The Lonely Moon

New Beginnings

I got my stuff from the classroom after I left the office and started making my way out of the school, by the schools front entrance I saw Sarah waiting for me. Once she saw me walking towards her, she notices that I have been crying and asks, "John, what happened?" I responded by saying, "I'll tell you once we get home, I don't want to talk about it out here in the open." So the walk home was silent, me not wanting to speak and she not knowing what to say. Once we got back to the house, I put my stuff down and sat on the couch and gestured for Sarah to sit with me. When she sat down I looked down and told her, "The reason I was called to the office was because my mom died in a car accident today when she was on her way to her evening job, she was sleep deprived because of not being able to sleep because of nightmares and couldn't drive." I felt tears start to form in my eye. I continue, "My dad was there, h...he broke down and said he was sorry for everything he did to me and said that the guilt was too much for him to handle and that was why he put it on me instead. He's going to be leaving after the funeral, he says he just can't stay here anymore, but I told him that I wouldn't be going with him because I found my home and that I wouldn't leave. He told me that he was going to sell the house and give that and what my mom had set aside for me when I was older to me and then he was going to use the rest of the money he had to live a silent life by himself, but he said that he would still visit." Having told her the summarized version of the story, I simply keep staring at the floor, not wanting her to see my face. Instead of saying anything, she simply cradles me in her arms and embraces me tightly. It's too much for me to take and I break, not holding back until I can no longer cry anymore and I fall asleep in Sarah's arms, when I woke up, I was laying on the couch with my head on Sarah's lap and she is gently petting my hair. I look up at her and she says to me, "Your finally awake, I thought you were going to sleep through the night." I sit up and ask her, "How long have I been asleep?" She responds, " A couple of hours, the sun hasn't gone done yet." I don't make an attempt to lift my head at all, instead I just lay there and let her rub my hair. I finally speak up to her saying, "Why do bad things always happen at the worst of times?" It wasn't a question I was looking for an answer to. I just couldn't help saying something like that because my heart ached. She closes her eyes and replies by saying, "I don't think bad things happen at any specific point in time, they just do. This world takes everything from us and gives us very little, that's why I believe that the little it does give has to be treasured." I put my hand over my eye, feeling more tears forming in it. I say in a choked voice, "I'm tired of losing things though, my sister, my mother, my will to live, my father, it took all that from me and I only was able to get back two of those things. Will this world take everything from me till I can bare it no more and I just decide that it's not worth it anymore?" Sarah opens her eyes and looks directly down at me and says in a voice of sweetness, "No it won't take everything from you because I will always be here for you. There is always a dawn to every night, no matter how long it seems to be, you just have to keep moving through the dark till the sun shines through. I don't know if that helps you, but my grandfather told me that after my parents died. I think he was right though because until I meet you it was like a long night and then you were my dawn that ended the long night." She has such and innocent smile on her face right now that I can't do anything but smile back at her. I stand up and hold out my hand to her, "Want to come to the lookout with me, I want to go there to help me get my mind off this whole thing until the funeral." She got up and took my hand without saying anything and we continued holding each others hands while we made our way to the lookout. As we get up to the lookout, I notice that Cindy is sitting on the railing looking up at the sky. We approach her and I lean against the railing right next to her. I look up at the empty sky, the moon nowhere in sight. I finally break the silence, "Hey, Cindy." She says hey back without looking away from the sky. I struggle to say the next words because they are hard for me to say, "I lost my mother today, she's gone." Cindy finally looks away from the sky and looks down to me in shock, surprise and in sadness. She sadly says, "I'm sorry, do you want me to leave you two alone for the night?" I say back to her, "I would appreciate it, but before you go, I would like to tell you this to. My dad finally apologized, he admitted he was wrong to blame me, I finally have my dad back." That seems to cheer Cindy up a bit and as she goes to leave she says one last thing, "Well I'm glad to hear that, but it sucks that it took this for him to realize." As she leaves I return my attention to the sky, but soon I find myself sitting down with my head downcast. Sarah is by my side with her arms around me humming softly into my ear. We stay that way for a little bit, but before long, I realize how long it has gotten and I stand up and reach my hand out for her to grab saying, "It's a little later then dinner time, but how about I treat us to something, I have a place in mind." She's nods her head and we head out into the early night.