the courtyard.
“This was where I went, Daddy,”
she said. She never looked away from the children, and her voice sounded like
it crossed a great distance. “This was my school.”
“I know, baby,” Kirken said
nodding his head slightly and staring through the fence into the yard.
“I came here one day,” Mel’s
speech slowed and became more cold. “I actually come down here a lot.”
Her voice shook slightly the
more she spoke. Kirken put his arm around her. Her body felt frail and weak
beneath his touch.
"She was lying right there
when I got to the fence,” she said pointing to a small area in the corner of
the courtyard.
Kirken followed with his eyes to
where three fresh flowers lay dying slowly in the sun. Their petals were still
white for the moment, but they were slowly withering and curling in from the heat.
“Who was, sweetheart?”
"Remember that old couple
we just saw?" Mel said to him.
Kirken nodded remembering the
ones they passed in the car.
"Their granddaughter,” she
said sadly. “Though it might have been her or maybe someone just like her. I can't
keep them straight anymore. But she was lying right there. No one even
noticed.”
“Noticed what, baby?” Kirken
tried to get out. His voice was lost in his throat.
"No one even noticed,"
she said again. "She just laid there on her back while the others played
in the yard. By the time I climbed the fence her eyes had already burned
through."
Mel slowly got out of the car
and walked to the fence grasping it tightly in both fists. Kirken also stepped
out and looked down the street away from the schoolyard. A tear fell quickly
down his face.
"Kids don't even notice
anymore," she said turning and walking away. “Or they just ignore it,
because it’s too frightening a reminder of what’s in store for themselves.”
Kirken also turned away from the
fence. He followed her back to the car struggling hard for something to say. He
wished more than anything in the world that he could take that memory away.
Kirken caught up to her when she
reached the curb. She leaned on the hood with both hands. Kirken stood
inquisitively at her back.
"I want to be here when it
happens again," Mel said again after a long silence. "I want to be
here to tell them it's all right. It’s not something they have to ignore or
fear. They can still be friends with each other. Even if they all know that
each of them is soon going to die. If friendships stop or are avoided, how is
anyone going to survive? They’ve got to know that it’s alright. That it’s
alright to still be friends. And it’s alright, when the time comes, to finally
let go and die. It’s something they have to know."
"They know, Mel. I'm sure
they know."
“I just want to take some of the
pain away, even if it’s just a little bit,” she said turning around and resting
her head on his shoulder. “And let them know it’s going to be alright.”
Kirken felt a weird lump in the
center of his throat. With her face under his chin, he stared over the top of
her head. They took one last look at the activity in the courtyard before
turning and walking back to the car.
Kirken’s chest hammered, and he
felt completely sick. The air seemed unbearably hot, and his thick shoes seared
with the heat coming from the pavement. He opened the door, and his daughter
climbed in.
"C'mon Mel let's go see if
we can find your brother."
Kirken walked around to the
front of the car and wordlessly climbed in beside her. Mel didn’t say anything
when he brought the car into gear and pulled slowly away.
The school faded behind them
into the distance, and the sound of children laughing finally left their ears.
Kirken tried not to look at the
tears slowly sliding down her cheek. He took a deep breath and just continued
to drive.
Chapter 6
The ride into town was filled
with silence. Mel stared out the window clutching her legs between her arms and
against her chest.
Kirken looked ahead completely
lost
“This was where I went, Daddy,”
she said. She never looked away from the children, and her voice sounded like
it crossed a great distance. “This was my school.”
“I know, baby,” Kirken said
nodding his head slightly and staring through the fence into the yard.
“I came here one day,” Mel’s
speech slowed and became more cold. “I actually come down here a lot.”
Her voice shook slightly the
more she spoke. Kirken put his arm around her. Her body felt frail and weak
beneath his touch.
"She was lying right there
when I got to the fence,” she said pointing to a small area in the corner of
the courtyard.
Kirken followed with his eyes to
where three fresh flowers lay dying slowly in the sun. Their petals were still
white for the moment, but they were slowly withering and curling in from the heat.
“Who was, sweetheart?”
"Remember that old couple
we just saw?" Mel said to him.
Kirken nodded remembering the
ones they passed in the car.
"Their granddaughter,” she
said sadly. “Though it might have been her or maybe someone just like her. I can't
keep them straight anymore. But she was lying right there. No one even
noticed.”
“Noticed what, baby?” Kirken
tried to get out. His voice was lost in his throat.
"No one even noticed,"
she said again. "She just laid there on her back while the others played
in the yard. By the time I climbed the fence her eyes had already burned
through."
Mel slowly got out of the car
and walked to the fence grasping it tightly in both fists. Kirken also stepped
out and looked down the street away from the schoolyard. A tear fell quickly
down his face.
"Kids don't even notice
anymore," she said turning and walking away. “Or they just ignore it,
because it’s too frightening a reminder of what’s in store for themselves.”
Kirken also turned away from the
fence. He followed her back to the car struggling hard for something to say. He
wished more than anything in the world that he could take that memory away.
Kirken caught up to her when she
reached the curb. She leaned on the hood with both hands. Kirken stood
inquisitively at her back.
"I want to be here when it
happens again," Mel said again after a long silence. "I want to be
here to tell them it's all right. It’s not something they have to ignore or
fear. They can still be friends with each other. Even if they all know that
each of them is soon going to die. If friendships stop or are avoided, how is
anyone going to survive? They’ve got to know that it’s alright. That it’s
alright to still be friends. And it’s alright, when the time comes, to finally
let go and die. It’s something they have to know."
"They know, Mel. I'm sure
they know."
“I just want to take some of the
pain away, even if it’s just a little bit,” she said turning around and resting
her head on his shoulder. “And let them know it’s going to be alright.”
Kirken felt a weird lump in the
center of his throat. With her face under his chin, he stared over the top of
her head. They took one last look at the activity in the courtyard before
turning and walking back to the car.
Kirken’s chest hammered, and he
felt completely sick. The air seemed unbearably hot, and his thick shoes seared
with the heat coming from the pavement. He opened the door, and his daughter
climbed in.
"C'mon Mel let's go see if
we can find your brother."
Kirken walked around to the
front of the car and wordlessly climbed in beside her. Mel didn’t say anything
when he brought the car into gear and pulled slowly away.
The school faded behind them
into the distance, and the sound of children laughing finally left their ears.
Kirken tried not to look at the
tears slowly sliding down her cheek. He took a deep breath and just continued
to drive.
Chapter 6
The ride into town was filled
with silence. Mel stared out the window clutching her legs between her arms and
against her chest.
Kirken looked ahead completely
lost
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