Daddy Wake Up! (A short story about the toll of death on children!) Read online

Daddy Wake Up

  By:

  Sian Alexis Young

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Daddy Wake Up!: copyright © 2012, by Sian Alexis Young

  Prologue 3

  Daddy Wake up! 4

  Prologue

  When I was 8 my father died in a car crash. I didn't understand much at the time, but I did know it had something to do with him. The day of his funeral it was storming really bad and after a nasty lightning strike I got scared and ran away. What happened next I will remember until the day I die. My mother, to this day, still doesn't believe me and says I made it all up because I was sad and lonely and wanted comfort. But, why don't I let you decide and make your own decisions about kind old Mr. Gallagher.

  Daddy Wake Up

  It was a dark and stormy night; the only lights were two large outdoor ones. I stood next to my mother in the graveyard as she cried, getting drenched by the rain and not even noticing. Or was it caring? There were people all around us, quiet and thoughtful or crying and burying their faces in their tissues or handkerchiefs. I was under my small pink umbrella, in my prettiest black dress and fancy black shoes. My feet were cold and wet from standing in the rain for almost 2 hours, I wanted to go home and curl up in my nice warm and dry bed and I didn't understand why we had to stand here in the rain at 6 o'clock in a graveyard.

  Mummy said that Daddy had died and we were going to his funeral. I didn't know what she meant by “he'd died.” Did that mean he has gone away and wasn't coming back? Was it something I did, was I bad, did I not go to bed on time or brush my teeth?

  I begged Mummy to call him and tell him that I was sorry that it wasn't my fault...or that whatever it was I didn't do it. But, all she did was pat me on my head and leave the room crying. Now we're standing in the mud, in front of a big hole. Everyone I know is standing around it crying. People have been too busy to bother telling me what is going on, they are all too busy crying and hugging each other to bother with me all they tell me is, “go play.”

  The strange guy in a white sheet, why he was wearing a white sheet I didn't know, was still talking from his book. He was dry like me because he had a friend holding an umbrella over him, but his wasn't pink and frilly like mine was.

  "Mummy.....I'm tired...my feet hurt, my arm hurts....I'm cold, and can we go home now?" I looked up at her and sniffed, trying not to cry.

  "Shhh....Dominique, the Priest is speaking...show respect for your father!" She didn't even look at me once; she was too busy staring at a strange box hovering above the giant muddy hole. I didn't know how telling her I was tired and wanted to go home was dis...dis....was being mean to Daddy.

  I lifted my umbrella so I could look at the sky. It was dark and scary looking. I kept seeing flashes of light run across it, and it was frightening. Daddy called it lightning once when I asked what it was. He said that it can hit the ground and that being around metal and trees was a bad idea when there was lightning in the sky. I wondered if umbrella's counted as metal. I looked at the sheet wearing guy Mummy called the Priest when it got quiet, he'd stopped talking and was waving at some guy. I looked up at the box that was over the giant hole and saw it slowly getting closer to us. Maybe they were going to put the box in the hole? Maybe it was a time capsule thingy like the one me and Daddy buried in the backyard but, then why was everyone crying?

  I looked up at my Mummy to ask her why everyone was so sad and crying, when I saw a flash of light go right past me. I turned to see what it was when I heard a horrible sound; it was like a gurgling sound that zombies make or someone drowning. I heard someone scream and looked up where they pointing and saw the box, it was shaking and wobbling badly, it was going to fall and all the treasures were going to get all wet and muddy.

  The chain holding the box up made that gurgling sound I heard earlier, I didn't know chains could make that kind of sound, it made the sound again right before it snapped and the box, in what felt like slow motion, fell the short way to the ground where it smashed open. I could hear people screaming and running, but I moved closer wanting to see the treasures inside. Peeking over the edge of the box and looking inside, there were no treasures, no awesome gadget things, the only thing in there was.

  "Daddy?"

  Lying inside the box was my Daddy, he looked like he was taking a nap after Church on a Sunday in his best clothing, but he didn't move when I called him.

  "Daddy? Why are you in the box? They are going to put that box in ground and bury it Mummy said... Daddy, Daddy." I reached in and shook his shoulder, but he was all cold and stiff, I don't think Daddy's sleeping.

  "Daddy....Daddy.....Daddy!" I shook him harder and screamed as loud as I could hoping he'd just sit up and yell "Gotcha" but, he didn't move and I realized that he wasn't going to get up, and he wasn't going to come home with us, and that they were going to bury my Daddy in the ground, the cold, muddy, wet, ground...all alone.

  "Daddy....you can't leave me....Daddy please, Daddy!" I screamed and backed away from the box that held my Daddy in it, why wasn't he moving, why wasn't he getting up to come home with us. Who was going to tuck me into bed? Who was going to read me my favorite bed time story? Who was going to sneak me a cookie when Mummy said no? Who was going to love me?

  I backed away from the box, from Daddy, from all the people around me screaming and crying, I had no one, I had no one, I was alone, all alone, and nobody loved me anymore. I turned and ran away, I ran as hard and as fast as I could, I'd dropped my umbrella back at the box but I didn't care, I just had to get away, get away from him and his box.

  "Daddy....how could you leave me...?" I was crying so hard I could barely see where I was going, it was raining so hard and it was so muddy, I didn't see the rock under all the mud until I tripped over it and landed on my belly in the mud.

  "Daddy…Daddy...Why Daddy? Why?" I just lay there in the mud, and cried until I couldn't cry anymore. I was soaked with water even my underwear were wet, it wasn't a good feeling, but I didn't want to move and I doubted anyone would come looking for me. Maybe I could live in the Graveyard, that way I could see my Daddy every day.

  "You don't want to live here sweet little girl..." A voice said from above me, I sniffled and looked up at it. It was an old man, he had long white hair and a white beard. He also had very kind looking blue eyes, he was holding an umbrella over me to try and keep the rain off. I was going to tell him it didn't matter as I was drenched but I didn't have the energy.

  "Why not..." I squeaked out. He just smiled and held out his hand to me. I took it and got up with his help, it was much warmer on the ground in the mud, up here the wind was blowing and it was a cold wind. I shivered.

  "Because a Graveyard is not a fun place to live for anyone...let alone a little girl such as yourself..." He smiled and wrapped a blanket around me; I snuggled in it and yawned.

  "Your mother must be worried to death, tonight is not a night to wander in the Graveyard young one...there be Spirits about..." He wrapped his arm around me and guided me back the way I had come. I didn't know how he knew where I'd come from, even I didn't know how I got here.

  "But...but...my Daddy's here...I want to be with my Daddy..." I sniffled and wiped my eyes with the blanket; the old man just sighed and held me closer.

  "I know little one, I know...I'm sorry. But, your Daddy has had his time here; it's his time to return home to the Spirit world where
he may start his life anew. But, your life little one has just begun, you have long great life ahead of you, you don't want to ruin it by living in a Graveyard do you?" He smiled down at me and I couldn't help but feel a little safer and happier. If this stranger cares for me, then maybe my Mummy does too and I'm not alone after all?

  "See you're not alone after all! I'm sure your Mummy loves you and miss you right now...." He gave me a sideways hug and kept me walking, even though I was so I tired I just wanted to lie down and sleep.

  "Yeah...she was just so sad...and I only made it worse." I sniffled and looked up when we came around a corner and I saw where my Daddy and his box were, but there was no one here, just Daddy's box and the storm.

  "I'm sure they're out looking for you sweetie, sit down here on this chair and wait for them ok?" He smiled and sat me down on one of the rickety chairs the grownups had brought out to sit on.

  "Who are you...sir?" I asked, Daddy taught me manners and I wasn't going to forget them just because he wasn't around.

  "I'm Mr. Gallagher...the Grounds Supervisor and you are?" He bent down to look me in the eyes, his eyes were bright blue and I could almost hear the ocean and sea gulls just from staring into his deep blue ocean eyes, I blinked and remembered the question.

  "Dominique sir..." I smiled and held out my hand to him, he smiled and took my hand and kissed it, I giggled and yawned again.

  "You wait here; I'll go find your family..." He patted my head and walked off into the storm. I watched him go and yawned. I grabbed one of the other chairs and pulled it to me, then I laid down on them slowly and closed my eyes, I was so tired.

  "Dominique, Dominique!" I heard a voice yelling at me or for me, to me? It was very faint and almost sounded like...

  "Mummy?" I opened my eyes and saw my Mummy sitting in front of me, she looked tired and dirty, but also very scared, and maybe she really does love me.

  "Mummy...why did Daddy leave me, was I bad?" I sniffled.

  "Oh sweetie. No of course you weren't bad; it's not your fault. Daddy loves you and will always be with you." Mummy sniffed too and wiped her eyes and mine.

  "Are you going to love me and take me of me now that Daddy's gone?" I sniffled and felt my chin wobble, I was trying not to cry again, but I couldn't help it. What if Mummy doesn't love me, or want to love me, or know how to like Daddy did?

  "Oh my sweet, sweet baby, of course I love you, and I will always love you!" She said and pulled me into her arms, and rocked me back and forth slowly while she cried. She loved me, she really loved me, Mr. Gallagher was right...

  "Mummy, Mr. Gallagher saved me...he brought me back and found you for me." I sat up and looked at her. I sniffled but she looked at me funny for a moment.

  "Who sweetie?" She was still looking at me funny, how can she not know who he is, he went and got her didn't he.

  "He's the Grounds Keeper Mummy...Mr. Gallagher!" I wiped my eyes and looked around at the people watching us.

  "My dear child...Mr. Gallagher, did he have long white hair and a beard?" The sheet man asked I nodded that was him.

  "And bright blue oceany eyes..." I nodded again and smiled he was a sweet old man.

  "My dear child Mr. Gallagher died 50 years ago..." The sheet man said, I just looked at him and frowned. No, he couldn't be dead. I spoke to him, touched him, and hugged him...if he's dead then does that make him...a ghost?