As My Empire Falls

Chapter Two: The Stars

I sat on the roof of my childhood home, staring at the stars, and thinking, just thinking. For as long as I can remember, whenever I needed to think I would climb out my bedroom window, sit on the roof, and stare at those stars.
Once my father told me that the stars are my ancestors speaking to me, the brighter they shine, the more important their message. The only problem is that you have to be the one to figure out they're message, and that night the stars were burning brighter than I've ever seen.
My hair flew around my face in the chilled September breeze, causing me to shiver. Right then all I wanted was a blanket and box of chocolates. Strange enough right at that moment I felt a blanket being draped over my shoulders.
"The stars are bright tonight," whispered a deep voice.
"How do you always know what I want?" I glanced at the boy laying down beside me.
"Telepathy," he replied with a cocky grin letting his voice fad out.
I giggled at this, mainly because the idiot forgot the chocolates.
"Oh and almost forgot, got you a box of chocolates."
I swear I was so happy as he slid a big box of chocolates into my lap that I wanted to do a flip off the roof. I happily pealed opened the box, not wasting a second to eat them all.
"Wow, I'm impressed. Now stop being a creep and get out my thoughts." I remarked with a grin.

"I was kinda expecting something along the lines of 'oh thanks Harry'," He exclaimed in his best girl voice, "'you're my ultimate hero, how could I ever repay you!' but I bet that's the closed I'll ever get."

"Don't be a dumbie."

"Hmph!"

"Don't hmph me!" I said playfully.

"Do you remember how we became friends?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Sixth grade..... my friends were teasing you because you name sounds like Harry Melon."

"They'd do that everyday, then just walk away and pretend like I wasn't even there the rest the day."

"One day I stayed after they left. I said to you d-" He cut me off so he could tell the story, as always.

"don't feel bad, at least your last name isn't coxs, or else everyone would call you Harry Cocks."

We both smiled at memory, I was an interesting middle schooler.

"Yeah, then you asked if that would honestly be any better." I continued the story.

"And you told me not to be a dumbie, ever sense then we've just been best friends."

"See and my mom told me calling people dumbies wouldn't get me anywhere in life, to me it looks like it got me the best friend I could ever ask for."

"To be honest, I was a little bit terrified of you at first."

I chuckled, "They all are."

Quick as lightening, he grabbed a handful of chocolates and started popping them into his mouth.

"My momma says life is like a box of chocolates," Harry said in his best Forrest Gump voice through a mouthful of chocolate, "you never know what you're gunna get."

xxx

The hardest part was trying to swallow the giant lump growing in my throat, but it won't go away, it'd only get bigger. My sister cracked first. Seeing the tears flow down her cheeks and hearing her desperate sniffles was what made me lose to the lump in my throat. Or maybe it was seeing the coffin containing my father being lowered into a pit. My best guess is both.

Funerals are the worst, I hate them, but they are very necessary. So I did my part, I said my words. I told the same cheesy jokes my father used to tell me. It made people smile and cry at the same time, smile from the memories and cry from the loss.

I think everyone's favorite was when I said, "My dad's favorite joke was 'What's a seals favorite letter" and I would always say 'r' and he would say 'no c!'" Well, at least it was my favorite part.
Despite how horrible it is losing my father, we all know we have to honor him but using the same sense of humor and happiness that will live on internally with him. As long as we do that, he isn't dead. He is alive in our memories, he is alive in our hearts.

~*~*~

Hey lovelies! Thanks again for reading, I know it's a real short chapter but I thought it should be, at least for these topics.
Stay gold
~Mandi