This is a story written for my writing class. We were given a series of checks that were written out and we had to tell a story. While typing this out, my teacher made a comment that he believes that so many people make their characters die at the end of a story because they get frustrated with the assignment he gave us. Well, if that's the case, I hope he gets the message ;) Enjoy!
With blurry vision, and shaking
hands, Lawrence Exeter stood up. The church was packed with mourners, all
wearing black. In his aging hands, he held a speech. The papers were creased
and the corners dog eared from his anxious fingers. He didn’t want to give a
speech but it felt it was necessary. Besides, this was his time to come clean.
He took slow steps toward the podium, leaving a faint scent of alcohol with
every sorrowful step he took. With his back to the mourners, he paused at his
son’s coffin. He looked at peace. I owe this to him, Lawrence thought. He
nodded with grief, swallowed, and turned to face everyone.
Neighbors,
friends, and family were all looking back at him, patiently waiting for him to
begin. “I want to thank you all for coming.” He began. “Thank you for attending
this beautiful memorial for my loving son, Lawrence Jr.” A few heads nodded in
agreement. Lawrence continued on. “It seems like yesterday that I was in the
store with his mother buying his little white crib with the blue bows. He loved
those bows. He’d always play with them as a baby.” He dabbed his eyes with his
white handkerchief. However, it didn’t stop the wave of memories from releasing
a waterfall of tears. “And September 2nd 1903, the day that I held
him in my arms for the first time, that was the greatest moment in my life.
There’s nothing greater, I can guarantee it.
My wife and I both thanked
God when he had his first check up and he was the healthiest baby boy. That
Christmas, we spoiled him in gifts. He must have had the most toys on the
block. We did everything we could to make our child happy. The fall of 1909, my
wife was in tears as she watched our little six year old boy walk off to school,
lunch box in his hand. This was the first time he left home and it was hard for
us. However, we soon realized the academic potential of our child and we needed
to reward him for his good grades. I’ll
never forget the smile on his face when he came downstairs on Easter morning to
a shiny new bicycle and his eagerness to learn to ride it. He always wanted to
learn.”
Now Mr. Exeter’s eyes were
creased from smiling at the memories. “As soon as he learned to ride, he’d
spend hours outside riding up and down the street, chasing the neighborhood
girls. Even at a young age, the boy was always chasing girls.” He let out a
half hearted chuckle, allowing the audience to smile at the thought. “He was
always chasing after them, pulling their hair, stealing their dolls. I, of
course, knew that boys will be boys. However, my wife feared we were raising a
corrupt child and she made the decision to send him to military school when he
was twelve years old. It was difficult for us, at first, not having him home
all the time. But we soon realized how well developed military school had made
him as a teenager. We didn’t have the problems that most parents had with
teens. He was a good kid.” Lawrence was looking at his son’s coffin now. “He
was a really good kid.” He took another moment before looking back to the
audience.
“And I’ll never forget that
blue Cadillac and how the sun reflected off of the paint as if the car was
painted with the sky itself. He was eighteen years old when we gave him that
Cadillac. Boy was I sour when four days later, he came home from the movies
with his girlfriend and he said to me, all quiet-like ‘Dad, I crashed the
car.’” He turned to the coffin again. “I was really mad back then Larry, but I
forgave you. Who wouldn’t have? You were a good boy, Larry.” He dabbed his eyes
with the handkerchief.
“He might not have been the
best driver,” he said, addressing the audience again. “But his grades were
astounding. We were able to send him off to Stanford when he graduated high
school. The marriage between his mother and I was becoming strained while he
was away at college. I can’t say why but the love just wasn’t there anymore.
The Valentine’s Day before our son’s college graduation must have been the
worst fight the two of us had gotten into. I’d bought her flowers and
everything. I really tried. But the truth is, and I’ll admit it now, I had met
someone else. I think Mel knew. She just knew.”
Lawrence took a moment to let
the information sink in, more so for himself than for everyone else. He began
again, this time looking down at his papers. “That June, I missed my own son’s
graduation. For why, I am ashamed to say. But the truth must be told. I owe you
that much Larry.” He turned to the coffin again. “Larry, I was too busy
cheating on your mother to think about you and boy, do I regret it. I regret it
every goddamn day. I’m sorry Larry. Your old man is sorry.”
The audience remained
silent as Lawrence went on to explain the affair. “I bought a house that
August.” It seemed as if Lawrence forgot everyone else was in the room. “I even
hired professional interior decorators. At this point, the divorce paperwork
was almost complete. I was ready to start over, Larry. I hadn’t spoken to you
in months. I wanted a new life. I never stopped loving you, though
Larry. It was really Abby that forced me to remove myself from your life. Your
stepmother’s the one that didn’t want you. And your mother put it into your
head that I didn’t want you. She told me you were so angry at me.” He paused to
think for a moment. “But that’s no excuse. I’ve been a horrible father Larry
and I’m sorry.”
Now the audience was
getting anxious. They couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Being a
retired detective who was once the best in the county, Lawrence Exeter had a
well established reputation in Coleville. Most of the town respected him. No
one would have thought that this was the life he led. Whispers filled the
atmosphere of the church. Among the faces was Dr. David McCoy, the family
doctor who had watched Lawrence’s son grow up. Lawrence and his son had been in
his office multiple times throughout the years. It was difficult for Dr. McCoy
to believe that a man like Lawrence had led such a life of lies and
deceit. Looking around, Dr. McCoy watched the widowed Miss Stevens and Mrs. Jefferies
doing what most old women do and gossiping about the scandalous news. The
pastor of the church had his head down in prayer.
“In November 1926,
the same year you graduated, I went on a cruise with Abby to Hawaii. You
thought I was going on a business trip to meet a client from my firm. But when
I proposed to her, I knew that there was no way I could hide the engagement.
When I called you and gave you the news that night, you hung up on me. It
nearly broke my heart Larry.”
Lawrence was choking on his
words now. He was desperately trying to control his sobs. “I tried to buy my
son’s love back. I sent him two hundred thousand dollars the day before my
wedding. Six days after I proposed, I middle isled Abby in a hotel on a
Hawaiian island. I was ready to leave my old life behind. He wouldn’t let me
though. That Christmas, Larry showed up at my house. I’ll never know how he
found out where I lived. I wasn’t going to ask him at the time. Larry was a
mess. He informed me that his mother was ill with cancer. Mel was a good
person. She didn’t deserve her illness. I tried making Larry stay the night or
at least eat before he left but he wouldn’t allow it. That was one of the last
times I saw my son.”
Mr. Exeter was a mess. Dr.
McCoy was beginning feel worse for him. Why is he telling us all of this, he
thought. A short speech about his son would have done fine rather than this
whole life story. Not that the doctor was bored with the story. He
just wanted to know why Lawrence Exeter would air out his dirty laundry to the
town.
“After his death, I was
looking through some old checks that Larry had.” Mr. Exeter began again. “I
noticed that he had bought chocolate and lingerie. I also noticed that he had
been to a women’s shoe store. This all happened between nineteen twenty-seven
and nineteen twenty-nine. This was surprising to me because I hadn’t known that
Larry had met anyone. Despite the fact that we didn’t talk, word spread around
town quickly and I would have heard word of it. I also noticed Larry had sent money
to a man by the name of Tony Spagoni. So, I did some research.”
Mr. Exeter turned to his
son’s body. “I’m sorry for this Larry, but we have to confess everything.”
Then, Lawrence explained it all. “I discovered that Tony Spagoni was a male
escort from a club across town. So I tracked him down and I asked him what I
knew about my son. This isn’t easy to confess and it’s not something I’m proud
of but I’m afraid my son was a transvestite. Tony told me he was also a regular
of that particular club. It really breaks my heart to know that I raised such a
son.”
Everyone’s jaw seemed to
drop. At least, it seemed so to McCoy. It was silent now. It was so silent that
you could probably hear a pin dropping on the maroon colored carpet. Everyone
wanted to know what Lawrence was going to say next. Only Dr, McCoy seemed to
question Lawrence’s motive.
“I also learned that a lady
finally came into my son’s life. He had bought her a diamond and proposed. I
found this to be grand news. Miss Flossie Wentworth, I know you’re in the crowd
somewhere. I just wanted you to know how worthless I think you are.” He was
angrily shouting through his tears now. “My son paid you $50,000 for a marriage
that lasted six months. If you ask me, you’re a double-crosser. You took
advantage of my son and all he was worth.” Flossie Wentworth was sitting in the
front row. She could feel all the eyes on her back, though she didn’t dare to
turn around.
“My son went into a
downward spiral after that marriage last year. It’s upsetting to read the
newspaper and read about your own son being arrested for assaulting his own
aunt in a drunken stupor. My sister isn’t attending this memorial today. She’s
still upset about Larry attacking her and stealing money. I don’t blame her. He
stole $175,000. All of which he gave back, along with paying for both law firms
involved in the lawsuit. He was always trying to make things right, Larry was.
He didn’t always make the best choices but he always tried to fix it.
Tony Spagoni isn’t here
today either. Larry started to visit him again. Peter Ventizzi was a jealous
friend of Tony’s. He’s the man that shot my son and put him in the hospital. I
forced this information out of Tony before I shot him. Both Tony and Peter got
theirs. Their bodies can be found in a back room of the night club they worked
at.”
The audience was now
horrified. In front of them was a man who murdered two men and didn’t think
twice about it. With all eyes on him, Mr. Exeter pulled out a small, silver
gun. Staggering slowly, he stepped down and walked back toward the only church
exit. “I want to thank Dr. McCoy for coming to the hospital in my son’s time of
need. I also want to thank the Hollywood Mortuary for preparing my son’s body
for such a lovely memorial.” He was standing in front of the doors now and
everyone’s neck was turned toward him in fear.
In a quick second, Lawrence
raised the gun and blood rained down upon the church of Jesus Christ. He kept
shooting until all of the bodies stopped screaming. Bloody flesh, bones, and
brain matter were splattered all over the pews and the carpet was drenched in
thick blood. Dr. McCoy lay dead on the floor with a bullet hole through his
forehead. Flossie Wentworth’s jaw was blown off and laying a few feet away.
Some bodies were still sitting upright, as if they were still alive and
listening. Miss Stevens and Mrs.
Jefferies leaned on each other as if they fell asleep in the pew.
Lawrence took the same slow
pace to walk back to his son’s coffin. “It’s a cruel, cruel world Larry. All
your sins are forgiven now. I hope you can forgive me.” He looked up to the church
ceiling. “Jesus Christ, forgive me.” Without hesitation, Lawrence lifted the gun
to his own head and pulled the trigger, falling dead over his son’s body.
