Journey of a Soul

Chapter 41

"Rosalina, supper's ready!"

"Okay, Mama, I'm coming." Rosalina picked up her new toy dog, saying to it, "I am going to call yuh Susie." Walking into the dining room, Rosalina pulled out a chair and placed the stuffed animal on it. Then she sat on the chair beside it.

Katarina put a plate down on the table in front of her daughter and said, "Yuh eat all your dinner, we have a big day tomorrow."

"Mama, Susie's hungry too, she needs a plate."

"Yuh don't say." Katarina got a small plate and put a little bit of dinner on it and placed it on the table in front of the toy. "Here, Susie, eat all your vegetables."

Rosalina laughed, "Mama, Susie doesn't like vegetables eithuh."

"How do yuh know?"

"Cause she's not eating them." Rosalina started laughing so hard, some milk came out of her nose. "Susie, yuh are funny."

"Nina, stop dat now and eat your vegetables." Katarina said, scolding her daughter.

"Okay, but Susie is makin' funny faces, and it is makin' me laugh. Stop dat Susie, yuh are getting me in trouble."

The front door opened and Katarina's husband, Lenny, walked in. He owned his own international trading business. To her, it was evident that he was good at it, because he made lots of dough. She was living the lifestyle of the rich and famous.

"Yay, Daddy's home!" Rosalina got up to go and hug her dad. Holding his hand, they both walked back into the dining room.

"Smells good, dah-lin," Lenny said as he kissed his wife. "Nina, what d' j and your mama do today?" Sitting down beside his daughter, he almost sat on her new toy.

Jumping up to save her dog, she pushed her dad away. "No, Daddy, dat's Susie's chair. Yuh sit ovuh dere. Okay?"

Lenny pulled out an empty chair and sat down. "Oh, excuse me. I see now we have a new guest in de house. And how long will she be visitin' us, Nina?"

"Forever, Daddy, yuh silly dilly."

After eating dinner, Katarina said, "Nina, get ready for bed it's been a long day, and it is bedtime. Yuh with me?"

Taking her new dog, Rosalina went to her bedroom, got into her nightie, and climbed into bed. Her mom came in a few moments later to say a bedtime prayer and said good night by kissing her on both cheeks. She shut off the light as she left the room.

Rosalina pulled the covers up over her new toy. "Aunty Susie, does it hurt being dead?"

Startled that Rosalina was talking to her, she answered, No. Susannah had seen Rosalina quite a few times over the last six months and had come to love the child.

"I can hear you in my head, Aunty Susie, and I can see you. Why are you always so close to my new dog?"

I think it is because my soul is attached to it. It used to be my stuffed lamb when I was young.

"Oh, dat is funny. It looks like a dog to me. Night, Aunty Susie." Rosalina kissed the toy and tucked it under her arm.

Night, Susannah said back to her. Being in the dark, in somebody else's house, all Susannah could do now was wait.