The Time Theory

2: Departed

       I woke up to the sunlight warming my face. I went downstairs to see that mom was already gone to work. And here I was thinking I was early. I ate the sandwich she made for me and prepped for a run. I headed out the door and started with a jog. I saw Seth from a distance mowing their lawn. Good hard-working boy. I stopped when I reached him and spoke up, "You look like a kid who was forced out of bed."

        He smiled sleepily and greeted me good morning. "So where is the maiden going this morning?" he asked. "Are you even sure I'm still a maiden?" I replied with a straight face. His eyes went big and I laughed a two-syllabe "haha". "I knew it. Anyway, let me come with you." I didn't even reply yet when he shouted to his mom inside the house, "Mom! Audrey wants me to go for a run with her!"

        "I do?" I said and he wiggled his eyebrows. He was showing off by running ahead of me. When we reached the gate to the cemetery, I turned and he didn't notice me since he was a few feet ahead. When I got in, I could hear him call out "Audrey? Audrey, where are you?"He peeked through the cemetery gate to check and sighed in relief when he saw that I was there.

        "Gotcha!" he said walking towards me. And then he suddenly stopped a few feet before he reached me. "Is.. is this a cemetery?" he said, just realizing it. Was this guy for real? I turned my back on him in annoyance and walked to my father's grave. "Hey dad." I said. Seth didn't say anything but just sat down on the grass cross-legged. 

       He motioned for me to sit down too. I sat in silence just looking at the gravestone. Finally, Seth spoke up, not to me but to my dad. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Fields. I see where Audwey got her good looks from." Seth probably just guessed that since I didn't look like my mom but he was right. My dad and I had the same mahogany hair and green eyes from him.

        We sat in silence after that and after about thirty minutes later, Seth announced, "It's eight, Audwey." I bargained, "Another hour please?" He was about to protest but said okay instead. When the watch struck nine, I was the one to get up and when I looked at Seth to tell him we were going home, I saw him..sleeping.

        He sleeping so peacefully and it made me want to kick him in the shin. But remembering how nice he has been, I opted to the next best thing. I put on a panic-y voice and shouted, "OH MY GOSH! SETH! THE GHOST IS COMING FOR US!" That made him stand up like he's never been asleep and he ran towards the exit, never looking back. Traitor.       

        I waved goodbye at the gravestone and walked outside. Seth was holding his knees and panting. "Audweeey, you scared me again." he whined. That was when his stomach growled and he looked at me sheepishly. "Hey, I'm hungry. Let's go." I was the one who said that. His face lit up like a kid on Christmas day.

        He grabbed my hand and pulled to only God knows where. After five steps, I said, "Seth," "Hmm?" he said distractedly. "We're going the wrong way." "Oh." We turned back and walked. I thought he was going to quiet like he was in the cemetery. That's when he began to sing, "Oooh, I just can't get enough How much do I need to fill me up.." 

        "That's a girl song." I commented. "Girls sing guy songs all the time," he defended and continued singing, "It feels so good it must be love It's everything that I've been dreaming of.." I tuned him out after that and thought about poverty, corruption and all those things.