The Hawk Warriors

XVII

Hamlet sits down on a branch from the tree close to her grave. "Hurry up and say goodbye to her. I can't stand being here." He says, sounding bored.

"We just got here, Hamlet," I say as I place the bouquet of colorful daisies near her gravestone. Staring at her name, I feel like that five-year-old boy who lost his mother. There engraved is the name I dared never to speak: Hailey Ha. Crouching down, I look straight at her headstone.

"Hello, Hailey," I start as I glue my eyes to her name. "Or should I say, mom? I know I haven't been here since they laid you here." Memories of that funeral flood my mind, but I try blocking them. "I've been good if you care at all."

Hamlet looks at me before looking down at her.
"If she did, she wouldn't have treated us the way she did." He scornfully says. He hates her more than I could ever hate her.

"I came here just to say goodbye to you. I don't know why I wanted to, but I guess it's the least I can do as your son." I inform her. The younger Hades inside of me, cries for this woman. All I've ever wanted is to be loved in the same way. "I know you loved me, but you weren't strong enough for me. To our family, you were the biggest disgrace—an unwed mother with a loser as a boyfriend. Your sisters made sure to remind me of how big of a bastard I am. How unwanted I was." I tell her everything she probably already knows. At least she would if she watches over me.

Hamlet looks away as he feels the rejection once more from our aunts, and how they hated the sight of me so much that they bought me an apartment and sent me there to live alone. Only at the age of eight, I had to take care of myself. "If it weren't for your death, I would have never met Tyler. A man better than you and my father combined. He has flaws, but at least he tried to raise me." I say, as I remember that day, I first laid my eyes on him. "But I admit after all these years I still yearn for a loving embrace. Something, not even you gave me, and you were my mother."

The crunch of a leaf catches my attention, causing me to whip my head back to see Hazel standing there with a single rose in her hand. "How did she know we were here?" Hamlet asks me.

"Tyler must have told her," I whisper to him.

"I didn't mean to interrupt you." She sheepishly says to me.

"Don't worry about it," I say as I slowly stand up. "Is that for her?" Hazel's eyes move to the rose, and she nods her head.

"I couldn't come empty-handed," She says as she hands me the white rose. I quietly thank her as I take the single rose from her. "After all the things we've been through, I have yet to find out about your life." She comments.

"It's just another sappy story," I shrug as I place the rose down.

Hazel moves closer to me and looks me in the eyes, "I'm all ears for you, just like you have been for me."
She places her hands behind her brown off the shoulder blouse and gives me a reassuring smile.

"Do you want to meet my mother?" I ask her as I offer her my hand. Hazel looks taken aback for a second before taking my hand.

"I'd be glad to," She replies. Standing next to me, I show her my mother's bland burial spot. "She had a pretty name," she compliments. 

"And a pretty face," Hamlet says as he reluctantly reminisces.

"How come you never mentioned her to me?" She asks me as her eyes stare at the mossy tombstone.

"She's not that worthy of being mentioned. She's just my mother." I tell her.

Hazel turns to look at me, and I can feel her eyes roam my face, "Why do you say that?"