AN: This is what I think Julie's last chapter from "A Time for Dancing" by
Davida Wills Hurwin would be. (It's a really good book, y'all should read
it!)
1 Julie
When we were driving home from the banquet, I went back to my Between Place. The banquet was great, but everything tired me out now. I said good- bye and good luck on the tour to everyone in the company individually, except for Sam. I didn't have to say anything to Sam. Then Linda announced that they were calling it 'The Juliana Tour,' and I didn't know what to say. I don't know if I deserve it.
In my Between Place, I went to the ocean first. It was calm and peaceful with a quiet breeze blowing. I wanted the wind to blow faster, and it did. But after that, I couldn't control it anymore. Clouds came in, dark and boiling, and it started to storm. The rain was pouring down, the thunder crashing, and the lightning flashing, but it wasn't frightening. It left as soon as it had come.
The man came again, but he wasn't smiling at me this time. He was just looking. Not staring or being rude, but just looking at me. He didn't see the cancer or the tumor. He just saw me. Jules. But he wasn't smiling.
I stayed in my between place for a long time. I saw landscapes and people and animals, but mostly I saw the ocean. The old man came back again, this time smiling. He wasn't in a corner, he was at the ocean, and he wanted me to follow him. Somehow, I knew I couldn't. Not yet.
Suddenly, my Between Place stilled, as if someone hit the 'pause' button. I heard my father's voice and I felt him grab my hand. He told me how sorry he was, and how much he loved me. He said he had always wanted to protect me from pain and let me be happy. Then, he said good-bye.
My mother was there next. I felt her hand on my cheek, and I smiled inside. Her voice faded in and out, but I heard all of what she said. She told me she loved me and she wanted me to be free of the pain. She said good-bye, too.
The old man was there again, showing me the way to go. He pointed out at the sea and the sky with a huge smile on his face. I wanted to go. It looked so inviting, so peaceful, so beautiful. I knew I could go if I wanted, and I knew my family wanted me to go. But I had to wait. I had to wait for Sam.
And then she was there. I felt her in my room before she took my hand.
"Hi, you." She said softly. The old man flittered away, and so did the ocean, but I knew they'd be back soon. But now all there was was Sam.
"You look beautiful, Jules. You look so beautiful. I love you very much."
I love you too, I tried to say. I love you too, Sam. I squeezed her hand as hard as I could, but I knew she could barely feel it.
Sam began to speak again. "You're my One and Only, Jules. You are. Now and always, wherever we are, whatever happens." My Between Place came back. The ocean was there again, and the cool breeze was blowing. But Sam's voice never faded. She was my One and Only.
The old man came back, and encouraged me to come with him again. I knew I could, and I knew I had to.
"Good-bye, my dancer, my friend, my One and Only. I love you."
When Sam left my side, I finally followed the old man. I walked around the beach for awhile, enjoying moving again. And I danced. I danced for a long, long time, feeling ever so free. There was no more pain.
The old man appeared again, and smiled. Light filled the sky, and the beach flickered away. My Between Place was gone.
I was on the beach again, the one near Brooke's beach house. I wasn't in my Between Place anymore, I was awake and alive again. I danced around the sky. I settled down onto the sand, and Sam was there on the deck of the beach house. I stared at her and she stared back. At first, she didn't see me, only a seagull, but then her eyes shone with recognition, and I knew she would always be my One and Only.
1 Julie
When we were driving home from the banquet, I went back to my Between Place. The banquet was great, but everything tired me out now. I said good- bye and good luck on the tour to everyone in the company individually, except for Sam. I didn't have to say anything to Sam. Then Linda announced that they were calling it 'The Juliana Tour,' and I didn't know what to say. I don't know if I deserve it.
In my Between Place, I went to the ocean first. It was calm and peaceful with a quiet breeze blowing. I wanted the wind to blow faster, and it did. But after that, I couldn't control it anymore. Clouds came in, dark and boiling, and it started to storm. The rain was pouring down, the thunder crashing, and the lightning flashing, but it wasn't frightening. It left as soon as it had come.
The man came again, but he wasn't smiling at me this time. He was just looking. Not staring or being rude, but just looking at me. He didn't see the cancer or the tumor. He just saw me. Jules. But he wasn't smiling.
I stayed in my between place for a long time. I saw landscapes and people and animals, but mostly I saw the ocean. The old man came back again, this time smiling. He wasn't in a corner, he was at the ocean, and he wanted me to follow him. Somehow, I knew I couldn't. Not yet.
Suddenly, my Between Place stilled, as if someone hit the 'pause' button. I heard my father's voice and I felt him grab my hand. He told me how sorry he was, and how much he loved me. He said he had always wanted to protect me from pain and let me be happy. Then, he said good-bye.
My mother was there next. I felt her hand on my cheek, and I smiled inside. Her voice faded in and out, but I heard all of what she said. She told me she loved me and she wanted me to be free of the pain. She said good-bye, too.
The old man was there again, showing me the way to go. He pointed out at the sea and the sky with a huge smile on his face. I wanted to go. It looked so inviting, so peaceful, so beautiful. I knew I could go if I wanted, and I knew my family wanted me to go. But I had to wait. I had to wait for Sam.
And then she was there. I felt her in my room before she took my hand.
"Hi, you." She said softly. The old man flittered away, and so did the ocean, but I knew they'd be back soon. But now all there was was Sam.
"You look beautiful, Jules. You look so beautiful. I love you very much."
I love you too, I tried to say. I love you too, Sam. I squeezed her hand as hard as I could, but I knew she could barely feel it.
Sam began to speak again. "You're my One and Only, Jules. You are. Now and always, wherever we are, whatever happens." My Between Place came back. The ocean was there again, and the cool breeze was blowing. But Sam's voice never faded. She was my One and Only.
The old man came back, and encouraged me to come with him again. I knew I could, and I knew I had to.
"Good-bye, my dancer, my friend, my One and Only. I love you."
When Sam left my side, I finally followed the old man. I walked around the beach for awhile, enjoying moving again. And I danced. I danced for a long, long time, feeling ever so free. There was no more pain.
The old man appeared again, and smiled. Light filled the sky, and the beach flickered away. My Between Place was gone.
I was on the beach again, the one near Brooke's beach house. I wasn't in my Between Place anymore, I was awake and alive again. I danced around the sky. I settled down onto the sand, and Sam was there on the deck of the beach house. I stared at her and she stared back. At first, she didn't see me, only a seagull, but then her eyes shone with recognition, and I knew she would always be my One and Only.