𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝, guy germaine

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄

     I AM BLESSED WITH the ability to watch. Though I'm no longer present on the Earth, I can watch whatever I please. So I watch my children grow; I watch my husband care for them, I watch him age - what I should have been able to do with him.

Genevieve and Sawyer were adults, sent off to grab coffee from the shop Judson once used to get me a coffee and a slice of banana bread from. How I longed for the days where I was young, where Judson was kind and life was new.

Guy was walking the intersection of Broadway, where I used to play. I was walking beside him, he just didn't know. He would never know, he could only guess. I could see he was down, his head hanging low.

Last night, they had me inaugurated into the Country Music Hall of Fame. I could tell the memories were weighing on him, and that being where he had once met me was far from ideal. Him sending the kids for a snack was a strategic move to buy some time to cope.

Guy paused, standing by a telephone pole and trying to catch himself. I guess being gone for 16 years doesn't do enough to heal somebody. I stood there hugging him but he didn't know it.

A scraggly man walked toward us, and I knew him. I don't know that Guy recognized him as soon as I did, but all of us Jeffersons shared expressions, movements, faces. Judson hadn't taken the best care of himself, walking like a ghost, but he was alive. And he knew Guy like he had seen us yesterday, rather than twenty years ago.

"You."
"Hm?" Guy questioned, understanding slowly.
"Where is she? Where's my sister?"
"...She's dead, man." Guy answered calmly. "She's been dead."
"Where is she?" Judson just seemed to ask again, not understanding the truth. I don't know how he couldn't know.

"Judson, you hurt her. You did this to her. Why the hell else do you think she's gone?"
Guy still couldn't cope. I told him to cope for me, I told him I'd never forgive myself if he didn't.

Judson paced away, angrily stepping back. "You think it's my fault? My sister's dead."
"Do you realize all you did was hurt her? All she wanted was for you to be normal again... and you gave her a disease, and you hurt her so bad, how could you?"

Jud couldn't say any more. He just ran back the way he came from, falling into the crowds roaming the street.

He wasn't wearing shoes. I wished I could have offered to buy him some.

Guy began to cry and I only hugged onto him tighter. You can't soothe from beyond, you can only do what you think would help. I could feel he had grown so much, developed into an even greater person without me. He was so much to me, even now. And I was patiently waiting for him to join me, whenever it was decided he was ready.

Sawyer and Genevieve approached, toting a coffee for him among their own. Both of them were so beautiful - they looked just like their father, that was why.

"You okay, dad?" Genevieve questioned. "It's okay if you aren't."
"No, I'm alright. There's just a lot to remember right here." Guy replied weakly.
"It's okay to miss mama... we miss her too." Sawyer assured him.
"Come on, lets walk."

I followed as they walked across the street, landing at the corner of Fifth and Broadway — my spot, my corner. It looked a lot different now, considering the Bridgestone Arena was long since completed, but the place and the essence was the same.

There was a girl and her guitar sitting there on a stool, playing her heart out like I used to. There weren't so many buskers anymore, especially one so young as I was. Guy was ever more emotional, knowing he had stood here before, not knowing his entire life was ahead of him.

He waited until her song was over before walking up and dropping 50 dollars into her guitar case, leading the kids across the crosswalk that went toward the Ryman Auditorium. I lost them right around then.

The girl called after him, asking why he left so much money, thinking it was a mistake. Her St. Christopher necklace glinted against her skin in the sunlight. I went off the other way, following the music to the bars in the sunset; following the long way home to my mama and daddy.

Goodbye Nashville.

The End.

❛ ━━･❪ ♥ ❫ ･━━ ❜

riles' honkytonk and saloon
772 words

holy hell i'm crying.