flowers. “They are lovely,” I said deciding to change the subject quickly. Whenever Zedekiah went to a dark place in his mind, everything around us seemed to darken. I wasn’t in the mood for it.
He lifted his face again. “I picked them fresh.”
I eyed him suspiciously.
“Took them from some man who had buckets of them in front of his shop. Called himself a flowerist or something like that.”
“I believe that’s a florist, and if you took them without paying for them then it means you stole them.”
He shrugged his broad, ghostly shoulders. “What are they going to do? Hang me?”
I continued up the path. “You have a point. Still the shop owners can’t afford to have you taking their goods.”
He ignored my admonition and floated ahead to a small area where the grass had grown exceedingly long. “I have something else for you.”
“Zedekiah,” I said.
“Don’t worry, I didn’t steal it.”
I reached the patch of grass he hovered above and looked down. A tiny gray kitten, not more than four weeks old, wobbled in the center on short, unstable legs. “I guess I nearly stole it. A hawk had it in its talons. I threw a rock at the bird and he dropped it.”
I reached for the kitten and brought it up against my chest. It made small squeaking sounds. I smiled up at Zedekiah. “I love it.”
He looked quite pleased with himself. “I thought you could name him Zed.”
I lifted the kitten’s tail and laughed. “Or I could name her, Anna.”
“Anna’s a fine name too.” I walked the rest of the way home with my flowers and my kitten. Zedekiah followed. “What brought you back, Zedekiah? You’ve been gone for so long.” Deep down, I hoped he had not returned because of me.
At once, his perpetual cigarette appeared in his fingers and he took a long hit. “They told me they’d seen Rebecca. I had to see for myself.”
“They? Do you mean your gang?” The hungry kitten suckled lightly on the tip of my finger.
“Butcher, Steamer. . . the others who haunt the swamp.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you,” I said.
He drifted in front of me. I stopped and looked up at him. “You’re not a disappointment, Jessie.” The features of his face sharpened and the cool, moist air surrounding him seemed to warm instantly. “It’s so much like looking into the face of Rebecca, I can almost feel the heartbreak all over again.”
“Again, I’m sorry. Apparently I’m only a reminder of how terribly wrong things went for you.”
“You are the first bright moment in my dreary eternity.” His white fingers picked up a strand of my hair and he pressed it to his lips. “What I wouldn’t give to have my senses back. To take in the fragrance of beautiful hair, taste the sweetness of a soft pair of lips. Even if it meant having to feel the true agony of being in love.” He gazed at me for a minute. I shyly dropped my attention to the tiny kitten now fast asleep in my hand. My hair slid from his grasp.
We reached the porch steps. “Zedekiah, I never said thank you for helping me the other day, when I was about to fall. I know I told you to stay off the school grounds, but I didn’t want you to think I wasn’t grateful.”
“Only wish I could have left that girl hanging there on the ceiling for good.”
“You’ll be happy to know that glued to the ceiling or not, she seems to have tired of torturing me.”
“She better have.”
I climbed up the steps, stopped at the top, and smiled down at him. A slow, easy smile spread across his face. Looking down at him with that heart stopping grin, I realized how much he reminded me of Nick. “Thank you for the nice gifts, but now, I’ve got to go inside and rummage through my closet for a dress.” I lifted the kitten to my lips and kissed her soft head. Zedekiah
He lifted his face again. “I picked them fresh.”
I eyed him suspiciously.
“Took them from some man who had buckets of them in front of his shop. Called himself a flowerist or something like that.”
“I believe that’s a florist, and if you took them without paying for them then it means you stole them.”
He shrugged his broad, ghostly shoulders. “What are they going to do? Hang me?”
I continued up the path. “You have a point. Still the shop owners can’t afford to have you taking their goods.”
He ignored my admonition and floated ahead to a small area where the grass had grown exceedingly long. “I have something else for you.”
“Zedekiah,” I said.
“Don’t worry, I didn’t steal it.”
I reached the patch of grass he hovered above and looked down. A tiny gray kitten, not more than four weeks old, wobbled in the center on short, unstable legs. “I guess I nearly stole it. A hawk had it in its talons. I threw a rock at the bird and he dropped it.”
I reached for the kitten and brought it up against my chest. It made small squeaking sounds. I smiled up at Zedekiah. “I love it.”
He looked quite pleased with himself. “I thought you could name him Zed.”
I lifted the kitten’s tail and laughed. “Or I could name her, Anna.”
“Anna’s a fine name too.” I walked the rest of the way home with my flowers and my kitten. Zedekiah followed. “What brought you back, Zedekiah? You’ve been gone for so long.” Deep down, I hoped he had not returned because of me.
At once, his perpetual cigarette appeared in his fingers and he took a long hit. “They told me they’d seen Rebecca. I had to see for myself.”
“They? Do you mean your gang?” The hungry kitten suckled lightly on the tip of my finger.
“Butcher, Steamer. . . the others who haunt the swamp.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you,” I said.
He drifted in front of me. I stopped and looked up at him. “You’re not a disappointment, Jessie.” The features of his face sharpened and the cool, moist air surrounding him seemed to warm instantly. “It’s so much like looking into the face of Rebecca, I can almost feel the heartbreak all over again.”
“Again, I’m sorry. Apparently I’m only a reminder of how terribly wrong things went for you.”
“You are the first bright moment in my dreary eternity.” His white fingers picked up a strand of my hair and he pressed it to his lips. “What I wouldn’t give to have my senses back. To take in the fragrance of beautiful hair, taste the sweetness of a soft pair of lips. Even if it meant having to feel the true agony of being in love.” He gazed at me for a minute. I shyly dropped my attention to the tiny kitten now fast asleep in my hand. My hair slid from his grasp.
We reached the porch steps. “Zedekiah, I never said thank you for helping me the other day, when I was about to fall. I know I told you to stay off the school grounds, but I didn’t want you to think I wasn’t grateful.”
“Only wish I could have left that girl hanging there on the ceiling for good.”
“You’ll be happy to know that glued to the ceiling or not, she seems to have tired of torturing me.”
“She better have.”
I climbed up the steps, stopped at the top, and smiled down at him. A slow, easy smile spread across his face. Looking down at him with that heart stopping grin, I realized how much he reminded me of Nick. “Thank you for the nice gifts, but now, I’ve got to go inside and rummage through my closet for a dress.” I lifted the kitten to my lips and kissed her soft head. Zedekiah
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