Title: Taking for granted
By: Baldur
Rating: K
Summary: What will happen, if you take everything for granted and realise that you are wrong? What will happen if you realise it when it is too late?
Disclaimer: I don't own Sherlock Holmes.
A/N: A little, sad one-shot that came to my mind sometimes yesterday night as I was thinking about my older brother. I dedicate this to him!
As always, a big "Thank you!" to my beta Zant :)
Enough talk, now on with the show!
Taking for granted
"To take something or someone for granted" - that means to be sure that something or someone is constantly there, reliable and available.To be able to take something for granted is a good thing.
You can take the sunrise for granted. Or the sunset. The sun rises everyday. The sun sets everyday. Take that for granted. It will happen every day of your life until you die and everyday in every man's life until the world comes to an end.Take for granted, that after every night, there will be a new day.
You can take people for granted. In a good way or in a bad one. Children take for granted, that their parents are there for them for the bigger part of their lives. They take their love for granted and they are right to do so. They can rely on their love. A man can rely on his friends. They should be loyal, supportive and they should be there for you. Take for granted that they support you if the road gets rough.
What would become of this world if you can't rely on your friends, parents or the daily rise of the sun? To take something for granted can also be bad. You take for granted the time a train arrives at the station, but then it is late - what do you think in that case? If you absolutely relied on its punctuality. Just because it has always been on time before, doesn't mean that there can't be a delay. Alas, men and machines aren't infallible!
As I said, you should be able to take for granted your parent's love, but don't take for granted that they will always be in good humour and high spirits. They are only human: they feel, that means they get angry and become irrational sometimes. When a child first realises that their parents aren't perfect, a piece of their world comes crashing down. But they can cope with that.
I said that you should be able to take for granted a friend's loyalty and support. If you couldn't, he wouldn't be a real friend to you. But don't take for granted his constant presence in you life. You friend has got a life of his own and can't be with you every minute and second of the day. Especially if you yourself aren't. If you aren't what your friend rightfully expects you to be. If you aren't loyal and supportive and understanding enough. If your friend hopes that he can take this for granted but can't.
When you realise this injustice then and it is too late to change it, it causes you unbelievable distress. I know what I am talking about because I have made this error and only recognised it when it was too late!
I have experienced my friends unwavering loyalty, his support, patience, understanding and constant presence. I took it for granted, always assuming that he'd come with me if I requested it. And he always came, so I took it as much for granted as I took the daily sunrise.
Yet, when he needed me, my presence by his side, I so often wasn't there. When he married and asked me to be present, I wasn't. When he believed me dead and I wasn't. When his wife died and I should have been there to support him, and I wasn't. I never realised my errors and he never complained. I'll say it again, I took him for granted. Too much for granted, as one takes for granted his dog.
Not anymore.
My friend is dead. Shot. Shot, because I requested his presence, as I so often did and he came with me, as he always did. Then, when I saw him sinking to his knees and should have been there as he died, to hold his hand, and comfort him in his last moments on this earth, I wasn't! I took off after the one who shot him. I don't know why I did so. I probably couldn't face, what I knew would happen: My friend's death. I failed as a friend. I failed at being supportive and understanding and loyal. I failed being there.
Now, standing at his grave, I realise all this. The realisation causes me distress and pain. Me, who always prided himself as being able to control his emotions. To control his feelings. To control his pain. I took my absolute control for granted. I am wrong. I can't control this. I don't even want to; not anymore. I owe it to my firend to acknowledge that I was wrong. To finally confess my failings and shortcomings. I never was a religious man, but I send my prayer that my firend will know of this somehow, hopefully, in a better place than this earth.
I doubt to ever have such an understanding, steadfast, such an excellent friend again.
And I vow to my dead friend, to never take anything or anyone for granted again!
A/N: Well, I thing I've gotten pretty carried away with my thoughts. I just
had the feeling to write and post it. It may be no good at all, but I think I
owed it to myself to try to write it. I gave my best. Please give me your
thoughts! Leave a review behind, please! Thank you!