Jay is challenged with loneliness

Jay on his childhood island

Jay is challenged by loneliness

Jay realizes that that he has a long way to go... He feels fatigued to his bones and sinks down on the bed and falls into a trance. He cannot feel his body and his respiration slows down and he starts to panic! L.J.! What is going on with me? I can barely breathe! No answer from the boy. Jay keeps on trying to suck in air, but realizes that he is just gulping. His lungs seems to collapse. His panic rises to higher levels by the second. He is desperate and even more so as he is paralyzed from feet to head! He lets himself drift into whatever is happening to him. His breathing stops; everything gets dark around him. Then there's a faint, bluish light dawning and he can see a familiar landscape emerging.. He knows that he is clinically dead, but he can see the low hills of his childhood favourite island; just outside the coast. He even feels the chilling breeze that always blows on this little island in the North Atlantic. He sees himself as a boy (He thinks of L.J. who is appearing in his vision.) the boy is walking up the hills and stops when he reaches the top. He can see the little farm just beneath him and the ocean all around the island. Jay watches all this and realizes that there is something wrong; there's no people to be seen anywhere and the seagulls that would attack him because it's the time of the year when small chicks are running around all over the place, No seagulls, not a movement from any living being. There are no ships to see out in the sea... The old and well known feeling of being alone in this world creeps into him. He starts to cry. He is standing on top the highest point of the island and he is abandoned by everyone who is supposed to be here at this time of the year; his parents, his brother, his friends and cousins... He is devastated and falls down on his knees and cries the heavy tears of loneliness, which will follow him throughout his life...

Jay lies in the bed on another isolated island in the sea. He feels his lungs gradually starting to function again. He breathes in very carefully and recognizes the energy of life seeping into him again; coming through the top of his head. He slowly opens his eyes and sees the boy; L.J. standing by the bed. His image fades away, but he was smiling at Jay... Jay pulls himself up to a half sitting position; supported only by his shivering elbows. He slowly pulls himself backwards and leans against the wall... He sits in this position for a long time, until he hears a knock on the door and notices that Pearly is back with him. Now he really starts to cry as if he hasn't seen her for months. She walks up to the bed and strokes his sweaty hair. "How are you, my love?" She says; still stroking his hair. Jay cannot speak and just holds up his hand to signal that he needs some time. He points to his throat... Pearly places herself beside him and holds him tight, all the time cuddling him and whispering in his ear: "I am here for you, my love"...

Jay slips down the wall and lies down on the bed again. "I am OK, now"... Then he falls asleep. Pearly stays with him for several hours...