With the first book done, he placed in the barrel, feeling better that he could begin to get some way of controlling what information he knew and could gain.
He didn't want to make it too clear to an outsider what everything meant. Instead, opting for vague phrasing that would spark the memory for him. "The wind" made him smile as he re-read through his bullet points, he had remembered when they had finished the L'manberg walls and stood atop of them to catch a breath of fresh air. So many people by his side, supporting the same cause. He recalled Tommy joining him briefly for that moment, as they stood side by side the wind had begun to pick up and he nearly lost his hat, making a joke about how uniform was compulsory as he steadied it on his head.
His memories had a range and he was sure that some people probably would have associated "the taste of salt" more negatively, but he remembered it being euphoric. It had felt like he was finally able to let go that day he had died, the tears that had escaped had this strong salty taste to them, but with them, so much pain and anguish left, he could feel the negativity be detoxed from him in his final moments. And right before he went, he understood what peace meant to him.
"A ravine" he had remembered Sally and his son. All that was on the line or ever was, what he hadn't fought enough for and what he swore he wouldn't lose. He remembered it sparked the flame to keep going. Knowing it's what she would have wanted for him. Knowing it's what he needed. Sally had always told him, to fight for everything he wanted. And that message never became clear until he lost her. Right place, wrong time. He never stopped loving her, if anything it solidified everything she had ever said to him and made him more firm in his beliefs.
Over things over time had begun to come back to him, and he was sure that his journey with these books would help him to keep going and piece together the pieces of his jagged past.
Declaration of indepen-dance, being one of the first historical pieces he had returned to him. Though he didn't fully understand it he could feel the strength of the blossoming L'manberg grow with each passing day. It made him smile, still such a nation set on not giving in, staying put and coming back anew. It made his chest hurt but at the same time, he felt so much pride and admiration for these living people who had continued to fight and carry on the legacy.
The unfinished symphony was in trusted hands, finally.