In the Valley of the Shadow of Death
Chapter 6: Broken
* * *
Eric Camden, unlike his wife, took that well intentioned mourner's words to heart. He did have six more children. He knew he had to be the strong one, do what he always did in a crisis. The only way he knew how was to forget. He had to pretend as if Simon had never existed. That way maybe the heavy weight in his chest and the long nights of sleeplessness would end. Besides Annie was a wreck. So, he had to stop feeling, stop remembering, stop everything that had to do with Simon.
*
"So, I thought we thought we'd stay awhile." Ruth Camden put in as she tried to cut threw the adverted glances and melancholy faces at dinner that night. "Maybe a month or so. Until things get…. Ah… settled."
"That'd be great mom." Eric looked over and smiled. Some more knives scraped across the plate, glasses clicked and not a word was spoken. He looked around the table, his entire family was there, it was great having them all together again.
"Too bad we'll never be all together again." Annie spoke, as usual she was thinking the exact opposite of what he was thinking and annoyingly she had the guts to say it. "I mean without Simon and all." she continued.
"So, Matt, Sarah, when will the two of you be heading back?" Eric responded. Anything in which to change the subject.
"Um…" Matt started slightly taken back as he exchanged a worried glace with his wife. "We're not too sure. We got some time off for a death in the family…" his voice trailed off and he looked down at his hands uncomfortably.
Eric wished for the time when he didn't have to step around egg shells with his own family. He wanted, not unlike his youngest daughter, for things to go back to the way they were.
"Why should they go rushing back Eric? We need to stay together. Simon would of…" she began.
Eric had it. He threw his napkin on the table and turned to her. "Enough Annie. Can't we have one meal without being reminded of him?" then he uncharacteristically stormed off to his office. However, before leaving he saw Mary burst into tears.
Unfortunately, pain followed him into his office. There on his desk, in Simon's distinct handwriting was a note with the word "dad" on it. Tears began to form in his eyes and he angrily brushed him away. He didn't want to read it ,but knew he had to. He sighed, sat down and began to read the single line written on it.
"Perhaps even these things, one day, will be pleasing to remember."- by Virgil
He couldn't take it. Simon's well intentioned words did not bring comfort as they were meant to. He wanted to forget even more, the pain was too close and he's be dammed if he fell apart now. He had to do it. So, Eric slowly climbed the steps to the room that had been abandoned by the other occupants of the house. Simon had only been dead two weeks but in an angry rage his father began to throw out 16 years of a life into boxes. Thus, his family found he like this, acting like a half crazed animal.
"Daddy?" Ruthie questioned gently.
Eric held out his arm to her. "Hi sweetie. I've been thinking. You shouldn't be up alone in the attic. So, would you like this as a room? It'd be kinda nice…"
Ruthie stepped away from her father horrified. "I don't want this room."
"Fine!" Eric said sharply. "You always were so hard to please. Mary how about you? Move back home? Be close to your family? What do you say?"
Mary, atypically burst into tears again. "I can't take this. I'm going for a drive." she spoke as she backed out of the room.
"Doing what you do best. Running away when things get too hard. I suppose if I were a boy you'd jump at the chance--" Eric went on not knowing what he was saying and not meaning a word.
Annie walked over and slapped him on the face. "What's wrong with you. Would you want Simon to see you act like this?"
Eric rolled his eyes and touched his cheek. Silly there was no Simon. "I don't want to remember." he said softly.
"And I," she responded as she took the box out of his hand. "don't want to forget."
Broken they all were, indeed.
* * *
a/n : hope you liked this chapter!
Chapter 6: Broken
* * *
Eric Camden, unlike his wife, took that well intentioned mourner's words to heart. He did have six more children. He knew he had to be the strong one, do what he always did in a crisis. The only way he knew how was to forget. He had to pretend as if Simon had never existed. That way maybe the heavy weight in his chest and the long nights of sleeplessness would end. Besides Annie was a wreck. So, he had to stop feeling, stop remembering, stop everything that had to do with Simon.
*
"So, I thought we thought we'd stay awhile." Ruth Camden put in as she tried to cut threw the adverted glances and melancholy faces at dinner that night. "Maybe a month or so. Until things get…. Ah… settled."
"That'd be great mom." Eric looked over and smiled. Some more knives scraped across the plate, glasses clicked and not a word was spoken. He looked around the table, his entire family was there, it was great having them all together again.
"Too bad we'll never be all together again." Annie spoke, as usual she was thinking the exact opposite of what he was thinking and annoyingly she had the guts to say it. "I mean without Simon and all." she continued.
"So, Matt, Sarah, when will the two of you be heading back?" Eric responded. Anything in which to change the subject.
"Um…" Matt started slightly taken back as he exchanged a worried glace with his wife. "We're not too sure. We got some time off for a death in the family…" his voice trailed off and he looked down at his hands uncomfortably.
Eric wished for the time when he didn't have to step around egg shells with his own family. He wanted, not unlike his youngest daughter, for things to go back to the way they were.
"Why should they go rushing back Eric? We need to stay together. Simon would of…" she began.
Eric had it. He threw his napkin on the table and turned to her. "Enough Annie. Can't we have one meal without being reminded of him?" then he uncharacteristically stormed off to his office. However, before leaving he saw Mary burst into tears.
Unfortunately, pain followed him into his office. There on his desk, in Simon's distinct handwriting was a note with the word "dad" on it. Tears began to form in his eyes and he angrily brushed him away. He didn't want to read it ,but knew he had to. He sighed, sat down and began to read the single line written on it.
"Perhaps even these things, one day, will be pleasing to remember."- by Virgil
He couldn't take it. Simon's well intentioned words did not bring comfort as they were meant to. He wanted to forget even more, the pain was too close and he's be dammed if he fell apart now. He had to do it. So, Eric slowly climbed the steps to the room that had been abandoned by the other occupants of the house. Simon had only been dead two weeks but in an angry rage his father began to throw out 16 years of a life into boxes. Thus, his family found he like this, acting like a half crazed animal.
"Daddy?" Ruthie questioned gently.
Eric held out his arm to her. "Hi sweetie. I've been thinking. You shouldn't be up alone in the attic. So, would you like this as a room? It'd be kinda nice…"
Ruthie stepped away from her father horrified. "I don't want this room."
"Fine!" Eric said sharply. "You always were so hard to please. Mary how about you? Move back home? Be close to your family? What do you say?"
Mary, atypically burst into tears again. "I can't take this. I'm going for a drive." she spoke as she backed out of the room.
"Doing what you do best. Running away when things get too hard. I suppose if I were a boy you'd jump at the chance--" Eric went on not knowing what he was saying and not meaning a word.
Annie walked over and slapped him on the face. "What's wrong with you. Would you want Simon to see you act like this?"
Eric rolled his eyes and touched his cheek. Silly there was no Simon. "I don't want to remember." he said softly.
"And I," she responded as she took the box out of his hand. "don't want to forget."
Broken they all were, indeed.
* * *
a/n : hope you liked this chapter!
