What if the seven dwarfs never really existed and were just branches of Snow White's personality? Happy for the good days, Grumpy for the bad, Sneezy when under the weather and Bashful around that special someone. What if every time you looked into...
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❝Our hours in love have wings; in absence, crutches.❞ • • •
I tidied the refreshment tables over and over again, I asked every guest in the room if they needed anything for the third time and I managed to make each and every vase spotless. Still, I couldn't distract myself from the pain searing through my heart at the sight of Ms. Green crying her eyes out on the podium. Mr. Kessler's sudden death sent waves of grief spiralling through every person in the room. He was a common visitor at Twilight Zone, the old age home I volunteered at.
I'd worked at Twilight Zone since Freshman Year, as an attempt to make my college application more colourful. As the years went by, it became more of a second home to me than a tedious after-school activity. The people there became my family, and I loved looking after them.
I adjusted the straps of my jet-black velvet dress, willing myself not to tear up. I'd worked long and hard on my makeup that evening to conceal the distress I was feeling inside, and I wasn't going to let the mask slip away so early into the night. I had to stay strong and grieve behind closed doors.
"Cass," said a voice, and I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Jace, sadness looming over his features. I took his hand in mine and squeezed reassuringly. This was his moment to grieve, not mine, I reminded myself.
"I'm sorry," I said, then winced at my words. Jace hated pity more than anything in the world. "For not cleaning the place up enough. This is hardly the service you deserve," I said in a rush, then pulled out a rag from my back pocket. I tried to push away from his grasp and busy myself with cleaning, but he only squeezed my hand harder.
"Good save," he remarked, keeping his glance fixed on our intertwined hands. "You did a great job today, Cass," he said, lowering his voice as his grandmother's sobs became louder. I watched as Jace's mother rushed onto the platform and pulled Ms. Green into her arms. I was tempted to go on up there myself, but I knew I wasn't in a place to do so.
I might've considered them family, but at times like this, I was nothing but the caretaker. "Did you know him well?" I asked Jace, unsure about how to help him. From what I knew, Ms. Green and Mr. Kessler had been seeing each other for a little over a month. Ms. Green had been living at Twilight Zone for a good ten years, so everyone in the place knew and loved her to pieces. Ever since they met, Mr. Kessler had come around to visit her and spent time with the others as well. Although they hadn't known him for long, it was evident that he'd be missed by everyone.
Mr. Kessler was the type of man who knew how to interact with just about anyone. In less than a day he'd struck up a conversation with even the most quiet, reserved folks in the building, and that was quite a pleasant surprise. I loved talking to old people because they made me feel inspired, thankful and wise. But Mr. Kessler was the one who made me feel young again.
