Hey all- I haven't abandoned Enough. I just had a bout of inspiration while listening to "For Good" from the Wicked soundtrack. To me, it seemed to fit. This is post-Rent. I hope you like it. If you want the full emotional impact, listen to "For Good". Writing this brought tears to my eyes. Then again, I am a highly emotional person.
Disclaimer: I own not a notion. I rent. I know I use this a lot, but it just puts a silly grin on my face. Please bear with me until I find something better Also, the last line is from "For Good" off of the Wicked soundtrack.
He stands before one headstone for 15 minutes before finding the next. Every year he makes sure to visit his friends twice. Once in summer and once in winter. Sometimes he talks to them, sometimes there is silence. He never cries. He has no tears left. Peace has been made between him and his friends and also within himself. He places flowers on their graves in the summer, but in the winter he leaves nothing. In the winter there is nothing and the graveyard is shown for what it is: A solemn place of perpetual mourning. He does not mourn. He cannot mourn. For him, it would do a disservice to his friends-his family-whom he misses more than any word could describe.
Today though is different. Today he feels he should leave something. As he stands before Angel's grave, he pulls a folded piece of paper from his coat pocket. Placing it gently under a rock, he moves on.
Angel. The world's light grew dimmer the day Angel was taken.
His next stop is three headstones down. He smiles at the inscription on the granite. They may not have had much money, but each of their lost friends was glorified in granite headstones. Mostly thanks to Benny. He makes a mental note to call him and see when he is planning on returning to New York. He places an identical slip of paper next to this grave.
Mimi. I didn't have much time with you, but I loved you as a member of my family.
There were days when he dreaded the next headstone. In the past, it had taken him many tries to get near enough to it. His brain and his heart didn't want to believe that he was really gone. One of his best friends, his brother and the man who had always looked out for everyone. Memories flood his mind, but no tears flood his eyes. His girls would have loved this man, this anarchist who tried to change the minds of the closed-minded. His eldest was a philosophy major and he couldn't be prouder. He kneels, feeling the inscription and then places his note.
Collins. You taught me more than I thought possible. The world is missing one of the greatest minds it has ever known.
The last headstone. The last one to leave. The grief is still fresh, as he had only passed away a little over a year ago. Yet, there are no tears. It had been his time and he left peacefully. He had lived on and seen everything he had needed to see. Then he left. He found his glory, he found his purpose and then it was time.
Mark pulls the final piece of paper from his coat. Smiling at the inscription, he places it directly on top of the grave.
Roger. My brother, my best friend. We had some amazing years. Thank you for staying long enough to be my best man at my wedding. Thank you for staying to see my girls born. Most importantly, thank you for being my friend.
Walking back to the entrance of the cemetery where his car is parked, Mark reflects on his past. True, he was the one to survive, but in his survival his friends lived on. They always would.
Thirty years. Thirty years since La Vie Boheme.
Long after Mark has returned to his home and sits with his youngest helping her with English homework, a gust of wind blows through the cemetery. Each note given to his friends blows open, almost as if the recipients are reading them at the exact same time. Inside, in Mark's careful cursive, a final message:
I know I'm who I am today- Because I knew you