Читать книгу Inevitable Loneliness - Deshaun Peoples - Страница 6

The king awakens to his arm comforting his queen. He groans quietly and looks to the white ceiling above him; his mind drifting through the clouds. The hidden fear slowly creeping up his body reaching from his toes to his coarse head. The thought beginning to grow louder before his queen awoke from her beauty sleep. She sits up to her king sitting at the edge of the bed looking down at the soft carpet. She tilts her head slightly in curiosity as she wraps her arms around his neck gently. “Today’s the day,” she says in his ear. He doesn’t respond only caressing her hand around his neck. The soft gentleness filled his hand flowing down his body like pure water. He looks towards her and gives a slight smirk before standing. He walks over to the door grabbing at the knob twisting it open. His queen sits laying on the bed with one leg under the other watching him leave. He slouches his way dragging his hand across the walls looking at the pictures situated on them. He stops looking at a picture of little lily and phoenix being held in the queen's arms when lily was but a baby. He stares at it putting his hand on the picture rubbing it with his thumb gently.

He continues his way into the kitchen seeing a hand leaning over the chair in the kitchen. A sudden panic ensues as he quietly runs overseeing lily looking at her chest. He stares looking at it to see it slowly rise up and down. His heartbeat slows back down to a snail's pace as he grows more relaxed. He gently wraps his arm around the underside of her leg and one on her neck slowly rising her in the air. He puts her on him closing the distance from his chest as she lays across her daddy. He carries her over to the couch seeing the clock saying 8:00. He sits down on the couch with her little body still lying in his arms. He looks at her sleeping face at peace. He puts his hand gently on her hair rubbing it feeling every black strand run through his fingers softly. He looks towards the window to the outside world in all its grey with the clouds taking over the sky.

The sound of a door creaking comes from behind him as it slowly creeps open. The queen comes out in all white as she floats walking gracefully over to her loving king. She stands behind him holding her princess on the couch so gently. She stands asking “Do you think she really wants to leave?” He continues caressing her black Lucious hair only shrugging to respond to the question. He turns his head to his queen saying “I think she doesn’t care as long as she’s with us.” The queen smiles, leaving the room towards the kitchen.

Phoenix gently opens his eyes laying in bed feeling the mattress beneath him. The feeling of nothing in his head slowly terrifying him. He opens his eyes widely seeing lily no longer in his arms. He shoots up from bed standing so fast that he becomes dizzy for a moment. He stops thinking “She can’t be gone,” continuing “She wouldn’t leave us.” He stands taking in deep breaths calming himself down tremendously. He walks containing the fear inside grabbing the knob, twisting it open. He sees the sight of the hallway no longer in color, while at the end of it seeing the back of daddy’s head. He slowly walks overseeing little lily in his arms, gentle and asleep; the audible heartbeat slowing down as he sees her. He rubs his face comforting himself as he walks away towards the kitchen. He sits his petite frame in the kitchen seat as mommy makes breakfast in front of him. He could see her angel wings shooting from her back like a graceful butterfly. The sound of moving leather triggered phoenix’s eyes looking back towards daddy. He has lily’s head in his right hand with his left holding the crevice of her legs standing. He bends his back as he sets her down on the couch gently giving the couch no semblance of noise. He stands up straight looking towards phoenix. He begins walking towards phoenix as he looks on making eye contact with him. He kneels down in front of him hearing every bone popping and cracking as he comes down to say “You’ll protect her right,” looking back at lily’s sleeping dovelike frame “no matter what?” Phoenix glances over to his world and looks back towards daddy replying “No matter what.”

Lily lays dreaming of a peaceful world of love without hate. The dream of a child, but no less a dream. She dreams of the butterflies fluttering their wings freely with birds of colorful wings in the blue sky. The green grass beneath her feet so ever soft as she walks feeling it between her soft toes. She can see the flowers blooming as the sun kisses her cheek with warmth. The arrival of black crows come into the fray though they aren’t feared but welcomed into this world. A crow flows down to lily perching on her gentle finger. Lily holds the bird, gently rubbing the top of its head saying “Everyone and everything is welcome into my world.” The bird caws in her hand rubbing its head against her finger; her feeling its soft feathers rub against her. It flies off her finger flapping its wing high in the blue sky joining all the birds in the sky as she watches them. She continues walking seeing a hill in the distance. She walks towards the hill climbing up its grassy field reaching the edge seeing the entire world in the distance as if she was standing on the moon. She sits at the edge of the cliff dangling her feet off the edge flicking them back and forward. “It looks so peaceful, as it should be.” She continues seeing the world in the distance as the crow comes back fluttering in sheltering itself next to her. She looks towards it and picks it up gently holding it in her hand telling the gentle creature “Maybe one day things can be nice like here,” looking back to the green grass with butterflies and birds coexisting in peace. “Maybe one day”

She opens her eyes back to reality seeing everyone eating. Did you leave any for me,” making pouted lips “it smelt good too.” Phoenix turns his head towards lily smiling holding a plate full of food in his hand. Lily shoots up from the couch practically running towards phoenix. “Did you dream well?” asks phoenix. She paused for a moment and briefly replied “I think so.”

“How could you not know if you dreamt well” phoenix replies shaking his head in the air in curiosity.

“Well, daddy said that not all dreams are good and that some are just dreams of a child,” she says sarcastically.

Daddy turns his head towards lily “Hey,” pointing his fork towards her “I never said that child dreams couldn’t come true.” Lily stops for a moment trying to think if he did ever say that but can’t think of any.

“That’s true” she replies with food filling her mouth.

“Don’t speak with your mouth full” the queen says politely.

The king puts his hand in front of his face blocking his wife’s sight as he looks towards lily motioning a finger in a circle around the side of his head as he puts a thumbs up in front of him. Lily smiles at daddy and gives a thumbs up in return.

“Ok don’t come to me when you can’t get a little boyfriend,” the queen says sarcastically. Phoenix and lily reply in unison saying “ewwwwww.” Lily replies jerking her head forward “the only boy I need in my life is phoenix”. Phoenix looks towards her pointing at her with finger guns smiling. The king says sweetly “Now isn’t that cute,” looking towards the queen. “Y’all should finish up,” continuing “We’ll be leaving for grandma’s soon.” The news station ears an echo in the background of their voices. “Cases of red flare have now escalated to an alarming rate as people grow afraid and desperate.....” The Tv shuts off suddenly to the sight of daddy holding the remote in his hand. “I'm tired of all the bad news. Let’s go and have some fun at grandma’s and grandpa’s why don’t we.“He holds back a look as he says grandpa before looking over to mommy giving a reassuring smile. The children finish their food and make their way back to the room as they prepare to go. As they pack up the remaining things they want to bring you can see phoenix’s eyes focused on the window outside. He stares at the house across the street remembering the act as he recounts to himself “Protect.” Lily stands at the closet door watching him as she slightly shrugs and continues packing. He snaps back and continues to pack his things as he throws slight glances towards the window. The king and queen stand in the other room preparing for the long road ahead of them grabbing almost everything from the house; Snacks, water, clothes, and cans of food. The king kneels down next to the bed pulling out a brown chest from underneath. He looks up watching his wife and once she looks away he opens it and quickly grabs that which hides in it. He stuffs it in his pocket and stands up patting at his blue pants. The queen turns to see him shambling his pants and gives a sligh look as she turns away. She walks out of the room heading down the hallway towards the children’s room. She stands outside the door hearing whispering, she puts her face against the wood. “I don't know,” the sweet voice of lily, “I think the red flare isn’t gonna mess with anyone especially us since we’re strong.” She hears stumbling feet in the room moving away from the door. “It already has” the voice of phoenix coming through. Mommy could already feel what phoenix was talking about without even seeing him. She comes into the room slowly and smiles saying “Ready?” seeing lily and phoenix standing at the window seal. They dont move for a moment, time feeling nonexistent. She can only see the backs of the two little ones as they stand there motionless. Lily turns and recounts “Ready” smiling lithely.

They all meet in the living room with their bags in hand. They stand in a circle; mom and dad next to each other with lily and phoenix the same. Daddy says triumphantly “Lets roll out.” Everyone looks towards him as they walk outside the door. Lily sees the sky grow grey no longer blue welcoming the hue of something a little more new. She stuffs her bag in the trunk of the dried red car as it rose up. She takes a step back going towards her roses that lay against the edge of the brick house. She stands looking at them flutter in the grey breeze as she pulls a seed from her pocket. She kicks up a little dirt releasing the seed into the ground mumbling “You’ll be light in the shadow.” She walks back to the car leaning and sitting in the backseat looking out the window as trickles of rain start to touch it. Phoenix joins her sitting beside her in the seat after stuffing his bag in the trunk. He watches her as she stares out the window resting her head in her hand. The queen finishes and comes to the passenger seat sitting looking back at her little angels. The king comes out setting the door closed locking it behind him. He makes his way towards the car sitting down placing his hands on the steering wheel. He puts the jangly keys in the ignition as you hear the car stutter to life. They get one last glimpse of the house before backing out of the driveway and setting off on the long stretched road. Lily looks out the back window of the car looking at the home disappear in the distance. The hue of the home growing silent and empty turning into a plain house. She looks towards her garden at the kicked up pile of dirt just looking at it, thinking to herself. The house becomes no longer visible as they make their way down the cracked street as their black rapturous journey begins.