ON THE WINGS OF AN ANGEL
Surprise, surprise, another update! Everybody mambo! Yeah, seriously, I know I've been leaving you guys hanging, and for that you have my sincerest apologies. But a good story can't be rushed. As corny as it sounds, a story is like a child: it requires time, care, and attention. I'd have to say this chapter is my most favorite thus far. If you cry easily, you'll want to keep a hankie handy.
It's funny, but I could clearly hear Elvis's "Are You Lonesome Tonight" playing in my head as I was applying the final touches.
Characters (with exceptions) © Disney
Story © unicorn-skydancer08
All rights reserved.
Chapter 7: Bittersweet Reminiscence
When at last they reached the cottage, Armando and Arietta bade Terence and Pinocchio goodbye and promised to return the following week for Pinocchio's lessons. Pinocchio gave them each a huge hug, and they hugged the boy just as tightly.
Seeing the state Terence was in, Armando told Pinocchio softly, "Keep an eye on him, will you?"
Pinocchio just nodded.
Armando then ruffled the boy's hair affectionately as he said, "It's good to see you again, Pinocchio."
"It's good to see you again, too, Armando."
Arietta gave Pinocchio a kiss on the cheek, then she linked her arm with her husband's and they walked together into the deepening dusk.
Terence opened the front door without a word and led the way into the house.
No sooner had they set foot over the threshold than Duke and Figaro came running to greet them. Barking with delight, Duke jumped onto his back feet and held out his front paws to Terence. But Terence only said, "Down, Duke."
Surprised, Duke dropped back to all fours. He looked at Terence quizzically, one ear cocked above the other, but Terence walked past him as if the dog weren't even there. Even when Figaro rubbed himself against Terence's ankle, the white-haired youth paid no attention. Pinocchio, on the other hand, promptly flung his arms about Duke's neck and greeted him enthusiastically, "Hi, Duke! Did ya miss us?"
The collie wagged his bushy tail in response and gave the boy's face a hearty lick. Pinocchio then knelt to give Figaro a nice scratch behind the ears.
Jiminy, who at that time was perched on the hearth, said, "Hey, Terence—where have you and Pinoke been all day? I was just starting to worry!"
"Sorry we took so long, Jiminy," said Terence quietly, not bothering to look at the cricket as he set down their purchases from the market. "We just got a little…sidetracked."
Jiminy could tell he was deeply troubled about something. "What's wrong, Terence? You all right?"
"I'm fine."
"You don't look 'fine' to me. What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Oh, come on, don't give me any of that! I know something's got to be up. What is it?"
"It's really none of your business." The words came out sharper than Terence intended. Jiminy looked startled at first, then hurt. Immediately Terence regretted what he'd just done and didn't hesitate to apologize. "Forgive me, Jiminy. I didn't mean to be cross with you. I'm just all…mixed up right now. If you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about it."
Though Jiminy was still a little stung, he nodded and said softly, "Okay, I understand."
He looked at Pinocchio, who only shrugged his shoulders, his expression revealing he was as baffled by Terence's odd behavior as the cricket was.
Terence's strange mood lasted all the rest of that evening. He was much quieter than usual, avoiding direct eye contact with everybody, moving about in some sort of stupor. When it was suppertime, he gave the animals their food and water, as he always did, and he served Pinocchio and Jiminy some vegetable soup and brown bread. But he didn't join them, and just walked out of the room as soon as they were all fed. "Aren't you going to eat, Terence?" Pinocchio asked.
"I'm not hungry," was all Terence would say.
Pinocchio sighed, but ate his soup without complaining. While the food tasted just fine, this marked the first time Terence missed out on a meal with him.
What was wrong with Terence, anyway? Pinocchio had never seen him like this before. Whatever it was, it had to be serious.
Around bedtime, Pinocchio ended up dressing himself and climbing into bed on his own. Of course, he was perfectly capable of doing this, but it wasn't the same without Terence there.
Terence usually read him a story before bed and sang him a lullaby or two, but Pinocchio had a feeling there weren't going to be any stories or songs tonight.
The boy lay quietly under his covers, his teddy bear by his side. He waited a good half-hour for Terence to come in and tell him goodnight, but Terence never came. Though Pinocchio was tired out from his big day, for some reason he couldn't bring himself to fall asleep. While he managed to close his eyes for a few minutes, they always kept snapping open. He shifted around on the mattress a number of times, trying to find a comfortable sleeping position. It did no good.
Pinocchio didn't know what time of the night it was, but he ultimately reached a point where he couldn't stand it any longer. He needed to see Terence, to talk to him.
So, taking his bear with him, the boy slipped out of bed and crept out the door.
A red-orange glow on the wall told him there was a fire burning in the hearth, and so that was where he headed. Sure enough, Terence was there, sitting in one of the special chairs. He was leaning slightly to one side, with one hand covering his eyes. Whether or not he was asleep, Pinocchio could not tell. But Terence proved to be awake and alert, for although his hand continued to shield his face, he murmured aloud, "Shouldn't you be in bed, Pinocchio?"
Pinocchio often wondered how Terence did that. The man seemed to notice everything; it was almost impossible to take him by surprise.
Slowly, Pinocchio ventured closer to his guardian. "I couldn't sleep," he admitted.
At length, Terence withdrew his hand and opened his eyes. He glanced over at Pinocchio, but said nothing. He didn't look angry, nor did he look particularly happy.
"Can I stay with you?" Pinocchio petitioned.
He was sure he would be sent back to his room on the spot, but Terence gave in. "Come here," said the young man quietly, opening his arms to the child.
Feeling a surge of relief that Terence wanted him with him, Pinocchio made a swift beeline into the awaiting arms. Very gently, Terence lifted Pinocchio into his lap, stuffed bear and all, and enfolded him in his arms. He leaned back into the chair, so that Pinocchio was half-lying on his chest. He sighed. "I do feel the need to hold something," he told his little one softly.
As they cuddled like this, Pinocchio found the courage to ask, "Why are you so sad, Terence? Are…are you all right? Is everything all right?"
His concern touched Terence's heart. Most of the time, he was the one to ask whether everything was all right.
Terence had always been there when Pinocchio needed him; now he felt he needed Pinocchio, for a change.
"Oh, I don't know," the white-haired youth answered wearily. "I just feel so…overwhelmed. It's like everything's been turned upside-down, all of a sudden. I don't know what to do, let alone what to think." He paused briefly, before going on, "That woman you said you met with earlier…the one who helped you…you said her name was Rhiella?" He spoke the name as if it were sacred.
"That's what she told me."
Terence made a strange choking sound. When Pinocchio peered up at his guardian, he was stunned to see that his eyes were swimming in a pool of tears. The look on Terence's face almost made Pinocchio want to cry himself. For a moment, Terence couldn't speak. Even after he had found his tongue again, the emotion in his voice was tangible. "Rhiella—I can't believe it. It can't be true. It just can't be…" His hand stole over his heart, holding it as if to keep it from escaping his very chest.
"Who's Rhiella?" Pinocchio couldn't help asking.
Terence was silent for such a long time that Pinocchio felt he would never get an answer. But then, at long last, Terence did finally speak.
"She is a girl I used to know. It wasn't that long ago, yet it feels like it's been forever."
"Did she mean a lot to you?"
"Yes," Terence whispered, his voice and countenance revealing a love and a longing deeper than anything Pinocchio could have imagined. "Yes, she did. Still does, as a matter of fact."
"Do you…do you love her?" It was the question Pinocchio dreaded the most, yet it found its way off his tongue all the same.
Terence nodded as his tears began to flow. "More than my life, Pinocchio. More than anything."
Jiminy, who was still up, entered this conversation at this point. "What happened?" asked the cricket, gazing down solicitously at Terence from his spot on the hearth. "It must have been awful to have come between you and this girl."
Shaking his head very sorrowfully, Terence replied, "It just wasn't meant to be. We lost each other, in every sense of the word. She all but disappeared from my life, though she never left my mind…or my heart. Even now, not a single day goes by when I don't think of her, and I would gladly trade the world to get her back."
Neither Jiminy nor Pinocchio knew what to say after this. This had to be the saddest, most romantic thing either of them had ever heard.
Pinocchio realized Rhiella must have been a truly extraordinary woman, to have captured Terence's heart so completely. He wondered if this Rhiella he had encountered in town—assuming she was the Rhiella they were talking about—felt the same way about Terence. He remembered how shocked she had been when his name was mentioned, and how frantically she had run away just as Terence was coming.
Pinocchio wondered where she was now.
Above all else, notwithstanding it was a very foolish idea, the child truly couldn't help wondering if Terence loved Rhiella more than he loved him. He dared not give voice to such a question, yet the thought nibbled at the back of his mind.
They stayed like this for a long time, Pinocchio growing increasingly drowsy until at last he drifted off to sleep, right in the warmth of Terence's arms. When Terence sensed the child was dead to the world, he lifted Pinocchio up with him as he rose to his feet. Jiminy's bed was already made on the hearth, so the cricket simply headed for that and turned himself in.
Slowly, quietly, Terence carried Pinocchio back to his room, where he gently laid the boy down with his bear, tucked him in, and kissed him, as he had so many times before.
However, just as he was turning to the door, Terence realized he couldn't be alone tonight. He looked back at Pinocchio for just a moment, then, hoping the child would not object, went back and lay next to him on the bed. Of course, there was plenty of room for the young man to stretch out, and the pillows were large and thick enough for both Terence and Pinocchio to share. Terence lay still at first, but felt the desire—the need—to get closer. So he slid one arm around Pinocchio and drew him just a little closer to his side. He kissed his little one once more as a final tear dripped down his face, and then he closed his eyes and managed to fall asleep himself.