Under the Light of the Lampost

Woman: “What time is the bus supposed to be here?”

Man: “I thought I told you not to speak unless spoken to? Sit down and keep quiet, please.”

W: “I was only asking a question, we’ve waited 45 minutes already.”

M: “Yes I am aware, thank you. The note says be here at 6:30. We may not even be waiting for a bus.”

W: “What else would we be waiting for at a bus stop?”

M: “We’ll find out when it happens I guess, now sit and shush.”

They sat in silence for a while.. The woman sat with her legs crossed neatly running the fake pearls around her neck through her dainty little fingers. The man paced beside the bench staring down at the note reading it over and over again as if looking for some kind of answer.

W: “You know, that letter isn’t going to change the more you stare at it.”

M: “I know that, and it’s not a letter, it’s a note. A letter is usually far more informative than these few words ‘.By the lamp post at 6:30. Bring Caroline.’ Well here I am, and here you are. It’s already been an hour and I don’t even know what we’re waiting for, or why the Hell I had to bring you with me.”

W: “Hey, I didn’t have to come you know. I came to help you. You don’t need to be so bitter. You know Mom wouldn’t have wanted us to grow so distant and estranged from each other. After everything you’ve done to me, I should’ve stayed right in New York, but no, instead here I am in this stupid hick town I swore i’d never come back to, to help YOU out. You could be a little more appreciative.”

M: “I know, I’m sorry. I’m just stressing out. I didn’t want to come back here either.”

(pause)

“ I should’ve known you couldn’t just sit and be quiet anymore now than you ever could when we were kids.”  

W:”And I should've known you’d still be the same insensitive jerk you always were when we were kids.”

M: “Yeah well some things never change I guess.”

W: “I guess.”

The man walked around the bench and sat down next to Caroline on the other edge of the bench making sure not to sit too close. He looked at the paper one last time and crumpled it up into a ball in his hands, letting it fall to the ground between his feet.

M: “Let’s just go. It’s already 8 o’clock. We were a few minutes late, we must’ve missed whatever we came here for.”

W: “Oh no, I drove 6 hours to meet you here. You can find the patience to wait another half hour.”

M: “Whatever. This was stupid. I don’t know why I even called you to come. I don’t even know who this stupid note was from. I guess it was the way the ‘I’ was dotted…”

W: “Can I see it again?”

With a sigh he kicked the ball of crumpled paper sideways into her foot without looking up.

W: “Thanks..”

She carefully pulled the paper out of the crumpled mess he left it in and smoothed it out on her leg. She read over the note and began to tear up. She lifted the sleeve of her cardigan to her eye to soak up the tear before it could reach her cheek.  

W: “Mom always wrote my name like that. If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t be here right now. I shouldn’t have left the way I did.”

Caroline begins to sob uncontrollably

W: ”I should’ve come back for her. I should’ve been here when she called.”

Jack slides over to her and cautiously puts his arm around her shoulders giving her a reassuring squeeze.

M: “It’s okay Ci, you’re here now. Mom understood. She still loved you just the same.”

Half a sob half a tired laugh the woman replies

W: “Ci. You haven’t called me that since we were kids. Thought you might have forgotten about me too. I was too scared to call, I thought you wouldn’t even recognize my voice anymore.”

The man sighs deeply and moves back to his side of the bench.

M: “Ahh, Caroline. You might be a royal pain in my a*s, but you’ll always be my sister. How could I forget you?”

They sit there for a few moments in silence. Caroline pulls an unopened pack of Camels out of her blouse pocket, packs it, and lights one up.

M: “I thought you quit?”

W: “I did. You want one?”

M: “I don’t smoke.”

She holds the pack in front of his face

W: “You sure?”

Jack takes a butt from her pack.

M: “Can I borrow your lighter?”

She hands it to him. He lights it and starts coughing. Caroline half grins, but it fades quickly. They sat there quietly smoking their butts for a few minutes after.

M: “It’s getting cold. We should go.”

W: “Are you sure you want to? I don’t mind waiting a little longer if you want to wait.. for whatever it is we’re waiting for.”

Pause

M: “I don’t want to make you sit out in the cold. You don’t even have a coat on. I should walk you back to your car.”

W: “Uh..Jack?”

M: “Yeah, Ci?”

W: “It’s been a long day. Can we go home?”

Jack looks at Caroline and a half smile forms on his lips as they look into each other’s eyes for the first time in many years.

M: “I’ve been waiting for you to come home for a long time Caroline.”

W: “Think we can get in?”

Jack pulls a key from his pocket and places it in her hand.

M: “When I went to see Mom at the hospital she gave me this. Said it was for you. I didn’t really understand…. I think now I know why.”

Caroline takes the key into her hands letting a single tear fall down her cheek.

M: “C’mon Ci. Let’s go home.”

The two get up and walk out of the light from the lamppost into the darkness of what their future holds. Before they disappear, they exchange a look for just a moment. In that moment a siblings estranged relationship was not estranged at all. The look let them know they would always have each other, and inside each, was a part of their late mother, beautiful, kind, loving.