Part 176: Burying Cecil
Mia lead the way toward Cecil’s body, with John right behind her. The Lakota girl was curious, why was Sawyer going to bury Cecil? What connection did they have? If it was indeed a connection, then neither Sawyer nor the old man mention it to her. Of course, they had no reason to; they were not on speaking terms. But Mia made it a habit to know as much about other people as it permitted.
Mia finally arrived at the area where Cecil died. The body of the old man was resting next to a hole, which was constantly having small scoops of dirt being thrown out of it. It wasn’t too hard to determine where the redneck was. “Sawyer?” Mia asked.
“JESUS!” he screamed from the hole.
John chuckled. Mia smiled, crossing her arms. Sawyer poked his head out from the grave; soaked with sweat and covered in minor globs of dirt on his face. “You scared the dog piss out of me, Pocahontas.” He said.
“I apologize. It wasn’t what I meant to do.”
“Yeah, well, I wasn’t expecting you to come back here, “ he said, crawling out of the hole, “But I am kinda curious though; why did you take his wallet?”
“You took his wallet, Mia?” John gasped.
“Yeah, with low morales like that, she might be worthy of me yet.” The redneck chuckled.
“Ha, ha, very funny,” Mia waved him off, “I had a conversation with Cecil, John. He was dying of lung cancer. He knew he wasn’t going to make it of the island. He requested that when he did die, I bury him and take his wallet to his son. It’s his only of him with his boy.”
“I should have known,” John smiled, “Forgive me for jumping to conclusions.”
“It’s all right, but it seems Sawyer beat us to the punch,” the young woman looked at him, “Might I ask why you would bother to bury Cecil?”
“Closure, on a life I want truly buried.” He said coldly.
“You and Cecil . . .knew each other?” Mia asked.
“Not socially. I know what he did and as a result, I’ve hunted him the majority of my life.” Sawyer wiped his forehead, “He . . drove my daddy to kill my mom and kill himself.”
Mia froze. That was the absolute LAST thing she was expecting Sawyer to say. Judging by the look on John’s face, he of course was not expecting it either. “Are . .are you serious?” he asked.
“Don’t I look serious, Robin Hood?” the redneck sighed.
“That . .that is extraordinary! The one man who ruined your life and he just winds up on the island marooned with you. What are the odds?”
“Yeah, what are the odds?” Mia whispered.
“He didn’t even give me the chance to kill him.” Sawyer whispered, “He pulled the trigger on himself. In the end, the old bastard knew what he had done and was going to send himself to Hell cause he knew he was going there anyway. All my life I wanted to kill him. Why would he kill himself, and not let me do it if he had lung cancer?”
“Cecil didn’t regret a single thing he did,” Mia sighed, “But that didn’t stop him from knowing what he did wrong. He knew he was beyond redemption. He pulled that trigger for you, Sawyer.”
“What do you mean? Why did he kill himself for me?”
“It was the last possible gesture he could give you,” she said,” Setting you free.”
Sawyer didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to admit to Mia that he agreed with everything that she said; rarely does he tell a woman she is right. He shook his head and put his shirt back on. “Well, lets bury this codger and go have some bananas to celebrate.” He said.
Mia then held her tongue, trying not to laugh. “This is wrong,” she giggled, “We should talk about the dead like this. It’s insulting to them.”
“It’s no insult to say a dead man is dead.” John said, “You grab his shoulders, Sawyer and I will grab his legs.”
“No need for that.” Sawyer kneeled down toward Cecil’s body, grabbed him by the arm and flipped him into the grave.
Mia gasping, covering her mouth as Cecil fell into his grave face first. The Lakota girl walked over and looked at the old man’s body as it laid in the dirt face first. “Sawyer, you crazy bastard!” she said, “Why did you do that?”
“What’s a matter, Pocahontas?” he smiled, “Don’t you think the old man would have wanted the world to kiss his ass?”
Mia looked at him and then sighed. “Yeah, probably,” she whispered.
John then took the shovel and proceeded to bury the old man. Sawyer wiped his forehead and then pulled out his letter he wrote to Cecil. He stared at it for a few seconds, then flung it into the grave. The archer stopped his shoveling and looked at him. “What is that?” he asked.
“Something I carried around with me for 30 years. I don’t need it anymore.” He smiled.
John took his answer at face value and then proceeded to shovel the dirt in. Mia crossed her arms and continued to watch the old man getting buried. She never imagined he would die like this. She only hoped that, in whatever afterlife he ended up in, he would find some semblance of peace. She then turned around and didn’t want the others to see her smile. She felt slightly ashamed but it was Sawyer’s fault.
She couldn’t stop thinking of Banana Cream Pie.
Mia finally arrived at the area where Cecil died. The body of the old man was resting next to a hole, which was constantly having small scoops of dirt being thrown out of it. It wasn’t too hard to determine where the redneck was. “Sawyer?” Mia asked.
“JESUS!” he screamed from the hole.
John chuckled. Mia smiled, crossing her arms. Sawyer poked his head out from the grave; soaked with sweat and covered in minor globs of dirt on his face. “You scared the dog piss out of me, Pocahontas.” He said.
“I apologize. It wasn’t what I meant to do.”
“Yeah, well, I wasn’t expecting you to come back here, “ he said, crawling out of the hole, “But I am kinda curious though; why did you take his wallet?”
“You took his wallet, Mia?” John gasped.
“Yeah, with low morales like that, she might be worthy of me yet.” The redneck chuckled.
“Ha, ha, very funny,” Mia waved him off, “I had a conversation with Cecil, John. He was dying of lung cancer. He knew he wasn’t going to make it of the island. He requested that when he did die, I bury him and take his wallet to his son. It’s his only of him with his boy.”
“I should have known,” John smiled, “Forgive me for jumping to conclusions.”
“It’s all right, but it seems Sawyer beat us to the punch,” the young woman looked at him, “Might I ask why you would bother to bury Cecil?”
“Closure, on a life I want truly buried.” He said coldly.
“You and Cecil . . .knew each other?” Mia asked.
“Not socially. I know what he did and as a result, I’ve hunted him the majority of my life.” Sawyer wiped his forehead, “He . . drove my daddy to kill my mom and kill himself.”
Mia froze. That was the absolute LAST thing she was expecting Sawyer to say. Judging by the look on John’s face, he of course was not expecting it either. “Are . .are you serious?” he asked.
“Don’t I look serious, Robin Hood?” the redneck sighed.
“That . .that is extraordinary! The one man who ruined your life and he just winds up on the island marooned with you. What are the odds?”
“Yeah, what are the odds?” Mia whispered.
“He didn’t even give me the chance to kill him.” Sawyer whispered, “He pulled the trigger on himself. In the end, the old bastard knew what he had done and was going to send himself to Hell cause he knew he was going there anyway. All my life I wanted to kill him. Why would he kill himself, and not let me do it if he had lung cancer?”
“Cecil didn’t regret a single thing he did,” Mia sighed, “But that didn’t stop him from knowing what he did wrong. He knew he was beyond redemption. He pulled that trigger for you, Sawyer.”
“What do you mean? Why did he kill himself for me?”
“It was the last possible gesture he could give you,” she said,” Setting you free.”
Sawyer didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to admit to Mia that he agreed with everything that she said; rarely does he tell a woman she is right. He shook his head and put his shirt back on. “Well, lets bury this codger and go have some bananas to celebrate.” He said.
Mia then held her tongue, trying not to laugh. “This is wrong,” she giggled, “We should talk about the dead like this. It’s insulting to them.”
“It’s no insult to say a dead man is dead.” John said, “You grab his shoulders, Sawyer and I will grab his legs.”
“No need for that.” Sawyer kneeled down toward Cecil’s body, grabbed him by the arm and flipped him into the grave.
Mia gasping, covering her mouth as Cecil fell into his grave face first. The Lakota girl walked over and looked at the old man’s body as it laid in the dirt face first. “Sawyer, you crazy bastard!” she said, “Why did you do that?”
“What’s a matter, Pocahontas?” he smiled, “Don’t you think the old man would have wanted the world to kiss his ass?”
Mia looked at him and then sighed. “Yeah, probably,” she whispered.
John then took the shovel and proceeded to bury the old man. Sawyer wiped his forehead and then pulled out his letter he wrote to Cecil. He stared at it for a few seconds, then flung it into the grave. The archer stopped his shoveling and looked at him. “What is that?” he asked.
“Something I carried around with me for 30 years. I don’t need it anymore.” He smiled.
John took his answer at face value and then proceeded to shovel the dirt in. Mia crossed her arms and continued to watch the old man getting buried. She never imagined he would die like this. She only hoped that, in whatever afterlife he ended up in, he would find some semblance of peace. She then turned around and didn’t want the others to see her smile. She felt slightly ashamed but it was Sawyer’s fault.
She couldn’t stop thinking of Banana Cream Pie.
posted by Jason | 10:01 AM
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