From father to
son
Jim Roden had told
his son and his grandson the same bedtime story for over forty years. It was a
story about a young dragon who’d given up his immortality so that he could stay
with his mortal wife.
Jim stood outside his
great grandson’s bedroom door as the boy’s father told him the story. Jim
didn’t seem to notice the tears that fell from his eyes when Edward told his
son how the dragon realized that even as a mortal he would still outlive all
the people in his life. Jim silently closed the gap in the door. He hobbled
down the stairs taking care to let his black cane bear his weight and at the
bottom he headed as quickly as he could for the door desperate to get outside.
“Pop?”
Jim turned his head slowly. His fifty year old son stood by the kitchen drying his hands with a dish cloth. “You going out?”
Jim nodded his head.
“Pop?”
Jim turned his head slowly. His fifty year old son stood by the kitchen drying his hands with a dish cloth. “You going out?”
Jim nodded his head.
“You want me to come
with you?” his son asked.
The old man shook his head and opened the door. He knew his boy worried about him, they all did. After all it wasn’t every family that had to look after an old fossil like him.
He went to the park and sat on his usual bench by the lake and thought of Sally. She had been such a warm person. Even after all the kidney stones, arthritis and the horror of watching his hair fall out he couldn’t say he’d made the wrong decision. Life with her had been worth trading in a world of magic for their years together.
Still he missed the sky and tearing through the cold wetness of a cloud. Jim loved his family but with Sally gone the dragon and the man in him had begun to die. He stood up and placed his cane on the bench. He took off his grey cardigan, kicked off his shoes and unbuttoned his pants. He knew no one would catch him or stop him, that part of the park was too cold for most people.
Afterwards people said they heard a beast’s roar in the park and the staff found torn trees near the lake along with the naked corpse of a white haired old man. Jim Roden’s family mourned their great grandfather for long time but on certain days when his son came to lay flowers on his father’s grave he couldn’t help thinking about the pure joy that had seemed to reside in his father’s last smile.
The old man shook his head and opened the door. He knew his boy worried about him, they all did. After all it wasn’t every family that had to look after an old fossil like him.
He went to the park and sat on his usual bench by the lake and thought of Sally. She had been such a warm person. Even after all the kidney stones, arthritis and the horror of watching his hair fall out he couldn’t say he’d made the wrong decision. Life with her had been worth trading in a world of magic for their years together.
Still he missed the sky and tearing through the cold wetness of a cloud. Jim loved his family but with Sally gone the dragon and the man in him had begun to die. He stood up and placed his cane on the bench. He took off his grey cardigan, kicked off his shoes and unbuttoned his pants. He knew no one would catch him or stop him, that part of the park was too cold for most people.
Afterwards people said they heard a beast’s roar in the park and the staff found torn trees near the lake along with the naked corpse of a white haired old man. Jim Roden’s family mourned their great grandfather for long time but on certain days when his son came to lay flowers on his father’s grave he couldn’t help thinking about the pure joy that had seemed to reside in his father’s last smile.
