Part 3:
My long night found me alone with my brother and our lion.
My long night found me at peace with my family.
I looked at my brother asleep on the couch beside me.
He was alright, I mused.
Not health-wise, of course.
His ankle flopped and flooped.
But he was alright as a brother.
Better than alright, if I'm being honest.
Not that I'd ever tell him.
Before passing out, he’d said, “I’m going to do it. Start my shuttle service. If I survive.”
Rick then rallied for a moment, sharing his inner thoughts.
“I hate carpet. I know you do, too. But ... it's been my life. Since I was born."
“I get it. Yes, you're right."
“But how do we rebel? Against a great business? Against our father?"
“We're trapped. Trapped in a good thing."
“That's it," he responded. “Our weird luck. Born into a good thing that feels bad."
My long night found me at peace with my family.
I looked at my brother asleep on the couch beside me.
He was alright, I mused.
Not health-wise, of course.
His ankle flopped and flooped.
But he was alright as a brother.
Better than alright, if I'm being honest.
Not that I'd ever tell him.
Before passing out, he’d said, “I’m going to do it. Start my shuttle service. If I survive.”
Rick then rallied for a moment, sharing his inner thoughts.
“I hate carpet. I know you do, too. But ... it's been my life. Since I was born."
“I get it. Yes, you're right."
“But how do we rebel? Against a great business? Against our father?"
“We're trapped. Trapped in a good thing."
“That's it," he responded. “Our weird luck. Born into a good thing that feels bad."
“Don't worry," I offered. “I feel the same way. You're not alone."
We shared a unique and strange type of pain.
But there was even more.
The last thing he said to me just then?
It was about love.
“Please ... tell Genevieve.”
“Sure, yes. Tell her what?”
“That I miss her.
The smell of her hair.
The crinkle of her eyes when she laughs."
“Okay," I said. “I'll make sure she knows you care."
“But more than that," he replied. “It's the little things."
“The little things?"
“Tell her ... I love her chicken riggies.
How she insists on using heavy cream in the sauce.
And how she grates the onions on a box grater, and adds tons of garlic, and how it always tastes perfect.
Tell her, no matter what?
She's stayed with me.
Whatever's going on, she's still with me.
Tell her I love her.”
We shared a unique and strange type of pain.
But there was even more.
The last thing he said to me just then?
It was about love.
“Please ... tell Genevieve.”
“Sure, yes. Tell her what?”
“That I miss her.
The smell of her hair.
The crinkle of her eyes when she laughs."
“Okay," I said. “I'll make sure she knows you care."
“But more than that," he replied. “It's the little things."
“The little things?"
“Tell her ... I love her chicken riggies.
How she insists on using heavy cream in the sauce.
And how she grates the onions on a box grater, and adds tons of garlic, and how it always tastes perfect.
Tell her, no matter what?
She's stayed with me.
Whatever's going on, she's still with me.
Tell her I love her.”
Rick soon stopped talking after that.
His head leaning back to a slumberous state.
My long night left me thinking Genevieve would never get to know.
For this might be the end.
For us all.
If the dragon struck?
We would die, missing and lost.
To Gen – to everyone – we would have simply disappeared.
Not a soul would know what had become of us.
My long night felt definite and unyielding.
Our hopes? Our dreams?
They sat at a precipice.
On one side?
Death by dragon.
On the other?
Life, and all its consequences.
Somehow both seemed pretty scary.
But I knew I'd prefer the outcome of my choices.
I'd rather suffer the slings and arrow of outrageous fortune.
Then cower to worries of the dark.
I believed in my vision.
In my path.
In the open future of possibility.
His head leaning back to a slumberous state.
My long night left me thinking Genevieve would never get to know.
For this might be the end.
For us all.
If the dragon struck?
We would die, missing and lost.
To Gen – to everyone – we would have simply disappeared.
Not a soul would know what had become of us.
My long night felt definite and unyielding.
Our hopes? Our dreams?
They sat at a precipice.
On one side?
Death by dragon.
On the other?
Life, and all its consequences.
Somehow both seemed pretty scary.
But I knew I'd prefer the outcome of my choices.
I'd rather suffer the slings and arrow of outrageous fortune.
Then cower to worries of the dark.
I believed in my vision.
In my path.
In the open future of possibility.
My long night, mercifully, had neared its end.
For time had continued to tick along.
And now?
After all this?
We were still alive!
As night was mercifully receding.
Dawn, at long last, now approached.
And still no dragon had stomped upon the scene!
Perhaps Rick's blow was all-encompassing.
Perhaps the dragon was injured most grievous.
In any case, we sat alive and healthy and abundant.
The stars above twinkled a closing melody.
One last ditty before morning eased them off the stage.
I viewed the reassuring sight of the bright horizon.
The darkness relinquishing the sky to the approaching sun.
My long night had proved triumphant!
I wished the stars farewell as glorious dawn soon ascended.
For time had continued to tick along.
And now?
After all this?
We were still alive!
As night was mercifully receding.
Dawn, at long last, now approached.
And still no dragon had stomped upon the scene!
Perhaps Rick's blow was all-encompassing.
Perhaps the dragon was injured most grievous.
In any case, we sat alive and healthy and abundant.
The stars above twinkled a closing melody.
One last ditty before morning eased them off the stage.
I viewed the reassuring sight of the bright horizon.
The darkness relinquishing the sky to the approaching sun.
My long night had proved triumphant!
I wished the stars farewell as glorious dawn soon ascended.