"Uncle Rafe!"
Danny ran up to Rafe's knees, and hugged him tightly.
"Where you going Uncle Rafe?" Rafe looked down lovingly on the little tyke, and patted his head fondly.
"Tell me the story of Dad, Uncle Rafe?" Danny pleaded, and they sat on the porch, lazy in the summer heat. Rafe heard a son escape from behind the screen door. Evelyn, she had not taken the death well. Rafe sighed, and looked out over the setting sun on the ocean.
"Well now, Danny boy. Your daddy was a fine young man. Finest you could ever hope to lick the boot of." Rafe chuckled as Danny looked wonderingly up at him. It had been six years since Danny's father's death. Six long, loving years Rafe had played his uncle. He rubbed his temples as his conscious panged around inside his head.
"Well, you was named Danny, after your daddy. Now, me an' him were like two peas in a pod, we was." Rafe leaned back in the chair, just staring out at the ocean.
"You know what?" Rafe said suddenly, standing up from his chair.
"How would you like to visit your daddy?" Danny's eyes widened. E nodded vigorously. It was time, time for Danny to see his father's grave. Rafe had said he would be like a father to his best friends son. He sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair. He pulled up his old blue trousers, and started down the porch steps.
"Wait a second! Rafe! Where you taking him?" A distressed call came from inside the house.
"Just taking him to see his Pa, Ev. Settle down." Evelyn burst out onto the porch, her dress flapped in the slight wind. Her face seemed so old for a young woman. Lord knows she's been through enough, thought Rafe. Evelyn looked emotionless upon her home. Grasses whipped in the wind, and her dark hair flew about her neck as she turned to look at the ocean. That ocean, she thought. That was the cause of my pain. Her eyes watered dangerously, and she turned, grim jawed, back to Rafe, and nodded. She retreated back into the house, and collapsed into a fit of sobs, which soon turned into hysterical crying as soon as she saw the boy and his "Uncle" pass the bend in the old dirt road, disappearing from sight.
"Why does Mommy cry so much, Uncle Rafe?" Rafe looked up from his feet, making dust clouds on the road.
"Well, let's just say she's been through a lot. More'n you can imagine. I'll tell you later. Sometime later." Rafe continued walking, and came to a turn in the road. Here, the road faded into grass, and made you walk on to an abrupt end overlooking the see. A lone tree, a single tree, was growing barely on the cliff. It boldly looked out over the water, and seemed to mock the possibility of falling. Rafe shook his head as his gaze fell to the sorry little stone cross beneath the symbol of Danny's bravery. Danny, that day, for the first time, met his daddy.
"Hello Daddy," Danny said. He went over, and sat next to the cross. He leaned his head on it, and seemed to listen.
"He says 'you done a fine job Rafe. I'm proud'." Rafe's eyes filled with tears as he watched the six-year-old talk to his six-year dead father.
The sun was setting fast, sinking into the ocean, leaving blood red streaks in the water. Rafe shuddered, and rubbed his arms as the night air began to kick in.
"Uh, Come on Dan. Time to go, little buddy."
"You never told me his story," a little voice said from behind him. Rafe turned and faced Danny.
"Look, I'll tell you at home. But look here, we gotta get a move on, afore your mama gets to worrying." Danny nodded, and Rafe stood up from his kneel, and patted his head.
"You're Pa would be right proud of you, you know, Danny." Rafe choked on his tears as he said this, and they headed home.
Danny ran up to Rafe's knees, and hugged him tightly.
"Where you going Uncle Rafe?" Rafe looked down lovingly on the little tyke, and patted his head fondly.
"Tell me the story of Dad, Uncle Rafe?" Danny pleaded, and they sat on the porch, lazy in the summer heat. Rafe heard a son escape from behind the screen door. Evelyn, she had not taken the death well. Rafe sighed, and looked out over the setting sun on the ocean.
"Well now, Danny boy. Your daddy was a fine young man. Finest you could ever hope to lick the boot of." Rafe chuckled as Danny looked wonderingly up at him. It had been six years since Danny's father's death. Six long, loving years Rafe had played his uncle. He rubbed his temples as his conscious panged around inside his head.
"Well, you was named Danny, after your daddy. Now, me an' him were like two peas in a pod, we was." Rafe leaned back in the chair, just staring out at the ocean.
"You know what?" Rafe said suddenly, standing up from his chair.
"How would you like to visit your daddy?" Danny's eyes widened. E nodded vigorously. It was time, time for Danny to see his father's grave. Rafe had said he would be like a father to his best friends son. He sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair. He pulled up his old blue trousers, and started down the porch steps.
"Wait a second! Rafe! Where you taking him?" A distressed call came from inside the house.
"Just taking him to see his Pa, Ev. Settle down." Evelyn burst out onto the porch, her dress flapped in the slight wind. Her face seemed so old for a young woman. Lord knows she's been through enough, thought Rafe. Evelyn looked emotionless upon her home. Grasses whipped in the wind, and her dark hair flew about her neck as she turned to look at the ocean. That ocean, she thought. That was the cause of my pain. Her eyes watered dangerously, and she turned, grim jawed, back to Rafe, and nodded. She retreated back into the house, and collapsed into a fit of sobs, which soon turned into hysterical crying as soon as she saw the boy and his "Uncle" pass the bend in the old dirt road, disappearing from sight.
"Why does Mommy cry so much, Uncle Rafe?" Rafe looked up from his feet, making dust clouds on the road.
"Well, let's just say she's been through a lot. More'n you can imagine. I'll tell you later. Sometime later." Rafe continued walking, and came to a turn in the road. Here, the road faded into grass, and made you walk on to an abrupt end overlooking the see. A lone tree, a single tree, was growing barely on the cliff. It boldly looked out over the water, and seemed to mock the possibility of falling. Rafe shook his head as his gaze fell to the sorry little stone cross beneath the symbol of Danny's bravery. Danny, that day, for the first time, met his daddy.
"Hello Daddy," Danny said. He went over, and sat next to the cross. He leaned his head on it, and seemed to listen.
"He says 'you done a fine job Rafe. I'm proud'." Rafe's eyes filled with tears as he watched the six-year-old talk to his six-year dead father.
The sun was setting fast, sinking into the ocean, leaving blood red streaks in the water. Rafe shuddered, and rubbed his arms as the night air began to kick in.
"Uh, Come on Dan. Time to go, little buddy."
"You never told me his story," a little voice said from behind him. Rafe turned and faced Danny.
"Look, I'll tell you at home. But look here, we gotta get a move on, afore your mama gets to worrying." Danny nodded, and Rafe stood up from his kneel, and patted his head.
"You're Pa would be right proud of you, you know, Danny." Rafe choked on his tears as he said this, and they headed home.