by Lisa Beeson
“None of that is your fault, Hector. There was nothing you could have done, you have to believe me,” she pleaded. “And look, I’m fine now. I promise. In fact I’m… I’m in paradise.” She knew when she had said that he’d think she meant heaven, instead of a horse farm in Arkansas. But if it made him feel better, that’s all that mattered.
“Really? Is it… beautiful?” he looked at her with hope in his eyes, wanting to know that she really was in a better place.
“Um…yeah… what I’ve seen of it,” she hedged. She stepped closer and put her hands on his shoulders. “Hector… please don’t let this misguided guilt consume you. Promise me that you won’t lose who you are. I couldn’t stand it if the smart, talented, kind-hearted boy, who accepted me as his sister from day one, was anything less than the remarkable man he was meant to be. Please, honor my memory by living up to your full potential.”
He looked at her sadly, warring within himself.
“Do it. Or I’ll be the most annoying little sister in history, and haunt you forever,” she said jokingly, before wiping away her tears.
He managed a lopsided smile. “Alright, I’ll try.”
“Promise,” she demanded, sticking out her left pinky finger towards him.
He smiled a full smile, and grabbed her pinky with his own. As they held on, they crossed their hearts with their other hand, making a pinky promise like they used to when they were younger. Nothing broke a pinky promise.
Absolem cleared his throat, grabbing Ari’s attention, motioning that it was time to go.
Hector noticed Ari look over her shoulder. “What? What is it?”
She looked back at Hector. Apparently he couldn’t see Absolem who was standing a little ways behind her. “I have to go, Hector,” she explained.
He grabbed her hand, trying to prevent her from leaving. “No, please don’t go yet.”
She gave him another tight hug. “I don’t want to, but I have to.” She wanted to stay in this backyard with him forever, but that wasn’t possible. They both needed to move forward. It took everything she had to let go and step back. “I love you so much, Hector. Tell Mom, Dad, Sadie, and Jack that I love them, too.”
He nodded and said that he would.
“And even if they don’t believe you, tell Mom and Dad that I’m okay. And that I’m so thankful to them for giving me a family, a home, and a wonderful life.”
“I will…,” he promised. “Kira, you should have heard Dad give your eulogy. He said that losing another one of his children was one of the hardest things he had ever had to go through, but he knew that he and Mom were so blessed to have been entrusted with two angels. And even though they were only on Earth for a short time, their light will forever shine in the hearts of others.”
“Oh, Daddy…” Ari broke down again, but Hector held her up and let her cry on his shoulder.
“I love you, Kira. You’ll always be my little sister…forever,” he said, kissing her head.
“And you’ll always be my big brother,” she said as she reluctantly let go and backed away. “Goodbye, Hector…I love you. And remember your promise!” She walked backwards, trying to memorize every last thing about him. And then she turned and walked through the white swirling fog into the darkness of her own dreamless sleep.
Chapter 15
Ari awoke to the delicious smells of breakfast being made downstairs. The clock on top of the dresser said that it was 9:36 in the morning. Her face felt stiff and crusty from crying so much last night.
Am I really a dream walker?
It would be really handy ability if she had any idea how to do it on command. She remembered Absolem said that she had inherited it from her parents, so that meant that they had to be dead. If they were still alive they would have tried to contact me through my dreams by now, wouldn’t they?
And with that not-so-cheery thought, she got up, washed her face, and went downstairs.
The smells coming from the kitchen made her mouth water: scrambled eggs, bacon, and blueberry muffins. It all sat on the island in front of her.
Jamie was pouring herself some coffee. When she saw Ari, she smiled. “Good morning, sleepyhead. Go ahead and help yourself.”
Jamie had on a flowery sundress, and her hair was up in a ponytail. With her hair up like that, Ari could see the cochlear implants attached to the sides of her head that plugged into the hearing aid-type things around her ears. Ari wondered how Jamie’s hearing differed from normal hearing. Was it true hearing or was it tinny and mechanical?
Jamie got a plate and a fork and handed them to Ari.
“Thanks, it all smells great,” she said, taking the utensils from Jamie’s hands. Ari was famished, but she didn’t know if Adam had eaten yet, so she didn’t know how much to take. “Is Adam still sleeping?”
Jamie waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Oh, he’s been up for hours. A habit he picked up from the Army. Personally, I love sleeping in whenever I can.” Jamie had a way of talking very expressively with her hands and paying close attention to Ari’s lips when she talked. Ari figured they were probably habits left over from before she had the implants, but just in case Ari made a mental note to always try to face Jamie when she spoke to her.
Filling her plate with all that she could fit, Ari grabbed her fork and went over to the breakfast nook. The sun beamed down from the window behind the nook. It warmed her shoulders, melting away the sadness from last night.
“Big appetite, huh?” Jamie asked while grabbing a muffin. She sat down on one of the stools by the island, pinching off pieces and popping them in her mouth.
Trying not to hork everything down, Ari attempted to eat at a normal pace, but was failing. So, she just nodded in response.
After swallowing another piece of muffin, Jamie looked at Ari and said, “Adam told me about everything you said to him last night.”
Ari stopped mid-shovel, and then put down the fork. She looked into Jamie’s eyes to try to gauge her response to her story. “Do you believe it?”
“He’s never lied to me before, and he seems to believe you, so there must be some truth to it.”
Checking her intentions, Ari could sense that Jamie trusted her brother without a doubt, but was still making her mind up about Ari.
“Thanks for all your hospitality, I really appreciate it. And don’t worry, I won’t be staying long.”
Jamie finished off her muffin. “No rush. Adam said he’d figure things out for you, and he will. He’s always been protective. It’s what made him such a good cop… and a good big brother.”
That reminded Ari of Hector, so she tried to distract herself by asking, “Do you know why he doesn’t want to be a cop anymore?”
“Three deployments, that’s why. That man has been through hell, and unfortunately he brought back some demons. He never wants to talk about it. But instead of letting it beat him, he’s trying to overcome and move on. So, I don’t question it and I try to support him.”
Ari nodded in understanding. She hoped Hector could put his guilt behind him and move on as well.
As Ari was finishing up her breakfast, Jamie grabbed her purse and said that she was heading into town to pick up some things and that if she needed anything Adam was probably out in the barn. Ari waved goodbye, and then took care of the dishes. That was something her mom made sure all her kids did: clean up your messes, and do your part.
After getting dressed, Ari went out to the barn to see what Adam was doing.
Paradise Glades really was beautiful. The spring leaves danced in the breeze, and the pond reflected the sky like a sparkly mirror. Ari noticed an orchard growing off to the side of the barn. The sweet sounds of song birds filled the air, accompanied by the not-so-melodious sounds of Adam cursing and sporadically banging on something metallic in the barn.
The doors were open, and as Ari peeked in she saw Adam trying to fix what looked like a large, riding lawn mower. The hood that covered the engine was propped open, and Adam was trying to
tighten or loosen something, she couldn’t tell exactly. The wrench would slip every so often and he’d go into a colorful barrage of expletives.
“You okay there, champ?” Ari called out.
Adam quickly stood up, almost hitting his head on the hood. “What? Oh. Yeah. It’s just this damn thing has been giving me trouble. I swear, as soon I can, I’m buying a herd of goats and letting them have at it,” he said while motioning towards the acres of grass. He looked back at the mower. “You hear that, stupid! Goats can do your job!” he said, clanging the wrench against it to make his point.
Ari chuckled and asked if she could do anything to help.
“Um, not really...” he said, adjusting his sweaty baseball cap. “Actually, can you hand me that other wrench over there?” He pointed to the one he wanted, and she got it for him. He tried the bolt again, and just when he thought he had it, the wrench slipped again.
As Adam went into another tirade, Ari took the opportunity to look around. It was your typical barn. Tools and farm equipment scattered around, and miscellaneous things stuffed up in the loft. But towards the back she saw welding equipment and something that looked like a gigantic metal bear.
Ari went over to get a closer look. Up close it was an amalgam of old street signs, oil cans, and other various metal objects. But if she got farther back, it coalesced into a detailed creature, kind of like an impressionist painting brought to life. “Is this one of Jamie’s sculptures?” Ari called back to Adam.
He looked up. “Yeah, that’s one she’s still working on.”
“She is so talented. This thing is amazing!”
“Yeah, she’s really good. You should see some of her finished stuff in the stables.”
“Can you show me?”Ari asked hopefully.
Adam wiped his brow with his forearm, looking at the wrench in his hand. With a shrug he dropped it on the ground. “Sure, why not. I need to take a break from this damn thing anyway.” For good measure, he kicked the mower’s tire as he walked away.
He led Ari down a dirt road that went past the barn and down a slight decline and towards the stables. It was a large building that could do with some repainting, but other than that it looked to be in good shape. He took out his key chain and found the one he needed to unlock the industrial padlock on the doors. He turned the key, and the lock sprung open. But, before he opened the doors he turned to Ari and said, “Close your eyes.”
Humoring him, she shut her eyes tight and put her hands over them. She heard him open the doors and then felt his hands on her shoulders as he guided her inside.
“Don’t open them until I tell you, okay?”
“Okay.”
He let go of her shoulders. Ari heard him flip some switches by the door.
“Okay, open them.”
Ari took her hands away and opened her eyes.
The stalls were illuminated by overhead spotlights, and almost every one held a magnificent work of art. There were sculptures of mythical creatures, every bit as detailed as the bear in the barn. Some sculptures were lit up, like the giant metal men with neon-colored LED lights going down the arms and legs. Some had moving parts, like the strange cityscape that had steampunk-like gears and rotors that moved pods around the buildings.
But, the most impressive thing of all was the rotating sculpture of an unknown solar system attached to the ceiling. Each planet-like orb rotated and traveled on its own orbit around a large brass sphere. Ari was in awe. “This is incredible! Jamie’s amazing!”
“Yeah, she’s pretty talented,” he said off hand, but Ari could see the pride beaming in him.
“How does she come up with these things?” Ari asked as she walked up to a metallic animal that looked like a mix between a cat, a lizard, and bat. It had a cat-like head, the body of a lizard, and wings that connected its arms and legs to its body. They were thin like a bat’s wings.
“She’s always had a crazy imagination. She said she would dream about them, and when she woke up she felt like she had to make them or she’d start to get nervous and antsy. She was always taking things around the house for her projects. It drove my parents nuts. Every time something went missing, we’d only have to look in Jamie’s room to find it.” He chuckled at the memory. “One time she took some of my football trophies and dismantled them to make some sort of palace. I was so pissed, but I had to admit that it did look pretty cool. You know…. after the fact.”
“Does she sell them?” Ari asked, looking up at the solar system moving above her.
“Yup… people with too much money for their own good have been snatching them up lately for a pretty penny. And a town in Missouri bought one to put in front of their library. It was some sort of fallen angel or something like that. The look of raw pain that Jamie put on its face almost made me feel sorry for it. The lady that bought it for the town said it reminded her of Icarus after he flew too close the sun. But, yeah, Jamie has her own website and everything.”
“That’s awesome,” Ari said. She then moved over to a sculpture of a mammoth with glowing eyes made from old motorcycle head lights. It looked like it wanted to tell her something, but she shook off the strange sensation and quickly moved on.
When Ari felt like she had sufficiently examined all the sculptures and was ready to leave, Adam flicked off all the switches, closed the doors, and then re-locked the padlock nice and secure. As they walked back up to the barn, they saw Jamie’s car coming down the driveway and park in the garage, which had obviously been added on recently and was not original to the house.
“You go on ahead. I’m going to take another stab at that stupid mower.”
Ari nodded and headed towards the house. When she came in, Jamie was already putting groceries away in the kitchen. “Hey Jamie, Adam just showed me your sculptures. They’re so good!”
She looked up at Ari as she continued to put stuff away in the fridge. “Thanks, I’m glad you like them. Some people don’t get them, and say they ‘just look like old junk’.”
“Well, that’s their loss. Do you need any help with the groceries?”
“No, that’s alright. I’m pretty particular about where stuff goes, but there are a couple bags for you on the dining room table.”
Curious, Ari went into the dining room just off the kitchen. On top of the table were bags of clothes, socks, and underwear. “Oh Jamie, you didn’t have to do this,” Ari called back over her shoulder into the kitchen.
“A girl can’t be expected to live on two outfits alone. I just hope it all fits,” she called from inside the large pantry.
Everything was brand new, and judging from the price tags, not cheap. Ari felt bad that Jamie had spent so much money on her. But she was right; wearing the same two outfits was getting old pretty quick. “Thank you so much. I’ll pay you back, I promise.”
Jamie came out of the pantry and held up her hand to protest. “Don’t worry about it, Ari, no need to pay me back. I like to think of it as my good deed for the year.” She smiled and then came to lean in the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room. “I hope you like them. I’m not exactly up on what the kids like to wear these days, but it’s all name brand stuff. No generic knock-offs.”
“It’s all perfect,” Ari assured her while she perused the bags of clothes. That’s when she noticed the guitar sitting in the corner of the room on a stand. It was an old Gibson acoustic, with abalone inlay. It was beautiful. She turned back to Jamie. “Whose guitar is that?”
“My dad’s. He loved that thing. Do you play?”
Ari nodded, making her way around the table towards the instrument to get a better look. “I had an introductory class at school, and I taught myself the rest.”
“That’s cool, my parents loved music. They were so grateful that I recovered from the meningitis, but it broke their hearts when I went deaf. They thought that I wouldn’t be able to appreciate something that gave them so much joy anymore.” She walked over and picked up the guitar from the stand, stroking it lovingly.
“But I was still able to appreciate it, because even though I couldn’t hear the music, I could feel it. I’d put my hand on the guitar while my Dad played, and I’d feel the vibrations of the strings and hum along. Even before I lost my hearing I couldn’t carry a tune to save my life, but bless my parent’s hearts, they never stopped me from trying. I guess art was more my forte than music.” She laughed and handed the guitar over to Ari. “Here, try it out.”
Ari took it and slung the strap over her shoulder and neck. Jamie watched her as she removed the pick that was tucked behind the strings on the neck.
“Do you sing, Ari?” Jamie asked as Ari started to tune the guitar.
“Only for my family,” Ari said with a self-conscious laugh. “I’ve never sung for anyone else before.”
Jamie sat down in one of the chairs around the dining room table. “Well, now is as good a time as any. Adam said that you were a musician. I want to hear. Consider it my payment for the clothes.”
“I thought you said it was your good deed for the year?” Ari teased.
“I’ve never been one for charity… c’mon Ari, please? My dad would love to know someone was enjoying his guitar again. Adam and I are hopeless when it comes to instruments. ”
Ari shook her head and laughed. “Alright, I guess it’s the least I could do. What song do you want to hear?”
Jamie thought about it and said, “My dad really liked Eric Clapton. Do you know any of his songs?”
Ari nodded. “I only know two, but I’m not really in a good state of mind for Tears in Heaven, so Change the World it is.”
“Yeah, that’s a good one.”
Ari pulled out a chair and sat down. “I’m just going to close my eyes and pretend that you’re not here, okay?”
Jamie raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Playing guitar with your eyes closed…impressive. Proceed,” she said with a flourish of her hand.
