Chapter 14
During that rest of the week, Elizabeth rested at home, Molly and Rose took over school. Every day, at all times Elizabeth had visitors, no one in town left her alone, Philip noticed that Henry and Bill acted like a protective father towards her. The children at the school, with Carson, Lee and Henry Gowen, renovated a crib that Jack Thorton had made for the little sister of Robert, a student of Elizabeth, the same student who gave the idea for this gift, everyone knew that she would love to have Jack's cradle for his baby would be something his father had made, his only gift. It was a beautiful job, that mountie Jack Thorton, he was well endowed, he really did a neat and well crafted job on that crib, it was painted white, as everyone knew the room would have white furniture. At the end of the afternoon, when Philip returned from his rounds, he saw the noise of the children on Elizabeth's steps, all having snacks between laughs, apparently they were going to deliver the present… that beautiful crib.
Almost every day, Philip would stop by Elizabeth's house, her bruises were already quite clear, she was cheerful, her eyes had a joy, a light that it was good to see. Another strange thing, whenever he left, she would say to him… STAY SAFE AND COME BACK TO ME.
That phrase always made me tremble.
Philip's nightmares, continued on a smaller scale, they came and went out of nowhere, it didn't feel like much, but a lot of times he smelled lavender.
He decided to simulate his fainting, to put an end to the aggressions, he knew that they would test for a while if he really was fainted or not. As he did so he fell to the ground, a hollow tumble, a performance so perfect an actor would be proud, several kicks landed under me, but I managed to stay without any reaction. And they pulled me by the arms and dragged me to the cell, at the moment I didn't know where my arm started or my legs ended, my whole body hurt in a way I never imagined. I was thrown into the cell, mercilessly, and I fell and remained still. They laughed so hard at me that they didn't even remember to tie my hands when they left the cell.
The captain looked up, one eyebrow raised, something was going on there. The men left laughing and saying that one was the weakest of them all and still saying that one day he put the members of the Tolliver gang in prison, it was a joke, he was a weakling.
I alternated between staying awake and pretending to be passed out, it was like I was in a parallel world, I heard the voices there, but I couldn't show any emotion or action, and for that my mind traveled far away, in a green field in the valleys between two mountains, a place with wildflowers looked like white aster and lilac all over the valley, it smelled like flowers, I was on a beautiful black horse, I looked at the valley where a young woman, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, was there, she picked flowers and sang Dani Boy. It was an angel's voice, the sun reflected in her hair, she looked like a mirage or would be an angel. My strength is running out, now, yes, I can't hold on anymore and I slept soundly. I woke up more than twenty-four hours later, my head felt like it was going to explode, I was in the same place, one of the young people in the cell, without his right leg, died due to blood loss and the attacks. They had already given the captain another beating session. I was still in a lot of pain, but the young woman came several times to take care of me during the night, her affection, her soft hands touching me, putting cold cloths on my skin to reduce my fever, always smiling and singing softly, those blue eyes that made me float and lose myself in the depth of her love, she doctored and cared for me." BUT HOW DID SHE GET IN THERE? SUCH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, HOW DID THEY LET HER IN THERE WITHOUT DOING HER ANY HARMFUL?"
Later the bandits came and removed the body of the boy who died and heard the orders of one of them to throw it in the ditch and set it on fire, it was incredible how human beings could be so evil, and not care about someone's life or the he would miss his family, in silence all five occupants of the cell said a prayer for this young man.
I noticed that the captain was awake, I crawled over to him and spoke softly, I loosened the rope that tied his hands, so that we could try to escape from there. From what the captain said, there wouldn't be another beating session today because it had already happened. She showed him the water and the bread thrown on the ground, which would be the day's food, but warned him to drink little water. I asked the captain about the girl, the beautiful young woman who took care of me, but he told me that I was delirious, that not a single moment had a woman been there or someone to take care of them, and even if a woman appeared there he would be scared for his life her, these men have nothing to lose and they all have huge criminal records, rape for them is as normal as drinking water. But you talked to someone all night and part of the day, you were burning with fever, but I saw you thanking someone again and again. Who is the young lady? Is it your girlfriend or fiancée?
- No, sir, I don't know who she is, but she was a beauty without equal. Her smile was so contagious and her eyes had such true love, a glow of life and she seemed so real when she took care of me inside that cell, with such kindness and enormous care.
- Son, you were delirious, pain and fever, pure exhaustion, this happens to many people, but our situations confuse reality and dreams. Life gets mixed up, we have to be strong.
Philip woke up, he was sweating a lot, he needed a cold shower, he didn't know what was going on, because he was dreaming of a woman, and since he was in a war, or rather, in a cell as a prisoner, but since she had those blue eyes, those eyes that intrigued him so much was Elizabeth's. He thought that the reason she was in his dreams mixing everything up, and even complicating his night even more, was because he was very close to her these last few days, they saw each other every day, he always brought her breakfast, he always wanted to know how she was doing or chat, that woman knew how to hold him with her smile, or better, with her penetrating blue eyes, or better still, with her voice that seemed like music in his ears, to tell you the truth, her existence alone already left him happy, and going to his bath he decided to stay even longer in the cold water, now he needed even more and maybe Elizabeth would come out of his thoughts.
