ryoko
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April Flowers
I can almost remember the full details of it. The incident when I happened to meet her, the woman whose moments in my life seem the most precious now. My mind can almost remember in full detail. Of course, I had to remember now.
"Mr. Harper, please approach the stand." A husky voice spoke; the voice that came from a hearty man. I looked up. Standing in a pin striped black suit stood the lawyer for the state, Mr. Richards. As I stood and walked my way to the stand he studied me as he did when he was first at my doorstep; as if I were a crazy man.
The August breeze was blowing fiercly then, when he came to my door. It had been six days since I heard the news. The news that told of her death, the woman whom I met years ago. I was in a horrible state of drunken stupor. I laid on my couch, staring at the ceiling for no reason at all. Just staring as beer bottles and cans of every kind lay on the floor. I took no notice of them anymore. Some were too old and some still lined with a thin layer of the alcohol mixed with my own saliva.
All the time I wondered about her. I hadn't seen her in ages, but she still lingered in my mind, never in full images. And of course, in my own drunken mind, she mixed with other memories. It seemed as if all the sadness I had ever had inside me poured out with her death. Days before, I would find myself sobbing on the couch, my face buried in my arms, hoping that the tears would stop. Then I turned to beer. They seemed to cool my nerves and, after enough, they would numb it all. I think I wasted about fifty dollars on beer alone. I didn't go to work at all, so I bet I have to find a new job as soon as I pull myself together. About then, I realized there was something knocking at the door.
I quickly stood up and tried to gain focus. Lot of good that did. I hobbled to the door and took a deep breath in as I turned the handle. Standing there was a rather large man wearing a brown suit. His beady brown eyes seemed to narrow more as they traced me.
"Mr. Jonathan Harper?" His voice perfectly matched his appearance. A deep, husky voice that implied he was breathing deep whenever he took breaths. I nodded, afraid of speaking while as drunk as I was. "Good... Mr. Harper, do remember a Ms. April Darb?" I'm guessing he saw through my screen door to the beer, because then he went into her description. "About thirty-one years old with auburn hair that went..."
"To her shoulders, except when she wore it in a bun; which she happened to do quite often when it was warm. Her eyes were a pale green, that seemed to turn gray in the light and when she cried. She was... About five foot six and she wore heels to make herself..." I couldn't go on. I eyes watered. I'm not sure if it was the fact that I was describing her from the little memory I could pull from my brain, or the alcohol that made me cry. All I know is that I suddenly had to cover my eyes and wipe them off. The man in the suit gave no sympathy.
"Right then, you knew Ms. Darb. Well, we'd like to ask you some question," he pointed to a few officers, about two or three, I'm not really sure, behind him, whom I hadn't seen up until now. "Then, if you have information that can be useful, we'd like you to testify in court for us." I had put my hand down, my eyes felt watery, but I had to look at him. "Though, I think it would be better if we came back. Say... On Friday, two days from now. Then, hopefully, you'll be more sober and able to keep yourself together since we will be talking about her." With that he nodded, his beady eyes looking over me again, then walked away. I didn't say anything as he and the two officers pulled away in their cars. I just walked back into my house.
I looked around at my living room. No more pictures on the walls, I guess I through them out. Beer bottles and cans litered all over the floor and couch and even some thrown into the fireplace, burnt and black. I didn't care. I work on the room tomorrow, now all I needed was a bathroom. I ran to the bathroom, my head spinning from the alcohol again. I'm pretty sure I made it to the toliet, lifting the lid and feeling my insides lurch upwards, everything I had consumed falling out. I felt my head still spinning, my stomach feeling lighter and my mouth tasting horrible. I turned the knob and lifted my head to look at myself in the mirror. I saw myself as a mess. Terrible. My eyes seemed red, not hazel as they always were and had been. My blonde hair was unkept and now reaching my shoulders in a frizzled mess. My face was clean anymore, but having small, dark hairs on it almost everywhere. My mouth hung open, afraid to close it and taste it all again. I turned away disgusted and made my way to my bed.
My bed was still made; hadn't touched the sky blue sheets in almost a week. The sea green walls were there in the dark, seeming calming to me. It made me feel relieved and relaxed. My eyes felt heavy. Heavier than they had ever felt before. I didn't bother to take the sheets off and lie under them; I don't remember how I even got to my bed from the doorway, I just fell asleep.
Last edited by ryoko, 4/4/2004, 2:48 pm
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"You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm. "--Colette
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4/4/2004, 2:47 pm
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wanderingsoul
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Re: April Flowers
Ryoko, I REALLY hope you are going to continue with this. It is VERY good. I really love things written in the first person, they can get so into the head of the character when done well--which you are doing very well.
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And by and by my Soul returned to me, And answered "I Myself amd Heav'n and Hell"
Omar Khayyam
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4/6/2004, 3:50 pm
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ryoko
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Re: April Flowers
I had woken up at about 3a.m. Friday morning. I took the time to clean all the beer cans and bottles up before showering, and my God did I need one. I had stepped into the running hot water, loving the feel of it hit my skin. It made my eyes sting a bit though, as I adjusted to the feel of warmth around me as the steam rose. Heat built up in my body as I finally felt clean. I washed my hair, running my hands through it and closing my eyes. I wasn't in the shower anymore. I was in a small park outside the city. Outside of the downtown area with its large buildings everywhere. Towering traps. I was standing next to her, holding her hand as the wind blew her auburn hair back, giving her a mystical look. She smiled at me then turned back. Suddenly she was walking away, a suitcase in her hand and her hair up in her bun. I shouted at her, tried to her attention.
"April... Wait..." I tried to shout. I tried and tried, tears welling up in my eyes as I reached for her. I was in the shower sitting on the floor. My head hurt as the water fell on it. Looking around I saw a small stream of red going down the drain.
"Damnit..." I must have hit my head or something. It took me a while to stand up and turn the water off. Right when I did I felt sick again. Six days of alcohol was finally taking its effect on me. At all the damned times it'll probably start up. I pulled myself from the bathroom floor and went back into my room to the chestnut dressers. Police were coming to my house. I thought of looking good, but I guess anything would look better than what I did yesterday. Yeah, probably. I pulled khakis over my legs and a clean white t-shirt over my head. My hair was still wet and sore, so I decided not to do anything to it. Walking back into the room, I found it to be much better than it had been before. In a state where not a soul could be easy. I sat down on the couch, wanting to relax and feel the soft surface from under me. I stared at the ceiling. Plain, white, nothing to distract. It was good.
While I sat there, waiting for something, I’m not really sure what, I began to think. That’s when I decided I might as well get my April story as straight as I could. Not sure how that would work. Hell, I probably don’t remember anything about the woman, for all I knew; I was due for a mental breakdown. Life was never giving me sunshine and cherry pie… More like brimstone and devils.
Work was a *****, day in and day out of that hell hole. Typing things for my superiors, acting like I knew what the hell I was doing. I had always been good at typing, and, never once owning a computer, thought it would be fun to work with. Plus, all those classes in high school made it seem easy. Hell no. Boring as anything I could have imagined. Should have stuck with my dad’s advice and just become a damn bouncer. I was good at beating people up, wrestling taught me that, and seeing all the girls in their skanky outfits, especially the younger ones who got in because of those outfits, weren’t a bad thing at all. Of course, dad wasn’t the best to look up to, running off with a skank of his own when I was seventeen. No surprise why I didn’t listen to him. Not like mom's idea was any better. Just marry into money, her ideal way of getting through life. That and alcohol. Nothing ever became of her before she died. I don't think anyone ever thought of her before either, since she had no friends until she was ready to be put six feet under.
I wiped my eyes, sighing deeply from my own frustration. I needed a beer. Just thinking of this was depressing enough for anyone and I wouldn't be seeing those men for at least 2 hours, so a beer couldn't hurt...
I sat there and after only forty minutes, I had consumed four bottles of beer, holding the fifth in my hand and staring at the ceiling. I wasn't drunk, not for the life of me could that few get me, I was only buzzed. Buzzed enough that is, to feel the sadness I had felt over the last few days come back; as well as the visions of April.
The memories had engulfed me. I loved it, being able to remember so much after not seeing her for so long. The touch of her hair, the taste of her lips. The feel of every piece of her body with my own, the feel of it. It was simply beyond me.
I sat the beer down and stared blankly. I don't know if I was sleeping or what, but the next minute I could remember, was the knocking at the door again and the feel of anxiety. I quickly hobbled up, taking the bottles of beer in my hand, even the open one and throwing them in a trash can. "S***!" I looked down at my shirt as some of the left over beer splashed me, making my shirt look and smell of beer. That would really impress police. More knocks, more rapid and seemingly impacient. All I needed.
"Mr. Johnathan Harper! It's the man from Wednesday, Mr. Richards! Hurry to the door!" His large voice boomed through the door.
"One second please!" I rushed to my room and pulled out the first thing I had. I groaned as I rushed out, catching the edge of my dresser as I went. Once I finally reached the door, Mr. Richards and two police men, the same from yesterday, stood looking narrowed eyed at me. "Please come inside, gentlemen." The men sat on my couch as I shut my door. I sat in the chair caddycorner to the couch as Mr. Richards began to speak.
"Now, Mr. Harper, I have some questions concerning Ms. April Darb that I need you to answer..."
Last edited by ryoko, 4/6/2004, 10:35 pm
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"You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm. "--Colette
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4/6/2004, 10:35 pm
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