Destined to be Together

Chapter 28; Bombshell

It had been an hour and John was wasted. He was lying on the ground and mumbling things in his sleep.

"Shouldn't we put him in a better position?" I asked Henry, while looking at the sleepy John, snuggling under the small table.

Henry laughed and walked away to the beach shore. Okay so we're just ignoring John.

I walked towards the shore and stood there, at a distance from him. It was calming. It was satisfying. A cool breeze blew by and everything suddenly seemed good under the moonlight with small waves rushing into our direction.

He took off his jacket and sat down on the sand with the Scotch bottle in his hands. I walked closer to him and sat next to him.

"Aren't you cold?" I asked, looking at his jacket.
"No. If you are, then take it." He said and gulped some of the pungent liquid down his throat.

"No, I'm fine." I really was okay with that weather. It's my kind of weather.

It was silent for some time but it was comforting. It didn't feel awkward. He was staring at a distance, observing the waves and how beautiful they looked while looking in deep thoughts.

"Do you ever wonder what would happen if everything suddenly stops?" Wow...he actually started a conversation. He's definitely drunk.

"Stops?" I looked at him.
"Yeah... everything suddenly stops. You are the only one who's left. The things around you, the people around you, they've all suddenly become a part of a movie that has been paused for a while..." He said and drank more from the bottle in his right hand.

I heard him well but I couldn't respond well.
His imagination was scary to even think about. I mean, what would you do if everything and everyone around you suddenly turns rigid?

"I've never thought about it. What would you do?" I asked him, trying to know what he thought before putting the question in front of me.

He looked up at the stars drowsily and sighed.
"I've thought about it many times but I always ended up having nightmares or throwing up. I never really got an answer but the paranoid me...He asks me to be prepared." He breathed out.

"Oh." I didn't want to interrupt his little moment with the stars, considering the fact that he rarely leaves his house, so I moved my gaze away from him.

Why is he so paranoid? Thinking that everything would suddenly stop would be worrisome for anyone and I know I shouldn't be too concerned about it but still...it hurt to hear that from him.

"Don't worry too much about it. It's not that great of a deal, really." He said with a small smile, reading my mind.

"Henry." I mumbled and started star gazing with him.
"You know, if you're scared of everyone leaving you, or you not being enough, then I think you should stop." I paused for a bit but continued.

"You don't decide what people think about you. It's the people. There's a difference between a role and a responsibility, Henry. Parents shape their child's future cause it's their role but if the child takes a wrong path, it's the child's responsibility." I smiled a bit and looked at him.
"But does this happen?"

He was silently listening to me as I spoke further.
"No. Parents think it's their fault because they think they failed as a parent if their child does something a sane or sober person wouldn't. They have a role in their child's life but they even start taking responsibility of their child's wrongdoings, which isn't right. It was the child's decision, yet the parents blame themselves." I paused and stared at his eyes.