So Far Away (The Rev, Zacky Vengeance & Avenged Sevenfold)

XII

I sat on the green grass and placed the white rose by the head stone. I shut my eyes, clasped my hands together and offered a prayer for my beloved. The cemetery was empty. The guests have made their way home and the gang was still in the church. I arranged the bouquets of flowers and little gifts the guests have left for Jimmy neatly. Mrs Sullivan would keep all the items that were left for Jimmy in their house and I ensured that she could easily carry them all. I dusted the head stone free of dirt and let my fingers traced along Jimmy’s full name.

“Hey Jimmy, it’s me again. Thank you for the drum sticks! They’re perfect! The little initials of your name on them totally made me a proud and honored owner. I would have to try them out these days now, wouldn’t I? I guess my drumming skills would have been rusty by now. But I’ll play. I promise you, I will. Perhaps, I could give you a show, afterall. Promise me you’ll watch me play, alright? Anyway, I met the A7X family today and I felt so good. They were welcoming and Brian and Matt introduced me to their beautiful wives and bright children. Those children surely made you proud as an uncle! Mum and Dad were here as well and I was elated when they took time off just to visit you. That showed how much they loved you, Jimmy. The guests were really nice and your parents offered great hospitality. Everyone loves you so much, Jimmy. I just wished that they could say it to you, face to face. Like how I definitely would.”

I realised that I was hugging my knees again and released my aching legs. I heard several voices from behind me and I was sure I heard Maddy’s voice. I got on my feet and spun around. Mr and Mrs Sullivan were approaching me, with Maddy and Royce trailing closely behind them. I offered Mrs Sullivan a smile as she came closer and hugged me tight. She smelled of her perfume and was glad that I had arranged the items neatly. Mr Sullivan hugged me and helped his wife to collect all the items left for Jimmy.

“We didn’t see you the whole day!” Maddy complained and hugged me tight. I smiled and told her that I was keeping an eye on the children the whole time. I enquired about my parents and the rest of the gang and they told me that they were all waiting for me at the church. Mum and Dad had to go back to London tonight and they wanted to see me before they leave. Royce helped Mr and Mrs Sullivan carry some of the items and loaded them up in their car. Maddy and I went into the private room in the church hand-in-hand.

“There you are, Scarlett!” Mum exclaimed and pulled me into a tight hug. I hugged her back and proceeded to hug Dad tightly.

“Thank you, both of you, for being here with me,” I spoke softly and looked at the ground. I was holding back the tears that were trying desperately to flow ever since I talked to Jimmy. Dad hooked my chin with his index finger and wiped an escaped teardrop away from my cheek. He hugged Mum and I tightly and told me that they would do anything for my happiness.

“Ska, Nat and Matt have sent the kids home and they’re all asleep. Join us for drinks?” Soph invited as we pulled away from the hug. I accepted the invitation willingly and the guys were thankful. We decided to head home and freshen up before meeting up with the band again. Ian drove us back to Aunt Anna’s and Mum and Dad proceeded to the airport shortly after.

Brian had configured our GPS to the direction of the bar earlier at the church. This time, Felix was driving and had Maddy on the passenger seat. I was squashed in between Ian and Alex and Royce was all alone at the back. We hopped off the Hummer once we reached our destination. Felix thanked the inanimate object and got us all hyped up by telling jokes.

“How do you organise a party in space?” Felix asked. The rest of us shrugged as we wanted to get this 10000th joke over and done with.

“You PLANET! Haha! Plan-it, get it?” He exclaimed and burst into laughter. I rolled my eyes at his attempt as he snaked an arm around my waist.

“C’mon Ska! We’re going for drinks! The rest of the gang are hyped up! Now, be good and laugh along!” Felix encouraged. I gave him a faint smile and we walked into the bar.

The strong smell of alcohol filled the air as I scanned the area. It was a pleasant bar, with a small crowd and a raised platform with a mic and a full music band set. Nat saw us and waved wildly at our direction. Maddy and the guys rushed towards their table and I followed closely behind. Seated around a huge round table were Nat, Matt, Soph, Brian, Arin, Natalie and Johnny. Neither Zacky nor Arianna was to be seen. Soph summoned for the waiter and we ordered our drinks. I settled for red wine as I did not plan to be wasted in front of my clients and we chatted away.

“This is Jimmy’s favorite bar. He loves to come here and drink. The owner of the bar’s an old friend,” Brian spoke up. I nodded my head and stayed in silence while the gang and the band chatted away. I took a sip on my wine gradually and pretended like I was engaged in their conversation. I was physically there but my mind wandered off to great distances.

“So, do you agree with Johnny, Ska?” Arin asked worriedly, bringing me back to where we were. I looked at him in confusion and nodded my head rapidly. What was I agreeing to?