Trust

✍ Goodbye

I saw him in the distance. Blue denim jacket and black pants. I wanted to run to him, to touch him, to hold on to him and make sure that he was real- that he hadn't just been a vivid figment of my wild imagination.

But I couldn't.. Not with so many people around.

And then, my view was obscured. People dabbing their eyes and blowing their noses obnoxiously loudly walked past, and squeezed my hand, murmuring short phrases of worthless comfort.

"I'm sorry," is all they kept saying. "We're so sorry." 

It was as if the word 'sorry' held the power to bringing her back.

A shorter man came up. He swiped the back of his hand across his cheek. "She was a good woman. You know what I'll really miss about her? Those walks by the beach we used to take when we were younger. She really did love those walks, your mother did."

Outwardly, I smiled and nodded in agreement even though all I could about was how mum hated the beach with a perfect hatred. I should've slapped the man right then and there for being a pretentious bastard and acting as if he knew my mother well when he really did not, but I didn't. I couldn't. I couldn't because societal norms distracted what was expected of me- to be sorrowful yet gracious and gentle, two things I really didn't feel like being.

And by the time, I looked back up at the hill, he was gone.

And I felt empty.

*****

1 week earlier

"What're you guys doing?"

Adam and I glanced up.

"Playing Water War," I replied.

Evan looked between Adam and I. He narrowed his eyes. "What the bloody hell is Water War and why are you both soaking wet?"

Adam grinned. "Water War. It's like the card game War, but involving water."

"Wow, mate," Evan shot my brother an unamused look. "Round of applause for Doctor Obvious."

Adam rolled his eyes. "Just watch us play. You'll get the hang of it."

I wrung water out of my hair as Adam readied himself to flip the next card. We were both already socked to our underwear, down to our last two glasses of water; I had one glass left and so did Adam. The next card was going to decide our fates.

"You ready to get your butt frozen, Pops?" Adam ran his tongue arcross his upper lip. I shivered involuntarily as a gentle but cold breeze drifted past us, making it hard for me to remember why I had agreed to play a bloody water game with my sadistic brother at the end of autumn in the first place.

"Please," I scoffed. "If anyone's going down, it's you."

"You and I both know that's not true." Adam grinned confidently. I swallowed the slight lump in my throat and placed my fingers on the top card on my pile.

"Ready?" 

Adam nodded.

"3, 2, 1."

We flipped our cards over.

King of hearts and queen of spades.

"Shit."

Adam stood up and roared with triumph. "That's what I'm talkin' about," he shouted. He let out a loud yell before grinning like a maniac and picking up the water gun.

"What's in that thing?" Evan was watching us with a crooked smile. He looked thoroughly entertained- something I wasn't too pleased about, considering I was about to be re-soaked, only this time, in freezing cold ice water.