Chapter 1 Part 5

After washing my face a second time in an effort to try and keep awake I looked in the mirror again, but that ugly person was still there. I told the mirrored reflection ‘good-bye’ before drying my hands. I made my way back to Petra’s hospital room.

I opened the door to the room. Anna was sitting beside her daughter, holding Petra’s right hand. I placed a chair on Petra’s left side so I could hold her left hand. I tried to be careful not to let Petra’s mother believe that I was trying to keep Petra all to myself. An impression of being selfish is not wanted what I wanted to portray.

Exhaustion overtook me quickly because I laid my head down beside Petra (near her pillow). I fell asleep and dreamed.

In the dream I found myself in a large white room. Petra was wearing a white dress. She walked up to me and took my hand.

'Don’t be afraid,' she said to me in Finnish.

'Not as long as you’re here with me.' I replied in English.

'Stay with me Petra,' I said to her as I took her in an embrace.

She slowly broke the embrace to place her hand on the left side of my chest.
'I am always there with you Robert. I am there in your heart,' she told me but in English this time. 'You have to be strong.'

'Robert,' a voice said from behind me. In the dream I turned around. No one was there.

'Robert!'

I woke from the dream to realize I had fallen into a deep sleep. I saw Petra’s mother holding our little baby Anna. It was Anna who had called out my name, rousing me from my slumber.