"They started down.
Jonas felt himself losing consciousness and with his whole being willed himself to stay upright atop the sled, clutching Gabriel, keeping him safe. The runners sliced through the snow and the wind whipped t his face as they sped in a straight line though and incision that seemed to lead to the final destination, the place that he had always felt was waiting, the Elsewhere that held their future and their past.
He forced his eyes open as they went downward, downward, sliding, and all at once he could see lights, and he recognized them now. He knew they were shining through the windows of rooms, that they were red, blue, and yellow lights. that twinkled from trees in places where families celebrated love.
Downward, downward, faster and faster. Suddenly he was aware with certainty and joy that below, ahead, they were waiting for him; and that they were waiting too, for the baby. For the first time, he heard something that he knew to be music. He heard people singing.
Behind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thought he heard music too. But perhaps it was only an echo."
Jonas's eyes started to slowly flick open, a sudden rush of light and color and people blinding him. Gone was the fine white powdery snow and the sled, for he now found him self in a housing arrangement of a sort surrounded by a group of people with copper hair and patch worked sweaters in every color of something Jonas's brain told him was a rainbow. It was beautiful, this place- it didn't feel right to call it a housing unit, it was more personal like a- a home. There were eight of them, all bent over Jonas, concern written clearly on their faces. But there was something missing from this perfect, pristine picture. Jonas couldn't remember who or what was missing though, but he knew it was important. Then it hit him.
"Gabe! Where is he? What did you do to him?" Jonas shouted while jerking out of the makeshift sick bed. The woman to the left of Jonas; a short, plump, matronly, kind looking lady with ginger hair laced with white restrained him from hurting himself too badly while the elder man with suspenders answered him.
"Don't be worried son, your brother is safe with us. Darlene here gave him a bottle full of nice, warm milk and he fell right asleep. He's over in that room over there, our daughter Elaine is watching him." The man said in a deep voice, that sounded like he had smoked one too many cigars.
"You just go to sleep dearie, Gabe is safe, you're safe. Just rest" The matronly lady said. And with that Jonas slowly drifted off to sleep again.
His dreams were peculiar last night, Jonas thought. He dreamt that he and Gabe had actually left the community. It was so realistic too, the colors were so real. He certainly had to tell the giv- wait. Jonas certainly didn't remember his bedroom having color, or there to be pictures on his wall, and he certainly was sure he had both his legs. Where was he? He wasn't at his housing unit for sure, and this didn't look like the Givers either. Maybe this was Elsewhere. It certainly was nice enough, there was a warm arm chair in one corner; green with huge arms and an animal Jonas's brain told him was a Cat sitting on it, it also had a plush looking rug with patches in vibrant colors, teal curtains and a book shelf. Full of books! Jonas had never seen so many colors as vibrant as this in his life, and something told him that who ever lived here could certainly see them. Jonas vaguely remembered a kind lady and graying man reassuring him of Gabe's safety, but where were they? Certainly they were home. And there six children? Where were they? This housing unit was the largest and finest Jonas had ever seen, fit for at least 10, so where were the people? Jonas decided to find out.
Getting out of his sick bed deemed to be quite a struggle, with him only having one leg and all but eventually Jonas got used to it. He hobbled along the living room, using the mustard yellow walls for support. The pictures on the walls were so fascinating to Jonas. Jonas had only ever seen photos in the Givers room, and then they were educational; but here, here they were everywhere. He was Darlene and the man, smiling and younger with Darlene in a strange white gown, he saw them holding a Newchild looking a little older, and them with all six of their children and two grandchildren in a more recent picture. The eldest was a daughter who was similar looking to Jonas's mother; she was smiling but underneath she held seemed to hold a bit of a stern though loving attitude. She looked younger than his parents, about as old as the dying soldier in the memory. Her hair was darker than her mothers and she had her hand on her fathers back. Standing on the opposite side of Darlene and her husband, was a smirking male. He was tall, with bushy red eyebrows, green eyes and a troublesome smirk. He reminded Jonas of his friend Asher, though this boy was much older. There was also a pretty young girl, who looked about three years older than Jonas. She had hair so bright, it glowed. Her eyes were a shade of Jade and she had two boys a little older than her on either side. Their arms were slung across her shoulders and they had the same identical grin painted across their faces. They weren't identical but they seemed to be identical in spirit to Jonas, and very carefree. One of the boys had eyes like Jonas, the clear pale almost see through color, while the other boys eyes were like that of the girls. There was also a more serious son around Jonas's age, with dark hair and jade eyes, standing in the back with a book in his hand. Maybe he was the receiver here, because in the community only the giver and Jonas could have a book. Clinging to his legs were a little chubby girl; with dimples and bright red ringlets and a chubby boy with dark hair also. They all seemed to be a very close family, and the largest Jonas had ever seen. It was amazing to Jonas, the fact that one could have this large a family without being in trouble with the government. Abruptly a voice threw Jonas out of his musings and he fell over, due to only having one leg.
"Oh Momma! Look its that strange boy! Why does he only have one leg Momma? Can we keep him Momma?!" the little girl from the picture squealed in a high pitched voice that reminded Jonas of Lily when she was younger. Her mother, the oldest daughter went over to Jonas and helped him up.
"I'm sorry, my daughter Katy can be a little bit of a …..firecracker at times especially when someone new is around. How are you feeling today? Last night, when we found you we thought you were dead" This alarmed Jonas, he didn't know it was that serious, he cleared his throat and found his voice.
" It's a little throbbing, but I'll be fine. Can you tell me where Gabe is? He's the little baby Darlene said Elaine was watching"
"Oh the baby? Such a sweet little thing he's right over here, I'm Anne and this is my daughter Katy. She has a twin named Rhett who's with my sister Elaine and Gabe" Anne then led Jonas down the hall into a small room with a girl, Elaine he assumed in a rocking chair watching Gabe and Rhett, the other toddler. Gabe was wide awake, and full of energy playing with the boy. It was near impossible to tell yesterday might have been his last day for he was jubilant and bursting with happiness. Gabriel stopped chasing the older boy across the room and looked over at Jonas before launching himself at Jonas and latching himself onto Jonas's leg. Jonas was so happy right there in that moment to know that he and Gabe were safe, and remotely healthy- missing leg and all.
The family there was called the Edelweiss's, Jonas learned and they took Jonas in and showed him their world, a world of color. Eventually Jonas and two of the sons, built a house next door for Jonas and Gabriel to live in. It was a beautiful home, and it was bright and full of color. Jonas felt so happy that he lived there and was blessed with this life, Darlene's husband, Jack even fashioned him a wooden leg. It seemed like a dream come true but years flew by and Jonas felt that something wasn't right and then he remembered a memory from eons ago, before the third world war that created his society. Jonas remembered that there was more. More to life than even Latvia, his new society. The whole world was huge, and there were so many societies that needed his help to restore them. So Jonas did. He and his new friend, the solemn boy who's name was Robert traveled all over the world freeing society after society. They went to a place called Japan; where they had people living in giant balls that had world stimulated for everyone, they visited England; where the people lived in underground bunkers and had never seen light and finally Russia; where Jonas was from. They freed each and everyone of those societies and created a world called Prussia, the name of a country lost even before the Great War and rebuilt on morals that would stand for eons to come. It was the start of a Golden age, one that Jonas ruled as Emperor for then passed it on to his daughter Rosemary who passed it on to her daughter Rosemary. The throne passed on from daughter to daughter each named Rosemary, with each Empress fixing one of the worlds problems until the world was so different than what Jonas had first seen. It was not perfect, by any means but it was more human and for that each Rosemary was so proud. Eventually Prussia moved away from having an Empress as society often does but the name Rosemary had some sort of holy meaning to it and only the descendent of Jonas could claim it.
"Now do you see Rosemary, why your name is so important?" the elderly man asked the stubborn little girl with even more stubborn golden curls.
"I think I do, but why were the people like that" Rosemary asked
"In due time you will find out" the old man said with a twinkle in his eye "Now go to your music lesson, Ms. Kate must be looking for you". So little Rosie skipped off, violin in tow with the old man, silently laughing to himself and thinking how similar she was to his daughter, the first Rosemary.