I'm Sorry James (541 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.66 on 6 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by S R (View user info) at 2006-03-07 11:32:33 EST
'Sean, do you remember James?'
I thought that was an odd question that was supposed to carry such importance. James? Who's James? I thought.
'James Caldwright from my High School?' I thought out loud.
'No you were much, much younger.' My mother says looking at me with a real worried face. She stopped and gave me more time to think.
It was weird my parents have been divorced for at least fifteen years and don't live in the same country. But here they are with me asking questions about someone I apparently know but I have no recollection of. I have noticed that my memory isn't what it used to be, I do drink a quite a bit.
'It would be 25 years ago' my father adds in.
What is this some sort of game show? I thought to myself, the tear on my mother's cheek told me that it wasn't so.
'You want me to remember some one from when I was 2?' I ask perplexingly.
'You were 15 months old, Sean. You don't remember at all?' My father re-asks sitting deeper in his chair, I have never seen my parents like this ever before. I never got the serious Santa, Easter Bunny, Birds and Bees talk with my parents. They pretty much let me be and let me fend for myself about life. I have never had a one on one sit down like this before.
I thought really hard, but try thinking back to when you were one and a half? Not much I know, I was there.
As I kept thinking my Mother hands me a picture.
It was of my mother, she was so much younger than what was in front of me. She had her usual big smile that she carries. I wished she was smiling like that when she handed me the picture. She was holding a baby. I couldn't really see the baby in the picture, but looking at her face in the picture you could tell it was hers.
'Is this Sofie?' I don't know why I thought it was my sister, because at this point I could already feel where this was going. I knew it was James. 'James?' I say looking right back at my mother and father. At this point my father had his arm around my mother, why is he consoling her? I thought.
'He was your brother.' My father says.
The silence was deafening. I didn't know what to say. How do you respond to that? Was? I had another brother? What happened? When? I'm Sorry. I really sat there stunned in silence. My mother and father just looked at me, waiting. Waiting for what? I don't know, I had nothing. Did they want me to cry? I was starting to get mad at them why would they do this to me? Why would they even tell me? Why didn't they tell me before? My mind was racing and my parents sat there waiting.
'How?' were the only words that came out.
With out saying a word my mother hands me a folder. I wouldn't really call it a folder but more of a duo-tang. It was green. My mother's face was flush red. My father held her tight which still perplexed me.
I had a brother and I never knew, how is that supposed to make you feel.
I open the duo-tang and I see a newspaper clipping, It was the Montreal Gazette. I first noticed how little it actually has changed in 25 years. Then the headline caught me. I didn't even have to read the article I didn't want to, I didn't want to believe it. I looked right back at my parents and they were both in tears.
---15 month old toddler strangles infant brother in West Island home---
'No' it was the only thing that I said before I crumpled the paper up and threw it across the room. I left and sat in my car for a good hour, I didn't know where to go and still don't.
User Reviews
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2006-03-07 16:46:46 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I am sorry James, and now you must sleep with the fishies
Submitted by AshK (user info) at 2006-03-07 13:33:20 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Sucked me right in.
Submitted by sicosemen (user info) at 2006-03-07 12:17:17 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
This reminds me of a good pedophilliac fondling.
Submitted by Maddog (user info) at 2006-03-07 11:43:56 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
You must have been a creepy lil' bastard, huh?
Submitted by Nellypaal (user info) at 2006-03-07 11:36:55 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
It seemed a little rushed towards the end and I didn't find his reaction believable.
Not at all bad though.
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2006-03-07 11:36:50 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
this is like a CSI episode