Page 15 of Five Goodbyes

Patrick opens the back door as Jasmine slides over. I turn to watch as she takes the small primate and leans back. The injured toddler gorilla puts its arms around her neck, pulls itself in tight to her chest, closes its eyes, and begins to make a low churning sound.

“She’s hurt, but she will live. That sound is something similar to a cry for human toddlers. They can’t be vocal about their pain, or it can lead to their death. She trusts you. That’s incredible,” Patrick says before he moves away. He then climbs into the driver’s seat and starts up the Jeep. We drive away from the mountain, all of us knowing this is a day that we’ll never forget. A person doesn’t live through something like this without it touching us forever.

Chapter Five

It feels like I’ve just gotten to sleep when a knock on my door wakes me. My body hurts far too much to even think about moving, let alone allowing me to get out of bed. I reach for Jasmine to find the bed empty. My eyelids reluctantly rise. I need to make sure I’m still in this world and haven’t been sent to the afterlife.

Another knock sounds sharply and I glare at the thin door keeping the rest of the world out. If they leave me alone, I may be able to sleep for four, maybe five, more days.My life has never been meant for a lot of rest, though. It appears today isn’t going to start a life of laziness. The third knock makes a snarl slip from my throat. I hear chuckling on the other side of the infinitely thin wood, which makes me want to climb from bed and throw a fist through the wood, hoping to smash a face. I take a breath before I finally answer the ridiculous assault on my door.

“Yeah?”

“Hey brother, time to rise and shine. It’s almost eleven and some people are here to see you,” Philip says, his voice far too cheery for what we went through less than eight hours ago.

“To see me? Who?” I ask.

My strength is tested by simply swinging the blanket off me. The act of getting both of my feet squarely on the floor is exhausting. My body hurts . . . and not because I did a few extra reps at the bench press sore but hurts like it never has before sore. I sit on the edge of the bed and sigh.

I realize quickly what a whiney baby I’m acting like right now. There’s no doubt yesterday started as one of the greatest of my life, then ended in pure hell, but I’m alive, Jasmine’s alive, Mora’s alive, and Philip’s alive. We lost some good men yesterday, but we did good. I will take this soreness again and again if it means we save the lives of incredible animals. Those who sacrificed themselves have a special seat up above.

“You’re going to have to come out and see for yourself who’s here. I’ve been sworn to secrecy.”

“You know, I used to like you,” I call out with my first half-smile of the day. I stretch my neck from side to side as I try to breathe life into my body.

“We all go through many stages when falling in love. It might be love one day, and hate the next,” Philip says with laughter. “Get moving. Can’t wait to see your ugly face.”

His footsteps fade as he moves from the door and back into the main living area of the house. I make a mental note to punch him later for being so cheery after so little sleep. I have to admit, though, that I’ve always liked Philip. He’s a good man, and I’m pleased him, and Mora have each other. His humor and self-confidence are exactly what Mora needs in her life.

“Okay, who’s looking for me?” I ask as I shuffle into the kitchen.

“Outside,” Philip replies. I follow his eyes to the door and am using all of my patience to not huff in frustration at this game being played.

“I need a cup of coffee first,” I say.

“Nope. Mora said absolutely no coffee for you.”

“What the . . .” I stop when I hear Jasmine’s sweet laugh coming from the direction Philip’s directing me.

Her laugh is enough to take my frustrations away and immediately change my poor attitude. Even my pain subsides as I put one foot in front of another. I can hear children speaking and laughing, which must mean they’re interacting with Jasmine. I move to the door, my need to see what’s going on overwhelming my need for coffee.

The sunlight blinds me as I open the door. My eyes finally adjust, and I see Jazzy and the kids playing with a soccer ball, all of them smiling and laughing as the kids throw taunts Jasmine’s way.

What’s making everyone laugh, though, is that she’s in the middle of a big circle chasing the ball around as the kids play keep away. When one of the kids doesn’t control the ball fast enough, Jasmine engulfs him in a bear hug, then picks him up and starts dribbling the ball with her feet. The kid is screeching with laughter, and Jasmine’s own merriment is mixing with his, giving me the best morning song possible.

“Well, good morning, sleepy,” Jasmine calls when she spots me.

“Good morning, beautiful.” I relax even more simply at the sight of this woman I love far too much. “Philip says there are people here to see me.”

Jasmine puts the kid down, then jogs to me, a small line of perspiration at her hairline. She smiles broadly, steps up to me, and gives me a sweet kiss.

“Get your coffee, get dressed, then go to the hospital, Mora needs to see you, and she has some others demanding your presence.” She kisses me again, this time a little longer, not too long as the kids start mocking us, whistling, and laughing.

“Ooooohhhhhhhh . . .”

“Grossssssss . . .”

“Kissy, kissy, kissy . . .”

I pull back with a shake of my head as Jasmine turns toward the kids and sticks out her tongue, making them laugh even more.

---