Maroon

I wheeled the large-backed television out from the library storeroom, then wiped off the dust with my fingers.

“I feel like we’re about to have a very special lesson.”

Clementine giggled, taking a sip from her tall wineglass.

“Well, we might be able to witness history here,” Aaron reminded, tightening his blue scarf around his neck.

“Or not,” Todd reminded, cocking an eyebrow, then tugging on the hem of his maroon shirt.

“Stop talking.”

Debbie shook her head. Laughter ripped through the group.

“You’ve had your fun,” Debbie reminded.

She reached over and seized a slice of cheese from the platter.

“True, true,” Todd reflected. “Bryce loved the State of Origin, the Wednesday nights in Winter. Ah, they were the days.”

Todd wasn’t trying to initiate sympathy. He was simply voicing aloud his memories, as we all did, in order to drag our loved ones desperately back to life – back to our lives, at least in the meantime. Debbie’s face fell.

“Ah, I’m so sorry, Todd,” she apologised, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“No, no worries,” Todd insisted. “We’re just having fun. That’s fine. It’s funny, though.”

He sighed.

“Bryce didn’t like the confrontation,” Todd remembered. “It took him a long time to get used to jokes. I suppose, with me and my humour, he had to praise at least some of it.”

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Abbey Sim is the founder of Huldah Media. She is a creative writing, law and theology student who lives on the lands of the Dharug people in Sydney, Australia. Abbey desires to explore themes of hope, love and longing through her storytelling. She is the author of 'Shadow' and 'From the Wild'.