Five Minutes Til : Revelations

“Five minutes” the man said looking at his watch and shifting his gaze to the sky. That meant that there was only five minutes left to make amends, to say anything at all.
James turned towards his family. His wife was sitting beneath a tree not seeming to look at anything at all, just sitting, thinking.
His son, Kevin was sitting beside her looking up, he was only ten, Jesus, only ten and already having to be faced with his own mortality. He felt sorry for him. He turned towards the sky. He could see the large shape of the asteroid as it came closer to earth, to them, to his son.
He turned back towards his wife who had now begun rocking back and forth. She had been like this for the past hour. They had known for a week and had done everything they could to become closer as a family. He saw that Kevin had left his mothers side. He walked over to her and gave her a soft tap on the shoulder.
She turned towards him.
“Where’s Kevin” he asked her hoping to get a reply but knowing he wouldn’t.
She looked right through him, not hearing his words but only acknowledging his presence.
He repeated himself, “Honey, where is Kevin”?
She looked over his shoulder and nodded her head ever so slightly. He turned around and at first could not see him. He then noticed his brown hair and backpack full of things he wanted to take with him when he, when he… James didn’t care to finish the thought.
He turned back towards his wife of twelve years and smiled, “I love you honey, you know that right” he turned back towards him.
“Four minutes” the man called.
“And whatever happens I always will” he said, “you know that right”
She could only stare at him. She was lost to a world of fear and sorrow, but he knew that if she could speak she would tell him the same thing.
He kissed her and ran after his son.
His son had settled under a tree and was crying. James knew that the boy was upset because he hadn’t gotten to grow up. James had lived a full life, but Kevin may never get to. He slowed down and stopped ten feet from him.
“Mind if I join you” he asked, trying to sound upbeat but finding it nearly impossible.
“Only if you say please” the boy said and looked with a small smile on his face.
They both laughed, “well then”, James said walking up to Kevin, “may I please sit down”.
“Yeah sure, but you owe me” he said and winked. James was surprised by Kevin’s ability to joke.
He sat down next to him and put his arm over his shoulder. “You know”, I said trying to think of the right words, “there’s no need to be scared, we’re all going to a better place”.
“I’m not scared” Kevin said laughing a little, “honestly, I’m not”
“Oh, it’s okay to be scared, heck, I’ll admit that I’m scared” he said and smiled.
Kevin turned to him, “was that what you though I was crying about”?
“Well, I assumed” James replied confused over his son’s change in attitude.
“No, that’s, that’s not it at all, I’m happy”
“Three minutes” the man called his voice starting to get shakier.
“Happy” James asked.
“Yeah, well I mean, not that were all gonna die, that sucks” he said and tried to his best at a laugh but nothing would come out, “it’s just that, well, you know how in school when they teach you about drugs and alcohol and how they can hurt your loved ones because if something happens to you then they’re the ones who have to live through what happened?”
“Well” he was honestly confused about what his son was trying to get at, “yeah”
“Well, I started to think about how sad I would be if something happened to you or mom” his eyes were starting to fill with tears, “and I figured that you would feel the same way about me if something happened to me right”, his face was starting to scrunch up in the way that a kid’s face will when there about to cry.
“Yeah” James said starting to see and starting feel a small lump in his throat.
“Well, I’m happy that” he paused and took a deep breath, “I’m happy that none of us is going to have to be sad without each other”.
James looked at his son feeling both blind and stupid. How could he have ever thought that his child would be thinking about his self. How could he have ever known though that his own son would be capable of making such a large decision that it wasn’t only he who mattered. That it was them, that as long as it was them they would not be sad.
“I guess it’s kind of stupid” Kevin said turning away.
“No”, James said and turned his son back towards him, “No, in fact, I believe that you have known something that many people can manage to overlook, and that’s that most people only care about the “hims” and “hers”, but it should really be “them”, and “they” are what really matters.”
“What does that mean”? Kevin said looking up at the comet or asteroid, who really cared?
“It means that as long we’re and us, then were okay” he said and smiled.
“Can we go back to mom” Kevin asked.
“One minute” the man squeaked into his mega phone.
“Yeah, let’s”
He picked up his son they walked to where his mother was sitting.
Rocking back and forth.