Chapter 12- Presence
Shaun slowly walked up the cracked pathway to his house carrying his luggage in one hand. It was an old-fashioned house with no doorbell or metal knocker. He noticed that the place had lost its liveliness and joy. The plants were rotting and the yard was covered with weeds. The windows needed a good washing, too. Reluctantly, Shaun knocked on the door with his fist and waited on the front steps. The door creaked open and there on the other side stood an aging lady. She gasped for air as she saw who had knocked on the door and embraced him deeply.
"Oh, Shaun." She said, crying. "I've missed you so much!"
"Me, too." Shaun said tearfully. "Me, too, Mom."
* * *
Shaun walked into his old house and looked around in the living room. It hadn't changed much. In one corner stood an old rocking chair facing the fireplace. In another sat an old piano. The keys were dusty; obviously from not being played for weeks- maybe even months. He blew on the keys a little to get some of the dust away, but got rewarded with the dust flying into his face. He coughed and stepped back, knowing that it probably wasn't good for his health. He looked on the mantel; there were pictures of Shaun when he was a little boy, pictures of Shaun and his mother in various places such as one of his field trips and the carnival, and a single portrait of Shaun with his mom and dad. His eyes filled with tears as he remembered the times when his father was still alive. He thought about the times he would go on walks with him on the beach, holding his hand, stopping every six seconds to pick up a shell or to play with a hermit crab.
"Shaun!" he heard his mother cal from the kitchen. "Shaun, would you like something to drink?"
Shaun didn't answer.
"Shaun?" his mother came through the doorway, holding a glass of lemonade. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, um, nothing." Shaun said.
His mother looked slightly worried. "Well . . . if you say so. Would you like some lemonade?"
"Uh, no. Thanks, anyway." Shaun put his hands in his pockets, nervously, and stared at the floor. "Hey, mom, can I talk to you about something?"
"Of course." They sat on the couch. .
"I'm, uh, planning to do something while I'm still here . . ." His mother looked at him seriously. "And it might change my life forever."
After telling his mother his idea, she finally nodded with approval with tears glistened in her eyes, knowing that her son, was finally growing up.
* * *
After a homemade lunch at home with is mother, Shaun went into the town to look around. First he went to the high school. Only the students changed. His stomach lurched when he thought about the old principal, Mr. Ralley, the short and fat principal who looked like he should be part of some kind of mob. 'Maybe he's still there'. The thought made Shaun gag. He parked the car in the school parking lot and walked through the front doors of the school. Classes were over for the day, so it was empty. As he stepped in, he could see that after four years, it was still the same school. The trophies were still in the display cases, the certificates and a few plaques hung on the walls, though there were a lot more than the last time he had been there. But what caused his heart to skip a beat was the classroom that he had first really gotten to know Mandeline. He closed his eyes and remembered those two days. The one when he sat right next to her and the time he had asked her out on that first date. His eyes still closed; Shaun inhaled and sighed deeply.
"Excuse me, sir?" said a strong slurred voice.
"Huh?" Shaun opened his eyes and was soon face to face with Mr. Ralley. Immediately, he took a step back. "Ah, um, uh, y-y-yes?"
"We're about ready to close . . ." his voice faded off into the distance. "Wait a minute." He said his voice now raising. "I know you. You're Weston, aren't ya? Yes . . . I gotta hand it to ya kid, you were a troubled one."
Mr. Ralley patted Shaun on the back firmly, almost knocking him over. "Hehe. Yep. Always flirtin' wid da ladies, weren't ya? Heck, prob'ly still are." Shaun knew that wasn't true. At least NOW it wasn't. Mr. Ralley sighed. "Good times. Well, I'm gonna let ya go know, kid. Have a good one." And he wandered away kind of swaying from side to side while walking. 'Maybe he's drunk.' Shaun thought with a shrug. But he couldn't think of that now, he just wanted to get out of that school before he got locked in.
After he went to the high school, he went to another house. He looked at the front of the home. It was the same small house; nothing changed. Except, for the beautiful garden that wasn't there before. He rung the doorbell and waited on the porch, as nervous as ever. Finally, the door opened slowly.
"SHAUN!!" screamed Mandeline. She hugged him around the neck immensely, almost pushing him backwards and crying. "Where have you been all these years? I've missed you so much."
"It's ok now, baby." Shaun said, stroking her hair. "It's all right. I'm here now." They stood on that porch holding each other for what seemed like eternity.
~ Authors Note ~ ok, so, Shaun comes home! Sorry, this chapter was kinda boring and short. The next one will be LONG. A review is always appreciated. Thanks!
. . LyLacLuva . .
Shaun slowly walked up the cracked pathway to his house carrying his luggage in one hand. It was an old-fashioned house with no doorbell or metal knocker. He noticed that the place had lost its liveliness and joy. The plants were rotting and the yard was covered with weeds. The windows needed a good washing, too. Reluctantly, Shaun knocked on the door with his fist and waited on the front steps. The door creaked open and there on the other side stood an aging lady. She gasped for air as she saw who had knocked on the door and embraced him deeply.
"Oh, Shaun." She said, crying. "I've missed you so much!"
"Me, too." Shaun said tearfully. "Me, too, Mom."
* * *
Shaun walked into his old house and looked around in the living room. It hadn't changed much. In one corner stood an old rocking chair facing the fireplace. In another sat an old piano. The keys were dusty; obviously from not being played for weeks- maybe even months. He blew on the keys a little to get some of the dust away, but got rewarded with the dust flying into his face. He coughed and stepped back, knowing that it probably wasn't good for his health. He looked on the mantel; there were pictures of Shaun when he was a little boy, pictures of Shaun and his mother in various places such as one of his field trips and the carnival, and a single portrait of Shaun with his mom and dad. His eyes filled with tears as he remembered the times when his father was still alive. He thought about the times he would go on walks with him on the beach, holding his hand, stopping every six seconds to pick up a shell or to play with a hermit crab.
"Shaun!" he heard his mother cal from the kitchen. "Shaun, would you like something to drink?"
Shaun didn't answer.
"Shaun?" his mother came through the doorway, holding a glass of lemonade. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, um, nothing." Shaun said.
His mother looked slightly worried. "Well . . . if you say so. Would you like some lemonade?"
"Uh, no. Thanks, anyway." Shaun put his hands in his pockets, nervously, and stared at the floor. "Hey, mom, can I talk to you about something?"
"Of course." They sat on the couch. .
"I'm, uh, planning to do something while I'm still here . . ." His mother looked at him seriously. "And it might change my life forever."
After telling his mother his idea, she finally nodded with approval with tears glistened in her eyes, knowing that her son, was finally growing up.
* * *
After a homemade lunch at home with is mother, Shaun went into the town to look around. First he went to the high school. Only the students changed. His stomach lurched when he thought about the old principal, Mr. Ralley, the short and fat principal who looked like he should be part of some kind of mob. 'Maybe he's still there'. The thought made Shaun gag. He parked the car in the school parking lot and walked through the front doors of the school. Classes were over for the day, so it was empty. As he stepped in, he could see that after four years, it was still the same school. The trophies were still in the display cases, the certificates and a few plaques hung on the walls, though there were a lot more than the last time he had been there. But what caused his heart to skip a beat was the classroom that he had first really gotten to know Mandeline. He closed his eyes and remembered those two days. The one when he sat right next to her and the time he had asked her out on that first date. His eyes still closed; Shaun inhaled and sighed deeply.
"Excuse me, sir?" said a strong slurred voice.
"Huh?" Shaun opened his eyes and was soon face to face with Mr. Ralley. Immediately, he took a step back. "Ah, um, uh, y-y-yes?"
"We're about ready to close . . ." his voice faded off into the distance. "Wait a minute." He said his voice now raising. "I know you. You're Weston, aren't ya? Yes . . . I gotta hand it to ya kid, you were a troubled one."
Mr. Ralley patted Shaun on the back firmly, almost knocking him over. "Hehe. Yep. Always flirtin' wid da ladies, weren't ya? Heck, prob'ly still are." Shaun knew that wasn't true. At least NOW it wasn't. Mr. Ralley sighed. "Good times. Well, I'm gonna let ya go know, kid. Have a good one." And he wandered away kind of swaying from side to side while walking. 'Maybe he's drunk.' Shaun thought with a shrug. But he couldn't think of that now, he just wanted to get out of that school before he got locked in.
After he went to the high school, he went to another house. He looked at the front of the home. It was the same small house; nothing changed. Except, for the beautiful garden that wasn't there before. He rung the doorbell and waited on the porch, as nervous as ever. Finally, the door opened slowly.
"SHAUN!!" screamed Mandeline. She hugged him around the neck immensely, almost pushing him backwards and crying. "Where have you been all these years? I've missed you so much."
"It's ok now, baby." Shaun said, stroking her hair. "It's all right. I'm here now." They stood on that porch holding each other for what seemed like eternity.
~ Authors Note ~ ok, so, Shaun comes home! Sorry, this chapter was kinda boring and short. The next one will be LONG. A review is always appreciated. Thanks!
. . LyLacLuva . .