Chapter 48 Forty eight

"What do you want?" Mrs. Goldman asked again. "Rachel...you're so depressed...sleep..." Rachel just shook her head.She couldn't explain to her mother why she had to go back.That strange feeling surged in her heart like a wind... first the breeze blowing the grass, barely noticeable, and then the air began to flow faster and stronger, unable to stop.Then the breeze turned into a squealing gale under the eaves, and it felt like the wind was shaking the house, if it was any stronger.It will blow everything down. In Chicago, it was six o'clock.In Bangor City, Louis is sitting at dinner.Rachel and Allie were eating too, but they could barely eat anything.Whenever Rachel looked up, she could see her daughter's deep eyes looking at her, as if asking what Mom would do in spite of Daddy's troubles.

Rachel waited for the phone to ring, hoping it would be Jud calling to say that Louis had come home.Once the phone did ring, and she jumped up to answer it, and Ally nearly knocked over the milk glass, but it was a friend at Goldman's Bridge Club, and she wanted to know if Mrs. Goldman Arrived home safely. While the family was having coffee, Rachel suddenly put down her napkin and said, "Mom and Dad, I'm sorry, but I have to go back. I'll be leaving tonight if I can get a plane." The Goldmans stared dumbfounded at their daughter, but Ellie closed her eyes with an adult reassurance that would have been amusing if it hadn't been for her pale, tense face.

The Goldmans couldn't understand it, and Rachel couldn't explain it to them. She believed that Elle had never heard about Pascoe's death, and she subconsciously put it aside. "Rachel, honey," her father said slowly and kindly, as if to someone on the verge of hysterics, "this is just your reaction to the death of your son. Ki's death was such a shock that no one will blame you, but you're going to be broken if you try to..." Rachel ignored her father's words. She went straight to the telephone in the hall, found the airline line in the phone book, and dialed a number. Mrs. Goldman stood beside her and told her to think carefully. For a moment, they should talk it over, maybe make a list, and see what to do... At the other end of Mrs. Rachel took some courage.

"Delta Airlines," said a cheery voice on the other end of the line, "this is Jim, what can I do for you?" "I think so," Rachel said. "I'm flying from Chicago to Bangor tonight. It's very important. I think it's urgent. Can you check to see if I still have a ticket?" The voice on the other end of the phone said hesitantly: "Yes, it's too big, but the time is a bit too short for booking tickets now." "Oh, please check," Rachel said hoarsely. "I can take the spare seat, anything." "Well, please wait, ma'am."

Rachel closed her eyes, and after a while she felt a cold hand grab her arm.Rachel opened her eyes and saw Ellie walking beside her, her own parents standing together, talking in whispers, looking at her; the way they looked at me, Rachel thought wearily, Like watching a madman.Rachel smiled at her daughter. Ellie whispered, "Mom, don't let them stop you, please." "No, Big Sister." After Rachel finished speaking, she flinched in pain.They've called their daughter Big Sister since Gage was born, but Elle won't be Big Sister anymore, will she?Gage is dead. "Thank you, Mom," Allie said.

"It's important, isn't it?" Allie nodded. "Honey, I'm sure it's important, but if you could tell me a little more, I think it would help. Was it just a dream?" "No," Allie said, "it's... now it's all, it's been running around in my head right now, can't you feel it, Mom, it's kind of like..." "It's kind of like a gust of wind." Allie sighed tremblingly. "But don't you remember anything else? Don't you remember anything else about your dream?" Allie thought hard, then shook her head reluctantly and said, "There's Daddy, Churchie the cat, and brother Gage, that's all I remember. But I can't remember how they got together Yes, mother!"

Rachel hugged her daughter tightly and said, "It's going to be fine." But the heaviness in her heart didn't ease one bit. "Hi, ma'am," said Jim's voice. "Hello?" Rachel clutched the phone and Elle tightly. "Ma'am, I think I can book you a ticket to Bangor, but you won't be arriving until late." "It's okay," Rachel said. "Do you have a pen? It's quite complicated, so I need to write it down." "Yes, it's right here." Rachel took out a pencil stub from the drawer and found an envelope. She listened carefully and wrote down all the information on the back of the envelope. After Jim finished speaking, Rachel smiled and made an O sign with her forefinger and thumb, telling Allie that everything was in order.Maybe it will work.There were a couple of connections that seemed particularly stressful...especially the one in Boston where there wasn't much time.

Rachel said, "Please book your tickets, thank you." Jim took down Rachel's name and credit card number, and when Rachel finally hung up, she felt weak but relieved.She looked at her father and said, "Dad, can you take me to the airport?" "Perhaps I should say no," said Mr. Goldman. "I think it may be my duty to prevent this madness of yours." "Dare you!" Ellie screamed. "It's not crazy! It's not!" Mr. Goldman looked at Allie in astonishment, and took a step back. Mrs. Goldman said in the silence, "Drive her. I'm starting to get nervous too. I'll feel better if I know Louis is okay."

Mr. Goldman stared at his wife for a moment, then finally turned to Rachel and said, "If you want me to drive you, I will. I... Rachel, if you want, I will I can go with you." Rachel shook her head and said, "Thanks, Dad, but the ticket I booked is the last one. It seems like God reserved it for me." Mr. Goldman sighed.At that moment, he looked very old, and it occurred to Rachel how much her father resembled Jud. "If you want to pack a bag, you still have time to pack it," Mr. Goldman said. "We can get to the airport in 40 minutes, if I drive down the same road I walked when I married your mother." That's fine. Old lady, go find your bag for your daughter."

"Mom," Ellie called.Rachel turned to her daughter and saw beads of sweat glistening on Ally's face. "what happened, Babe." "Be careful, Mom," Allie said.