Wrestling the Kraken

Bridgett

Bridgett

Bridgett woke up on a bus bench. There was rattling and bustling nearby that had startled her. Sitting up, her vision was still clearing, but she could see a cat tearing into what was left of some food that had been on the ground. It was still early, the morning light was barely making its way up.

Her hair was a tangled mess and her clothes were dirty. She tried to remember how she ended up on the bench. A few hours were missing from her memory. Images were stumbling back in random order- the talk with the minister, the fight with Lanz and Dante, realizing who she really is- Vivianne...Vivianne's face came to mind. Tears fell. Enough, she had enough of this- enough crying, enough killing. Was there anyway away from all of it?

Standing up, she was unsure of where to go. Going back to Lanz was out of the question. In her current state, she would fall apart at the sight of him. Her apartment was gone, Dante lived there now. The name alone brought a wave of grief. Remembering her decision last night, to let it all go, she wondered about going back to the church. It seemed crazy, seemed ridiculous, but the idea of it didn't bring on any grief. It was a place and the only one that felt right at the moment.

As she walked, she could sense more of herself coming back - or maybe introducing itself for the first time. There was less of a weight, less of a mess inside her head, but she didn't pretend like she was somehow a new person. It was like the minister said, a veil being lifted. She could see where she was walking, instead groping blindly in the dark.

The church turned out to not be that far out from where she woke up. She stopped and waited. A piece of her still didn't want to go inside. She was hoping the minister would pop alongside her again like before. She was waiting, but no one came out. What did she have to lose? She could leave anytime she wanted to, she reminded herself. Walking up to the front door, she gave a light tap. Not hearing anything, she turned to go. A slight shuffle, then the door opened. An elderly woman stood there looking at her.

"Can I help you dear?" She asked.

"I- uh, last night, there was a minister I talked to...I was, I-"

"Oh sure, he's out back. I'll take you to him." The woman replied and led the way.

They walked around to the back of the building, through a fenced yard and into a greenhouse. The minister was attending to some flowers on the far side and turned around at approaching footsteps.

"Well hello!" The minister said, placing his watering can down. "It's nice to see you again."

Bridgett smiled, but wasn't sure what to say. The woman excused herself and left them to talk.

"Rough night?" The minister asked.

"You could say that." Bridgett replied. She looked around at all the flowers. There were names and years written down on sticks beside them.

The minister paused, looking around at the flowers behind him. He picked up a rag and wiped his hands.

"These are all missing children." He said, setting the rag down. "I had a daughter go missing many years ago. She was found...but uh, it was...too late. I didn't know what to do with my grief. I prayed, of course, but something beautiful had been taken out of this world. I found a dying plant that had been neglected in the office. Without thinking much about it, I started caring for it. It came alive once I placed it outside where it could get some sunlight. Sometimes that's all that's needed. Just a bit of light. The healing, the growing...it takes it from there."

The minister turned to face Bridgett. "I kept doing it. Everytime I read about children ,or anyone really, who has gone missing, I plant something out here for them. I found that when you take your focus off yourself for a while- your pain, your grief, regardless how justified- and instead focus on someone else, the healing just happens."

"That's beautiful." She replied. "I'm sorry about your daughter."

The minister nodded.

"What happens when this place gets full?" She asked.

"We sell them at the market. The proceeds go to the children's home that we run. Spreading joy, spreading light...grief can be beautiful...in the proper environment."

The minister walked out of the greenhouse and Bridgett followed. He walked over to the shaq that was beside it and opened the door. "You look like you could use a good rest. I keep this ready for anyone who might need it. Apparently, there were many who needed a place to go and so we opened the children's home. We're expanding a wing for men and women who need a place as well. I still keep this ready though. It's not much, but it's clean and you're welcome to it for however long you need."

Bridgett looked inside. There was a small window on top that brought in light, a bed with crisp sheets and a table. She turned to the minister. "Thank you."