Playing the Fool

Final Chapter

Alfred F. Jones stood alone on the balcony of his quiet house, Sam had left for the world meeting only an hour ago but everything just felt too still. Not that he minded so quiet time alone, it was just...

'Guess I'm still not used to not attending meetings'

Alfred thought with a sigh, leaning against brick behind him. Staring at the lights of his people shining in the distance, the country would have felt proud if not for thoughts of his recent shortcomings haunting him. 

'I should have paid attention... I should have known.... If I haven't been so reckless maybe... maybe...'

Picking at a loose thread on his shirt, Alfred allowed his mind to just go blank for a moment. He'd been working on not being so negative towards what he can't control, after all nobodies perfect. Staring up at the night sky as a soft breeze rustled the leaves on near by branches, Alfred  pondered on the 'what if's', the 'should have's' and the 'could have's'. Would things be different now if only he'd done this? Or was this future impossible to avoid? 

"I have been watching too many soap operas lately."

Alfred said with a half smile and a laugh, trying to imagine what they would have said if he told them. Arthur would raise an eyebrow before either mocking or being suspicious if what he'd said was an insult. Francis would  either say something in French he could barely understand or laugh it off before walking away looking thoughtful. Mathew would have teased him about the soap operas, then asked him to explain what he meant. 

'Everything was easier back then... If I could go back then I could have appreciated it more.'

Alfred thought, that half a smile still on his face. Reaching into his pocket to pull out the pack he generally kept for when Francis visited, Alfred figured he could wash the smoke smell off his cloaths before Sam returned. The Capital still believed Alfred only smoked because Francis made him when he visited.

'I should probably tell him the truth about that...'

Lighting up he told a deep breath in, before watching the smoke coil into the night from his partially opened lips. The wisps remaining after the breeze ghosted by swirled about the second breath, though Alfred was once again too deep in his thoughts to notice. Everything he'd done to try and get the others to relax or laugh was eventually forgotten as an act, and taken as a reality. That had hurt after a while, but he learned to lived with it for a long time. Now he was no longer playing the fool; more like he'd reentered the game.

The Fools Game... winner takes his freedom... and the loser plays the fool.

*Edit* Book 2 The Fools Game, the first two chapters are out now. I have no idea how to link the last chapter of Playing the Fool with it's squeal if someone could tell me that would be great