Chapter 24
As Jonas ran down the hill with Gabe held tightly in his hands, he yelled in delight feeling proud of himself, something not allowed in his own community seeing you could not brag to make others feel different. He ran into the place where the music was loudly playing and the lights coming from. He quickly slammed through the door only to find the Giver himself giving Rosemary memories. She was laid out on the couch in which Jonas himself had received from the Giver not so long ago.
The Giver wasn't so shocked when he saw Jonas. He of course did not know Jonas at the time, he only observed him like every other Elder did. He immediately recognized his pale eyes, which the Giver realized were a pale green. Jonas could barely hold his enthusiasm and he ran to hug the Giver as he pushed him away.
"Giver! I made it! I escaped! I did it!" Jonas chanted with tears running rhythmically down his cheeks.
"Ah yes, Jonas, my future Receiver. Rosemary, if you do not mind, can you please step in the other room? My old friend and I need to have a talk." Rosemary, the Giver's Receiver at the time who was also his daughter stepped out of the room confused as to what was happening.
" I knew you would come Jonas. I know that 10 years after this very day, you ran away from this Community to do what we call "teach the others". Jonas, I know you had to run away without me. Ever since the first day I saw you, I knew you would be something special. But what brings you here to what I call Elderland?" asked the Giver who of course knew that one day Jonas would come back, as he also knew that one day Rosemary was going to apply for Release, but still he had to be strong and give her enough memories for them not to be too harsh, so that the inhabitants of the Community.
"Giver, my father was going to Release Gabe. I couldn't let them kill him! I'm sorry for not being able to execute our plan the way we had planned it so many times before. But, if Gabe died, I just know I would be heartbroken, and for the people back home, even Lily who has more love for Gabriel for anyone else I know, would not care if he was Released or if he were to be an Elder, but I do, Giver. After all those memories you gave me such as Christmas and the Birth of a Newborn, I know what love is, and Giver, I know you love Rosemary." Jonas said in an understanding tone.
" Yes, I know you do, Jonas. But still, you must return. What you do not know is that, shortly after you leave, my time will have come. I will pass way in my cot sleeping, while the others are receiving all of the memories I have transmitted to you which you know are not at all like the ones I give to Rosemary. You must return Jonas; the Community will fall down in shambles if you do not. The people need you to teach them how to handle all of these memories; their lifeless souls cannot take it. The Elders will run away, many will go to suicide after seeing all of these horrible memories." The Giver warned Jonas with a look of fear on his face.
"But Giver, I cannot! I can't! I can't go back to that place after experiencing all of these new things. Sure this journey was difficult, but wasn't that the point? I have learned more in these short few weeks traveling with Gabe than I would have ever learned in my old Community. If I return, they will surely Release me. Giver, if you were me, what would you do?" Jonas asked in pity not knowing what to do, split right down the middle with his decision. The Giver did not answer Jonas; he just simply walked out of the room and walked Rosemary back to her Dwelling. Jonas was left inside the room where he had been in so many times before receiving memory after memory, but know all that lay there was him with Gabriel next to him playing on the floor, unaware of the predicament in which Jonas was in. Jonas felt the tears swelling up in his eyes, as the Giver entered the room again and he looked at Jonas, with a shameful look of disappointment in his face, Jonas feeling the need to apologize quickly ate his words remembering when he was with the Giver, there was no need to apologize. Jonas's world started currently spinning with him being lost in a daze when he finally fainted.
Jonas awoke in the Giver's office. He woke up, looked outside the curtain-covered window and saw him and Asher, being led by their group instructor to the playpen area as he wondered where the Giver was, and his question was answered when the Giver came in with tears in his eyes, feeling as what he described to Jonas, grief. Jonas approached him quietly, asking him what was wrong.
"It is Rosemary, Jonas, she applied for Release. She told the Committee of Elders that the pain was way too much and that she wasn't meant for it all. She even injected the needle herself, something which has never been done before." The Giver said with a choked up voice, barely able to get the words out. Jonas knowing the feeling of losing someone after living the memory of the mother discovering the fact that her son was lost at war understood what the Giver was going through especially after discovering that Rosemary was actually the Giver's daughter. Jonas, not knowing what to say to the Giver, headed out trying to see himself ten years in the past.
After Jonas had discovered that he was actually not the rowdy kid he had always perceived himself to be, he returned conspicuously, when all was dark back to the Giver's office, and was shocked at the sight. The Giver was down on the floor with a gooey, red substance flowing from where his heart was located. Jonas knelt down next to him, quickly realizing it was blood after remembering the memory of the dark colored soldier in war.
"Jonas, just know that I did this for everyone's good. Once I die, the entire Community will receive all the memories. Something else will also happen, but you will need to discover that on your own." With that, the Giver's limp hand hit the floor with a loud thud, and suddenly Jonas began to lose air, as he grabbed his neck and throat trying to breath exasperatedly, when he ran inside the room where Gabriel was being kept and fond him lying dead in his crib, then suddenly Jonas fell to the ground as tears came rhythmically from his green eyes. All that was to happen if the Giver was to be alive, was no longer. Including Jonas.