His Staff
Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 4:29 am
He had always been her staff. He was well-made. Lean, tall, strong. The ruby that sat in the in the ornate staff in her hand nearly rivalled the beauty she found in his emerald eyes. She had leaned on him and he had walked her through. Walked her through life. Walked her through love. She'd held tight to him when she was afraid. He had been her protection.
But he was gone.
They were both gone.
And she was left now without him, without her. Alone... with his staff.
She loved it and she hated it.
She'd have traded its power, its beauty a thousand times over to hold his hand in hers again. He had spent so long with that staff at his side she could nearly convince herself that part of him was in it.
When it was nighttime and she was alone... when even the breeze in the tops of the trees had ceased to blow and left her in a nearly deafening silence... that was when she thought she could hear him. Yes... it was too quiet to tell... the silence thundered... but wasn't that his voice? Weren't they trying to speak to her? Words of wisdom, of condolence? Or, no... wait... wasn't it instead his laugh? His easy-going laugh that she heard more than anyone else. His soft laugh in response to something their daughter had done to him? Yes... maybe that was what she heard.
Only, it wasn't. And she knew that.
He was gone.
She was gone.
They were both gone.
And what did she have left? This staff that was to take his place. This staff that lied to her, gave hope to her, took her hope away. Maybe it was not Cain's laughter at all that she heard... maybe it was the staff's. Maybe it laughed at her.
She hated it and she loved it.
Few might remember it, recognize it as his. She did. It would never be her staff. It was his... it was a loan... given to her upon his death so that she might remember. As if she could ever forget.
He was gone.
She was gone.
They were gone.
Only the staff remained.
She hated it and she loved it.
It had to now be her protection, her guidance, her reminder. Only his staff. Only herself.
But he was gone.
They were both gone.
And she was left now without him, without her. Alone... with his staff.
She loved it and she hated it.
She'd have traded its power, its beauty a thousand times over to hold his hand in hers again. He had spent so long with that staff at his side she could nearly convince herself that part of him was in it.
When it was nighttime and she was alone... when even the breeze in the tops of the trees had ceased to blow and left her in a nearly deafening silence... that was when she thought she could hear him. Yes... it was too quiet to tell... the silence thundered... but wasn't that his voice? Weren't they trying to speak to her? Words of wisdom, of condolence? Or, no... wait... wasn't it instead his laugh? His easy-going laugh that she heard more than anyone else. His soft laugh in response to something their daughter had done to him? Yes... maybe that was what she heard.
Only, it wasn't. And she knew that.
He was gone.
She was gone.
They were both gone.
And what did she have left? This staff that was to take his place. This staff that lied to her, gave hope to her, took her hope away. Maybe it was not Cain's laughter at all that she heard... maybe it was the staff's. Maybe it laughed at her.
She hated it and she loved it.
Few might remember it, recognize it as his. She did. It would never be her staff. It was his... it was a loan... given to her upon his death so that she might remember. As if she could ever forget.
He was gone.
She was gone.
They were gone.
Only the staff remained.
She hated it and she loved it.
It had to now be her protection, her guidance, her reminder. Only his staff. Only herself.