7IN A BOX
I thought he was the most perfect person in the world. He seemed kind and smart. But there was always something empty.
We danced under the star lit sky and until it got late was when we finally released each other.
"I say, you are doing much better on your dancing skills." I told him. He smiled.
"Ok, I just learned to dance lets not go into something too crazy." He told me. "Hi my name is Ben Peterson, the worlds worst dancer. Was taught by Lily Jameston, who is the best dancer in the world."
"Oh please...I'm not the BEST." I said, liking the world's best dancer comment but not wanting to rub it in. "But if you say so..." We both smiled. He kissed me on the cheek and walked me home. He held me close. It was a very happy moment when Ben saw Joseph on our lawn, fixing something on the fence.
"Oh...hello..." He said to Joseph, an unpleasant stare in his eyes. He held me tighter.
I grabbed Ben's hand and made him let go. I smiled at Joseph. "Jo-get up...the fence is really okay..." I told him.
"He's doing his work Lily, just let him finish." Ben told me and tried reaching from my hand. I drew back and told Joseph to get something to drink. He did a quick smile and left.
I turned to Ben and smiled. "Ben...don't stare at him like that...it makes him very uncomfortable."
"I don't care what he thinks."
"Well then you're making me uncomfortable." I said quickly, anger a bit rising. "Do you care about my feelings?"
He nodded.
"Look, Joseph is my friend and if you don't like him..."
"Friend? Gee he just works in your house what's friendship needed for?"
"Stop it!" I demanded. I knew Ben was prejudice but I think it was more then that. I was convinced he didn't like Joseph and I hanging out together because in a way we were getting close. I tried to ignore it. But there are just so much people who act this way and I can't understand why. I couldn't understand why I was born into a family that was prejudice too...like Ben. But I loved Ben, and I hoped he loved me enough to let the Joseph thing go. "Ben...If you have other rude comments I wish you go home."
Ben growled. "Fine." He glared at my house. "I'll see you...when I see you." and he left without another word.
I sighed. I hoped Ben would change. I take back what I said about `kind.' I started to walk into my house when I saw the part of the fence Joseph was working at. It was still a little broken. I quietly and quickly fixed it.
***
Joseph worked around our house for about 1.50 an hour, and each day he worked for 6 hours, 5 days a week. He did some cleaning, laundry, mowed the lawn... practically every chore you could think of. It was never his choice. It was guilt. I could say that his Dad wasn't one of the best people in the world. Like how? He died in jail. He hurt so many families but I'm not sure if he meant to do those things. He hurt ours. My dad was gone because of him. I know it must be a mistake but my mom disagrees. She wants her husband back. Of course I want my dad back but I don't think punishing the mans son is really the right thing to be even.
Joseph didn't complain, the person he was. He wanted to make up for what his father did. He had so many secrets...and whenever his dad was mention he winced and frowned in anger. I think he was mad at his dad. But in a way he kept it quiet.
"Joseph could you check on the flower garden? I don't want any of them to die... why don't you water them and pull all those nasty weeds out." My mom ordered, sitting on the couch, munching on some cookies. "Oh and remember- for every dead flower, pay a dollar." Joseph nodded and went outside. I followed.
"Joey...um can we talk?" I asked.
"Lil I really got some work to do..." He said grabbing some garden tools.
"Ok well then you work-I talk." I told him. He didn't quite agree but I assumed it would be all right. We walked into the backyard and he started pulling small weeds.
"I'm sorry about last night-I guess Ben isn't the best person in the world." Joey said nothing. I kept talking. "But you know, we can screw him and still be friends. I mean nothing can break us, right?" Still no answer. "I mean we are just so good together, as friends you know and I've known you since we were six."
I heard Joseph curse softly. I looked to see that he had broken a flower. He looked at me sighed and moved it out of the way. "We were seven."
"Seven? Really? Well around there I guess."
"Six our families knew each other, seven we met and then five years later your family wished they had never met mine."
I looked down. "Well-that's them. I'll never regret meeting you." I saw Joey smile. "I mean...I've known you so much longer then Ben...gee I only knew him for like two years..."
"Why are you not telling Ben this?" Joey asked. "I mean-you don't even know if you guys are broken up or still together..."
"That's true. But how do you know?" I asked, smiling. "I mean you should be the one wondering that, you who is suppose to not know what happened after you left last night."
"I have excellent hearing." Joseph said as an excuse.
"Yeah ok...Joseph the spy." I told him, not agreeing. "You're right...I should talk to him." I didn't move though. Joey sat next to me looking at the flower garden.
"Do you sometimes feel-trapped?" He asked me.
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Like- there's all these people who in a way seem nothing like you. That you were born into a family full of hate and sadness. That you're trapped in your own little box and you're different from everyone who peers into it."
"Are you talking about the circus or what?" I asked, making a joke.
"No. Like-you're different from your family...or of the ones who are living. That this so called family does something wrong you have to pay for their mistakes. In a way you have to be them but never really them."
I told him, "Look it's okay to be mad at your dad..." Joseph winced. "But you don't have to pay for his mistakes. Because you're not your dad and you'll never be your dad if you don't want to be. You work hard. You're kind. You're-you and you can never change that...not even your genes. We are all different."
"But in a way all the same." Joseph added. He looked up into the sky and we stared at the flying birds chirping in the trees and circling the sky. "Don't you just wish you could fly away?"
I looked up into the sky. I nodded.
"Where all your worries...all the pain...you could just fly away. Pass through the clouds, look down below at the world, and peer into heaven. Just for a moment. Just for second."
"If you're suggesting `flying' away from your fears then that's wrong." I told Joseph. He shook his head.
"No. No flying away from fears. Just stopping. Stop what is wrong. See the world. Let the world tell you to stop. Make it all stop."
"Make it all stop..." I repeated. "Stop the box from holding you down."
Joseph looked at me. "Go. Stop it. If you can." I nodded and kissed him on the cheek. Before I left I looked at the place where the broken flower once stood. I then placed something in Joseph's hand. "You owe me zero."
***
"I knew you'd be here." I said. I was at the dock where Ben and me hung out. We'd talk and all that stuff. And what luck finding him here.
He turned around, looked at me and then looked back into the water. "What're you doing here?"
"I'm not the only one who likes to hang here, remember?" I told him sitting down next to him. "Look I need to know-over not over...a break?"
"Over-break what?"
"Us." I informed him. I knew he knew what I meant though. "Look-its been a week-we haven't talked since that one night when Joseph was on-"
"Joseph, Joseph, Joseph, look he ain't part of this relationship so why's he always mentioned?"
"He's always mentioned because of you and he is going to continue to be mentioned until you tell me what the heck your problem is with him?!" I exclaimed in a loud whisper.
"His dad killed my FATHER! He killed yours! Don't give me that trash about how there's no reason to hate him, because I think those words explains it ALL!"
"Why do you hate him for something someone else did? Those words don't explain how you hate Joseph they explain how you hate his dad."
"Look-we all turn into our parents one day. How do you know Joseph isn't going to turn out like his dad?"
"Because I know him! I know him well enough to know he wouldn't hurt anyone because he knows what happened to his father and he doesn't want to turn out like that."
"Maybe it's not his choice." Ben started to shake his head. "I don't know how you can ever be friends with him. One day you'll understand. You'll understand that it won't be your father walking you down the isle when you get married, it won't be your father giving the blessing. All you have left of your father is ashes of his body that are 6 ft under. You can never have his soul back. You can never feel his hug or his kiss."
All this Ben had said made sense. I would never see him or feel him ever again. I was a little mad. But I still didn't understand why Joseph had to be hated. And while Ben said this I could feel his heart and his brain talking to show his emotion. He missed his father. It was unlikely that he would move on anytime soon.
Ben got up and shook his head again, and at the same time fighting back tears. "We are over. I don't understand how you can be friends with the son of the guy that killed your father." He waved his hand as if to say `screw you' or `forget you'. He left the dock, kicking rocks, and wiping his eyes. That was then noticing my tears were burning my eyes. I wiped them. I sat there, waving my feet, my toes touching the cold water. I was just thinking. Thinking of what Ben said and things Joseph said and mixing them together to come to a realization. I stayed at the dock till dark.
***
I walked home silently. On my porch steps I saw Joseph there looking into the grass. He was frowning and it looked like he had had a bad day too. I sat next to him and for a while we didn't speak. Finally he asked me "Over?"
I lay my head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around me holding me close. His arms didn't seem empty. Yet full of something that I didn't quite understand.
"I'm going to miss you." He said. I sat up and looked at him.
"What?"
"Look-there comes a time where you must go elsewhere- you're not escaping, just trying to find yourself. Trying to get the strength to use the key. Sometimes you've got to move the box elsewhere. And when the box his tough enough, and the key has opened its door, come back and resolve the problems."
I made no joke about the box. "Where are you going?"
He didn't answer. Instead he leaned in and kissed me on the lips. Many seconds later he released, and held my hand. "Tell me-when you've put the key in the lock. When you understand your world outside of the box. When you can handle it." He released my hand and then walked away. He got a suitcase that was leaning against our fence. He looked back at me, with his short smile, opened the fence and left. I watched him until I could see him no more. My burning tears returned.
Behind me the door burst open and my moms angry voice howled, "Where is Joseph? He didn't wash the dishes or do anything of the chores I asked him to do! WHERE IS HE?!"
I paused. He was doing what I was supposed to be doing to. Only instead, I should use the key, but yet I was afraid. I wasn't ready-the world is not all that nice sometimes. That's my realization.
"Lily-I'm not going to ask you again-where-is-he?" My mom asked irritated.
I answered, "He's moving his box."
**********************
Im not really good with all the drama stuff but sometimes that's what makes a story good. What this story is mainly saying about the box is that sometimes theres all these people who don't agree with you or don't understand. Blame you for stuff you didn't really do. Which makes you different. But in a way- trapped because you have to handle with all these people...if you open the box with the key then that means that you can handle whats outside the box...(a story you've really got to figure out by yourself.) So mainly DON'T ASK UNLESS YOU THINK IT CAN BE ANSWERED
if this story gets reviews then I might post other short stories similar to this one...
Thanks for reading...review?