CHAPTER 20

 

“Momma, please help me. Get me out of this place. I’m scared. Help me, help me. Please, Momma.”

The piercing scream penetrated the walls of Gavin and Clarye’s luxuriously furnished master bedroom.

“Clarye, Clarye, wake up, sweetheart.”

She bolted upright from the soft comfort of the downy pillow in a deep, wrenching sweat, and gasping for air. The nightmares had once again returned to haunt her like a thief in the night.

“Gavin,” she cried out. “Gavin, I’m scared.”

“Baby, I’m here. You had a bad dream; that’s all,” Gavin said, worried about his wife.

“But it seemed so real.”

“I know. I know, baby. But believe me it was another nightmare. Shhh, come here,” Gavin whispered, pulling her to him and bathing her face with kisses. “Was it the same nightmare? The one about the nurse?”

She nodded with tears in the corners of her eyes.

Clarye had told Gavin all about Ms. Lucie and her cruel treatment towards her. He became filled with his own rage each time he saw his wife still being tormented in her dreams by this evil woman from her past.

Clarye had spent months at a time during most of her childhood in and out of the Hospital for Crippled Children. It was there she was often locked away hours at a time in a dark, musty smelling, haunting utility closet by a burly black, evil nurse she came to know only as Ms. Lucie.

The once a week visits from her mother was the only thing that kept her polio stricken body and frightened mind from totally collapsing in a fit of loneliness and fear. Each time the visit with her mother and family had to come to an end, Clarye cried, sobbing loudly for her mother not to go.

This obviously angered Ms. Lucie something awful. After her visits ended, and Clarye saw Ms. Lucie strolling over to the side of her bed, it reminded her of a sleek cat planning to pounce on its unknowing victim and Clarye knew what was coming next. Ms. Lucie would quietly, yet forcefully push her hospital bed into the utility closet and leave Clarye inside of the dark closet all alone.

“There,” she said with a voice full of anger and hate, “Now, you can cry all you want for your Momma. No one will ever hear you, chile.” Time and time again, Ms. Lucie locked her away and time and time again the hate grew inside Clarye’s heart for this woman.

Clarye seemed to have no control over the nightmares about those terrifying times. They came and went it seems whenever they chose to. Sometimes she would go years without being visited by the nightmares. Sometimes they would come every night for weeks or even months on end. She didn’t know what had triggered the nightmare this time. However, Clarye had come to realize that each time the nightmare surfaced, it signaled something was soon going to go awry in her life.

Gavin pulled her even closer to him. “Shorty, everything is going to be all right. I’m here. I’m here and I’m never going anywhere; believe that. I’ll always be here, baby.” He held her in his arms, stroking her cheek and she began to relax.

Soon she heard the low, muffled sound of Gavin’s labored breathing. He had fallen asleep. She rested on her elbows looking into his sweet face and tears began to flow heavily.

“Lord, what’s going on? Our lives are perfect, and we’ve waited so long for you to bless us with each other. Something doesn’t feel right. What is it, Lord? Clarye didn’t hear God speak. Instead, silence filled her spirit.