GIFT HORSE
By
Darby Brennan
Bodie remembers something his mother told him.
An established relationship story.
Written: August 2007. Word count: 200.
You never know, do you? How much you've got, I mean. Not ‘til it's gone. Then it's too late.
Me mam always told me ‘never look a gift horse in the mouth'. Never really understood that, until now.
Now I do.
Because now I've lost Ray.
He left.
Said he'd had enough.
One day he was there. The next he'd packed his bags and gone.
Left.
Left London.
Left the mob.
Left the Old Man.
Left me.
And I let him.
Didn't try to get him to stay.
Didn't know how.
Didn't know what to do.
Didn't know what to say.
Never really told him how I felt.
Not sure I knew.
Not sure I wanted to admit it.
Not to him. Not to myself.
Now it's too late.
He's gone.
I lost what I had and didn't even know I had it.
Me mam was right. I did look the ‘gift horse in the mouth'.
Wish I could tell her that I finally understand.
But I can't.
Because like Ray, she's gone.
Just in a different way. She's dead.
Still miss her. Never told anyone that.
Not even Ray.
Never told Ray a lot of things.
Should have done.
No Favourites is a companion piece to this story.
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