Remember (Gail Short Story)

“Gail?” Gail?

“Gail?” Gail?

Remember.

“Gail? Are you even listening to me?” The strict eyes of the woman in front of her kept staring at her, analyzing her for anything. Gail remained still, though she did tear her eyes from the view of the street outside the window to the woman. Gail didn’t remember zoning out. Gail didn’t like her, she didn’t like the coldness in her eyes as if Gail was wasting her time. The woman adjusted her glasses, tucking a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear as she did. Gail glanced from her hair to her face, studying it. The woman did well trying to hide her aging, but Gail could still see the faint lines of wrinkles around her blue eyes as well as those from smiling around her mouth. Though someone who didn’t spend as much time as Gail did studying other people would think the woman was in her thirties. She probably took pride in that, most women did when they looked younger than they were.

The woman sighed slightly, frustrated. Though she hid it, or well she thought she did. Gail noticed, she always does. Her father would always say she was too observant for her own good. “Gail, you have to use your words” The woman said. “Your father tells me you are having trouble sleeping again” She continued. “As well as the teachers saying you’re sleeping during class.” The woman added. “Why don’t we start with what is keeping you from sleeping?” She asked her, the stern eyes still gazing at her intensely, as if the woman could see inside Gail’s mind by doing so.

Gail shrugged as she once again shifted her gaze to the window, or rather the building on the other side of the street. It looked like an office space with a cafe on the first floor. If she looked closely she could see people frantically working at their desks next to another person doing the same thing at a desk that looked the same and so on and so on. “Gail, this isn’t going to work if you don’t speak to me” The woman said, interrupting Gail’s train of thought. Gail still looked at the office building as she shrugged her shoulders, not bothering to answer. She could feel the woman’s annoyance rolling off her. This woman wasn’t really good at her job. Some would probably say Gail was being difficult.  

I don’t remember.

Please do.

The session ended without Gail speaking a word to that woman. Her father had been waiting outside in the waiting room. “Mr. Grimes, I'd like to speak with you,” the woman said politely. Gail wasn’t stupid, she knew she was going to complain about her to her dad. Her father smiled at Gail. “I’ll be right back, sweetie” he said as he followed the woman back into her office. Gail could hear what they were saying saintly, having purposefully stood close by the door. The woman was indeed complaining how Gail hadn’t said a word, that her father should consider another therapist. Gail slightly frowned, she didn’t wanna talk to yet another stranger.

Don’t forget me.

Her father was seated in the driver’s seat of his car, driving out of the public parking space. “Miss Collins said you didn’t say anything” he said as he took a quick side glance at Gail, seated in the passenger seat. She was playing with the air conditioner vent, changing the direction of the air from left to right, right to left and so on. ‘She can suck it’ was what Gail wanted to say. “I don’t like her” she had said instead. “Why? She is supposed to be great with kids your age” her father responded. Gail scoffed “Well that’s a lie, she can’t even hide how she looks down on me, dad” Gail said. “She clearly thinks I am wasting her time and wants me out of there as fast as possible” She added as she stared at the passing buildings in the side window. In the reflection of them, she could see her father holding back a laughter. “She suggested another therapist” Her father didn’t get to continue. “I don’t want to talk to any more strangers, dad” She said, her gaze now at him. Somehow, her father had aged more this year than the four years before.

“Gail, it’s okay to feel pain and sorrow  sometimes,” her father said, changing the topic. “Especially around  this time of year” he added, talking about the upcoming anniversary of her brother's death, it had already been a year since then. “But you can’t let it consume you, affecting your health and all,” he continued. “Neither your mother or your brother would like that” he ended as a sad smile made its way on his face. “They’d want you to grow up happy and healthy, you know?” He said as he parked the car in their driveway. Her father wasn’t the best with words, but it was way better talking to him than to Miss Collins, or another therapist for that matter. Unlike them his father knew her, knew Ryan.

“Ryan visits when I sleep, dad” Gail spoke, barely audible. “He tells me to remember, but I can’t” she held back the tears as the weird feeling surges up again. Her father turned to her and she could see the clear lines of worry etched on his face. His stubble was turning into a bear at this point. Gail was used to seeing her father clean shaven, but after last year he had stopped shaving every day. Her father stopped the car engine, but made no move to exit the car, instead he turned fully towards her.

“Oh sweetie pie,” He said, his hand placed over hers. Gail decided there to tell him about the dream, well nightmare was probably the right word. How she would be back at the park with Ryan, the words he said. The weird feeling she got, which apparently was guilt. They had yet to catch the boy who had done it and maybe deep down she knew it was because she hadn’t been able to give the godia warriors a description.

“I don’t think your brother is asking you to remember what happened” His father said. “I think he just wants you to remember him, the good times” He added as he pulled her into his embrace. Gail hadn’t noticed she had started crying. “You think so?” She asked. “Don’t you think that sounds more like him?” He asked her. “I guess you’re right,” She responded. Her father chuckled slightly.

That night Gail got a full night's sleep.