Domino the Destitute: A Tale of Two Brothers

Part II: Destitution

Part Two: Destitution

Selena was dead. Nothing could change that. As I prepared for her funeral the next day, I looked over on her side of the closet, when I had noticed a peculiar box, a black one with a white ribbon. I opened it, and found a brand new bottle of cologne for me, and a card that said, "Happy Anniversary". I knew our anniversary was in a week, but now she died before it happened. I put on that cologne, because she would have been happy if I had worn it. It was a Lactose original cologne, made in 2005.

I was the one to speak at her funeral. I stood up in front of her casket and looked at her beautiful face. The curly, black hair remained the same, and the tanned skin was cold, clammy, and pale. The green eyes I had seen yesterday were now lifeless. She was wearing the D&G glasses. I'll never forget her laugh, and her exhilarating smile.

I turned around to the podium, and I spoke. "Selena died yesterday, the 5th of November, 2113, at the time of 21:13." Our time now was all 24 hour time. No one dared to use the old system. "Selena was one fourth of my life. Now, I'm just an empty shell without love. Selena was not a girl who lied, nor did she ever have to. I remember when I was at the hospital, she sang to me. When I had my head busted, she sang to me a lullaby that was very soothing. And now, as I speak, I hear it in my head, and it needs to come out of there to all of you." I said, and I cleared my throat, and, with my best voice, I sang. "If beauty sits the child's kiss of laughter I amend can you catch her if she runs? With this I would share with you all of this counts to no end. Behind your sealed eyes you miss all that I've done for you; will you catch me when I run? If timing plays evident, what will you say when you're late? Stay with me and fall asleep. Pray to God for no bad dreams. Stay with me and fall asleep. Pray to God for no bad dreams. Here... I'm... I'm still waiting here, my dear. To see you open your eyes. So here... I'm... I'm still waiting here, my dear. To see you alive. To see you alive."

I finished the song with tears in my eyes, and I continued, "Selena was my life. I did everything for her, and she did everything for me. When I heard the lullaby, I never knew why she sang it, but now I know." And I stepped off the podium, and me and Domino carried her casket to the graveyard, where we all through flowers and bouquets at her grave. But not me, I had given her something else, I gave her my anniversary gift, a gold and diamond ring, that she would have worn everywhere.

"It's okay Chess. It's alright." Domino said.

"It's not Domino, it's not. She's gone. I'll never see her, and I won't be able to hold her in my arms like I used to."

"Look at me Chess. You are the strongest man I ever knew. Even stronger than Dad. You can overcome this. You can."

"Really Domino? Do you really believe that." I said between sobs.

"Yeah brother, if I believe it, you have to." He said while bawling. After that, we hugged each other, and after the funeral, I went home, changed into my pajamas, and sat down and watched T.V. That night, I cried myself to sleep, and Selena's song echoed through my head. Her song, now in my memory, the only thing I could remember of her voice, and if I forgot that, I would go insane.

Domino was in the tournament to enter for the championship title, and these next few months would be happy. On a cold, November morning, Domino and I revisited our gym, and we walked to the back, where we boxed. We walked past the punching bag, still which still had the hole Domino made in August.

"My next match is tomorrow." Domino said.

"I know, we need to train. It says that you're against a Russian named Dimitri Reznov. This guy seems like a challenge, so give me your all."

"Okay." Domino said.

We boxed for five straight hours, and after that, I turned on the T.V. to take a break, and we put on the news. What I heard was astounding.