Chapter 21: Dreams on the Home Front
Daniel tossed and turned on his side of the bed. Dreams were once again haunting him. Unusual and strange dreams, but only one in particular that stuck out from all the others especially the one before he met Elizabeth. This one was a haunting.
The rain poured heavily on and on. The darkest day anyone can have. The wind was whipping. Daniel and so many people were crowded near a grave for respect of the dead. He was behind the crowd, but squeeze through to get to the front. People stared at him in sympathy eyes and nodded understandingly. He had no clue why. Umbrellas were held on to, coats were bundled against so many people, hats were held on heads to block the rain. Despite the rain, the people said for it was respect.
The preacher in stood behind the grave. A bible in his hands and his lips move but the only sound that came out was a mumble which Daniel could not understand. Straining his ears against the noise of the wind and rain, he could not hear what he was saying. He did his best. So many people were crying around him. Except for a young boy who stood right next to him.
The boy had black hair, darker than the day. He was tall, looking as if he's nine or ten and he was skinny. His eyes were focused on the closed coffin angry and depressed. Daniel studied the boy for a moment, the boy looked at him. His eyes were still in the form of anger, whether they were in tears or not were questionable due to the rain. Daniel saw something in his eyes. A rare shade of blue which looked familiar but Daniel couldn't think of where he'd seen them before. The boy turned his attention back to the preacher and the coffin.
Daniel looked up at the preacher. He was finishing up because Daniel could actually hear the word amen and everyone left. The people started to scatter and running to get out of the rain as fast as they could. The boy didn't rush home, but to the grave to stare at the stone. Daniel just looked at him in sympathy. He must have been the son. For the first time, tears filled the boy's eyes. They were mixed with the cold rain. Daniel could tell that he wanted to hide them, but there was no way that was going to happen now. A funeral was grieving and the boy was starting to grieve.
Daniel's ears shot up when he heard screaming from a woman in the background. He turned and saw an elderly woman shouting in Italian. She rushed to the grave on the ground not caring whether she got wet and was screaming "My daughter! My daughter!" Tears were now a river on her checks. Her nose and mouth were covered by the handkerchief she brought, but her eyes were noticed and they were dark. Her tears were hard. An older man the same age came behind the woman and dragged her away moments later. Her hands were stretched out and words were screaming out of her mouth. The attention was on her until she was gone. Daniel felt as if he was going to cry. He couldn't stand death and the effect it caused, especially on mothers of the victims.
He started to approach the grave behind the boy, but he ran off in the flood of rain. Who was this woman? Was it someone I knew? Thoughts Daniel looked at the grave but could not make out the name for reasons unknown. He looked down at the coffin and suddenly the graveyard was blank. Everybody was gone. It was like they disappeared. Silence filled the air except for the rain hitting the ground hard. Daniel looked up and was startled at first.
The coffin blew open, and a woman was lying cold which got Daniel's attention. He knew who it was: Elizabeth. He reached down and felt her hands. Cold as ice. He then stroked her cheek, which were now soaked thanks to the rain. Nothing happened. Her body was shut down, and Daniel was starting to as well. So young, so innocent. She looked the same as Daniel has seen her. She couldn't be dead, she just couldn't.
Dropping to his knees, he looked up to the heavens and started to wail louder than her mother. Salt tears were forming in his eyes and ran down his cheeks. They were warm. He kept crying and shouting for the woman he loved the most. "NOOOO!!"
Daniel sat up instantly. He realized that he wasn't in the rain in a graveyard, but at his house with Elizabeth besides him. Elizabeth!! He looked at her and saw her breathing slowly; he was relieved. He held his chest with one hand to make sure his heartbeat would slow down. It did quickly.
He fluffed his pillow and got settled in again, praying that no more dreams would haunt him. His prayer was granted.
Elizabeth on the other hand, was having a dream of her own.
She was crying. Her crying made it rain. The harder she cried, the harder it rain. The thing was, she wasn't sure what she was crying for.
She was surrounded by clouds and golden gates and many people in white robes and halos. Each one carrying on a conversation, while poor Elizabeth, was silent where she was feeling pain emotionally and physically.
The physical reason was that she was hurting in her stomach and chest, probably from crying, but she wasn't sure. The emotional was the depression she felt. She watched from above the events that she was missing out on. Her sorrow could not be stopped.
A man caught her attention, and a boy. The man looked familiar, but the boy was a complete stranger. They were going on with life, Elizabeth had access to a better view of the man and the man was Daniel. The boy must of been his son. Life was going slowly, she observed. They were going out and Elizabeth wanted to snoop and see them. But she wasn't going to watch every detail as they got ready, so she looked around in her area.
Angels surrounded this place she was in, with their angelic glow and high spirits. Elizabeth saw that. This was heaven. Every way you turned, there was an angel. She didn't need an angel, she needed a home.
The people were happy here, carefree. She was the only one that was in sorrow. No one acknowledged her but Elizabeth didn't care. She didn't want the company at this moment; she wanted out of here.
Her attention went back to Daniel and the boy. They trudged along a long road with flowers in their hands and heavy snow coats on their backs. They walked on the left over snow that made a crunching noise as they walked on. They were also silent. The boy went ahead of Daniel as he tried to keep up, but Daniel couldn't and let the boy go.
They finally got to the destination; a graveyard. The boy stopped at the gate waiting for his father to come. He also paused at the gate held his breath and went it. They made a turn not far from the entrance and found the grave and stood there talking in low hushed voices. Elizabeth couldn't make out what they were saying but it wasn't good. She needed to know what the grave was. She used all of her eyesight and finally saw the name:
In Loving Memory
Elizabeth Marie Quressimo-...
The last part was blocked out. In disbelief, she stepped back. Her left hand covered her mouth and tears once again were forming.
Everything was clear as crystal now. Her mind came down to a conclusion that she didn't want to face; she was dead. She screamed in horror.
Elizabeth, like Daniel also sat up instantly. She felt herself and looked around the room. Good, she thought. I'm alive. She doubled checked the room and realized that it was morning. The sun, like it always did came into the room warming Elizabeth slightly.
Daniel woke up and noticed Elizabeth up. "Something the matter?" he asked groggily.
Scared for a moment, she faced him, "No, nothing at all, just a weird dream I had," she kissed him good morning. "How about you?"
"I had a dream last night too."
"Really, what was it about?"
"You promise me that you'll not be spooked?"
"I promise, cross my heart."
"Well..." he started. "I had a dream that you.. that you were dead."
Elizabeth was frozen for a moment. She stared him right into his chestnut brown eyes trying to find the words to form in her mouth. She was spooked, but promised Daniel that she wouldn't be, so she pocketed it up inside. She could of swore that her heart stopped for a moment, but not because it continued to beat. She finally spoke after a long silence between them. "That's weird, I had a dream like that too. That I was dead and watching you go to my grave with a boy." She paused and her blue eyes met his brown once again waiting for an answer. She was also hoping that Daniel didn't hear the terror in her voice.
"Do you think it means something?" Daniel questioned, his eyes wider now. He sat up looking at her with a serious look.
"I doubt it, maybe it's something we fear or something like that. You know, sub-conscious."
"Hmm.." he thought for a second. "Could be. But let's change the topic and get ourselves something to eat, I have to go to the hospital today and want to show you something. And I don't want death on my mind."
"What is it this time?" She asked, ignoring the last sentence.
"You'll just have to wait." He gave her a sly smile and got out of bed and went into his room. Before he left Elizabeth said something.
"Danny? I forgot to thank you for not trying anything last night. You don't know how much that means to me." She meant it to the heart and Daniel saw that as he turned around.
"Anything for you, my dear." He said, then went to get dressed shutting the door behind him. Elizabeth got ready as well.
The both of them went downstairs and were greeted by Tim and Rosa in the kitchen. Tim was actually in the living room while Rosa was in the kitchen. She called for Elizabeth in the kitchen.
"Elizabeth," she started as Elizabeth approached beside her and faced her. "I have not been fair with you since you have arrived. And... I would like to apologize for everything I have done. From embarrassing you to humiliating you. I thought about this for two nights. Mostly about what Daniel has said to me the other night as well as what Tim told me yesterday when you left with Daniel. I had no right to judge you before just because you are poor. That's what ruins the world. It's not your fault by the raised you were raised and I had no right to do that to you. .
"I forgot what it was like to be in your shoes and get approved of a family. I was a poor girl like you. Had to make ends meet with a friend and working extra hours with no break and going through the pain. I forgot about that, and I'm sorry for that too. When I married Tim, I didn't have to worry about that, because I would never go that path again and I could forget about it. Apparently, you could never forget your past. I hope that you'll accept my apologize and forgiveness."
Elizabeth was stunned to hear this. She got a big smile and went on the say, "Apologize accepted Mrs. Pierce."
"Thank you, dear. The only important thing now is that my son is happy. And he is happy with you. Before you came, you were the topic of everything. You made him happy. And if he's happy, I'm happy. Now, could you be kind and help set the table." She pointed to where the silverware was and Elizabeth took them and set them up. She noticed that there was no six forks like yesterday.
"Only one set of everything today?" She asked.
"Yes, I was only doing that to show off, I apologize for that too."
With that, she continued to set the table finally allowed to be herself.
Breakfast was almost ready and Rosa called in the boys. They rushed in with empty stomachs. The two ladies served and thus began the feast. For once, Elizabeth was comfortable in the house with the Pierce's. Elizabeth gave Daniel an encouraging smile. He knew what was going to happen, thanks to his father.
After breakfast, Elizabeth decided to wait till Daniel was finished with work to go out and see the surprise place. Daniel went off a little earlier than he usually did.
Before going to the hospital, he went into a jewelry shop looking at rings. The clerk noticed Daniel and approached him.
"May I help you, sir?" He greeted.
"Yes, I was wondering what you would recommend for engagement rings."
"Right this way, sir. We have an excellent selection over here."
Daniel followed the man and started searching for the perfect ring for Elizabeth Marie Quressimo.