Farewell

The sky was dark and so was everything else. From the corner of my eyes, I saw her. She whirled and swirled as some sort of vortex began taking her in. I reached for her hand. She tried to reach mine and she desperately held on. For the first time, I saw fear in her eyes. For the first time, she seemed human to me again. She was hopeless, distressed, and anxious to find a way out. I felt hot. Sweat began to grace my form. I realized her life was up to me at that point. In an instant, I failed her. Her cold chilling grip left me. She let go as I lay witness to her forlorn image get sucked towards oblivion. The same desperate eyes laid waste to my manhood. She screamed something inaudible. The vortex sucked her whole, her hand trying hard to still reach mine. I screamed.

 
My cell phone beeped and vibrated at the same time. It was Ces, Frankie’s older sister to whom I credit the month long infatuation. Actually, Ces and Frankie were not sisters. Frankie has only one sister, Dylan, to whom I shared nothing but frequent smiles every time we meet. Ces was their cousin, adopted by their parents for reasons I wasn’t allowed to know.  I’m closer to Ces than either Frankie or Dylan because we shared some common ground. Loneliness, hunger for a place in society, and the undying ambition to be remembered. It doesn’t help that Ces is a lot older than me: three years. At least, I was ahead of my time. Or that’s what Frankie used to tell me.

 
Frankie was my age and we went to the same schools together. We’ve known each other since birth. I know what you’re thinking, why am I closer to Ces when Frankie was my childhood buddy? The answer was simple. Somehow, I felt uneasy with Francesca Marie McGuiness. Plus, I had a huge crush on Ces then so getting real close to her was a biblical motivation for me.

 
Frankie hated me when I told her I thought Ces was hot. She didn’t talk to me for a while so my mission had to become a solo flight. I was relying on her to help me and make my dream a reality, as much as possible without any bloodshed or pee stains on my pants. I didn’t really get why she hated me for that little crush. Now I know why. It’s a little too late but as the saying goes, “it’s better late than never”.

 

“Hey,” I only noticed Ces when she spoke. She was just inches from me and for a hottie to go unnoticed like that; my mind must have been through a lot.

 
It took me about 30 minutes to muster the courage to go to Frankie’s funeral alone. My mom was busy and so was my dad. My sister was on a summer school somewhere in Baguio. My friends had already headed out of town, back to the cities, for school.  I still had at least a week before mine surfaces to torment me. Going to funerals alone wasn’t my cup of tea but Frankie was family to me and “family means nobody gets left behind”. I got that from Disney’ Lilo and Stitch.

 

I sat some three seats from her casket. I still couldn’t believe Frankie left us at a young age. I couldn’t and didn’t want to believe it. We were both 17. We were still virgins. Okay, I have no real basis for that previous statement except for the fact that she was a nun. Not actually a real nun but she was close to being one. She liked church and she’d be a volunteer every weekend. She mostly led our town’s choir because she was a good singer and an excellent pianist. Frankie had mentored most of the newbie at choir and, though I’m not a choir dork, I can safely say I’m proud of her, although that really doesn’t mean anything.

 

Ces slipped her hand under mine. I knew I should have felt giddy and such but I didn’t. I didn’t think it was the right time to be such a pervert. I felt sad and brokenhearted. I looked at Ces and her eyes met mine. She felt the same way I did. Even though they weren’t biologically sisters, Ces and Frankie treated each other like family. Ces wasn’t any stranger to the McGuiness household; she was one of their own. It was only natural.

 

A veil of silence clothed us both. Shadows kept us company in that Saturday morn, enveloped by the darkest black. Both of us bowed our heads. I was deep in my thoughts but I was able to muster my sincerest show of respect to such a good friend. I tried my best to muffle my sobs. My tears were too much for me to contain. Ces looked at me and tightened her grip of my hand. I couldn’t look at her, not if I didn’t want to lose my pride in front of a girl. She rested her forehead on my shoulder and I felt hot again. Her tears were falling on that shoulder of mine. They were warm. I let go of her hand and hugged her with one arm. I held her hand with my free one as she did.

Reviews

[Mel Stevens]

She was just inches from and for a hottie- missing word, perhaps 'me?'
I still had at least a week before mine surfaces to torment me. -changed tense in same sentence
I knew I should have felt giddy and such but I didn't.- forgotten coma after 'such'
I held her hand with my free one as she did.- she did...what?

I enjoyed this piece and the style you wrote it in. I have a soft spot for those candid, to the point stories. However, I feel like you almost plucked out a section of a much longer story and stuck it here. Probably just me, I'm good like that. But overall, well done!