A Strange Ordeal
That, night, as I stared through Jamie's telescope, I spotted Jamie's star. For some reason, it seemed to shine brighter than every star in the sky. It seemed to pulsate the glow and warmth inside of Jamie's heart, as though she were watching me from above. As I stared outside, through the telescope, I noticed something moving in the trees. I pointed towards the tree and saw a porch nearby. On the porch, was, Elizabeth, looking up at the stars through a smaller telescope. My heart wrenched at the sight. She reminded me too much of Jamie. Her curious eyes, the way she seemed so into what she sees, the way her eyes twinkled, it was all too much.
Suddenly, she turned her eyes towards me and smiled. I smiled, weakly, back. I could almost imagine her as Jamie. The word here is "almost" .
The next morning, as I took a walk through the lonely streets of Beaufort, I came across the orphanage, and inside the orphanage was, not Jamie, but Elizabeth. I walked inside and saw Elizabeth giving a small doll to a little girl.
"Hi Landon," she said brightly.
"Hi," I said shortly.
" Why are you here?" she asked.
"Just, visiting the kids here," I answered.
" Me too. Actually I'm visting an extra special person here." The little girl came into view. Her bright red ringlets were held in 2 huge pigtails. What nearly broke my heart was how frail and sickly she looked. She was as white as hell and you could almost see through her skin. She looked more like only skin and bones.
" It's Kryslin's birthday today," said Elizabeth, happily. Kryslin weakly smiled. Elizabeth went over to me and whispered softly in my ear, and spoke the words that seemed to be the words that I've been dreading for the past year, " Kryslin has leukemia, and she only has a little bit of time left ." I looked at Kryslin and my heart seemed to break. She was playing with that little doll and treasuring it as though it were a prized jewel or something. She seemed to be filled with the gift of sweet innocence.
I went over to Kryslin, and asked, " What do you want for your birthday?" She turned around, seeming surprised that I was talking to her.
She weakly blubbered, " I, I want, to get better. I, I want to see my mommy and daddy again. I, I want, I want…."
"A miracle," I finished for her. I pulled out my wallet, but then stopped. Money wouldn't help her get better, money wouldn't bring back her parents, money wouldn't give her her miracle. Instead, I put her in my arms, and gave her a hug. Kryslin seemed almost shocked, but after a moment, she relaxed and squeezed me tight.
" Thank , thank, thank, you, La, la, Landon," she blubbered. It seemed as though she couldn't properly talk, or maybe as though she were scared or fearful of something. My guess was, of her own death. Elizabeth smiled.
" I think, Kryslin will treasure your gift more than all the others she may be getting," said Elizabeth.
Thinking of Jamie, I said to Kryslin." I'll pray for you." Kryslin gave me a smile, of hope, that filled me with pride. I had done what Jamie would have done.
Suddenly, Elizabeth, came over to me and said, " Would you walk with me to the book store?"
"Uhhhh, sure,"I answered, unsurely. We said goodbye to the kids and walked over to the book store. On the way there, we talked a bit.
" Why you goin to the book store?" I asked.
" I have a particular book in mind," she said.
" What's it called?" I asked.
" It's called, Oliver Twist," she said happily.
" Oh I've heard of that book," I said.
" Really? Have you read it?" she asked.
" No," I confessed to her. Her once bright mood, seemed to go down into flames.
" Do you go to church a lot?" she asked.
"Ya," I answered briefly. I really didn't want 2 start up a conversation with Elizabeth. It just didn't feel right talking to another girl after Jamie's death. It just didn't feel right. It seemed almost disrespectful to Jamie's memory.
" You really don't want to talk to me, do you Landon?"she asked, sounding almost guilty. I looked at her, with sympathy that I had just hurt a girl who was only trying to get to know me.
" Don't be silly. Of course I want to talk to you," I answered. It sounded as though I forced that out, though. I wasn't sure if Elizabeth would notice.
" Seriously, you can leave if I'm bugging u," she said, " I don't want to be a nuisance." Before I could answer, we were at the book store and the moment we stepped in, she rushed towards the shelves, as though she knew the place better than the back of her own hand. As she looked, I found the book, Oliver Twist, and called Elizabeth over.
" O thank you Landon!!!" she said happily. I smiled at her. She seemed so happy. But as we neared the check-out counter, I spied the book, To Kill a Mockingbird. At that moment, I reminded myself of my everlasting love to Jamie.I turned away from the back, the same way I thought I had turned away from Jamie.
That, night, as I stared through Jamie's telescope, I spotted Jamie's star. For some reason, it seemed to shine brighter than every star in the sky. It seemed to pulsate the glow and warmth inside of Jamie's heart, as though she were watching me from above. As I stared outside, through the telescope, I noticed something moving in the trees. I pointed towards the tree and saw a porch nearby. On the porch, was, Elizabeth, looking up at the stars through a smaller telescope. My heart wrenched at the sight. She reminded me too much of Jamie. Her curious eyes, the way she seemed so into what she sees, the way her eyes twinkled, it was all too much.
Suddenly, she turned her eyes towards me and smiled. I smiled, weakly, back. I could almost imagine her as Jamie. The word here is "almost" .
The next morning, as I took a walk through the lonely streets of Beaufort, I came across the orphanage, and inside the orphanage was, not Jamie, but Elizabeth. I walked inside and saw Elizabeth giving a small doll to a little girl.
"Hi Landon," she said brightly.
"Hi," I said shortly.
" Why are you here?" she asked.
"Just, visiting the kids here," I answered.
" Me too. Actually I'm visting an extra special person here." The little girl came into view. Her bright red ringlets were held in 2 huge pigtails. What nearly broke my heart was how frail and sickly she looked. She was as white as hell and you could almost see through her skin. She looked more like only skin and bones.
" It's Kryslin's birthday today," said Elizabeth, happily. Kryslin weakly smiled. Elizabeth went over to me and whispered softly in my ear, and spoke the words that seemed to be the words that I've been dreading for the past year, " Kryslin has leukemia, and she only has a little bit of time left ." I looked at Kryslin and my heart seemed to break. She was playing with that little doll and treasuring it as though it were a prized jewel or something. She seemed to be filled with the gift of sweet innocence.
I went over to Kryslin, and asked, " What do you want for your birthday?" She turned around, seeming surprised that I was talking to her.
She weakly blubbered, " I, I want, to get better. I, I want to see my mommy and daddy again. I, I want, I want…."
"A miracle," I finished for her. I pulled out my wallet, but then stopped. Money wouldn't help her get better, money wouldn't bring back her parents, money wouldn't give her her miracle. Instead, I put her in my arms, and gave her a hug. Kryslin seemed almost shocked, but after a moment, she relaxed and squeezed me tight.
" Thank , thank, thank, you, La, la, Landon," she blubbered. It seemed as though she couldn't properly talk, or maybe as though she were scared or fearful of something. My guess was, of her own death. Elizabeth smiled.
" I think, Kryslin will treasure your gift more than all the others she may be getting," said Elizabeth.
Thinking of Jamie, I said to Kryslin." I'll pray for you." Kryslin gave me a smile, of hope, that filled me with pride. I had done what Jamie would have done.
Suddenly, Elizabeth, came over to me and said, " Would you walk with me to the book store?"
"Uhhhh, sure,"I answered, unsurely. We said goodbye to the kids and walked over to the book store. On the way there, we talked a bit.
" Why you goin to the book store?" I asked.
" I have a particular book in mind," she said.
" What's it called?" I asked.
" It's called, Oliver Twist," she said happily.
" Oh I've heard of that book," I said.
" Really? Have you read it?" she asked.
" No," I confessed to her. Her once bright mood, seemed to go down into flames.
" Do you go to church a lot?" she asked.
"Ya," I answered briefly. I really didn't want 2 start up a conversation with Elizabeth. It just didn't feel right talking to another girl after Jamie's death. It just didn't feel right. It seemed almost disrespectful to Jamie's memory.
" You really don't want to talk to me, do you Landon?"she asked, sounding almost guilty. I looked at her, with sympathy that I had just hurt a girl who was only trying to get to know me.
" Don't be silly. Of course I want to talk to you," I answered. It sounded as though I forced that out, though. I wasn't sure if Elizabeth would notice.
" Seriously, you can leave if I'm bugging u," she said, " I don't want to be a nuisance." Before I could answer, we were at the book store and the moment we stepped in, she rushed towards the shelves, as though she knew the place better than the back of her own hand. As she looked, I found the book, Oliver Twist, and called Elizabeth over.
" O thank you Landon!!!" she said happily. I smiled at her. She seemed so happy. But as we neared the check-out counter, I spied the book, To Kill a Mockingbird. At that moment, I reminded myself of my everlasting love to Jamie.I turned away from the back, the same way I thought I had turned away from Jamie.