Life and Death {Enoch O'Connor}

2

The schoolyard was alive with shouts of glee, as children ran about, swung on the swing set, and played hopscotch with each other.

Enoch found himself alone in the corner of the yard by the big fence that prevented the students from running off into the wooded area behind the school. He kneeled in the dirt, staining the legs of his trousers brown. His mother would be cross with him for getting mud and sand all over them again, but he didn't care. He had more important things to focus on at the time.

Soft footsteps approaching in the dirt caused him to turn around and he saw two other little boys making their way over to him. They were in his year, around the age of eight. Perhaps he could make friends with them! His parents were always telling him he should befriend his classmates and this was the perfect opportunity.

"Hi!" He greeted them with a wave of his dirt caked hand, "Look what I found!"

The boys stood over him too get a good look at what he'd been so interested in.

"What is that?" One of the boys inquired, looking a what appeared to be a bundle of black feathers.

"It's a bird!" Enoch informed them, picking up a stick and prodding it so they could view its beak and glassy eyes.

The other boy scrunched his nose, "Eww, it's dead!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Enoch nodded with enthusiasm. It was a great discovery. The bird was still fresh, newly fallen with almost all its feathers intact.

"That's gross!" The boys back away.

"No! My parents say death is a beautiful thing," he told the boys, "They take care of dead people." He informed them with a sense of pride for his family's business.

The first boy looked at him with horror, "You're creepy!" He turned to his friend, "Let's go. I don't want to talk to him anymore."

The other boy agreed and they ran off, leaving Enoch alone with the dead bird.

His shoulders drooped. Why didn't they think it was as amazing as he did? He loved learning about his parent's business. They always said how it takes someone very special to do a job like theirs.

Enoch looked back at the dead bird. It stared back with an unwavering eye, it's beak still open, as if it were in mid song, it's black feather sleek and shiny.

The school bell rang out, sending the children running for the doors.

He turned to glance at the school, where kids began to file in for class, then back to the dead bird.

Without hesitance, Enoch reached out, picking up its body with his bare hands, careful not to ruffle the feathers too much. Then he stuffed it into his knapsack next to his reading book. He threw his bag over his shoulders and ran to join the other children.

All day he felt restless, awaiting when he could go home and show off his new discovery to his parents. Surely they would share his excitement!

When the teacher finally dismissed the class, Enoch took off, running all the way home.

He burst into his house, going straight into the kitchen to find him mother.

"Mum! Mum! Lookit what I got!" He called, bouncing into the room.

He found his mother standing against the wall, telephone pressed to her ear as she spoke to a client. She held out a single finger to silence him, so she could listen to the call.