Twoset Shorts

mama (all sad)

-You see, if we phrase it like this... is it possible to... what do you think?
Brett played the 8 bars of the piece once again, demonstrating how he wanted the melody to sound, when Eddy's phone suddenly started vibrating, making them both jump. There was something about the extremely aggressive motion, the phone was actually moving forward on the surface, the whole musicstand made metallic sounds.
Brett could already tell there were bad news on the other end.
Eddy sounded cool enough though, only answering short and consise, one syllable words, Brett didn't make anything more out of it, he went back to the music.
-I think we might try that actually, Eddy said after hanging up, and they kept on pracitising for an hour or two.

-So... It was my aunt.
-Huh?
-The call.
-Oh.
-It was my aunt.
-Ok?
-Mum died.
Eddy calmly put down his violin in it's case, every movement just like he used to.
-Shit! Honey, I'm so sorry! How do you feel? You all right? (what can you say, really?)
But Eddy just shrugged.
-I'm good, hey. It's ok. What do you want to order for dinner?

Following days went on totally normally, Eddy insisted on working like they used to, nothing was different, Brett started to wonder if he'd just imagined the phone call Eddy got. Had he been dreaming or what?
For the most part Eddy was acting worryingly naturally. Normal. Just like he used to. Except no, he did not. Actually it was hard to tell what he did. He was normal, but then again he had these episodes of... silence. He would just sit there, staring into nothing, but be relatively normal and laugh and joke the way he used to when Brett spoke to him.
There was no real... SORROW, and Brett got worried sick.

-Yo, bro! D'you know that a one-way trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway involves 3901 bridges?
-No, I didn't know that.
-It's true. I read about it just now. Damn, I can't wait for us to go! Eddy was beaming.
-And it says here that 80% of the animals are unique to Australia! Isn't that amazing?
-Mhm.
-No wonder we ended up right here! This is the only place for us I guess. We're too unique! Eddy barked out a laugh from his own, stupid joke. Brett knitted his eyebrows, worried about what he saw. Worried about what he heard. That laugh. It sounded so... strained in a very weird kind of way.
Eddy hadn't even mentioned his mum with one word.
Brett took a deep breath, ready to take it, not knowing what would happen.
-So when's the funeral?
-Don't really know man, tradition says 7 days, so... tuesday? Eddy shrugged.
-Waahhhaa!, (there was that barking laugh again), did you know that combat's poo is cubed?
-No, I never payed attention to it...
-You know why???
-No?
-So it doesn't fall off the rocks after they've been putting them there on the top, to communicate with other combats! Waahaaahaa, oh my God! There are some really strange animals out there!
-There are.

-They asked me if I wanted it to be a traditional funeral, and if we're attending the reception.
-And what'd you say?
-I asked why the hell they asked me! This has nothing to do with me! I said, do whatever you want! And I told them we're NOT going!
Brett's heart skipped several beats.
-We're not going?
-Nope.
-Why?
Then this annoying fucking shrugging again.
-I just don't feel like it.
-But honey....
-I'm leaving for the servo, the car needs petrol, you need anything?
-Honey...
-I SAID CAN I GET YOU ANYTHING?!
Brett's heart jumped again.
Eddy never, NEVER talked to him that way.
-I'm good.
Brett turned and walked back into the flat, wondering what he was supposed to feel about Eddy's outburst.

Then, on day 3, Eddy went into the vacuum Brett felt 2 years ago, after he lost his nan, but this was much more severe. No tears, no smiles, no nothing.
-Hey you, did you sleep well?
Brett turned to face him and stroked his cheek with the back of his fingers.
Eddy didn't even give an answer.
-How do you feel babe?
-I don't know. Nothing.
Eddy rolled over on his side, facing the room, Brett wrapped his arm around him from behind.
There was nothing more to say.