Call Back Yesterday
By: Olivia

"Love, all alike, no season knows, nor clime, nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of
time."-John Donne-"The Sun Rising"

"Whosoever has loved knows all that life contains of sorrow and of joy."-George Sand


"He loves you very much," said Claire turning to the woman sitting next to her on the bench.

The woman nodded solemnly. "I know. He tried to tell me that day, but I wasn't listening. I
was too busy being angry with him for all the years he wasn't around."

"He thought you hated him. I told him you didn't," said Claire looking to the woman for
acknowledgment that she had told him the right thing.

A lone tear streaked down the woman's face. "Even when I got in trouble, I pushed him away. I
didn't want his help. I needed to show him that I didn't need him. I could take care of myself. I
didn't need him then and I certainly didn't need him now. I didn't want to get to the point where
I needed him. I couldn't stand for him to leave again. I would just be too much to bear. So I hid
my feelings by hurting him. I hurt him. I made him feel that my life would have been better
without him."

"You loved him," said Claire with conviction. She knew she had been right about this woman.
How could she not love him?

The Autumn wind blew the woman's hair across her face. She brushed her hair back with her
hand and brushed away the tears that were silently streaking down her face. "Yes, I loved him.
Do you think he'll ever know?"

"We'll do our best to make sure he knows," said Claire smiling at the woman trying to put her at
ease.

"Do you think he'll ever forgive himself?"

Claire and the woman turned to look at Lennie standing in front of a tombstone. His eyes were
wet as he stared at it. His hands shook as he gently placed a lone white long steam white rose on
the ground.

"He still blames himself for my death and that wasn't his fault either. He tries to carry the
weight of the world on his shoulders," said Claire.

"Who's going to take care of him?" said the woman.

"Don't worry, Cathy. Your Dad will always be taken care of," said Claire.

The two of them watched as Rey came up quietly beside Lennie and made the sign of the cross.
Rey leaned over and whispered something in Lennie's ear. Lennie nodded and then followed
Rey to his car. They got in and drove out of the cemetery. Claire and Cathy watch them until
they could no longer see the car.

"He'll always have someone to watch his back and take care of him. I've seen to that."

Cathy smiled at Claire sadly, but gratefully. "Thank you."

Cathy stood up and walked over to her tombstone, studying the writing and the white rose. "You
knew him better than I did. I wish I would have taken the time to get to know him better. And to
talk, to really talk to him."

Claire stood up and walked over to where Cathy was standing. "You will. We all will. Just not
today."

Claire and Cathy turned to look at the horizon. The sun was setting. And they slowly faded
away with the disappearing sun.