The Widow's Tale and Other Short Stories

The Widow's Tale

The woman was tall and spindly, her thick black hair tied in a prim bun high on top of her head, her straight-cut fringe almost hiding her light blue eyes.   Perhaps the most shocking fact wasn't the black bags under her eyes, or the way her skin seemed to glow because it was so pale.  It was, in fact, her age.  She couldn't possibly have been more than 25.

She was standing alone next to an open grave, the slight breeze threatening to topple her.  Some other relatives stood a little apart from her, but the woman ignored them, her grief overwheming her in its entirety.  A priest was droning on, saying some prayers from a Bible, but the woman was so lost that she wasn't aware of anything except the wooden tomb being slowly lowered into the grave.

The tomb in which her husband was.

Some months later,  the woman returned to the graveyard, towing behind her a young boy.  Her black hair flew carelessly in the wind, and she was trying her best not to show her sadness.  Her son's excited chatter faded out when they reached his father's grave.  His mother hadn't said that he'd died, just that he was very busy and could not come home.  Today was the day she'd have to break the news to him.

"Finn, come sit next to mummy," she said in a quavering tone, as she seated herself on the edge of the grave.  Finn tottered over to her and sat down.

"Do you see this stone, honey?"

Finn nodded uncertainly, then caught sight of his dad's picture, propped up in a picture frame.  "Daddy!" he shouted, pointing.

"Yes, that's right!  That's daddy!"

"Why is his picture here mum?  Is he famous?  Will he come home now?"

"Honey, this stone is a door."

Finn's eyes suddenly became wide as saucers.  "Wow!  Really?  Can we open it?"

"No honey.  Daddy was allowed to go in because it was his time to go."

"So you have to be as old as Daddy?"

"No, some people are very young, but some are much older than Daddy."

"I want to go!"

"No, honey, not now.  You'll know when you'll have to go."

"Oh.  But mum, what is in there?  Will Daddy come out?"

"Daddy cannot come out, Finn, because behind these doors is a world full of rainbows, and light, and happiness, and no one ever is sad, and no one is allowed to cry, and everyone laughs.  And once you're there, you'll never want to go out again."

"So Daddy is never coming back?"

"No honey."

Finn's eyes filled with tears, but then he did something unexpected.  He leaned over the grave and knocked.  Then, putting his mouth close to the ground, he shouted, "Dad!  If you can here me, I love you!  Have fun in..."  He looked at his mother.  "What is the place called maa?"

With tears slowly running down her cheeks, she whispered, "Heaven, son."

"Have fun in Heaven, da!  I'll see you again!"  He paused again, then with a happy smile, turned to his mother again.  "So you mean Granma and Gramps are there too?  That's why they left?"

His mother smiled through her tears.  "Yes, Finn."

"So Daddy is not alone?"

"No, he has Granma and Gramps, and his Granma and Gramps, and even Uncle Terrance."

"Wow!"  He turned back to the grave, and shouted, "I love you!  Mummy is gonna talk now," he added, and his mother nodded.   She moved closer to her son, and whispered, "I love you so much Mike... I miss you, but I know you're very, very happy there."  Her tears slowly dripped to the ground, and she tried to control her grief for the sake of her son.  Her son didn't notice; he was too happy and relieved to be worried now.  He took his mother's hand in his and pulled it, while saying, "Ma, I want to go to the swings, and Daddy is having fun, so why not we have some fun as well?"

His mother smiled at him as her heart suddenly felt stronger, as if a pair of strong arms embraced her from behind, giving her strength.  She rose to her feet and lifted her son up, laughing as he gurgled with laughter.  "Come on, you scamp," she said, and then, "Race you!"  and she ran off, her son laughing and chasing after her.

Many years later, Finn was in the same graveyard, and it was his wife that was being lowered down the yawning mouth of the grave.  His young niece clung to her mother, who was weeping.  Finn, now an old man, sat down on the ground and patted the gorund next to  him.  His niece sat next to him, and he began.  "Darlin', don't worry.  You see that stone?  It's just a door."

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A/N:

Hi y'all!

So this is where I'm gonna put all the random ideas that hit me when I'm showering.  I hope you like them :P

G'day pancakes :D

Claira _SIlverBlaze_