Pieces

20. The Final Piece

It was a strange painting. Simple, easy- it looked like the kind that even the most inexperienced of artists, like myself, could make by just dragging a loose brush across the large canvas. It was the hands that did me in. Two large hands shone through the painting. One male- larger, muscular, the various strokes of blended shades that made it look rougher, and then there was the other- a more feminie, softer, lighter and smaller. The female hand hung so loosely, fell so easily upon her companion's, one could almost feel the contact, by just looking at it. And there was a confusing sort of background- just a night sky. Not that of a beautiful night, but rather, of a stormy one- a dark one. The background was painted in a horrifying black- it's merciless darkness only dimmed by the few white dots on the painting, indicating a few scattered stars. The background below the pair of hands, was yet to be filled in. That was the part that had remained unfinished- the part where the bland canvas tore through- a contrast to the rest of the mesmerizing picture. I wondered at how amazing it must feel to transform a white bland sheet, into something so colourful- so blissful, so joyous- as if the white had never even been there. Then I wondered at the painting.

It didn't look like much at all- just a simple painting of a pair of hands, holding each other, supporting each other- but it represented so many things. It represented love and care. It represented support and friendship. It represented a strange form of attraction- not quite love, but something that stood above, even that. It represented commitment and promises. But most of all, it represented Marcus.

I didn't have to try to figure it out- what he wanted me to know. I could see the message, loud and clear- almost as if he'd painted the words right above the canvas.

"I'm here. I'm present. And no matter how far you go- no boundaries will seperate us no matter how far you and I are. So when you look up at the stars tonight, know that somewhere out there, I'm looking at them too. And I've got your back. Always."

It was then that I realized that what Marcus and I had, what Antonio and I had, what all people share with other people they love- those threads that tie us together, they never really break. They lie beyond the limits of mortality and all such earthly things. No matter how far you go, they'll always be a part of you.

"Hey, check this ou- hey, you okay?" My eyes fell upon Antonio, who'd been walking around the room up until the moment he started walking towards me, his face etched in concern.

I nodded, as he wiped a single tear off of my cheek and threw me a sad smile.

"It's just..."

"What?"

"I came here to heal. I thought seeing what he left behind for me- I thought that would mend me. I thought it would do me good, that it would wipe away all pain, and that I'd return as I'd been, before any of this happened." I swallowed, looking for a reaction. When he said nothing, I continued. "I was wrong. Nothing will ever be the same again. I still miss him. I miss him even more. I still want him here, in flesh. God, it hurts." I buried my face into his chest, finally letting it all out. I could feel Antonio drawing small, soothing circles on my back and whispering condolences in my ear.

"Heyyy... Shh.. It's okay. It's okay to feel that way. It's humane." He said in a small voice. I realized then how his shoulders had tensed a little and how his tone had changed. I realized then how strong he was trying to be, for me. Him, who'd seen our dear friend, in flesh- and yet known so little about him.