Human Child Part 5

A story Supernatural and Sublime, of Love beyond Love, of Joy beyond Joy, of Sacrifice beyond Sacrifice, of Redemption beyond Redemption, of Healing, and of Fulfilment Finally. 

Once upon a time a long time ago in the faraway word of another dimension I wrote a story.

It is a very sweet, tender, nostalgic story with a happy ending which I know you will enjoy.

Here is part five for The Last Great Gentleman Thinker…  

Don’t fail to check out, here in The Last Great Gentleman Thinker, the novel and fascinating proposals, though of an intellectual bent, delivered in such a unique and intriguing manner, on such a wide range of subjects, as to be truly of interest and highly informative for all –The  stuff of genius!

“Human Child” (Part Five)

Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild, With a faery hand in hand, For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand. Yeats.

Remy hugged Romy, ‘I’m here, Romy. I’m here. Everything’s all right, Romy.

Everything’s all right now.’

‘Remy, I can’t open my eyes.’

‘Your eyes are open, Romy.’

’No they’re not, Remy. They can’t be, Remy. Open my eyelids with your fingers, Remy.’

‘Your eyes are open, Romy.’

‘Oh, Remy, I’m blind. I’m blind!’

Remy’s face contorted and tears welled up in his eyes and ran silently down his cheeks.

‘Why did you do it? Why did you do it?’ he shouted angrily. ‘You stupid idiot. You’re so stupid sometimes. Now look what’s happened. Do you see what you’ve done? I can’t help you this time, you know? You know that, don’t you, don’t you?’ he gasped, and then great sobs burst from him and he knelt there before his sightless beloved brother.

‘Remy, I’m scared, I’m scared, I’m so scared. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.’

But Remy’s heaving dry sobs continued uncontrollably and he lifted his head to the night sky and screamed out in agony,

‘I love him more than I love you, God. Do you hear me? I love him more, much more. Greater love is not possible. Do you hear me? Do you hate us so much? Do you hate us two pathetic little beings so much that you would make even the greatest of loves as nothing? You don’t know love at all. You don’t know love as I do. If you did you wouldn’t always want to be the high and mighty one. That’s all you care about. All you care about is being top dog, and you don’t care who you trample on to prove you are. Leave us alone from now on, do you hear me? Leave us alone, alone!’

Then out of the taut silence Thomas’ high weak voice sang out, ‘Don’t be angry with God, Remy. Don’t be sad. Don’t cry any more. I’ll make Romy better when I go to heaven. I’ll ask God to forgive him and He will make him better.’

Remy’s body came to rest and he stared at Thomas as hope stirred in him and began to revive his spirit. After a long silence he said, ‘Do you think you can, Thomas?  Do you really think you can?’

Two shafts of light passed momentarily over their heads from the yellow headlights of the old four-wheel drive as it lumbered towards them.

Remy turned hastily to Romy and asked him hurriedly in an undertone, ‘What are we going to say?’

But Romy’s head was hanging down and he was sound asleep.

Outside the door of the bedroom where Romy slept on, Remy looked at Thomas and put a silencing finger to his mouth. He opened the door and without turning on the light pulled Thomas in after him and closed the door.

‘Can’t we turn on just one light?’ Thomas asked in a whisper.

‘Shh,’ Remy whispered. ‘Look.’

‘Where?’ Thomas asked.

‘Just look straight ahead.’

‘I can’t see anything,’ Thomas whispered again.

‘You will,’ Remy said. ‘Just keep looking.’

After a pause of absolute quiet and stillness, Thomas said in quiet amazement, ‘Oh it’s so beautiful. It’s so beautiful. I want to go into it. Can I go into it, Remy?’

‘Yes, Thomas,’ Remy said softly. ‘You above all others can do whatever you want.’

Thomas stayed stock still for a while letting his eyes absorb the arc of misty blue spangled light over Romy’s silent body.

‘Oh, it’s so beautiful,’ he breathed again and slowly edged over towards the glow. When he was near enough he tentatively reached out his hand and slipped it into the soft light and as he did he took in a sharp breath and hastily pulled his hand back. ‘Oh, I felt my heart jump for joy, Remy,’ he said in wonder.

‘Go all the way in,’ Remy said, ‘and you will know what you will feel like in heaven.’

And there in Romy’s heavenly light Thomas stayed until Remy had to say, ‘Come now, sweet Thomas, enough. Let’s get you into bed.’

Remy laid Thomas in his own bed beside Romy’s, and as he left the room, when he switched off the light, he knew that soon Thomas would be able to see Romy’s light again.

Thomas lay on in the darkness with the blue glow beside him. He knew he was the only one awake in the house.

He basked in the radiance of wellbeing coming from Romy’s light and his thoughts took leave of him and wandered along their own paths.

‘Is that you, Thomas?’ a voice spoke out of the darkness, making Thomas’ heart jump with fright before he realised that it was Romy speaking and that the change he had been searching for was that Romy’s light had gone out.

‘Yes, Romy.’

‘Thomas,’ Romy said, ‘will you look out the window and tell me what kind of night it is?’

Thomas got up and looked out the window. ‘It’s a beautiful night, Romy,’ he said. ‘There isn’t a cloud in the sky and there is a full moon and lots and lots of pale stars. All the fields look as though the grass is made of silver and the walls and the trees and bushes are all made of silver and there is so much light I can see the sheep like balls of cotton in the fields. And I can see right up to the top of the glen. Oh, there’s a stream glinting in the moonlight, Romy, and a waterfall right at the top of the glen that looks like a silver ribbon hanging down the black crags. Oh Romy, everything is so beautiful that I wish I could be out there so that the moon would shine on me and I could feel as beautiful as everything else.’

‘You will, Thomas. Let’s go,’ Romy said, eagerly throwing off his bed covers. ‘There is something I want to show you too.’

‘Oh really, Romy, what is it?’

‘Wait and see,’ Romy said. ‘It’s a surprise. Take my hand now. Are you sure it’s bright enough to see without a torch?’

‘Oh yes,’ Thomas replied.

‘Do you see a roomy shed on a small knoll over there to the left behind the farmhouse buildings? Well, that’s where we’re going,’ Romy said, and soon two spectral figures crossed the courtyard, the short one trailing the tall one.

When they got into the shed Romy asked, ‘Are you ready, Thomas?’ and threw the light switch.

All was bathed in fluorescence.

‘Oh wow,’ Thomas at last breathed in amazement as he stared at the two cavernous skeletal structures that towered over him.

‘They’re wagons!’ he exclaimed. ‘Just like the ones of the wild west. Oh Romy,’ he gasped, ‘the sides are all carved with trees and fruits and flowers. Oh look, there are birds and deer. Oh, Romy, this so beautiful. Who did it? Was it you?’

‘Yes, Thomas,’ Romy said happily, ‘I’m so glad you like it. Just imagine what the caravans will look like when the rest of the carvings are painted.’

‘Oh how I wish I could see that. Did you build the wagons as well?’

‘Well, Romy and I and my father did, but I did all the carvings. And Cherry, the beloved third one, helped. Now come over here and take us into that room over there.’

Thomas hesitated then took them into the dark room.

‘Ready?’ Romy said.

‘Yes,’ Thomas said.

Romy threw the light switch and again Thomas stood rooted to the spot while he gaped at what was revealed.

A few paces before his eyes were four open-sided stalls and in each stood a massive majestic horse, passively chewing, completely unruffled by the late night intrusion.

‘Wow! Oh wow!’ Thomas gasped. ‘I’ve never seen such big horses. I could walk right under one without ducking. Oh, Romy, what are their names?’

‘Well,’ Romy said, ‘they are Clydesdale horses, and from left to right their names are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen.’

‘Oh, you’ve named them after Santa’s reindeer!’ Thomas exclaimed, ‘Oh, all this is so wonderful and exciting that I feel like it really is Christmas. Oh Romy, I don’t want to go to heaven now. I want to stay here with you and Remy so that you can teach me how to carve and so that I can go riding, and when I don’t feel well I can stand in your lights and get better.’ And he threw himself onto Prancer, hugging one of his legs, and Romy could hear his muffled weeping.

Romy swallowed, holding back his own tears, and with a catch in his voice said as cheerily as he could, ‘Come on, Thomas, I’ve got something else to show you. We’re going to my workshop.’

The workshop had a cosy, protective atmosphere and Thomas immediately felt a gentle peace descend on him. There was a panel on one wall bearing a selected array of clean, effective looking tools of lustrous metal and warm wood. The other walls had shelves holding a selection of carvings and Thomas took in at a glance a flower, several of birds, one of a tree, another of a waterfall, one of a horse rearing up and one of a shepherd with a sheep in his arms and a crook in his hand.

Then, as though out of the furthest reaches of eternity, distinct clear notes materialised in the air around them, each one an individually, perfectly created crystalline drop bursting in briefly expanding concentric circles.

‘Beethoven for you, Thomas,’ Romy said, staring unseeingly. ‘But it’s I who has never heard music in this way before. I’m seeing music with my ears. Thomas, are you there?

Thomas moved to Romy’s side. ‘Oh, Romy, I’m scared. I’m scared that there won’t be any of these things in heaven. I don’t think I could bear it if I could never have any of these things again. Will you be able to carve in heaven? Will the man who made this music be able to make more music in heaven? I don’t see how heaven can be more beautiful than the world. I don’t see how there can be more beautiful music in heaven than the music we’re listening to. Oh Romy, I didn’t really see. I didn’t really hear, and now it’s too late. Oh. Romy, I’m scared of heaven.’

Romy hugged Thomas to him tightly.

‘Don’t be sad, little one,’ Romy said. ‘I understand fear of heaven. What if all we want to do when we get to heaven is to come back to our home on earth? Even you who have only known suffering feel you will miss your earthly life. Even you, who have never sinned yet have been through hell here on earth, are loath to go.’

‘But I’ve known happiness too,’ Thomas said. ‘This has been the most beautiful day of my life Romy.’

Romy said, ‘You know that all children have their angel in heaven. Your angel is waiting for you.’

‘Oh, Romy, you’re right,’ Thomas said eagerly. ‘I do have an angel. I know she is there. I can feel her. I’ve never seen her but I can feel her. Oh, I can’t wait to see her Romy. I can’t wait for her to hug me.’

‘In that case, it’s time for your next surprise,’ Romy said secretively.

‘Oh, what is it, Romy?’

‘Are your eyes open?’ Romy asked.

‘Yes,’ Thomas said.

‘All right, take this cover away,’ Romy said, reaching out to a draped object near to him on the workbench.

Thomas took the cover in his hand and said, ‘I’m ready.’

‘All right,’ Romy said, ‘Do it.’

Thomas solemnly dragged the sheet down until it dropped onto the workbench and he looked in disbelief at the revealed figure.

‘It’s my angel,’ he whispered. ‘It’s my angel, Romy. You’ve made my angel for me. I’ve seen her at last. Oh Romy, isn’t she beautiful? Isn’t she the most beautiful angel of all?’

After a long wait Thomas hypnotically reached out a hand and set it down softly on the angel’s feet, and as it came to rest a peaceful smile illuminated his face and his eyes shone with infinite patience and absolute forgiveness, and time throughout all of creation was measured by his heartbeat.

‘Oh, Romy,’ he whispered, ‘Romy, she smiled at me.’

‘You can pick her up when we come down the mountain,’ Romy said.

‘Are we going up the mountain?’ Thomas asked incredulously.

‘Yes, we’re going up to the waterfall.’

‘Oh how exciting. It looks so beautiful. But before we go, Romy, won’t you tell me who Cherry is and what the caravans are for?’

‘Well,’ Romy said, ‘Cherry is a girl. Remy and I have known her since we were little and she’s our other self. She’s sort of like a sister but she likes Remy in a different way too.’

‘More than she likes you.’

‘No,’ Romy said thoughtfully, ‘just in a different way.’

‘Are they going to marry?’ Thomas asked impishly.

‘They can’t marry. Not for a long time anyway.’

‘Why not?’

‘Remy has to do some things first.’

‘What sort of things?’

‘Things I can’t do myself.’

‘Why can’t you do them?’

‘Because I can’t stand the pain.’

‘What pain?’

‘The pain of life. The pain of all suffering.’

‘How do you know you can’t stand it? You were able to stand my pain. You fought for me so strongly that God had to blind you.’

‘Yes, I fought for you, Thomas, but I don’t think I can fight for all of humanity. I don’t think I can stand the suffering of the world. Anyway that’s what the caravans are for. I’m going to go out into the world to try and find the truth of my existence. I’m going to see how much pain and suffering I can bear.’

‘And you’re going with Remy and Cherry?’

‘No, I must try alone. Up to now when I can’t stand the pain and I try to go away it has been Remy who brings me back, and Cherry was able to do it once too. But we must go our own ways now and come back to each other on the other side of life.’

‘Where will you be going?’

‘All over Europe. You see, my grandparents are Gitanos... Gypsies, and I am to travel with their village caravan in the ones you saw.’

‘They’re Gypsies!’ Thomas exclaimed. ‘Oh, how exciting. Oh Romy, can I go? Oh, I’d forgotten. I’m going to heaven. But Romy, if I haven’t gone when it’s time for your trip, can I go with you?’

‘Of course you can, Thomas,’ Romy said. ‘Of course you can.’

‘Oh, I’m not going to go to heaven,’ Thomas said with bravado. ‘I’m going to fight like you fought for me, Romy, and I’m going to stay.’

Romy looked out at nothing and blinked rapidly.

‘You don’t believe me, do you, Romy?’ Thomas said challengingly. “But I am, I’m going to fight to stay and go on the trip with you. Come on, I’ll show you how tough I am. Let’s go up to the waterfall.’ He went over to Romy and took him by the hand.

‘Thomas,’ Romy said, ‘if you’re coming on the trip with me, let me show you where you’re going to sleep.’

‘Really,’ Thomas gasped. ‘Oh, show me.’

And so, with Thomas leading, they went through to the room the caravans were in and Romy said, ‘The one on the right is the sleeping caravan. Climb in.’

‘Oh yes,’ Thomas said eagerly. ‘I can see the bunk beds,’ and he dragged himself up into the caravan. ‘Can I sleep on the top bunk Romy? Oh please.’

‘Yes you can,’ Romy said. ‘Don’t you want to go up to the waterfall any more?’

‘Oh yes,’ Thomas exclaimed. ‘I’d forgotten.’ And he clambered down off the caravan.

Back on the ground he eagerly grabbed Romy’s hand and said, ‘Let’s go,’ and outside they went.

‘Look up the glen, Thomas,’ Romy said.

‘I am,’ Thomas replied.

‘All right, do you see the ridge that runs up the right hand of the glen to the top of the waterfall?’

‘Yes. Are we going to go right to the top of the waterfall?’

‘Yes,’ Romy said.

‘Oh, that’s just what I was hoping for,’ Thomas said excitedly. ‘Can we look over the top of the waterfall and see the water splashing down?’

‘Yes we can, Thomas,’ Romy said.