With love and thankfulness
for oeuvre of U2 and Inhaler

💧

The twilight was shrouding the world, frozen by the breath of winter. Long fingers of darkness were painting rooms with navy blue drops of shades, which were sinking through snowy windows. Despite the late hour, in the bedroom of the Irish house there was blinking a delicate light of a night lamp. It was turned on by the pale hand of the sad boy, who was lying in his bed and looking with his amber eyes in the sky, which was brightening only by tiny sparks of stars.

Suddenly he turned around, when he heard quiet steps behind himself, and he saw his dad standing at the entrance. The man looked around the room, recognized that John was sleeping deeply, and then he came nearer to the older son.
― What's going on, Eli? Why don't you sleep? ― asked he, sitting down on the shore of the son's bed and embracing his cold fingers with the big warm hand.
― Somehow ... I can't fall asleep, daddy. I don't know why, but I started to think about death. And I'm scared of that, what it will be, when we die ― said Elijah, looking with sadness in bluebonnet eyes of his night comrade.

― Oh, my my. I understand. Everybody's afraid of it. Me too ― whispered Paul, wiping tears from son's cheeks and hugging him ― But, you know what, I think, that we're lucky somehow, 'cause we've got a hope, that He came through this, too, though He was scared. By the way, He promised, that He will prepare there for us awesome rooms.

Elijah laid his little head on father's breast, which was covered by the white night T-shirt, smiled delicately and touched the small cross, which he was wearing on his neck.

― Thank you, father. Your faith is beautiful. I'd like someday to be as brave as you are... I'm still afraid of some-things, so many doubts wake up inside me. And probably I think too much about things, which aren't dependent on me.

At first, Bono wanted to answer, that bravery doesn't mean, that you don't feel fear at all and that you know everything for sure. For some reason, he found these words trivial. Despite that, he lightened in the smile his raw-beautiful face, cut with wrinkles by worries, and said:
― You are brave, Sweetheart.

After some time, filled with moments of silence and dialogues, Elijah lied down again and Paul pulled carefully the emerald green cover over him and stroked his dark-cocoa hair.
― Sing something for me. Pleease ― asked the boy.

Despite the strong tiredness, Paul kneeled near the son's bed and hugging his little hand, he began to sing:

See the stone set in your eyes,
See the thorn twist in your side.
I wait for you.

Slide of hand and twist of fate,
On bed of nails it makes me wait.
And I wait without you.

With or without you?
With or without you?
I can't live,
With or without you?

Through the storm
We reach the shore,
You give it all,
But I want more.
And I'm waiting for you.

With or without you?
With or without you?
I can't live,
With or without you?

And you give yourself away,
And you give yourself away,
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away.

With or without you?
With or without you?
(oh oh)
I can't live,
With or without you?

When Eli fell asleep, Paul kissed him sofly on his forehead and silently came out of the room.

💧

Eight years later, Elijah and his friends Josh, Robert and Ryan organized for Bono the surprising concert to celebrate his fifty ninth birth-day. Despite performing beloved tracks of U2 with virtuosic companion of The Edge, Larry and Adam, lads were planning also to play some songs of their own band.

Paul David was really surprised and touched deeply; listening to them, he was having the impression, that he found himself in the wonderful world, where love is a higher law, where the streets have no name, and everyone knows, that she or he is not a hopeless case, but one of a kind.

At first he was rather sceptical about artistic aspirations of Elijah and his band, but after getting to know better and deeper their refined arrangements, filled with the passion of youth, he realised, that he can't demand from his son coming up to all father's expectations.

While he was just sitting, listening, tapping, and humming, and looking from time to time at the bright youthful face of Elijah, whose delicate features were reflecting deep sensitivity and mindfulness to the world and people, Paul David's heart filled with warm waves of love, pride and honey-tender-emotion.

After dynamic, energetic performances of It Won't Always Be Like This and When I'm With You, there was a moment of peaceful silence and breath. Soon the room filled with the light-blue-lily melody of Oklahoma and Elijah started to sing with his little hoarse, ardent voice:

I fell in love with
Girl from Oklahoma
While she did her make-up
Felt a little older

Oklahoma girl
Count the letters
On your arm
Oklahoma girl
Now you're gone

Told me to run
I just couldn't listen
Now you're gone
Only I can miss you

Oklahoma girl
Count the letters
On your arm
Oklahoma girl
Now you're gone

I don't know, if there's a way
To be a good daddy
Talk to your daughter
Like she ain't just a pretty face
And you can have the world
If you want it
Keeping the time
We're gonna elevate

Oklahoma girl
Count the letters
On your arm
Oklahoma girl
Now you're gone

When the last melodies silenced, Elijah jumped off the stage and found himself right in front of Paul. For the moment they were looking in one's another sparkling eyes and then the boy hugged strongly father's hand, kissed it and said:
― All the best, daddy. It's so wonderful, that we are.

💧