Convergence
It happened, every once in a while. Very rarely. He was not one to wear his heart on his sleeve or fall in love easily. But, on the rare occasions he stepped out of his solitary bubble, he would sometimes meet somebody that caught his interest. A spirit that glowed brighter than the rest, drawing the reclusive man toward it. It started as simple curiosity, but wouldn’t take long for it to blossom into something he had never successfully claimed: love.
Tired, dark green eyes stared out across the group huddled around the grave. He wore black as well, with respect to the lost loved one, but shed no tears. The group thinned over time, as people said their farewells and left the dismal ceremony. By the time the sun began to set, only he and the immediate family remained: a widowed mother and her son. They were both on their knees, embracing each other for emotional support. He stayed back, allowing them the proper time to grieve, but wouldn’t leave until they did as well. He didn’t attend funerals often, but he preferred to be the last one to leave whenever he did, regardless of how well he knew the deceased.
It was dark when the son got to his feet. He wiped tears from his eyes, but his mother didn’t look ready to leave. “Mom...” he said, but her body only trembled as she tried to shed tears that had long run dry. He repeated the word, but there was still no response. “We should go home. You need to sleep.”
Still no response. The mother sunk her fingers into the ground, balling them into fists and collecting dirt under her fingernails. The son gave her a few more minutes, but the chill of the autumn night hastened his decision. He knelt down and delicately hooked his arm under hers. With his support, she rose to her feet, where he quickly moved his arm around her shoulders comfortingly, guiding her back to their car. The son and his mother turned toward the only remaining person in the graveyard. Blue locked with green, and the stranger drew in a sharp breath.
The son’s shock of platinum blonde hair stood in stark contrast with the somber atmosphere. Only his dyed-black bangs matched the dark theme, and his mouth didn’t look natural in the sad frown it wore. He could tell just by a glance that the mouth was made for smiling. But what had stolen his breath were the angular eyes the son owned. They held the spirit that he was oh so interested in. He had never met the blonde, but he knew, at least, his surname was Monroe.
Monroe couldn’t waste the time inquiring about the stranger’s intentions. His mother was grieving and needed to get home to rest. As they hobbled toward the parking lot, the remaining person ran a hand through messy, dark black hair. His eyes were drawn once more to the grave, and he considered going home. Hours later, he was still considering going home.
He decided against it.
“Hey, man, uh...you okay?” Ethan cocked his head in concern. “You really shouldn’t be back in classes yet. You know the professors won’t expect you to-”
“I’m fine, man,” Eli smiled at him, not wanting to go through all the expected pity. “Look, I don’t wanna miss out on too much college. You know how hard I had to work to get here. I’m not gonna fall behind. Technology is a really competitive field; I need to give it my best if I want to succeed.”
Ethan’s eyebrows furrowed in worry, but he didn’t protest as Eli slid into the desk beside him. “Uh, well, you didn’t miss much. Just...” he continued talking, but Eli’s attention was drawn elsewhere. At a desk a couple of rows ahead of him sat a student he had never seen in the class before. Typically, he wouldn’t think much of it. College students have their schedules changed all the time to accommodate their budgets, class capacity, and changes in majors. It wasn’t weird to see new people in classes. What was weird, however, was that it was the same man he had seen at his father’s funeral a few days prior. His attendance meant he must have known him somehow, maybe from his works, but Eli had never met him.
The man had just unpacked his bag, laying a laptop and notebook on his desk, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. It startled him, making him wince. He was so used to being alone or being around those who know he doesn’t appreciate being touched. He looked up over his shoulder to see Monroe smiling at him. Even though they didn’t know each other, he could tell the smile wasn’t real. How could it be? “Hey, mind if I sit here today?” Monroe asked. He nodded, and the blonde took a seat next to him. “I’m Eli Monroe.” A hand was offered. A hand was shaken.
“Sebastian Callas,” the man introduced himself.
“I know this is a kinda weird thing to bring up right after introductions, but I saw you at my dad’s funeral. I was wondering how you knew him,” Eli said blatantly.
Sebastian looked off to the right thoughtfully. “He wasn’t really famous,” he stated what the blonde already knew. “But he was going to be. Even if he was just a solo indie developer, his games were hidden gems, and all he needed was a little publicity to make it big. The moment I heard he would be teaching here, I transferred. I really looked up to him, so when I heard he died...I needed to attend the funeral. Out of respect.”
Eli’s smile shifted into one of appreciation. This one was sincere. “Thanks, it means a lot to know dad had some fans,” he said quietly. “But, then, why were you there so late?”
This time, Sebastian didn’t need to think up an answer. “I wanted to make sure nobody ended their life in grief,” he said.
Eli stiffened, surprised by his brazenness. “Wh-What?” he asked. “I don’t...”
“Sorry, was that too personal? I’ve experienced loss before, and I preferred that people didn’t beat around the bush when I was grieving,” Sebastian shook his head apologetically.
“No, actually, I guess you’re right,” Eli said after a moment’s pause. “It’s much better than you thinking up a lie to spare that awkwardness.”
“Truth is, I’ve been to my fair share of funerals,” Sebastian explained, his eyes returning to his desk. “There was one, a woman who lost her fiancé. Everybody left until it was just her. When her sister visited her the next morning, she wasn’t home. She was dead on his grave, impaled herself on a shovel. Since then, I’ve stayed to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Eli found himself leaning forward, enthralled by his short story, as tragic as it was. “Man, that...that sucks,” was all he could say. “I guess...thanks. That’s rather thoughtful of you, and you probably don’t get thanked by enough people.”
That was the story of his life. But Sebastian just shifted his weight and said, “I don’t do it for the thanks. Everybody has a time they must pass. Nobody gains anything from hastening their death, even if, at the moment, it seems better than life.”
Eli’s shoulders sagged and his heart sank. Sebastian was speaking from experience. He had already said he had been to many funerals; how many loved ones had he lost? He watched as the black-haired student opened his laptop as if the conversation was finished. Eli didn’t want to leave the conversation there. He spoke without thinking. “My friend Ethan and I are going to the skate park later. Wanna come with?”
Sebastian had never skated once in his life. He had never been to a skate park. And yet, his head moved just slightly to indicate he accepted the invitation. “If he’s all right with it, then yes, I’d be glad to.”
