Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.
The children, having been fed, are playing in the living room while Chan and Evan look through Chan's parent's room for some sign of what to do next. See what's going on in this week's chapter of Super Trooper. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!
Evan couldn’t help but notice that Chan’s parents
were very tidy and well-organized people, which was reflected in their
immaculate bedroom. Evan felt almost like an intruder, barging in on their
privacy, but he understood that it needed to be done. Luckily, Evan had an idea
where they kept their more important papers. He pulled a metal box from the
closet and opened it.
“I think this is it.” He seated himself on the bed
and began to look through the contents of the box, waving Evan to sit beside
him.
“Why don’t I call the funeral home?” Evan suggested.
“Do you know what they might like in the way of a funeral?” He didn’t know how
to phrase the question any more delicately than that. He hadn’t made the
arrangements for his own parents after their death, but he’d been to a few
wakes for comrades, and wasn’t completely uncomfortable with being in a funeral
home. Tucker Falls only had one, so that made the decision of whom to use
easier.
Chan looked up from the paper in his hand. “No
funeral,” he said. “They wished to be cremated, that much I know. That’s how
things were done in the old country, and that is what they’ve always told me.”
“I didn’t know you’d discussed it.” Evan was
surprised but also relieved. Practicality was a good thing, especially right
now.
“They have had other Hindu friends who passed, and
they told me that was what they wished as well,” Chan said.
“What about other family? Is there someone you
should notify?”
Chan shook his head. “No. My grandparents on both
sides are deceased. If there are any distant relatives, I don’t know who they
would be, or how to get in touch with them. I found a copy of their will,” he
added, holding up the document in his hand. “I assume the original is with
their attorney. His name is on here. I should probably call him.”
“That’s a good idea. Why don’t I call the funeral
home and you call the lawyer? We can make appointments to see them both today,
if they have time. We can still have a viewing, right? So you all can say
good-bye?” At least, that’s how he assumed it would be done.
Chan nodded. “That sounds like a good idea.” He
paused for a moment, biting his lower lip. Evan could feel his hesitation. He
reached for Chan’s hand and squeezed it lovingly, hoping to assure him as well.
“You know I’m all they have,” he said quietly. “They’re
my responsibility now. I have to take care of them.”
Evan shook his head before Chan had finished
speaking. “No, they’re our
responsibility,” he said without hesitation. “We’re in this together, remember
that.”
As Evan watched, Chan’s stoic façade began to
crumble. “I can’t ask that of you,” he choked out. “Kids… they need a lot of
time and energy. That’s not what you signed on for.”
When Chan began to sob, Evan pulled him to him and
wrapped his arms around him. “You’re not asking, I’m offering. I love you,
Chan, just remember that. We’ll get through this together. All of us.” Okay,
maybe he didn’t know much about children. And maybe Chan’s siblings weren’t
exactly fond of him. But they could all learn, right?
He remembered how he felt as a teenager, alone in
the world, forced to rely on his own resources. He would never wish that on
anyone, much less Chan’s brother and sisters. They would make it, no matter
what.
to be continued
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