Big Tree Village

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

He was pale and had his arms crossed over his chest. His right arm was a yellowish color, bruised even. There were rumors that Bert killed himself.  There were rumors that he got bitten by a copperhead. There were rumors he ran away and couldn’t find his way home. But those were just rumors. No one knows the truth, other than Bert. I looked at his eyes. So calm, so peaceful, so… dead.

“Would anyone else like to speak?” Ms. Murray’s voice echoed in the large, empty, and silent church. Bert’s mother had already spoken. Well, not really. She just sputtered and cried out words and Ms. Murray deciphered them and translated for us. Before the funeral I had to face Chance after he hung up on us. He apologized and just said he didn’t want to talk about his girlfriend. Now we were in a pew in a church, he was on my left, scratching his arm awkwardly. Demona was on my right, secretly texting Rocki in her purse. The church became even more silent as the echo settled down. I could see Mrs. Burns crouching over Bert’s body and praying. Chance suddenly stopped scratching and began to lift his arm up. He didn’t even know Bert, but he was a good guy to everyone; and I know that. So I did the right thing; for once. I shot up my hand before Chance could.

“Hello,” I murmur as the microphone screeches loudly and people cover their ears and moan. As it silences Ms. Murray smiles and ushers me to continue. “Sorry about that.” I murmur shaking my head. “I’m going to be completely honest here,” I say, knowing that that is what Bert would have wished, “I didn’t know Bert very well.” I sighed and looked over at Chance, he was smiling. I think he was just happy that it was me up here, and not him. “I know that he was obviously challenged. That arm thing, oh and the asthma.” I explain, people nodded. “I knew how he looked, and who he was. But that’s about it.” I sighed deeply. “But Bert was nice to me. He smiled at me a lot,” I felt myself blush as people chuckled; “he waved too. These simple gestures didn’t mean much to me then. But now, as I’m thinking about it, I’ve come to realize something.” I take a long pause, making people anxious. “Bert needed a friend. And I didn’t even give him the chance to be mine.” I heard a gasp, and then I continued. “When I transferred schools softmore year in High School I didn’t know anybody. It wasn’t like that for long, because there was a kind soul at Robert Frost High, and her name was Paige. She brought me under her wing and became my best and only friend. Through the months I was more and more grateful to have a friend like her. Now that I moved here, to Big Tree Village, I should have known what to do when I saw Bert. I should have taken him under my wing. But I didn’t.” The church was silent and I sighed in to the microphone. “Maybe I could have prevented this death, maybe not. It’s a tragedy, indeed. But life goes on, people die and people are born. I can’t think I can save everyone. It was Bert’s time. I can’t change that. I can’t save him either, he is in a better place now.” I said the words Chance told me when I was struggling with this death. “Trust me.” The whole church broke in to applause and I smiled. I couldn’t see the audience, only Chance. He was grinning and clapping as hard as he could. He was so gorgeous, and he wasn’t clapping for another girl. He was clapping for me.

______________________________________________________

“This is where I keep the Carnation’s. Here.” Chance plucks a red Carnation from the bouquet and handed it to me. I put it to my nose and breathed in. It smelled like a perfume mixed with the smell of Chance; flowers. I smiled.

“What does it mean?” I wonder twirling its stem between my fingers. He smiled and looked over at the bouquet. After the funeral Demona headed to Get Inked and Chance insisted I come inside his flower shop.

“It means fascination. I’m very fascinated with you, Zoey.” He walked over to a huge fountain that was in the center of the shop. He’s fascinated by me? But I’m so, normal. I followed him and stared down at the fountain. The water was dyed blue and the ongoing flow of it made everything so peaceful. He dropped a penny and the water it splashed and rippled and then the penny was gone, down in to the deep dark part of the fountain.

“I chose this fountain at a yard sale. I chose it because it has a mystery to it.” He swirled his finger around in the water. I looked over at him; he was studying the swirls and the flow of the water. “I always see children and parents plop pennies in here. I try to put a penny in here every day. But the darkness swallows it up, never to be seen again. At just the right moment, the perfect moment, I’m going to drain it, and see what a fortune I have.” He smiled and looked over at me. I smiled back. 

“When’s the perfect moment?” I wonder, surprising myself by asking. He chuckled.

“I don’t know now, but when it comes. I’ll know.”