Damien

It was a melancholy, partly cloudy summer day, at ten minutes until noon on the boardwalk. Birds sang in the trees, and the sun shined brightly. A young african american man with small dreadlocks stood at the boardwalk fence, facing the ocean, watching half aware, half absentmindedly as the waves rolled in periodically, lapping over one another. He rested his face on his hand and sighed. The young man's father stood beside him, facing the opposite direction. Behind the young man was a boardwalk carnival event. The carnival featured 2 roller coasters, one steel and one wooden, a ferris wheel, a swing ride, fire dancers, a battle of the bands, dozens of Ice Cream vendors, and dozens of food trucks.

The young man turned around to face the attractions behind him and closed his eyes.

Six years ago, when the young man was only ten years old, both his father and his mother took him to the summer carnival. "Damien, let's go on the swing ride together, then you can pick the next ride to ride on with your father!" Said the boy's mother.

"Okay mom! I wanna get on the wooden coaster with you and daddy next!" Said Damien.

Damien's mom sat in the swing seat next to the swing seat Damien was strapped into. His mom watched him with a smile on her face as her son hollered in delight. After the swing ride, Damien went on the wooden roller coaster with both his mom and his dad, and screamed his little lungs out. After riding on the wooden roller coaster, he went on the ferris wheel with his dad. When their car created the top of the ferris wheel, Damien's eyes became as big as saucers when he saw the ocean.

After the ferris wheel, Damien's dad handed him some money and sent him to get 2 cups of strawberry sundaes for "Mom and Dad and whatever flavor you want for yourself!

Dad turned to mom when Damien ran to the Ice Cream vendors.

"So when should we tell him about your "Big-C" diagnosis? Tonight after we get home? Or tomorrow morning?" Said the dad to the mom.

"Tomorrow." Started the mom. "I want today to be perfect for Damien, so he can have the happiest possible memories with his mom and dad to look back on just in case...well, you know..." the mom wiped a tear from her own face.

"I understand. Let's make our time here today as happy as we can." The dad responded.

It was then that Damien walked back up to the with a cardboard box full of ice cream cups.

"Hey mom! Hey dad! I brought your strawberry sundae cups and I got a cup of brownie batter for myself! Let's eat these before they melt!"

The family happily ate their ice cream at an outdoor table on the boardwalk, listening in on the background music as the bands at the "battle of the bands" play their music.

After the Battle of the Bands judges chose their winner, "Demon Vomit", the family watched the fire dancers, played "bash the watermelon", played "dunk the clown", and went home for the day.

The family had a simple dinner of Frozen Pizza with salad on the side. Damien slept well that night, having been worn out from all the excitement of earlier in the day.

The next day, when Damien had woken up for the day, Damien walked down the stairs into the living room and turned on the TV.

"Damien, could you come into the kitchen, please?" Called Damien's mother.

Damien got up off the floor, turned off the TV, set down the remote control and went into the kitchen. Damien saw his father and his mother sitting together at the kitchen table, both having a look of concern on their faces.

"Son, we need to talk..."

Six years later...

Damien stood at the boardwalk fence, facing the ocean, watching as the waves rolled in periodically, lapping over one another. It was a peaceful summer day, at 11:45 am on the boardwalk. Birds sang in the trees, and the sun shined brightly. Damien's father stood besidee him.

"Dad, mom was saying "Goodbye" to us, wasn't she?" Damien asked his dad.

"What?" Said his dad.

"Six years ago, the day before you guys...you know... told me about the news?" Damien asked.

"I miss her too, son." Damien's father replied.

Damien started to cry a little. His father put a hand down on his shoulder.

"It's ok to be sad if you want, but I think your mother would want us to make the most of every happy occasion in life. So let's try to have a good time here for her sake."

Damien wiped a tear away.

"You're right. I miss her, and I am sad, but mom would want us to have a good time..."

"Did I ever tell you that I met your mother at this very summer festival?" Damien's dad said.

"Really? This is where you met mom?" Damien asked.

"Yeah, I was watching a friend who was in a band at a battle of the bands at this carnival when I met your mom. And that was almost 20 years ago!" His dad replied.

Almost twenty years ago, Damien's father was in the crowd at the Carnival's 'Battle of the Bands' contest, supporting his friend who was in a band called "Pyle of Slime" when he temporarily left to get a soda. On his way to the nearest snack booth, he ran into who he thought was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Excuse me, I was on my way to get a soda!" Said the woman.

"Really? Me too!" Said the man a little too enthusiastically.

The woman giggled.

"And so I asked her "So, may I ask what your name is, ma'am?" I was so shy..." said Damien's father.

"And then what happened?" Damien asked.

"Well, son, your mother told me her name was Claire, and I introduced myself to your mother as Gary. And then I told your mother that I was watching a band to support my friend and asked her if she wanted to join me...."