Mr. S£im Citrus 0 Report post Posted November 8, 2004 Johnny Dangerous steps off the brow of the Lisa J II and onto the deck of Pier 14 in Morgan’s Bluff. He quickly runs to the end of the pier and hails a taxi. “Good aft’noon, suh,” says the cordial cab driver. “Where d’you need t’go today?” “Do you know how to get to the LeCroix residence,” asks the Secret Agent. “Oui,” replies the driver. “Ever’body dis way know who be de LeCroix. Kind folk, dey was. Dey might have been hit harder by de hurricane den anyone.” Johnny blinks twice as he processes this information. “Take me there, please.” “Sure t’ing, suh. Right away.” With that, the taxi begins to speed along, Johnny staring out the window as his mind recalls the words on the letter that led him here: Johnny, As you know, I am a man of few words, so I will keep this brief; I am writing this letter to say goodbye. By the time that you read this, I will have most likely done that which has been on my mind for the past several weeks now… Johnny grips the letter tightly in his fist, continuing to stare out the window of the taxi as it takes him towards the LeCroix family residence. Flashing in front of his face as the cab speeds along are the homes of the unfortunate souls whose homes were destroyed at the hands of Hurricane Jeanne. … I’m sorry that I’m so weak. I thought for weeks that I might be able to deal with this, to live with this pain, but it has proven to be too much for me to bear. I am sure that you find it strange for me, someone whom you always thought had a happy outlook on life, to even be considering such a thing, but losing your entire family in a hurricane will do that to some people… it certainly has to me… “Damn shame what happened t’ dose poor souls.” The unexpected sound of the cabbie’s voice startles Johnny out of his reverie. “Huh?” “Jus’ t’inkin’ how it’s a shame ‘bout all dese people dat were lost t’ de storm, mistah…” The cabbie pauses in thought. “I don’ believe I got your name, suh.” “I didn’t give it.” If Johnny’s terse demeanor irritated the driver, he gave no sign. “May I ask what brings you down t’ see de LeCroix?” “I’m here to see Dominic,” he replies. “He’s a friend of mine. I just learned about what happened, and I… I wanted to check up on him; you know… see how he’s doing.” The driver nods his head in understanding. “Fin’ young boy, dat one. He went t’ school wit my grandson; dey were on de track team t’gether… Everybody ‘roun’ here was proud t’see him on de TV, representin’ de Bahamas so strong… terrible for a young man t’lose his family like dat.” Johnny remains silent as the taxi continues to speed along, his thoughts drifting back to Dominic’s letter: … I can still remember growing up as a kid on Andros; my friends and I used to play football on the beach in Nicholl’s Town… Ironically enough, the taxi drove past that same beach just then. Johnny looked out the window to see miles of debris, fragments of people’s houses and scattered trees cluttering the once pristine sand. As the cab continued on, Johnny lapsed back into a semi-conscious state, still dwelling over the ominous words written by his best friend: … But that beach is in ruins now. And even though people around here have already started to rebuild, there are some things that simply can’t be repaired… like my soul… Suddenly, the taxi had come to a stop in front of the decimated ruins of the LeCroix family estate. “We’re here, suh,” says the driver. Once again, the cabbie’s words jolt Johnny back into reality. “Eh? Oh, uhh… thanks.” The Secret Agent absentmindedly tosses a handful of bills into the front seat as he climbs out of the taxi. “Do you need me to wait around, suh?” Johnny pauses for a moment, trying to decide what he’s going to do here if what he came to prevent has already happened. “Uhm… that won’t be necessary, mister…” “Pearman’s de name,” says the driver with a grin, pointing to the placard inside his cab. “Joseph Pearman, but folk ‘roun’ here jus’ call me Mistah Jo-Jo.” “Alright then,” Johnny says uncertainly, “Mister… Jo-Jo. I’ll call the cab company when I need a ride back.” “You de boss,” says Jo-Jo. “An’ tell li’l Nicky dat Mistah Jo-Jo said hey!” With that, the taxi drove off, leaving Johnny to walk into the gate alone. … There’s no amount of repairs that can give me back my baby sister; Lillian used to follow me around all the time, her basket full of freshly-picked orchids, always trying to stick some in my hair when I wasn’t looking. I always used to tell her to knock it off, and would tease her for always following me and my brother Marius around, but I was secretly happy that she was there. Lilly was the emotional barometer for my whole family, whenever I smelled those wild orchids, I knew that everything in my world was going to be just fine… Amidst the wreckage and debris, there was a clearing of freshly planted orchids in bloom. A small dirt path split the flowers into two separate patches, and Johnny followed this path several hundred yards until it took him into a small grove. … Lilly was a little jealous of me and my brother Marius because Mama and Papa retired from the circus before she was old enough to join the act. Marius and I were like best friends. Even though he was only a year younger than me, we did everything together. Everyday after school, we used to race down to the reef and spend hours diving, having contests to see who could perform the most acrobatic dives. I was usually able to beat him, but every year, it got harder and harder. If I had never met you, Johnny, I probably would have asked him to join me in the SWF. The Flying LeCroix’s would have been something to see, I guarantee you that! Near the back of this grove, Johnny noticed five headstones. Four of them stood at the head of freshly covered graves, with the fifth standing at the head of an as-yet empty grave. Johnny noticed a large handmade wreath made of orchids adorning one of them, guessing correctly that Lillian must be buried there. As he walked closer to the graves in order to inspect them further, Johnny notices something completely unexpected at the head of Marius’ grave, which he resolved to talk to Dominic about, if he happened to find him… Mama and Papa were wonderful people, two of the kindest people that I ever met. I couldn’t have asked for better parents. Some of my happiest memories are of traveling with them in the circus. Even though what we did was very dangerous, my parents always make me feel safe. After they retired from the circus, Papa became a fisherman because, well, there’s not much else to do down here (smile). He used to take me and Marius out with him when we didn’t have school, and he would talk to us about life. Mama was a saint. Devoted to Papa from the day they met, she was rarely away from his side in nearly twenty-five years of marriage. She nurtured us without smothering us, which I always appreciated. I got my upbeat attitude from her, in case you ever wondered. You’d never see Mama anywhere without a smile on her face; even when her mother fell ill a few years ago, she never let us see her cry. She was perhaps the strongest person I’ve ever met; I can’t get through this without her… Henri Dominic LeCroix 1955-2004 Devoted Husband and Father Diana Marie Beaumont LeCroix 1957-2004 Beloved Wife and Mother Dominic Joseph LeCroix 1982-2004 Honored Son and Brother (EMPTY) Marius Henri LeCroix 1983-2004 Honored Son and Brother Lillian Diana LeCroix 1986-2004 Cherished Daughter and Sister Johnny’s heart stopped at sight of his best friend’s name on an empty grave. He leaned over the grave fearfully, dreading the idea that he may have come too late to save him. Finding the grave unoccupied, Johnny sighs audibly, allowing himself to breathe for what seemed to be the first time in several minutes. No longer able to restrain the emotions that he had been holding back throughout his long trip here, he dropped to his knees at the head of the grave, leaning against the headstone for support as he recalled the remainder of the note: Please do not blame yourself for what I am about to do. What I have chosen, I have chosen freely. It was not an easy decision for me to come to, but I can’t bear to wake up to this emptiness any longer… I need to make the pain go away. I also ask that you do not hate me for my cowardice. I simply seek peace… an ending… an escape. I do not want for you or anyone else to be subjected to the sight of seeing me slowly destroyed over the years by my grief. I will always cherish the time that we were partners in crime. I want you to know that, if nothing else, of all the people that I have known in my life, you were my best friend. You have a noble spirit, and I always looked up to you. I know that this will not be easy for you to accept, but I hope that, in time, you will be able to forgive me for what I am about to do. Goodbye, my friend. Dominic PS – I guess I wasn’t so brief after all (smile)… Still clenching the note firmly in his hand, Johnny raises his head, tears streaming from his eyes. He pats the headstone as he slowly rises to his feet. “Please God,” begs Johnny as he casts his eyes skyward, “don’t let me be too late!” With that, he leapt back onto the path and ran towards the house as fast as he could go. END PART TWO Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Angel_Grace_Blue 0 Report post Posted November 8, 2004 Dangerous got a "Dear John" letter? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. S£im Citrus 0 Report post Posted November 8, 2004 Dangerous got a "Dear John" letter? .... Drea, you have a very subversive sense of humor; I kind of like that... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
