Monday, March 25, 2013

I think there's supposed to be a title here?

He rubs his sweaty palms together as he slowly walks to the front of the room. He gets to the stand and clears his throat a few times. He can't rememeber the last time that swallowing was this hard. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. "For the past few days everytime I close my eyes I see his face in my mind," he mumbles, "but I don't look at the bad. I just remember all the fun times we had together. I rememeber the time we played with light sabers in the middle of the school hall way. I remember jumping on our beds and always making our mothers so mad. Do you remember that time that you came home, Sandy, and there was a big hole in the wall? We blamed it on Chris, but it was really Kaden and I. We were doing backflips off your stairs and he overshot it and hit the wall with his head." He gives a little chuckle and the corners of his mouth begin to turn up. "Sorry about that. I know he left us too soon and he was only 18... But I want everyone to remember all the good times we had with Kaden. He was close to all of you or else you wouldn't be here." He continues his talk and he tries to hold in the tears as he remembers all the fun they had together. He can't believe he lost his best friend like that, but he has to keep strong for his brother Chris. He needs to be his example and help the poor little guy out. He goes home and puts his spare change into the family savings jar. He knows its hard right now, but he needs to help his mom out. She's a single mother raising three teenage boys and a little girl. He realizes how hard it is for her to be working double shifts day in and day out. He offered to get a second job, but she knows how important school is and she won't let him give up his education to help her pay the bills. He climbs into bed with his little sister, Colette. He hugs her tight and asks her about her day. She tells him about the bullies at school and how they make fun of her clothes and her shoes. She tells him about how she has a solo in her dance and she really wishes her daddy could be there to see it. He kisses her forehead and whispers, "everything will be alright" in her ear. He tells her goodnight and leaves her room. He wishes he could help. A dad shouldn't just leave a little girl like that. He can handle, but she's only six... He doesn't understand why life has to be so hard sometimes. He wishes he could help his family, but he has problems of his own. He doesn't know what to do... He would usually go to Chris by now. Chris was his best friend and he was taken at only 18. He wishes that he could come back just for a day to tell him what to do. "Bravery runs in my family." He remembers his grandpas words as he holds back tears. He knows he needs to be strong, but he just doesn't remember how anymore. He feels like his whole world is crumbling and doesn't know how to help. He goes to work to try to keep his mind off of everything and to help his mom to pay some bills. He's been putting more money in that jar lately hoping that he can contribute to his moms hard work somehow. Working minimum wage jusst doesn't help very much and he doesn't know what to do. He just knows that he needs to breathe and move on with life. He's twenty eight now with a beautiful wife and two gorgeous baby girls. And not a day goes by that he isn't thinking about Chris. He still wears his cross around his neck even ten years after his passing to remind him that life is always too short to not be living it fully.

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