Life - Message From The Past

9-Raised Voices

Harmony and the Saint

The welcome home for Gwen had come and gone leaving her exhausted and ready to sleep. She sat on the edge of her bed, looking at the cocktail of pills she needed to take with every meal. "This better work!"

A knock at her bedroom door had her hiding her medication knowing it would scare her children. "Come in." She spoke softly.

Harmony opened her mother's bedroom door holding the music box she had taken from her mother's dresser earlier in the day. The young girl opened the top of it as she sat beside her mother. A Mexican lullaby played and Gwen wrapped her arm around her youngest child.

"Tell me about my daddy." Harmony watched the tiny hand-painted scene scroll as the tender music played.

Gwen bit down on her bottom lip. Does she dare speak the truth about Harmony's father? "You really need to know tonight, dear?"

"Uh-huh." She tilted her head to look up at her mother.

"Okay. Scooch under the covers, Babe." The mother watched her child shimmy under the covers. "Ready?"

Harmony nodded to her mother then examined the music box, holding it above her head.

"Your daddy..." Gwen shook her head but continued. "I met your daddy when I was vacationing in Cabo."

"Where's that?" Harmony frowned.

"Far away, Baby." She laid on her side with her head against the pillow looking into Harmony's eyes. "He worked around the resort and always said hello when we would meet."

"What is a resort?"

"Remember Disneyland?" Harmony nodded. "Just like that but for grownups. Okay?" Her daughter nodded again.

"Well, one day your daddy took me to see the countryside. His country is very beautiful with pretty flowers and the women wore these colorful dresses."

"What about my daddy!" Harmony watched a tear break away from her mother's eye, stopping momentarily on her cheek before sliding down soaking into her night-shirt.

"His name is Miguel Consuelo Rodriguez Garcia." She smiled. "I called him Miggy. He had a beautiful smile. He was strong." Gwen curled her arm up making a bicep. "Very strong!"

Harmony smiled then asked. "Did he ever see me?"

"Oh yes, Baby. He was right there when you were born. He held you, kissed you, then he placed you in my arms. He brought this music box to play whenever you could not sleep." Gwen stroked the child's hair. "He returned home and I could never find him again."

Harmony did not understand. "But this is home. Why didn't he just stay?"

"Sometimes people can not live where they want to live." Gwen did not want to continue because she really had no more answers this night. "Time to sleep, Harmony! It's way past our bedtimes!"

Harmony yawned, rolled over, and set the music box on the nightstand. She rolled back and Gwen kissed her on her forehead before whispering. "Goodnight, Baby."

"Night, Mommy." Harmony fell asleep and Gwen quickly followed.

Dreaming

Harmony's strange dream beckoned her back. This time she walked forward the same fog with the same lullaby playing by her music box.

"Hello?" The ten-year-old-girl called out, waving at the thick fog.

"Come to me." The woman's voice replied.

"Who are you?" Harmony replied.

"I am the one."

"Who are you?!" The frustrated girl yelled out.