?!?! Ahah!” he exclaimed as he grabbed the hanger on which his suit hung. Quickly, he began undressing and by the time that he had his belt buckled, he was on his way down the stairs. Before he left, he stopped to grab an apple and as he took a bite, he headed out the door.
Fifteen minutes later, Raphael found himself in the back of the church where the funeral was being held. Due to their lack of punctuality, he and his sister were confined to the last row of pews, along with them were three girls about their age. While the one closest to them quietly weeped, the other two casually chatted; the weeping one obviously wasn't a companion to the others. Raphael did a double take of the girl on the end and found that he just couldn't keep his eyes off her. Nudging his sister he asked, “Mimi, see that girl over there? Whats her name?”
“Hush Raph, we're at a freaking funeral! Show some respect.”
“Tell me her God damn name and I'll be quiet.”
“She's the school slut; Angie Sparrow's her name. The biggest bitch in the entirety of the universe.”
“Thanks sis” murmured Raphael, gazing at Angie.
Raphael was captivated by her long black locks, and deep emerald eyes. But as entrancing as she was Raph had a horrible feeling. Is she as shallow as she looks? He thought. Was love what he was feeling? Was it disgust, joy, rage? The emotion was a nauseating stew, swirling in the pit of his stomach, made even worse by the deathly silence. But it was all too quick for him. The thoughts began to slam against the side of his head, looking for a way out. To his mind, love was bad. It was love that had reaped her from his arms. Her. How he missed her. Last April, alone. He had left her alone. Not again, Hell no. I left her by herself; alone. And then she, and then... God no. Love, it had ripped her from this world, from my heart, from my arms... As the thoughts raced through his mind tears began to sob from his eyes. His sister was amazed by his sobs; to an extent, she was baffled.
“Gosh Raph,” she whispered to him, “you don't need to get that emotional. Oh no, wait. You're having those thoughts again! Shit. Err...”
A man in the pew ahead of them swiveled his head around began to bark at them in a harsh, hostile tone. “Shut the Hell up kid,” he cursed, “there's enough grief in here without your water works.”
Flipping him off, she retorted “Fuck off, jackass.”
Raphael whimpered, “My fault. Me, my fault. My own damn fault.”
“Come, Raph; we need to leave.” Ushering her brother out, the sibling scampered through the doors at the back of the church. Just as they banged shut, Angie whispered to her friend, “What a little faggot.”
---------------------------------------------------------
Upon arrival at Aunt Katherine's, (In other words, home) Mimi shepherded her brother up the grave porch and into the front living room. Lately, these episodes had been getting more and more frequent and Raph had been having more and more trouble coping with each one. Just as Mimi got Raphael to sit down she called Aunt Katherine into the room.
“Oh don't tell me he had another breakdown.” she sighed.
“What did you expect? We left in the middle of a funeral, Aunt Katherine. He didn't have a boo-boo.”
“Don't you get smart with me honey, I'll crack you when you least expect it.”
“Sorry 'bout that, I'm just really—”
Aunt Katherine cut her off, “Nervous? Anxious? Freaked out? Scared?”
“How'd you know?”
“I can see it in your eyes.”
“Well, every thing's just been getting to me.”
“Do you think we should.”
“Should what? You don't want to.”
“No, no; we can't.”
“What are you proposing we do?”
“Never mind, not after—”
“After what? Is there something I should know.” It was at that moment that Mimi became curious, edgy still, but curious. She's hiding something, she thought. Mimi, being an extremely persuasive person was prepared to weasel it out of her at any cost. Badgering was not above her and she utilized it to its full potential. “Tell me.”
At this time, Mimi was ordering her aunt, who was twenty years her senior, to reveal her hidden knowledge. Mimi did not like secrets and she refused to tolerate them.
“I shouldn't; Grant said no...”
“To hell with Grant! He is not our father; his work means more to him than his own children! He walked out on us Aunt Katherine, and he's never coming back.”
“Well, what do you know about your mother?” asked Aunt Katherine apprehensively.
“I know nothing of her. She, she died in a car crash when we were infants.” as she spoke, irrepressible sorrow began to tinge the glassy surfaces of her eyes.
“Honey, your mother didn't die in an accident, your father had her committed and divorced her two months later. She was mentally unstable. In crude words, crazy. He couldn't bear to break it to you. He thought that you were to young and when you got older he thought it would break your hearts to know.” Aunt Katherine began to tear wildly but she kept on going. This was something she had to get out and once she had begun, she couldn't stop. “I'm so sorry, Nadia's been alive all this time and, and...” She began to wipe the tears away because by this time, she had realized that the real problem at hand sat waiting for them in the living room. It was a problem that words couldn't kill and tears couldn't wash away; it was a living, breathing situation that need to be confronted immediately. Wasting no time the words began to fly out of her mouth. “So shall we call him?”
“Who? You don't mean?”
“Psychologist.”
“We can't, we promised him we wouldn't!”
“We have too! What's a promise to a boy who's life is plagued by fear? Nothing, I tell you, nothing!”
“'Kay, I guess it's what has to be done. I wonder how he'll take it.”
“You know as well as I do. He's gonna break into bloody hysterics, he thinks the shrink is for wackjobs.”
“Not hysterics, he'll say, 'Oh I guess I'll try it, but I don't think it'll work.'”
“I bet you fifty bucks he will.”
“Deal. It's not surprising how mature he handles these kinds of things, he's sixteen after all.”
---------------------------------------------------------
“Raphael, are you all right?” asked Mimi softly. She had just entered the room from the kitchen where she and Aunt Katherine had been.
He nodded and closed his eyes, the attack really drained his energy and he needed rest urgently.
“G'night” said Mimi as she crossed over to the table lamp on the other side of the room and shut it off. “Sweet dreams.”
“But Mimi, I didn't even know the girl!”
“For Pete's sake Raph, would you go to a funeral alone? Huh? Huh?”
“No, but that's besides the point, I don't even know her name!”
“Rebbecca Stepford. How could you not remember it? Everyones been talking about her since last week.” As she spoke, Mimi's face contorted into a new guise which had 'What the fuck?' written all over it. It was then that Raphael realized how furious she was becoming, and decided to give in.
“Oh, is that the girl who came over to dinner last month?”
“Yeah, that was her.”
“Crap,” he cursed,“I guess I have no excuse now.” said Raphael, shrugging his shoulders casually. Grinning, Raphael asked, “How good of a friend was she?”
With a tear descending down her cheek, she replied, “We were like sisters, some people actually thought we were.” At that thought, Mimi's lips began to lift into small, kind, smile. “Thanks Raph, this really means a lot to me, I'd feel horrible if I didn't attend; it's just that, well, I'm seriously freaked out by funerals and couldn't bear to go alone.”
“No problem Mimi, when it comes to funerals, I'm really apprehensive. If you told me that I would've agreed on the spot.”
---------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday of last week
When Mr. Brockman, our Dean of Students began to speak, we all knew some was wrong. Typically, he announces that the people who were smoking in the bathroom were caught, or that the behavior at the last dance was unacceptable but, on occasion, he bears somber news. “Dear students and faculty, it is a grievance to inform you that last night, while crossing Main Street, Rebbecca Stepford was killed by a speeding car. Next Tuesday, at eight pm, there will be a service held in her honor at the Catholic church of St. Thérèse. Her family has asked that all those students wishing to attend do so. That is all.” As his message came to a close, all could tell that even he, who had never spent any truly special moments with her, felt great pain as the emissary of that message.
---------------------------------------------------------
While searching for her keys, Mimi looked to Raphael an said “We'll take my car, it's got a full tank.” As she waited for a reply she found her keys under a stack of magazines.
Raphael, who was now upstairs perusing his bureau, yelled “Kay, Mim.”
“I'll be waiting for you outside.”
Knowing that they were already running late, Raphael was now tearing through the contents of his closet. “My Lord, where the hell can it be?!?! Ahah!” he exclaimed as he grabbed the hanger on which his suit hung. Quickly, he began undressing and by the time that he had his belt buckled, he was on his way down the stairs. Before he left, he stopped to grab an apple and as he took a bite, he headed out the door.
Fifteen minutes later, Raphael found himself in the back of the church where the funeral was being held. Due to their lack of punctuality, he and his sister were confined to the last row of pews, along with them were three girls about their age. While the one closest to them quietly weeped, the other two casually chatted; the weeping one obviously wasn't a companion to the others. Raphael did a double take of the girl on the end and found that he just couldn't keep his eyes off her. Nudging his sister he asked, “Mimi, see that girl over there? Whats her name?”
“Hush Raph, we're at a freaking funeral! Show some respect.”
“Tell me her God damn name and I'll be quiet.”
“She's the school slut; Angie Sparrow's her name. The biggest bitch in the entirety of the universe.”
“Thanks sis” murmured Raphael, gazing at Angie.
Raphael was captivated by her long black locks, and deep emerald eyes. But as entrancing as she was Raph had a horrible feeling. Is she as shallow as she looks? He thought. Was love what he was feeling? Was it disgust, joy, rage? The emotion was a nauseating stew, swirling in the pit of his stomach, made even worse by the deathly silence. But it was all too quick for him. The thoughts began to slam against the side of his head, looking for a way out. To his mind, love was bad. It was love that had reaped her from his arms. Her. How he missed her. Last April, alone. He had left her alone. Not again, Hell no. I left her by herself; alone. And then she, and then... God no. Love, it had ripped her from this world, from my heart, from my arms... As the thoughts raced through his mind tears began to sob from his eyes. His sister was amazed by his sobs; to an extent, she was baffled.
“Gosh Raph,” she whispered to him, “you don't need to get that emotional. Oh no, wait. You're having those thoughts again! Shit. Err...”
A man in the pew ahead of them swiveled his head around began to bark at them in a harsh, hostile tone. “Shut the Hell up kid,” he cursed, “there's enough grief in here without your water works.”
Flipping him off, she retorted “Fuck off, jackass.”
Raphael whimpered, “My fault. Me, my fault. My own damn fault.”
“Come, Raph; we need to leave.” Ushering her brother out, the sibling scampered through the doors at the back of the church. Just as they banged shut, Angie whispered to her friend, “What a little faggot.”
---------------------------------------------------------
Upon arrival at Aunt Katherine's, (In other words, home) Mimi shepherded her brother up the grave porch and into the front living room. Lately, these episodes had been getting more and more frequent and Raph had been having more and more trouble coping with each one. Just as Mimi got Raphael to sit down she called Aunt Katherine into the room.
“Oh don't tell me he had another breakdown.” she sighed.
“What did you expect? We left in the middle of a funeral, Aunt Katherine. He didn't have a boo-boo.”
“Don't you get smart with me honey, I'll crack you when you least expect it.”
“Sorry 'bout that, I'm just really—”
Aunt Katherine cut her off, “Nervous? Anxious? Freaked out? Scared?”
“How'd you know?”
“I can see it in your eyes.”
“Well, every thing's just been getting to me.”
“Do you think we should.”
“Should what? You don't want to.”
“No, no; we can't.”
“What are you proposing we do?”
“Never mind, not after—”
“After what? Is there something I should know.” It was at that moment that Mimi became curious, edgy still, but curious. She's hiding something, she thought. Mimi, being an extremely persuasive person was prepared to weasel it out of her at any cost. Badgering was not above her and she utilized it to its full potential. “Tell me.”
At this time, Mimi was ordering her aunt, who was twenty years her senior, to reveal her hidden knowledge. Mimi did not like secrets and she refused to tolerate them.
“I shouldn't; Grant said no...”
“To hell with Grant! He is not our father; his work means more to him than his own children! He walked out on us Aunt Katherine, and he's never coming back.”
“Well, what do you know about your mother?” asked Aunt Katherine apprehensively.
“I know nothing of her. She, she died in a car crash when we were infants.” as she spoke, irrepressible sorrow began to tinge the glassy surfaces of her eyes.
“Honey, your mother didn't die in an accident, your father had her committed and divorced her two months later. She was mentally unstable. In crude words, crazy. He couldn't bear to break it to you. He thought that you were to young and when you got older he thought it would break your hearts to know.” Aunt Katherine began to tear wildly but she kept on going. This was something she had to get out and once she had begun, she couldn't stop. “I'm so sorry, Nadia's been alive all this time and, and...” She began to wipe the tears away because by this time, she had realized that the real problem at hand sat waiting for them in the living room. It was a problem that words couldn't kill and tears couldn't wash away; it was a living, breathing situation that need to be confronted immediately. Wasting no time the words began to fly out of her mouth. “So shall we call him?”
“Who? You don't mean?”
“Psychologist.”
“We can't, we promised him we wouldn't!”
“We have too! What's a promise to a boy who's life is plagued by fear? Nothing, I tell you, nothing!”
“'Kay, I guess it's what has to be done. I wonder how he'll take it.”
“You know as well as I do. He's gonna break into bloody hysterics, he thinks the shrink is for wackjobs.”
“Not hysterics, he'll say, 'Oh I guess I'll try it, but I don't think it'll work.'”
“I bet you fifty bucks he will.”
“Deal. It's not surprising how mature he handles these kinds of things, he's sixteen after all.”
---------------------------------------------------------
“Raphael, are you all right?” asked Mimi softly. She had just entered the room from the kitchen where she and Aunt Katherine had been.
He nodded and closed his eyes, the attack really drained his energy and he needed rest urgently.
“G'night” said Mimi as she crossed over to the table lamp on the other side of the room and shut it off. “Sweet dreams.”