Post by Ali on Jul 28, 2009 23:22:00 GMT
INDIA
India sat looking at the old battered photo in her hand. It looked really dated but in reality it was only taken 16 years ago but fashion and digital photography had moved on since then so the two young people smiling back at her looked like it was from a very long time ago. The picture was of a boy and a girl possibly 17/18 years old. The boy was very handsome, a strong featured face with dark eyes , a sweet smile and a sexy, slightly arrogant look about him. The girl cuddled up next to him was unusually pretty, with wild curly brown hair and the most vivid blue eyes. The picture was taken of them unawares, he was smiling indulgently down at her and she looked rather earnest in whatever she was telling him. They looked very much in love. She turned the photo over and scrawled in black ink across the photo said Didge and Dec Summer 2008
India studied her parents. She knew the familiar loving face of her Dad, because for the last 16 years, his was the face she had lived with, laughed with, cried with, argued with, - but the girl in the photo was forever young , because she had died in the summer of 2009. Her Mum. The mum that India had never known.
In some ways she felt she knew her Mum through the memories of her Dad. She knew all about their wedding, how it had been spur of the moment but utterly beautiful. She knew that she had been born at a music festival and all the other stories that her Dad told her again and again! She never grew tired of hearing them though. She knew that her Mum had been very smart , had wanted to be a doctor, and that she had been very outspoken and fought for what she believed in. Her Dad told her the story again and again of how they came up with her name...
“..We’re all gonna go and see the world together. Just the three of us. And if i can still study to be a doctor while looking after you then we’ll live in another country one day like...India”
India knew that her Dad must have loved her mum alot – he was a huge AFL star and had women throwing themselves at him, and sure over the years he had girlfriends, some nice, some not so nice, but he had never really settled down with any of them.
India had asked her Gran Rebecca once why her Dad had never re- married and she had looked at her a little sadly and said simply that he had never really gotten over her Mum dying. She had asked her Dad once if he had ever regretted having her because he had had to bring her up on his own because her Mum had died less than a month after she had been born. He had looked at her telling her fiercely that he loved India more than life itself and that she was the reason he had been able to survive when her Mum had died. He constantly told her how proud her Mum would have been of her. India hated to see her Dad upset. Mostly he was fine, upbeat, full of energy, sarcastic, but sometimes she would see this look in his eyes, this sadness, that had always been there ever since she could remember, and she knew he missed her mum. He kept a photo of her mum in his wallet – behind the one of India – and on the back it said Loud and proud.
India studied herself in the mirror. A slender young girl stared back at her. Long dark curly hair, blue eyes - Most people said she was a Napier through and through. Her Dad said that she was beautiful but she knew he was biased. Same dark hair as her fathers, same sweet smile, the same arrogance, and slightly sarcastic way of viewing life, but the eyes staring back at her were her mum’s. Her dad had always said that she had her mothers eyes.
She had seen a DVD of her mum once, it had been taken at her Dad’s 18th Birthday party, full of people whom India knew but hardly recognised because they all looked so young!, Her Dad had been dressed as a gangster and her mum had been dressed as a devil. She had looked so pretty, and she had been surrounded by their friends, a witch called Rachel kinski, her brother Zeke as the grim reaper, her Godfather Ringo Brown as the terminator, her Gran had been a stepford wife, her Godmother Donna had been a devil too (but in India’s mind her Mum looked way hotter)
She had heard her mothers voice that day – it was really husky and it had sent a chill down India’s spine when she heard it. India’s Dad had been teasing her mum and she had shouted DECLAN! at him. Her Dad had looked so happy, she had never seen that look on his face before, he just seemed so young and carefree, and utterly in love, before his life had been touched by so much heartbreak and pain. India had felt tears fall down her cheeks as she had watched her parents dance around and kiss, so innocent, such bright days those had been, looking forward to the tomorrows together, and she cried for all that would not be for them, but of course those two young lovers dancing and having time of their lives weren’t to know that then.
____________________________________________________________________________________
DECLAN
Declan stood staring at the Grave in front of him. Sometimes he couldn’t believe it had been sixteen years since his beloved Didge had been taken away from him. Time had made in easier in some ways. He had got on with his life, he had to for India’s sake, but part of him had died the day Didge did – and sometimes he felt so incredibly lonely. No one else had ever come close to her - his beautiful wife. Often he would look at Indie and she reminded him so strongly of her mother – it could be the smallest thing – perhaps her eating her cereal in a certain way or she would flash him a cheeky grin with those blue eyes sparkling and he was transported back to another time, another girl who had captured his heart and broken it into tiny smithereens the day she had died.
The night grew darker but still he remained by her grave, completely absorbed in the memories
“ I Bridget Parker promise to love you forever”
“Hey...you’re the best husband ever”
“Dec... we made her”
It hadn’t been easy. Declan remembered in the early days of just cradling Indy in his arms as he just tried to get through the dark days. He remembered how he used to cry himself to sleep, too proud to let his mum or anyone else for that matter see how hard it was for him. Sometimes it was only the promise that he made to Didge that had seen him through the darkest days of his life
I need to know that if i weren’t here that you’d promise to look after Indie...promise me... Love her, give her the best life you can
He wondered if Didge was okay wherever she was.. She had always had been two steps ahead of him in life, he had often felt that he was always following her, letting her lead him into the next adventure, just grateful to be there with her, but of course this time she had gone to a place where he couldn’t follow and how he missed her. He missed her frantic pace of life, her warm blue eyes lighting up his soul, her husky laugh teasing him. He missed holding her, talking to her, falling asleep in her arms, not only had she been his lover but she had been his best friend aswell. Sometimes it seemed like only yesterday that he had had been that 18 year old kid, full of hope for the future, those sunfilled days when Bridget has lit up his world. He had so many wonderful memories of her and Indie was the living proof of their love.
The sky was dark now and the wind was becoming bitter. Declan looked at his watch and realised he had been sitting there for hours. He stood up and glancing up at the night sky he looked for the brightest star and as his eyes reached it he smiled.
____________________________________________________________________________________
BRIDGET
She knew the time was close. Of course time here had no meaning like it did there. She knew that for her beloved family she had been gone a very, very long time. For Bridget it felt like only seconds ago that she had fallen asleep in her hospital bed - her last image being his beautiful face smiling at her.
It had broken her heart to see him grieve like he did for her. She often watched over him and their beautiful daughter. India was everything she had hoped her to be. She had watched her grow up, watched her take her first step, utter her first word, she had watched as Dec had taken India to the park on her first bday with cake and fairy bread,, had watched India on her first day of school, her fist day of high school, her graduation, her wedding day, the birth of her children. She knew that India would miss her Dad. But it was time. He had done well. He had given India a life full of love but now was his time...
She felt the air begin to change, to shift slightly, a tunnel began forming - the light dim but getting brighter and brighter. She watched him walk towards the light, the youthful young man emerging from the older shell he had left in the physical world - those familiar eyes lighted upon her
“Didge...”
She smiled softly and held out her hand
____________________________________________________
INDIA
“Didge” India watched as her Dad murmured her mothers name. A beautiful smile lighting up his old wrinkled face. India watched as the pain receded and he let go ...giving her hand one last squeeze as he was reunited with his wife that he had loved for so long...for a lifetime and beyond
India sat looking at the old battered photo in her hand. It looked really dated but in reality it was only taken 16 years ago but fashion and digital photography had moved on since then so the two young people smiling back at her looked like it was from a very long time ago. The picture was of a boy and a girl possibly 17/18 years old. The boy was very handsome, a strong featured face with dark eyes , a sweet smile and a sexy, slightly arrogant look about him. The girl cuddled up next to him was unusually pretty, with wild curly brown hair and the most vivid blue eyes. The picture was taken of them unawares, he was smiling indulgently down at her and she looked rather earnest in whatever she was telling him. They looked very much in love. She turned the photo over and scrawled in black ink across the photo said Didge and Dec Summer 2008
India studied her parents. She knew the familiar loving face of her Dad, because for the last 16 years, his was the face she had lived with, laughed with, cried with, argued with, - but the girl in the photo was forever young , because she had died in the summer of 2009. Her Mum. The mum that India had never known.
In some ways she felt she knew her Mum through the memories of her Dad. She knew all about their wedding, how it had been spur of the moment but utterly beautiful. She knew that she had been born at a music festival and all the other stories that her Dad told her again and again! She never grew tired of hearing them though. She knew that her Mum had been very smart , had wanted to be a doctor, and that she had been very outspoken and fought for what she believed in. Her Dad told her the story again and again of how they came up with her name...
“..We’re all gonna go and see the world together. Just the three of us. And if i can still study to be a doctor while looking after you then we’ll live in another country one day like...India”
India knew that her Dad must have loved her mum alot – he was a huge AFL star and had women throwing themselves at him, and sure over the years he had girlfriends, some nice, some not so nice, but he had never really settled down with any of them.
India had asked her Gran Rebecca once why her Dad had never re- married and she had looked at her a little sadly and said simply that he had never really gotten over her Mum dying. She had asked her Dad once if he had ever regretted having her because he had had to bring her up on his own because her Mum had died less than a month after she had been born. He had looked at her telling her fiercely that he loved India more than life itself and that she was the reason he had been able to survive when her Mum had died. He constantly told her how proud her Mum would have been of her. India hated to see her Dad upset. Mostly he was fine, upbeat, full of energy, sarcastic, but sometimes she would see this look in his eyes, this sadness, that had always been there ever since she could remember, and she knew he missed her mum. He kept a photo of her mum in his wallet – behind the one of India – and on the back it said Loud and proud.
India studied herself in the mirror. A slender young girl stared back at her. Long dark curly hair, blue eyes - Most people said she was a Napier through and through. Her Dad said that she was beautiful but she knew he was biased. Same dark hair as her fathers, same sweet smile, the same arrogance, and slightly sarcastic way of viewing life, but the eyes staring back at her were her mum’s. Her dad had always said that she had her mothers eyes.
She had seen a DVD of her mum once, it had been taken at her Dad’s 18th Birthday party, full of people whom India knew but hardly recognised because they all looked so young!, Her Dad had been dressed as a gangster and her mum had been dressed as a devil. She had looked so pretty, and she had been surrounded by their friends, a witch called Rachel kinski, her brother Zeke as the grim reaper, her Godfather Ringo Brown as the terminator, her Gran had been a stepford wife, her Godmother Donna had been a devil too (but in India’s mind her Mum looked way hotter)
She had heard her mothers voice that day – it was really husky and it had sent a chill down India’s spine when she heard it. India’s Dad had been teasing her mum and she had shouted DECLAN! at him. Her Dad had looked so happy, she had never seen that look on his face before, he just seemed so young and carefree, and utterly in love, before his life had been touched by so much heartbreak and pain. India had felt tears fall down her cheeks as she had watched her parents dance around and kiss, so innocent, such bright days those had been, looking forward to the tomorrows together, and she cried for all that would not be for them, but of course those two young lovers dancing and having time of their lives weren’t to know that then.
____________________________________________________________________________________
DECLAN
Declan stood staring at the Grave in front of him. Sometimes he couldn’t believe it had been sixteen years since his beloved Didge had been taken away from him. Time had made in easier in some ways. He had got on with his life, he had to for India’s sake, but part of him had died the day Didge did – and sometimes he felt so incredibly lonely. No one else had ever come close to her - his beautiful wife. Often he would look at Indie and she reminded him so strongly of her mother – it could be the smallest thing – perhaps her eating her cereal in a certain way or she would flash him a cheeky grin with those blue eyes sparkling and he was transported back to another time, another girl who had captured his heart and broken it into tiny smithereens the day she had died.
The night grew darker but still he remained by her grave, completely absorbed in the memories
“ I Bridget Parker promise to love you forever”
“Hey...you’re the best husband ever”
“Dec... we made her”
It hadn’t been easy. Declan remembered in the early days of just cradling Indy in his arms as he just tried to get through the dark days. He remembered how he used to cry himself to sleep, too proud to let his mum or anyone else for that matter see how hard it was for him. Sometimes it was only the promise that he made to Didge that had seen him through the darkest days of his life
I need to know that if i weren’t here that you’d promise to look after Indie...promise me... Love her, give her the best life you can
He wondered if Didge was okay wherever she was.. She had always had been two steps ahead of him in life, he had often felt that he was always following her, letting her lead him into the next adventure, just grateful to be there with her, but of course this time she had gone to a place where he couldn’t follow and how he missed her. He missed her frantic pace of life, her warm blue eyes lighting up his soul, her husky laugh teasing him. He missed holding her, talking to her, falling asleep in her arms, not only had she been his lover but she had been his best friend aswell. Sometimes it seemed like only yesterday that he had had been that 18 year old kid, full of hope for the future, those sunfilled days when Bridget has lit up his world. He had so many wonderful memories of her and Indie was the living proof of their love.
The sky was dark now and the wind was becoming bitter. Declan looked at his watch and realised he had been sitting there for hours. He stood up and glancing up at the night sky he looked for the brightest star and as his eyes reached it he smiled.
____________________________________________________________________________________
BRIDGET
She knew the time was close. Of course time here had no meaning like it did there. She knew that for her beloved family she had been gone a very, very long time. For Bridget it felt like only seconds ago that she had fallen asleep in her hospital bed - her last image being his beautiful face smiling at her.
It had broken her heart to see him grieve like he did for her. She often watched over him and their beautiful daughter. India was everything she had hoped her to be. She had watched her grow up, watched her take her first step, utter her first word, she had watched as Dec had taken India to the park on her first bday with cake and fairy bread,, had watched India on her first day of school, her fist day of high school, her graduation, her wedding day, the birth of her children. She knew that India would miss her Dad. But it was time. He had done well. He had given India a life full of love but now was his time...
She felt the air begin to change, to shift slightly, a tunnel began forming - the light dim but getting brighter and brighter. She watched him walk towards the light, the youthful young man emerging from the older shell he had left in the physical world - those familiar eyes lighted upon her
“Didge...”
She smiled softly and held out her hand
____________________________________________________
INDIA
“Didge” India watched as her Dad murmured her mothers name. A beautiful smile lighting up his old wrinkled face. India watched as the pain receded and he let go ...giving her hand one last squeeze as he was reunited with his wife that he had loved for so long...for a lifetime and beyond
