The Rich Man's Sorrow, part 6, "Heaven By Your Side"
Carter closed his eyes. He couldn't believe it. The last hour had really changed his life. Forever. John let his eyes go through the courtroom. The jury was packing their things ready to leave. Their lives were so peaceful than his, Carter thought. When they left the court they probably had a family or at least a wife or husband to go home to while he still had problems in his life.
He could feel the tears pressing behind his eyes. His mouth and throat wanted so badly scream and yell but he managed to stay calm. When he looked to the right he could see Mrs. Knight. She was sitting there looking the same as him but with totally different reactions inside her. Only one of them had won and yet both of them were amazingly calm and shocked.
Everyone around him was talking about how great or bad the trial turned out while Carter slowly "disappeared". As the minutes went by he realised he wasn't anymore in the court with Lucy's mother, the lawyers and the judges. When he looked around he saw a beautiful blue heaven, birds and green grass with flowers. It felt like heaven. Behind him there where dozens of trees and bushes with apples, pears, strawberries, black and red currants, etc. Suddenly he discovered a straw roof far away. Smoke came out of it. Curious about what this place was and why he had come here made Carter run towards the house. As he got closer he realised it wasn't an ordinary house; it was a little cottage.
Carefully Carter looked in through a window. It was the nicest and smallest cottage he'd ever seen. Because of his family's money he'd never been in a cottage at this size. After all these years with big houses and mansions he discovered how much he liked the little cottage. Being rich wasn't always fun. Living a normal life and earning his own money, and being able to take care of himself was the most important choice he'd taken. Even though he never would have been stabbed if he'd chosen the family business, he didn't regret his choice.
Suddenly his thoughts were cut off. "Lucy?" He took another look through the window. It couldn't be…..He wasn't dead….or was he…? Did he die when the judge told him the news? When he looked through the window the third time the girl turned around. It was her! "Lucy!" he screamed. "Lucy! I'm right here! Look! Lucy!"
Then he realised she couldn't see or hear him. It was like he was in this trance, a trance where no one could see or hear him yet he could hear and see all the people around him. What was wrong with him? What was he doing here, in a world where he was invisible?
Carter closed his eyes, just wanting to know why he was here. When he opened them he was trapped, trapped in fog. It was thick fog everywhere. A little voice inside him wanted badly to scream but somehow he managed to keep it inside. Trying to find a way out he began walking, but after an hour he was still back at square one. He was really trapped, like someone didn't want him to leave.
"John?"
Thinking he was just paranoid he tried to ignore the familiar voice that talked to him. "Wake up, John! You're dreaming", he said to himself.
"Come on, John", the voice said. "You're not dreaming. I want to talk to you. I've missed you so much".
This was unbelievable, Carter thought. Only an hour ago no one heard him even though he screamed as loud as he could. "Lucy?"
"I'm right here, John".
It was her, it was really her! Lucy. "Lucy?" He looked in the direction where the voice came from and when he turned around again, the fog was all gone, and he starred right into Lucy's beautiful blue eyes. "Lucy?"
"Hi, John. Nice to see you again".
Carter didn't know what to say. "I…you..I mean..how..".
"You did a great job today, John. And no matter how you must be feeling, I want you to know that I'm proud of you. You did what you could, and that's what matters", Lucy said and smiled her usual "Lucy"-smile. "Remember to thank Carol for me. I'm really glad you have her by your side".
"I miss you, Lucy".
"I miss you too, John, but life must go on".
"I don't want it to go on, not without you".
"You have to, John. But please remember that you always have heaven by your side". Then she kissed him before she suddenly disappeared. Carter couldn't believe what had just happened. He had to be a lot sicker than he thought.
"Carter?" someone behind him said. "Carter?"
"What?"
"Let's go home, Carter".
Carter opened his eyes, which he'd closed for a second. He was met by two brown and gentle eyes. Confused about what he'd seen and heard, he just nodded and walked out from the court with his friend.
Carter closed his eyes. He couldn't believe it. The last hour had really changed his life. Forever. John let his eyes go through the courtroom. The jury was packing their things ready to leave. Their lives were so peaceful than his, Carter thought. When they left the court they probably had a family or at least a wife or husband to go home to while he still had problems in his life.
He could feel the tears pressing behind his eyes. His mouth and throat wanted so badly scream and yell but he managed to stay calm. When he looked to the right he could see Mrs. Knight. She was sitting there looking the same as him but with totally different reactions inside her. Only one of them had won and yet both of them were amazingly calm and shocked.
Everyone around him was talking about how great or bad the trial turned out while Carter slowly "disappeared". As the minutes went by he realised he wasn't anymore in the court with Lucy's mother, the lawyers and the judges. When he looked around he saw a beautiful blue heaven, birds and green grass with flowers. It felt like heaven. Behind him there where dozens of trees and bushes with apples, pears, strawberries, black and red currants, etc. Suddenly he discovered a straw roof far away. Smoke came out of it. Curious about what this place was and why he had come here made Carter run towards the house. As he got closer he realised it wasn't an ordinary house; it was a little cottage.
Carefully Carter looked in through a window. It was the nicest and smallest cottage he'd ever seen. Because of his family's money he'd never been in a cottage at this size. After all these years with big houses and mansions he discovered how much he liked the little cottage. Being rich wasn't always fun. Living a normal life and earning his own money, and being able to take care of himself was the most important choice he'd taken. Even though he never would have been stabbed if he'd chosen the family business, he didn't regret his choice.
Suddenly his thoughts were cut off. "Lucy?" He took another look through the window. It couldn't be…..He wasn't dead….or was he…? Did he die when the judge told him the news? When he looked through the window the third time the girl turned around. It was her! "Lucy!" he screamed. "Lucy! I'm right here! Look! Lucy!"
Then he realised she couldn't see or hear him. It was like he was in this trance, a trance where no one could see or hear him yet he could hear and see all the people around him. What was wrong with him? What was he doing here, in a world where he was invisible?
Carter closed his eyes, just wanting to know why he was here. When he opened them he was trapped, trapped in fog. It was thick fog everywhere. A little voice inside him wanted badly to scream but somehow he managed to keep it inside. Trying to find a way out he began walking, but after an hour he was still back at square one. He was really trapped, like someone didn't want him to leave.
"John?"
Thinking he was just paranoid he tried to ignore the familiar voice that talked to him. "Wake up, John! You're dreaming", he said to himself.
"Come on, John", the voice said. "You're not dreaming. I want to talk to you. I've missed you so much".
This was unbelievable, Carter thought. Only an hour ago no one heard him even though he screamed as loud as he could. "Lucy?"
"I'm right here, John".
It was her, it was really her! Lucy. "Lucy?" He looked in the direction where the voice came from and when he turned around again, the fog was all gone, and he starred right into Lucy's beautiful blue eyes. "Lucy?"
"Hi, John. Nice to see you again".
Carter didn't know what to say. "I…you..I mean..how..".
"You did a great job today, John. And no matter how you must be feeling, I want you to know that I'm proud of you. You did what you could, and that's what matters", Lucy said and smiled her usual "Lucy"-smile. "Remember to thank Carol for me. I'm really glad you have her by your side".
"I miss you, Lucy".
"I miss you too, John, but life must go on".
"I don't want it to go on, not without you".
"You have to, John. But please remember that you always have heaven by your side". Then she kissed him before she suddenly disappeared. Carter couldn't believe what had just happened. He had to be a lot sicker than he thought.
"Carter?" someone behind him said. "Carter?"
"What?"
"Let's go home, Carter".
Carter opened his eyes, which he'd closed for a second. He was met by two brown and gentle eyes. Confused about what he'd seen and heard, he just nodded and walked out from the court with his friend.