1 Memories
By: Colette Sauve
Ralph stood on the deck of the sleek cruiser staring across the water at the orange and gold sunset. It had been 2 days since they were found on their burning island. The ship was due to arrive back in Britain in less than a week.
Ralph shivered in his slightly in his too large T-shirt and slacks. Ralph remembered the way Lt. Bloom, the navel officer that he had encountered on the beach, looked at him when he said that two boys had been killed. The thought of being in Britain and it's entire populace truly chilled him. Ralph's long blond hair was blown into his face by the stiff ocean breeze. It was no longer dirty and matted but clean and straight, his bangs falling a little below his eyes. Ralph pushed his hair back behind his ears and thought about how long he and the other boys had been on their island.
In the months that Ralph had been on the island, his 13th birthday had come and gone but it felt like he had been stuck there for a month for every day that had pasted. He watched the stars slowly light up the evening sky and wished that Piggy were here to see this. Ralph felt his eyes start to burn at the thought of his best friend, who's life was ripped away from him so soon before his time by Roger. Ralph suddenly realized he didn't even know Piggy's real name. He had blurted out the name "Piggy" to the other boys so fast that he had never even gave Piggy the chance to say anything but the malicious nickname.
Simon was next on Ralph's mind as the tears ran down his scratched cheeks. Simon's face was still fresh in his mind. His smile and touch was what Ralph remembered most. Then, there was his voice. Ralph had heard him singing in the forest once. Simon was sitting among the blue flowers and candle buds, singing a Christian hymn. He reminded Ralph of a painting of Jesus, surrounded by flowers that hung in one of the hallways in Ralph's house. In his opinion, Simon had the voice of an angel. His pleasant memories were shattered as recalled he Simon's screams the night he had been killed.
Then, there was Jack.
Ralph genuinely liked the older boy. He admired how well Jack composed himself and how intelligent he was. From what Ralph could see, Jack had been a better leader than he himself had been. But, Ralph had hated the way Jack had disregarded all but his own rules. It had hurt Ralph deeply when Jack had denounced him as chief and left with his own tribe. Ralph had cried himself to sleep for many nights over that incident. Ralph sighed. Even Piggy didn't know about the silent tears he wept for Jack in the dark depths of his soul.
Ralph let out a small sob and wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve, while searching for the North Star. A cough behind him brought his thoughts crashing back to reality. Ralph whipped around and found himself staring into a pair of sparkling blue eyes. Jack stood a few feet behind Ralph, still wearing the torn remnants of his black choir cap over his now chin-length hair. He looked nervous, while staring at his feet and holding something behind his back that Ralph couldn't see. Jack glanced at Ralph, then quickly looked away.
"Hullo," Jack muttered
"..Hullo.." Ralph said, for lack of anything better.
"Uhhh.." Jack looked up meaningfully, "I just came up here to tell you that they're gonna charge Roger for, ya know, murder." He looked back at his feet again, his red hair falling out of his cap and around his face. Ralph's heart skipped a beat. He noticed that Jack fit the men's clothes much better than he did, due to the fact that Jack was taller, older and more muscular from hunting.
"Oh." Ralph whispered " I didn't think they would."
"And." Jack drew in a tight breath. "And I wanted to give you these." He held out the hand that was behind his back. In it, Jack held Piggy's broken glasses. Ralph stared dumbly at the specs, the one eyepiece still cracked. He than gently took them from Jack, their hands touching for a brief moment. Ralph cradled the only thing he had left of his best friend to his chest and stared out across the water again. Time pasted. Ralph was still staring at the water and Jack hadn't moved. It was silent, save for the waves crashing against the cruiser. Each boy was still deep in their own thoughts. The silence was suddenly broken.
"Ralph." Jack took a step towards Ralph and faced him.
"Huh?"
"Ralph. I. I'm sorry about. about what happened on the island." Jack muttered miserably, "I'm sorry about. about everything! It's all my FAULT!!" Jack was yelling now. Ralph didn't know what to do about this. "It's my fault that Simon and Piggy are. are." Jack sort of huddled on the deck, hugging himself. "Oh God. I killed them."
"Jack," Ralph said, "it's not your fault."
"Like Hell it isn't! How can you say that!? I was chief and I let it happen!" Ralph saw that he was crying now. "I told Roger to drop the rock on intruders! I made up that dance! And if that officer hadn't come to the island went he did. You'd have. You'd have been." At this point, Jack's words turned to sobs. Ralph was stunned by Jack's sudden confession. Not knowing how to react to the emotions being portrayed, he started to cry, too. After what seemed to be an eternity, the sobbing quieted and the two boys were sitting side-by-side on the deck. It was Ralph that spoke first.
"It's not your fault, Jack." Ralph whispered in to the other boy's ear. "We were all afraid when Simon came out of the jungle. We all had a part in that. And Roger decided to drop the rock, not you. He could have done it before Piggy was there or not at all but he did drop it. It was his choice, not yours, Jack."
"Do you mean that Ralph?" Jack looked up at Ralph. His eyes were like melting pieces of ice.
"Of course I do!" He smiled widely at Jack.
"Thanks, Ralph." Jack leaned back against the side of the deck and closed his eyes. A few minutes pasted and Ralph thought of something. He turned towards the red haired boy.
"Hey, Jack?"
"Hmm?"
"You're the lead choir boy at your school, right?"
"Yeah," Jack glanced at Ralph, " That's the reason I'm at that school, 'cuz of my voice. Why?"
"Well. Could you sing for me?" Ralph blushed. Jack chuckled when he saw this.
"Sure, Ralph." He smiled pleasantly, "I'll sing for you."
Jack started to sing a hymn. The same hymn he had heard Simon sing in the jungle so many months ago. Ralph sat back against the deck side, closed his eyes and fell asleep to a voice as pure as heaven.
By: Colette Sauve
Ralph stood on the deck of the sleek cruiser staring across the water at the orange and gold sunset. It had been 2 days since they were found on their burning island. The ship was due to arrive back in Britain in less than a week.
Ralph shivered in his slightly in his too large T-shirt and slacks. Ralph remembered the way Lt. Bloom, the navel officer that he had encountered on the beach, looked at him when he said that two boys had been killed. The thought of being in Britain and it's entire populace truly chilled him. Ralph's long blond hair was blown into his face by the stiff ocean breeze. It was no longer dirty and matted but clean and straight, his bangs falling a little below his eyes. Ralph pushed his hair back behind his ears and thought about how long he and the other boys had been on their island.
In the months that Ralph had been on the island, his 13th birthday had come and gone but it felt like he had been stuck there for a month for every day that had pasted. He watched the stars slowly light up the evening sky and wished that Piggy were here to see this. Ralph felt his eyes start to burn at the thought of his best friend, who's life was ripped away from him so soon before his time by Roger. Ralph suddenly realized he didn't even know Piggy's real name. He had blurted out the name "Piggy" to the other boys so fast that he had never even gave Piggy the chance to say anything but the malicious nickname.
Simon was next on Ralph's mind as the tears ran down his scratched cheeks. Simon's face was still fresh in his mind. His smile and touch was what Ralph remembered most. Then, there was his voice. Ralph had heard him singing in the forest once. Simon was sitting among the blue flowers and candle buds, singing a Christian hymn. He reminded Ralph of a painting of Jesus, surrounded by flowers that hung in one of the hallways in Ralph's house. In his opinion, Simon had the voice of an angel. His pleasant memories were shattered as recalled he Simon's screams the night he had been killed.
Then, there was Jack.
Ralph genuinely liked the older boy. He admired how well Jack composed himself and how intelligent he was. From what Ralph could see, Jack had been a better leader than he himself had been. But, Ralph had hated the way Jack had disregarded all but his own rules. It had hurt Ralph deeply when Jack had denounced him as chief and left with his own tribe. Ralph had cried himself to sleep for many nights over that incident. Ralph sighed. Even Piggy didn't know about the silent tears he wept for Jack in the dark depths of his soul.
Ralph let out a small sob and wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve, while searching for the North Star. A cough behind him brought his thoughts crashing back to reality. Ralph whipped around and found himself staring into a pair of sparkling blue eyes. Jack stood a few feet behind Ralph, still wearing the torn remnants of his black choir cap over his now chin-length hair. He looked nervous, while staring at his feet and holding something behind his back that Ralph couldn't see. Jack glanced at Ralph, then quickly looked away.
"Hullo," Jack muttered
"..Hullo.." Ralph said, for lack of anything better.
"Uhhh.." Jack looked up meaningfully, "I just came up here to tell you that they're gonna charge Roger for, ya know, murder." He looked back at his feet again, his red hair falling out of his cap and around his face. Ralph's heart skipped a beat. He noticed that Jack fit the men's clothes much better than he did, due to the fact that Jack was taller, older and more muscular from hunting.
"Oh." Ralph whispered " I didn't think they would."
"And." Jack drew in a tight breath. "And I wanted to give you these." He held out the hand that was behind his back. In it, Jack held Piggy's broken glasses. Ralph stared dumbly at the specs, the one eyepiece still cracked. He than gently took them from Jack, their hands touching for a brief moment. Ralph cradled the only thing he had left of his best friend to his chest and stared out across the water again. Time pasted. Ralph was still staring at the water and Jack hadn't moved. It was silent, save for the waves crashing against the cruiser. Each boy was still deep in their own thoughts. The silence was suddenly broken.
"Ralph." Jack took a step towards Ralph and faced him.
"Huh?"
"Ralph. I. I'm sorry about. about what happened on the island." Jack muttered miserably, "I'm sorry about. about everything! It's all my FAULT!!" Jack was yelling now. Ralph didn't know what to do about this. "It's my fault that Simon and Piggy are. are." Jack sort of huddled on the deck, hugging himself. "Oh God. I killed them."
"Jack," Ralph said, "it's not your fault."
"Like Hell it isn't! How can you say that!? I was chief and I let it happen!" Ralph saw that he was crying now. "I told Roger to drop the rock on intruders! I made up that dance! And if that officer hadn't come to the island went he did. You'd have. You'd have been." At this point, Jack's words turned to sobs. Ralph was stunned by Jack's sudden confession. Not knowing how to react to the emotions being portrayed, he started to cry, too. After what seemed to be an eternity, the sobbing quieted and the two boys were sitting side-by-side on the deck. It was Ralph that spoke first.
"It's not your fault, Jack." Ralph whispered in to the other boy's ear. "We were all afraid when Simon came out of the jungle. We all had a part in that. And Roger decided to drop the rock, not you. He could have done it before Piggy was there or not at all but he did drop it. It was his choice, not yours, Jack."
"Do you mean that Ralph?" Jack looked up at Ralph. His eyes were like melting pieces of ice.
"Of course I do!" He smiled widely at Jack.
"Thanks, Ralph." Jack leaned back against the side of the deck and closed his eyes. A few minutes pasted and Ralph thought of something. He turned towards the red haired boy.
"Hey, Jack?"
"Hmm?"
"You're the lead choir boy at your school, right?"
"Yeah," Jack glanced at Ralph, " That's the reason I'm at that school, 'cuz of my voice. Why?"
"Well. Could you sing for me?" Ralph blushed. Jack chuckled when he saw this.
"Sure, Ralph." He smiled pleasantly, "I'll sing for you."
Jack started to sing a hymn. The same hymn he had heard Simon sing in the jungle so many months ago. Ralph sat back against the deck side, closed his eyes and fell asleep to a voice as pure as heaven.
