Chapter One (Rewritten)

Chapter One (Rewritten)

                 Vincenza’s POV, Provincetown, Massachusetts

    Day One

 

No one knows why.

Why, being the single word millions have asked but little have actually managed to answer. For example, nobody knows why my father committed suicide. Why then and not last week. Why sorrow manages to destroy some of my family and not others. Why it can be so cold and be mid June, on the day of my dad’s burial. And why my eyes are dry as sand, as I observed my Uncle George and Cousin Scott lowering the black, sleek box that dad lies  in, into the ground.

But imagined, as I closed my eyes briefly for a moment, the dirt that will forever keep my own dad from me until I end up there beside him one unfortunate day as this, as shovels of moist earth rain down on his casket. I glanced at my mom out of the corner of my emerald eyes. She was still as a statue, mascara running down her face, stained with tears. I hesitantly slipped my trembling hand into hers, and gave it two firm pumps of reassurance that I didn’t have any right to give.

Across from us, on the other side of the narrow six foot hole, big enough for a body and its container were the rest of my family. All clustered together as if glue binds them, altogether looking like a mess of black coming in nearly all shapes and sizes. Except for one, my Aunt Catlin on my dad’s side, clad in a yellow sundress that flows in a floral pattern of pink roses from her waist down, and ending in a white lace trim. I narrowed my eyes at the spirals of her blonde hair that my family was notorious for, pulled back into a half up half down bun. Of which identical to her daughters Emma and Iris’s up-do.

I felt annoyance simmer somewhere inside me, angrily. Catlin and George were the only two out of the 4 siblings my dad grew up with, who actually showed up. I could’ve almost pictured the pretty little letters, from the hallmark store with the reprinted out condolences of our loss that they sent us instead.

I tilted my head back, and stared aimlessly at the dying trees that towered over the other graves. My family reminded me of leafs, they seem to be trust worthy, staying by your side in the good days and flee when it gets too cold to handle. I breathed a sigh and let my gaze slid to the aunts, uncles, cousins and other random people I share blood with as they strolled in a hopeless and grief stricken pace to their cars; parked in a messy line along the narrow cemetery road. The fact dad has strictly written in his will to be buried in Oaks Meadow Cemetery, and not a proper sight alongside the other men and woman who served this country, unnerved me for some reason unknown to me.

A finger jabbed into the side of my shoulder brought me out of my unspoken rant. I whirled around and came face to face with a cousin of mine, with a track record in pranking and humiliating any given soul.

Luke looked down at me sadly; the concern and his own grief, shimmered in his glassy, pale blue eyes. He wore his usual attire of a dark blue blazer over some graphic tee, topped off with cargo shorts and skater shoes. I didn’t return the smile; I simply stared past him as car doors slammed shut and steadily disappeared. But I could feel his eyes watching me. Somewhere in my consciousness I knew that such a thing as a death in the family would cause me to encounter him again. We were family after all. That didn’t keep me from curling my toes in the secrecy of my slip-on’s or bite down firmly on the inside of my cheeks.

“Uh, Vin?”

I lifted my head staring directly into his eyes with gleam of defiance.

“We made a deal,” I snapped under my breath as I scanned the surroundings for any bystanders. “I stay out of your way, you stay out of mine.”

Luke nodded slowly. “I didn’t fly all the way down from LA to deal with your natural hostility. I don’t want any trouble.”

I felt like a bird, puffed up to twice its size; not in a literal sense. I took a step forward, ready to leave and host a mental debate over this in the privacy of my bedroom. His hand caught my slim wrist in his with a firm, but tight grip. “I told you a long time ago, your secret is safe with me, alright?”

“Yeah,” I murmured and stormed passed him, tears making the world a hazy place.

Author's Note

I'm aware of the mistakes in editing. Just let me know what you thought of it content wise.

Reviews

[Blessing A]

I think you have really strong images of how this day went for this character. I believe content wise you have an interesting story. It is more the flow that had me hesitating a little but I hope you post another chapter as I would really like to know what happens next and see the story grow.