Epilogue
It was midday with the sun shining down on the streets of a crowded city, as a boy around high school age with fair hair and lean build, young looking but with shadows behind his eyes that spoke of wisdom beyond his age. Twitching slightly when people passed too close to him as he walks from the dark towncar to the door of a brightly colored candy shop full of children begging their parents for sweets.
He saw them and in his eyes you can see the longing of something that was lost. As he navigates the loud and crowded aisles he passes a small boy not older than six with a shadow of a birthmark along his neck and jaw, that was there but not noticeable unless you really looked. After two paces this high school boys stops in his tracks, turns and looks at the child noticing the tear traces on this face. This little boy looks up at the boy who might as well be a man as he walks slowly toward him with hands held out at his sides as to not seem threatening.
"Are you alright, have you lost your mum?" With that one question the dam that held back the childs tears broke, as he ran toward the teen, practically knocking him down with the force of the embrace. Lifting the boy up and holding him tightly, while whispering words of comfort that any other teen boy wouldn't think to say looked around himself hoping to see a woman searching for her precious child.
After several minutes with a wet patch on his shoulder growing in size he sees a tall dark haired woman frantically searching the aisles and shelves for something. "Ma'am is this your son?"
The woman's head snaps up and they lock eyes, she paused for a second taking in the scene before her of her baby boy sobbing into the shoulder of a teenage boy who was holding him close and rubbing her sons back and cradling his head.
"Yes, thank you so much!" The mother says through her half-shed tears. The child turns and reaches out for his mother. Repeating her thanks as the mother walks out of the store while the teen turns away smiling and walks toward the counter.
Behind the counter an older woman with a pair of specs stands sorting through change."Miss, are you Piggy's Aunt?"
The woman in question looks up scowling at him over her specs. "His name wasn't Piggy it was Phillip, and if you don't show some respect you will have to leave."
His eyes widen and he takes a small step back, "I'm sorry Ma'am, I didn't mean to offend you or Pi-Phillip."
Still eyeing him over her specs she asks the question, "Who are you?"
"My name is Ralph, Ma'am, I was friends with Phillip. I was on the plane that vanished during the war with him."
"Really?" Her eyes shine with a small ray of hope.
"Yes Ma'am, we crashed on an island with another group of boys."
"Where is he?" The ray had become more of a glow.
"He didn't make it off the island Ma'am." Ralph said slowly, letting it sink in. After a few moments small sniffles could be heard from behind the counter. Philip's Aunt quickly moved to the door chasing out some boys and their mothers as she went. At the door she flipped the Open sign to Closed and locked the door. Turning around she lead Ralph to a back room where they both sat on wooden benches at a small dining table.
"Tell me everything." She ordered in a weak voice. And Ralph did, starting from the moment Phillip and Ralph met then moving from topic to topic in order. The assembly and himself being voted chief. The fire that took the life of the child that was afraid of the beast that had a birthmark just like the little boy from the store. Building shelters with Simon, exploring the rest of the island. Jack and the hunter letting the fire go out. The separating of the groups. His voice wavering slightly when speaking of Simon's brutal murder. Ralph and Phillip trying to get the others to see reason. Roger sending down the rock that killed Phillip, at this a wail ripped through the air filled with enough pain to raise the finally Jack and his hunters chasing Ralph across the island after starting the fire to flush him into the navy officer on the beach, taking them to the cruiser and then home.
All throughout Ralphs tale the sniffles grew louder until they were a continuous sobbing. He stood up and went to the other side of the table to hold Phillip's Aunt, the wet spot on his shoulder that was long dry reappeared. After what felt like days, but was probably only a few hours the tears stopped, Ralph's shirt from shoulder to waist was damp.
"Thank you for telling me what happened to Phillip." The Aunt whispered. With that they both stood up and walked out to the store front.
"Goodbye" was said by both parties as the went their separate ways into the dusk. The woman back into the store with a heavy heart, but eased mind knowing her nephew was at peace. And the boy back to the car knowing he had done what he promised himself he would do the few years before, but seemingly an eternity.