Henry James

Template:It CharacterHenry Freeman James (b. 1908) was the son of Arlette Winters and Wilfred James, the grandson of John Winters, and a resident of Hemingford Home, Nebraska.

Plot

Post Death

The bullet my son fired into his temple as he sat with Shannon ’ s head on his lap had mushroomed as it crossed his brain and taken out a large chunk of his skull on the left side. But that wasn ’t the worst. His eyes were gone. His lower lip was chewed away so that his teeth jutted in a grim grin. All that remained of his nose was a red stub. Before some cop or sheriff’ s deputy had discovered the bodies, the rats had made a merry meal of my son and his dear love.

“Fix him up, ” I told Herbert Castings when I could talk rationally again. “Mr. James . . . sir . . . the damage is . . .” “I see what the damage is. Fix him up. And get him out of that shitting box. Put him in the finest coffin you have. I don ’t care what it costs. I have money.” I bent and kissed his torn cheek. No father should have to kiss his son for the last time, but if any father ever deserved such a fate, it was I. Shannon and Henry were both buried out of the Hemingford Glory of God Methodist Church, Shannon on the twenty-second and Henry on Christmas Eve. The church was full for Shannon, and the weeping was almost loud enough to raise the roof. I know, because I was there, at least for a little while. I stood in the back, unnoticed, then slunk out halfway through Reverend Thursby ’ s eulogy. Rev. Thursby also presided at Henry ’ s funeral, but I hardly need tell you that the attendance was much smaller. Thursby saw only one, but there was another. Arlette was there, too, sitting next to me, unseen and smiling. Whispering in my ear.

Quotes

"Not actual quote" —Peter

Trivia

• He shares his first name and surname with a 19th Century American writer, and his middle name with an early 20th Century American author.

References

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