Daniels Song. Katherine Dobney
like he had lots of money or came from money. Maybe he was giving some to the library, heaven knew we could use it. The feeling of the over-the-top warm reading room came flooding back to me as I headed off to meet Daniel for our studying time.
“Am I getting any better?” I asked as we walked to the parking lot.
“You’re doing much better, some days you even surprise me.”
“Good, because here’s another surprise for you. My dad wants to take you out for dinner, this Friday. Six o’clock at the PIER. It’s his way of saying ‘Thank you’, for the past two weeks. He’s probably afraid if I cooked, I’d poison someone.”
“Tell your father thanks, I’ll be there.”
When Daniel stopped chuckling, he asked. “Is your cooking that bad?” Then suddenly Daniel stopped walking without saying a word. I looked up at his face, wondering if I had said something wrong. His eyes were burning with anger, a kind of anger I had never seen before. It looked so strange on his face. He was focused with what seemed every fiber of his body tensed, as if ready for battle. I was about to ask him what was wrong when I followed his line of sight. There stood the man I had run into earlier, Alexander. He was leaning against a red convertible that looked just as expensive as his clothes. The back of the car had four silver rings interlocking and “R8” near the taillight. As he stepped away from the car the license plate caught my attention, one word “DRAGON”.
“Well hello my dear, its nice to run into you again.” As he spoke, his eyes never left mine.
“Did you find your friend?” I asked.
“Yes, I think I might have,” he said with a strange smile as if he was hiding something.
“Daniel, this is Alexander.” I gestured from one to the other as Daniel suddenly stepped in front of me.
“I know,” he said in a flat yet enraged voice that matched his eyes. He was staring at Alexander. “Who in hell?”
“Now… now… no name-dropping.” Alexander seemed cool and calm, while Daniel was tense with anger.
“What do you want here Alexander?”
“You, my dear friend, I have missed you.”
“No!” Daniel said the word with so much power it seemed to vibrate in the air around me.
“Daniel, one day, one day soon, you and I shall dance.” Alexander put his hand on Daniel’s shoulder. Daniel just looked at his hand while every muscle in Daniel’s body went ridged and the fire burned in his eyes. Alexander continued, “Then you can stand at my side. Brother.”
“Get… your… hand…off…of…me.” Alexander removed his hand from Daniel’s shoulder smoothly and without haste. As he did so, he turned to look at me and smiled, with only one corner of his mouth turning up.
“Hope, we should have coffee sometime.” With that comment he abruptly turned and walked around his car to get in.
“Alexander, leave her out of this.” Alexander just closed his car door and started the car, revving the engine. Before I could comprehend what was happening Alexander was out of the parking lot.
Daniel opened his passenger car door for me to get in so I slid into the seat. He closed the door and walked around to the other side. I was still trying to understand what had just happened. Were they friends, brothers? Whatever they were to each other, Daniel was definitely not happy to see Alexander. That was very evident by his reaction - both body and words. I was so caught up in my own confusion I hadn’t noticed that Daniel was holding my hand, calling my name. I looked up at him as he sat behind the steering wheel of the car.
“Hope, please stay away from Alexander. He only brings pain and suffering to people.” After that Daniel didn’t say a word until he dropped me off at home. He seemed so deep in his own thoughts. His eyes were no longer burning. There appeared to be sadness and a longing in them.
It was Friday and I was looking forward to seeing Daniel. He was always so gentle and kind to me, and as patient as a saint. It wasn’t easy because I got so frustrated trying to put my thoughts together. I felt like a kid putting an intricate puzzle together, only with a few pieces missing. I wondered if I would ever find the “Hope” other people knew. I was mourning for a part of me I couldn’t quite remember. It was like being two different persons. The “Hope” I was before the accident; the “Hope” I was now. Trouble was I only knew this “Hope” and Daniel only knew this “Hope” also. Maybe that’s why I liked being with him, he didn’t judge me like I did to myself. I so wanted to see him more.
The funny thing was I didn’t actually see much of him ‘during’ our study sessions because I spent most of our time together blindfolded. The scarves were beautiful, the next one more than the last. However his technique was working. I was remembering events, tying people and places together through touch and smell and sound and taste.
Daniel tried many things to prompt my senses and my memory. It did occur to me that some things smelled better than others. I will always recognize the flowers and those wonderful smells. Roses and freesia and some I’ve never heard of. “Your own Hanging Gardens of Babylon,” Daniel had told me when he gave them to me to take home. Even Dad noticed how nice they made our house smell. Each history session was fun and unique. The ‘ocean breezes’ air freshener in the shape of a tree smelled nothing like the ocean. The sound of the water did nothing but make me feel like I had to run for the bathroom. But the stale crackers made me feel terrible for Christopher Columbus. Most of the food experiments weren’t bad though. Spiced figs, sugar cane. I even learned that you don’t really eat sugar cane; it’s more like sucking on it. I was always amazed at the ideas Daniel came up with, and the thought it had taken.
My anticipation at seeing Daniel for dinner had caused me to daydream the whole drive and Dad hadn’t said a word. My body stopped moving forward. I focused my eyes on what was in front of me, the restaurant. The PIER wasn’t very busy so my favorite table in the corner was available. It was by the large windows where I could watch the boats on the river and daydream a little longer.
I saw a blue car pull into the parking lot. The back window shaped like a fish bowl gave it away and I knew it was his before he got out. I watched him walk toward the restaurant, standing out because I’d never seen him dressed the way he was tonight. Instead of dress pants he was wearing dark denim jeans with comfortable broken in boots. His usual button down shirt was replaced with a thin blue sweater, a few shades darker than his eyes. Over this he wore a three quarter length black leather jacket. I realized that he reminded me of a model walking through the doors.
Dad stood and greeted Daniel with a handshake while patting him on his shoulder like they were old friends. Daniel sat across from me and smiled, a smile that could light up any darkened room. As Daniel and my dad talked, I sat watching. To be honest with myself I was staring, trying to figure out how old Daniel was. He looked to be in his early twenties with those ice blue eyes and long lashes any girl would be envious of.
There was something about his eyes. When you looked into them they seemed to reflect so much wisdom. I knew he helped the Professor and did tutoring on campus. As he talked I noticed something glistening around his neck. It was a gold chain with a pendant that looked like a Celtic star. One piece of gold wrapped over then under to make the star, and diagonally through the star was a sword.
“Hope, stop staring. It’s not polite.” I looked away as I heard Dad’s voice. Daniel was smiling as they were both watching me, waiting for me to do something, answer one of them? I was trying to collect myself so I said the first thing that came to my mind, “Daniel, I like your pendant”. I probably looked as confused as I felt. I know my face had to be as red as Alexander’s car.
“Thank you,” Daniel said with a