One Shot -- Part 34: Like A Rose -screen_writer-

Sheriff Brackett was buried a few days later. Nearly everyone in town showed up, including Ace and I… and Allie. Allie was out of the hospital, and back to her normal self (the cutest little thing you ever saw, as she would put it). Towards the end of her hospital stay, the nurses had fell in love with her; you couldn’t help but fall in love with her. Allie sang, and told jokes… she was a real hit with the nurses who worked on the third floor of Johanna General Hospital. Even I took up residence in the emergency room of the hospital for a few hours, getting my elbows and knees patched up. Ace was stitched up as well. It was all right though; at least I was now safe.

The funeral was lovely… sad, but lovely. Windmill Glen really showed it’s caring side, and their appreciation to Sheriff Brackett for his years of dedication to the town. Some of the town’s people even cleaned up the cemetery. The sheriff was laid to rest next to his beloved Marjorie. It was a beautiful day – not a cloud in the sky, and the trees that surrounded the graveyard were the most vivid green. Tears were shed, and prayers were said. Then everyone left, so that the gravediggers could earn their daily bread.

Sheriff Brackett waited too long to take his one shot, and he paid for it with his life. If he would’ve gotten out of Windmill Glen when he originally felt he should – two years earlier – well… who knows where he would have ended up. Then again… who knows where I would’ve ended up if that had happened – life sure can be funny.

I was blessed to have had the opportunity to talk to him before he was killed… yet… part of me felt responsible for what happened. Now, I was involved in two deaths… husband and wife. It was something that I was going to have to live with, and that someday… I hoped I would be able to get over.

Ms. McCollum was in attendance, but, unlike Sheriff Brackett, she didn’t feel like talking to me. She past Ace, Allie, and I with a snuff and her nose in the air, there was nothing unusual about that. Unlike the sheriff, Ms. McCollum had nothing to say to me. I wasn’t going to let that upset me though. Everyone in town heard about the car chase on Midnight Stream Road – remember, news travels fast in a small town – yet many people in town still couldn’t stand me; nothing was going to change that… ever – my mother ensured that years ago. It was all right though; I knew in my heart that I triumphed. Whereas most people in my situation would change their ways to please their tormentors – which, notoriously, made things worse for them – I stood strong, and I was true to myself… I kept my pride, and was unashamed of doing so.

Allie and I stayed with Ace and his parents, and it was a very pleasant experience. His mother, once she got to know me, fell in love with me. No matter how much I wanted out of Windmill Glen, there wasn’t much I could do about it. A seventeen year old who’s taking care of her little sister needs money to go out on her own. That was something I didn’t have. Yet, I was still frightened that if I didn’t leave soon, that I would end up regretting it. So many things going through my mind, it was hard to think about just one of those things.

Mainly, I worried about Allie. She had already had one traumatic experience, and that was too much. A childhood wasn’t supposed to be like that; a childhood was supposed to be happy. I didn’t have that growing up, and wanted to give Allie that much at least. And while it’s true that money can’t buy you love – I had Allie’s love and, thankfully, her trust still – it can, and does in fact, buy you shelter, and transportation, and food, and everything else that makes it easier to love.

My mother and her ‘boyfriend’ were under an investigation after I told deputy Wellford (now the new sheriff) everything that had happened, but they weren’t arrested. That frightened me a bit; knowing they were loose. She went on living… well… living like a dead person, as she always had. My mother was proof that someone could live without a heart… if you know what I mean.

All my hopes and dreams for the future relied on leaving Windmill Glen to go somewhere else, preferably somewhere near the ocean (at least that’s what I thought). Heck, that was my dream… to get out of here. And although it was something that I wanted more then anything, it still wasn’t time, no matter how much I wanted it to be. Staying with Ace wasn’t bad (his mother was in love with Simon and Garfunkle, the house was filled with their music persistently), so… I guess it was back to the candy shop. Save up my money again, and then leave, hopefully with Ace by my side.

Though, I couldn’t help to think that I missed my ‘one shot’ somehow. However, I didn’t know why I thought that.

The night of Sheriff Brackett’s burial, Ace and I, after Allie fell asleep, went out back of his house to talk. It was a night of natural wonders; the moon was extraordinarily brilliant, the few clouds, which hung in the clean country air, cascaded throughout the sky looking like cottony waves, and the purplish mid-night sky was flawed with thousands of radiant stars. ‘Scarborough Fair’ by Simon and Garfunkel carried, softly, on the light breeze, from an open window at the house. Ace put down a blanket on the grass, and we lay, side by side, on our backs, looking up at the night sky, which was nothing short of magnificent.

“Are you leaving?” He asked in a gloomy tone.

“Eventually.” I said just as gloomy.

Ace turned to look at me, and said, “When me and my father were out of town, he asked me to be his partner… his official partner. His construction business is really going to take off, and… and I’m… I don’t know… I’m glad he asked me to be his partner. I also… I also love you. When you leave… what’s going to happen.”

My heart sank. I knew, sooner or later, that I would have to deal with this. Yet, it was something I wasn’t looking forward to. Leaving Windmill Glen was something I had to do; I wasn’t wanted. And, although I didn’t want to say it, I said, “Well… we could try a long distance relationship.”

Immediately, I knew Ace wasn’t happy with that answer. He sighed, and looked away from me. “I don’t know about that Beth. I’m not sure if that’ll work.”

It was my turn to look away from him. Then Ace continued, “I guess what I’m trying to say is that… love is like a rose… it only grows when its on the vine. Once you take that rose from the vine – once you clip it off – to put it into a vase on the kitchen table, sure it may look pretty for a while… but… eventually, it dies. Just like the way long-distance relationships work. Once you leave the vine, and go somewhere else – a long distance away – the relationship may work for a while, but eventually… the relationship dies. Although I don’t want to say it… I think that’s the way we’re going to end up.” Ace looked back at me, and I looked back towards him. Our eyes met in the moonlight. “I’m being too harsh”, he said, “Forgive me.”

“You’re not being harsh”, I said, “You’re probably right.”

Then Ace said, “I just don’t want you to leave, that’s all.”

“We’ll see.” I muttered.

We enjoyed the rest of the early morning without talking; just holding each other, tightly. All that was heard were the sweet harmonies of Simon and Garfunkle singing, “Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather; Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme; And gather it all in a bunch of heather; Then she’ll be a true love of mine.”

The night was… nothing short of magical.

To Be Continued...

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