Grave Digger

Chapter 7- Sunflowers

Juni

Her dark eyes assess me with shock and bewilderment as I laugh at her. I've never once said anything about how strict my father was. But she seemed to understand, just a little.

"Try me." She edges on.

I nod, looking away and searching through my head for how to tell this story without truly scaring her.

"I hid the flower pot in this little cubby in my closet when he would come around in the mornings. It was a loose panel that I guess the construction workers didn't think about." I say as I can almost remember the woodsy smell of the inside of my closet.

"My mom knew I wasn't like Seth, she was really nice." I turn back to look at her to see her leaning against the counter top where I bunch of dirty pots and hand shovels sat.

She watched me with easy eyes. No malice or judgement, no intent to laugh at me and tell me liking flowers was weird.

"It's okay." She nods. "I'm listening."

"I took care of the seed until it grew way too big to hide from my dad, or keep in my closet." I stare down at my feet as I remember my dad searching through my closet when he "smelled something a bit too sweet".

"So one night, I snuck out and I ran down the street to the park by my house. I planted the sunflower next to this small oak tree, to face the sunrise every day. And at least I could see it from my window." I say smiling, feeling proud that I got away with it. "It grew even taller than my dad."

"Well, if you want we can grow sunflowers here too. Hundreds of sunflowers that can grow taller than your dad." She say waving her hand to naked garden outside the green house.

"Yeah, that would be cool." I feel almost giddy. Mom would be proud of me. "Can we grow moon flowers too? They were my moms favorite."

She smiles tenderly at me before nodding. "We can cover this whole house in them."

Elias

"Elias?" Juni calls my name as we start cleaning out the green house. Throwing out old pots and Juni is hosing down the side of the green house.

"Yeah?"

"Why...why are you so nice to me?"

I think carefully about my answer, remembering the first time Juni and I met in the courtyard in front of the houses.

"Because I've met so many like you, Juni. Luckily my job affords the uncomfortable benefit of interactions during the consolation of grief, during times of loss and pain. That's when you see people at there most vulnerable. But Juni, you look like you've been vulnerable a long time."

He looks down, not saying anything.

"You said was."

"What?" He looks back up, unsure of what I mean.

"When you were talking about your mother, you said she was really nice. When you asked for the moon flowers you said they were her favorite." I pause to see his reaction. His eyes dart everywhere, looking everywhere but at me.

"My mom," he pauses taking a deep breath. "If she were around, Seth wouldn't be so angry. I tried to be like her, nice and keep Seth from being like dad."

"Seth is the older brother Juni, he's not your responsibility in any case, and you can care for him but eventually people have to be responsible for their own actions. And I'm sorry from where I'm standing, no good brother would be screaming at you from the other side of the bedroom door or mucking around in your thoughts." I keep my voice firm, allowing myself to be honest.