Angels Flying

Solider Boy

Chapter 10: Solider Boy

The skies darkening with the rolling in of mountainous clouds. At first drop,  a down pour comes. I stare out the window of Andy's moms car. Tears of sadness roll down my cheek. Heavier, are those of rain or of sadness? I don't know. My soul has sunk to the deep debts of my heart. All I feel is pain, fear, longing... and hope... We get home around 11 am. I just go strait upstairs to my room. After closing the door right behind me, I brake. Tears pour out of my eyes like a endless river as I collapse to the floor.

"Huh?" I hear a noise. Cracking. I lift my head and I see ice. Everywhere. On the walls, window, furniture... I still am crying but lightly now. My breath is still heavy and I can see frost from my breathing. But... But how? It's spring turning to summer. How ice?

*knock, knock*

"Elliot? May I come in?" I hear Andy's mom ask very slowly. I can tell she is crying too.

"Com... Come in." I reply barely.

She tries to open the door but the ice stops it on the first try. I melt it so she can enter. There is still ice on the walls and everything else and snowflakes are still frozen in mid-air. She walks in and gasps a little at the sight but then she continues in.

I take a seat on the bed and she soon joins me. I can feel her arm come around my shoulder which pulls me into a small embrace.

"I knew there was something different about you..." she said to brake the silence.

"Yeah... It is one of my only secrets... well... was..." I sigh sadly.

"It still is. I won't tell."

I nod. and we stop talking. After a moment, I continue.

"I was... meaning to tell Andy soon... After he saw... my..."

"Hickies?" She jokes a little.

"Yeah... But..."

"You didn't want to scare Andy off."

I nod. As I do, my eye get a second wind and start pouring water again. She pulls me in and hugs me. Her chin rests on my head as I cry. After 10 or so minutes, I calm down enough so I can hear her speak.

"Elliot... Andy loved you. Before he left, he was talking about how when he returned, he wanted to pop the question to you."

"Re-Really?"

"Yes. But *pause* we told him we thought you both are too young."

I try to speak but all that come out is air. My eyes are getting heavy. All that I can think of is that the man I loved... who wanted to marry me... is DEAD!!! His mom is about to say something but I stop her by standing up. I climb out the window and sit on the roof.. I pull in my legs and put my head into them. I don't move one muscle at all. Hours pass; the sun sets and the stars arise in the night sky. As they do, clouds of thunder roll in and cover the sky in complete darkness. Raindrops fall, mixing with falling tears. Drenching every part of my body...

Cock-a-doodle-doo!!!

The sound of the morning rooster, letting know of dawn. The meadowlark sings her beautiful song in the olive tree next to our window. Slowly my eyes awaken to her song and the rising sun. Soaked to the bone, I am. My hair, white it's turned. The power of ice and snow I can feel comeback to my limbs. I prop myself up and look at the beauty of sunrise. Similar yet so different, sunrise and sunset are. Sunrise brings life and sunset brings the end... If only life was like that. Getting ready for school is very hard. All I want to do is just lie in bed and pretend that this is a nightmare and wake up to the soft touch of Andy's lips against mine. But that won't happen. I wear all black. My face is flush and colorless. I don't eat anything, I just leave for school. I walk slower than usual. Buses  pass by as I walk. When I arrive, I see something that pushes me over the braking point. When I walked in,  I saw Andy's face in a frame. Lilacs, candles, cards... It was beautiful. I saw many standing around it crying softly. 

They turned to me as I walked in. They watched me fall to my knees and start crying my eyes out. I could feel the sorrow in each one of there hearts. A crowd gathered around. The hallway was dead silent. Only I could be heard. After a while, the principle came and sent everybody on their ways. All except for me. He put his arm on my shoulder.

Calmly, he says, "If you need anyone to talk to, I am here. Maybe though you should see a grief counselor."

I answer quickly back, " I don't need counseling! I need Andy! I NEED ANDY BACK!!!" I start crying even harder than before.

"I know... I know..."

I continue crying in front of the memorial for awhile. Occasionally, someone would check up on me. As I calm down, I create a piece. It's name... Solider Boy and this is how it goes.

“Soldier Boy…
Where are you going to in your coat so fine?"

I can hear Andy's beautiful voice singing as an angel.

“I am riding off to war where the mighty cannons roar;
where the golden bugel shines…
Oh, Lady Fair, be mine."

“Soldier Boy…
When will you come again in your coat so fine?

“When the leaves a green again; when the lilacs bloom again;
When there is an end to war
Then I will come once more.”

We both sing...

“Seven times and seven more,
leaves turned to green again
Lilacs bloomed every spring,
just like before
But there was no end to war… ”

"Seven years then seven more.
 Still she waited just the same,
 But no one ever came..."

Andy is dead. He won't come back... He won't come back...