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He stood up and walked slowly over to the tombstone where the jar and its obscure contents rested. He picked it up and held it so he could peer through the glass at the murky contents. The autumn moon yielded insufficient light and the identity of the thing housed within the jar remained hidden. |
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"And you really don't know what's in there?" |
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Charlie shook his head. It was getting easier by the minute. |
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Theodore walked back to his brother and did something he hadn't done in years. He put his arm around the trembling man's shoulders. "I can't believe I'm saying this," he began, "but if it makes you feel better to put that damn thing on Father's grave, if it makes you feel like you're doing something to right the wrongs of the past, then by all means, do it. What the hell can it hurt?" |
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Charlie shrugged. "I'm glad you understand," he whispered. He got up and put his arm around his brother's shoulders, and they walked together back down the darkened path toward the car. |
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The last thing the two brothers saw as they left the crest of the hill where their father was buried was the brooding glass jar sitting atop the weathered tombstone. |
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