Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton or the poem A Prayer in Spring by Robert Frost.
A/N: This chapter was really hard for me to write, mainly because I kept rewriting it, trying to make it perfect. I have never written anything like this before. I hope I did justice for Ponyboy.
"Dad? Why is mom crying?"
Mr. Curtis bent down to Darry's level, which was quite tall for a five year old. He took Darry's hands in his own and said, "Darry, do you remember when we talked about death?"
Darry thought back, and nodded, "When you go away from Earth and go up into Heaven."
"Well, mom's sister did that today, so she's sad," Mr. Curtis said.
"But isn't Heaven a good place?" Darry asked.
Mr. Curtis smiled and hugged Darry, "Heaven is a good place, but it means that your mom's sister will be away from your mom, which makes her sad. She will miss her."
"Oh," Darry said, "So are you supposed to cry when someone dies?"
Mr. Curtis pushed Darry's hair out of his eyes, "You should do whatever you feel like doing, Darry. If you feel like crying, you should cry. It's okay if you don't cry, too, though."
"I feel like giving mom a hug."
"I think that she would very much like that."
Darry felt on this morning like throwing up and hiding under his bed. He wished very much that he was still five years old, able to hide behind his father's legs. He wished that he could be anywhere but in the pew he was currently sitting in. Everything around him was slightly blurry, even the sobbing Soda beside him whose hand he was holding. He was vaguely aware of his Two-Bit sitting on his left, hands clenched. Steve, on Soda's right, head hung. Dallas and Johnny, on the other side of Two-Bit. Dallas looked as stoic as ever, but Johnny was shaking and crying almost as much as Soda. He was glad his friends were there but was thankful that none of them spoke. When the pastor came up to give Ponyboy's eulogy, Soda started to shake, and Darry put a hand on his shoulder.
"Ponyboy Curtis was a young man that passed too young," he began, "He was a great brother, and a great friend to many. We mourn over the loss of such a spirited young man. A young man who went through life with new eyes, eyes different from the rest of the world. He read more books in his fourteen years than most adults read in their entire lives, but still managed to retain a childlike wonder of the world. He wasn't innocent, having suffered the loss of his parents so young, but he wasn't tainted by the dirt and sin of this world, and that made him shine like no other. Ponyboy may not be with us anymore, in our world, but we know he is safe, watching over his friends, and his brothers. As in Corinthians 5:1 'For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.' And as the poet, Thomas Campbell said 'To live in the hearts of those we love is never to die.' Ponyboy's memory will be with us, in our minds and in our hearts."
Soda wasn't even looking up anymore; he had brought his knees up to his head, and buried himself. Darry let go of his hand, anxious, knowing.
"Ponyboy's brother Darrel would now like to say a few words before we lay Ponyboy to rest."
Darry stood up, and walked to the front. He looked into the faces of the people sitting, staring back at him. He recognized his friends, Mrs. Matthews, a few of Ponyboy's classmates, one of Ponyboy's teachers, and the red headed Sherri Valance. He took a shuddering breath, and then began.
"Ponyboy was one of the best people I know. He was definitely the smartest person I know. He was so quiet, but when he opened his mouth, pure poetry flew from it. He had this way with words that made you picture everything he said with clarity. I don't know why Ponyboy is gone. It is the most unfair thing that ever could have happened. Ponyboy's future was bright, and he was just starting to discover all the possibilities of life.
One of my favorite things was to watch Ponyboy run track. I remember his first track meet. He was so nervous. I was standing in the bleachers, and I couldn't see the expression on his face, but I could tell by the way his was fidgeting. I remember that he started out so slow. I just thought to myself, 'there's no way he'll catch up with all those other boys.' Something inside of him lit up, and he spurted to the front of the pack. I remember yelling so loud I thought my throat would split when he crossed the finish line, winning second place. I remember him coming up to me after it was all over and saying 'Almost. Next time, I'll have it.'
Ponyboy didn't relent. He was so stubborn. When he wanted something, he was going to go out and grab it. I always knew that he'd be someone in this world. I always knew that he'd touch lives. I'm so sad that Ponyboy life was as short as it was. But nothing would ever make me trade away the years I had with him.
I was going through his things last night. I, uh. I came across a notebook he had. I didn't read it. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to read it. But I picked it up, and a slip of paper fell out, ripped from a book. It was a poem. I felt like I was supposed to read it today. So. Here it goes."
Darry took a deep breath and finally the tears started to fall. He kept his voice steady, however, as he recited the poem.
"A Prayer in the Spring, by Robert Frost.
Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.
Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.
And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.
For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfil."
xxxXXXxxxXXXxxx
The gravesite was nearly vacant of people. They had left, and gone home. Darry had basically carried Soda back to the truck and home. Both were in separate rooms in the house.
"I'm so sorry Ponyboy," the red head moaned down into his grave, "I'm so sorry."
She jumped at the hand on her shoulder, but then breathed a sigh of relief, "Two-Bit. You scared me."
"Cherry," Two-Bit said, his laughing eyes serious, "What happened to Ponyboy?"
Cherry started to chew on her bottom lip, "I got questioned by the cops, you know," she said.
When Two-Bit didn't answer, she continued, "They asked about Bob and Randy. They asked about when they picked us up and drove us home, how they were mad at you guys."
"Listen, Two-Bit, there's something you should know-"
"Two-Bit!"
Two-Bit spun around to see Dallas Winston, running full speed at him.
"Dally? I thought you were taking Johnny back to Steve's place. What's going on?"
Dally grabbed the front of Two-Bit's jacket desperately, "They cuffed him, Two-Bit. They took him away. Those goddamn sons of bitch cops. They said that Johnny killed Ponyboy, Two-Bit. They said they got witnesses."
Two-Bit's eyes grew to the size of saucers, "You're talking crazy, Dal. There's no way. There ain't no way-"
"I'm TELLING YOU," Dally roared, "I'm telling you! I saw it. They took him away. They're gonna stick him in jail, like he's a criminal. We gotta do something, Two-Bit. Johnny can't go to jail, man."
Two-Bit shook free of Dally's grasp, and turned around. But when he looked behind him, Cherry Valance has disappeared.
"Why today?" Two-Bit croaked, "Why couldn't they have just let it be?"
"We need to break Johnny out of jail."
"Are you crazy?" Two-Bit said, coming alive, "Look. We know Johnny didn't do this. We just gotta find whoever did do it, and tell the police. They ain't got any evidence on Johnny. They can't put him in jail."
"We need to find who said that they saw Johnny do it," Two-Bit continued as Dally paced back and forth, "First things first."
Two-Bit was shaking. He took a deep breath and said, "I think there's a cheerleader that we gotta go find."