Seasons of Heaven (13 page)

“Oh my god, he’s so cute, look at those ears.”

“Mom, what kind of dog is he?” Yann asked.

“The woman at the store, Sophie said he was a French bulldog. Do you like him? He is so cute,” Elise said.

“You’ll have to take good care of him son…” Tim told him.

A silence pierced the room, Yann was speechless and he and the puppy were staring into each other’s eyes as if an extraordinary connection was taking place. Something unexpected, magical, was happening. Yann was thinking what a wonderful present his little French bulldog was. It was love at first sight, and he didn’t even realize yet how much the puppy was going to help him change his life. Yann would come out of his shell and telepathically be able to communicate with the dog. They would have their own unique language and a one of a kind relationship.

Finally, nervous with the silence Tim said, “You are not saying anything, are you ok? You know, he’s delicate and a little sick, you’ll have to take very good...”

“I know, I know...” Yann said, “He told me everything, but everything is going to be alright.”

“What...?” Tim didn’t know how to react to the fact that Yann seemed to believe he and the dog were communicating, especially since it seemed like the dog really had told Yann things that he otherwise couldn’t have known.

Elise put her hand on Tim’s arm. She could see the worry in her husband’s face, “Give him time, and don’t worry!”

Kneeling down next to Yann and the puppy Shirley said, “So, are you going to give him a name?”

“Anak...ANI! He told me that it was his name,” Yann said.

“I like it, it’s very nice. What do you think about that, honey?” Tim asked Elise.

Elise and Shirley both agreed that it sounded great….Ani. Ani was a little French bulldog. He was sick, suffering since birth from a medical condition called pulmonic stenosis. This condition impeded his breathing and would reduce his lifespan by half. The decision to buy Ani for Yann hadn’t come lightly. Elise had read a lot of studies about pets and autistic children. Almost all of the research had been positive, but the couple never wanted to do anything that might hinder Yann’s growth and development so they asked his doctors for their opinion as well, just to be sure. His doctors had been all for the idea telling the couple that it would only help Yann with acquiring the life skills and developing a taste for responsibility that he would need later on in life. They also talked a lot about how it might help him with the loneliness that came from being an only child with parents that were so often away from home.

They had then begun their search, going to almost every pet shop in town. They had found Ani at a small shop in the city and besides the fact that he was adorable, they had chosen him because they wanted to be sure that the sick puppy went to a home where he would be well cared for and have nothing but love. They knew their home was the perfect place for him, and Yann the perfect boy. The instant bonding that seemed to take place as well as the seemingly mental communication made the parents feel like they had definitely made the right decision.

The room was energized at that moment with the presence of love. The family, all with stressors and problems of their own to cope with had put everything else aside and come together united in their bliss to welcome this new member into their fold.

That night as the peaceful neighborhood they lived in began shutting off its lights for the night the little boy lay sleeping deeply, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as his new best friend looked around his new home. His black coat was barely visible against the darkness of the night. The only light in the room was from the sparkle and shine of the stars against the azure sky as it shone through the window. The puppy sat like a sentry on the end of Yann’s bed watching over his new companion. It had only been hours since they met, but they had already forged that deep bond that had led people throughout the decades to say that a dog was “Man’s best friend.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

“ALLIANCES”

NORTHMAN’S RESIDENCE

1991-One Year Later

Yann woke up to the morning sun in his eyes with a smile. He jumped out of bed, eager to get his day started. There was no school today and he and Ani could work on their shed in the backyard. Ani jumped out of the bed after him. He slept in Yann’s bed nightly and every night before they fell asleep, they shared stories with one another. One of the big advantages of the telepathy they had is that they could communicate in complete silence.

Yann dashed into the bathroom and brushed his teeth and put on his sweat suit. His independence had grown by leaps and bounds since Ani came into his life.

“Today we are going to finish the construction of our shed, comrade!” Yann told Ani as they raced down the stairs. Ani stopped in the kitchen and sniffed, checking for food or the presence of anyone else. The house was empty with the exception of him and Yann. Shirley was expected to come later. Ani checked out his food dish and then Yann opened the sliding glass door to let Ani outside to attend to his business.

Ani ran through the garden, sniffing around. First he sniffed a patch of grass on the left and then one on the right. He peed a little. He usually only peed a little at a time because of his sickness. In spite of his diagnoses Ani was not a sickly looking pup. He was just a little arched in his stance because of his back problems. Otherwise he had a healthy, shiny coat and an almost perpetual smile. He stopped and listened, he could hear Yann filling up his water bowl and that enticed him back inside the house.

              Ani stopped next to Yann’s legs and barked. Yann smiled at him as he sat the dish down on the floor and told him,

“Here, you can drink, but take it easy, keep your energy. We have to finish our shed. I have my backpack, it’s full of comics. What do you think will happen in the last chapter of "Emperor’s Blades?"

Ani looked up at the boy as he talked and then watched Yann walk into the living room. Yann climbed up on the couch. He sat there looking around at the family photos that hung on the walls. He was feeling curious today so he wandered into his parent’s room and looked around at his father’s books. Yann knew that it was a privilege to be left alone in the big 2000 square foot house. He did a lot of exploration, but he knew what the boundaries were and he respected them.

              Yann smiled as he looked at all of the photos of Ani scattered around the house and pinned on the walls. The puppy had truly made his mark on this family. Then, his dark eyes fell on the red baseball bat that rested against the wall in the corner. Tim had been so busy with the serial killer case that the baseball bat had not been used very often as of late. Yann used to be good at baseball, often impressing his neighborhood friends when they played together in the street. He hoped that he wouldn’t lose those skills while he waited for his father to find the time to play.

Yann’s backpack was another important accessory. He took it everywhere and filled it with what he may need for the day. Today it was full of what he and Ani would need to construct the shed.

In the backyard of the house behind the trees and near the fence, Yann had built a very impressive shed. The place was magical to him, a place where he and Ani often shared their stories. The stories were always full of adventure and sometimes a touch of danger just to make it more exciting. They both loved to imagine they would someday be able to travel towards an exciting adventure together.

He slipped on his jacket, the season was changing and the air had a little bite to it early in the mornings. Satisfied that he had what he needed, he proceeded out to the back of the garden with Ani.

“It’s time to finish our shed, Ani. Look, I made a list of what we need to finish it: kindling, timber, ropes, nails and a hammer.”

Yann and Ani stepped into the shed and Yann searched through his backpack. Looking down at Ani he said, “Where did I put my diary? I thought I brought it out with me, but it’s not here...”

Ani went immediately into the house to look for the Yann’s diary. He knew exactly where it was. While he was inside he heard the front door open and ran to greet Shirley.

“Yann!” she called out, then she bent down and caressed Ani behind his ears and said, “Hey sport! How are you?” Yann heard Shirley calling and ran into the house, “Hi there,” Shirley told him. “How is your day going? What have you two done today?”

“Come and see, we’ve been finishing the shed, come...”

Laughing, Shirley followed the two energetic males to the back yard. Yann led her to the shed and with a proud look on his face he stepped back so that she could see what he and Ani had built.

“My gosh. Yann! It’s great! Can I go in? What a beautiful job!”

“Yes, but watch your head.” Yann and Ani followed her in and Yann said, “See over here is the place where we tell each other our stories. Right Ani?”

Ani barked. Shirley looked at the dog and back at Yann. For a year she had listened to the boy talk about communicating with Ani. She suspected Yann was telling the truth because he wasn’t prone to lying. He did have a big imagination though, so Shirley wondered sometimes if it was that. She finally asked Yann,

“You really talk to each other? How do you do that?”

Yann lowered his head. He felt like Shirley didn’t believe him as he said, "I don’t know Shirley. It’s been like that since the beginning, do you remember…?”

“I think it’s amazing,” she said, making the boy happier. She looked at Ani and said, “What does he think now?”

Ani was making eye contact with Shirley. He cocked his head to one side and then the other. Yann laughed and told her,

“He doesn’t understand you, but he knows we are talking about him because he hears me.”

Shirley picked the little dog up into her arms and cuddled him as she told Yann, “He really is special, and you two were meant to be with each other.” She sat Ani back down and told Yann, “Well… I have some work to finish, are you coming inside?”

“Can we stay here five more minutes?” Yann asked her.

“Ok,” Shirley agreed before going back into the house and into the living room.

******

              That evening as the sun was setting; Shirley was sitting in the living room studying and Ani paced around the house while Yann read his comic book, “The Emperor’s Blades.” Yann was really into it. It was inspired by the true story of a Samurai named Roshi whose real name was Tonobu Sanada. The book recounted the astonishing chronicle of a man who was at war against divinities who had abducted his wife in exchange for the eradication of Samurais. He was a man who had lost everything and was willing to sacrifice everything to see his wife at least one more time, even if only at the door of the Kingdom of the death.

              Yann glanced over as Ani was sniffing around Shirley’s sports bag. He watched as the dog shuffled through it a bit, moving a pair of black lacey underwear up near the top. Yann moved his eyes back to his book. He didn’t want to see Shirley’s undergarments. Ani finally got tired of pacing and climbed up into Shirley’s lap.

              Yann looked over at them. He loved them both so much. They were living proof that “family” didn’t have to mean “blood.” He’d known Shirley for five years now. He couldn’t imagine what his life might be like if she hadn’t come into it. He knew that his parents loved her as well. His thoughts turned to Ani then. The first day they had met, when he pulled Ani out of that box and hugged him, he’d known they were going to have a fabulous life together.

They had since formed an unbreakable tie that linked them heart to heart. Yann took great care of his dog. Not only because he loved him, but also because Ani needed extra care because of his disease. He made sure that Ani always had fresh water and he would often humidify his paws to refresh him. Yann helped make sure he took his medication every day as well. The veterinarians had warned the family that his growth could be slowed significantly because of all his problems and possibly keep him from developing correctly as he grew. What the family had found was that with good care and lots of love, Ani’s unfortunate disease kept him from ventilating correctly but he had grown and thrived over the past year in spite of it. Life had decided to give him a second chance to be loved by a little boy who would devote his life to loving him and protecting him.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“CHAOS”

UNITED NATIONS

Tuesday September 7, 1991

              Elise sat in her seat at the highly varnished table amongst the thirty or so other people attending the meeting at the United Nations. She felt so tired, both mentally and physically. Her work was so stressful. She’d done this job for a long time, working in different positions and for different private funds and organizations. She has been an assistant to a multitude of influential people. She’d gotten into the field because of her degrees and over time she’d been selected for top positions because of her experience and reputation. This particular job she had worked at for a couple of years. Her main duties were to assimilate important information and deliver it properly to the authorities at the United Nations. The job brings her close to a lot of high level and even classified documentation. She never has all of the details, but from what she does have, she often knows more than she would like to. She sits in on the meetings and takes notes and receives her assignments and orders, but she doesn’t take part in the decisions made there. Sometimes the helplessness of knowing too well what is going on in the world but being unable to do anything about it, rains stress down on her.