D
Damian John Paul Brown
here is the first 3 pages of my book
this is the first draft, that needs padding out with
description, but I just want peoples views on the beginning
before I write the middle and end !
Damien was halfway up the stairs, at the point where he had
wallpapered to the high ceiling with his Dad, when the phone
in the hallway rang. He bounded back down the stairs and
answered the phone. On the other end was Sean. "I've just
found out, Dixie has died. I can't believe it."
Damien already knew the bad news, he had read the article
in the local paper that one of his best friends from younger
years had died. "I know, it was in the Telegraph.", was all
he could say to Sean. Damien was still in a state of depression,
having recently left hospital and was still taking medication
for his illness. So when Sean asked "Are you going to the
funeral ?", all Damien could say was "I don't know.", not
feeling up to it. Using his nickname to address Damien,
Sean said "Think about it. It's at one o'clock tomorrow.
I'll call for you when I finish work."
So that was decided, thinking a funeral would depress him
even more, Damien went to bed hoping to get some sleep,
knowing that he would be at a funeral the following day.
Sean was Damien's best friend from school, they used to
sit together during lessons from the age of twelve and
they were both aged twenty nine now. So Damien thought
it would be good at least to see his friend Sean, but what a
terrible age for someone to die.
Damien was up early the following morning, not having had
a good night's sleep, but not from any grief from his friend
as his emotional feelings were suppressed due to his illness
and the medication he was taking.
Damien had a black suit, which he had received for his twenty
first birthday, and so he put the trousers on, with his black
brogue shoes and a green shirt that his Dad had given him
and then he went into his Mum and Dad's bedroom, where
his Dad was still in bed.
"Have you got a dark tie ?", he enquired of his Dad, not
knowing whether his Dad was fully awake.
"Have a look in that drawer.", his Dad replied.
Damien walked to the chest of drawers and opened a
drawer, and immediately found a black tie, and then
explained to his Dad that he was going to a friends funeral.
Damien's Dad was used to funerals as he was in the
Knights of St Columba, a Catholic group of men, and at
one point his Dad seemed to be going to a funeral once per
week, at least in happier days of good health, Damien had
joked about this and maybe he was being punished now
for his dark humour.
It got to about quarter to one and Damien was quite
nervously waiting for Sean in the hallway, near the front
door, which had a Sacred Heart symbol above it. There
was a knock on the door, and Damien opened the door to
find Sean stood there with his blue work overalls on, whilst
Damien was wearing his black suit. They just said "Alright."
to each other in a subdued way and Damien walked out of
the house and to the car.
"Look at me in my work clothes.", said Sean, excusing
himself, whereas Damien didn't think it mattered. They both
got into Sean's car and immediately Sean said "I hate funerals."
Sean's Dad had died a few years earlier. Whereas Damien
had only been to his Brother-in-Laws funeral when he was
fourteen, and hadn't been to one as an adult. So he wasn't
sure what to expect.
They got to the cemetery with the time approaching one
o'clock. As they drove in the cemetery, Damien spotted
a few friendly faces. As they both got out of the car there
was noticeably a very large turnout, probably of at least
one hundred.
One of Damien's best friends was just walking towards the
grave with his partner and he addressed Damian by his
nickname with "Alright.", before acknowledging anyone else.
Damien and Sean got to the grave as the speaker started
and Damien noticed a cameraman with a video camera
panning the scene. Damien was quite averse to this, but
stood still and listened to the speaker, who wasn't really
standing on ceremony.
"Nigel said that he did not want a religious funeral and maybe
you would like to visit the grave in a few months..."
were the words that stood out most in Damien's mind.
Damien kind of noticed who was there, and at the end he
saw the closest friends to Dixie crying near the grave, and
of course Dixie's partner was heartbroken and had to be
held.
And Damien had noticed, with everyone else presumably,
that when the coffin was being lowered into the ground,
Dixie's Mum had given out a loud moan, breaking the
silence.
When Sean and Damien got back in the car, Sean said
"His poor Mum", to which Damien replied, "I know. Did
you hear her.", as it was all he could say.
------------------------------------------------------------
So will this grip you forever more ?
How will Damien get on with his life ?
Will the shadow of death follow him ?
or will things brighten up ?
Tune in for the next few pages...
this is the first draft, that needs padding out with
description, but I just want peoples views on the beginning
before I write the middle and end !
Damien was halfway up the stairs, at the point where he had
wallpapered to the high ceiling with his Dad, when the phone
in the hallway rang. He bounded back down the stairs and
answered the phone. On the other end was Sean. "I've just
found out, Dixie has died. I can't believe it."
Damien already knew the bad news, he had read the article
in the local paper that one of his best friends from younger
years had died. "I know, it was in the Telegraph.", was all
he could say to Sean. Damien was still in a state of depression,
having recently left hospital and was still taking medication
for his illness. So when Sean asked "Are you going to the
funeral ?", all Damien could say was "I don't know.", not
feeling up to it. Using his nickname to address Damien,
Sean said "Think about it. It's at one o'clock tomorrow.
I'll call for you when I finish work."
So that was decided, thinking a funeral would depress him
even more, Damien went to bed hoping to get some sleep,
knowing that he would be at a funeral the following day.
Sean was Damien's best friend from school, they used to
sit together during lessons from the age of twelve and
they were both aged twenty nine now. So Damien thought
it would be good at least to see his friend Sean, but what a
terrible age for someone to die.
Damien was up early the following morning, not having had
a good night's sleep, but not from any grief from his friend
as his emotional feelings were suppressed due to his illness
and the medication he was taking.
Damien had a black suit, which he had received for his twenty
first birthday, and so he put the trousers on, with his black
brogue shoes and a green shirt that his Dad had given him
and then he went into his Mum and Dad's bedroom, where
his Dad was still in bed.
"Have you got a dark tie ?", he enquired of his Dad, not
knowing whether his Dad was fully awake.
"Have a look in that drawer.", his Dad replied.
Damien walked to the chest of drawers and opened a
drawer, and immediately found a black tie, and then
explained to his Dad that he was going to a friends funeral.
Damien's Dad was used to funerals as he was in the
Knights of St Columba, a Catholic group of men, and at
one point his Dad seemed to be going to a funeral once per
week, at least in happier days of good health, Damien had
joked about this and maybe he was being punished now
for his dark humour.
It got to about quarter to one and Damien was quite
nervously waiting for Sean in the hallway, near the front
door, which had a Sacred Heart symbol above it. There
was a knock on the door, and Damien opened the door to
find Sean stood there with his blue work overalls on, whilst
Damien was wearing his black suit. They just said "Alright."
to each other in a subdued way and Damien walked out of
the house and to the car.
"Look at me in my work clothes.", said Sean, excusing
himself, whereas Damien didn't think it mattered. They both
got into Sean's car and immediately Sean said "I hate funerals."
Sean's Dad had died a few years earlier. Whereas Damien
had only been to his Brother-in-Laws funeral when he was
fourteen, and hadn't been to one as an adult. So he wasn't
sure what to expect.
They got to the cemetery with the time approaching one
o'clock. As they drove in the cemetery, Damien spotted
a few friendly faces. As they both got out of the car there
was noticeably a very large turnout, probably of at least
one hundred.
One of Damien's best friends was just walking towards the
grave with his partner and he addressed Damian by his
nickname with "Alright.", before acknowledging anyone else.
Damien and Sean got to the grave as the speaker started
and Damien noticed a cameraman with a video camera
panning the scene. Damien was quite averse to this, but
stood still and listened to the speaker, who wasn't really
standing on ceremony.
"Nigel said that he did not want a religious funeral and maybe
you would like to visit the grave in a few months..."
were the words that stood out most in Damien's mind.
Damien kind of noticed who was there, and at the end he
saw the closest friends to Dixie crying near the grave, and
of course Dixie's partner was heartbroken and had to be
held.
And Damien had noticed, with everyone else presumably,
that when the coffin was being lowered into the ground,
Dixie's Mum had given out a loud moan, breaking the
silence.
When Sean and Damien got back in the car, Sean said
"His poor Mum", to which Damien replied, "I know. Did
you hear her.", as it was all he could say.
------------------------------------------------------------
So will this grip you forever more ?
How will Damien get on with his life ?
Will the shadow of death follow him ?
or will things brighten up ?
Tune in for the next few pages...