"The Giver" - Chapter 24
Jonas could feel himself falling, forcing himself to stay up. He grasped Gabe closer to his body. I can't give up now, he thought. I've gone too far. The sled sped faster and faster, the music growing louder every second, Jonas couldn't hold on any longer. He fell, his right arm landing onto the hard ground. A burst of pain came out, despite the pain he held onto the baby tighter.
* * *
Weeks had passed since the alleged drowning of their Receiver-in-Training. No one had bothered to point out that Jonas was an excellent swimmer or even why a sensible boy like Jonas would go swimming unsupervised in the dead of the night. They were much too busy with their own problems, for hours after Jonas left, the memories came back.
The Giver knew this would happen but he didn't think it would happen this suddenly. Despite his hatred toward the Community, he consoled them. They had to learn someday. People couldn't live like this forever.
As the Giver was caught up in his own thoughts the Community was in chaos. Never before had they felt so much. They couldn't stand it; it wasn't in their way of living.
* * *
Jonas woke up. He lay in a warm comfortable bed, almost like that of his own in the Community. Eyes still closed, he raised his right arm to cover them. Almost immediately an excruciating pain went up his arm. It was a pain he had felt before. Almost immediately he was jolted back into the memory of the sled right, the first time he had ever experienced true pain. He let out a low moan.
"Shh," said a gentle voice on by his side. "Go back to sleep, child. You need your rest." Once more Jonas closed his eyes, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Jonas was awoken by a sharp pain in his arm. Slowly he got up and mumbled for a relief -of-pain pill. Jonas reached to his side to awaken Gabriel but nothing was there. Weakly he called, "Gabe? Gabe? Where are you?"
"Calm down, child," that gentle voice answered. "The little boy is sleeping in the next room." Jonas thought, thinking over his decision for a few minutes. Surprising himself he answered, "He's not a little boy, he's my brother."
"Come, wake up. I'm sure your parents would want to know where you are on this wonderful morning."
Precision of language, Jonas thought. What were parents? Parents were people who cared. People who love you. "We don't have any parents," Jonas answered.
* * *
It had been a very exhausting day and the Giver lay in his room, eyes closed, reflecting on the days past. He could feel it in his heart that it was time to go. He was no longer needed in this world. He opened his eyes remembering Jonas for the last time. His daughter was waiting for him.
