Jasmina said, “Well, it helps to have friends. You have to have people to help you when you can’t help yourself. All the goodness just rains on you and good things happen.” Marie thought how Allen would have thought that was the biggest bunch of woo-hoo non-sense he’d ever heard. Even so, maybe she was right, maybe alone she wouldn’t be enough to fix this.
CHAPTER 32 - DESPAIR
Marie and Ben left the shop. After all she had been through, even with Hester gone, it seemed like nothing was going to restore her back to her body. They went back to the reservoir where it all began for her. It was that reservoir where she first saw the Shadows. Maybe she would find a clue or think of something.
They sat on the edge of the reservoir in the exact place where she fell in, cross-legged on the pine-needle covered dirt. The water looked calm, like it should have been that day, but wasn’t. The sun shown down in the water making bright green shafts of bubbly light for nearly ten feet. You couldn’t see the bottom. Thoughts of the Shadows down there grabbing at her sent shivers up her back. If they were still there, there was no hint of them now.
“Do you want to go down and look? I mean, you don’t need air now, so you won’t drown. You won’t actually even get wet.” Ben asked.
Marie thought a minute. The idea of it terrified her, but a new thought crept into her mind. A fierce strength demanded to be acknowledged, “Yes. I want to go down there. I need to see it again.”
“Well okay. Come on.” Ben stood up and started down the side. He stepped into the water, which oddly didn’t move. No ripples, no splashes. He didn’t even displace any water. He turned and held out his hand to her.
Marie stood and cautiously started down the large rocks on the side fearing she would slip and it would all happen again. She realized she would not slip. She wasn’t a part of the natural world at that moment. She inched into the water without feeling any temperature change, pressure, wetness, nothing. It was no different than air now. She took Ben’s hand and the two slipped under the unmoving calm surface. A hiker passing by would have seen nothing at all.
The shafts of green light danced on their faces. Tiny bubbles floated past from plant life giving off oxygen bubbles. In this space below the surface, it was beautiful. Marie looked at the wall of green that encircled them. The realm of unknown was just beyond what her eyes could see.
Ben moved farther down the side of the reservoir until they passed the depth where sunlight easily reached. Now Marie could barely make out Ben in front of her. When she looked up, she could see the light green of the surface. Just a few more steps and she realized they were at the bottom. It sloped a gradual incline toward the center of the reservoir. Memories of Hester and the Shadows seized her and she nearly panicked. She tugged at Ben’s hand to come back.
Ben was next her. “Are you okay?” His words were perfect. Not garbled like the times she’d played games with her friends in a swimming pool. It was surreal.
“I- I’m afraid.”
Ben smiled a comforting smile. “I’ve never been afraid. Not for my safety. I have been afraid for another person. No, sad, really. There is nothing to fear. Your body is not here. The only thing that could hurt your soul is you.”
Marie thought about what an amazing reality this was. She really was free. She was the only thing that could hold herself back. Her fear was all that blocked her path. She smiled at Ben. “You would have been an incredible man, Ben.”
“Perhaps, but the credit you give me is only because I never learned fear like the living do.”
“Maybe, but it’s a shame you never lived.”
“Am I not living now?”
“Yes. You are living now. I’m the one with the handicap. But, I am learning not to let it slow me down.” She smiled and turned toward the darkness. Ben walked with her holding her hand.
At the center on the reservoir, in the dark forest-green water, Marie sat down cross legged and waited. There was no other sound. No breathing, no water gurgling, no movement. Only her mind raced. Fears came into focus and she bashed them away. They were fears for safety and fears for her future. Fears for Allen and her parents. Fears of loneliness and isolation. Fears of never fulfilling her childhood dreams. Each time she felt the fear grip her, she tossed it aside with the pure understanding that love was all that matters. Loving those around her, having faith that everything else would either come or not matter, and knowing that she had the power within her to make a difference to the people she loved was enough to save humanity. If everyone just knew this and strove to use that power, there would be no more pain.
“I think I understand now.” Marie stood up and hugged Ben. “Ben, you are a wonderful man. I am so lucky to have you as my Protector.” The antique watch glowed softly in the darkness. The circle of light emanated out and created a tangible feeling of warmth for both of them. Ben smiled at Marie.
Marie closed her eyes and bowed her head. “Please let Mom and Dad find love in their hearts for each other. Help them to see each other as the precious mates for each other that they are. Help them not worry about me. Help them figure all this out so they are confident. Help Allen not feel alone. Give him hope and strength. Help him know I am close, whether in person or in spirit. Help them all to know that only love can fix all our hurts. We need each other so much. Help everyone everywhere know that by helping each other, we all win. Help us love the unlovable, as well as the sweetest ones.”
Marie opened her eyes and felt so strong. The bright glow of the watch had filled the whole reservoir. There was nothing hidden. The beauty of the underwater world reminded her of a fairy wonderland. Air bubbles in the water sparkled like fairy dust. Instead of a frightening place, she saw only magical beauty. She laughed out loud.
“Come on, Ben! Let’s go to the Gathering. I want to talk to Lorenzo more.” In a twinkle of light compared to the glow of the watch, they vanished. Only visible to the spirit world, the reservoir continued to glow in the aftermath of such love for quite some time.
CHAPTER 33 – LIFTED UP
The following Saturday evening, Bill came to stay with Nancy at the hospital. He had a gift under his arm, a silver-colored shoe box with a red velvet bow. When he came into Marie’s room, Nancy stood up and hugged him. He handed her the box.
“This is just something to try and replace what was lost. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened that day.” She smiled a half-smile, half-despairing expression as she took the box.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know. It’s not the same, but, well, maybe you’ll like it.” She pulled at the ribbon and opened the lid. Inside the smooth white tissue paper, she saw two perfect light blue velvet slippers encrusted with pearls and rhinestones. She gasped.
“Oh, Bill, they are beautiful! Where did you find them?”
“There is an auction house near home and I found them in an estate sale. The auctioneer said the shoes had belonged in the family for generations.”
“Oh, if these shoes could talk, I bet they could tell a tale. Thank you, Bill. They’re lovely!” She beamed and hugged his neck.
“Anything new about Marie?” Bill looked at his daughter seemingly asleep on the bed.
Nancy admired the slippers a moment and then set them on the counter by the bed. “No. No change. Bill, the college is hosting a candlelight vigil tonight for Marie. Allen and I have been thinking of ways to send positive energy her way and I asked the college if they might organize something. It starts in just a few minutes. It’s down at the Europa Café. We might be able to see the candle lights from the window. Let’s look.” She opened the curtains and they looked out. From the window, they could see a glow of golden light rising from the street in the distance. Nancy took Bill’s hand and looked back at Marie.
“Let’s pray for her, Bill.”
“Ok.” He would do anything for his daughter. They held hands and closed their eyes and prayed for Marie to get well and come back to them.
***
> At his apartment, Allen sat alone at the table. He fumbled with a bracelet she always wore. The gold chain felt warm in his hands. The warm yellow light of the chandelier reflected off the smooth braided metal. It reminded him of the golden light he saw at the hospital when he’d seen her.
“Marie, please be strong. Come back to us. I love you. I need you here. We have a whole life to live. Please find your way back.”
Allen continued to pray as the evening light outside faded.
***
At the Europa, hundreds of students filled the street holding little candles punched through a paper cup to catch the wax. The waitresses at the Europa joined them. Several Sonora residents who never knew her joined because of the heartfelt plea from the college. In the crowd, a young woman with a baby held a candle, too. Near her was an older man, alone.
A man from the college with a microphone was asking everyone to quiet down. The police had temporarily blocked the street so people could crowd in.
“Ladies and gentleman, we come here together on behalf of a woman in our community that has been in a coma for several weeks. Her family has been traveling very far to be here with her. Her boyfriend is a fellow student at the college. She is cared about very much by them, and by the college. She is loved very much. It came to our attention and we arranged this candlelight vigil to remember her and show how much we care. You may not have ever met her, but as people that are all interconnected, we must stand up for each other.” He held his candle out and an assistant lit his candle. He held it above his head.
“Let’s let our light shine to light the way for her to find her way to health and life.” He held out his candle in front of him and two people lit theirs from his. The golden flickering light passed like a wave from person to person, until all of Main Street was a sea of glowing, flickering beacons of hope.
***
At this moment, Marie was sitting at the Gathering talking to the others and everyone became silent. A trail of light entered one side of the Gathering, moving quickly like a sunrise on a hillside, it lit a path. Everyone watched it in surprise. Lorenzo stood up and began laughing with joy.
“It’s time Marie! Time for you to go back.” He reached out his hand to her. She paused briefly, unsure of what was happening. She turned back to Protectors. Tom, Jenny and Henry smiled at her. Ben was pleased.
The light reached her and began to pour into the Sarah Elizabeth’s gold watch. The ringing was like a chorus of angels and golden, blinding light encircled her and Lorenzo.
“Thank you. I’m so glad I had this time with you.” She turned back to Lorenzo and took his hand.
Ben stood up, “I guess this means I’m back on duty.” They others nodded in agreement.
She put her hand in Lorenzo’s and felt herself pulled away. At the speed of thought they were gone from the Gathering, they flew over the heads of everyone on Main Street. Marie looked at the hundreds of faces and was overcome as each one prayed for her.
They passed through Allen’s apartment and she saw him praying holding her bracelet. He was crying as he prayed for her. She could just hear, “I love you,” as they swooped through on their way through walls to the hospital room.
Pulled by a force she had no control over, a force so powerful you could not resist it, Marie and Lorenzo were drawn to the hospital room where her body lay. Her parents were at the window holding hands and praying for her. The evening sky behind them glowed so brightly, she couldn’t tell if it was the candles or the spiritual residue of the love from all the prayers.
“Marie, you have seen far more than any mortal should. It will be hard to go back into the world of pain and hunger and heartbreak. But, every time you can, teach others how much power they have to affect good. I love you, Marie. I’m always with you if you call for me.” Lorenzo vanished leaving her alone in the room. Her parents held hands at the window, their eyes still closed.
She walked over to her body and felt a tug. A magnetic pull caught her and pulled her quickly to the center of the bed. Her lungs took a large deep breath and her eyes fluttered open.
Nancy, hearing the shifting of the bed, jerked around and was filled with joy. Bill turned, too, and they both ran to her side.
“Mom? Dad?”
“Marie!” They exclaimed together and hugged her.
“Oh, it’s so good to be back,” she said. She sat up in bed. Her body felt stiff and weak. A glint of light caught her eye as she sat up and she looked down. She had the gold watch on.
“Marie!” Her mother gasped, “How did you get this?” Her mother reached out to touch the watch and examine it closely.
“You’d never believe it.”
“Well, lately, I just might believe anything!” She laughed with tears in her eyes.
They exchanged more hugs and smiles and then Nancy pressed the call button for the nurse.
The nurse nearly fell over when she came in the room and saw Marie sitting there chatting away with Bill. Nancy got on the phone and called Allen. Before the evening was out, the whole town was talking about the miracle of the Candlelight Vigil. People laughed and hugged. For a little while, maybe just a couple of days, the Shadows couldn’t get in edgewise in Sonora and peace was felt by everyone.
***
Marie’s wheelchair bumped out of the sliding hospital doors as the nurse pushed her. The warm June breeze lifted her hair and she closed her eyes and sighed. Warm sun caressed her cheeks. She was so glad to have her senses alive again. Lydia came around the corner carrying two carry-out cups of coffee and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Marie being discharged.
“Oh, Marie. You’re- you’re better.” Lydia said with forced enthusiasm. She looked from side to side as though looking for someone.
“Hi, Lydia. Yes. Thanks to the love and prayers of so many,” she smiled at Allen who was sitting in the driver’s seat of the car parked at the curb, “I pulled through. I hear you tried pretty hard to take care of Allen while I was… here.”
“Uh…, well, just trying to be nice, I guess.” Lydia’s smile looked strained.
“Right. Lydia, come here.” Marie motioned for her to come close. Lydia cautiously stepped closer.
“Yeah?”
“You know, you are an awesome…” Marie touched Lydia’s arm, “beautiful girl, capable of bringing such joy if you choose to. I’m going to pray for you to find a man that sees that in you.”
Lydia looked at her stunned. “Uh, thanks?” She was certain this was some sort of backhanded insult. She turned and went down the sidewalk as if she was at the hospital with some other intention besides bringing coffee to Allen. Marie watched her go and sighed when she saw the female shape take form next to Lydia, its gnarled hand on her shoulder. Lydia walked through another set of sliding doors without ever noticing her companion.
The nurse pushing Marie’s wheelchair said goodbye as Allen jumped out of his new Jeep and ran around to get her door. Marie stood up and hugged him.
“Oh! Look at this! Your new Jeep is awesome! Oh, Allen, I can’t believe what you went through without me. I’m so sorry.”
“Well, it seems like you went through an awful lot without me there, too.
She climbed up into the seat and he clicked the door closed. Seconds later he bounded into the driver’s seat from the other side and they drove away.
“Are you hungry?”
“Yeah! How about a club sandwich at the Europa?”
“Sounds great.”
A few minutes later, they pulled up to the parking lot and jumped out. She was still a little wobbly from not using her legs in weeks, but she felt so alive. A soft rain started to fall through the sunlight, splashing large drops of water on them.
“Come on,” he said motioning her to hurry.
“No. I just want to feel the wetness.” She licked her lips and tasted the soft sweet rain drops. She smiled a broad grin and hugged him.
He clasped his arms around her waist and twirled her in a circle, laughing lik
e a fool. He stopped and bent his head down until his face was nearly touching hers. She could feel the heat of his skin and smell the warm musky aftershave he liked.
“I love you, Marie.”
“I love you, Allen.”
“Always and forever.”
“Yes, Always and forever.”
His lips covered hers and he pulled her so close she felt like surely nothing could ever break them apart.
EPILOGUE
An old woman lay in the hospital bed surrounded by her children. Her soft grey eyes were weak but still crinkled in the corners as she hugged each one.
“It won’t be long now. Now you all don’t weep for me. I’m going somewhere better. I love each and every one of you.”
The old woman relaxed back into her pillow and her breathing got lighter and lighter. Soon she drifted out of consciousness and all the sound went away.
“Momma? Momma?” She heard a young man’s voice say. She opened her eyes and saw a young man with whom she was not familiar. His hand out to her. She looked into his hazel eyes and then at his brown wavy hair. His sweet face seemed so soft and unhardened, as though he had never lived in the world, nor had sun bake down on him.
“You call me Momma?”
He smiled, “It’s been a long time, but I told you I would wait for you. I’m Ben. The one you lost.”
She smiled and tears streamed down her cheeks. “Oh son! I never forgot you,” she managed to say as her mouth twisted into a crying smile.
“I know, Momma. I heard you telling me often. I never felt alone because I could hear you.” He hugged her and said, “Come on. There are others for you to meet.”
She reached out her withered, pale hand and placed it in his. He pulled her out of the bed and she turned back to see her other children. They embraced each other supportively and she knew they would be okay.
She turned to go with Ben and as she walked away, her image shimmered. Her white tufty hair smoothed and grew longer, sweeping down over her shoulders in a chestnut wave. The wrinkles on her face flattened and disappeared. Her withered arms and legs became strong and muscled, but one thing that didn’t change was the expression of eternal joy as she gazed at her fine son leading her.
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