Fire Breather

Fire Breather

A mother clinched her fist in victory as she gave out a triumphant, “Yes,” in the courtroom. Although uncontested, she received everything she ever fought for; money.

Tell me are you free? Tell me are you free, when the tear falls on you? Tell me are you free?
The two children, her children, abandoned. They cried because mommy and daddy are fighting and they don’t know what for. The mother walked out with a smile.

A mother, only allowed weekends, watched her own children hold the leg of their father. She didn’t understand. She had gifts for both of them. She was going to take them to see any movie they wanted to see. Even if it was rated “R.”

Tell me are you free? Tell me are you free, when the doubt falls on you? Tell me are you free?
The two children don’t care about the gifts. They don’t even care about seeing movies. None of it mattered to them. How could it?

A mother listened as the announcer called her name for winning the contest. Something she has worked tooth and nail to win. She was proud and excited for the celebration that would take place afterward. She took all day calling her friends who were all equally proud and excited. Then, reality. A few calls to both of her children, not a single call back.

Tell me are you free? Tell me are you free, when the fear falls on you? Tell me are you free?
The woman celebrates with her friends as proudly as she could. Meanwhile her children look at the missed calls and messages; and then look away.

A father lay sick in the hospital bed. Beside him a son and daughter he’d fought so hard to keep and raise on his own. Grown now, they both worry about the meaning behind his visit to the hospital. Something was eating away the insides of the father, but only the son knew. He sensed the end of his dad’s life. The son’s job promotion left him with only a few days off to see his father. The son worked so hard to get the promotion and he knew it would be taken away from him if he stayed any longer.

Tell me are you free? Tell me are you free, when the choice falls on you? Tell me are you free?
The son decides to stay until the end. As he had sensed before, the end of his dad’s life came. Everything he ever wanted to tell him was said and whatever he needed to know about life was asked before his dad went. The father that fought so hard for his children now had his children fighting so hard for him.

A funeral brought the ex-wife, son, and daughter together. Close to the coffin, the son and daughter broke down together, holding each other safe and close. The son’s wary eye glanced over to the mother, trying her best portrayal of devastation. Almost on cue, as the coffin dropped into the new, eternal resting area, the mother broke out in a cry. The son pulled away from his sister and walked toward the mother. She was awaiting his arrival with open arms to pull in close the façade of sorrow. Instead, quite the reverse happened as he said something that would make her portrayal of sadness real.

Tell me are you free? Tell me are you free, when the truth falls on you? Tell me are you free?

 How her own son could say something so defeating brought the mother back to a time where it all started. The infidel. The courtroom. The fight. The victory. The divorce. The abandonment. All at once fear fell upon her.

Tell me are you free? Tell me are you free, when the world falls on you? Tell me are you free? When your son whispers, “You’ll never know exactly how much I wish it was you in that coffin, instead of him.”

Tell me are you free?