Testament of Time: Chapter Two
Chapter Two: The Discovery
Lilian felt as though her life was moving in the right direction. With their new child, everything just seemed to fall in place. Jason was a healthy boy, with a healthy appetite. People in the city started talking about the new child, and it brought new attention towards the Stein family. Marshall’s business took off a bit more, meaning more food on the table. The community pitched in with the occasional gift for the new baby boy. Lilian took care of Jason and the household and things were great.
“I hear ya got a son, good on ya,” a young man said passing the storefront of Marshall’s metal shop. It was the fourth congratulations today, and while down from the previous week, it made him feel more like a member of the community. Only a few children had been born in the spring, and each one was celebrated.
“Thank you.” Marshall exclaimed back to the nice man between hammer swings. Every day he went to work, excited about getting home to see his son. He daydreamed all the possible opportunities that his son could have. Would he be a metalworker too? Or would he try his hand at something else? Fishing perhaps?
The work day ended, as the sun lowered down to the cusp of the Earth, and the sky dimmed without the warm tones that usually painted the sky around this time of year. Marshall rushed home to see his wife and son. Jason smiled at his father who took him from his bed, which was probably the most comfortable place to sleep in the entire house.
Lilian smiled as she put out some supper. “You’d think he likes you or something,” she said mocking his excitement.
Marshall put Jason back in his bed before turning to look at his wife. “You would think so…” He replied teasing her.
“How was work today?” Lilian walked over and grabbed Marshall’s arm.
Marshall laughed lightly, “they still stop by my shop to congratulate us.”
“Well, that is better than being ignored.”
Marshall sat down and began to eat. He nodded in response to his wife, and gave her a sly wink.
Lilian explained her day to Marshall, who listened intently. She mentioned how Jason had not cried since being born, and how unusual that was. Marshall tried to recall a time when Jason had cried, but could not think of anything.
“I am sure it is nothing, but if you’d like, I will have Lock, the town healer, come and take a look at him.”
Lilian lit up, “I would really appreciate that.” She cleaned off the table, and Marshall went off to get ready for bed, and once everything was ready for the next day, Lilian joined him, falling asleep in her husbands strong arms.
The next day Lock came to their house and took a look at Jason. He examined every part of him the best that he could. “I don’t see anything wrong with tha’ boy. He is probably the healthiest one I’ve seen for a while.”
He picked up Jason and smiled, “if the biggest problem you have is that he does not cry, you’d be considered lucky by most.”
Marshall and Lilian looked at each other and smiled. Marshall stuck out his hand, and looked at Lock. “Thank you. I really appreciate you coming out here on such short notice.”
Lock handed the child over to Marshall, and then shook his hand. “It’s ‘kay, I understand. Being that it is your first, you want to make sure everything is well.”
The morning air rushed into the house as the town healer took his leave of the family. Jason squealed lightly as the breeze hit his face. Marshall covered him with the blanket, and passed him onto Lilian so he could get ready for work.
Their life continued on, and Jason began to come into his own. Crawling under the feet of his parents, Jason had no fear. Lilian was forever hovering over him, protecting her baby. A mother lion in her own right, she felt fear that something terrible would happen to her miracle baby.
Nothing bad had ever happened to Jason, and while other children were having horrible colds, or small bumps and bruises, their child showed no sign that the world was negatively effecting him.
Marshall came home late from working, so late that the sun had set over two hours before hand, and that usually meant either a really good day, or a really bad day. Not knowing which it could be Lilian decided to greet her husband in as positive a way as she knew how. She put Jason in his best clothing and rushed to the door to meet Marshall. She jumped into his arms with baby in tow, and a smile was plastered on both their faces.
Marshall looked tired, but not unhappy. “Glad to see you home,” Lilian said moving herself off her husband and pointing out that food was still ready.
Sitting down, Marshall began to eat. The food was long since cold, but his hunger overtook his need for it to be warm. Lilian took Jason aside, as she had already eaten. He had told her long ago that she was to eat, and keep up her strength so that she could protect their child. Jason was a curious child, and still needed constant supervision.
A scream came from the bedroom, and Marshall jumped out of his seat. The chair fell backwards as he pushed open the door to the bedroom. In the room, his wife was sobbing over a small red and beige blob. With a startling realization, he realized what happened. It was Jason on the floor, and something had fallen on him. The blood was spattered over a square foot of the floor.
Marshall looked down on the scene, everything felt as though it was moving in slow motion. The lights seemed to dim everywhere except the brutal scene. Lilian was shaking frantically and weeping hysterically.
“What happened?” Marshall exclaimed as he fell onto his knees. Grabbing the hammer that had fallen on his child and tossing it to the side, Lilian scooped up Jason, and began holding him close to her chest. Blood dripped from Jason’s head onto the floor. Marshall hovered around the scene, unsure what to do. Jason had already stopped breathing, and the gash on his head and arm was long and deep.
Marshall felt heavy, and lost. Lilian continued to rock her child while she cried. She whispered to her child over and over, “it will be okay…it will be okay.”
For what felt to them both like an eternity, they stood in disbelief with their deceased child in Lilian’s arms. The bleeding stopped, and soon after Jason let out a gasp of air.
Startled, Lilian looked at Jason and saw her precious child looking back up at her. At first she thought her mind was playing tricks on her, but then Jason moved his undamaged arm and began to cry. It was the first time since he was born that the Stein family baby wailed.
Marshall, still in shock from the whole ordeal, did not know what to do. Should he try to find help, or try to deal with Jason’s wounds on his own? Deciding to get help, he grabbed his coat, and as he opened the door Lilian yelled out his name.
“What is it?” Marshall called back shutting the front door.
Lilian came running into the room, still holding, a now silent, Jason in her arms. “He is getting better. It’s a miracle.”
Marshall looked at Jason, and sure enough, the wound on his head was nothing but a red whelp, and the cut on his arm, once deep enough to see the bone, was not much more than a thin scratch. “How is this possible?”
Lilian smiled, “I don’t care how or why. All I know is that Jason is still with us, and that is all that matters.”
She sat down on the chair in their informal dining area, and watched as the red skin on Jason’s forehead returned to its normal creamy complexion. Lilian’s heart rate slowly began to return to normal, and she hugged her baby.
Marshall sat down, the energy drained from his body, his heart still beating rapidly. A flurry of thoughts and ideas swarmed in his head. How could all this be possible, and what did it mean?
After a few minutes of complete silence Marshall stood up and looked at Lilian. “I think we should all just go to bed, and think about this more tomorrow.”
Knowing not to disagree with her husband, Lilian got up and all three went to bed.
