Dreams Within: #18

“Play me a song,”

Chapter 10: His Lullaby

Through out half the night, she kept on tossing and turning. Her moans of fear woke him up a couple of times and when he woke up, he would whisper softy to her; calming her down, letting her once again sleep. There was once that she even clung onto him, not wanting to let go, as though his presence will save her. He figured that whispering would not work and he started singing a soft lullaby to her. A lullaby he heard countless times when he was younger; from a voice so sweet, it burnt into his brain.

And so I watch my sweet boy fall fast asleep
like the embers dying slowly in the fire
one by one, as my mind tires.
I see the faces of all those who sleep in this dark night
their dreams come forth and spill across the endless sky
then down to earth
where dreamers lie
like stars your silver eyes glisten as we watch them
bright as the sun, you shine so bright my perfect gem
and we watch as our prayers find their way to God
so they could return to us, or it may take millions of years
but that wont keep me from praying to Him
or pleading for my child's soul
and I’ll kiss his hand when its in mine.

In his ears, he could not hear himself sing yet he heard a woman, singing softly and lovingly to him.

And so I watch my mother as I fall asleep
like the embers going out inside the fire
one by one, as I get tired
I dream of others who are asleep with me on this cold night
their dreams come out and dance across the big black sky
and then they fall
to where their heads lie
in starlight I see your tears as we watch them
a smile as sweet as dawn, you call me your brightest gem
and we watch as our prayers find their way to God
I wish they would return to us,
you say it may take millions of years
but that wont keep me from praying to Him
or pleading for my mother's soul
who kissed my hand in the dim light

And I’ll always send my prayers to Him
And I’ll all always plead for my child's mother's soul
As I kiss this hand that rests in mine.

In his mind’s eye, he could see a rather young lady cradling him to sleep. Instead of him falling asleep, he reached out both his pudgy hands and tried to grab hold of the woman’s hair. But he was able to grab hold with her necklace instead. But as soon as he touched her necklace, he was shifted to another scene. This time, he saw a boy at the age of 5 years old playing the piano while the boy’s mother stood by him, singing along with the melody.

“Why’d you stop?” the woman said, her melodious voice still hung in the air.

“I can’t play, mom, I stink at playing,” the boy replied, his eyes were glistering with tears.

“Hush now, my boy. If you can’t play this beautiful piece I wrote for you, who can?”

The woman bend beside the boy, took his hands in her delicate ones.

“You are one remarkable child,” she whispered. “And I’m sure you know that,” she took out a silk handkerchief and wiped the boy’s eyes.

“Will you play the piece again?” the woman smiled and ruffled the boy’s hair.

His sadness no longer linger in his soul and he played the piano, beautifully which was companioned by a voice so beautiful, birds all around the world were jealous.

He found himself once again, shifting a different scene as the music lingers in the air and in his mind. He saw the boy has grown much older, maybe around 7 years old. He saw the boy hiding behind his mother’s skirt as a man in front of the mother and child was yelling loudly, in a language he could not understand. The man’s back was facing him therefore he couldn’t see how the man looks like. He saw the child was trying to be brave by holding back his own tears yet the child failed, a teardrop found an escape and started rolling down his cheek; the mother was standing straight, trying to protect her child but he could see in her eyes she was frightened. He tried to move towards them but he couldn’t move. He was glued to the spot and watched in horror as the man raised his hand and slapped the woman. A loud smack rung through the empty corridors behind him and he heard the mother whispered softly to her child.

“Run,” she said when she threw herself onto the man, trying to block him from chasing after the boy. He saw the boy ran passed by him and he managed to catch the boy’s features. He saw a pair of frightened onyx’s eyes, a tight lip and tears glistering down the boy’s cheeks. It hit him, the boy; the boy was him and he recalled panting all the way out of the house, past the servants, past the gardeners, through the front door, through the gates and around the corner. He saw himself wiping his eyes and he heard his little self cursing of what a coward he is, for running away and leaving his mother in the wrath of his ungrateful father. The boy hugged his legs and cried silently to himself, not sure what to do or where to go. He then heard footsteps; the boy got up and quickly scanned for a place to hide. He saw a rather small gap behind a dumpster and decided to hide there, completely oblivious to the smell. As sun begun to set, the shadow along the alley begun to stretch out. He forced himself to stop crying and sniffing, instead hold his breath long enough for the sounds of the footsteps to fade away.

He saw a rather long shadow and he gasped softly when he saw two dragonfly-like wings jutting out of the shadow man’s back. The boy placed both his hands over his mouth, trying to not cry out loud. The boy heard soft grunts and nails clicking on the pavement, his begun to sweat, frightened by the shadow and the sounds. The older him was forced to walk behind the dumpster too, completely blocking his view of the figure yet he knew; he knew it was an Enormph. When the sun light was completely gone, the streetlights flared up and the boy trusted his own instincts. He got out from the dumpster and he decided to walked back home, to see if his mother is alright. The boy reeked with the rotten smells of the garbage but he didn’t care, he took off running, completely thinking nothing but his beloved mother. The older him too set off after the boy, he knew what was coming next, he knew what the younger him was going to see next, he didn’t want to lay his eyes upon the sight again, no. He doesn’t want to go through the same thing he did many years go. For so long, he has trained his mind to not stray to his past, to blocked everything from him yet, the past has once again haunt him. When both the boy and him reached the front gates, the boy walked in, completely oblivious to how wrenched the gate was, until the boy reached the front door. He pushed the front door open, wondering why didn’t the servants on the lights.

The boy on the lights and let out a soft cry when he saw blood all over the walls, on the ceiling, on the windows and the soft white carpets. The metallic smell was much stronger than the garbage smell. He walked further in; his aim is to see his mother and his mother only. He passed by the kitchen and the older him followed the boy. The older him peeked in the kitchen and let out a depressed sigh, for what he saw has yet another image that will haunt him. Bodies lay over the stove, stomach was ripped open, and some were headless. He then quickly joined the boy as the boy passed by the dining room, turning on the room lights before he entered. The older he caught the boy crying again, he could not help it and sighed again. In the dining room, the boy saw the maid chambers were fixing their glassy eyes upon the red ceiling. The boy head bravely towards the piano room; where he last saw his mother. Upon reaching, the boy saw his mother lying on the floor; her white dress was patterned with an ugly red color, splattered all over her dress. The boy knelt by his mother’s side as the older him stood by the door.

“Mom?” the boy croaked. He was afraid he was too late, and angry at himself too for not staying by his mother’s side. He then saw what made him flutter with hope. His mother’s eyelashes were fluttering and finally revealed a pair of silver eyes.

“My boy,” she said and she placed her hand upon her son’s cheek. Her face was strained with effort.

“Mom, hang in there, let me call the police, let me call the ambulance,” he was rambling over and over, panicking to be exact.

“No,” she waved her hand softly. “Play me a song,”

“But mom, you need medical attention,”

“Please?”

He started to sob again as he prompt his mother against the wall near the piano, near to him.

“You know,” she said breathlessly, you once have a pair of silver eyes like mine, but I guess you have your father’s genes more,”

“Mom, hang on, let me call the police,”

“But my son, you have part of me in you, remember that okay? Come here,”

He went over towards her and knelt in front of her.

“Take my necklace, so you know that I’m always, always with you; in here and here,”

She placed her palm on his chest where his heart was beating and then on the necklace when he took it out for her.

“Play, my son, play and let me go with happiness,”

He opened the chest nut piano and wiped the keys with his sleeves. He started to play the first few notes and he heard his mother singing softly to herself.

He replayed the song, this time she wasn’t singing nor was she breathing but her eyes were shut closed and she lay upon the floor like a lifeless doll. He then sang the song as he played once again, singing to comfort himself and singing to his mother as she departed the world forever.