Mourning Lost Ones

Frankie grabbed the keys to the bus and headed to the door. She had gotten into the habit of doing this awhile back. Her solemn face told everyone who saw it she was doing something very personal and close to her heart. No one, not even Bloo, dared to joke about it, that's how much it meant to her. She hopped into the driver's seat, and started the engine, as it purred to life.

She'd expected to see Bob and have him ask her what she was doing, but she hadn't seen hide nor hair of him at all today. Their boxing lessons were still in effect, and she was getting much better at it too, nearly rivaling Bob, though he swore he was just an ameture who only used it for keeping fit and self defence.

She soon arrived at her destination: a graveyard. She parked the bus and walked in. She saw a figure, clad in a green shirt and blue jeans, with white sneakers, and brown hair. She approached it: It was Bob. He was kneeling before a headstone which read,

"Beatrice Heartstrudder

Beloved Mother."

"Good morning Mom," he said to it, "did you sleep well?" He paused, like he was waiting for a response. "Good. I haven't been able to sleep all that much, despite having a cozy room with lots of new clothes, thanks to Madame Foster. I had insisted there was no need, that I would do it myself, but she was firm that she provide me with that wardrobe. But I digress. Those guys are still after me, and I fear that me living at that home will put those inside it in danger.

"I have tried to leave, but they won't let me. I work there, mind, I guess you could say I'm a live in servant." He continued talking. Frankie didn't know what he was going on about, and assumed it a cover story for trying to sneak out. He soon stood, and eyed Frankie.

"Whoa!" He cried, but then calmed down, "how much did you hear of that?"

"I heard enough," said Frankie, "How did you lose her?"

"She was murdered on my graduation day," said Bob, wiping away a tear, "and my father died in a car accident the day I was born."

"I'm so sorry," said Frankie, "but there's something I want to show you." She led him further into the graveyard. The pair was soon standing before a set of Headstones. The first one read.

"Fredrick Foster.

Husband

Father

Soldier"

The second one read,

"Franchesca Foster

Mother

Wife."

Bob looked them over.

"I came to pay my respects to my parents," she said, "I didn't know about their deaths until I was eighteen. Before then I was told they had gone on a vacation and were still gone. My grandmother never lied to me so I always believed it. Then, on my eighteenth birthday, I found I'd been had. It was in my parents' will that I watch a video tape of them telling me that if they died early, that they would want me to grow up and be happy.

"I was a baby when they died, so I didn't remember them. I grew up around many of the friends, and thus I became very attached the the business and that's how I got where I am today. A few days later, I made a pact that I would visit their graves regularly." Bob could see shining tears on Frankie's face. He dared to put his arm around her shoulder. She set her head on his shoulder, and started to cry.

He continued to hold her, and she wept over her parents. No longer were they just friends, both could tell. They were now very close to each other, dare they say best friends. Frankie found somebody who had lost their parents tragically as well. They could relate to one another, aside from their love of imaginary friends.

For a while, Bob and Frankie stood like this, in this embrace. People who saw assumed he was helping her over a loss, and to a point, he was. Finally, Frankie released him, and dried her tears.

"We should go back," she said, "but first, I need a moment alone." Bob nodded, and waited for her on a bench. After a while, she came to him, and he drove home, and she drove the bus back to the home.

…

The pair arrived back at the home, and began their boxing lesson. It had gone from going over stances, to punch practice, and now to sparring. Frankie remembered Bob's lessons on bobbing and weaving, and they payed off well. She claimed Bob as an excellent teacher, but he wouldn't hear it.

Little did Frankie know that she would get a chance to use her new skills for real. The following day, they were at the store. They were buying some more groceries, when all of a sudden, a man burst in the door, with a machete.

"Everyone," he yelled, "this is a robbery, do as I say and nobody gets hurt, all right? Now everyone on the ground." Frankie did not heed, she charged it him with her fists raised and punched his hand so hard he dropped the machete. He turned and tried to kick her, but she weaved away from it and punched him in the nose. He recoiled, and Frankie darted forward and punched him in the throat. He gagged, and with another punch to his head, Frankie had the man knocked out. Police soon arrived and arrested him before he even woke up.

People hailed her as a hero, and the store allowed her and Bob to take the groceries for free as a reward for saving them.

Frankie has used her boxing skills to fend off a robber. Will she be able to use them again? One way to find out. And who are the Men Bob mentioned to his mother?