Always show your Love!

 Not---everybody…does…!?

 

2:00 a.m.

Alabaster full moon light falling on skeleton maple tree branches devoid of recent regal-royal Mother Nature autumnal color-guard cast ominous dark shadows across various-sized white-marble and grey-granite tombstones; icy cold black fingers cradled a stark white mausoleum like a shroud. Bright blue-white eyes, blurred with cold tears, were unable to focus on the etched name, date-of-birth and date-of-death chiseled deep into one of the shiny stone surface facades.

The viewer didn’t know the resident of this grave nor of any of the myriad “last” resting places extending around him; he correctly concluded that personal identities of the permanent residents were irrelevant to his visit at this silent venue at this late hour, or, at any other time.

A chill mid-November wind dipped between the heavy jacket’s upturned collar and his warn neck. He shivered, but not from the cold assault; rather, more from the ice running in his veins which had recently replaced vibrant red-blood recently heated by an affectionate passion-love

 He wiped at an errant tear, simultaneously repulsed by his display of obvious weakness witnessed by the quick arrival of a flood of additional emotional releases causing him to shake like a balling baby while in the same instant losing control when he most needed to be strong.

An incongruous wry smile tugged at the corners of his mouth even in his time of despair.

He allowed a short, curt laugh which sought to appropriately echo in the confines of the graveyard chill but was swallowed up by despair in his soul and spirit to escape his lips as the dichotomy of the situation came to his clouded mind. Humor! His “always” refuge for any and every situation arising in life came to the forefront even in his deepest desolation. Finally, he smiled genuinely and shook his head at himself. “Hell! Maybe I’m only human, after all!?”

Sophia Virginia Genecocci! His mind formulated the name depicted on the shiny surface of the stone marker as his eyes directed its symbols to heightened synapses firing in his calm brain.

“No, lovely Sophia Virginia, I don’t know you; I’m not a relative or a friend or even an acquaintance; just another stranger lost in human life as completely as are you locked in some spiritual time and space. You, perhaps, might come to terms with your fate; I shall not do so.

“I’m not here to disturb your rest.” He waved a gloved hand in a broad arc. “Sorry! People! Don’t mean to violate your Peace! You all are probably in a better place than I am; I hope so.”

He shook his head, again, this time at his self-suspected insanity. “I must really be nuts!?”

True enough! He had never been one to stand on social courtesy or cultural popularity and most certainly not on evil faux self-serving celebrity; he neither cared nor considered “what” any might think of him in any regard; an Independent-Individual speaks his mind after careful examination of determined conclusions oblivious to the reactions and opinions of others. He expected nothing from people and was seldom disappointed. Kind-of-heart, he would give the shirt off his back to any in need, his last sandwich to anyone hungry even if he was starved, himself, or his last dollar to any who was broke and in need. But---if  “any” should demand, cheat or steal, regardless of circumstance, he would hand them their head dripping with blood!

It had been three very long days since she had said, “Good-bye! Have a great life!”

She had turned and walked out of his life. Just-like-that! On to better things for her!? Hmm?

Racking his brain searching for the elusive “Why?” he chastised himself for losing her.

He had ended up in a cemetery in the wee hours of the morning!? Hmm!? Appropriate!?

He surveyed a mini-obelisk emptiness inhabited by “once-was” vacant souls interred in earth.

“I hope each of you got to say a proper “Good-bye”! Not---everybody…does!”

Amen!