Talk to Me
Chapter 8
Faith followed Bosco into the park that was across the street from the church. She found him sitting on a park bench in a small-secluded area underneath a couple trees.
"Bosco?" She called softly. He quickly wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. He had been crying. "Bos? Look at me."
The look on his face shocked her. She could tell he had been crying, but his expression wasn't one of sadness it was anger.
"Bosco are you OK?" She sat down next to him. He quickly stood up.
"Yeah. I'm fine."
"Don't lie to me Bosco! Let me help you."
"How can you help me Faith?!"
"I can listen. I can be here for you. But you have to open up. I can't read your mind. You have to talk to me Bosco."
He started to say something, but no sound came out. He just shook his head, and looked up to the sky.
"Talk to me."
"I don't know what to say."
"Just say what you're feeling."
This time he didn't hesitate. "He used me Faith!" His voice was full of anger, and at the same time there was a hint of sadness. But mostly it was anger. She hadn't seen this kind of anger since the day he beat up Skaget at the factory. Seeing him like this scared her, but she didn't let it show. She knew he needed to get this off his chest.
"He used me, and he used you too! He knew that if you thought I was in danger you'd call for help. I tried to make him stop! I told him not to involve you! Even after he got my gun I tried to help him. I tried to give him a way out, but he wouldn't listen! He wouldn't listen to me! He wouldn't let me help!"
Bosco was pacing in front of the bench where Faith was sitting. She could see the pain and anguish on his face. It was tearing her apart to see him like this. She wanted to hug him. To hold him in her arms, and tell him everything would be all right. She resisted the urge to go to him. Instead she sat and listened.
"Up on the roof he worked his plan. He knew exactly where they would be. He knew when to hide behind me, and when to duck out of sight. He was in control and he knew it! He used me! And he made me think he was going to kill me! I was so scared, but I kept trying to talk to him. I kept trying to help him! He still wouldn't listen! I begged him not to kill me! I didn't want to die!"
He stopped to catch his breath. Then turned to look at Faith. "Then he tried to calm me down. Can you believe it?! He reassured me, not to worry because he was in control. Then he dropped the clip. I wasn't scared anymore. He wasn't going to hurt me. I yelled. I tried to tell them not to shoot! It was suicide, but they didn't listen to me! Why wouldn't anyone listen? They shot him. His blood was all over me. I just stood there. I watched him die Faith! I couldn't help him." His voice trailed off, and the park was silent.
Bosco paced around a little more, and ran his hand through his hair. "But you know the worst part Faith? He kept saying it was a gift he was giving me. A gift! What the hell kinda gift was that?! What was he trying to tell me?! In his apartment after he got my gun. He told me he should just shoot me. Shoot me before I screwed up the lives of everyone who loves me! But I think it's too late for that. I've already screwed up; Mikey, Ma, Nicole. I messed all that up. He shoulda killed me! I wish he would have Faith!"
"Bosco don't say that." Faith stood up, and walked over to him.
"What do I have left Faith?! Huh? What do I do now?"
"You've got me Bos. It's gonna be hard, but you have to get past this. You have to move on."
He looked down at his feet. "I'm afraid Faith. What if I screw up what we have? You're all I have left."
"Look at me Bos," she lifted his chin, and could see the tears forming in his eyes. She cupped his face in her hands. "You aren't going to screw this up. I'll always be there for you. No matter what."
He shook his head no. "I'm just like him Faith! I'm just like Hobart!"
"No Bosco. You're not! You don't run away. Hobart took the easy way out! You are not like him. You hear me?"
He looked back down at the ground, and Faith moved her hands down so that she was holding onto his arms. Bosco looked up at her, and spoke quietly. "Faith even though he put me through all this shit. I miss him. Is that wrong?"
"No Bosco. It's not wrong. He was your friend, and that's what you should try to remember. The guy who had you on the roof; that wasn't Glen. That was a man who needed help, and didn't know where to turn until it was too late. He didn't realize he could talk to you, but that isn't your fault. You were a good friend to him. You did the best you could."
"My best wasn't good enough Faith."
"But at least you tried. That's what matters."
Tears began to fall from Bosco's eyes, and he began to sob uncontrollably. But unlike the day on the roof he didn't turn away from Faith. He just stood there sobbing. Faith moved forward, and held him close to her.
Between sobs he asked her, "Now what?"
"I'm not sure, but whatever it is. We'll figure it out together."
The End?
Chapter 8
Faith followed Bosco into the park that was across the street from the church. She found him sitting on a park bench in a small-secluded area underneath a couple trees.
"Bosco?" She called softly. He quickly wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. He had been crying. "Bos? Look at me."
The look on his face shocked her. She could tell he had been crying, but his expression wasn't one of sadness it was anger.
"Bosco are you OK?" She sat down next to him. He quickly stood up.
"Yeah. I'm fine."
"Don't lie to me Bosco! Let me help you."
"How can you help me Faith?!"
"I can listen. I can be here for you. But you have to open up. I can't read your mind. You have to talk to me Bosco."
He started to say something, but no sound came out. He just shook his head, and looked up to the sky.
"Talk to me."
"I don't know what to say."
"Just say what you're feeling."
This time he didn't hesitate. "He used me Faith!" His voice was full of anger, and at the same time there was a hint of sadness. But mostly it was anger. She hadn't seen this kind of anger since the day he beat up Skaget at the factory. Seeing him like this scared her, but she didn't let it show. She knew he needed to get this off his chest.
"He used me, and he used you too! He knew that if you thought I was in danger you'd call for help. I tried to make him stop! I told him not to involve you! Even after he got my gun I tried to help him. I tried to give him a way out, but he wouldn't listen! He wouldn't listen to me! He wouldn't let me help!"
Bosco was pacing in front of the bench where Faith was sitting. She could see the pain and anguish on his face. It was tearing her apart to see him like this. She wanted to hug him. To hold him in her arms, and tell him everything would be all right. She resisted the urge to go to him. Instead she sat and listened.
"Up on the roof he worked his plan. He knew exactly where they would be. He knew when to hide behind me, and when to duck out of sight. He was in control and he knew it! He used me! And he made me think he was going to kill me! I was so scared, but I kept trying to talk to him. I kept trying to help him! He still wouldn't listen! I begged him not to kill me! I didn't want to die!"
He stopped to catch his breath. Then turned to look at Faith. "Then he tried to calm me down. Can you believe it?! He reassured me, not to worry because he was in control. Then he dropped the clip. I wasn't scared anymore. He wasn't going to hurt me. I yelled. I tried to tell them not to shoot! It was suicide, but they didn't listen to me! Why wouldn't anyone listen? They shot him. His blood was all over me. I just stood there. I watched him die Faith! I couldn't help him." His voice trailed off, and the park was silent.
Bosco paced around a little more, and ran his hand through his hair. "But you know the worst part Faith? He kept saying it was a gift he was giving me. A gift! What the hell kinda gift was that?! What was he trying to tell me?! In his apartment after he got my gun. He told me he should just shoot me. Shoot me before I screwed up the lives of everyone who loves me! But I think it's too late for that. I've already screwed up; Mikey, Ma, Nicole. I messed all that up. He shoulda killed me! I wish he would have Faith!"
"Bosco don't say that." Faith stood up, and walked over to him.
"What do I have left Faith?! Huh? What do I do now?"
"You've got me Bos. It's gonna be hard, but you have to get past this. You have to move on."
He looked down at his feet. "I'm afraid Faith. What if I screw up what we have? You're all I have left."
"Look at me Bos," she lifted his chin, and could see the tears forming in his eyes. She cupped his face in her hands. "You aren't going to screw this up. I'll always be there for you. No matter what."
He shook his head no. "I'm just like him Faith! I'm just like Hobart!"
"No Bosco. You're not! You don't run away. Hobart took the easy way out! You are not like him. You hear me?"
He looked back down at the ground, and Faith moved her hands down so that she was holding onto his arms. Bosco looked up at her, and spoke quietly. "Faith even though he put me through all this shit. I miss him. Is that wrong?"
"No Bosco. It's not wrong. He was your friend, and that's what you should try to remember. The guy who had you on the roof; that wasn't Glen. That was a man who needed help, and didn't know where to turn until it was too late. He didn't realize he could talk to you, but that isn't your fault. You were a good friend to him. You did the best you could."
"My best wasn't good enough Faith."
"But at least you tried. That's what matters."
Tears began to fall from Bosco's eyes, and he began to sob uncontrollably. But unlike the day on the roof he didn't turn away from Faith. He just stood there sobbing. Faith moved forward, and held him close to her.
Between sobs he asked her, "Now what?"
"I'm not sure, but whatever it is. We'll figure it out together."
The End?