POD 36 -Surprise, Surprise

Philosophy of the Dark

Chapter 36

-Surprise, Surprise

Natalie’s hands were cupped over Jamie’s eyes.

“We all thought,” Amber began, “That we should all get together and do

this for you Jamie.” Amber was walking back and forth across the room, her

feet echoed off of her hardwood flooring.

“Can I let go?” Natalie asked.

“Yeah,” Jamie chimed in, “Can she let go now?”

For the first time in what had seemed a lifetime Jamie felt normal again.

She felt herself sliding back into who she had been a long time ago. Before

problems existed, before life played it’s many tricks.

“Not yet,” Amber teased. People giggled in the background, everybody was

waiting to see Jamie’s reaction. It made the anticipation even worse.

“Okay, Nat. Let go.”

Natalie’s hands moved from Jamie’s open eyes. She gasped when she saw

what Amber had in her hands.

It was a journal. It was the nice kind with gold-lined pages and a leather

cover. On the front in gold script it said, “Jamie.”

“Wow…just…oh my…wow…” Jamie struggled to find the right words. Finally

she gave up and settled on reaching out and grabbing the soft leather

journal.

“Thank you.” She opened to the front page. On it there was already a

handwritten quote.

“Let all darkness be chased away by the light of your words,” Jamie read

softly.

“Amber thought of it,” Natalie said.

Jamie looked around at all the faces. People she had always known, some

she had never even seen. All of them were watching her. She looked to

where Nat and Amber stood and a smile began to creep up her face.

She jumped up and hugged them both. Her heart was beating in quick,

light beats. She felt warm all over, and as much as she tried she couldn’t

keep smiling.

“Thank you,” she said.

“That’s what friends are for.” Nat shrugged.

“There’s one more thing,” Amber said as she pulled back from the hug.

“More?”

Tammy walked into the room from the door leading to the kitchen. Another

smile overtook Jamie as she ran up to Tammy and gave her the biggest

hug of all.

“Congratulations,” Tammy said, accepting the hug.

“Thank you, thank you,” Jamie said over and over.

Tammy pulled back and looked around the room. “What kind of party is

this?” She asked.

On cue the music turned back on, people walked back to their mini-cliques.

Tammy, Nat, Amber, and Jamie were in a corner of the living room.

“I’m glad you came,” Jamie said to Tammy.

“I figured I would say bye before I left.”

Jamie’s heart sped up again, only not in a good way. “You’re leaving?”

“I’ll be in the Caribbean for a few months for a case,” Tammy answered.

“But…I thought you were staying to make sure…to make sure that

everything would be okay,” Jamie sounded lost as she said it.

“You’re strong enough to do this on your own,” Tammy said.

Jamie shook her head, panic enveloped her. What about when Richard

came back?

“What if-”

“Don’t doubt yourself. That will only make matters worse.” Tammy put one

hand on Jamie’s shoulder, looking her straight in the eye. “I’m leaving,

that wont change. But remember, if you need anybody Amber and Natalie

are both here. Your Mom’s there. Even you should be there. Okay?”

Jamie tried shaking her head again but said, “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry,” Tammy said.

“No it’s fine.” Jamie was studying the carpeting. She was standing on what

looked like a really old wine stain.

Tammy took a step back, dropping her hand as she did so. “I’m sorry if I

ruined this for you,” She said.

“You didn’t.”

“Bye Jamie.”

And Tammy left. That was the day Jamie stopped writing.