The Wall (418 hits)
Category: Quotes & StoriesRating: 1 on 4 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Rillins (View user info) at 2008-09-24 14:06:34 EDT
The wall
Ever since I was little it haunted my dreams. Mostly because my older brother told me that grandmothers would bury bad children underneath it. But I was never afraid of my grandmother, mostly because I knew my older brother was worse than me.
The wall was down by the creek behind our house. We were playing around the creek, jumping on unsteady rocks and splashing in the stream when my brother saw it.
"Whoa, do you know what this is?" His knowledge was tantalizing.
"No, what?"
His face drew into a frightening mask as he told me of the wall's true and ancient purpose.
"Shut up," I bared my teeth "I'm telling mom!"
Even though my bravery was obvious, I secretly obsessed over the wall's purpose. Day after day, even in inclement weather, you could find me prying rocks from that wall. I was always looking for meaning, looking for its secrets, maybe even looking for trouble.
The older I got, the less time I was able to spend with my wall, the wall. I made friends who were more interested in video games; I got a driver's license, and even a girl friend.
But I wasn't like them. I didn't ever truly believe I deserved to be with them. I was cold and stoic, indifferent to their pains and successes.
They stayed with me though; they desperately wanted to love me. They wanted me to join them when going out to drink, when they went to movies, or bowling, whatever was popular at the time.
And I did go with them, I'd smile, I'd laugh and be witty, I'd drink and bowl terribly because that was the script. But I wasn't truly there.
Last week my brother died in a car accident. Of course it was his fault but no one would say so. I'm going to his funeral this afternoon; my wife and kids stayed in D.C., they have their own lives.
Mom has been crying continuously and Grandma's too old to care anymore. When you get old enough, you start distancing yourself. After losing all of your family, all of your friends, what do you have left? You have a crumbling shell.
That's all there was left of my family, the realization of that hit me a couple of days ago. The truth of my brother's death hurt, but it was fleeting. We were never really that close and I hadn't seen him in several years. But his death made me think of my dad, and I gave his memory some re-run time before colleagues bugged me to join them for lunch.
I hugged mom and helped grandma into the limousine.
The service was nice. It was a closed casket as the accident was pretty bad but the flowers were nice and the pastor seemed nice too.
On the way home we took a different route. There was an old gravely road that ran behind our house and past the creek. I had completely forgotten about that old wall until I saw it again through the tinted window.
"STOP! Stop the car please!" I jumped out of the car and huffed to the wall. The emotions came flooding back into me. Home, belonging, welcome. I was so wrapped up in the warmth of my being; I didn't even hear them leave.
I had been prying at that wall for hours, darkness forgotten since there was a full moon out. I stopped to breathe, the first break I had taken the whole day and looked up at the stars.
What a beautiful night, here by my wall and out with the stars. My feet and my mood took me, I walked for hours following the creek as it turned into a river. I had lost my shoes and socks at some point and my shirt and tie were flung aside because of the work I had been doing. My pants ripped and dirty, so I had taken them off an hour or so ago.
Fog encapsulated the river, flowing over me, washing me, cleansing me of my being. My eyes misted but my soul seeing clearer than ever. I was full, I was free, I was complete.
"A body was found this morning by two joggers along the canal"
"We just saw this thing, floating in the river. It was all bloated and naked."
"Authorities are calling him "John Doe" as there was no identification but they believe he is the same man that witnesses say streaked naked across the St. James bridge and flung himself off."
"He just kept yelling "you win, grandma!"
User Reviews
Submitted by locksly (user info) at 2008-09-24 18:48:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Submitted by John_H_Kim (user info) at 2008-09-24 14:10:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
The sudden change to the third person voice was a bit distracting at the end. It was a nice attempt at a Vonnegut Breakfast of Champions style ending. It wasn't entirely successful though.
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Yeah, take advice from this guy, he is top rated here.
Submitted by EmissionImpossible (user info) at 2008-09-24 16:44:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
I dont like the wall
Submitted by monkeyswithguns (user info) at 2008-09-24 14:17:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Could use some more clarity I think, but it wasn't bad.
Submitted by John_H_Kim (user info) at 2008-09-24 14:10:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
The sudden change to the third person voice was a bit distracting at the end. It was a nice attempt at a Vonnegut Breakfast of Champions style ending. It wasn't entirely successful though.