for June

5. A Forgotten Man

The entire way to the park, to that old bench where it all started, Chad thought about Bax. Was it him? Was the man on the news, him? Even though he'd promised June he'd leave them be, he had made no such promise to Bax. For the hour it took him to emerge from St James station and head into Hyde Park, panic welled up, suffocating him. As if all the oxygen in the world wasn't enough. Was he going to end up at an empty bench? Or would he see two friendly faces? He hoped it was the latter.

The figure hunched over on the bench, meters away, was June, all alone. For a brief moment, he stopped and glanced back at Elizabeth Street, to the traffic that flowed without a hint of the morning's tragedy. It was almost lunchtime, and the park was teeming with people on their lunch break.

He weaved his way around several people on the lawn before reaching her, with her head in her palms. He could feel several sets of eyes watching him as he approached the homeless woman. They were probably wondering what the hell he was doing.

"June..."

She looked up, eyes swollen and red. It took his breath away, the grief on her face, and he didn't care for the glares they were receiving. "That was him?" he asked.

She nodded, dropping her gaze to his shoes. "I was trying to stop him..." she said with a shake of her head. "Stop him from going there to ask about..." She glanced across the road in a quiver.

Chad followed her gaze to Tylor's café. No!

"He missed you..." she managed before sobs took over. Chad sat beside her, taking her by the shoulders, only to feel her body tremble at his touch. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry! None of this would have happened if it wasn't for me," her voice broke.

"It was an accident." He pulled her closer, but her sobs got the better of her. People stared with their lunch on hold, their faces contorting in disdain. Someone even called out 'Get a room!' which made Chad lose his cool. He yelled at the next person walking by, glaring. "What the hell are you staring at?"

June pushed herself away from him and stood. "You came?"

"I had to."

She edged a little further from him, wiping tears from her cheeks, aware of the stares they were getting. Awkward and exposed, when all she wanted to do was turn off the sun and hide. She eyed the people staring at Chad as if he'd lost his mind, hanging out with the likes of her.

"They seem so angry..." She sighed, looking around them, anywhere but at Chad.

"Let them stare if they must." He rose with his attention solely on her. "Let's get you out of here."

"And go where? Where will you take me?" There was a hint of panic in her tone. "I don't need you to take care of me. That's not why I'm here. I lost someone I cared about..." she struggled with her words. "I needed to see..."

"A friend." He stepped a little closer. His voice tender, "I know."

She could not fight the tears again. "I feel so alone, so alone."

Determined not to cry in public, Chad blinked his eyes dry. "Let's get you out of here. Will you come with me?"

She shied away from him as a passerby gave her a dirty look. She wiped the moisture from her cheeks, and asked, "And go where?"

"Grab your stuff."

She obliged, even letting him carry one of her belongings.

Chad walked ahead, towards the station, and she followed close behind, vulnerable as strangers gawked at the unthinkable.

A few steps ahead, Chad barked at the nearest huddle of people on the grass. "Anyone ever told you, staring is rude?" And people turned away, minding their own business, or at least until the two had passed. June wished wherever he was taking her had better be people-free, but it wasn't to be. Few steps ahead, he headed into the train station, down a set of stairs and into a tunnel beneath the park. The concentration of people lessened enough that she felt safe to talk.