Seasons of Heaven (30 page)

His words were hard to understand because as he said them he was sobbing so hard that he could barely take enough air into his lungs to speak. His longing for Ani was a physical ache in the center of his chest and the little dog had yet to leave his arms. He didn’t know how he was going to let him go.

As if she could read his thoughts, Sarah said, “You can do this Yann. You can do this because you hold not only love in your heart for each other, but now you also have hope in your heart for the day when you’ll be reunited. Forever.

Yann hugged his dog once more and Ani whimpered, sadly. Whispering in the little dog’s ear Yann said, “I’m not going to say good-bye old friend. I will say so long for now. I’ll be waiting for you. Take care of Shirley for me. Kiss her and remind her of me and how much I love her…I love you Ani!

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

“NEW BEGINNINGS”

SHIRLEY’S APARTMENT

Ani opened his eyes slowly … The sound of Sarah’s voice telling him that his time hadn’t come yet still resonated in his ears. He looked around to see that he was now lying on the wooden floor in Shirley’s apartment.

Shirley was panicking, trying to resuscitate Yann. She’d already called for the ambulance and the dispatcher told her the police were on their way as well. She used mouth-to-mouth resuscitation but it wasn’t working and she was becoming desperate. There were pills scattered across the floor, the same ones that Yann had taken at the orphanage. Ani got himself up and Shirley was looking at him with despair in her eyes.

“Oh, my God, please, help me!” The tears flowed like a river down her lovely face and she sat on her knees in the floor. Ani went to her and she took him into her arms and hugged him tightly against her chest. The ache inside of her was so deep that she had to scream to let it out or her chest would have ripped wide open.

The ambulance attendants rushed in through the door she’d left open and started taking out their equipment. Ani wiggled loose from Shirley’s grasp and went over to nestle himself against Yann’s cheek. He lay down next to his best friend and closed his eyes.

Two flashes take place between the best friends and suddenly they’re together again in the midst of a magnificent field for a short instance…a train was not far.

NEW JERSEY HAMPTON CEMETARY

Five days later.

Late in the morning, Shirley, Matt, Eddie and Ani were in front of the Northman’s tomb.

Shirley leaned over Yann’s stone and kissed it. Matt stood next to her, deeply moved by her grief. On his shoulder was a bag with a very old book sticking out the top and in his hand was a bouquet of magnificently bright colored flowers. He laid the flowers down on the tomb and stepped back to make room for Eddie.

Eddie looked rough and haggard. His hair stuck out from his head in different angles and there were deep, dark circles underneath his eyes. He leaned down and took Ani into his arms, stroking his head gently. No one was speaking and only the sounds of nature and the distant hiss of traffic penetrated the silence. They were each lost in their own sense of grief, pain or longing as the brilliant sun shone down upon them.

Eddie had initiated a probe into the orphanage after what happened to Yann. He was still on the other case, but the men who headed up the probe kept in touch with him. One of the detectives told him about what a strange man the director, Mr. Pratt was. In spite of his important status, they had found strange things he used to dress himself up in in his room. He’d made something of a shrine to Miss Pratt, his assistant which they found strange as well.

The boys had told them many stories, once they were sure Pratt wouldn’t be around to punish them any longer. They told horror stories of neglect, mistreatment and abuse that seemed to often be of the military torture variety. One of the boys told them that after Yann escaped the first time he was punished for several days by Mr. Pratt. Part of the punishment the man liked to dole out was isolation. It was a terrible thing for a young boy to be deprived of any sight or sound other than four small walls and his own cries.

Pratt had tried to refuse to leave the orphanage, rambling on about his closet and how he couldn’t leave it. He said the voices told him secrets about disappearing children and other dark things. That caused the police to check out any local disappearances, but none were connected to Pratt. He was forced to leave and he lost his license. The orphanage was closed and the children re-located.

Mr. Pratt now lives on the streets and is often seen shouting at the voices in his head.

DAKOTA SUPERMARKET

The stocky man was doing his shopping in a small grocery.  He whistled leisurely as he put milk and cornflakes into his cart. Taking them up to the counter, he paid for his purchases and put them in a paper bag. He smiled at the cashier, at everyone around him and at no one in particular. He took his groceries out to his car and once he was inside he began to drive towards the forest.

He drove as far as the forest path and then parked the car. Taking his shopping bag he slammed the car door and took the small set of stairs that lead up to a small cabin.

Inside the cabin was really small. It was cluttered with things that were mostly used by a hunter. There was a cross-bow hanging on one wall and a couple of rifles leaning against another. The place was dusty but there were prints on the floor where the dust had been disturbed recently by someone’s boots. A pile of clothes was heaped in one corner, jackets and blue jeans and men’s underwear. The place smelled of dirt and old sweat and had an underlying smell of decaying meat. There was very little furniture and what there was looked as if it had been fashioned out of logs and stacked up to form a chair or a table. There were no real pictures or photographs on the walls, but the ones that were there were hand drawn and all of the banished. One wall was lined with small backpacks in various styles and colors, leaning there as if the children would be returning for them soon.

              There was a small sketch of a door frame on the wall and as Frank carried his groceries over to the counter a black shape passed through it. There was a simultaneous knock on the front door. His first instinct was to pick up his knife and hold it behind his back. The kitchen counters were full of knives, not the kind you buy for culinary use, but the ones with the serrated edges that were used for hunting…and killing. The knocking got louder and more impatient…Frank touched the handle of his knife and went over to the door, opening it abruptly.

              Frank stood frozen as he finally laid his eyes upon the Banished. His face registered first shock and then turned quickly into a smile. Nobody had ever cared about him and finally, someone was paying attention.

“Finally, we meet each other …”

END OF SEASONS

Many trains came through the seasons as Yann waited for Ani. It was a beautiful, happy place and Yann had grown content here passing the time and convening with nature in the arms of his loving parents as he waited for his best friend Ani to join them.

When Ani arrived on one of the trains at last, the two friends rejoiced in their reunion. Yann picked up the little guy and hugged him into his chest tightly, never wanting to let him go again. He’d been happy here, but without Ani he hadn’t felt complete.

“Come Ani, I want to show you around.”

Ani followed Yann across the expanse of rich, jade grass and in between two grand trees that marked the entrance to a forest. The leaves on the trees were rich with color, oranges, yellows and reds lit them up as if they were on fire and the flames were licking up towards the sky. Thousands of colors floated slowly to the ground as the leaves shed from the trees. Every so often one would softly brush against a cheek or land on a shoulder. The sounds of the natural opera around them made them want to dance and as they danced their way further into the forest they discovered even more of nature’s magic.

Here and there brown squirrels with big, fluffy tails chased their acorns across the roots and soil. When one was caught they would sit and nibble quietly at it and the look in their little eyes made it apparent they were savoring it. Yann and Ani realized that the group of squirrels was a family. The mother squirrel was just a little bigger than the other and Ani wondered if she was expecting. He went towards them slowly and then sat down where he could watch them. The squirrels took him in with their eyes and then they looked at Yann. It seemed like they were trying to communicate, but Yann was having trouble understanding their signals. He watched as one of them reached its small paw out and placed it gently on the side of Ani’s face. That was when he understood. There were no words they were trying to convey…it was a feeling, the most important one of all, love. As Yann watched in awe, the little squirrel family collected around his friend in a circle. They all reached out and put one of their tiny paws on Ani’s fur. At that moment, Yann had a memory of their long trip, the contact with the Shaman, and every animal along the way. After the squirrels finished offering vows to Ani, they turned and disappeared back into their trees. Ani looked at Yann and his face was illuminated by the sun. He looked happy and his eyes were shining like the surface of one of the perfect lakes they had seen on their adventure.

Just to their left the ground began to rumble and the trees to shake. Instead of floating to the ground, the leaves began to fall by the handfuls. As the rumbling grew louder, the friends could see a massive black silhouette approaching. They were paralyzed once more simply by the virtue of how unexpected it was…and how magical. A huge black rhino was coming in their direction. Yann knew that the black rhino was one of the rarest on earth. His father once told him that legend said they have been here so long that they have seen everything about the history of the humankind. This beautiful and massive creature walked past them with a glance in their direction, but he didn’t stop. The boys watched him until he was gone and then moved on. After coming out of the other side of the dense forest they arrived at the edge of a huge cliff. The trees were thick along the slope of it and each one grew in a different shape and direction. The artist’s pallet was never as rich as the colors that danced around them. The vibrant hues of Autumn had arrived on the new chill that crept in to the air. It wasn’t the bite of a wintery bluster, but just a nip to let them know a new season was at hand. Beyond the nature coated leaves of the trees the brilliant blue sky was blanketed with soft clouds that attempted to block out the brilliant glare of the sun as it began to descend in the sky, preparing itself for a night’s rest.

Yann and Ani go closer to the cliff’s path. The void was infinite as the air passed through it. From a distance they could see the plain with its usual flow of life.

Yann’s wings begin to flap…gently at first and then harder. A luminous halo surrounded them and Yann leaned forward and took Ani into his arms. He kissed his muzzle and stroked his ears. They looked calmly into each other’s eyes and the short moment seemed like an eternity. Then holding tightly to his little companion Yann ran and jumped into the void. His wings stiffened and caught on the wind. They were gliding through the air and the moment was so full of sensations that with words it would be indescribable.

As they soared across the sky the day was replaced by night and the clouds separated to reveal the stars. Yann gazed upon the constellations he loved; he could see Perseus and Canis Minor.

After a dozen minutes of flight they were in the middle of the plain. There were numerous animals and humans. Yann suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Tim, his father. The family was finally together, and Elise took Ani into her arms.

“We’ve been waiting for you …" Elise told him.

Smiling, Tim said, “Are you ready, my son? It is time to turn the page, huh? Ani, you took your time coming here.” It was two long years between the time that Sarah sent Ani back to earth and the time that Ani was brought into Seasons on the train. Two full seasons had passed in Heaven and although Yann spent his days in a place that both stimulated and calmed every one of his senses, virtually wrapped in a blanket of peace and security, shadowed by the love and adoration of his parents, he had missed the part of his soul that Ani had taken back to earth with him, and he had longed for nothing more than the day they would be reunited.

Now that Ani was here, the family could enter the end of seasons and their new lives could at last begin.

“Where are we going, dad?” Yann asked his father.

“Don’t worry … “Elise told her son, “You’ll see, my dear, everything will be all right!”

“Do you see that little chalet, over there?” Tim asked him, pointing to it. “This is where people are going … Isn’t this plain beautiful? Look, a flock of birds, they’re flamingos! They’re going to the same place we are … We are all the same, my boy, shadow and dust. I wish our time could have been longer.” Tim was crying.