Summer Love

Chapter 47

We were driving down Upper James street when we turned down a street that was familiar to me. It was my old middle school. I went there in grade 7 and 8. I made a lot of friends in those grades and I loved it there. The school was to close the year of my grade eight graduation. I was so upset. My grade eight class was the last class to graduate in the school and it has always stuck with me.

Now looking back I see how much has changed in just one year. I have lost a few of those good friends due to moving to a different high school. I have got myself stuck in an abusive friendship that I know is bad but I don't know how to get out without getting hurt. One good thing is that I have the best boyfriend in the world who promises to be with me until the end.

"What are we doing at my old middle school?" I ask Ethan. He stops the car and looks at me.

"I thought since you really liked this school that we would come and have a snack together here. I was going to have lunch but we had a late breakfast." I smile.

"Thank you Ethan."

"That's not even the start of the date. It is just something to tie us over until later." He replied.

****time skip****

Once we were done eating we got back into the car. While we eating I talked about everything I remember from grade 8. Grade 8 was one of my favourite years of school.

 I wasn't exactly popular in a great way but I was well-known. I wasn't a bad kid I was just very loud so you could hear me from down the hall. Not everybody liked the fact that me and my friends did that but we weren't asking for peoples opinions. We talked to a lot of the popular boys in the group and I had my first "boyfriend" then. He was my best guy friend and he was always there for me in grade 7 and 8. I didn't know he liked me until half way through grade 8. We never did anything really as a couple. We texted each other and did our work together but it was really like any other day. I didn't mind because that was as far as I was going to go with him but he really wanted me to hold hands and kiss him and go on dates. I wasn't ready so I ended it and he moved.

Ethan started driving on the highway and over to Dundas area. I wasn't sure where we were going but I was excited.

We eventually pulled into a driveway that looked familiar to me but I couldn't put my finger on it. I looked around and knew exactly where we were. A graveyard.

"Why are we here?" I asked Ethan. I was kind of confused. I mean I have never heard of a date where you go to a graveyard.

"Well, I asked Wyatt through text this morning places you might want to go today and he said you would want to come here. I asked him why on earth would you want to come to a graveyard and he explained that this is where your uncle is buried and that you come every August but because you're going to be at Camp in August that is would be a good idea to come now. Also he told me that you have a letter that you carry around with you that you want to put at his grave so figuring that you weren't going to bring your bag, which I was right, I put it in my jacket pocket." He explained as he took out a folded letter and some duck tape.

I surprised that Ethan asked my brother on places to go and that Wyatt thought about this place. I was also surprised that Ethan decided this was one of the good options and took me here.

My uncle died at the age of 21 to a disease that I am unaware of. It was the day he was going to take my dad to take a tour of McMaster because it was my dad's first year whereas it was my uncle's third. He died and since then my dad has been left in the dark from my grandparents. They kind of forgot all about him. My grandma's favourite son is very noticeable  because she has a thousand pictures of my uncle and only a few of my dad. I feel bad for my dad because of it.

I never got to meet my uncle. He was married or had any kids so I never had really close family on that side of the family other than my grandparents. When I was born because I was born in August and my uncle died thirteen years before hand in August my parents decided that my middle name should be his name; Carmen. My grandma always tells me that she thinks I was a gift from God to show that August doesn't have to be a sad month.

Anyways, once Ethan told me his intentions of being here I was so happy.

"Thank you so much Ethan. I forgot entirely that August was actually the month I come here." I reply.

"No problem. One question though. Where do we go?" He asked as I laughed.

"Just go straight towards the building and then go to the left of the building. Go to the second set of the doors and then you can just park there. His grave is indoors. My grandparents in there so they could come anytime and be inside out of the cold or rain." I answered. He nodded and did what I said.

We got out of the car and walked into the building. I led Ethan to my uncle's grave and we stood there in silence for a few moments. Every time I come here I always tear up.

The death of my uncle caused a lot of problems I guess. Firstly, it proved that my grandma's favourite son was my uncle and she really brought that out when she and grandpa shut my dad out of their lives and made it all about my uncle. They left my dad kind of to himself and he had to do things on his own.

Another problem it caused is that I feel like the world could have been so much easier with him around. I wouldn't have to be expected to act like a normal girl. My grandma never got a daughter and she always wanted one so when I was born she was hoping that I would want to shop and that I would act like a proper girl. That didn't happen and I get reminded about how disappointed they are that I am not a proper girl who wants to look nice and wants to be a stay at home mom and cook and clean and keep my husband happy. I feel like if my uncle was around then they would have probably another granddaughter to do that with.

Ethan squeezed my hand looking down at me. He reached into his jacket pocket with the letter I wrote a few months ago and the tape.

I opened the letter first.

Dear Uncle Carm,

It's Riley, your niece. I don't know you but I miss you. My dad misses you. My grandparents miss you. I wish you would could have been alive to see your little brother and see that he became the teacher he wanted to be. I wish you were alive to see the fact that I am going to walk in his footsteps and be a high school just like you wanted to be. I wish you could see my brother Wyatt be the engineer that he wants to be. I wish you could have met my mother who even though she isn't Italian she is still the best person for dad. I wish you could be here but I know that you are above watching everything and I am hoping you can be proud of at least some of the things that my family does.

Love, Riley Troisi

I took the tape and taped it to his wall. I got back up and walked over to Ethan.

"Thank you so much Ethan. I am so happy to be able to put something on his grave. If he could be here I bet he would like you so much more than my dad does. I bet you he would also scold my dad for the things he does sometimes." I say to Ethan.

"I love you Riley and if this is one of the places that make you happy to be at then I am happy to bring you here. Now next we are going to go to my favourite place. I really hope you will like it." He said grabbing my face with his hands bringing me close to his face.

"I bet you I will. Mostly because you will be there." I say as I bring my lips to his. It goes for a few minutes when we here a cough behind us.

We break apart to see my grandparents. Uh oh.