Fair Enough

• Jess Trezise, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2009

Two men stood up on top of the hill. One was tall, dark haired, and the scene before him with a kind of sad acceptance in his eyes. The other man was blonde, shorter and his usual sarcastic features were replaced by a look of pity for the man before him. This man was nothing like the hero that he had once revered, and that terrified him more than anything else. It was her fault that he was like this, but truth be told, he didn’t think that she was fairing any better.
“Do you think she’ll come?’ he asked carefully. He was definitely curious, but did not want to provoke the man in front of him.
The taller man looked down at William with a true look of surprise. He had never told the younger man why they came here each year, but I guess it could be pretty obvious if one was inclined to look hard enough. Why else would he do something crazy like this? Why else for any reason but love?

He sighed, and turned away from William, not really wanting to try and explain his reasoning behind his feelings. The younger man had never loved anybody like he had before, so he could not possibly understand.
Every year on this date, he had come to this desolate place, just to wait for her. It was on this hill all those years ago that she had saved him.
And what had he done?
He had left her. He said that he wanted her to find a normal life, but truthfully, he was just scared. Scared of the power that she had over him.
And now, he came to this place every year to atone for what he had done to her. But she had ever come, never acknowledged that he was sorry. He was so sorry.

“Maybe we should go, I don’t think that she’s coming” William interjected, trying to ease the pain that this man was suffering.
Although his words were seemingly innocent they affected the taller man in ways that William did not expect.
She was never going to come, she was always going to leave him alone, just like her had done to her.
Maybe if he hadn’t left, then everything would be different. They could’ve had a life together, a future, but due to his own selfishness and cowardice that would now never happen.
Maybe if he hadn’t existed, then perhaps she wouldn’t have died.

“Liam?” William asked hesitantly “It’s time to go. It’s almost day, we have to leave before the sun comes up,”
“I think that I’m going to stay,” the taller man said surely
“But-“
“No, you go. I’m staying. I’m going to wait for her. She’s going to come this time.”

William pitied this man, but he still respected him and his decision to stay. This man’s life was all about waiting for this girl. It is what he needed to do.

Fair Enough.