Faster and faster down the hill towards the house. The sled was a
bird as it flew down the hill. As it came closer to the bottom, it
gradually started slowing until it stopped at the bottom. Jonas picked up
Gabe and slowly walked toward the house. He reached the door and
tentatively knocked on it. At first no one came, though he still heard the
music. He tried once more, and the door slowly opened to show a beautiful
young woman.
"I've been waiting for you Jonas," she said quietly.
"How do you know my name? Who are you?" he asked, frightened.
"Come in Jonas, Gabriel must be cold," the girl said.
Slowly he did. He followed her into a room much like the kitchen in his house. He heard music coming from the next room. "What is that music?" he asked, "Where does it come from?"
"It comes from the piano, an instrument for playing music. Now sit down and have some cocoa." She handed him a cup of brown, steaming liquid. He took a small sip. He wasn't sure why, but he trusted the woman. The cocoa was good, rich and sweet. As he drank the woman got a bottle of warm milk for Gabe.
Suddenly Jonas remembered what he had asked, and again he said, "Who are you and how do you know my name?"
She answered carefully, "I have watched over you for some time now."
"Yes, but who are you?" Jonas asked once more.
"My name is Rosemary. I was the girl who was supposed to become the new Receiver of Memories before you."
"You were released though. Weren't you?" Jonas asked.
"Yes I was."
"But then, where is this place? How can I see you? I wasn't released."
"Jonas," Rosemary said gently, "You died out there in the snow. You and Gabriel both did. It was too cold for anyone to survive. Now you too, are in Elsewhere."
"We can't have, not after all of the work that the Giver and I went through to plan this we just can't have," slowly while drinking his cocoa he calmed down and said, "What will happen to the people in the community? Now they will have all of those terrible memories that I carried. What will happen to the Giver?"
Rosemary answered, "The Giver passed away last night after you escaped the community. All of the people now carry the memories. There is great sadness because of some of them, but that is balanced out by the good memories that they received from you and the Giver."
"Aren't the bad memories like war too much, and too horrible to be balanced out by the good ones?"
"They would be, except that the memory of love is so strong that it alone can balance out all of the bad memories."
"Is it really that good?" Jonas asked.
"It is. Now are you ready to go and meet all of the others living here? You can even meet your grandparents."
"Yes," and with that one word he realized how lucky he was, and how wonderful it was to be able to finally meet his family, other then his parents and Lily.
With that, Rosemary and Jonas stood. Jonas picked up Gabe and they walked towards the room where the music came from. Rosemary opened the doors to a room big enough to fit the entire community into. Inside of the room were so many people Jonas couldn't even count them all. Over in the corner was a piano that was playing the most beautiful music ever composed, music that sounded as sweet as a nightingale's beautiful song. He looked to one side of him, and he saw the Giver. He rushed over to him and into his arms. He was happier, by far, then he had ever been. He longed for something to say, but there truly was nothing. Jonas finally understood what love really was, and that he felt it for the Giver, and he knew the Giver loved him too.
"I've been waiting for you Jonas," she said quietly.
"How do you know my name? Who are you?" he asked, frightened.
"Come in Jonas, Gabriel must be cold," the girl said.
Slowly he did. He followed her into a room much like the kitchen in his house. He heard music coming from the next room. "What is that music?" he asked, "Where does it come from?"
"It comes from the piano, an instrument for playing music. Now sit down and have some cocoa." She handed him a cup of brown, steaming liquid. He took a small sip. He wasn't sure why, but he trusted the woman. The cocoa was good, rich and sweet. As he drank the woman got a bottle of warm milk for Gabe.
Suddenly Jonas remembered what he had asked, and again he said, "Who are you and how do you know my name?"
She answered carefully, "I have watched over you for some time now."
"Yes, but who are you?" Jonas asked once more.
"My name is Rosemary. I was the girl who was supposed to become the new Receiver of Memories before you."
"You were released though. Weren't you?" Jonas asked.
"Yes I was."
"But then, where is this place? How can I see you? I wasn't released."
"Jonas," Rosemary said gently, "You died out there in the snow. You and Gabriel both did. It was too cold for anyone to survive. Now you too, are in Elsewhere."
"We can't have, not after all of the work that the Giver and I went through to plan this we just can't have," slowly while drinking his cocoa he calmed down and said, "What will happen to the people in the community? Now they will have all of those terrible memories that I carried. What will happen to the Giver?"
Rosemary answered, "The Giver passed away last night after you escaped the community. All of the people now carry the memories. There is great sadness because of some of them, but that is balanced out by the good memories that they received from you and the Giver."
"Aren't the bad memories like war too much, and too horrible to be balanced out by the good ones?"
"They would be, except that the memory of love is so strong that it alone can balance out all of the bad memories."
"Is it really that good?" Jonas asked.
"It is. Now are you ready to go and meet all of the others living here? You can even meet your grandparents."
"Yes," and with that one word he realized how lucky he was, and how wonderful it was to be able to finally meet his family, other then his parents and Lily.
With that, Rosemary and Jonas stood. Jonas picked up Gabe and they walked towards the room where the music came from. Rosemary opened the doors to a room big enough to fit the entire community into. Inside of the room were so many people Jonas couldn't even count them all. Over in the corner was a piano that was playing the most beautiful music ever composed, music that sounded as sweet as a nightingale's beautiful song. He looked to one side of him, and he saw the Giver. He rushed over to him and into his arms. He was happier, by far, then he had ever been. He longed for something to say, but there truly was nothing. Jonas finally understood what love really was, and that he felt it for the Giver, and he knew the Giver loved him too.