Believe In The Moment

by TJ Phillips

This is a first draft of the first chapter.

“Dr Wolfe, you must come now!” (Miguel's Mother) pleads as the door opens. The run to his home has her gasping, every breath creating a wisp in the cool night air. She clutches her cloak more tightly against her, anxiously kneeding the cloth as she tries to catch her breath and waits for him to speak. Dr Wolfe waves her in and guides her toward the fire. “What is the matter? Is Miguel alright?” She shakes her head yes but still can’t continue. ”You must calm yourself.” Soon, she’s able to speak again, her heavy accent making it difficult to understand what she’s saying. ”Miguel, is awake but he’s talking crazy. You must come right away. You must heal him.” Dr Wolfe knew what she meant. They called him the healer of children. He didn’t mind but it was a bit unusual for a scientist.

He dresses quickly and grabs his bag on the way out. As they make their way through the darkness, the gentle glow from her small lantern barely illuminates the path. The road is rough and sometimes pitch black but (MM) doesn’t miss a step. The occasional candlelit window reminds him that life starts early for the villagers.  From the door, you can hear (Miguel’s grandmother) softly crying. Miguel is crying too but not because he’s hurt. Dr Wolfe puts his lantern down on a side table and goes to Miguel. He sits on the bed and wipes the tears from the small face before him. “Don’t cry, Miguel. Everything will be all right. Mother and grandmother are scared. That’s all. They’re happy you’re awake. You see?” Dr Wolfe moves aside so Miguel can see them hugging each other and doing their best to smile at him.

“Now, let’s take a look at you.” Miguel jumps at the cold stethoscope and Dr W laughs and tickles him. He warms it against his palm and tries again. While listening to the precious heartbeat, he looks him over. The bruises from his fall have healed nicely. It will be a while before his arm is healed but he’s lucky that’s all he broke.

“You were asleep for a very long time, my friend. Where did you go while you were sleeping?” The surprised look on Miguel’s face was priceless. He didn’t know whether to tell Dr W of the dreams or not. “Did you have wonderful dreams in this sleep of yours?” He continues to look him over. He seems to be doing well. He’s very bright for 7 years and well spoken for a boy of his station. Miguel keeps looking to see if his mother and grandmother were still in the room. “Can you leave us alone for a bit?” “Of course. We’ll be right outside.” ”Thank you.”

Miguel’s mother started crying when he told her about his dreams and he didn’t want her to cry again. He was sure Dr W wouldn’t cry and he trusted him. His eyes were full of wonder and concern as he told his story. ”I dreamed I was an old man. A fisherman. Living by the sea.” “Go on. What about this fisherman.” “He’s getting very old and complains of his bones a lot, like grandmother.” “Oh, he must be old.” “Yes, and he doesn’t want to be old. He wants to keep fishing. He loves the sea. I went out on a boat and caught many fish. My family was very happy.” ”I see.” This was not an ordinary dream for a 7 yr old child and he could see Miguel was a little confused but Dr W had seen this before.

“You know who I think this fisherman is?” Miguel shakes his head and looks up at Dr W’s smile, his eyes wide as he senses Dr Ws joy. “I think he’s a healing spirit sent to watch over you until you woke up. And now that you’re awake he can go back to fishing.” “But why did grandmother cry when I told her of the fisherman?” ”She didn’t understand.” Miguel is nodding his head. ”As long as you remember him, he’ll stay young enough to keep fishing forever on the sea. That would be a very nice thing to do for him, now, wouldn’t it?” Miguel nods and asks “How do I remember him?” “You say thank you every day. Can you do that?” “Oh yes, I can do it. Thank you, fisherman. See?” Miguel smiles as Dr W tousles his hair.”That’s wonderful.” ”I’m going to talk to mother and grandmother now. OK?” Miguel nods and yawns.

Mother and grandmother were impatiently waiting outside. “He’s going to be fine.” He says, as he opens the door. ”Oh, thank you, Dr W” Miguel’s mother sobs into his shirt as grandmother pats her on the back. “You can see him now.” They rush in to see his smiling little face. He’s smothered in kisses and this time he doesn’t even try to push them away. Mother turns to Dr W and thanks him again. “You are an angel, Dr Wolfe.” He laughs, thanks her and tells her he’ll be back in the morning.

As he makes his way back through the darkness, he’s reminded again why he loves this town.

Molly rubs her eyes as she stretches in the morning sun. “What a dream!” She’s never had a dream seem so real before. She made a mental note not to eat horseradish just before bed. As she got ready for the day, she wondered where it would take her. She loved taking vacations with no agenda. She came to Prague on a whim after reading this is where Dr Wolfe’s journal had been written, but was glad she did. The sun was just piercing the horizon bringing this beautiful city to life. Long jagged silhouettes cut across red roofs while a golden glow transforms the whitewashed buildings into something magical.

The city had a spell on her last night. She got in late and stayed out even later with her new friends. They’d warned her not to drink after traveling for 2 days without sleep. But she was having a good time and they were getting to know each other. She still thought it was the horseradish that did her in, though. Whew! That stuff had a kick.

Once the sun was up, she couldn’t sleep. It didn’t matter what time she went to bed. Today wasn’t any different. She hit the road for her run and enjoyed the feel of the cobblestones beneath her feet. Early morning always held a special place in her heart. It was quiet then, she thought of folks still curled up in their beds, peaceful dreams keeping them company. Her dream wasn’t what you’d call peaceful but it wasn’t terrible either. She thought it was interesting that Dr Wolfe made it into her dream. She needed to find out more about him.

She turns a corner and gasps.”Wow!” It felt so familiar but she’s never been to Prague before. “Wait a minute, in the travel photos, lots of the streets looked like this one.” As she ran down the street and turned another corner, it felt familiar too. But it looked a lot like the last one. Well, that had to be it, she was in a very old part of town and many of the streets looked the same.

On the return trip, she decided to stop for coffee. The shop was just opening and the smell of fresh rolls was irresistable. She sat down to a sweet roll and coffee when she looked across the street. Something didn’t look right. She couldn’t explain it but she knew something had been changed. When the shopkeeper came around to ask if she needed anything, ”What can you tell me about that building.” “It was built in the 1800s. Its been in the … family for centuries.” She wasn’t sure why, but she asked if he knew of the building prior to that. He said no but he was sure there was one. She finished her roll and walked back to the hotel enjoying the fresh air and sounds of a city waking to a new day.

After meeting her friends for an exhilerating day on the water, Molly decides to explore the city before dark. This city is gorgeous by night but the way light plays with the spires and domes as the day passes, is incredible, especially when the sun hangs low in the sky. Not only was this a beautiful city, but it was a comfortable one. She felt at home here. When she paid attention to where she was again, she realized she’d walked to the same street as her run this morning. The shop was still open, so she got a cup of decaf and watched the last of the crimson streaks give way to cobalt blue and finally twinkling stars above. She stared at the building across the street and decided she needed to find out what it was before. It wouldn’t take long, after all, finding answers was what she did.

On her way out the next morning, she stops by the front desk. “Can you tell me where the office of land records is located?” “That depends on the land. What land are you looking at in particular?” She gives him the address and he says “Why don’t you just ask the family. They will be happy to tell you the story of their heritage.” His smile is genuine and she knows she is going to visit the family. She just wasn’t sure how she was going to explain why she was asking about their home.

Standing at the door, she still doesn’t know what she’s going to say. Before she can get up the nerve to knock, the door opens and a young man almost runs her over with a bicycle. “Oh!” She yells and jumps out of the way. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?” The young man asks as he helps her get her balance. She straightens herself and tells him she’s fine.

“Are you sure you’re OK? Can I help you?” He asks and waits for her reply. She takes a deep breath and is just about to ask if his mother is home when she hears someone coming. “Miguel, what are you still doing here?” Molly’s jaw drops and she looks at Miguel. He has the same curly dark hair and big brown eyes as the boy in her dream. She shakes her head and introduces herself to the lovely woman.

“Hello, I’m Molly …"