Iria walked silently up the sloping hill as she had done the week before. The grass was slippery with the morning dew and she stumbled once or twice but each time managed to maintain her balance. The sun was just peeking over the trees in the distance and a light breeze whispered through the grass, the leaves, her hair, her dress, and the small flowers in her hand.
She knelt down before a polished concrete stone sticking out of the ground and smiled wearily at it. “Sorry I’m late, father.” She whispered. Fingering the letters carved into the solid stone and placing the flowers before it she brushed back her hair, the hair he so loved because it reminded him of Lucifer’s.
“We’ve missed you very much. It’s pretty quiet around lately, with the exception of the newborns. They are always making a fuss and breaking things. It’s pretty funny sometimes. The owners always have such a hard time.” She paused and decided to switch topics.
A tall man was watching her behind a nearby tree. His head was down and his eyes were closed as he listened to the girl talk to the silent stone. The wind blew gently passed him, and played with his hair, the hair he loved so much.
“I’ve started public school. They skipped me ahead into high school because they said I was advanced. I’m pretty excited about it, actually. My fellow students are very nice and my teachers are friendly. Parent Teacher Night is coming up and I hope you will go. Lucifer said he was going but I would feel much better if you went with him. You’re much more of a people person than he is, always have been.”
“I… I saw Lucifer talking to you yesterday. I was most surprised. I never expected he would be the type… But I suppose it doesn’t seem as silly now that I think of it. If you love someone enough you should tell them and that’s just fine with me. I know how much he cared. I know you were probably listening but if you missed it, it was rather touching. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop or anything… alright, so I DID mean to but you understand.” She laughed a little, perhaps a bit hesitantly.
Again, she paused and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I haven’t come lately. It’s been really busy at the shop and all. I haven’t had much time for anything else. Not that I couldn’t make time for you it’s just…” she sighed and struggled for words as she pleaded with the stone for forgiveness. “I’m sorry. I promise I’ll come everyday this week if that will make you feel better. I-I never told you this before but… I love you… I really do.” The wind that had brushed passed the man also brushed passed her. Her eyes began to water and a lump formed in her throat. The wind tugged at her dress and playfully ruffled her hair, because he loved her hair. It reminded him of Lucifer’s.
“Oh, stop that, father. You’re going to mess it up. You know I hate it when you do that.” Her voice was shaky, as were her hands. The wind whistled around her and she paused to listen. “No, no. It was my fault. I should have come to see you more often. You’re just getting even with me, I see? So childish.” The tears swelled in her eyes as the wind whispered again. “H-How many times have I told you not to call me Ri-ri. It’s a foolish nickname…” she blinked and the cool tears ran down her warm face. It was refreshing and yet annoyingly added to the lump in her throat. “I will not have it…”
She broke down. Leaning against the stone she let the tears flow freely onto the fresh green grass of that Tuesday morning. The world was silent but her quiet sobs and it seemed even the birds were silenced by her mourning.
The man behind the tree made himself known and slowly walked across the grass to stand by the girl’s side. For a while he only watched the stone, his eyes tracing the words carved in it as her fingers had done. She whipped away the tears but did not look at him.
“He can’t hear you, you know.”
“Yes he can. I can feel him. He’s here.”
“He’s six feet under, Iria. He can’t hear you.”
“Then how come I saw you talking to him? Answer me that!”
The man paused and looked up. “I was merely talking. Whoever wanted to listen heard me clear enough…”
Iria glared at the grass as she sniffled and rubbed the remaining tears away from her warm face.
“But…” he continued. Iria winced, wanting to hear no more of his meaningless talk. “If he was listening I imagine he would be pretty upset.”
Iria froze and listened.
“He would be thinking, ‘No matter what I do I just can’t seem to make Iria happy…’”
Her eyes widened and watered again. She looked up at him, his right eye shadowed with the hair he loved. He continued.
“’Even in death I can’t seem to make her happy. I always aggravated her and called her cute names… and now when she needs me most, the one time I could actually help her… I can’t. I can’t even hold her in my arms and whisper that everything was going to be ok… But I’ll make it up to her.’” He paused, and a smile crossed his face. “When she slips, I’ll be the wind to catch her and keep her from falling. When she’s lonely, I’ll ruffle her hair, even though I know she hates it, just to let her know I’m there. And when she is grown up and having children of her own… I’ll be the man right there next to her, holding her hand and telling her ‘she’s got your eyes.’ So dry those tears, lift up your chin, and smile, my little Ri-ri. I’m watching over you whether you like it or not.’” He paused again, “… Of course… That’s just my guess.”
Iria gave a little cry and her fingers grabbed for the fabric in his pants leg and she drew her face into his thigh. She sobbed loudly at first but over time it became softer and softer until the only indication that she was still sobbing was the twitching of her shoulders every few seconds as she gasped for breath.
His hand lowered and his fingers lightly touched the top of her head. He wrapped one finger around a lock of her hair and he patted her head in his own form of comfort. She had his hair. The hair he loved so much because it reminded him of his.
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