Title: Saying Goodbye to Dorothy Smith - Chapter 2
Author: Alicia Blade
E-mail: Kammi22@sprintmail.com
"As the disciples walked past the fig tree the next morning, they
noticed that it was completely dried up, roots and all. Peter
remembered what Jesus had said to the tree. Then Peter said, 'Teacher,
look! The tree you put a curse on has dried up.'"
Mark 11:20-21
Chapter 2
"I had a dream last night…" said a young Darien dazedly, gazing
unseeing into his half-full teacup. The elderly woman looked up at him.
"Oh? What about?"
Darien furrowed his brow a little. "I'm… not sure… There was a
girl… no, a princess… standing on the balcony of a huge castle. I
couldn't see her very well, but I just know that she was extremely
beautiful. She had… golden hair that came down to her knees and she
wore a white ball gown with red roses in her hair…"
Dorothy leaned back, gazing at the ceiling. "Sounds like quite
the vision."
Darien nodded, never removing his gaze from the mug.
"Was there anything else about this dream of yours?"
"Yeah… she… she told me to bring her something called the silver
imperium crystal… Have you ever heard of such a thing?"
Dorothy laughed slightly, not her full, wall-shaking chuckle, but
a joyful sound all the same. "Well, I can't say that I have. Silver
imperium crystal, eh? Hm… sure sounds royal. I'm sure whatever it is,
I'd like to have it for myself!" She laughed again, louder this time.
Darien smiled slightly for the first time since he'd sat down for
his tea. "Yes…" was all he said, the serious words echoing soundly in
his head.
Dorothy smiled across the table. He didn't seem to latch onto her
joke much. With a sly grin, she leaned forward across the table and
whispered, "And just what do you make of this dream of yours?"
The boy looked up at her. Her sudden seriousness brought another
grin to his face. "I'm not sure. Strange as it may seem, I think I know
this girl. Or at least… I think I will know this girl."
She raised an eyebrow. "Really? Well, you know, I have a strong
belief in signs from the angels above. Perhaps, this is one. And now
you just have to figure out exactly what it is they're trying to tell
you."
Darien sighed, leaning back against his chair, taking a small sip
before setting the cup down on the saucer. "But what could it mean?"
Ms. Smith smiled. "Well, let's see… other than the castle, what
was the environment like?"
"Foggy. That's why I couldn't see her too well. It was chilly
too, very eerie and… sad."
"Sad, you say? Hm… and what about you? Was there anything
different about you in the dream?"
He looked up surprised. "Now that you mention it…" His eyes
closed as he brought back memories of the past dream. "I was… older. I
think around… twenty or so. And… I think I was wearing a tuxedo…"
"A tuxedo? So, you were dressed up nice then."
He nodded.
Dorothy smiled, leaning back in her chair, her green eyes looking
up at the ceiling. "Well, I think I've just about got this dream of
yours figured out."
Darien raised his eyebrow, curiosity and hope peaked in
excitement. "What do you think it was, Dorothy?"
She smiled, taking a long drink of her tea. "I think the princess
was your true love. Soul mate, if you will."
Darien furrowed his eyebrow a little, still at the stage in life
where girls weren't exactly his top priority. She continued.
"I think you two will be brought together under solemn
arrangements. Sad and possibly 'eerie' conditions. And then, you will
bring her a valuable gift. Possibly a jewel or gem of some sort… which
could very well be the meaning of this silver imperium crystal…"
Dorothy eyes glazed over seriously, lost in thought and
admiration. Darien stared in awe, wondering if what she said was true.
Suddenly, Dorothy set her teacup down.
"I'm sorry. I must have lost my train of thought a little back
there. What is it we were talking of? Oh, never mind, look at the time
dear child! It's nearly supper already! Go wash up and put on a clean
shirt, working in the dirt all day has claimed you a right good mess!
Go on dear, run along! I'll see you in a few moments now. Tea was a
delight, as usual!"
Darien splashed cold water onto his face, gasping with his eyes
closed as his face hung gingerly above the ceramic sink. Opening his
eyes, he turned off the running water before grabbing a towel to dry
his skin and hair. He looked up to the mirror.
He hadn't slept well the night before, for obvious reasons. And
when he had, more memories of Dorothy Smith had invaded his dreams. For
the second night in a row, he hadn't even dreamt of the princess.
Running a hand through his slightly damp hair, he walked out to
his bedroom, throwing on a crisp white shirt to match his black slacks.
It was 9:30 already. It felt strange having not left the house yet.
He'd deserted his morning jog, his daily visit with Andrew, and hadn't
yet run into Serena. Of course, things were very different today.
He began working a black and gray tie through his collar, tying
it neatly. He was actually quite worried about seeing Serena. He had no
idea what things would be like. If they would be awkward and
uncomfortable, or relaxing and… right, like yesterday. And would she be
wearing black?
He knew perfectly well that wearing black to a funeral was a sign
of mourning and respect. But still… seeing his bright, caring, loving,
always happy Meatball Head in dreary colors from head to toe made him
shiver inside. It would be so odd. So… false, not her. He didn't want
to see it. He wasn't sure he could bear it, really.
Serena slipped on the black slipper, looking at her appearance in
the full-length mirror. She was wearing a black dress she'd borrowed
from her mom. It had been a little big, but with slight alterations
with hidden safety pins and clips, it fit like a glove. It had a velvet
bodice with a layered chiffon skirt that came down to above the knee.
Her sleeves were made of a flowing, opaque black sheer. Stockings and
flat heels completed the look.
She hated dressing in black, really. It wasn't her. She stayed
away from anything in the dark colors as much as possible.
'When I die, I'm gonna make sure to put in my will that no one is
to wear black to the funeral!'
The phone rang and soon her mom called up that it was for her.
Sighing, she picked up the receiver.
"Hello?"
"Serena?" said a deep voice on the other line.
"Darien?" she replied, unconsciously straightening her posture.
"Yeah, hi."
"What's wrong? Are you okay? Is everything alright?" she prodded
apprehensively. He sounded… nervous.
She was relieved when he chuckled slightly. "Everything's fine,
Meatball Head. But… I need to ask you a favor."
"Sure, anything."
There was a pause. "This might sound kind of strange, but… do you
think you could… not wear black?"
Serena digested what he had said. "N… not wear… black?"
"I know it's an odd request, saying it is a funeral and all, but…
I don't know. It would just be so weird seeing you in black. I don't
think… I could handle that. Please, Serena? It would mean a lot to me."
She looked over at her reflection in the mirror. "Sure, Darien,
if that's what you want."
His voice lightened with relief. "Thanks, Serena. So… I'll see
you in a little bit?"
"Yup!"
"Okay… um, bye."
"Bye."
Serena hung up the phone, chewing her lips silently. Glancing at
herself again, she sighed and closed the door before tearing off the
black dress.
He fidgeted with the hem of his blazer for a moment before
raising his eyes to the door. Raising his hand, he knocked steadily.
Only minutes after, a woman answered the door.
"Hello, you must be Darien. I'm Ilene, Serena's mother. Please,
come in. Serena will be down shortly."
Smiling, he walked in nervously. "Thank you, Mrs. Tsukino."
"Please, just Ilene. I am very sorry for your loss."
Forcing a wary smile, he slipped his hands into their pockets.
"Yes… um, I want to thank you for letting Serena come to the funeral
with me. I feel awful that she has to miss school and…"
"Oh, don't worry about it, she can get caught up easily. Besides,
she has such a big and giving heart, I doubt I could have made her go
to school if I'd tried. But honestly, I'm glad she's decided to help
you through this tough time."
"Me too… I don't know what I would do without her."
"Alright, I'm ready to go."
At the sound of her voice, his eyes began to drift up the stairs
as a grateful and loving smile crossed his sad features.
Serena had finally come to the decision of a pale yellow sundress
with blue and white roses. Her black dress shoes had been traded for a
pair of leather sandals with white nylons. Her hair was in the normal
style with white roses wrapped around the buns and simple gold jewelry
had been chosen to accessorize the outfit.
"Shall we go?" asked Darien after his eyes had swept completely
over her. Nodding, she walked quickly down the stairs, gave her mom a
hug, before threading her arm nervously through Darien's. For a moment
he was startled by the action, but looking down on her, he could tell
easily that she was very scared at the awkwardness of the situation.
After saying their good-byes and thank you's, Darien led Serena
out the door and down the pathway. On the driveway, he reached over and
squeezed her hand gently.
"Thank you… for not wearing black. And… for coming with me,
Serena."
A tender smile crossing her lips, she glanced up at him. "I'm
glad I'm here with you."
Releasing her, Darien opened her car door before getting in the
driver's seat, and they drove off silently.
Serena hadn't realized how long the drive to the church would be
as they reached the outskirts of town, and then found their way into a
country setting with large fields bordering the main road. Soon, they
came to another small town and Darien turned off the highway. A few
minutes later, she saw him slow down as they passed by a large
building. Looking over at him, she saw that he was staring at it, a
deep sadness echoing in his eyes.
"What's that?" she asked uncertainly. He sighed, returning his
eyes to the street again.
"The orphanage," he mumbled. Another block down the road, they
pulled into the driveway of a large cathedral-like church. Darien undid
his seatbelt, but made no move to get out of the car, only continued
staring at a tall building with beautiful colored windows before them.
Serena stared at him for awhile, before reaching out and taking his
hand. "I don't think I can do this…" he finally whispered, and she
could see tears welling up at the corners of his blue eyes.
"Oh, Darien… You can do this. I'm right here. I'll be by your
side the whole time. If ever you need a shoulder to cry on or… or if
you want to leave early, we can…"
"I want to leave now," he said, and she tilted her head to the
side.
"Dorothy would want you to come. You know you have to do this."
Closing his eyes, Darien turned his head away, his grip
tightening around her fingers. As a lonely tear streaked down his
cheek, he finally looked over at her.
"Thank you."
With a gentle smile, she opened her door and stepped out. Darien
reached into the backseat of the car, taking out a bouquet of perfect
red roses he had gotten that morning, before getting out of the car as
well.
They filed into the church along with a number of other people,
of all ages.
"Do you know any of these people?" whispered Serena quietly as
they made their way through the crowd. She didn't fail to notice the
many strange looks directed at him from others. A lot of curious frowns
and squinting eyes, as if they didn't believe what they saw. Darien
looked around, noticing quite a few people his age that he remembered
from years ago. Turning back to Serena, he nodded.
"A lot of them are kids from the orphanage."
"Oh… I see…"
"Darien?" called a voice. They turned to see a lady of about
twenty walking over to them. Her red hair was pulled up behind her
head, and she wore a short black dress, a black scarf tied neatly
around her waist.
Serena heard Darien groan, before forcing a smile and holding out
his hand. "Rebekah, so nice to see you."
"Oh, my, it IS you! I wasn't sure at first. But I could recognize
those cool blue eyes of yours anywhere. How have you been doing?"
"Alright, I guess. I have a nice place up in Tokyo."
"Oh, good, good! Me? Oh, I found a cute little house over in…"
"Darien Chiba, my goodness, is it really you?" asked another
girl, coming up from the other side of Serena. She had short brown hair
bouncing lightly around her face and wore a cute, body hugging black
dress down to her knees, along with a pair of black wrist gloves.
Darien turned his attention to her, furrowing his brow slightly.
Confusion entered his eyes and the new girl laughed.
"It's me, Kate Rydell, don't you remember?"
"Oh, yes, Kate, how are you?"
"Just great! Well, other than the awful news, of course." Leaning
forward, she kissed his cheek gently. "I should have known I would see
you here. You were always Dorothy's favorite after all. Oh, did you
hear about… oh, wait is that… Oh, Rayea, over here!" Looking over
Darien's shoulder, she began waving frantically to another young woman
who had just entered. Serena watched the girl with almost black hair
come walking over to them, also dressed all in black. She was beginning
to feel a bit like an outcast.
"Rayea, look, it's Darien Chiba! You remember, the heart throb of
all the girls at the orphanage!"
Rayea looked over at him and he blushed slightly, trying
desperately to gain his composure, as well as searching for a way out
of this conversation.
"Oh my," said Rayea, "You sure did become handsome!" she flirted.
"Uh…" he choked out. Serena reached out and grabbed onto his arm,
suddenly feeling a touch of possessiveness wash over her. All these
women were hovering around him like he was the last piece of chocolate
cake at a birthday party!
Darien gasped, looking down on the blonde girl in the pale yellow
dress, and smiled. He'd almost forgotten about her.
"I would like you all to meet Serena Tsukino. Serena, this is
Rayea, Kate, and Rebekah. They lived at the orphanage with me."
"It's a pleasure," said Serena softly, not daring to let go of
his arm to shake their hands. It didn't seem to matter either as they
all simply stared at her. Obviously, none of them had noticed
beforehand that Darien was with a girl.
Clearing her throat, Kate smiled. "Likewise. Well, it was nice
running into you, Darien. I hope we can get together sometime. I think
we're going to go claim a seat, now…" With that, all three of them
shyly and dejectedly walked away into the adjoining room.
Darien sighed, closing his eyes. "I forgot how awful they could
get. Like vultures…"
"They did that when you were kids too?"
He nodded, turning to look down on her. "But then I didn't have a
gorgeous girl hanging off my arm to save me from them."
Serena blushed, turning away. "I think we should go get seated
too."
Darien noticed that most of the crowd had already filtered into
the next room, and he nodded his head. "Good idea."
Threading their fingers together, they walked into a room filled
with flowers and benches. Up at the front was a small stage with a
podium and large casket, covered in flowers. Darien froze mid-aisle
when he saw it and Serena could feel his pain tugging at her heart.
Suddenly, everything was becoming painfully real for him.
"Come on, let's sit down," she whispered, pulling him into a row
of benches. He sat down beside her, his hand tightening around hers.
After everyone had claimed their seats, the ceremony began, with a
priest giving a few words of comfort. Serena bit her lip, listening
sadly to the sobs and cries from throughout the audience. Gulping, she
leaned onto Darien's shoulder. He looked down on her, tears threatening
to fall again. Then, slowly, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder,
kissing the top of her head. She sighed, snuggling deeper into his
warmth.
As he held her, the sadness seemed to wash away.
Next, a few friends and family of Dorothy stood and made a speech
about her. Some made the audience laugh. Others simply made them cry
more than they already were. The words all brought memories flooding
back to Darien, things he hadn't thought about for years.
The way she smelled. The dreamy look she would get in her eye
when talking about her deceased husband. Her way of scolding, without
yelling, that would make you feel guiltier than any other form of
punishment ever could have. The way her eyes and spirit never aged a
day past twenty. And everyone who spoke mentioned her laugh that would
echo in all their hearts for the rest of their lives.
Darien pursed his lips together, leaning his head on Serena as
tears finally pushed their way down his cheeks. Serena stroked his arm
gently. She could feel him shaking gently as hidden sobs racked his
body. He pulled her tighter, kissing her head again.
Finally, everyone was given permission to come up to the front
and say his or her last good-byes to a dear friend.
The crowded room once again turned into small talk, gossip,
memories, and hugs. Darien and Serena sat there and held each other
while the rest filed up to the coffin, or left outside. Darien showered
her hair and forehead with kisses, and she knew it was more to comfort
himself than anything else. But for some reason, that didn't bother her
in the least.
A good half our later, the room was almost entirely deserted as
she continued to comfort him. Finally, she looked up into his eyes. He
had them closed, but opened them when he felt her shift. They stared at
each other for a minute before she managed to force a smile.
"Do you want to say goodbye?" she whispered. He gulped, looking
away at some point on the floor. Soon, he raised his eyes to the
casket.
Chewing on his lip, he slowly nodded. After another moment's
hesitation, he stood, never releasing her hand. Turning, he pulled her
to her feet as well. "Please come with me."
Serena followed Darien up the aisle to the front of the room.
Darien seemed to slow down with every step closer. Finally, they
reached the small stage at the front. Stepping onto the platform,
Darien inhaled a sharp breath, tears once again soaking down his skin.
Serena gave his hand a brief squeeze and led him closer to the open
casket.
Dorothy's gray hair had been pulled into a bun, like she had
usually worn it in life. Her skin was pale, all rosiness swept away
with death. She had been dressed in her nicest church dress, a pale
green with a light blue flowers calico print.
Shakily, Darien placed the bouquet of roses into the coffin. "I
brought you these," he whispered. "I… always knew they were your
favorite." He paused for a moment as tears continued to roll
unconsciously down his face. "Uh… Dorothy, I want you to meet Serena
Tsukino. She… she's a very sweet girl. I wish you could have met her,"
his voice dried as he choked on the words, staring into the face of his
best friend, his only friend for a long while.
Serena couldn't help but to smile a little, though tears she had
been trying to hide, as to remain strong for him, were now forcing
their way to her pale blue eyes.
Darien stared at the old woman for a minute more, before turning
to Serena. "I know I asked you to come with me… but… do you think you
could give us a moment alone?"
She smiled and nodded her head. "I'll be right over there if you
need me…" she whispered, before turning and walking over to sit down on
one of the benches.
Turning his attention back to the first friend he had ever made
in his life, Darien searched for any words to say to her. "That's her,"
he finally whispered. "The princess I always saw in my dreams. I know
it. Oh Dorothy, I do wish you could have met her. You would love her so
much. I know I do. I… always wished that you would someday come to my
wedding, whenever that happened. But… I guess it won't happen now, will
it?" He took a deep breath, swiping at his eyes in vain. "I have
another friend too. His name is Andrew. A great guy, always there for
me, like you were. I'm sure you two would have gotten along as so well.
I've told him about you, and he always told me that someday I'd have to
introduce you two… But I guess that won't be happening now, will it?"
Choking on the tears as they boiled up inside of him, he dropped his
head to his chest. "Oh Dorothy, what will I do without you? You were
the only person I could ever completely count on. You… you kept me
alive over all those years! You gave me hope when I didn't think I had
any. Why did we lose touch after I moved? I… never even said goodbye to
you… I'm so sorry, Dorothy…" Again rubbing at his eyes, he finally
leaned over the coffin and kissed her forehead. "Goodbye, Dorothy. You
were the best person I ever knew and the best friend a kid could hope
for. I'll miss you."
Turning away, he shakily stepped down the single stair. Serena
stood from the bench again. They stared at each other for a minute
silently, before she flung herself into his arms, crying softly into
his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and let the tears
fall into her hair as they came.
Darien and Serena stood on the steps to the church, holding each
other quietly, looking out over the dusty parking lot as the last of
the cars drove off. Darien sighed, kissing her forehead tenderly. She
shuddered at the touch, not daring to hope it meant something.
"I suppose I should get you home," Darien finally said, though
not making a move to separate from her.
Serena sighed. She didn't want to go home, knowing that then she
would have to leave him. So instead, she tried changing the subject.
"Had you ever been to this church before?"
After a moment, Darien nodded. "We would come here every Sunday.
Dorothy was very religious."
"Oh… Darien, I hope you don't mind me asking, but what was the
orphanage like?"
He looked down on her curious blue eyes. Wetting his lips, he
said, "Would you… like to come see it?" he whispered. She was frozen
for a minute, before clearing her throat from surprise.
"Oh, you don't have to show me. I know that would hurt you and…"
"It won't hurt if you're here. Besides, I have to go there
tomorrow either way for the will reading. And… it would be easier to
face it at first if you were with me."
She nervously raised her eyes to his. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, come on, we'll walk."
Taking her hand, he pulled her away from the church. They
strolled down the street for a block, pausing at the large iron gates
of the orphanage. Carved into the gates were the words "The Nguyen
Orphanage". Taking a deep breath, Darien pushed one side of the gates
open and stepped onto the dusty path leading up to the mansion-like
building, Serena at his side.
"I haven't stood here for five years. I never imagined I would
come back."
Looking at him from the corner of her eye, Serena whispered, "We
don't have to do this… You know, you don't have to show it to me."
He shook his head, beginning to stroll up the large driveway. "I
want you here when I do this."
Finally, they made their way to the front doors. Darien gulped
and lifted his hand, knocking the large iron doorknocker. They waited
for a few minutes, until the doors opened to reveal a woman of about
forty. At first she looked disturbed, but when she saw Darien, her
features lit up.
"Darien? Darien Chiba, is that you?"
"Mrs. Otomodachi, it's so nice to see you!"
"Oh, Darien come in! I can't believe it's really you!" she
exclaimed, pulling him into a large bear hug. Pulling away, Darien
could see that she'd been crying recently.
"Why weren't you at the funeral?" he asked, stepping inside.
Serena followed him, looking around the huge lobby as he talked to the
woman.
"Oh, someone had to stay and look after the children. They're all
out at recess right now. Tell me, how was it? Who all was there?"
"It was fairly nice, though… sad."
"Yes, we'll all miss her very much."
Darien sighed, turning back to a stunned Serena as her eyes
searched the large walls and antique paintings. Grabbing her hand, he
pulled her back to attention.
"Mrs. Otomodachi, I want you to meet Serena Tsukino. Serena, this
is the other part owner of the orphanage."
The older woman sighed. "Full owner now. Serena, it's a pleasure
to meet you." They shook hands politely.
For the first time, Darien looked around the large room. "Not
much has changed. What are all these chairs here for?"
"Oh, we're just setting up for the will reading tomorrow. I
suppose you'll be here?"
He nodded, turning his focus back to the acquaintance.
"I should have known. I couldn't imagine Dorothy not leaving her
favorite little boy something. You were practically her son!"
A grin pulling at his lips, Darien nodded. "Actually, I brought
Serena here so that she could look around a little. Would that be
alright?"
"Yes, of course, go ahead! You know your way around. And don't
worry about running into the children, they're all out in the yard. Oh!
Remind me before you go to introduce you to Kevin Saotomai. He's a
little boy who came here about a year ago. He reminds me of you when
you were a kid."
Smiling, Darien said that he would, before leading Serena around
the crowd of chairs and over to a large staircase, dragging her slowly
into his past.
Tell me what you think!
Luv and God bless!
<3 Alicia Blade
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