Soda's POV
I woke up late on a Saturday afternoon, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I had taken a nap after I got home from work. And just like every day for the past few weeks, I had dreamt about Pony. I still didn't like the idea of him being gone. The house seemed so empty without him.
When I first started having the dreams, they seemed so real. I wished I could have hugged Pony at the hospital, swinging him around. I wished he had been able to fight in the rumble, without the kick in the head, of course. I also wished that the three of us had raced home and that all three of us had made it home. But it was all a dream. Just like when I dreamed about the three of us racing home, Pony has vanished from our lives. He's no longer with us except for in our memories and dreams.
I stood up from my bed and walked to the living room where Darry sat reading the news paper. He looked up when he saw me. "Did you sleep well?"
I nodded. Darry knew about the dreams and always asked how I slept. Especially if I wasn't crying when I woke up.
"Darry, do you need the truck?" I asked.
He shook his head. "Nope. Are you going out?"
"Yeah." I told him. "I shouldn't be too long."
"Okay. Be careful." Darry tells me that a lot now. Not that I blamed him. We only had each other.
Once I was in the truck, I drove to the cemetary. It was about a fifteen minute drive from the house. At the cemetary, I stood at my parents' grave for a few minutes. Then, I stood at Pony's.
"Hey, Pony." I said. "I sure do miss you. Darry misses you, too. Wish you were here with us. It's just not the same without you. I've been dreaming about you. It's almost as if you're still here. But, it's just a dream. I can't bring you back. I guess I should go now. Say hi to Dally and Johnny for me. "
When I finished, I turned and went back to the truck. But I didn't go home. Instead, I went to the park near my house and watched the sunset from the top of the jungle gym. Pony had always enjoyed watching sunsets and since his death, I've started to enjoy watching them myself. Maybe it's because I can almost feel him sitting next to me as I watch the sun go down in a mix of colors.