Short Story- "Marble"

“Marble”

The sun rose form the sleeping skyline and morning returned. The new day was signaled by the calling birds, as glorious symphonies echoed over the lazy spring sidewalks. From tree to bedroom window, the birds’ voices carried through the fresh April air, into the ears of sleeping neighbors. Somewhere, a lawn mower disrupted the melodic tune for just a moment. But somehow its engine only sounded like a tuba, playing along with the flutes, trumpets, and piccolos of the birds. A new day, a beautiful sunrise, and the morning orchestra brought tired streets all over town into awaiting kitchens. Children were eager and hungry; a new day meant another adventure.

So the neighborhoods stirred. A coffee pot sizzled, a radio said it’d be 72 degrees, someone played a familiar tune on a piano, and the sweet aroma of bacon poured out into the clear blue day.

The whole neighborhood sang, ate, and ran outside, everyone but one man. His blinds shut, his door locked, his house was that of a ghost it seemed. Footsteps were rapid when passing his house, which wasn’t often, as most people stayed away. Rumors were told of a ghost, but everyone knew that a family occupied the house. They have known for a long time now. They have seen him leave for work and come home again. They’ve seen his children about in the front yard, but no one has ever dared to say hello. If the mailbox didn’t say so, no one would have known that the family was called the Weavers. The children's names were unknown. Instead, they were called “The Weaver Boy” and “The Weaver girl”, but their fathers name was somehow known. His name was Daniel.

Now on this brilliant spring morning where the whole neighborhood sang and hummed the familiar piano tune, Daniel lay in his bed. He lay there, awake, but not moving. He lay only wishing that he were dead, or somewhere very far away. His lamenting was now a morning routine for him. Instead of hearing the songs of a spring sky, Daniel heard the voice of Adrienne, and he wanted to see her very much. He remained laying in bed, and he took a sip of a warm whiskey. The whiskey was warm, just like his bed, just like Adrienne’s eyes had been. He cursed himself for thinking of the things he could never have. His lonely bed would only welcome him after work, the bottle wasn’t good before work, and Adrienne was dead. He must face the days. He must hurry to work. He must plan a breakfast. Besides the children were waiting.

When Daniel appeared in the kitchen, he couldn’t help but smile. A hot, steaming breakfast sat on the table. “It’s for you Daddy” exclaimed the younger Ana. “We knew you wouldn’t have time to make a real breakfast for us, so we made one for you” added Peter, who walked up to his dad and handed him a glass of milk. “We’re going to the lake now dad” said Peter and they proceeded out to the shiny blue lake across the way. Daniel ate in silence. He thought of how lucky he was to have Peter and Ana. He sometimes felt that he would have given up if it weren’t for their eager faces. “They’re more responsible than me” thought Daniel, and he walked out onto the back porch. In the distance he could spot his children, splashing each other, laughing and being kids. He chuckled to himself for a moment while finally noticing the warm spring day. He was lost in the children’s laughter when he realized he would be late for work. So off he went, walking down the road. The brief happiness was gone. He was going to work, and the day seemed to loose its beauty again.

Daniel hated his job. “I hate the quarry. I hate the boss, I hate the rocks, I hate being sad” thought Daniel on his way to work. He walked to work despite being late because he had no car, and because he was always late anyway. He hated cars. The last time he had ever been in a car he had been holding Adrienne, failing to keep his wife alive. The last time he had driven he had fallen asleep at the wheel, woken up, and seen his life flash before his eyes. The last time he had touched a car is when he had taken a bat to it, and pushed it off a cliff into a junkyard. He promised then that he would never touch a car ever again, and that’s why he walks.

He arrived late to his boss’s displeasure. “Next time you’re late, you’re gone Weaver.” screamed his boss. Daniel wouldn’t look at him; instead he headed to the quarry and began picking up the marble stones. 8 hours later, Daniel was free to return home, to his children, his bed, and his warm bottle of whiskey.

That night, after dinner, Daniel and the children wandered out into the cool night air to search for their beloved wife and mother. Daniel asked “Where’s Mommy tonight?”  “Where is the brightest star tonight?” Ana and Peter searched the evening sky with eager eyes. Then Ana pointed, “There she is! There’s Mommy.” Peter and Daniel gazed up toward the starry ceiling and they knew that she was right. The star was shining brightest, it had to be her. “We’ll visit her soon. Won’t we dad?” asked Peter. His pale face and olive eyes looked up at Daniel. “Yes Soon. I Promise.”  The children returned inside, and Daniel sat. He sat and prayed. He prayed that he could keep his job, and that something would change for him. He prayed that he’d be able to take his children to space. He hated letting them down. He was a let down to everyone it seemed. He looked up at his wife and said, “My dearest love, I hope you can hear me. I can’t do this anymore all alone. All these years I’ve tried to do it on my own, but I can’t. I love you too much and I can’t let go. I need you to be the star that guides me away from my hate. Please. Be the one that smashes my bottle, that’s there for the children. I need help Adrienne. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He remained outside, taking in the night air for a while then he went to bed. But before he turned off his light, he took his bottle and emptied it. He threw it away and went to bed. “That wasn’t so hard” he thought.

The next morning, Daniel awoke to sun rays and birds. He opened his window and breathed in the new day. Outside, he saw two children staring. He waved and called “Good Morning children!” The children’s faces turned pale and they scurried away. “Silly kids” Daniel said to himself.

At work he arrived 10 minutes early. His boss eyed him suspiciously, “You’re not making up for all those days of being late by showing up early for once you know.” muttered his boss. “Good Morning Sir” replied Daniel.

He walked away humming a familiar tune.

Working that day Daniel tried to enjoy himself. He did for some time, but then he got bored. Restless, he went inside for a drink of coffee. While inside the factory, Daniel noticed all the fine marble that the factory had produced, ready to be shipped away. He felt accomplished and proud.

Then something happened.

            Something incredible happened.

Daniel held a slate of marble when he saw everything for the first time. He looked down upon the smooth black rock and he saw the stars. He saw the stars he longed for, and he held it in his hands. He saw the thousands of stars that make up the universe. He held the universe in his own hands, he held everything and he realized.

            He realized how he had control over it all. He realized he could live his dream. He finally realized how he could change, how he could go to space and take his children. He could accomplish anything. Everything he wanted was in his hands everyday. The black marble, sprinkled with white dots, it resembled the place he wished he were. Space. He had wanted the stars so much for so long and he had never noticed. Now he noticed.

Daniel returned home one evening with news for his children. He said, “I have an announcement to make. I will be taking us to space soon. Peter, Ana, pack your things. I’ll head to the store and find you both helmets and spacesuits.” The Children let out a cheer.

“Oh daddy! Really?!”

“Yes.”

“Will we see the Moon?”

“Yes.”

“What about Mommy?”

“Of course”

“Oh daddy, we love you so much!”

“I love you too. I Love both of you very much.”

The Children beamed with excitement. Daniel felt very good indeed. “Now go pack your things. We leave in 3 days!”

            “3 days?!”

            “Yes, 3 days.”

            “Why that’s on Friday! Where’s our rocket?!”

            “You’ll see children. I promise it’s a very good ship. It’ll be ready Friday.”

The Children skipped away, laughing and dancing and Daniel beamed a smile. Then he couldn’t stop smiling. He smiled until it hurt and then he cried. He cried because he knew he had mad his children happy. He was going to see his wife, and he was going with his children. He cried until he couldn’t cry anymore.

            The next morning he visited his basement. The shiny, golden rocket sat perched in a lonely corner. He stood in front of it, gazing at his creation. He was in love with it. He ran his hand over its nose and knew he had created a masterpiece. Just one year ago he had started on it after seeing the stars in the marble. He had held his universe everyday since then, and this was his reward. “A reward worth waiting for.” thought Daniel.

            Friday came. Nervous and sweating, Daniel couldn’t believe it when he called the children to the ship.

            “Here She is.” said Daniel.

            “Whoa” replied the children in unison. Their faces showed bewilderment. Their smiles were as wide and Saturn’s rings, their green eyes as big as Jupiter. “Let’s go.” whispered Daniel, hardly able to speak.

            Then with a push of a button, they were off, off to see Adrienne. The rocket pierced the afternoon air; picking up speed as it went. Daniel shut his eyes. The children held their ears. The windows turned white, blazing, the ship continued on. Daniel felt his insides burn. He felt his heart thumping a million times a second. He took the moment in, and then…

Just as soon it had begun. Silence.

Floating Silence Everything was still.

Daniel opened his delicate eyes.

His eyes saw beauty at it’s finest. He saw the blackest black that one could ever imagine. It was a black far too fine, far too pure for Earth. Like an inked canvas, illuminated by the blue below and a thousand stars. Daniels heartbeat broke the silence and he looked at his dearest children. They smiled and he kissed them. Then he looked back at the earth below. The beauty of the great blue and white sphere was breathtaking, so majestic, and so fine. Daniel never wanted to return though. He knew the real earth. He was at home now.

He now gazed out the other window into the midnight sea. He searched the sky then asked a familiar question,

“Where is Mommy tonight? Look for the brightest star.” The children frantically scanned the infinite blackness. “Look, there she is.” cried Peter. They all looked and saw a gleaming star one million miles away.

“Adrienne.” whispered Daniel.

“Mommy” whispered the young children.

            Then they set sail in the night’s waves. They crossed the inked canvas a thousand miles at a time. Daniel controlled the rocket, his eyes fixed on Adrienne. Along the way, he made a stop at the Moon; where the children bounced and swam in the moons craters. They visited Mars; where they played games within Martian ruins and ran along the great Martian hills. They passed asteroids, shooting by like schools of fish. They passed the many unexpected parts of the endless sky. They laughed every step of the million mile way.

            Then she was near. The rocket streaked ahead towards her. She was so near. Daniel was determined to touch her, even if it killed him. He couldn’t turn back; he couldn’t come so close only to turn away. It would ruin him. As he approached her blazing heat, he could feel his insides burning, he could feel the ship melting away, but he wouldn’t stop. The children looked around in fear, their laughter gone, replaced by fear. Daniel couldn’t see, but he felt so alive. For so long he had dreamed, but never had lived. Possessed, he journeyed further into the blazing warmth. A fire surrounded the ship and Daniel heard a voice. He turned to see his children and what he saw was fear. Indescribable fear, and now the dream he had waited so long for, turned into a thousand nightmares. The dream collapsed, the fire burned, the ship melted and the fantasy was no longer pure. The children cried. Daniel screamed….

The ship turned.

            It turned and sped out of the burning heart of Adrienne, out back into the endless midnight kingdom. The rocket still burned, the star still burned, and Daniels life flashed before his eyes. He saw Adrienne, he saw fire, and white, and black, and marble, and everything in between. Then, for the second time…

Everything stopped.

            All was still and they were safe. Away from the ball of fire that had engulfed the rocket just moments before. The star seemed to glow brighter now. Daniel knew Adrienne was smiling. He could feel her loving warmth stronger than ever before. It was stronger than the day of their marriage 11 years before. He gathered Peter and Ana and held them tight. They gazed at the star, and Daniel cried.

            They started their journey home by waving farewell to Adrienne and releasing 3 roses into the neutral blanket of darkness. They watched the roses float toward their mother and wife, and continued on.

            The children peered out the window until their Mother was a speck in the night. They watched her beam until they reached earth again. When they were home they couldn’t believe the boring ways of earth. They thought, “Sure, more color, shapes, and sounds. But space is a brilliant place.” Daniel thought the same.

            That night Daniel returned home from work with a truck full of Marble. He spent weeks replacing every inch of his house. He worked harder than ever before and then….

His house was transformed into a rocket. Wherever he chose to look, the marble reminded him of the midnight world above. Now whenever he woke up, he was living the dream. He was dreaming before he shut his eyes at night, and he was dreaming while sitting in his living room. He lived the rest of his life this way. From drinking to dreaming, from lament to love, his life was transformed. Now, Daniel could join the neighborhood orchestra when someone played a familiar tune on piano. Now, Daniel could smile.