Edward's Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan Read Free Book Online Page B

too far away,” he said with a small smile.
    He handed the letter to Trick.
    â€œClose enough,” said Trick.
    I looked at the name at the bottom of the letter: Willie Roberts.
    It was quiet. And in that quiet something happened. A poppy bud in the vase trembled a little. As we watched, the husk fell to the table and very, very slowly the poppy opened.
    Sabine turned to look. And then another trembled. The husk fell, and the flower slowly, more slowly than the first flower, opened. None of us moved or spoke. And then Sabine made a small chirp.
    A sign. You know it when you see it.
    I stood up.
    â€œMusic,” I said to Maeve. “It’s a sign. Please. Please, we need music,” I pleaded. “ Sabine needs music.”
    Maeve looked up at me for a moment. Then she got up and put a disc into the player.
    Suddenly, music filled the room. Sabine waved her arms.
    â€œGood night, you moonlight ladies. Rockabye sweet baby James.”
    Jack put his arms around Maeve and they danced.
    Wren got up and danced with Sabine. Maeve reached out and took Sabine, dancing with her and Jack. Maeve smiled and cried at the same time. And she began to sing, softly at first. Sabine smiled her toothless smile, and then, with her eyes on Maeve, Sabine laughed.
    That sound, so new, made us all laugh. Something about that sound. I looked at Will and I could see the change in his look. Wren was different. Her worried look was gone.
    Maeve put in another disc.
    I went out to the porch, the sound of music following me.
    â€œAnd when we die we say we’ll catch some blackbird’s wing.”
    Albert came out, too.
    I leaned down and picked up a small card that had dropped there.
    It read:
    The poppies are in memory of
    Edward. He loved them.
    â€”Angela Garden
    I smiled.
    The door opened behind me, and everyone came out and down the yard to the water.
    And then, for Edward, because he had once said he wanted it, Jack sent off a rocket. It went high in the sky over the water, a big dandelion of light. Albert and I watched the sparks fall back to the water. Then it was quiet again.
    â€œI want to find them,” I said.
    â€œThem?”
    I looked at Albert.
    â€œEdward’s eyes,” I said.
    â€œWe will,” said Albert, putting his arm around me. “We surely will.”

Epilogue
    Willie was three for four. One was a pop-up and I thought about when I taught Edward the infield fly rule, reading to him in the bathroom. I remembered Edward calling it to me from the baseball field in our front yard.
    His last time at bat Willie hit to the opposite field. A solid drive.
    â€œGood eyes,” said Albert under his breath.
    Then he looked at me, suddenly knowing what he had said.
    â€œIt’s okay,” I said softly.
    When the game was over and we got up to leave, Willie came up to us.
    â€œThis is Trick and Albert,” I said. “They played baseball.”
    â€œI could tell,” said Willie. “By your throw,” he said to Albert.
    Albert smiled.
    â€œYou had a good day,” said Albert.
    Willie nodded.
    â€œBetter every day now,” he said, still looking at me.
    I stared at his eyes, looking for Edward there. But somehow, the eyes that looked back at me were Willie’s eyes.
    When we started to go, Willie called to us.
    â€œWill you come again?” he asked.
    â€œYes,” I answered before Trick and Albert could answer.
    Willie came over and put his arms around me.
    â€œThank you,” he said softly.
    Â 
    Albert Groom drove home, Trick in the front seat, me in the back. I watched trees andhouses go by, a pond and a marsh, tall cattails at the edges.
    â€œAlbert?”
    Albert looked in the rearview mirror at me.
    â€œYes?”
    â€œI think we should start the baseball games again.”
    â€œGood idea,” said Albert.
    There was a silence.
    â€œAnd…,” I paused.
    â€œYes, Jake.”
    â€œMaybe I’ll play baseball,” I