It Can't Rain All The Time

A Bowl of Stew Between Friends

Sarah sat on the grungy couch, books strewn across the apartment floor. The smell of stew wafted into the room causing an audible groan from the young girl's stomach. "Is it done yet?"
"Just a few more minutes. Finished your history homework?" The voice asked from the kitchen. Sarah rolled her eyes.
"Almost."
Time seemed to slow in that moment of hunger. As Sarah stared at the words in her textbook, she counted each second, until the smell got closer. She lifted her head to find the angelic redheaded figure handing her a large bowl full of protein packed dinner. She quickly pushed her book off her lap and onto the floor, then practically snatched the bowl from her friend. "I love when you make stew, Cassie."
"You love when I make you anything, goofball." Cassie sank into the soft fabric of the chair next to the couch, nearly spilling her own bowl of stew. The girls shared a laugh, and a pleasant silence fell over them as they satiated their hunger. Cassie looked over her bowl to see that Sarah was slurping down the last of the broth. "I'll get you another bowl."
After numerous helpings of Cassie's famous stew, Sarah and Cassie sat listening to tunes from the radio. "What are you thinking about?" Sarah asked, noticing the faraway look on Cassie's face.
"Oh, I'm sure you know what I'm thinking about, sweety." She said in a sigh. "I still miss him. I mean, I miss both of them."
"I do too." Sarah responded, patting the couch cushion next to her. Cassie moved next to her, and Sarah cuddled into her. "I feel like he sees us sometimes. Like he's watching out for us."
"Me too. I dreamed about Shelly last night. She was beautiful, as always, and she walked up to the bottom of my bed. She said, 'Cass, it was always supposed to be you. I will always love you.' Then she disappeared."
"I had that same dream, except she told me to stay with you tonight." Sarah said with a growing smile.
"If this is just a way to ask to spend the night again, that's fine. Just stop kicking me in the middle of the night, would you?" They shared a hearty laugh as Cassie went to tickle Sarah. "Did you finish your homework?"
"Yeah. We learned something really neat in school today."
"Oh yeah, what's that?"
"People once believed that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes, something so bad happens that a terrible sadness is carried with it and the soul can't rest. Then sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back to put the wrong things right." Sarah looked up. "Do you think that could really happen?"
Cassie took a moment to look at the girl. She could see the hurt in her eyes, the hopefulness that her friends would return some day. She couldn't bare to see that look on her face. "I really hope so, sweety. I hope so."

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Cassie woke with a start. Sarah lay next to her, sleeping like a rock. She caught her breath and stood, slowly making her way to the kitchen for a glass of water. Sweat beaded across her brow. She maneuvered her way through the minefield of textbooks across her floor and opened the window. The lighter flashed to life as she put a cigarette to her lips. She set her translucent green ash tray on the windowsill and took another puff.
Cassie sat there on the windowsill, listening to the sounds of the city. The police sirens resounded in the distance, gutterpunks laughed down the street, a crow squawked from the fire escape.
"Jesus!"
Cassie nearly fell off the windowsill. The crow sat inches from her face. He wiggled his feathers and squawked at her again. "You scared the shit out of me, little guy. What are you doing out here?" The crow squawked. "Are you hungry? Give me one second."
Cassie put out the cigarette, then ran to grab a bowl from the cabinet. She fished out a few pieces of meat from the crockpot of stew. She hurried back over to the window to find her feathered friend still sat there, almost anticipating his upcoming meal.
"Here you go, little guy. Should help you get through the night." Cassie set the bowl on the base of the fire escape, and the crow waddled his way to it. He sniffed, let out a happy sounding squawk, and devoured the meat in the bowl. Cassie reached out a hand and lightly stroked the side of the black bird.
The old clock tower began to ding, startling the bird and Cassie. "It's okay, little guy, it's just the clock." The bird let out another squawk, then spread open his wings and flew off into the night. Cassie let out another sigh and sat back on the windowsill again. The clock continued to chime.
"Ten...eleven...twelve... Midnight. One year without you hasn't gotten easy, Eric. I miss you more every day. I hope you're happy up there, spending beautiful days with Shelly." Cassie lit another cigarette and took a long drag. "Some things just aren't meant to be."