Читать книгу The New World: The Awakening - Leahann Cavanaugh - Страница 7

Chapter 3

Jason Graham

Jason Graham was the type of kid that the old folks would say “Oh, he’s been here before” or “He has an old soul.” Jason didn’t do the normal things other little boys his age did. Jason liked nature and outdoors. He loved animals, and he loved to read books and give things meaning. I met Jason when I was four; his mother and my mother were best friends when they were younger. So I guess it was natural for us to become best friends.

It was the summer of 2000. Every year Jason’s dad would host a Father’s Day block party for the neighborhood. Being new to the neighborhood, my grandma thought it would be a good idea to go. Come to find out I was the only new one. My grandma knew every man, woman, and child, including Jason. Jason was a principal list second grader on his way to third grade. Tall and light skinned, he kept his hair short and curly, and he wore black rectangle-framed glasses that made him look like a brainiac.

“Lyric, come here, baby. This young gentleman is the son of your mama’s best friend when she was your age,” she said as she introduced us.

“Nice to meet you,” Jason mumbled as he extended his hand.

“Hello! My name is Lyric Sadé Daniels. Nice to meet you,” I said as I grabbed his hand. Instantly I got this surge of energy through my hand. It tickled. So I laughed and looked at Jason. He had this look on his face like a miracle happened right before his eyes. It stopped tickling and started to get warm, then all of a sudden, a burst of energy from the center of our palms forced our hands apart.

“Cool,” I said, amazed at every little thing.

“Totally,” Jason replied, still staring at me.

Some boys from the neighborhood came and grabbed him to play football. Even though Jason wasn’t into sports, he excelled at every sport he tried.

“Stay here, don’t leave. I’ll be right back,” Jason demanded. Me being me and only four, I decided to explore up and down the block, back and forth. At first I was having fun being able to see and meet new people. Everyone treated me as if I were a princess, giving me anything I wanted. I was happy. Then after a while, I started looking for my grandma. I searched and searched. I couldn’t find her. I picked a spot where I felt comfortable, crouched down in a small ball, and started to cry. Not long after a voice came from behind me and said, “My angel, don’t cry. I’ll take care of you.” I looked up and it was Jason. He reached out his hand, and I grabbed it. His was the only face that I remotely knew.

“Why are you crying?” he asked as if he was really concerned.

“I can’t find my grandma.” I cried.

He wiped my tears and took my hand and said, “Follow me.”

We walked to the next house over, and the people outside partied. Loud music blared over the speakers. As we walked into the house, the music and noise from the block party became distant. The feeling of the house was warm and soothing. Still scared, I grabbed Jason’s hand tighter. He noticed and pulled me closer to him and told me everything was okay, that he was there to protect me, and for some reason I believed him. We hit one more right turn and there was my grandma, talking to his dad.

“Hey, Li’l Bit, did you have fun?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” I responded.

“What’s wrong? Were you crying?” she asked as she motioned me to come closer to her.

“Yes, but that’s because I couldn’t find you,” I explained. Before another word was said, Jason interrupted and asked if he could show me his car and airplane collections.

He took me to a room. It didn’t have a bed, but it was filled with toys.

“Wow, are all of these yours?” I asked, amazed to see so many toys in one place that wasn’t a store.

“Yeah. They can be yours too if you want,” he said softly. I looked at him as if he was up to something.

“No, really, I don’t have anyone to play with, and most games are for two players,” he explained. “With them being yours too, you can come over and play with them anytime you want.”

“That sounds nice. What’s the catch?” I said, not believing the deal that was just made.

“Catch?” Jason repeated. “Oh, you mean what do you have to give me?” he asked.

I just continued to give him that look.

“Nothing at all. Just your time. Oh, and you have to be my best friend like how our moms were,” he added.

“What about your other friends? The ones you were playing with earlier?” I asked.

“They really don’t like me. They only pick me for their team because I’m good at sports. Any other time they make fun of me because I’m smart and I wear glasses and because I’d rather read a book than shoot hoops,” he ranted.

“Ooo, you know how to read?” I asked with excitement.

“Yeah, you don’t?” he questioned me.

“Yes. A little. I’m only four,” I snapped back.

“It’s okay. I didn’t mean it like that,” he said calmly.

“Can you read this to me?” I asked as I grabbed the biggest book I could find and sat down in the middle of the floor.

Jason came and sat down beside me. I started rambling about other books my grandma had read with me. To be three years older than I was, he was very patient with me.

“Lyric, Lyric,” he called to me. “Do you know who I am?” he asked me, looking very serious.

“Of course I do,” I said. “Your name is Jason, my name is Lyric. We just met, remember?” I giggled out loud.

“I guess you don’t,” he mumbled to himself.

“Can you read this to me please?” I asked politely, hoping he would just open the book.

“Big plans, I say.” He started to read the title. Then he opened the book to the first page. When I used to see letters, I would get excited even though I couldn’t read all of them. I knew they meant something.

“How about we read together?” Jason suggested.

“I can’t read,” I said, angry because he knew this already and he made me say it again.

“Here, give me your hand.” He reached out, grabbed my hand, and put it over his heart. Then he grabbed my other hand and put it over his temple on his head. He told me to relax.

“Is it going to hurt?” I asked, worried.

“Not at all, my queen,” he replied. He put each of his hands on my temples.

Then he stopped. “Did it work?” I asked, looking at the book, still not being able to read.

“Now that we’re best friends, you have to promise and swear that you will never tell any of our secrets. Not to anyone, not even your grandma. This is our first, okay?”

“Okay,” I said, just wanting to read. He slowly placed his hands back on my head and looked me dead in my eyes, and I felt the feeling that I feel when my grandma holds me when I’m afraid. He closed his eyes and they started to glow like someone turned a flashlight on under his eyelids. I started to get scared, but I didn’t want to move my hands. I wanted to read. This feeling came over me, and it was Jason telling me not to be afraid, that it was almost over. So I wasn’t. First, his hands started to glow, then mine did. Then this warm sensation came over me, and he just smiled at me and asked, “Are you ready to read now?” I looked skeptical of his magic trick. I thought to myself, I’m a little kid, but I’m not stupid. I picked up the book, still looking at him, not sure if I should even try to read.

As soon as I looked at the first sentence, I could read, “I have big plans I say!”

“Well, what does it say?” Jason asked, curious to see if his magic trick worked.

“Big plans I say,” I repeated out loud after I said it in my head five times. He gave me a huge smile and a big hug and kissed me on the forehead.

“Okay, creeper fella, it’s time for me to go. Grandma!” I yelled, hoping she would find me and I wouldn’t have to walk through the dimly lit house alone.

“I’m sorry if I startled you,” Jason apologized.

“You didn’t startle me. I’m just not prepared to be in that type of situation,” I said, curious to why I was using big words. I asked Jason, “How do I know them?”

“Just call it a gift. You can come over anytime you want to,” he reminded me. “Oh, and don’t forget our secrets—”

“Is our secrets,” I finished his sentence and walked out the room. Ever since then, I’ve been my grandma’s gifted child.

Over the next few weeks we became inseparable; everywhere he went I went. When it was time for me to start school the following fall, my grandma had me tested out of kindergarten and into third grade. I ended up in Mr. Biziono’s class, Mr. B for short. He was funny and little just like me. The only thing weird about Mr. B. was that one of his front teeth was gray, like that one tooth had been smoking too many cigarettes. I was nervous to be placed in a class with seven- and eight-year-olds, but as Mr. B was introducing me to the class, I saw a smile that just lit up my soul. Jason was sitting in the fourth row third seat back. This feeling came over me telling me to just breathe. So I did.

“Everyone, this is Lyric Daniels. She’s joining our class this year, Mr. B said to the class.

“Why?” a girl named Destiny said.

“Because Lyric has a special brain that allows her to understand third-grade work,” he tried to explain.

“Yeah, special retarded,” another girl named Julie said.

“Yeah, special retarded,” a boy named Eric repeated. He sat in front of Jason. Jason, upset when Julie said it the first time, reached in front of him and smacked the back of Eric’s head while Mr. B was getting my workbooks together.

“Hey,” Eric whined.

“Do something,” Jason jumped.

We didn’t say too much to each other during class. We really didn’t have to. I felt what he was thinking, and he felt what I was thinking. After lunch we got fifteen minutes of free time. I stood at the top of the steps, scared to venture off with the big kids. I turned my head as if I was expecting someone to be there. Then suddenly Jason came up from behind and grabbed my hand and said, “Let’s walk.”

The rest of recess that was exactly what we did—held hands and walked around the blacktop, sharing thoughts, feelings, and ideas without saying a word. Every day for the rest of the year that was how it was. No one ever tried to make fun of me again. The next few years are kind of a blur. Seems like all five years were wrapped into one big memory. I remember meeting Jason, spending all my time with him, then one summer he never came back.

I was ten, and by this time Jason had shared basically everything he knew about his world and outer space that he was allowed to tell me. He was a great magician, always making things float and disappear then reappear, making flowers bloom—and everything he shared with me I kept a secret. After all these years I never asked Jason what happened to his mom, how come he didn’t talk about her like I talked about my mom. That’s when he started to look sad and said, “I killed her.”

“That’s not funny,” I said, seeing that my mother died having me. I quickly realized that he was not joking. Then he told me the story as if it was from his own memory. A tear slowly fell to his cheek and mine. I jumped up, wiped his tear, and assured him that it was not his fault. “But I picked her,” he protested.

With no hesitation I replied, “You might have picked her, but she accepted you.” I gave him a huge kiss on the cheek and walked away. That weekend Jason had plans to go to space camp. For months we talked about and planned the trip that he saved up for since he was ten. We were both excited about it until the day he had to leave.

“Do you really have to go?” I asked.

“I thought we both agreed on it,” he reminded me.

“I know, but I got this feeling that when you leave, I’m going to need you and you won’t be close enough to hear my call,” I confessed.

“Lyric, it’s only three days. What could happen in three days?” he said, ignoring my warning.

That night my grandma died in her sleep at the age of sixty-one. That next morning I found her holding what looked like a Bible and smiling. I didn’t feel sad or angry. I felt nothing. I called 911 and they came. Mr. Graham was on the front lawn, talking to some people. All I could hear was him saying, “She has no next of kin. My son and me is the closest she has to family.”

This white lady with long black hair approached me. It looked like she had sunburn on her face but tried to cover it up with makeup. Too skinny for comfort, is what my grandma would say or used to say. I started to feel scared, terrified actually. I felt in her soul that she wasn’t a good lady.

“Hey, sweetie, I’m Sandy. I’m here to take you to a better place,” she tried to explain to me as she pulled me closer to her car. “I know this is hard, but you’re going to have to trust me,” she demanded.

I don’t know what Jason did to me over the years, but I knew the truth. I could tell if someone was lying. I could tell if someone was sick. Even how long people had left to live, if I concentrated long and hard enough. I guess that’s why I didn’t show any emotion when my grandma died.

“Lyric, please come now.” She raised her voice at me.

“You are not trustworthy!” I yelled back, smacked her in the face, and ran to Mr. Graham. I begged him not to let them take me. I begged him not to let me go. At first he did just that. He didn’t let me go. He held me tight. I felt as if I was in Jason’s arms instead of his dad’s. They had to pry me out of his arms. My face turned red. I started screaming; my body was burning up. I was losing energy. I couldn’t fight any longer. The last thing I remember was screaming for Jason. Then I blacked out. When I awoke, I was in a cold padded white room with a straitjacket on. I was out of it. It was finally hitting me, that I didn’t have a home and that the only family I ever had was gone. I hoped and prayed that I could escape and get out of there. Miraculously, the buckles on the straitjacket unfastened. I could feel my heart pounding again. The door to my room slowly opened. I slowly walked the halls of what looked like a depressing nursing home. Then all of a sudden, I heard people and started to panic. I closed my eyes, and a burst of light flashed before me.

Freezing cold, I opened my eyes and instantly noticed I was no longer inside. It looked like I was on a road to nowhere, then I saw a bright light appear out of thin air. It startled me. I got scared. Suddenly those feelings went away. I felt like I should stay where I was, so I did. I didn’t see the light anymore, and I was left in complete darkness. Terrified, I started to cry. Then I heard that voice. “My angel, please don’t cry.” It was Jason. I jumped up, looked around, but I couldn’t see a thing.

“Where are you, Jay?” I cried out. I started to panic again.

“Calm down, I’m right here. I don’t want to scare you,” I felt, so I tried my best to calm down. I closed my eyes and started to breathe. Once I was calm, I felt him tap my shoulder, and I quickly turned around. There he was in his PJs, no shoes, there to rescue me. Overfilled with joy, I jumped on him and hugged him until my arms started to shake.

“How did you find me?” I asked curiously. I didn’t even know where I was to tell him.

“I felt you,” he said, looking in all directions.

“What are you looking for?” I asked.

“Something’s coming. We gotta go. Hold your breath,” he demanded. He held me close by my back. The way he held me, I thought we were going to fly away like Superman. I closed my eyes, and a loud noise like a fire cracker went off in my ear.

“Golly, Jay, you could’ve warned me.” I snickered.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t have time,” he apologized.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“Somewhere safe for now,” he answered.

On the outside, the building looked like an old warehouse. But once you walked inside, it looked like a palace fit for a queen. Walking in the foyer, I saw there were two large cream-colored pillars on each side. A curved staircase lined both sides of the walls, meeting at the top. The furniture looked old-fashioned but brand-new. It was beautiful, gold and white in color. There were no TVs or radios. I asked where the music was. I didn’t care about TV; I just had to have some music. It calmed me. I loved all music, really. My grandma named me Lyric for a reason. I can name just about any artist and song just by hearing their voice. I told him to upgrade next time. He just looked at me and smiled.

“This is beautiful, Jay,” I said as I walked around. The floors were sand marble with sparkles of gold. Pictures of many different people filled the walls. Some I knew, but others were unfamiliar. Men and women of all different shades of brown, from all different eras. It was amazing. They all were beautiful in their own way. Amazed, I actually forgot we were in a palace. Jason saw the look on my face as I admired all the pictures. I started to feel warm inside, and then I looked at him. He was blushing.

“Who are all these people, Jay?” I asked.

“I’ll only tell you if you promise not to freak out,” he said in a kidding way. “These are pictures of us.”

I smacked my lips and laughed sarcastically. Out the blue, Jason walked up to me and hugged me as if he would never see me again.

“What’s wrong, Jay? What are you not telling me?” I asked.

“A lot. One day I will tell you everything, but now I have to protect you.” He started to put his hands around my head. I pushed his hands down and started to walk away from him.

“What are you doing?” I questioned him.

“I have to do this, angel, to protect you,” he answered in the saddest voice.

“No, how can you share all those precious secrets and beautiful gifts with me then take them away? That’s not fair,” I protested.

“Lyric, I’m sorry. It wasn’t the right time. I was wrong. I thought I’d be able to protect you,” he tried to explain.

“Was wrong about who? Me? I turned and tried to storm away, then this flash of light appeared in my way. This time the light slowly dimmed, and there was Jason—The reason for the bright light that I always saw whenever I was in darkness and afraid.

“You! This whole time that bright light was you!” I scolded him as I punched him in the arm. “The bright light outside my window…”

“That was me,” Jason admitted. “Actually, I wasn’t outside. I was inside watching you sleep,” he said as if it was peaceful and harmless.

“That doesn’t make it better!” I shouted. “What are you?” I mysteriously asked as I waited for him to say he was an alien from outer space.

“I am of you,” he replied. Kneeling on one knee, he reached for my hand and kissed it. I snatched it back.

“What does that mean?” I said with a little attitude.

“It means without you, I would not exist. I am of you,” Jason tried to explain.

“How can you say that when you’re three years older than me” I said, stating straight facts.

“You’re right, my physical body is three years older than yours, but our souls have been living for eons, and you split yourself in half and created me,” Jason tried to further explain the best way he knew how.

“I’m lost,” I said, confused.

“See, now isn’t the time. You don’t understand, and I can’t make you. You have to do that on your own,” he said to me, looking me straight in my eyes.

“I don’t want to forget you,” I said as I started to cry.

He stopped looking me in my eyes and kissed me on my forehead and said, “You won’t.”

He put his hands around my head, and the bright light appeared. I woke up back in the same building but different room. I didn’t have on a straitjacket, so that was a good thing. But the door was locked for some reason, and I could hear the doctors talk to a man in the hallway.

“I’m sorry, she said she doesn’t know you or remember you,” the doctors told him.

I felt like something was missing—a big chunk of my life. I felt alone, cold, and empty.

“Lyric, it’s time to eat,” one of the orderlies informed me. She brought me food on a tray—grilled cheese and tomato soup with apple juice and a hard oatmeal cookie.

“I’m not hungry,” I replied.

“Sweetheart, you haven’t eaten in two days,” she explained.

Two days? I thought to myself. How long have I been here? When did I get here? “Why am I here?” I asked the orderly.

“You don’t remember?” she asked as if I was playing around.

I looked at her with the most serious face.

“Well, your grandmother passed away about a month ago.”

“A month! That was yesterday!” I shouted “Get me out of here!” I screamed.

“Calm down, calm down,” she said as she touched my arm. There it was, that feeling that was so familiar. I knew it. My soul knew it. But I can’t remember experiencing it before.

“What happened to me?” I asked calmly.

“I really can’t say, but you blacked out and hurt a lot of people. That’s why you’re here. We know you’re not suicidal or a danger to yourself…” she said.

“You think I’m a danger to others?” I asked.

“I don’t, but they do. I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to protect you,” she declared as if it was her sole purpose in life.

“Right, like I haven’t heard that one before,” I mumbled.

“What did you say?” she asked, hoping I slipped up.

“Nothing,” I said. Then I started to cry. “I can’t remember! I can’t remember.”

“Aww, it’s okay,” the orderly said as she grabbed me into her arms and caressed my head. I held her back tight as if she was my grandma.

I did not know that the whole time she was consoling me, the doctors were taking notes from cameras they set up in my room since the first day I arrived there. As I cried, I started to get hot.

“Are you okay?” the orderly asked in the most sincere way she knew how without actually being sincere.

“I’m fine,” I replied. All of a sudden, my torso got ice cold. She felt the heat from my arms and the chill from my torso. Her whole attitude changed. She slowly stepped away from me with this look of disgust on her face. I could tell she knew something that I didn’t, so I used that against her.

I slowly took two steps toward her, and she damn near knocked over the food tray.

“Stay away from me, you holy piece of shit.”

Hold on, time out, I thought to myself. Did she just call me a holy piece of shit?

“Do you know who I am?” I asked her as if I already knew the answer. She was too frightened to answer like she knew it was a trick question. So I took three more steps closer to her.

“Don’t come any closer or—”

“Or what?” I replied.

“I’ll scream,” the orderly threatened. I decided I would call her bluff, but how? I didn’t know until I felt this feeling tell me exactly what to do. I thought to myself, Damn, I’m going crazy.

Hoping that whatever I was about to do would help me get my memory back, I took a deep breath, and this jolt of energy burst through me. I flung at the orderly with my right hand reaching for her. She started to scream but not for long. I clinched her chest that protected her heart. She stopped screaming.

“Who do you think I am?” I asked with one squeeze.

She said, “Please don’t.” She pleaded with me.

“Who do you think I am?” I repeated myself and squeezed her heart a little harder.

“Please, angel, I don’t deserve to go to your heaven when I die.” She cried.

I couldn’t control what happened next.

More orderlies arrived at the door; it slammed shut on its own.

“What did you call me?” I asked as if a specific word just triggered my memory.

“Angel, that’s what your name means.” She cried, “Please, don’t save me.”

Without thinking twice, I put my other hand at the upper part of her torso right below her breast, and I whispered, “Everyone deserves to be saved.”

With no hesitation, a burst of energy exploded from my hands and went straight into her heart and soul. It lifted her off her feet and threw her up against the window.

She fell to her knees and started to pray.

“Thank you, Lord, for your forgiveness,” she prayed to God. She then looked up to me and said, “Angel, it’s not safe for you here.”

Angel. I thought to myself. Who the hell is Angel? I was confused. And it hit me as the other orderlies entered the room and bum-rushed me to the ground.

“Angel,” I said out loud to myself. I remembered. They twisted my arms behind my back, pulled my pants down, and shot me with a needle. I hated needles.

Jason and Mr. Graham were still waiting to speak with the other doctors about my condition. No one had a name for it. They couldn’t even tell my symptoms. And since Mr. Graham wasn’t my legal guardian or even a blood relative, they refused to give him any of my information or the status of my condition.

It took three orderlies to remove me from my room and place me in a safe room.

“Let me go!” I screamed. “Please let me go,” I cried. I started to feel it again, that unfamiliar yet familiar feeling. I couldn’t remember what he looked like, but I felt he was there.

“Help me! You promised! You promised!” I screamed as they carried me past a man and his son. Both had tears in their eyes.

“Jason!” I screamed out as the heavy double doors closed behind me. I’m never getting out of here. I thought to myself.