Paul Harvey

As, I step outside of the council building, my mind wanders back to everything I just learnt.

I had gone there searching for answers, only to find myself with more questions than before.

I take a deep breath, allowing for this to be a moment, where I can collect my thoughts. Once, I feel my emotions ease, I jump into the car and prepare for the drive to the local Swimming Pool. To the place where Clive would sit for hours, listening to his girls laugh, as they splashed playfully in the water.

Clive never went in himself, just sat there in the cafe, with a coffee, watching and listening to his girls play with joyous delight.

I was soon roped into his swimming game, joining the girls in the pool, as we came up with our own fun little challenges. 

I could see in his face, that he wanted to join, but, in his mind, something taunted him into fear.

I called him out on it one day and all he had to say was this "When I was 7, something happened and I've never been in water since."

I try to push for more, but Clive builds up the barriers, I had just spent months knocking down.

He was still a good man, but his willingness to open up, slowly began to deterioate. It was only when I accepted that who Clive was in the past, was irrelevant to who he was now, was our friendship able to move on.

I begin to weep, at the memories of my now absent friend.

I can feel Marie's breath against my ear, as she gently whispers sweet words of encouragement.

"Look, I know it's tough, but you will get through it and you know I'm always here if you need me." Marie states in a reassuring way, that suggested a growing chemistry between us both.

"It's just that I have been friends with Clive for so long, but now as I think about it, I can't help, but feel as if I never in fact knew him." I state in between tearful sobs, as I sit there yearning to hear my friends voice, one last time.

"We all keep secrets, at some point in our life's. It just so happens, that some are more severe than others. But, the main reason, people hide their problems, is because they care deeply for the person, that they keep them from. I reckon Clive cared about you, wanted you to live your own life and not have to worry about his own." she calmly responds, with a sense of intuitive wisdom, which was ironic considering the Phrase "The older you get, the wiser you are." Which was not to fit in this case, as Marie was 20 years younger than me, but was here wisely persuading me to see it through a different perspective.

"I know, but Clive was my rock, my everything. I saw the hate in people's eyes and I could never understand why. All because I only ever saw the good, everything they said about Clive did not match with what I knew. But, regardless, somewhere deep down, I knew Clive was not the gentleman he made out to be."

"Hey, I get it, you miss him more than words can say. But, I know of a different story, where secrets lurk and pain inflicts. However, there is a key difference between yours and mine, so pay close attention as I tell you this tale." She says, as she clears her throat and aligns herself more comfortably in her seat.

I clear my mind, so that my only focus is on the words of Officer Johnson.

"Well, when I mentioned earlier about my childhood, I forgot to say how enraged that made my parents. Of course, there was nothing they could do, for I was old enough to make my own choices in life. Although, that did not stop my own parents kidnapping me and abusing me, until I gave in and performed. The police found me a few weeks later and arrested my parents on account of kidnapping and assault. A sentence served of 15 years in a maximum security prison, with regular visits from a mental counsel. When the police asked my parents why they did it, their response was this 'She was never our daughter, she was a curse, a burden, an irresolvable problem. We thought she would be just like our first, following us graciously into the limelight. Our first born was everything we ever dreamed of. Her tongue full of sass and fire, the perfect attributes in an idol. Unfortunately, tragedy pulled her away. We found out we were expecting another child, and we thought that this was our second chance, to rebuild our legacy. But, our cursed daughter was to betray us, as she prayed, that we let her play soccer.' Only my parents seemingly knew about my sister. I mean as far as the world was concerned, I was the exact same child as before."

Her eyes water, as she breathes calmly, fighting against the wall of anxiety.

I take her hand and gently squeeze it. Her mouth spreads into a weak grin, as she continues on.

"All that makeup my mother spent on me, was not to make me look more beautiful, but instead to make me look more like her. I mean they never loved me, because I was never her. I changed my name, straight away. I knew I could never carry my sisters legacy, so I dropped her name and looked to becoming my own person."

It pained me to hear such a tale, but I knew why she had told me. She wanted me to remember how, even though Clive didn't always show it, he cared for me, seeing our friendship as true.

"Why, Marie?" I politely ask, as we make the turn for the Swimming Pool car park.

"I don't really know. I suppose it was because it was such a gentle and free name, which was just how I felt, now my parents were finally out of my life for good." She responds with a carefree smile, that warms my heart.

While, Marie tries to reverse into a bay, with problematic difficulity, I look out of the window and see gathered protesters, celebrating Clive's demise.

I feel a fiery anger towards them, but I tried to keep my emotions at bay, for I knew the importance of a level headed inquiry.

We clamber out of the car and stride determinedly towards the crowded entrance.

Most people among the crowd, recognise Officer Marie's authority and begin to disperse.

Only 3 people left remaining.

The first, was a broad, muscular man, with a face of silent stillness. His eyes were open wide and he stood focused on one fixed point, no movement, not even to blink.

He was Billy Thompson, our local lumberjack and the man we called for, when we needed some muscular arms, to lift our possessions from one place to another.

To his right was Henry Coates, the headmaster at Billings Academy, the very school in which Chelsea and myself attended.

And, on his left was Elizabeth Fisher, the 57 year old, fish and chip shop owner.

As, we draw close I hear the basis of their conversation. I don't know exactly what is being said, but I can clearly see Henry and Elizabeth are not keen on waiting for the law to serve their punishment.

Billy watches as they go, calling angrily after them. But, there soon out of earshot and he returns grumpily back to his stance.

We greet him with a Hello, to which he grunts and mumbles an agrgavated response.

Marie was to lead the questioning and as she takes time to prepare herself, I can't help but notice, the gouged cuts, running up Thompson's arms.

"Quite a rally, you had going there" Marie states rather nonchalantly.

I admired this tactical line of enquiry, as it was clear to see that the local lumberjack, had sealed his mouth shut.

But, by striking up a natural conversation, in which the topic befits their interest, allows for an open and opinionated point of chat.

It was a form of psychological trickery, subconsciously tricking the suspect into forgetting that you wear a badge and instead showing their true feelings and emotions towards the circumstance.

This tactic worked a charm on Billy, as his blood dead stillness moved back into life, like a video being un-paused from its captured image. His tongue began to loosen and his emotions just came tumbling out.

"Well, what can I say, but when I want my voice heard, I get it heard. I mean what better occasion to celebrate, the death of an miserable old man, who sought to pass that misery onto the sweet, harmless people of this town." his words are slurred out in a manner of drunken anger. His emotions increasingly heightened.

This meant that if somehow within his daze, he saw our presence as a threat, he'll turn to violence, his strength undoubtedly, knocking us both out cold.

"What kicked this protest of, other than the obvious of course" Marie continues on, under her cleverly disguised deception.

"Well! I had a anger for him. He destroyed my life, made me look like an iddeit in me owne home." his drunkenness increases, as the alcohol enters further into his system.

"He must have done something truly despicable, to have warranted such hatred." I state in a chilled manner, with a hint of accusation, hidden beneath my words.

"He was eevecting me from me owne hoeme. I gets I missed a couple of months, but in twodays I was going get hefti sum from a big job. But, nah, he had to go and follow his procedeoures. Well fuck him I say. Look now, should have treated us like the decent people that we were. But, now, he's just got served his right full dish of death."

His footwork is disorderly and I worry that he may fall over at any moment.

Now, when he had said Clive had destroyed his life, I expected to hear a motive, that shocked and shattered my viewpoint of my friend.

However, his excuse was weak, for after all, losing your home would make anyone mad, but mad enough to wish someone dead, now, that just seemed a little too far fetched.

After all, it was just their job, the profession in which brought food and shelter to their own families arms.

And regardless, I knew Clive could not evict someone, without approval from his boss, and therefore...

... Then, it hit me, why Gerald was so emotional about Clive leaving. It was not because he was the best employee (okay, that may have had something to do with it), but instead, the fact that Clive was the point of everybody's wrath. With Clive gone, he would be the talk of the town. All of his established connections vanishing into the dusty air.

"Those cuts on your arms, how did you get them?" I ask in a blunt manner, that seemed to take Billy by surprise.

I can see his mouth hang open, as he goes to speak. But, in that moment he turns his head, just as Mr Coates calls after him.

Hearing Coates voice reminded of him why he was in fact here.

So, in a drunken rage, he spits at our feet, as he barges past us, stumbling towards Henry Coates Audi Sedan.

"What did you make of those cuts, running up Thompson's arms?" I ask, politely requesting Marie's policing expertise.

"I must admit, I did take notice of them and at first I thought they may have been scars from his manual job. But, as you mentioned it, I was like, no, these cuts are far to precise and deep. Not to mention the sheer number of them. It has lead me to believe, that Billy Thompson was quite possibly self- harming himself.

"Indeed, I've had the same thoughts. But, I also reckon his self injuries, have something to do with what he was not telling us about Clive."

"Do you think Clive caused these suicidal tendencies."

"I don't know what to think, but I know I have to keep my mind open to every possibility, as much as it pains me."

Tears run down my cheeks as I wrap my head around the hidden agenda of my one true friend.

Oh Clive, why did you leave me?

You were my Ying and I was your Yang.

You were the glass and I the table, that held you up.

I miss you.

Your daughters miss you.

And although neither of us our religious men, I pray, that you are somewhere peaceful. Somewhere, where your wife resides by your side once again.

This was it, me finally accepting that he was gone.

I felt kind of ashamed that I had came to accept his death, so quickly after it had happened.

I knew Clive would have wanted me to move on, to push aside the negatives, and instead enjoy the joyous wonders of life.