Читать книгу A Question of Time - Jamie Ashbird - Страница 5

‘Dad could never keep that look out of his eye. it was there with every word he spoke to Sherlock, even the angry ones – or mock anger depending on what Sherlock had broken that day. Every look was a love letter to his soulmate.

‘And on behalf of Sherlock I will roll my eyes at the word soulmate. He preferred the ever-so-romantic: mutual chemical attraction.

‘Though once, when he and I were drinking tequila shots under the kitchen table after my divorce, he called Dad – and this is true – his bestest forever friend.

‘Sherlock could never hide it either, that look. Every scratch from a retort stand, every stain from an experiment, every bullet hole in the wall, those were love letters too. Uncalled for as they were.

‘They were together until the end. And I’m thankful that neither left the other behind. Neither could have borne that pain.

‘But now they’ve one last adventure, to nourish these trees, in whose shade people might find wisdom and kindness.

‘Two elms, inosculated at their trunks, just as they were inosculated at their hearts. And yes, Sherlock bet me I couldn’t fit inosculated into a eulogy – three times, Papa.

‘The last words are theirs.

‘From Dad: be brave, be kind, be true.

‘From Sherlock: use your big words, always tell the bees.’