Broken Glass... The Beginning

Everyone is looking for something, something that makes them more complete, more happy, more secure...

Source: Pixabay

Agatha hummed along to the music from the stereo even as she kept her eyes riveted on the road in front of her. Driving at a steady sixty five miles per hour, she had the look and feel of a woman completely satisfied with her lot in life.

With a well paying job at a clinic just at the outskirts of town, and with two happy kids doing excellently well in college, it was little wonder Agatha looked this way. And though separated, it felt like the departure of Charles from her life was more of a blessing than a curse. At least that was how it looked as Agatha navigated the express way on her route back to her past.

Beneath that facade however, was a woman with a mixture of conflicting emotions.

It had been three days since Agatha had received the news. Charlie had suffered a stroke, the third and final one.

She had been surprised and confused at first. Surprised because Charlie wasn't the kind of man who one would expect to go that way, to die even. Charlie wasn't just always full of life, he literally walked on the edge like it was the most normal thing to do. Nothing beat Charlie, nothing. To learn that he had succumbed to stroke not once, but three times came as a surprise to Agatha. And at the third time of asking, it seemed death had finally contrived to find a way to beat Charlie...

Agatha's confusion was on the other hand, rather self related. She loved Charlie once. And they say love never truly dies. But she wasn't sure what she felt about his death. Was she sad, hurt? Did she feel grief, or indifference? She couldn't really pick out her emotional state right now. Something however seemed to be deeply wrong with everything that was happening, though she couldn't put a finger on exactly what it was.

And while she couldn't, she tried her best to look calm and collected, as she hummed along to the music while she drove...

...

Rose looked at the car as it slowly came to a halt. She already had three guesses as to who the latest guest might be. It was a game she played in her head to keep her from breaking down completely. Charlie's death had strangely hit her harder than she had anticipated. Perhaps it's true what they say, once you let someone stay in your life so long, they somehow become a part of you.

She never loved Charlie, or did she? She was young, and attracted to his money. But somehow, while she was scheming her way into his large purse strings, she had also taken his name with her. And then out of nowhere, twelve long years had passed her by. So she had taken matters into...

Agatha!

The figure that stepped out of the car threw the thoughts out of her head. She had completely forgotten about Charlie's first wife. Just when it seemed like her day was getting a tad bit bearable, Agatha had to show up.

But of course, why didn't she think of it? Agatha had to come. She was as entitled as anyone else to be here. She was...

"Rose..."

"Agatha..."

"I'm sorry..."

Rose sniffed, the tears were coming back again. She held a tissue to her eyes as Agatha wrapped her in an embrace.

"You loved him just as much as I did..."

"We did, didn't we?"

Both stayed in each other's arms for a couple minutes as they sobbed. Oblivious of the rest of the small crowd that had come to pay their last respects to Charlie Barnes...

...

Agatha and Rose sat across each other in complete silence. The ceremony was over, and it was just the two of them left in the old house. Charlie, or rather the pot containing his ashes, sat on the table between them, seemingly intent on respecting the silence of both women. Until Rose spoke..

"You should do the honour..."

"Don't Rose. You are his wife. You should..."

"But he would have wanted you to." Rose interrupted. "He loved you just as much..."

Rose stops mid-sentence as she tries not to resume her sobs again, while Agatha stands up and goes over to comfort her. After a few moments, Rose comports herself...

" Isn't it ironic?" She asks while drying her eyes. "I wish Charlie was here. He always knew what to do."

Agatha smiles in agreement.

"We'll do it together." She says. "It's what Charlie would have wanted."

The two women fall silent again, as each return to the unspoken thoughts in their head...

...

A couple hours later, after a rather long and quiet drive, Rose and Agatha arrive at the beach; Charlie's favorite spot, and where he wished to his dust be scattered.

"I want to give joy to people, even after I'm dead." He was usually fond of saying.

But nothing could have prepared the two women for the surprise they would receive when they stepped out of the car.

Standing at the edge of the water, spotting a face cap, sunshades, and a small paper bag in his hands, was Charlie.

He was smiling at them...

Everyone is looking for something, something that makes them more complete, more happy, more secure... But sometimes, when that thing is found, we find that it makes our situation only worse...

THE END...?

#SladenSpeaks

---

Written for @calluna's Tell Me A Story Contest

Definitely doing a sequel to this!

---