Brutal (On Hold)

Chapter 25

Crisscross laces threaded through the metal eyelets of his boots peeped at his ankles above the snow. The heavy tread of his booted feet felt too noisy in the otherwise silent graveyard. Gloved fingers tightly gripped the stem of the delicate orchid and his overcoat flapped behind him. A heart full of memories and a hopeless soul in his body he walked towards what was once home to him. Squatting down in front of the familiar stone he once again found peace. Removing his leather gloves James swiped away the fluffy snow with his hand and place the flower over his father's grave.

Ronald Wayne
1966 –1996
A loving husband and a great father

His mind travelled back to old times. Those gentle eyes, the square jaw, perfect set of teeth, neatly trimmed hair, coarse hands, and finally the light laughter warmed up his heart. Running his fingers over the scribbled name again and again his lips curled up into a smile. 

In his shorts, the tucked in shirt, knee length socks and the leather shoes he walked close to his father watching him water the beautiful orchids which were a combination of white and lavender. Every now and then Ronald would insert his finger about an inch into the soil and pull it out.

"Why did you poke your finger inside daddy?" His father gave him his warm smile.

"We have to make sure that they get enough water. Now we don't want them to be thirsty you know! It's dry right now so I'm giving it some more water." James immediately ran to another orchid some distance away and poked his finger into the soil.

"It's dry here also daddy!" He screamed and moved to another plant and then another poking his finger within the soil again and again.

"And here too!" He shouted with extreme joy. Laughing Ronald looked happily at his child. Picking up the watering pot he made a bee line for James, letting the water fall onto the blooming flowers in a synchronised manner.

"I'm coming for you James!"

"I'm faasstttt, you can't catch me daddy!"

Finally when he got close to James he spilled the entire water pot over the child making him shriek with ecstasy. Flopping down on the ground the father and son giggled away to glory. Getting up, James sat on his father's tummy letting the water drip from him onto his dad. Rolling them his dada now hovered over him and tickled him endlessly.

"Daddyyyyy!"

A little while later, among the blooming orchids, they lay down on their backs looking at the sky.

"Why do you only plant orchids?" His father turned towards him and ruffled his hair.

"Because your mommy loved orchids...."

James opened his eyes with a snap. Thick flakes of snow fell in a continuous fashion. The cold seeped into his skin despite his thick overcoat. The quietness of the area started bothering him. He was four when he lost his mother in a car accident. They couldn't retrieve any remains of her body to be buried. He was too young to understand the loss. But his father often told him about her. He used to say that James had the same smile as his mother and above all a beautiful heart which could hurt nobody, just like his mother. He clenched his teeth. The gentle boy with a that gentle heart was long gone and was replaced by a cold ruthless man. Exhausted his let his knees dig deeper into the snow. A sudden surge of hysteria gripped his body and ruthlessly he swiped his hands over the tombstone to clear it of the snow. Angry fingers scrapped the dirt and overgrown weeds in an attempt to get his father back. Extending his upper body he struck off the remaining snow repeatedly with his arms. After almost fifteen minutes tiredness took over his body and bloody hands came to his vision. Hunched, he sat on his knees breathing hard. Trying to collect the slipping snow to his chest he looked up at the sky and let out a tormented scream.