CHAPTER FIVE
Back in the present…
Fisher opened his eyes and sighed. Noah had blamed himself for the accident and had started drinking again. Fisher had tried to assure him that it was his own fault; after all it had been his idea for Seb to have a ride on his bike.
Seb's funeral had been small and private; only family members and friends had been invited. Fisher remembered Kirsty's shocked expression after when she learned Seb had died. Fisher closed his eyes again and the memories came flooding back once more…
* * *
" No! Seb is not dead!" Kirsty wept as she leaned against Jade for support. She wiped her eyes, which were swollen and red, and her face was white.
" Kirsty, Noah saw the whole thing. You have to accept it." Jade urged Kirsty,
" We have to make arrangements for the funeral."
Kirsty sank onto the couch, " I can't do it Jade."
Jade put her arms around Kirsty, " then let me do it. Fisher will help me."
Kirsty sniffled, " Will you?"
" Sure." Jade tried to force a smile. Poor Kirsty. She and Seb had been married for a short time.
And the worse thing was, Kirsty had revealed she was two months pregnant with her first child. Now the unborn child will never know its father.
Kirsty placed a hand on her stomach, " this child will never know it's father," she wept, reading Jade's mind, " I only knew this morning so I couldn't tell Seb. He would never know that he was going to be a dad."
" Maybe you can tell her." Jade was getting an idea.
" How?" Kirsty asked.
" At the funeral. You can tell Seb he's going to be a dad in your eulogy."
Kirsty brightened at that, " That's a great idea Jade. He'll be listening. I'm sure of it." She hugged her sister tightly.
" Dad will overjoyed that's he's gonna be a grandad again." Jade already had a son named Robert who was nearly a year old. He was born last year when Jade and Nick were 21.
" I know what I'll call it if it's a boy." Kirsty paused, " I'll name it Sebastian, after it's father."
Jade smiled, " Seb will like that."
* * *
Fisher opened his eyes and the memories faded. Kirsty was now married to her second husband Sam Banks, a journalist from Yabbie Creek Times and they had three kids together while Seb Junior was a grown boy of fourteen and looked like a mirror image of his father, Seb Senior.
Fisher reached for the phone and dialled Kirsty's number and asked to speak to his great-grandchild-Kirsty knew which one. Seb was Fisher's favourite; everyone knew that.
" Hi Grandad!" Seb Jnr chirped. Even though Fisher was Seb's great-grandfather, Fisher insisted on being called 'Grandad'.
" Hi Seb. How are you?"
" Fine. What's up?"
" I was hoping you might be able to come over today." Fisher said.
" Sure. It's very boring here at the moment." Seb agreed, " I can ride over on my bike."
Kirsty and her family only lived a block away. " I'll see you soon then." Fisher said goodbye and while he waited, he pulled out a couple of photo albums. He thought it was about time Seb saw photos of his dad.
Back in the present…
Fisher opened his eyes and sighed. Noah had blamed himself for the accident and had started drinking again. Fisher had tried to assure him that it was his own fault; after all it had been his idea for Seb to have a ride on his bike.
Seb's funeral had been small and private; only family members and friends had been invited. Fisher remembered Kirsty's shocked expression after when she learned Seb had died. Fisher closed his eyes again and the memories came flooding back once more…
* * *
" No! Seb is not dead!" Kirsty wept as she leaned against Jade for support. She wiped her eyes, which were swollen and red, and her face was white.
" Kirsty, Noah saw the whole thing. You have to accept it." Jade urged Kirsty,
" We have to make arrangements for the funeral."
Kirsty sank onto the couch, " I can't do it Jade."
Jade put her arms around Kirsty, " then let me do it. Fisher will help me."
Kirsty sniffled, " Will you?"
" Sure." Jade tried to force a smile. Poor Kirsty. She and Seb had been married for a short time.
And the worse thing was, Kirsty had revealed she was two months pregnant with her first child. Now the unborn child will never know its father.
Kirsty placed a hand on her stomach, " this child will never know it's father," she wept, reading Jade's mind, " I only knew this morning so I couldn't tell Seb. He would never know that he was going to be a dad."
" Maybe you can tell her." Jade was getting an idea.
" How?" Kirsty asked.
" At the funeral. You can tell Seb he's going to be a dad in your eulogy."
Kirsty brightened at that, " That's a great idea Jade. He'll be listening. I'm sure of it." She hugged her sister tightly.
" Dad will overjoyed that's he's gonna be a grandad again." Jade already had a son named Robert who was nearly a year old. He was born last year when Jade and Nick were 21.
" I know what I'll call it if it's a boy." Kirsty paused, " I'll name it Sebastian, after it's father."
Jade smiled, " Seb will like that."
* * *
Fisher opened his eyes and the memories faded. Kirsty was now married to her second husband Sam Banks, a journalist from Yabbie Creek Times and they had three kids together while Seb Junior was a grown boy of fourteen and looked like a mirror image of his father, Seb Senior.
Fisher reached for the phone and dialled Kirsty's number and asked to speak to his great-grandchild-Kirsty knew which one. Seb was Fisher's favourite; everyone knew that.
" Hi Grandad!" Seb Jnr chirped. Even though Fisher was Seb's great-grandfather, Fisher insisted on being called 'Grandad'.
" Hi Seb. How are you?"
" Fine. What's up?"
" I was hoping you might be able to come over today." Fisher said.
" Sure. It's very boring here at the moment." Seb agreed, " I can ride over on my bike."
Kirsty and her family only lived a block away. " I'll see you soon then." Fisher said goodbye and while he waited, he pulled out a couple of photo albums. He thought it was about time Seb saw photos of his dad.