The Little Things

The Wonders of Life

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

That's the sound of my footsteps on the autumn leaves. I think to myself again: Why am I here? Am I ready for this? I have to be, what kind of person would I be if I couldn't do this now, it's been six years, how much longer would I take to do this if I didn't do it now?
I sigh as the cold breeze of winter hits me, I've been so used to Texas weather that I've forgotten what Michigan was like in the fall.
I look at a sign with the letter D on it, I've come to my destination, my hell, and there is no turning back now.
I

think about turning back. No, I scold myself, you've come so far, and now you want to turn back? I swear that I could here my aunt's voice inside my head, telling me that if I didn't come to this meeting then I would never feel peace for what happened.

Dabou, Dalsh, Darlin finally here. I stand in the middle with my eyes closed, I can sense two of them on either side of me, and one big one in front of me. I shudder at the thoug-no the fact that I was supposed to be where I stood now, for all of the six years, here was where I was meant to be. The only problem is that I'm supposed to be six feet under, literally.
I open my eyes and look to my left, I read the words and my mid takes a picture that will remain forever: Here lies Dalita Darlin beloved daughter, sister, and friend. Right under the words are numbers 1994-2009.

I don't process anything as I turn my head to the right and memorize the next set of words: Leif Darlin beloved son, brother, and friend. This time the numbers say 1997-2009.

My chest tightens as my brain processes this, before I fully think about the scene before me I look up to the taller of the three, standing in behind the other two, in the middle.
Christopher Darlin beloved father, son, and friend.
1974-2009.
My brain fully comprehended what is going on and I sink to my knees and burst into tears. I thought I'd be stronger than this, but I guess I've only been hiding and running away from this fate, this meeting.
Footsteps approach me, and a hand touches my shoulder in a comforting manner.
I hear muffled words, but instead of answering my mouth spews something else out.
-Flashback-
2006 in a courthouse where our final appointment is in session. All I do is hope that the judge take what I said into consideration.
The case is ending, but I'm called up to the stand to speak, I am a ten year old girl, who is asked to tell the story of what I saw once again. Of course when I first told people they didn't believe me, but now all I ever do is say it, and people think long and hard about it. Now I say the same thing again; that I saw a man and mommy in bed together, making strange noises. I was home sick and daddy forgot to tell mommy that because she was "at work", and daddy was out getting medicine from his office, as he told them that he wouldn't be able to come in today.
After a while the man and mommy left, saying something about checking on their kids, and I got confused because Dalita, and Leif were at school, and daddy didn't tell mommy that I was sick, or that I was in the house, now I was also confused because that man didn't have kids, there were so many questions, and no answers.
When my aunt (mommy's sister) came to check up on me, and she wouldn't answer anything, she just screamed at me and told me not to lie, and that this could cause big problems. I cried a lot when she did that, and I almost cried retelling the story in court knowing that she was behind me, but she seemed kind of sad now whenever she saw me, but daddy wouldn't let me near her.
After I tell my part the judge asked me who I wanted to be with and I said daddy, I didn't know what was going on before, but now they told me, and it was hard at first, but now it's easier to understand.
-Flashback over-
I turn and see a fargile, elderly looking woman she then hugs me, no words necessary.
I then tell her "I thought nothing could hurt me more than the divorce, but waking up in a hospital room, with my last memory of headlights and screams, with a white board on the wall that read November 9, 2009 was so hard, with me knowing that the date was March 27, 2009, there was no way that that was right." I was heavily breathing by then, and my tears were long gone, I guess I ran out after six years of pain.
"What really broke me," I tell her,"was when, five minutes of my brain guessing the worst, I looked at the board and saw th-the worst o-of all." My voice shakes as I think about it.

"What I saw were the words 'Last Survivor'."
The woman held onto me, and told me that her little grandson had a body that grew to fast for his heart, that just couldn't keep up, he only got to live 4 years of his little life.

Hours is how long me and the lady sat and mourned for, me for the only family I had left, and her for the littlest of people, that brought a joy to everyone's day. Afterwards, when dark was coming on strong, we went our separate ways, her to her home, and me back on a plane to Texas.
The last things on my mind as I drifted off to sleep, in my uncomfortable airplane chair, was: life is a funny thing, full of wonders, and little things that help you live on, that lady, whoever she was, really was a wonder, just one of the little things in life that matter.
The End.