He was humming along with Carrie's dad, Carmen, as he was helping build up the bank of the now overflowing river that ran behind their properties, they ended up in unison singing "you haven't felt the rain my friend till you felt it running down your back" and then started laughing sounding like two bosk mooing in a field. He was only wearing his old comfortable work leathers, the rain coming down in buckets but warm and the muddy ground beneath his bare feet felt even better, when he heard Carrie's voice coming up behind them. She was drenched and not minding a bit, his "sister" she's been that forever to him, siblings since they could walk and the best friend he's ever had. She took no shit from him and he none from her.
The rain had been coming down hard now day and night for at least two hands, his property and his Dad's were fine for now but if this keeps up..."Kings don't sing you two, it's bad enough don't you think?" With her laugh and voice sliding through the rain and nudging mugs of blackwyne into their hands. Taking one for herself as she leaned against a tree and smiled at them both "So my two favorite Men, you think we can slow this down or divert it enough so the grapes won't drown?" Carmen chuckled mid sip and pointed to Simon " He's the engineer here." Simon looked over..."oh thats it Dad, you shovel shit and want me to make it sugar." The three of them started laughing and the thunder joined in.
Carrie finally got her dad to sit for a bit and she went over to help Simon, her black hair plastered to her back and face, those crystal blue eyes of hers intent, "they must look like that when she's with a patient" he thought, the only physician in this small community, she's respect and loved and not afraid to think for herself...."What do you think bro?" her voice a little louder, the wind picking up some now sending sheets of rain horizontally now and then, "well let me take a look one more time at the breech edge" as he tied himself off to a tree and moved carefully to one of the slanted slabs they had put in place, and as he leaned sideways, holding onto his safety rope, something none of them could have foreseen, a debris flow came around the mad house of a curve in the river, it slapped him across his upper torso like a giant hand sent from the skies itself, the rope spun him around and shredded on the edge of the slab, sending him like a mad top, ass over tin cup, into the angry river.
He woke peacefully enough, dressed in a fresh white, sleeveless tunic, white leathers of all things but at least barefoot, in a field of wheat, as high as his chest, whispering softly in a light warm breeze, he smiled as he stood, his palms running gently across the tops. It was familiar this field but he couldn't place it as he tried he heard clearly "It's about time son...come on then the tea won't stay warm forever" followed by a soft laugh, he knew that voice, it was his Mum, so this is a dream of sorts wandered through his thoughts but for a brief moment and then he was standing in the kitchen of his parents home, Magenta Lane, it all looked so familiar, a bit out of focus as he sat on his stool at the table. His Mum came by and set a tea cup before him, he just knew she was there more than seeing her but her voice again "You have to close your eyes and remember Simon, remember...."
He closed his eyes and when he opened them, the kitchen sprang to life, the aromas of fresh baked bread, the butter cookies, the tea in front of him and as he blinked it all came into focus, the hanging mugs, the kettle, the bright colored curtains in the windows and then her, his Mum, Elizabeth. He could see her smiling back at him, her hair in that crazy nest of hers pulled up on her head, the rose colored apron and then he felt her gentle hand on his cheek as she spoke "Have I ever lied to you?" and that laugh that a mother and son share filled the room with life.
Softly as she held his hand "You have to remember some things Simon and once you do it all becomes clear for you here." He hasn't dreamt of her in a long time and felt guilty "Not those kind of memories my son..." with that soft smile in her emerald eyes on his, "It's hard at first but the more memories you have the easier it is" and then kissed his cheek. And before he could ask her anything he was in another field, this one high on a hill, the flowers and brush moving lazily with each other, closing his eyes again and then opening them the colors burst around him, the greens deeper, the reds and yellows bright, the sky of azure blue striking and he remembered this field, it was the first time he and his Companion Belle had a picnic together and it was in that instant that she was there, her hair in that braid that he loved, the little wisps around her face, her hazel eyes and then she jumped up into his arms and he held her tight around her waist and spun them in kiss.
He felt tears spilling from the both of them as he held her still "Belle...Belle..." not wanting to let this dream fade away...she laid a finger to his lips softly, "there hasn't been a time when I have not missed you my love, when I ached just to hear your voice...before you ask is this a dream, before you even think it Simon, you have to remember, not the way the children and I were taken from you, you have to remember you..." He shook his head softly, not wanting to take his eyes from her, not wanting to wake up, he managed to stammer out "I don't understand Belle, remember me in what way and are the children here in this dream world if I wish it?"
She slid from his arms and took his hand and walked with him, her voice as gentle as he ever remembered it she said "close your eyes again Simon, I know you trust me as we walk, close them and let go..." He did, he closed them....
He was fighting for his life as he came up for air, the river just having no part in his trying to swim, the way he was thrown about like a straw in a windstorm, the searing pain of being thrown against rocks, downed trees, trying to keep conscious, trying for prescence of mind, fighting grasping at anything as he gulped air/water...then darkness. The sensation of being yanked up by a net, voices loud and struggling, the way he felt being flopped onto his back, the grey mist of Carrie's eyes, her voice in an angry loving sing song mix "Don't you 'effin do it Simon....Don't you dare!!" His chest being struck, breath into his mouth and then the darkness again....
He stopped mid step, his eyes opened to Belle's eyes looking back at him "Do you understand now love?" He shook his head and blinked his eyes a few times..."Am I...?" She said nothing to him for what seemed like a minute or two, she never looked away though, her voice loving and patient.."You have to say those words Simon...I cannot nor any other here and once you do you will understand it all my heart of hearts." Well this is some dream, ran through his mind, some horrid nightmare now that I can't wake up from "Think outside the box Simon" it was Belles' voice but the intonation was of Sha-Bens, his mentor...he drew in a sharp breath closed and opened his eyes again.
The field, the sky, the clouds everything around them started to blur into a mixture of water colors running on paper, the only focused part being her.."I'm dead Belle..that part of me that was physical..I drowned and bled out." His own voice and words shocked him but just for a slice of a second, he didn't have what he knew as time to dwell on it, everything around him came back into that crystal sharp focus and then the voices of pure joy coming up all around him, being gang tackled by all six of his children, none of them changed, his girls Andrea, Paige, Cindy and Maggie, his sons Anton and Christopher all of them healthy and happy rolling with him in this field and the joy in the other voices of those he knew and missed so much joining in and then Belle's again.."alright, alright...come on you bunch of nuts, your Father has so much to see here and we will all never be lonely for him again..."