Ray asked, “What happened later on, after you came
back, I mean, you know, with your injury?” Al said, “I started having bad
headaches. I never knew when they would hit me and for how long they’d last.
And, then the nightmares started.” Al was hesitant to begin again. “I would
have dreams where every second was playing back in slow motion. I could hear
the explosions; I could see the little girl, her tears, and the dirt on her
white shirt.” By this time Al was having difficulty talking and Ray cut in, “You
don’t have to tell me again.” Al’s voice trailed off, “Dear God Ray, she just
vanished right before my eyes.”
Al continued as Ray emptied his cup, “After I
recovered and began the Northern Virginia gig, I went to D.C. to cover a
protest. That is where I met Sarah. She was at the protest and we hit it off
over coffee. It didn’t take long, and I was in deep, I fell for her really bad.
All I had to do was close my eyes and I could see her hair blowing in the breeze.
And she always smelled like Lilacs. We spent a lot of time together. The
weekends on the coast were the best times in my life.”
As he was talking about Sarah, it was easy for
Ray to see just how much Al cared for her. Al asked, “Ray, do you believe in
heaven?” Ray sputtered and asked, “Well I guess, I would like to think of such
a place. We’ve both seen hell. Why do you want to know that?” Al responded, “Sarah was going to have our
baby. She decided she wasn’t ready to be a mother, so she ended the pregnancy.
I believe I have a baby waiting for me in heaven.”
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