Post by Joey on Dec 11, 2018 16:58:15 GMT -5
There is a knock on the door. Lightly and softly, barely can be heard. It is 2:44 in the morning. On a Monday night to boot. Who could it be? There are few people in the world that knock on my door, even less are those who know me well enough to knock on this door.
I have a sense of dread as I walk to the door. I reach the white wooden door and use my right hand to unlock the deadbolts and with my left grab the door handle and twist, the cold metal on my skin seems to wake me up at least for a moment. As I open the door I am greeted by an old familiar face. Sister Mary aka The Nun. She stands there in a short trench coat, a modest white dress, her faded gray hair a testament to the life she led. She must be at least 80 years old by now. At least.
Nun: Hello there Redd.
Redd: What are you doing here at this hour?
Nun: Well I knew you weren't asleep, so I decided to drop in for a visit?
Redd: A visit? When have you and I ever had a visit.
Nun: Now is as good a time as any.
Redd: Its not a good time for me, do you know what time it is?
Nun: Invite me in and offer me some coffee.
Redd: You are not a vampire, I don't have to invite you. I would rather you leave please.
Nun: I cant do that? How about I make the coffee and you listen?
Redd: ugh. Fine come in already you’re letting the heat out.
She walks in not bothering to look around and walks straight to the kitchen.
Nun: You are a lot cleaner than your brother. I like tidiness. Good for you.
Redd: I will repeat, what do you want?
The takes out a pot from under the stove and puts some water in it and starts boiling the water.
Redd: I have a coffee maker you know?
Nun: I like it the old fashioned way. Would you like a cup?
Redd rolling his eyes: Why not?
Nun: Now I know you want to know why I am here.
Redd: No duh.
Nun: I am here because I am worried about you.
Redd: Are you?
Nun: Yes. Redd you are stuck in a rut. You should be married by now, have kids, have a real life. Instead you spend your time doing what? What exactly?
Redd: You are not my mother.
Nun: I am the closest thing you got to one.
(as I stare at her I wonder how she might have been as a young woman, as stubborn as this? She aged well, dedicating your life to God and Christ could not have been easy. Serving a religion and a deity could not have been easy. Not many can serve the lord and be happy their entire lives, but she did. I got to respect her for that.)
Redd: this couldn't have waited till morning?
Nun: I am leaving pretty soon, so it was now or never.
Redd: Never would have been better.
Nun: You cant put things off.
She finds the Maxwell House coffee in the cabinet and makes us some coffee, she takes hers black with a bit of sugar. I put milk in mine.
She sits down and looks at me and asks “How are you really?”
I don't answer.
Nun: He’s been gone over 2 years now. You know that right?
Redd: I am not stupid.
Nun: You keep his memory alive and that's good. But you cant put your own life on hold.
Redd: Sister let me ask you something? Do you believe in Ghosts?
Nun: Yes of course.
Redd: The Shadow of his Ghosts haunt me. Everywhere I go I see him. Sitting in a library reading those silly Stephen King books. I see him at the comic book store buying Marvel Comics. I see him at the Chinese places eating Moo Goo Gai Pan. I know he’s dead. But I miss my friend.
Nun: Good.
Redd: Good?
Nun: Yes my friend, good. Its good that you hurt. If you didn't hurt that would mean you are broken. People grieve in their own ways in their own time, it doesn't go away over night or over 2 years. It goes away when you put that person in your heart and it doesn't hurt anymore. But you are still hurting.
Redd: That's why I stay in SFT to hurt others.
Nun: That is besides the point. No matter if you hurt Reno or hurt yourself this next week, it wont make things better. You should talk to him.
Redd: I cant talk to him, he’s dead.
Nun: Talk to him, tell him he’s not forgotten. He made your life better. And you feel like you failed him.
Redd: I did fail him. I still fail him. Everyday, every breath I take is a reminder he isn't breathing. He gave me a family and I gave him failure.
Nun: All things must come to an end. It was simply his time my son.
Redd: Don't give me that bs!
Nun: Your day will come too, mine as well.
Redd: You will probably out live me old woman.
Nun: No, I wont, like I said earlier it was now or never.
(my heart stops for a moment)
Redd: What do you mean?
Nun: I am an old woman Redd, and old people die everyday.
Redd: Are you sick?
Nun: Yes but that's not the point.
(my heart sinks, I have been so awful to this woman)
Redd: I don't know what to say right now.
N un: Say nothing. I’m old, ive lived my life and if this is what God has planned for me then I am ready.
Redd: What can I do?
Nun: You, you can pray, you can live, laugh, love, whatever you want. (she laughs at that last part)
Redd: I cant lose you too.
Nun: You wont, when I am gone, then I am gone. Funny how things worked out. I knew Joseph very well, I always felt like I failed him too. You and I became friends because of him. Now look at us.
Redd: Tell me what to do, maybe there's a doctor we can take you to.
Nun: And do what extend my life another 6 painful months? Shadow knew to live was to have pain. You know this too. I’ve seen 5 different doctors and they all same the same thing. My time is running out Redd. And I have come to make sure you are ok before I leave.
Redd: I haven't been ok in a long time, think you know that.
Nun: Redd if you don't get out of this place that you are in, you will end up just like Legion, just like the rest of them.
Redd: Maybe that's what I want.
Nun: That isn't what you want. It never has been. Move on from this place, from SFT, don't fight Reno. Just go somewhere and have some pie, watch some TV. Live.
Redd: You think I want to fight Reno? I don't. I don't want to fight him. I need to fight him.
Nun: Why?
Redd: To keep SFT alive of course. If I keep that place alive its like keeping Shadow alive, even for a little longer. I cant let him die again. Not again..
Nun: He wouldn't want this for you.
Redd: I knew him better than you. I know what he wanted.
Nun: Not like this.
Redd: This is all I can do.
(I get up)
Nun: Where are you going?
Redd: To get the guest room setup for you. You’re spending the night.
Nun: (smiling) If you insist.
Redd: I do.
(And for once in a long time, I smile at her, a genuine smile)
….Fade...to…..Darkness……
I have a sense of dread as I walk to the door. I reach the white wooden door and use my right hand to unlock the deadbolts and with my left grab the door handle and twist, the cold metal on my skin seems to wake me up at least for a moment. As I open the door I am greeted by an old familiar face. Sister Mary aka The Nun. She stands there in a short trench coat, a modest white dress, her faded gray hair a testament to the life she led. She must be at least 80 years old by now. At least.
Nun: Hello there Redd.
Redd: What are you doing here at this hour?
Nun: Well I knew you weren't asleep, so I decided to drop in for a visit?
Redd: A visit? When have you and I ever had a visit.
Nun: Now is as good a time as any.
Redd: Its not a good time for me, do you know what time it is?
Nun: Invite me in and offer me some coffee.
Redd: You are not a vampire, I don't have to invite you. I would rather you leave please.
Nun: I cant do that? How about I make the coffee and you listen?
Redd: ugh. Fine come in already you’re letting the heat out.
She walks in not bothering to look around and walks straight to the kitchen.
Nun: You are a lot cleaner than your brother. I like tidiness. Good for you.
Redd: I will repeat, what do you want?
The takes out a pot from under the stove and puts some water in it and starts boiling the water.
Redd: I have a coffee maker you know?
Nun: I like it the old fashioned way. Would you like a cup?
Redd rolling his eyes: Why not?
Nun: Now I know you want to know why I am here.
Redd: No duh.
Nun: I am here because I am worried about you.
Redd: Are you?
Nun: Yes. Redd you are stuck in a rut. You should be married by now, have kids, have a real life. Instead you spend your time doing what? What exactly?
Redd: You are not my mother.
Nun: I am the closest thing you got to one.
(as I stare at her I wonder how she might have been as a young woman, as stubborn as this? She aged well, dedicating your life to God and Christ could not have been easy. Serving a religion and a deity could not have been easy. Not many can serve the lord and be happy their entire lives, but she did. I got to respect her for that.)
Redd: this couldn't have waited till morning?
Nun: I am leaving pretty soon, so it was now or never.
Redd: Never would have been better.
Nun: You cant put things off.
She finds the Maxwell House coffee in the cabinet and makes us some coffee, she takes hers black with a bit of sugar. I put milk in mine.
She sits down and looks at me and asks “How are you really?”
I don't answer.
Nun: He’s been gone over 2 years now. You know that right?
Redd: I am not stupid.
Nun: You keep his memory alive and that's good. But you cant put your own life on hold.
Redd: Sister let me ask you something? Do you believe in Ghosts?
Nun: Yes of course.
Redd: The Shadow of his Ghosts haunt me. Everywhere I go I see him. Sitting in a library reading those silly Stephen King books. I see him at the comic book store buying Marvel Comics. I see him at the Chinese places eating Moo Goo Gai Pan. I know he’s dead. But I miss my friend.
Nun: Good.
Redd: Good?
Nun: Yes my friend, good. Its good that you hurt. If you didn't hurt that would mean you are broken. People grieve in their own ways in their own time, it doesn't go away over night or over 2 years. It goes away when you put that person in your heart and it doesn't hurt anymore. But you are still hurting.
Redd: That's why I stay in SFT to hurt others.
Nun: That is besides the point. No matter if you hurt Reno or hurt yourself this next week, it wont make things better. You should talk to him.
Redd: I cant talk to him, he’s dead.
Nun: Talk to him, tell him he’s not forgotten. He made your life better. And you feel like you failed him.
Redd: I did fail him. I still fail him. Everyday, every breath I take is a reminder he isn't breathing. He gave me a family and I gave him failure.
Nun: All things must come to an end. It was simply his time my son.
Redd: Don't give me that bs!
Nun: Your day will come too, mine as well.
Redd: You will probably out live me old woman.
Nun: No, I wont, like I said earlier it was now or never.
(my heart stops for a moment)
Redd: What do you mean?
Nun: I am an old woman Redd, and old people die everyday.
Redd: Are you sick?
Nun: Yes but that's not the point.
(my heart sinks, I have been so awful to this woman)
Redd: I don't know what to say right now.
N un: Say nothing. I’m old, ive lived my life and if this is what God has planned for me then I am ready.
Redd: What can I do?
Nun: You, you can pray, you can live, laugh, love, whatever you want. (she laughs at that last part)
Redd: I cant lose you too.
Nun: You wont, when I am gone, then I am gone. Funny how things worked out. I knew Joseph very well, I always felt like I failed him too. You and I became friends because of him. Now look at us.
Redd: Tell me what to do, maybe there's a doctor we can take you to.
Nun: And do what extend my life another 6 painful months? Shadow knew to live was to have pain. You know this too. I’ve seen 5 different doctors and they all same the same thing. My time is running out Redd. And I have come to make sure you are ok before I leave.
Redd: I haven't been ok in a long time, think you know that.
Nun: Redd if you don't get out of this place that you are in, you will end up just like Legion, just like the rest of them.
Redd: Maybe that's what I want.
Nun: That isn't what you want. It never has been. Move on from this place, from SFT, don't fight Reno. Just go somewhere and have some pie, watch some TV. Live.
Redd: You think I want to fight Reno? I don't. I don't want to fight him. I need to fight him.
Nun: Why?
Redd: To keep SFT alive of course. If I keep that place alive its like keeping Shadow alive, even for a little longer. I cant let him die again. Not again..
Nun: He wouldn't want this for you.
Redd: I knew him better than you. I know what he wanted.
Nun: Not like this.
Redd: This is all I can do.
(I get up)
Nun: Where are you going?
Redd: To get the guest room setup for you. You’re spending the night.
Nun: (smiling) If you insist.
Redd: I do.
(And for once in a long time, I smile at her, a genuine smile)
….Fade...to…..Darkness……
