The Painted Past of Henry Portsmith

Life its much like a once blank canvas. Each experience and encounter is another stroke of the brush along the unrelenting journey. In the end, each is left with a mural unlike any other.

The Painted Past of Henry Portsmith

By

Louis M. Warde

        "It's been so long since then.  I remember it well for a man my age; the moonlight as it glistened over the water, flickering like thousands of fireflies skittering just above the surface. I didn't hear at first, but how could I have?  Your voice was so soft and far away that it seemed like the wind itself floating past my ears.  I can't remember what brought me out to the lake that night, but I remember sulking like a child.  I think it was an argument with my ma, we never did get along well.  The lake always did fix me right up though, I could never stay mad.

        You never told me why you were there that night, but I think... if fate is real, than that's surely what it was.  I don't even remember how long you were shouting before I heard your call, but I do recall that at that very moment, the wind, trees, and every single creature, even the water fell still and silent.  Your voice was so soft, to bad you were yellin' at me to get out of the way.  My bruises didn't heal for weeks.  I still think you bruised the bone.  Though looking back now, it was worth it.  We laughed it off and eventually I stopped bleeding, all was as it should be.

        No-one could tear us apart after that, we were thick as thieves.  We must-a spent nearly every waking moment together, causing all kinds of trouble for almost everyone around town.  It was like art, what else could a couple of rowdy teenagers do but express our creativity in the most notorious way possible.  Do you recollect the close call we had with the security guard at the mall? What about the time you and I broke into the fair grounds after hours so we could use the bumper cars without paying? I was always there though to get you out of trouble, even if half the crazy ideas were mine in the first place. 

        The day your father and mother died, I was there for that too.  You were outside my house in that terrible storm.  Strange how I wasn't even supposed to be there, but my flight got canceled by a freak storm that popped up in thirty minutes.  I had just gotten home not twenty minutes before you showed up.  I knew things like that happened, just didn't think it would happen to someone as kindhearted as you.  I'll never know how you could have stayed so strong for so long, but you always have been tougher on the inside than me.  I remember going to his house while you were at work not long after, the guy that did it.  I was resolved to at the very least, make him beg for his life.  I wanted him to pay for his poor choices that cost the lives of two great people, for stripping someone of their parents.  When his son answered the door though... I couldn't do it, but he saw me.  He looked up from the kitchen table right into my eyes, and he knew what it was I had come to say.  I found out some years later that he'd gotten cleaned up, had another kid, and has a steady job.  Hadn't touched a drop of alcohol since the night of the accident.  At least something came out of such a senseless tragedy.

        The day we got married? Oh, I remember the cake.  Marble, my favorite.  It was huge too; thought I wanted a small one till I saw the girth of that one, couldn't say no after that.  If i recall, i broke the button on those pants.  Never fixed those.  Things moved along pretty hectically after that; though, three kids can do that to a man and his wife.  Wasn't till the last one graduated high school when we finally saw one another again, It was like the age of the caveman, we had no idea what to say to one another now that our throats weren't hoarse and there were no kids around to yell at.  Of course, after a few small dates, it was as though nothing had change; like time had truly been stopped for you an I to reconvene at that time.  I can tell you, you looked just as beautiful then, as you did the night we met.  We were back to causing all kinds of trouble in no time, dodged a few more security guards too. With three grown children, each well on their way through life, pursuing their dreams, us more in love than ever before, everything was as it should be once more.

        After the first heart attack, I thought things would have to change, but I don't think you and I are capable of that.  Love has a tendency to shape us into much stronger people than we could have imagined.  I always acted tough though, as a man, I couldn't let myself be too soft, especially not in front of the ladies.  It was pretty spectacular though.  I'm glad that we didn't give up who we are, still far too much trouble to cause.  Marie wanted us to cool it, to slow down a bit, but when you feel that young, why should you slow down just because your getting old?  I think Michael understood.  He never did seem to give us any grief about it at least.

        So many years of trouble and turmoil.  So many years we've stood by one another, making each other stronger with each step we took.  So many times you've wanted to slap me silly for the stupid things that make me a man, and so many times I just wanted to rip my hair out for all the ridiculous things that make you a woman.  Though, you really did misunderstand the situation that night at Paulie's Pub.  I still don't know who she was, but I did find out Jerome put her up to it.  I'm proud that after all these years, it's the honest to God truth that we've always been completely faithful to one another.  Like two peas in a pod, you and I.  Of course, I don't think anyone else could have put up with us.

        I've always been there for you, getting you out of this and that.  You were always there when i need you too.  Even if I always tried acting tough for you, ever guy needs someone to make him feel important every now and then.  I know not everything turned out the way we'd hoped, but at least we did everything the best way we could up to now.  After all, we've been married for sixty-eight years.  We each deserve a trophy for that."

        The wind was soft once more as it brushed through the trees and the grass.  The sun was hidden behind the clouds.  The old man knelt down and gently laid his hand on the gravestone before him, tracing over the letters.  A small group of people stood behind him, each dressed in black with tears trickling down their cheeks.  Even the sky couldn't help but begin to weep, but the old man stayed strong.  Standing up he glanced to the group.  Marie stood with her husband, as did Michael with his wife, and James with his.  Michael's wife stood with one arm around him, the other on her belly. 

        In the front, below them all, a little old lady sat in her wheelchair.  Wrinkles tracing out the history of a hard, but well lived life.  A single tear hung in the corner of her eye.

        "I've always been there for you, and I always will.  Even though you can't hear me, and even though you and I won't be able to take our nice long walks to the diner each evening so we could make fun of the locals, I want you to know, sweetheart, that I'm with you always.  I'll keep watching over you each day, and I'll still drag your sorry butt out of trouble every time you find your way into it.  My time is up though, gotta go meet the big guy.  We both know I've got a lot of explaining to do.  We'll walk together again someday, I know we will.  You know, you still look just as beautiful to me.  I'm sorry that I can't give you one last kiss, but at least this isn't goodbye.  I'll see you again someday.  Thank you, for everything you've taught me, I couldn't have made it without you."

        He leaned down and kissed her cheek, knowing that she wouldn't feel anything, but to his surprise, she quickly pulled her hand up and traced the kiss with her fingertips.  As he pulled back,  she smiled.

        "You always were pretty sappy." She said, as her grin widened, the tear that hung in her eye slipped away, tumbling down her cheek splashing on the collar of her dress.

        "Hey now, you old bitty!" He said as he laughed,  Taking in a deep breath, he quieted and as peacefully as the wind blew through the trees around them, he was gone.  He had passed to the world beyond this one, wherever such a place may be.

        "We can go now, Michael." She said.

        "Are you sure, mom? If you need more time we can--" Marie tried to assure her.

        "No, no.  Everyone else has gone on home, it's time we did the same.  It's about to rain anyways.  Your father would be all kinds of frothy if you made your poor pregnant wife stay out in the cold rain like this.  Now lets get goin', this chair isn't gonna push itself!"

        Michael and the others smiled, and chuckled under their breaths.  As he gripped the handles and began to pull, he head a soft voice like the wind itself floating by his ears

        "I love you, goofy old man."

        As Michael pulled her away, her fingers traced the letters of the gravestone one more time.

Henry J. Portsmith
1930 - 2013



Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed the story.

 

Author's Note

A simple short story about a nice old man.