Eight years later…
‘So tell me, Rags. What’s your real name?’
Ben asked his friend one quiet morning. The man shook his head violently.
‘I never tells no ones my names’ he said.
He was originally from Greek and Ben recognized it from his accent the moment they met.
‘It’s alright, my friend. I respect your need for autonomy’.
‘Yew English?’
‘Why, yes, Rags. I thought you knew that’.
‘Aye. Skip has gone, me mate. Me don’t remember things now, see. Yous a new comrade, I like ya. Jes don’t leave like that nigger, aye?’ Ben nodded, feeling a lump rise in his throat.
Skipper had a weak heart and it failed him a week ago. He remembered buying him with Rags under the heavy rain, sobbing as they said his name again and again. The three of them had become best friends during all these years, and Ben felt that he had lost brother.
‘Aye. I can tell yew dis; I got me name da the old boy himself. Yew no tell nobody, aye?’
Ben nodded solemnly. “I won’t”.
“Aye. Me has outlived me usefulness here. Boss give jes little mawney. Me, am going to try me luck elsewhere”.
“What are you planning to do, Rags?”
“Aye! Me shall make like Capt Hook! Me, am escaping back to da town! Me wash cars! Ol’ bloke at car shop like me! Golly! Me want to see him so bad that me could jest kiss him! Yew are good man, Bon. We meet again in future, no?”
“Er, it’s Ben. Yeah, alright”.
Rags laughed and bidding him farewell, escaped with his backpack. It seemed that everyone was deserting him.
One day, the miner brought a young lady with him to work. All the men’s mouths dropped open; she was exquisite. Ben imagined her to be a Greek goddess and the way she talked to everyone fascinated him. She was a polite girl, nothing like her father at all.
“Hi. What’s your name?” she asked, stepping up to him.
Ben’s heart pounded till his chest hurt and he licked dry lips.
“I’m Ben. Short for Bennington”.
“That’s a very…classy name. It sounds posh”.
“I’m a Lodge but I’m not rich anymore. My dad died”.
“Oh, pity! I am Ariel”.
“You’re a beautiful lady, Ms. Ariel. May I be so bold as to ask you out?”
Ben knew that he had a mistake the moment those words were out of his mouth. He was a shy man and everyone around him heard the exchange. Ariel laughed.
“Why, yes! I’d love it! Please don’t tell my daddy though. It’s a date”.
Ben smiled. “He won’t know a thing about it. I assume this is only fitting, so let’s catch some fish at The Roaring Lake tonight. You cook”.
Ben and Ariel became close friends and soon enough, they both knew that they were in love with each other. Ariel’s father treated her like dirt and she was more than happy to run away with Ben. Their plan was successful and Ben took her back to the city with the money he had saved. He used half of it to open up a small candy shop and the other half was to pay for their rent. Ariel accepted his hand in marriage and he felt that after all his heartbreak, everything would be allright at last. They soon had two little boys and Ben felt a new generation growing. However, he needed someone from the past to complete his happiness, and it was his mother.
Three years later…
“The pantry is bare, Benny. Would you be a dear and get the groceries from the mart? I’ll look after the shop”.
“Certainly. Don’t let the boys steal anything from the counter. As young as they are, they’ll run wild someday!”
Ariel laughed and kissing him goodbye, turned her attention towards the boys. Ben headed to the market.
“Sir, sir! Flowers for your lady?”
a vendor called out to Ben as he passed by. He smiled and stopped to look at her stock.
“I’ll take a dozen of those roses, lady. They’re for my wife” he said, finally looking up.
However, something about her was very familiar. That nose perhaps? The vendor was an old woman who was thin to the point of emaciation. She wore a small hat and gray locks of hair dangled down her forehead. Ben gasped.
“Mother?”
“What, sonny?” the old woman croaked.
She held out her hand for the money but Ben was too flabbergasted to speak.
“Mother! You’re my mother! It’s me, Ben!”
The flowers dropped from her hands.
“B-Benny? Is it really you?”
She straightened her glasses to get a better look as Ben nodded violently.
“Yes, mother! You’re coming with me, now! Get rid of all these…you don’t need them to make a living. I own a thriving candy shop and I’m married with two kids. I…I…” he was so excited that he kept going on.
Margaret laughed. “I’m getting on, my son. Please slow down”.
Everyone in the market stared at them and those who knew her smiled. They were genuinely happy that Ben was back.
“Mother, meet my wife, Ariel. Ariel, this is my long-lost mother” Ben said as Margaret cupped Ariel’s face in her hands.
“She’s beautiful, Ben. You lucky lad, you!”
“And these are our sons, mother. Meet Timothy and Donald”.
“Change their names, young lady. We’re Lodges and Lodges remain rich, no matter what. They’ll be Remington and Ronald from now onwards”.
Ben chuckled. “When did you come to Shoppers’ Market?”
“Ever since Taylor replaced Griffin as mayor! That old goat wasn’t able to keep me!” They all laughed. “Well, I’m glad, mother”.
He finally figured out the meaning of those mysterious two words as well. Twenty five years. The outcome of the chosen stone was to last for twenty five whole years, and he had crossed that. Well, they were still in Sebastian’s house and anyone who found them could do whatever they wanted with them.
He started anew. He was Bennington Lodge, and he had everything once again.
__END__
