Faith

Chapter Thirteen

Right when Julia returned home, her thoughts turned immediately to Ed. He had not woken up. She hoped he was awake when she got home but unfortunately his body continued in the process of an endless sleep. She opened his bedroom door and peered in. Her frown deepened and she walked over to his bedside. She stared at his pale face. She imagined Elise’s face in place of his.

            “When are you going to wake up Ed? My friend Elise died in an automobile accident yesterday. I just found out today,” she spoke softly. Ed’s face was blurred from the tears that welled up in her eyes. She wiped her eyes. She knelt down on the floor beside his bed and set the left side of her face on his mattress. More tears ran down her cheeks.

            “P-please don’t die Ed. I’ve already lost father and now Elise. I don’t want to lose you too. You’re my brother. I know sometimes I am not kind to you… b-but I do care for you a lot.” As she spoke, her chin quivered and she tried to wipe all of the tears from her cheeks but they were replaced by new ones. Suddenly, she heard a small moan and she quit quivering. She looked at Ed. Was he awake? She stood up quickly and called his name. His head moved slightly to left and his eyebrows were squinting but his eyes were still shut.

            “Mother!” She yelled. Celine ran into the room from the kitchen and asked what it was.

            “Ed is moving!”

            Celine stood by her and looked down at her son with anxious excited eyes. His eyebrows squinted again, he moaned and then he shifted his head to the left and stopped moving. They were quiet as they watched for any more movement. There was none. Celine reached down and held out two fingers over his lips. She felt a small puff of air come from his mouth and she let out a sigh of relief.

            “He’s still breathing. I wonder what happened.” Celine wondered.

            “I don’t know,” Julia replied. “Maybe he is having a nightmare?” She and her mother continued to watch him, hoping for any other signs of movement. Please, wake up. They were both thinking. But Ed forever laid there with his eyes closed and his consciousness elsewhere.

***

            The sun was just beginning to sink behind the mountains as Jordan and his parents, Julia, Celine and Jaundice stood at the east edge of the city like old rusty light poles which have had the light and life drained from them. They were staring at Elise’s lifeless body. Her corpse was laid on her back in a large pile of black flakes. Ashes.

            No one spoke. No one dared to. Their eyes spoke with their emotions they were feeling inside. They watched a man who was holding a long lit match almost as long as his forearm, lower it to the blanket that covered Elise’s body. The flame abruptly caught onto the blanket and in a matter of seconds the blanket and Elise’s body was covered in flickering flames. Jordan watched with an aching heart. Never did he expect that someone he loved so dearly would die so soon. He started to cry and he tumbled to his knees. Through eyes pooled with tears, he watched his beloved sister’s body melt and shrivel away.

            “Elise,” He spoke quietly. “Why did you die?” His left hand covered his mouth with the tips of his fingers and the curved edge of his palm invading his tears way of traveling down his cheeks. He sobbed louder.

            “There was so much I wanted to say to you,” he spoke between sobs. “You are very important to me. I know I didn’t show it back then after Grandfather Elliot died and until now, but deep down I care for you. I was lonely and I was angry. Most of the time I took out my anger on you although you didn’t do anything to deserve it.”

            Jordan hunched over all the way that almost his face grazed the ground. His chest hurt so hard he thought it was going to burst.

            “I love you Elise. Now that you’re gone forever those chances of becoming closer are no more.”

            Memories of when they were kids flashed through his mind. Then he remembered the last time they were together at the restaurant and she was killed. He remembered her saying, “This world is cruel isn’t it? But yet it is beautiful.” He stopped bending over and straightened his back. It is a cruel world. He thought. There is nothing beautiful about it.

            Behind him, his parents had been watching him. His mother ended up falling to her knees also while crying and calling Elise’s name. Jordan noticed this and he glared at his parents. It their fault. He got up on his feet and approached his father who was standing with a solemn face. He grabbed his father’s shirt by the collar with both hands and yanked him closer to his face.

            “It’s your fault!” He yelled. “It’s your fault Elise is dead!” His father looked at him. His eyes shone fear and sadness all at once.

            “If we hadn’t separated this never would have happened! Elise would still be alive! She would have gone home with me! She wouldn’t be dead and gone like she is right now!” He released his father’s collar and turned around. “It’s your fault.”

            He glanced at his mother who was sobbing uncontrollably. He bent down and touched her shoulder. She looked up at him. He saw that her eyes were swollen and red. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. Jordan hugged her back.

            “Jordan. Jerome. Let’s live together again,” his mother said. Jordan’s eyes widened and he glanced at Jerome. His father had begun to tear up but he didn't reply to her request. Jordan squeezed her tighter against him and said.

            “Yes let’s do. Elise would have wanted this.”

***

            Julia, pained, watched the family’s suffering until the flames completely vanquished Elise’s body and the flames began to die down. She was no more. Only a pile of ash. Next to Julia, Jaundice also broke down in tears. She felt like doing the same but all the tears were gone from her eyes. She just stood there with clenched fists. Elise. We will never forget you. She thought. She turned around and faced the sunset. Her hair lifted from her back and shoulders, swinging to the movement of a strong, cool breeze. Their lives wouldn’t be the same without Elise. But they would continue to live.

***

            Stephanie’s parents were out that evening on a special dinner date so she decided to escape and visit Ed. When she opened his bedroom door, she spoke his name.

            “Are you awake now Ed?” She asked and kneeled at his bedside. He was not awake. He eyes were still shut. Disappointed, she rested her head on his mattress which felt soft and smooth.

            “Please wake up soon.”

            She smiled and touched his hand with hers. It was cold but soft. She raised her head so that she could see his face from at a higher angle.

            “You know Ed, when we get older, I want to marry you. So I will do everything I can to make you fall for me. I won’t allow another girl to get to you because I will be the first. What do you think of that?” She asked, still smiling. Her cheeks grew small blushes.

            “I can’t believe I just said that,” she whispered and touched her warm cheeks. She giggled softly to herself. “Luckily he didn’t hear me.” She glanced outside his window at the fading light in the sky being overcome by the night. Then she looked back at Ed. She gasped loudly. Instead of seeing his sleeping pale face, she saw that he was awake with his emotionless dark eyes staring at her. She fell backward on purpose, startled and her face redder than before. He woke up?! She shielded her gaping mouth with her hand.

            “Stephanie.”

END OF PART ONE