Foresight

Chapter 4

Mike's Dad pulled up at the Brownstone and let Mike get out before speeding off to the police station to deal with the drunken moron. Mike walked up the steps to the house and got his keys to unlock the door. He did so and stepped inside the house, hanging his coat up on the coat hangers along with his satchel. "Grandma? You in here?" Mike called out. Mike's Grandmother came around the living room door and into the foyer. She was a small woman, with a wrinkled face that had seen the light of seventy plus years, she had black hair that had long since succumbed to the patches of grey and green eyes that always shone with grandmotherly wisdom. When Mike saw her he practically tackled her in a hug.

"Oh, hello Mike!" She said, the surprise hug giving her a small jump, she hugged him back.

"Dad said you were waiting for me?" Mike inquired, letting go of his Grandma and leading her back into the living room. He waited for a reply. His Grandma just sighed and remained silent. Mike looked at her confused. "Grandma? What's wrong?" he asked, now slightly worried.

"Um... Michael, maybe you should sit down," His Grandma said, gesturing to the sofa. Mike knew something was very wrong now, so he complied. His Grandma took a seat beside him and looked at him with a face that had sadness written all over it. "Mike... I'm going to tell you something that you're going to find very upsetting," She said. Clearly stalling.

"Okay..." Mike replied awkwardly. He did not like where this conversation was going.

"Your Grandfather has..." his Grandma paused slightly and shuddered. She was suppressing a sob. "He's passed away,". Mike just felt like he'd been winded. He felt as though he couldn't breathe.

"What? How?" Mike asked, he could feel pressure rising in his head and his back was burning hot.

"He was just... old Mike – he'd lived a long life," his Grandma replied. She had tears streaking down her face. "He passed away yesterday evening – he was sitting in the garden watching the sunset with me – he made it to the end before slipping away – he was... happy," his Grandma persisted, sounding as though she was trying to comfort herself too. Mike didn't know whether to cry or to run up to his room. Eventually he chose giving his grandma a hug and sobbing in mid-embrace so she at least wouldn't see him crying. After about half an hour they finally let go of each other. Mike's Grandma wiped her eyes and looked back at Mike, trying to smile. "Michael..." she said, sounding unsure, "has anything, odd happened to you today?".

Mike didn't know how to answer - what did she mean? Did she know he could see the future? How could she know that? Mike suddenly realised he'd been staring into space. "Uh – I did get hit by a car earlier," he replied. Nice. Not technically lying.

His Grandma gave him an incredulous look. "Um... why?" she asked, laughing slightly.

"The idiot driving it was about to run a red and run my friend over so I jumped in front to stop him – luckily the car slowed down enough to not actually hurt me significantly,".

"And you're sure you aren't hurt?" she asked, looking at him in an odd way.

"Just a few bruises – not to mention feeling a bit dizzy," Mike replied, shrugging as if it was a casual accident. His Grandma finally stopped looking at him oddly and smiled, somewhat weakly.

"Alright, well, as for your grandfather," she said, pain striking across her face as she spoke, "I want you to know that he loved you very much,". Mike smiled, sadness rising in his chest as the subject resurfaced.

"I know he did – I just..." Mike trailed off, the tears returning, "hope that he knew how much I loved him,".

"Oh! Michael!" His grandma cried, "he did know that and he was always so proud of you!".

Mike nodded and bowed his head. "Can I... go to my room... I need to be alone," Mike asked, barely repressing the whimpering as he spoke.

"Of course, Mike, when your father gets home we'll eat dinner as a family," his Grandma replied. Mike practically ran upstairs and dove for his bedroom.

He slid under his bed sheets and began crying into his pillow. A million thoughts raced through his head; first his brother, then his mom and now his grandpa! He felt like his family was falling apart – more than it already had. Then another thing occurred to him. Whatever this future-seeing thing was – why did it happen after his grandpa died? Why didn't he foresee his grandpa's death? And more to the point: did his grandma know he could see the future? Could she see it too? Did that mean his dad knew? Was it something he inherited from them?

So many questions but all were drowned out by one thought. Emptiness. His grandpa was gone. He wasn't coming back. And he had to live with that. Mike had never really figured out what he believed beyond God and Heaven – who went there and who didn't – but he prayed to God that his grandpa was there. He was the best man in the world to Mike: a hero, a friend and a complete jester at the best of times. Why did he have to die? Why now? It's not like he didn't have enough crap to deal with right now.

Mike laid there watching the sun's light dim through his bedroom window. Simply letting the feelings of emptiness flow through him like a river. Quite a way to end such a nice day he thought to himself.