2
Dad was in a bad way and Scott knew it; He just wasn't sure what to do about it. If he wasn't so worried, the grief of the loss of his mother and grandfather might have hit him harder but he simply hadn't had time for it to set in since that fateful day. Right now, he was playing a game of baseball with his brothers, having convinced them they needed some family time and a way to take a break from the whirlwind of emotions they were experiencing. The grief was so new and raw none of them knew how they should deal with it. They had never lost anyone in the family before and then mom and grandpa were gone in a blink of an eye. Scott had lost comrades before so had some experience of how damaging grief could be. So here they were doing what their big brother thought was best which was to ignore the elephant in the room and push through it with some physical activity. He knew the youngest brothers had been finding it hard to sleep so he was hoping this would exhaust them enough to grant them some rest.
They were using the paddock nearest to the farm, the picket fence encasing them. Scott was bowling as was custom whilst the other brothers were split into teams, two fielding and two batting. Today it was Virgil and John, against Alan and Gordon. Gordon and John were natural born athletes, lithe and speedy; it was rare the others allowed them to play on the same team as they were sure to win. So far, this little game seemed to be working. They had not had a game like this since they were all in their mid-teens or younger. Scott was bowling fast and trying to keep score (Whilst his brothers argued and contested points on a regular basis.) He barely had time to think about their current situation trying to referee the obvious cheating taking place. There was a steady rhythm to the bowling and running only broken by the occasional wayward ball that took too long to reclaim. Shouts of foul! and home run! echoing across their makeshift pitch. To the outside world they looked like five brothers having a fun day to themselves. The siblings never wanted the game to end, it was the closest they could get to suspending reality. Eventually the heat of the day got the better of them, with no bleachers to sit on they propped themselves on the fence and grabbed a drink. They all sat there in silence for a time looking out over the wheat fields, none of them wanting to touch on the darkness that tugged at each of them in turn.
It was a long time since they had been together like this. Scott was committed to USAF now (United states air force). This was the first time he had been home in months; he had recently returned on R&R before then being granted emergency leave as the deaths in the family became known. Virgil had completed his studies at Denver and was working at Tracy industries in the engineering team. John was mid study at Harvard in advanced telecommunications. Gordon hadn't got on with university life so he had enlisted early into the submarine service before just recently transferring to the World Aquanaut Security Patrol (W.A.S.P), at the moment he was only a reservist spending the rest of his time studying the ocean and the marine life that fascinated him. Alan the youngest of all the brothers had enrolled in his studies at Colorado university and was already known as a bit of a joyrider and general daredevil amongst his friends. Alan, John had all been pulled from uni. Gordon was not currently posted but had been given compassionate leave from training.
They sat there each battling with their own thoughts but all of them knowing that they didn't want to go back into the house that was empty without their mother's presence. The oppressive atmosphere of what was happening to their dad was also taking its toll on them. To Alan it felt like he had lost both parents the day his mom had died. To see his dad collapsed on the floor of the waiting room in shock was not something he could forget. His father so stern and steadfast, completely destroyed by the loss of her. He had managed to compose himself long enough to embrace his children before their grandmother walked in sobbing that Grandad had passed away. Something seemed to snap in Jeff at that point and he had run from the room, wanting out. Scott had rushed to locate him. It was so unfair and callous to lose both of them, reflected Alan. His chin resting on his knees as he perched on the fence.
Gordon was sad the game was over, for a time it had almost felt normal. The speed of the game and the constant bantering and jostling just keeping his inner thoughts in check. Now they seeped in again corrupting the tiny bit of peace spending quality time with his brothers had afforded him. Yesterday at the funerals had been horrible. Until then he had been convincing himself it wasn't real. Mom couldn't truly be gone. No way grandpa would have succumbed to a heart attack, that man was built like an Ox! They said the shock of the trauma and his crush injuries had brought it on, his body too weak for his heart to splutter back into life. Loads of old relatives came out of the woodwork yesterday, all the ones he wanted to avoid seemed to gravitate towards him including Aunt May who treated his mother like dirt in the last few years since her parents had died. Embroiled in a bitter argument over heritage. Why should Mom inherit what her parents had wished her to when she was married to a millionaire? It's not like she needed the money. Gordon was surprised she wasn't already trying to reclaim some of the family heirlooms from the house in the wake of his mother's death. He wouldn't put it past her. He had told her as much to; at the wake. Her expression had been the highlight of the day for him. Gordon was thankful to have grief to rely on as an excuse for his shitty attitude towards her, his dad so overwhelmed with his own grief he didn't even bring him up on his hostility for once. Gordon was relieved it was back to just immediate family today.
"Right, come guys. Let's walk back and rustle up some lunch." Scott sprung over the top bar of the fence and ushered them towards the house.
"Do we have to?" Alan kicked at the dirt with his head down.
"Yep I'm famished!" Scott wasn't really but he knew Alan had barely eaten since all this happened. He was worried he'd lose weight soon. The kid was skinny as it was. The same went for John who was even worse and borderline skeletal anyway.
He ruffled Alan's hair and pulled him into a half hug, one arm over his shoulders as he affectionately pulled him in. Alan leant into his eldest brother, welcoming the comfort the gesture brought.
The other lads trailed behind. Virgil made sure John kept up too. He knew this was hard on all of them. Virgil missed his mother more than he could put into words, angry that he had wasted all that time in halls at Denver when he could have been at home on the farm with her. Out of all the brothers he had been the keenest to get away from what he called mundane family life. He wanted to see some of the world, make new friends and start his career in engineering. Now he regretted his haste, mourning the time he knew he could never claim back with his grandfather and mother. Virgil was trying his best to support Scott with the others. He knew his dad was close to derailing, knew he didn't want to worry his own mother (He had made the boys swear that they wouldn't call her in to help) Which was hard when she called every day. He didn't like the way their father was making them lie for him to grandma, Virgil was pretty sure he needed professional help but Scott and Virgil's pleas had gone unheeded as their father continued to sustain himself on drink and cigars and not a lot else.
"Hey! Dad's outside!" He'd obviously come out to look for them not finding them in the house, it was the first time they had all been out together since the incident. Alan started to call out for him joyfully and wave. Jeff blanked him, that's when Scott noticed what was in his hand. He gently extracted himself from Alan.
"Virgil take them inside." Scott's tone brokered no argument as he started jogging towards his dad. They were still a good 400 yards off of the house. Virgil didn't move, frozen to the spot.
"Is that a bag in his hand?" questioned Gordon, their father was quickly walking towards to hangar with a purposeful stride. More determination then he had possessed in a long while. Scott had almost reached him now.
"He's heading to the plane." Virgil realised with dread.
Those words had all the brothers tearing after Scott towards their father. Jeff noticed and started running himself, disappearing into the barn. Scott put on a last burst of speed only to see the small light aircraft taxi out of the barn come hangar and along the strip of tarmac that Jeff had laid to create his own makeshift runway.
They could hear Scott shouting as he tore like the wind after the plane, John made it next running at his brother's side waving his arms at his dad to stop. The jet started to lift just as Gordon reached them, Virgil and Alan trailing behind, they were all screaming at their dad to stop as the plane gained traction and lifted off. Scott bent down panting hard, he'd pushed through that barrier plenty of times in PT so recovered quicker than the others, his breathing gaining some regularity. John cried in anguish and fell to his knees, scuffing them on the tarmac. Virgil had grabbed Alan into a fierce hug, he tried to pull Gordon in too but he pushed away angrily, with one hand before storming off to the house. Their father was gone, they were alone.