More Than Words - Nehebka
Chapter 5 .
Somebody knocked in her door, and Mrs. Handlemann, the wife of Lou, went to see who he was.
"John! I'm glad to see you. Come on, come on" said the woman.
John nodded and got into.
"I just came you to express my condolences. I'm so sorry".
"I now dear" sighed and then shook her head to leave this sad memory behind. "Now I was preparing tea, come on, make yourself conformable" said the woman showing the living room. "I'll bring the tea, do you want something to eat?".
John shook his head. He didn't know when was the last time he had eaten. However, he wasn't hungry. Then, he suddenly felt dizzy and sat down on the couch. He put his head in his hands. It hurted, it was like if it was going to explode. When John heard she was coming he looked up again. Mrs. Handlemann entered carrying a tray with several cups of tea. She set it down on the coffee table and sat down in a chair across from him. She looked at him carefully.
"You look awful John. Are you alright?" said looking at his circles under his eyes. She stood up and fondled his cheek. "John you're running slightly fever!" said the woman alarmed.
"It's nothing. Maybe I caught a cold" said John trying not attach great importance of it. He cleared his throat. "How are you?" said John changing the subject.
"Well-" sighed Mrs. Handlemann "I haven't assimilated he would never come back. Sometimes I think he'll open the door and-" her voice broke and started to cry.
John stood up, approached to her, and embraced her. "I know. Come on, let yourself go. You can cry".
"Oh, John, I-I miss him so much" mumbled the widow.
"What the hell-?" yelled Steven when he entered into the house. He came to visit his mother and see how she was coping with the death of her husband. "John, what a surprise to see you here?" said wryly.
John stood aside Mrs. Handlemann and came closer to Steven. They shook their hands.
"I'm sorry about your father. If there is anything I can do-?" said John.
"No thanks" said sharply.
There was an uncomfortable silence. Steven didn't look away from John. John felt Steven didn't want him there. He looked at his watch.
"Vow, it's very late. You would to prepare the dinner soon, I won't keep you any longer" said John.
"Do you want to have dinner with us?" ask the woman. She still was worried about John. He looked ill, maybe a soup would help him to feel better, thought the woman.
John could feel Steven's gaze in the back of his neck, and he was sure it wasn't a friendly look.
"You're very kind. But as I said before, I have to go". The woman nodded.
"Thanks for coming" said the woman and kissed his cheek. "See you soon".
John smiled at her sweetly. "Goodbye Steven" said John.
"Goodbye" said Steven sharply.
**********************************
John shut the door and when he was in Handlemann's garden, he heard the opened door.
"Hey, John!" shouted Steven.
John turned around and Steven punched him. He did it so hard and it was so suddenly that John almost lost his balance. John touched his lip and was surprised to find blood. Steven had split his lip. He shook his head. He didn't care. He didn't even try to defend himself as he should have done before. If Steven wanted to hit him again, he wouldn't stop him. He thought he deserved it.
"How dare you to come back here?! I didn't say anything in front of mum because I didn't want to upset her but you're NOT welcome in this house. I know from the first time dad invited you in our house, you would cause a lot of trouble for us. For god's sake! You're the son of the worst scum of humanity. I know who is you're father and what he does. And I wasn't wrong, you're as failure as him, like father like son, I imagine".
"I only wanted to express my condolences-" whispered John.
"Son of bitch" yelled Steven as he put John up against the wall and pinned his arm across his throat. "I KNOW what happened. My father's dead because of YOU" this words upset very much John. "You don't have any right to come here and express your condolences. Your condolences means nothing to me" whispered in his ear.
"Steven, are you outside?" shouted Mrs. Handlemann from inside the house.
"I'll be back in a moment" answered him.
"Now get out of here!" said as he stopped pinning his arm across his throat. "And remember my words, If you ever dare to go up to my family again, you'll wish you'd never been born".
Mrs. Handlemann opened the front door.
"Steven, the meal is ready. If you hurry, it'll get cold"
"Goodbye John" said coldly as he walked away.
"John, are you sure, you can't stay a little more?" John shook his head, he wasn't sure he could say a word, he hardly breath. "Ok, care yourself. The funeral will be tomorrow in the morning, at quarter past ten" John nodded. "You'll come, won't you?"
"Yes" said John.
"See you tomorrow then" said the woman as she closed the door again. John left the garden and started walking without knowing where to go, he just kept walking.
**********************************
While Steven was giving his speech, Bailey and Sam walked slowly
across the graveyard where Lou's funeral was taking place. They've been looking for John all the night, and they didn't find him. Bailey thought that maybe he'd go to the funeral. Bailey wish whatever John was, he was fine.
"We are gathered here today to say farewell to our collage, friend, my father.." Steven voice broke for a moment "Lou Handlemann. He was an honest man. May God receive him with open arms" said Steven finishing his speech.
The family approached to his grave and throw a handful of dirt. Then the grave is filled with dirt, and the family started to walk away. Lou's family started to walked away. Bailey and Sam walked towards them.
"We wanted to express our condolences" said Bailey to the widow who nodded. "It was a beautiful ceremony".
"Yes it was. Thanks for coming" said Steven trying to cut into the conversation. He seized her mother by the arm and began to leave when Mrs. Handlemann turned around.
"Please, when you see John tell him to call me. I'm worried, yesterday he promised me to come but he hadn't come. It's strange, he never breaks a promise unless-" said the widow.
"Did you see him yesterday?" said Sam interrupting Mrs. Handlemann.
"Yes" said nodding. "He visited me yesterday in the evening. I remember I thought he didn't look well but he insisted that he was fine".
"Did he tell you where he was going after visiting you?" asked a worried Bailey.
The woman shook her head. "He didn't tell me anything. However, Steven talked to him later" said and everybody looked at him.
"He didn't tell me anything either" said Steven sharply.
Sam could see that he didn't like John. However she knew Steven was telling the truth.
"Is anything wrong with him?" asked Mrs. Handlemann more worried.
"No, don't worry. It's just that we want to talk to him. If he visits you again please call me" said Bailey as he gave her a card with his telephone. She nodded.
"Come on mum, it's starting to drizzle. We better go home before it rains harder" said Steven and they walked away. When they were far from Bailey and Sam, Steven looked at her mother.
"What are you thinking?" said Mrs. Handlemann to his son who was quiet.
"I thought the first time dad invited John to our house. I wish he hadn't done it, I knew from the first time I saw him, he wasn't a reliable person" said Steven while her mother shook her head sadly.
"John is a good man. Moreover, you're father rely on him, this should be enough reason for you to trust him".
Steven shook his head sadly, a movement her mother didn't notice. Poor woman, thought Steven, she would never know how corrupt her husband was. The official version was that Lou died on duty. However, Steven had friends in the police station and asked them to hide the fraudulent activities of his father.
**********************************
Meanwhile, John stagged along the streets. He didn't know where to go, he just kept walking in the same direction with his head down. His feeling of guilty was so profound that he didn't pay attention to his own physical state. He was running a slight fever, but he ignored it. He had headache, but he ignored it too. He didn't notice the drizzle that little by little was soaking him. The only thing that matter now was that he couldn't save Lou. Lou had always been a father to him. Despite his father's activity, Lou relied on him when he joined the police. No one trusted him, but Lou did. Lou always helped him. And now, that he had a problem, John hadn't been able to help him. He failed him.
Chapter 5 .
Somebody knocked in her door, and Mrs. Handlemann, the wife of Lou, went to see who he was.
"John! I'm glad to see you. Come on, come on" said the woman.
John nodded and got into.
"I just came you to express my condolences. I'm so sorry".
"I now dear" sighed and then shook her head to leave this sad memory behind. "Now I was preparing tea, come on, make yourself conformable" said the woman showing the living room. "I'll bring the tea, do you want something to eat?".
John shook his head. He didn't know when was the last time he had eaten. However, he wasn't hungry. Then, he suddenly felt dizzy and sat down on the couch. He put his head in his hands. It hurted, it was like if it was going to explode. When John heard she was coming he looked up again. Mrs. Handlemann entered carrying a tray with several cups of tea. She set it down on the coffee table and sat down in a chair across from him. She looked at him carefully.
"You look awful John. Are you alright?" said looking at his circles under his eyes. She stood up and fondled his cheek. "John you're running slightly fever!" said the woman alarmed.
"It's nothing. Maybe I caught a cold" said John trying not attach great importance of it. He cleared his throat. "How are you?" said John changing the subject.
"Well-" sighed Mrs. Handlemann "I haven't assimilated he would never come back. Sometimes I think he'll open the door and-" her voice broke and started to cry.
John stood up, approached to her, and embraced her. "I know. Come on, let yourself go. You can cry".
"Oh, John, I-I miss him so much" mumbled the widow.
"What the hell-?" yelled Steven when he entered into the house. He came to visit his mother and see how she was coping with the death of her husband. "John, what a surprise to see you here?" said wryly.
John stood aside Mrs. Handlemann and came closer to Steven. They shook their hands.
"I'm sorry about your father. If there is anything I can do-?" said John.
"No thanks" said sharply.
There was an uncomfortable silence. Steven didn't look away from John. John felt Steven didn't want him there. He looked at his watch.
"Vow, it's very late. You would to prepare the dinner soon, I won't keep you any longer" said John.
"Do you want to have dinner with us?" ask the woman. She still was worried about John. He looked ill, maybe a soup would help him to feel better, thought the woman.
John could feel Steven's gaze in the back of his neck, and he was sure it wasn't a friendly look.
"You're very kind. But as I said before, I have to go". The woman nodded.
"Thanks for coming" said the woman and kissed his cheek. "See you soon".
John smiled at her sweetly. "Goodbye Steven" said John.
"Goodbye" said Steven sharply.
**********************************
John shut the door and when he was in Handlemann's garden, he heard the opened door.
"Hey, John!" shouted Steven.
John turned around and Steven punched him. He did it so hard and it was so suddenly that John almost lost his balance. John touched his lip and was surprised to find blood. Steven had split his lip. He shook his head. He didn't care. He didn't even try to defend himself as he should have done before. If Steven wanted to hit him again, he wouldn't stop him. He thought he deserved it.
"How dare you to come back here?! I didn't say anything in front of mum because I didn't want to upset her but you're NOT welcome in this house. I know from the first time dad invited you in our house, you would cause a lot of trouble for us. For god's sake! You're the son of the worst scum of humanity. I know who is you're father and what he does. And I wasn't wrong, you're as failure as him, like father like son, I imagine".
"I only wanted to express my condolences-" whispered John.
"Son of bitch" yelled Steven as he put John up against the wall and pinned his arm across his throat. "I KNOW what happened. My father's dead because of YOU" this words upset very much John. "You don't have any right to come here and express your condolences. Your condolences means nothing to me" whispered in his ear.
"Steven, are you outside?" shouted Mrs. Handlemann from inside the house.
"I'll be back in a moment" answered him.
"Now get out of here!" said as he stopped pinning his arm across his throat. "And remember my words, If you ever dare to go up to my family again, you'll wish you'd never been born".
Mrs. Handlemann opened the front door.
"Steven, the meal is ready. If you hurry, it'll get cold"
"Goodbye John" said coldly as he walked away.
"John, are you sure, you can't stay a little more?" John shook his head, he wasn't sure he could say a word, he hardly breath. "Ok, care yourself. The funeral will be tomorrow in the morning, at quarter past ten" John nodded. "You'll come, won't you?"
"Yes" said John.
"See you tomorrow then" said the woman as she closed the door again. John left the garden and started walking without knowing where to go, he just kept walking.
**********************************
While Steven was giving his speech, Bailey and Sam walked slowly
across the graveyard where Lou's funeral was taking place. They've been looking for John all the night, and they didn't find him. Bailey thought that maybe he'd go to the funeral. Bailey wish whatever John was, he was fine.
"We are gathered here today to say farewell to our collage, friend, my father.." Steven voice broke for a moment "Lou Handlemann. He was an honest man. May God receive him with open arms" said Steven finishing his speech.
The family approached to his grave and throw a handful of dirt. Then the grave is filled with dirt, and the family started to walk away. Lou's family started to walked away. Bailey and Sam walked towards them.
"We wanted to express our condolences" said Bailey to the widow who nodded. "It was a beautiful ceremony".
"Yes it was. Thanks for coming" said Steven trying to cut into the conversation. He seized her mother by the arm and began to leave when Mrs. Handlemann turned around.
"Please, when you see John tell him to call me. I'm worried, yesterday he promised me to come but he hadn't come. It's strange, he never breaks a promise unless-" said the widow.
"Did you see him yesterday?" said Sam interrupting Mrs. Handlemann.
"Yes" said nodding. "He visited me yesterday in the evening. I remember I thought he didn't look well but he insisted that he was fine".
"Did he tell you where he was going after visiting you?" asked a worried Bailey.
The woman shook her head. "He didn't tell me anything. However, Steven talked to him later" said and everybody looked at him.
"He didn't tell me anything either" said Steven sharply.
Sam could see that he didn't like John. However she knew Steven was telling the truth.
"Is anything wrong with him?" asked Mrs. Handlemann more worried.
"No, don't worry. It's just that we want to talk to him. If he visits you again please call me" said Bailey as he gave her a card with his telephone. She nodded.
"Come on mum, it's starting to drizzle. We better go home before it rains harder" said Steven and they walked away. When they were far from Bailey and Sam, Steven looked at her mother.
"What are you thinking?" said Mrs. Handlemann to his son who was quiet.
"I thought the first time dad invited John to our house. I wish he hadn't done it, I knew from the first time I saw him, he wasn't a reliable person" said Steven while her mother shook her head sadly.
"John is a good man. Moreover, you're father rely on him, this should be enough reason for you to trust him".
Steven shook his head sadly, a movement her mother didn't notice. Poor woman, thought Steven, she would never know how corrupt her husband was. The official version was that Lou died on duty. However, Steven had friends in the police station and asked them to hide the fraudulent activities of his father.
**********************************
Meanwhile, John stagged along the streets. He didn't know where to go, he just kept walking in the same direction with his head down. His feeling of guilty was so profound that he didn't pay attention to his own physical state. He was running a slight fever, but he ignored it. He had headache, but he ignored it too. He didn't notice the drizzle that little by little was soaking him. The only thing that matter now was that he couldn't save Lou. Lou had always been a father to him. Despite his father's activity, Lou relied on him when he joined the police. No one trusted him, but Lou did. Lou always helped him. And now, that he had a problem, John hadn't been able to help him. He failed him.