Chapter Two: Saying Goodbye
When Jonathan woke up his face, hair and shirt were wet and Alex and Fiona were staring at him.
"What is it Uncle Jon? You just passed out." Jonathan stood up, wiping his face off.
"I'm fine." He said. "Come into the library will you? WE need to talk about something important." He led them into the library and after they'd all sat down he began rubbing his hands together. Alex watched him closely.
"What' wrong Uncle Jon?" Jonathan looked up at him and forced a smile.
"Tell me." Alex said. Jonathan looked down for a moment and looked back up with tears in his eyes.
"Alex," he said, choking back tears, "Your mum and dad were in an accident. They've died." Alex's eyes widened and he jumped off the couch and ran out the front door into the pouring rain. Jonathan followed, running after him.
"Alex!" he yelled, and fell to his knees grabbing Alex's shoulder. "Alex, where are you going?"
"Let me go!" Alex yelled through the rain. "I don't believe it, they can't be dead! Not my dad! He can't die! Mum either! They're too strong to die! They would never leave me! They just wouldn't!" He broke down sobbing and hugged Jonathan, crying on his shoulder.
Two days later Alex, Fiona and Jonathan stood alone in the graveyard, dressed in black, as all the other mourners left to get out of the freezing rain. Fiona tugged on Jonathan's pant leg and he picked her up and hugged her. Alex stood a few feet in front of him. Suddenly, Alex screamed. Then he kicked the tombstone with his parents names carved into it. "I hate you!" he screamed, falling to his knees. "Why'd you leave me? Why? It's not fair!"
Jonathan stood Fiona on the wet ground beside him, and picked up Alex, cradling him against his chest like a baby. He was straining but still held on. Alex wrapped his arms around his uncle's neck and cried.
"It's not fair Uncle Jon. Why did they the leave me? Why'd they die?" Jonathan held his nephew and searched his mind for something, anything to say.
"Alex, death is a very complicated thing. I can't explain it."
"Make them come back!" Alex sobbed. Jonathan began to tear up.
"I can't." He was beginning to feel like throwing up. Alex and Jonathan cried on each other. They both felt the same overwhelming sense of loss. But both of them had to stop crying and look down when they heard little Fiona speak.
"Goodbye Mummy, goodbye daddy." She said, "I love you." Jonathan took her hand and they went to the car. Before they drove away, Alex put his hand to the window and through his tears he said, "Goodbye. I love you."
When Jonathan woke up his face, hair and shirt were wet and Alex and Fiona were staring at him.
"What is it Uncle Jon? You just passed out." Jonathan stood up, wiping his face off.
"I'm fine." He said. "Come into the library will you? WE need to talk about something important." He led them into the library and after they'd all sat down he began rubbing his hands together. Alex watched him closely.
"What' wrong Uncle Jon?" Jonathan looked up at him and forced a smile.
"Tell me." Alex said. Jonathan looked down for a moment and looked back up with tears in his eyes.
"Alex," he said, choking back tears, "Your mum and dad were in an accident. They've died." Alex's eyes widened and he jumped off the couch and ran out the front door into the pouring rain. Jonathan followed, running after him.
"Alex!" he yelled, and fell to his knees grabbing Alex's shoulder. "Alex, where are you going?"
"Let me go!" Alex yelled through the rain. "I don't believe it, they can't be dead! Not my dad! He can't die! Mum either! They're too strong to die! They would never leave me! They just wouldn't!" He broke down sobbing and hugged Jonathan, crying on his shoulder.
Two days later Alex, Fiona and Jonathan stood alone in the graveyard, dressed in black, as all the other mourners left to get out of the freezing rain. Fiona tugged on Jonathan's pant leg and he picked her up and hugged her. Alex stood a few feet in front of him. Suddenly, Alex screamed. Then he kicked the tombstone with his parents names carved into it. "I hate you!" he screamed, falling to his knees. "Why'd you leave me? Why? It's not fair!"
Jonathan stood Fiona on the wet ground beside him, and picked up Alex, cradling him against his chest like a baby. He was straining but still held on. Alex wrapped his arms around his uncle's neck and cried.
"It's not fair Uncle Jon. Why did they the leave me? Why'd they die?" Jonathan held his nephew and searched his mind for something, anything to say.
"Alex, death is a very complicated thing. I can't explain it."
"Make them come back!" Alex sobbed. Jonathan began to tear up.
"I can't." He was beginning to feel like throwing up. Alex and Jonathan cried on each other. They both felt the same overwhelming sense of loss. But both of them had to stop crying and look down when they heard little Fiona speak.
"Goodbye Mummy, goodbye daddy." She said, "I love you." Jonathan took her hand and they went to the car. Before they drove away, Alex put his hand to the window and through his tears he said, "Goodbye. I love you."