It's Got a Beat, Mr. Jones

I Remember He Really Liked Grapes

The cemetery was quiet. John was sitting by his father's grave. He had a loaf of bread in his hand, and he was tearing bits of the bread off and munching on it slowly. "Why'd you kill yourself?" John asked quietly. "Why didn't you trust mom more?"
The wind blew across the cemetery. John's hair was ruffled a bit. He sighed. "I wish you could answer me," He said.
John was silent for awhile. He finished his bread. John heard footsteps. He looked over his shoulder and saw Mary and a tall man. It was the guy that was staring at him in the bakery. He assumed the man was Bobby.
"Hi," Mary said smiling. John noticed the baby in her arms.
"Hi," John said smiling.
Bobby looked upset. He was staring at John's face.
"John, this is my husband, Bobby," Mary said gesturing to Bobby.
John stood up and offered Bobby his hand in a handshake. Bobby just stared at him. John looked over at Mary for some type of assurance, but she looked just as bewildered as John felt.
Finally after a good ten minutes of tense silence Bobby opened his mouth. "You look a lot like him..."
John smiled slightly. It was a small, fragile smile. "I've been told," He said.
"You got your mom's eyes though..." Bobby said.
John was silent. Bobby looked at the grave behind John. Bobby frowned.
"So this is where they buried him..." Bobby said quietly.
Bobby was quiet for a few minutes. Mary didn't have the heart to say anything. John stared at Bobby.
"I was always worried they'd give him a stupid spot, like under a tree of something," Bobby said.
John looked at Bobby. "What was he like?" John asked. "My dad, I mean."
Bobby sighed. He slowly eased himself to the ground. There were a few flowers around the graves. He picked one and laid it on John's grave.
"Your dad... well... he was one of my best friends. He was always really cool, a perfect lady's man. I remember he really liked grapes," Bobby said, "and beers. He loved a good beer."
John stared.
"Um... He liked to read a lot. Way too much in my opinion. He was always reading. Weird books too. Ones he picked up from the book store just because he like the colors on the covers or he liked the titles," Bobby said. "He was weird like that, but it seemed like those books gave him some type of knowledge cuz he always talked prettier than me..."
"He didn't have a southern accent like you," Mary said.
"No, he didn't. That's also why he could talk prettier than me. He didn't have a twang that made him sound like a hick. He sounded really intelligent," Bobby said.
"How'd he feel about my mother?" John asked.
"He really did love her. Yeah, they had little spats and stuff like that, but they were head over heels for each other. Too bad he didn't trust her... He thought she was too good for him and was always a little suspicious. When you came out dark headed he felt like you had to be someone's else's," Bobby said. "God John, you were an idiot..."
John stared at Bobby. He didn't know who Bobby was speaking to. Was Bobby talking to him or his father?
Bobby was tearing up. Mary kneeled down beside him and hugged his shoulder. Odette reached out and touched his face. She softly cooed. Bobby put his hand over hers and began to cry. Large, warm tears rolled down his cheeks.
John began to retreat. Mary looked over at him. She waved goodbye, but she didn't say anything. John turned around and ran out of the cemetery. He sprinted to the closest pay phone.
John dropped a dime into the slot and took the receiver in his hand. John spun the dial around until he had the number he wanted.
A man's voice answered. "Hello?"
"Eddie... I just can't stay here anymore... Can you get me?" John said into the receiver.
"Oh, sure, I'll be there as soon. Where should I pick you up?" Eddie asked.
"The bench by the phone booth," John said quietly.
"What's wrong?" Eddie asked.
"Too many things... Everything... I really don't know," John said tripping over his words.
"I'll be there in about an hour," Eddie said.
"Thank you," John said.
"It's no problem," Eddie said laughing softly.
John held the receiver for a little while. He heard the other line hang up. John ran his fingers through his hair. He hung up the phone and sighed. He stepped out of the phone booth.
John walked around the booth for awhile. He slowly worked his way to a bench and slumped down in it. His head was pounding.
An hour passed. A red sports car drove up. A dark haired man parked it and got out. He had a well groomed goatee. His dark hair went over his ears and the collar of his grey suit.
The dark haired man sat down beside John. "What's wrong, champ?" He asked.
"I met one of my dad's friends today," John said.
The dark haired man cocked his head.
"What he was sayin' sorta messed me up," John said.
The dark haired man nodded. He put his arm over John's shoulder and squeezed it then kissed the top of John's head.
"You're a good kid," The dark haired man said. He was quiet for a few moments. "Which of your dad's friends?"
"Bobby..." John said slowly.
"God, it's been ages since I've seen him..."
"And Mary," John added.
The dark haired man's face broke into a smile. "Both of them, imagine that," He said. "I'm gonna go talk to them for a little while. Is that alright?"
John shrugged. "I'm staying here," He said.
"I'll be back soon. I just have to talk to them," The dark haired man said.
John nodded.
The dark haired man walked towards the cemetery. He stopped for just a moment at the entrance of the cemetery to check his watch.
It was one fifteen.