Shakespeare & Co.

[chanaud]

OOC: A closed thread for Darrenfate and myself.

She couldn’t believe it. Just couldn’t believe it. She felt like she was stuck in a bad dream. Only the hard evidence in her hands was too real.

Lauren was strolling aimlessly in the middle of the jogger’s path in Grant Park, skimming over the Chicago Sun-Times until a familiar face smiling peacefully at her stopped her in her tracks.

Edward O’Callahan, owner of local bookstore, Shakespeare & Co.
died in his sleep at the age of 82. A memorial service will be
held at 2 pm on Tuesday at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.
One surviving relative remains.
Memorial donations may be made to
American Literacy Foundation.

Ed O’Callahan’s dead. She couldn’t believe it. Why just last week, she had the most stimulating conversation with him like she did every week. He seemed to be in perfect health. He was just as lively as a young man her age. There weren’t any signs of failing health. And she should know. She had paid weekly visits to Shakespeare & Co. for the past two years buying book on whatever she could manage on her paltry teacher’s salary.

A bicyclist breezed past bringing her back to the now. She had to sit down. The thought of her kind friend being dead hadn’t fully registered yet. Numb, uncomfortably numb, Lauren walked to the nearest park bench. When she went to sit down, a thud on the ground broke her of her trance. She bent over to pick up the book that she had dropped.

Then it hit her. This was the last book; Ed Robinson will ever sell to her. Last Saturday’s visit was the last. The last time he can regale her with wondrous stories of his treasure hunts for books. Classic books. He was the last person who understood her love for literature.

Lauren’s fingers trembled unnoticeably while outlining the title on the simple leather bound cover, Ulysses by James Joyce. Her lips started quivering. Her body started shaking. A northerly wind blew in from Lake Michigan. Lauren broke down in tears mourning for her dear friend, Edward O’Callahan.

After long moments of grieving, Lauren picked up the newspaper again and read the obituary. Memorial Service at 2 pm. Tuesday.

“Oh cripes! Today is Tuesday. A quick glance at her cheap yet reliable Timex told her she had 20 minutes to travel across town to St. Patrick’s Church.”

 

[darrenfate]

Garrett

Garrett O'Callahan clutched the crumpled Mapquest directions in his fist as the first of his grandfather's mourners made their way up to the open casket at the front of St. Patrick's church in downtown Chicago.

He had barely made it a scant five minutes before the service having stupidly rented a car from Midway. Driving in downtown Chicago is an iffy proposition at best let alone on a weekday. Yet he was here safe to see his last remaining relative be laid to rest. Garrett loved his grandfather dearly and the times when they had been together were all too short and too few.

Sadly, he watched the great hall fill up with friends and business associates - hell even customers. If a measure of a man's wealth is the lives he touches then his grandfather had been as rich as Bill Gates. Numbly he thought about the store that his grandfather had established 42 years ago, still proudly standing as a testimony to a lifes work welll done. All Garrett's now. And he had no idea just what the fuck he was supposed to do with it. Sell it probably.

After the ceremony Garrett graciously thanked everyone for coming on the cold Chicago concrete front steps. When the last of them had filed out Garrett walked back in to close the lid and look at Edward one last time.

There was one person still left, sitting in the front row. He had noticed her slip in late in the ceremony and now he saw the tears glistening on her cheeks as she sat silently. Moved, Garrett slipped beside her and as words were meaningless he simply reached out and hugged her as she began to cry. After she recovered he said -

"My name is Garrett O'Callahan, Edward is, well was my grandfather. Come with me, if you would. I had wanted a private graveside goodbye, but now I really don't want to be alone. It would mean a lot to me.... "




"

 

[chanaud]

While everybody filed out in a somber line, Lauren moved up to the front pew to say her last goodbye in peace. She couldn’t bring herself up to say it though. Instead she sat and stared blindly ahead while poignant moments with Edward O’Callahan came crashing down at her. Practically an orphan, she was ever too eager to allow him to adopt her as a daughter. He’s always rattled on about how he had a daughter; he would want her to be just like her. It never made Lauren uneasy, as she always stood proud as her eyes beamed up to him in awe.

Deep in her own private commiseration, she heard his voice before she felt his presence. Someone resembling Ed, a youthful Ed appeared out of nowhere and hugged her while mumbled something about being by his side at the gravesite.

Her eyebrows fluttered to relieve the tears. His face was visible now. It was Ed’s ghost, sixty years ago.

“I apologize. I hadn’t planned on following his body to the gravesite.”

She answered, her breathless whisper still full of tears.

His arm wrapped around her shoulder and offered another hug. It comforted Lauren immediately, she felt at home.

“Please. You would be doing me a great favor. I can’t bear to be alone through this and I don’t know a soul in town.”

How could she resist the desperate plea in his voice? Especially when Lauren saw the extra moisture in his dark brown eyes.

“Yes, I will come.”

He smiled. Lauren felt a strange sensation tickle her ribcage, his smile was identical to Ed’s.

 

[darrenfate]

Garrett

As the limo made its way through rush hour to Edward's final resting place in Park Ridge, Garrett listened to Lauren speak passionately about his grandfather and their long standing friendship.

At first Garrett was fascinated by her stories. He was a little jealous in that slightly guilty way people feel when a loved one passes away from another town. Sad that they didn't spend more time with them no matter how much time was already spent.

Garrett watched Lauren's eyes sparkling with intelligence and humor. She seemed much more attractive than she had been just a few scant minutes ago.

The conversation shifted over to the futrure of Edward's bookstore and Garrett felt his heart grow cold. Lauren wanted desparately for it to stay open, to keep feeding all the Laurens that patronized the business that they had come to love.

Clearly this woman had no idea of what it took to make it in this world. Garrett would be damned if he was going to give up everything he had worked for in his career to take over something that would never even be his - always his grandfathers.

His final decision was made right there and then. Sell for sure. He would live his own life damn it. His MBA and long years of school had made him an elitist with people like Lauren. The bond they had forged so quickly shattered like ice dropped on the sidewalk. No one, least of all a pretty woman he had just met could tell him what to do. Garrett's nonconfrontational style kept him quiet, better to let her just go on and soon he would never see her again. For the first time, he regreted inviting her here.

The limo stopped and they laid Edward to rest in just a few long cold minutes. Garrett led them back to the limo. He was surprised to see that Lauren had sensed the situation had changed. She had a distant look in her brown eyes. Garrett had forgotten that people could - forgive the pun - read him like a book.

After 5 full minutes of uneasy silence, Garrett finally looked at Lauren in exasperation.

So are we just going to sit here or are you going to tell me what's wrong?

 

[chanaud]

Lauren

“You’re not going to sell are you?”

It was more of a statement than a question. She knew it before he had a chance to say anything. She saw it in his empty eyes. The bookstore wasn’t his life. It was Ed’s. That was the reason why she had never seen or heard of him before today. They lived in different worlds.

Lauren was overcome by sadness again. Before he had a chance to comment, she turned her back and stared at the passing city. The heavy silence fell between them - again.

Then he spoke. His voice was soft yet empty. “I’m sorry. I have no need for this extra burden in my life. I have enough on my plate..”

“Was your grandfather, Ed O’Callahan a burden to you?” Her voice choked as she spoke to the glass window. The reflection in the window revealed shining tears streaming down her face.

“Listen. I don’t…” His anger was clearly noted.

Lauren used the back of her hand to wipe away the wet tears before she turned to him.

“I apologize. I’m shouldn’t have asked that. It was cruel and insensitive and certainly out of line. Especially on this day. Can we start over?”

Lauren extended her hand to him. “Hello, my name is Lauren Wyles.”