Congratulations !
You have been awarded points.
Thank you for !
- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Drama / Human Interest
- Subject: Family
- Published: 08/02/2014
Everything's Different Now
Born 1963, F, from Fairfax, VA, United States.jpg)
Everything’s Different Now
They stood at the top of the dune, both watching the sea. Carl wanted to say something, anything that would comfort his grandson, let him know that he was here with him, despite the loneliness; that he wouldn’t leave Benny, that his love was as constant as the sun and the blue sky, and the ocean… but he didn’t believe it himself, and he didn’t want to lie to him.
“Grandpa?”
“Yes, Ben.”
“How come everything can’t be like last summer?”
“What do you mean?”
“I know some of those guys down there. I can’t talk to them, though. I can’t talk to anyone. Everything is different now.”
Some things aren’t Ben. I love you, and I always will, Carl thought to himself. But he dared not say that to the boy, because he knew what he meant, and he knew it was true.
It was a whole new world for all of them since Gina—Ben’s mom--died suddenly, killed by a drunk driver, 2 months ago, and now Ben had come to live with his grandparents. Today, Buddy, Carl’s dog whom had grown old while Benny had grown up these past 12 summers, had died too. Ben had yet to shed a tear—for Buddy or his mother. Through his own grief, Carl ached for the boy and tried to find the words to reach him.
“I want to go back,” Ben said.
Carl wasn’t sure what he meant—to the house? Or to the time…before?
“Let’s go back to the house. I’m hot. I just want to go back to sleep.”
“Okay, Ben.”
They walked silently the block back to the house, in the back door.
Anna at the window, arranged a smile and turned to greet them. “Hey, you two. Back so soon? Didn’t feel like going for a swim?”
Ben didn’t answer, didn’t even look at her, and walked to his room and slammed the door.
“What happened?” she asked Carl.
“Nothing. We just climbed the dune and saw some of his friends from last year playing Frisbee. He said everything was different now.”
“He’s right. It is. His whole world is gone. All he had was his mom…And now all we have is him.” Carl could see the tears in his wife’s eyes.
“That damn dog of yours even is gone now,” she said. “Not that I liked him much. I always liked cats better. But no, I had to marry a ‘dog person.’”
“That’s true. I am,” Carl said, good-naturedly. “Cats don’t give a darn about you. You can’t get them to walk with you on the beach, for example.” He liked to try to make her smile. He caught just a slight sparkle in her eyes for a moment.
“Okay, you have a point there, but they’re not any trouble at all. You hardly have to do anything for them.”
Anna turned toward the window, squinting slightly from the late afternoon sun. “It’s funny. I wouldn’t mind doing for anyone anymore. Even that big dog of yours.”
She sat down at the kitchen table, dropped her head, and cried quietly.
“Anna, sweetheart, we’re going to be okay. We can manage this. He’ll come around. Today was just hard. He loved Buddy.”
“Yes. But we can’t give him his mother back, our baby, our daughter. I don’t know how strong I can be. I’m falling apart still.”
“No, you’re not. We’re just all feeling it again. Come on, let’s go talk to him. Both of us.”
They walked to his room and called in. “Can we come in?”
No response.
“Maybe he’s asleep.” Anna said. “Let’s let him rest.”
“No we can’t let him go back to bed every day. It’s not healthy. He needs to be with people, be active. School is starting in just a month. We have to try to help him get back to normal.”
The door opened, and Ben looked hard at Carl and Anna.
“Why did he have to die, too? Why does everyone I love die? You’re both going to die, aren’t you? You’re old! That’s what happens when you’re old! Who’s going to take care of me then! Why don’t I just die too! What do I care! No one cares about me!”
“Ben, that’s not true! Your mother loved you very much. You were her whole world,” Carl said, trying to put his arms around his grandson.
“Really? Then why did she leave me? You’re lying. You’re all liars. All of you!”
Benny pushed past them and ran outside.
“Let me go this time,” Anna said.
“Don’t you think we both should? Do you think he’s going to…”
“No, I don’t. He’s angry. He’s let it out finally. I’ll just go follow to let him know we’re not letting him go.”
She left and Carl this time sat down at the table and cried.
Everything's Different Now(Carla McTigue)
Everything’s Different Now
They stood at the top of the dune, both watching the sea. Carl wanted to say something, anything that would comfort his grandson, let him know that he was here with him, despite the loneliness; that he wouldn’t leave Benny, that his love was as constant as the sun and the blue sky, and the ocean… but he didn’t believe it himself, and he didn’t want to lie to him.
“Grandpa?”
“Yes, Ben.”
“How come everything can’t be like last summer?”
“What do you mean?”
“I know some of those guys down there. I can’t talk to them, though. I can’t talk to anyone. Everything is different now.”
Some things aren’t Ben. I love you, and I always will, Carl thought to himself. But he dared not say that to the boy, because he knew what he meant, and he knew it was true.
It was a whole new world for all of them since Gina—Ben’s mom--died suddenly, killed by a drunk driver, 2 months ago, and now Ben had come to live with his grandparents. Today, Buddy, Carl’s dog whom had grown old while Benny had grown up these past 12 summers, had died too. Ben had yet to shed a tear—for Buddy or his mother. Through his own grief, Carl ached for the boy and tried to find the words to reach him.
“I want to go back,” Ben said.
Carl wasn’t sure what he meant—to the house? Or to the time…before?
“Let’s go back to the house. I’m hot. I just want to go back to sleep.”
“Okay, Ben.”
They walked silently the block back to the house, in the back door.
Anna at the window, arranged a smile and turned to greet them. “Hey, you two. Back so soon? Didn’t feel like going for a swim?”
Ben didn’t answer, didn’t even look at her, and walked to his room and slammed the door.
“What happened?” she asked Carl.
“Nothing. We just climbed the dune and saw some of his friends from last year playing Frisbee. He said everything was different now.”
“He’s right. It is. His whole world is gone. All he had was his mom…And now all we have is him.” Carl could see the tears in his wife’s eyes.
“That damn dog of yours even is gone now,” she said. “Not that I liked him much. I always liked cats better. But no, I had to marry a ‘dog person.’”
“That’s true. I am,” Carl said, good-naturedly. “Cats don’t give a darn about you. You can’t get them to walk with you on the beach, for example.” He liked to try to make her smile. He caught just a slight sparkle in her eyes for a moment.
“Okay, you have a point there, but they’re not any trouble at all. You hardly have to do anything for them.”
Anna turned toward the window, squinting slightly from the late afternoon sun. “It’s funny. I wouldn’t mind doing for anyone anymore. Even that big dog of yours.”
She sat down at the kitchen table, dropped her head, and cried quietly.
“Anna, sweetheart, we’re going to be okay. We can manage this. He’ll come around. Today was just hard. He loved Buddy.”
“Yes. But we can’t give him his mother back, our baby, our daughter. I don’t know how strong I can be. I’m falling apart still.”
“No, you’re not. We’re just all feeling it again. Come on, let’s go talk to him. Both of us.”
They walked to his room and called in. “Can we come in?”
No response.
“Maybe he’s asleep.” Anna said. “Let’s let him rest.”
“No we can’t let him go back to bed every day. It’s not healthy. He needs to be with people, be active. School is starting in just a month. We have to try to help him get back to normal.”
The door opened, and Ben looked hard at Carl and Anna.
“Why did he have to die, too? Why does everyone I love die? You’re both going to die, aren’t you? You’re old! That’s what happens when you’re old! Who’s going to take care of me then! Why don’t I just die too! What do I care! No one cares about me!”
“Ben, that’s not true! Your mother loved you very much. You were her whole world,” Carl said, trying to put his arms around his grandson.
“Really? Then why did she leave me? You’re lying. You’re all liars. All of you!”
Benny pushed past them and ran outside.
“Let me go this time,” Anna said.
“Don’t you think we both should? Do you think he’s going to…”
“No, I don’t. He’s angry. He’s let it out finally. I’ll just go follow to let him know we’re not letting him go.”
She left and Carl this time sat down at the table and cried.
- Share this story on
- 4
COMMENTS (0)