The Other Side Of The Painting

by Amelia Rey

  I know that if I stay, our child will suffer the consequences of your mother’s lies. So, I have decided to look for a different life for my child and myself.

  When Cornelius finished reading the letter, he asked about the child who was mentioned in the letter. At first Danielle was a little wary of telling him the truth about the child, but then she realized that to find their way back, they needed to trust each other.

  “I had a beautiful baby girl nine and a half years ago; she was born on a beautiful Fourth of July morning,” Danielle said as tears ran down her cheeks.

  “What do you mean had?” Cornelius asked.

  “She died a few hours after she was born. I only got to hold her in my arms for a few minutes. After that, I fell into a coma. When I woke up a week later, I was told she had died.”

  Cornelius cried as Danielle told him about the pain she suffered after the death of their child. “What was the cause of our daughter’s death?”

  Danielle was spellbound, and she stared at Cornelius. When he said “our daughter,” she realized that Shane had lied to her; he had made her believe that she had lost her memory due to a car accident fifteen years ago and that they had been married for two years prior to her pregnancy. So, she was led to believe that the baby girl who had died was actually the fruit of their marriage.

  “Danielle, what was the cause of our daughter’s death?” Cornelius asked again.

  “My husband, Shane, said she was born with a weak heart.”

  “Your husband?” Cornelius was in shock and could not say another word.

  Danielle noticed his reaction and said, “I did not know I was already married. I don’t remember anything about our life in the 1800s.”

  “I’m sorry. I did not mean to have that kind of reaction. Do you love him?”

  “Up until now, I thought I did. He has always been kind to me. But I’d always felt something was missing.”

  “Where is that impostor now?”he asked.

  “He went to a medical seminar in Washington, DC. He won’t be back for another week.”

  “Good. That will give us time to do some research on our lives in the 1800s.”

  “Cornelius, I suggest that we keep all this to ourselves until we know more. We have the painting, and we know the device that can take us back is somehow connected to it. I also suggest we go to the library and see if we can find more information about us and Nathaniel Miller and his wife.”

  “That’s a magnificent idea,” replied Cornelius. “Let’s go right now.”

  “It’s already very late,” said Danielle. “We’ll wake up early tomorrow morning, and we can go then. In the meantime, we need some rest and a little time to recollect our thoughts. If you want to, you can spend the night here with me.”

  Cornelius looked at her with a big smile on his face, and without any hesitation, he immediately agreed to stay and spend the night with her.

  Danielle noticed the grin on Cornelius face and said, “Don’t be getting any ideas with me. You will be sleeping on the couch, and I will sleep in my bedroom with the doors locked.”

  They both began to laugh. Afterward, she went into her bedroom to get a pillow and a blanket for him. She also found a picture of their daughter, and she handed it to him.

  “Was this my daughter?”he asked.

  “Yes, that’s our daughter,” Danielle answered.

  “She was beautiful,” Cornelius said as he gazed at his daughter’s picture with profound sadness. “What name did you give her?”

  “I named her Annabelle,” Danielle replied.

  “You named her after your own mother.”

  “Yes, I’ve always liked that name, and now I know why.”

  “Now we know why,” he said with a smile.

  Danielle said, “Well, it’s getting late, and we need to get some rest.”

  “Yes, I’m sorry,” said Cornelius. “Goodnight, Katherine.”

  “Goodnight, Cornelius.”

  Danielle walked toward her room, and suddenly, she turned back with a smile. “You called me Katherine,” she said.

  “That is your name,” he said. “Katherine Montgomery,” he added. “I’m Cornelius Montgomery, your husband.”

  Danielle was mesmerized when Cornelius called her Katherine Montgomery and then added that he was her husband. She walked back toward Cornelius in a trance, as if another woman had taken over her body and mind. Cornelius felt the same way and met her halfway. They passionately kissed for a long moment. He then slowly carried her to the sofa bed where he was supposed to sleep alone.

  Chapter 7

  When they woke the next morning, Danielle was filled with mixed feelings of guilt and happiness. She was also extremely embarrassed. Cornelius wrapped his arms around her and assured her that they had done nothing wrong. “We are husband and wife,” he said. “We might not be in our rightful time, and we might not remember the life we shared back then, but you and I know that we are man and wife. Last night, our bodies were simply expressing the hidden desires of our hearts.”

  Danielle smiled. “I know that, but please, let’s not talk about it anymore.” She then got up and went into her bedroom to get dressed. After eating a quick breakfast, they headed to the library. They were both anxious about anything else they might discover about their life in the 1800s.

  “We need to keep an open mind whatever the outcome may be, and we need to be realistic,” said Danielle. “Since we have no memory of our life in the past, whatever information we find here today has to be carefully considered before we go and make any final decisions that might affect not only our lives but Annabelle’s as well.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “Well, just think about it. If we can go back to the year 1839, Annabelle will still be in my womb, and most likely she will survive because I believe everything I went through contributed to her being born with a weak heart. And with what we know, now we can avoid the bad decisions we made that led to all this.”

  “I couldn’t agree with you more,” he said, “but for the moment, let’s do what we came here to do. We can deal with the outcome later.”

  They approached the librarian and asked if she could assist them. “Good morning,” said Cornelius, “I was wondering if you might be so kind and help us find some information in your archives.”

  The librarian was a tall, middle-aged woman. She had black hair and penetrating dark brown eyes. She gave Cornelius a warm smile and looked at him with tenderness. In a sweet tone of voice, she said, “Sure, just tell me what you’re looking for.”

  “We need information about some people from the 1800s. Well, 1839, to be exact.”

  “Do you have their names?” asked the librarian.

  “Yes, we do,” Cornelius replied.

  “Good. Let’s see what we can find, then.”

  The first name they gave her was Nathaniel Miller, but the librarian couldn’t find any information about him.

  “What other names do you have?”

  Danielle and Cornelius looked at each other. “Try Katherine and Cornelius Montgomery,” they said simultaneously.

  The librarian gazed at them for a moment. “I think I’ve heard those names before.” She searched in her files for a few minutes and said, “I’m sorry, but there is no information about the names you gave me in the archives.”

  Danielle was a little frustrated. “What else can we do?”

  “Well, we can try to narrow the search down. Do you know the state and the county in which they lived?”

  “We don’t have that information,” Cornelius answered.

  “I’m very sorry, but if you really want my help, you need to supply me with more information,” said the librarian. “If you think of anything else let me know.”She walked away.

  Cornelius and Danielle were frustrated. They didn’t know what else to do.

  But as they were about to leave the library, Cornelius asked Danielle, “Have you lived in New York all this time?”
/>   “No, I lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the past ten years, and before that, I have no memory.”

  “Well, I have lived here for the past ten years,” he said, “and before that, I have no memory, either. That can only mean one thing.”

  “What does it mean?”she asked.

  “It means that I lived here in Greene County in the state of New York in 1839. Let’s go and talk to the librarian one more time,” he said.

  Cornelius returned to the librarian and asked her to check the name Nathaniel Miller again.

  “OK,” she said. “Do you have the state and county?”

  “Yes, the same state and county we are in now.”

  “Greene County, New York?”she asked. The librarian searched the county archives for the mid-1800s.

  In an old newspaper clipping, she found Nathaniel Miller’s name. “Ah, let’s see what’s in here,” she said. “It’s from the year 1870. You two go ahead and read it while I look for more information.”

  Cornelius and Danielle looked for any information that might help them.

  “Oh! Look here,” Cornelius said to Danielle. “Nathaniel and Sarah founded a Christian school that burned down five years later. It says that three people died, including Ruth Miller, Jonathan Miller’s wife…oh, I can’t read the rest,” he said. “This newspaper is all torn and faded.”

  The librarian found one more newspaper printout about Nathaniel Miller. It was from the year 1880.

  “Let’s see what this one says.” Cornelius began reading the newspaper. “Danielle, read what it says here! It says that ‘Nathaniel Miller passed away at the age of sixty-five. He was survived by his son, Jonathan Miller, and his grandson, Timothy Miller.’ They don’t mention his wife. She probably passed away before him. She could have been one of the people who passed away in the school fire in 1870.”

  “Yeah, she probably did,” said Danielle in a sad tone of voice. She imagined that it must have been a very painful death. When Cornelius looked at her, she had tears in her eyes.

  “Are you OK, Danielle?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I just feel a deep sadness inside, as if I have lost someone very dear to me.”

  “I feel the same way,” Cornelius responded. “We have read every piece of paper concerning Nathaniel Miller, and we still haven’t found what we need.”

  The librarian overheard his comment, and she said, “I have only been in town for a few years, but Mrs. Elisabeth Seymour—the librarian before me—she lived here all her life. She can probably help you find whatever it is you are looking for. Let me give her a call and ask her if she could meet with you.”

  “Thank you,” said Cornelius. “We really appreciate all the help you’ve given us today.”

  “It’s my pleasure,” replied the librarian. “Just give me a moment. I’ll be right back.”

  “I hope she can convince Elisabeth Seymour to meet with us,” said Danielle.“I’ve got the feeling that this woman is going to be of great help to us.”

  “There comes the librarian now,” Cornelius said.“Try to control your emotions. She might think that we’re weird and refuse to give us Elisabeth’s number.”

  “We are weird,” said Danielle. “Or do you think this is normal? That two complete strangers who just recently met are now looking for information about a life they allegedly shared together more than a century ago?”

  “I know all this sounds crazy,” he said. “But we owe it to ourselves to get to the bottom of it.”

  Danielle replied, “If not for us, then we need to do it for Annabelle. Here comes the librarian.”

  “I spoke to Elisabeth, and she agreed to see you this afternoon. She asked what your names were. I don’t think either of you gave me your names before. Since you didn’t give me a name, I told her it was Katherine and Cornelius. I remembered you gave me those names to look up in the archive.”

  They looked at each other and smiled. Simultaneously, they said, “Those are our names.”

  “I don’t understand,” said the librarian. “You guys wanted information about yourselves from the mid-1800s?”

  “Well, it’s a little complicated,” Danielle said. “I wish I could tell you more, but I honestly can’t.”

  “I understand,” said the librarian. “When you can’t, you can’t. Well, anyways, here is Elisabeth’s address. She’ll be expecting you this afternoon.”

  “Thank you for everything, Mrs.—I’m sorry, but I’ve just realized that you haven’t given us your name,” said Danielle.

  “It’s Elmirah,” said the librarian.

  Danielle and Cornelius looked at each other in shock when they heard the librarian’s name. Cornelius stared at the librarian with profound sadness; he was overtaken by an unexplainable feeling of nostalgia.

  Danielle became very nervous and impatient. “We need to get going now. Once again, thanks for everything, Elmirah.”

  “Good-bye to you both,” she replied.“I hope you two find what you are looking for.”

  When Danielle and Cornelius left, the librarian became suspicious of the strange reaction they had when she told them her name. “There was something weird about that couple,” she said to herself. “Where do I know them from? Especially the young man. I had a strange feeling inside every time I looked at him.”

  Chapter 8

  Cornelius and Danielle arrived at Elisabeth’s house late in the afternoon. The day was hot and humid. Elisabeth was sitting by herself on her front porch drinking a cold glass of freshly squeezed lemonade with a handful of slightly mashed raspberries, a hint of freshly ground mint leaves, and a few drops of fresh ginger juice. This was an old family recipe that originated from back in the 1800s with Elisabeth’s great-grandmother Anne, who got it from an African American woman by the name of Agatha, who served as the nanny of the previous house owner’s only son.

  When Elisabeth saw Cornelius and Danielle from a distance, she waved at them.

  Elisabeth was in her late seventies, plump, and very charismatic.

  “Oh, that must be Elisabeth,” Danielle said. She waved back at her.

  Elisabeth’s house was a beautiful three-story Victorian house. The exterior was painted a deep gray with a lighter shade of gray around the edges. It was embellished with a tower, and the roof was high and steep. It also had gables in different directions. The front of the house was surrounded by a beautiful, spacious rose garden and a few scattered maple trees.

  Danielle felt very strange inside. Something about that house made her feel very sad and scared. But she tried to hide her feelings from Cornelius by pretending to be excited.“That’s a beautiful house from the outside. I can’t wait to see the inside,” she said.

  Cornelius remained quiet. He was stunned looking at the house. It was déjà vu all over again for him. The first time he had déjà vu was when he first saw Danielle sitting in the teacher’s lounge.

  “Why are you so quiet?”Danielle asked.

  “I have a strange déjà vu about this house. It’s like this house is somehow connected to me. Like my history hides in it,” he said.

  “I feel the same way,” Danielle replied.

  They got closer to the house and walked toward Elisabeth.

  “Hello, there. You must be Katherine and Cornelius,” said Elisabeth.

  “Hello, Elisabeth,” Danielle said. “Thank you for receiving us in your home today.”

  “It’s my pleasure,” replied Elisabeth. “Please, have a seat. Would you like some lemonade? It’s an old family recipe,” she added.

  “I would like that very much,” said Danielle. “Thank you.”

  “I’ll have some, too,” said Cornelius.

  Elisabeth poured each a glass of lemonade and handed the glasses to them. She waited for them to start drinking the lemonade, but neither did. “Don’t be shy. Drink up! You both must be very thirsty in this hot weather. You have to keep yourselves hydrated.”

  They both smiled and began to drink their lemonade. Corne
lius was the first to take a sip from the glass. “This lemonade is quite delicious!” He took a second sip. “The taste is very familiar. I know I’ve had this before,” he said.

  Danielle also took a few sips of the lemonade. “This is truly delicious! I know this taste.”

  “You can’t possibly have tasted this lemonade before,” said Elisabeth. “This is an old family recipe that has been passed on from generation to generation. My daughter, Mary, and I are the only ones who know the recipe. Mary made this fresh pitcher minutes before you two arrived here.”

  Danielle and Cornelius were both embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Elisabeth,” said Danielle. “Cornelius and I both got a little carried away with the delicious taste of your family recipe.”

  “Please, don’t feel bad. I’m happy that you both liked it so much. Would you like some more?”

  “Yes! Thank you, Elisabeth,” Cornelius said.

  “I would like some more, too,” said Danielle.

  Elisabeth poured lemonade into each of their glasses and then put the pitcher down.

  “So, Elmirah told me you were searching the archives for information from the 1800s.”

  “Yes, ma’am, we were,” Danielle answered.

  “Why so far back?” she asked.

  “We need information on some people who lived during that period,” she replied.

  “What is the purpose of your inquiries?” Elisabeth asked.

  Danielle placed the lemonade glass on the table, “Elisabeth, I don’t mean to be rude to you, but we can’t tell you why, and even if we did, you would not believe us.”

  “Ms. Danielle, if you and the gentleman here want my help, then I suggest that you both tell me the truth.”

  “I don’t know if that would be a good idea,” Cornelius said.

  As they were talking, Elisabeth’s daughter, Mary, came out of the house and suggested that the group should go back inside before it started raining.

  “Yes, let’s go inside the house,” said Elisabeth. “We can talk there some more.”

  Mary rolled Elisabeth’s wheelchair inside. When Danielle was about to enter the house, she began having flashbacks. She fell on her knees and started banging on the door. “Let me in, Cornelius!” she screamed repeatedly.