A Tale of a Mother, a Daughter, a Murder, a Funeral and Pikelets.

FRANK 10:52am

All I remember from that night was the smell of beer, blood and lipstick. I remember Aubrey rushing into the room and grabbing Jamie and me, and crawling through her bedroom window. At first she told us nothing, we just listened, no questions, just escaping into the cold, bleak night. I did not like running barefoot in our pyjamas, but that was one of the highlights of the night compared to everything else.

I remember arriving at Grammie's place, and Grammie asking questions when we walked through the door.

"Who's there? I've got a knife!"
"It's just Aubrey, Jamie and Frank." Aubrey replied.

"Prove it! What's your mother's middle name?"

Aubrey took a little while to answer. At the time I didn't understand why, but now I get it.

"Um, Christine? Yeah, Christine."

"Okay, I'm coming down."

Grammie crept down the steps with dreary eyes and messy hair.

"What do you want at this time of the night?" Grammie grumbled.

Aubrey explained everything when Jamie was put to bed. No 4 year-old should hear that. Well at least that's what Grammie thought.

We weeped. Cried. Sobbed. Wailed. Whatever you want to call it, what Aubrey told us was enough to rip our hearts out. (Metaphorically.)

Now, at the funeral, it's weird. I don't really get why you'd celebrate someone's death, or hold a ceremony or something. I hate Dad, I hate what he did, I hate what he's doing, I hate how he used to be so good to us kids but not good to Mum. And talking about Dad, he's intruding a 'celebration'.

Dad smells of whisky as he passes me. Why? Why in the world would he be here?

Aubrey whispers something I can't hear, but I can tell she is thinking the same thing as me.

"What was that, Aubrey?" Dad shouts.

"Nothing."

"Good. Great!"

"Richard, why are you here?" Grammie asks.

"You damn well know why I'm here, Linda. She was my wife."
"But Dad-

"People make mistakes, Aubrey."

Dad kicks a big patch of dirt on mum's grave.

"Bloody Vic."

Yes, she was bloody, Dad, because of you!

"Vic. What a TRAGIC loss, ya-da, ya-da."

"DAD! GET OUT!" I shout in what Aubrey calls my big brother tone.

"You know what, Frank, you keep that mouth of yours shut, or I'm going to!" Dad paces towards me, like he's a bull and I'm a red flag.

"RICHARD! Get away from your son!" Grammie shouts, but it's not worth it. I've already got my sleeves rolled up, and then I see in the corner of my eye, Aubrey dialing Triple Zero. Shouldn't she dial Crime Stoppers-

Boom. Blood rushing to my mouth.

I don't care about fighting back anymore. I'm watching Aubrey tell the story to the phone.

Soon Dad sees Aubrey.

Aubrey turns into a red flag.

I run towards him, fast as I can, and hold him back.

Well, at least I try to.

Dad punches me again with all his might, but I still try to hold him back.

Then the police car shows up. The door of the car opens, and a policeman who looks like he came straight out of a cat's bottom walks over to the cemetery.

"Richard McBarren? We're here to take you-

"Listen here buddy", Dad starts "You have no proof I committed a crime. So, get in your car-

"Sir, I'd like you to get into the car."

"But you have no proof-

"Get in the car."  

"You have no proof."

"Get in the car, now."

The policeman gets his hands and puts them into handcuffs, and pushes Dad into the car.

"YOU HAVE NO PROOF!" He shouts as the car drives off, and he looks dead straight into Aubrey's eyes.