Ringring! Ringring! Ringing!
an alarm clock goes off on bedside table. the room dim as a warm golden rays of sunshine peeking in between the the curtains. a young man layed on a bed under the warmth of thick blankets the sun's warmth barely reaching his face. soon he squirms under the blankets his body moves trying to get up.
slowly he opens his eyes an unforgiving coldness momentarily found in them. blinking a few times he starts to get up a light smile found on his face as he gets ready for work. first a trip to the bathroom to wash his face and clean up. he walks over to the sink and looks at himself in the mirror just above.
he sees a face riddled with scars that fade away with a blink. he splashes water onto his face and grabbed a towel after he finishes cleaning up. headed to his closet he grabs his clothes. glancing down near the back of his closet he sees a silver twinkle tucked away in the corner inside a green helmet.
emotions flash through his eyes but taking a deep breath he turns around now clothed leaving the upstairs loft and headed down to his bakery. with a bit of a late start he gets busy rolling out the dough made last night cutting it stretching it braiding all with a smile enjoying every moment.
putting the bread in the oven he washes his hands and the counter. after everything's cleaned he walks to the entrance with its heavy oak doors and it's small brass bell and peers out side finding not much but snow. his smile wanes for a moment but he shakes his head and goes back to the kitchen making pitchers of coffee and hot cocoa.
Ding!
walking over to the oven he takes out the bread and sets it up on the front counter with jam, butter, and cheese set beside it for customers to have with the bread. flipping the window sign to say open he waits for his costumers arrival. in thought he goes to retrieve the coffee and cocoa made in the back.
Ding-ding!
coming back with the drinks he sees Mr.Cassady closing the entrance after entry and patting of the snow flakes from his jacket; a cane in hand.
" Mr.Cassady nice to see you. How have you been? The weather's been a bit bad lately."
"I've been better; this cold weather just never seems to leave. how do you like the shop? it's been about a week since you've opened up."
"Never better, I've always enjoyed baking, and i get to see the joy on the faces of my customers."
"ya your bread has a warmth that sticks with you after eating it. it's quite comforting..."
"here, coffee or cocoa?"
"well how could I pass up hot cocoa?"
"haha well here you are it's on the house."
"you know you'll need money to keep this place open right?"
"ya ya; have you seen the others?"
"no... not yet you know they are still busy and if they come to soon I'll be worried."
"why worry, if it's just a visit?"
Mr.Cassady looks slightly taken aback by the notion and in confusion asks "where would they visit?"
not understanding where this is going he answers with slight miff "my bakery of course. where else?"
a range of emotions run over Mr.Cassadys face
ending on something between excitement and panic as he whispers "it's not his time." then making eye contact he says "forgive me later."
in a sprint he makes his way to the oak doors and yells "it's not time yet you need to go back! go and make this place real!" as He pulls the doors and holds them open and an all to familiar numbing cold blows in forcing your eyes shut.
a heavy blow is felt on my chest yelling is heard in the distance my vision blurry. slowly I start to see someone leaning over me a cross on their arm. cold I feel so cold with a burning around my legs. the man seeing me open my eyes is surprised and immediately waves for others his mouth moving but only a dull ringing is heard with echoed voices to distant to understand. a slight pinch of pressure is felt on my legs as others arive and pull me onto a stretcher and ran as fast as they could as they held the stretcher. the view still blurry all I could do was watch the stars in the night sky and feel the cold breeze that carried snow flakes over head and I could feel only the slightest warmth remain in my chest.
FEBRUARY 1917
TWO MONTHS LATER
sitting in a wheelchair in the cold frost holding a small warm loaf of bread he tears weld up feeling the warmth of his dream held in his hands...
"Sir. Lt.Cassady had passed away during the mortar fire a large amount of the shrapnel had reached his chest. his death was near instantaneous. Sir...."
"thank you Jack for bringing me back I still have a dream I need to fulfill." he pushes away in a wheelchair leaving behind a grave stone
'Lt. Jack Cassady a patriot a fighter a son and only child yet a brother to many.'
a wwl soldier dreamt of being a baker as he stormed the trenches in the numbing cold seeing possible customers in the faces of his fellow soldiers whom fell in combat dreaming of a endless warmth to reach him and his fellows as the snow fell in an unforgiving winter.