Creative Writing | The Sunset

    The sun was slowly leaning towards the horizon and had spread its rays onto the waters of the lake, giving it a red-orange hue. There was no traffic– the streets were deserted.

    Theodore was gazing out of the car window at the lake, occasionally checking his phone and rereading the message he had just gotten. His expression was unreadable.

    “Hey man, what have you lost out there?”
    The voice of his childhood friend brought Theodore back from his thoughts.
    “Nothing.”
    “You know, sometimes it’s better to smile instead of furrowing your brows and sitting silently with an acidulated expression like a little kid who hasn’t got the toy he wanted,” Gareth continued with a cheerful tone.
    “Ha– that was a great analogy,” Theodore laughed.
    “Now that’s a smile! See? It isn't that hard.”
    “How much longer?”
    “Um– about two hours. Are you in a hurry?”
    “No, no, just curious. Sorry if I interrupted your work– I really needed to get to the city.”
    “Get out of here! If my best friend apologizes for asking for help, what kind of person am I?” 
    There was a moment of silence, and then, Theodore finally dared to ask: “What did the doctors say?”
    “About what?”
    “About… your mother. The last time I saw her was two days ago.” Theodore’s voice was barely audible; he wasn’t sure if that was an appropriate question. 
    “I don’t know, brother. I mean, who really understands doctors? You should know that, being a future doctor and all. But there’s hope that she will get better soon,” Gareth said, turning and looking at Theodore with a warm smile.

    “Oh– that’s great!”
    “Yeah, man. I was talking to her this morning,” he sighed, hiding his eyes. “Huh. The first thing she still asks me is if I dressed well so as not to be cold, or if I ate well. She’s always like that. And when I tell her, Mamma, I’m a grown-up man, don’t worry, take care of yourself, she gets upset and scolds me. For her, I’m always the little foolish boy for whom she was singing lullabies to fall asleep to, as I was too afraid of the dark. Her mild voice, her eyes, her soft hands… I especially remember her advice. And sometimes I think I should’ve listened to her more…” Gareth took a deep breath. His eyes were shining.

Theodore smiled guiltily.

    “But you know that feeling when home somehow feels empty. Its warmth is gone completely– an important part is missing. Yeah– without her I can’t call that place home… I hope she will come back from the hospital soon.” Gareth’s voice trembled slightly; his gaze was fixed on the road. Theo stole a look at his eyes, which seemed lighter than ever. Was that from the sun? He wasn’t sure.

    “Anyway,” Gareth said with a laugh. But it wasn’t happiness. That laughter carried a heavy burden that no one knew about. And a thick silence settled upon them. Only the heartbeat of the young man was audible, and it kept getting quieter. The moment wasn’t awkward, but it also seemed as though the silence hid away words that hadn’t been spoken out loud.

    Theodore turned his face away and gazed again at the tranquil sky, at the setting sun on the unreachable horizon.
    How am I going to tell him? How am I going to tell him? Theodore thought, and then said: “Your mother was truly as beautiful as this sunset.”
    Yes, sunsets always signified the end of something beautiful…