A Change Is Coming

October is the time of fall colored leaves, of cooler nights, and chillier days. It’s our daughter’s favorite time of year. She and her brother were young when we moved to Georgia (from California). Our first Fall we enjoyed going on trips into the mountains and finding colorful fall leaves. We also had fun putting the multi-colored leaves on mats of wax paper and then ironing the sheets to secure the leaves. We continued to enjoy them as our Thanksgiving Day place mats for several years.

October transitions us into cooler weather, brisker days, and brings about the lessening of leaves on trees around us. Sometime next month we’ll have to rake up all those wonderful leaves so we can still see our yards. Yes, there’s a change in the air. Be ready to embrace the beauty of this time of year. Every year brings changes. I hope the changes for you are good. They will be as long as you embrace the times with thanksgiving in your heart. 

Enjoy PART 1 of ABE, a touching story (in three parts) written by Jack. I’m sure you will like it as you also embrace any changes that come your way. Enjoy reading the story.

Bryan Edwards glanced down at his speedometer. “Sixty-seven miles an hour,” he whispered aloud. Traffic was light, and he was making good time for a Friday as he headed home. He stretched over to change the radio station and hit button two for the news station. Looking back to the road, he saw nothing but red tail lights and cars skidding in front of him. By instinct, her jerked the steering wheel to his right and slammed on the brakes. The car cross the shoulder, and skidded through the grass toward a huge oak tree.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Do you know what your name is?” the ICU nurse asked while she buzzed the front desk. “Can you have the doctor come in here? Mr. Edwards has come out of the coma.”

Bryan blinked several times at the bright light and early managed to say “Bryan Lee Edwards. Where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital. You had an accident,” the nurse said as she took his wrist and felt his pulse.

“What day is it?” he questioned.

It’s Thursday.” She took out her pen and jotted the reading on the chart.

“Thursday? What’s the date?”

“It’s July 30th. You’ve been in a coma for three weeks.” She put on her stethoscope and listened to his heart. “But you’re okay. Your age and being in good health is in your favor.”

“Three weeks?” Bryan couldn’t believe it.

“Yep, three weeks,” the nurse replied.

Bryan looked around the room in disbelief. “Who is that?”

“Who?” she asked as she looked around the empty room.

“That young man standing over there all dressed in black.” He pointed to the corner.

“There’s no one in the room sir. You had a bad head injury. Maybe you just need a little more time to heal.”

He thought she might be right. The man in black remained expressionless watching him. Bryan squinted at the monogram on his black, long-sleeved pullover shirt. It looks like ABE. ABE? Is this Abe Lincoln coming back to see me? I must be crazy. No, he doesn’t look like the pictures of Abe Lincoln. Bryan thought he was quite handsome. He rubbed his eyes and look again. Still there. Maybe a nap will help. He closed his eyes and dozed.

Bryan awoke with the sound of the doctor and the nurses talking. He quickly looked around the room hoping the man in black had been a medicine-induced figment of his imagination, but he was still there, standing at the back of the room against the wall. No use saying anything. They’ll just think I’m wacky.

The doctor wrote something on the chart. “You’re doing very well. You’ll be out of here in no time. The nurse said you might have had a problem with seeing someone who isn’t here. Do you still see him?”

Bryan looked over to where he had seen ABE last, and he was still there.

“Yes, he’s still here.”

The doctor smiled, shook his head, and walked out of the room. The nurses followed.

He look at ABE again. “Who are you?”

ABE said nothing.

“Is your name ABE or are you from some company, like Acme Bicycle Company?

No response from ABE.

Bryan pushed the envelope. “Well, are you an angel or a demon? I’d rather you be an angel.”

ABE said nothing.

Bryan shook his head and took another shot at asking ABE several questions. “Do you talk?”

Again, ABE said nothing.

Bryan looked around for something to throw at ABE. He reached for a tissue box and threw it at him, but it fell short of his target. ABE didn’t flinch, but just stared.

“I’m just going to call you ABE. I’m not crazy. I must have shorted out some neuron or something,” Bryan muttered to himself. “Are you here to harm me?” Bryan said out loud but realized that if he was there to harm him, he would have already done something. He hoped he’d disappear.

Just then the door opened to his room and another doctor walked in.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Hello, I’m Dr. Barnes, I’m the psychiatrist. I understand you think you see someone who no one else can see.”

“Well, yes,” Bryan answered.

“This isn’t too unusual after a head injury. Sometimes people see old school mates or someone in their past due to the head trauma. Is it someone you recognize? May someone had a conflict with in the past?” Dr. Barnes asked, ready to write Bryan’s response on his paper.

“No, I have never seen him before,” Bryan responded.

“Are you a religious person? Maybe you’re dreaming up an angel or other being.”

“I’m religious, but I’m not dreaming up someone or something,” Bryan assured.

“What is this figure you see doing?” Dr. Barnes asked.

“Nothing, just standing there watching me,” Bryan replied.

“Does he speak to you?”

“No, he just looks at me.”

“Well, I’d say since you’re a religious person, your mind probably is imagining someone has to come save you from further injury,” Dr. Barnes explained. “Just try to imagine that you are now perfectly safe and you have no need for someone to watch over you. It…he…will go away. Just be patient.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The days passed and beautiful Julie Jenkins walked down the aisle toward Bryan as he waited in front of the small Methodist church. Standing next to Mitch, his best man, he looked around the sanctuary for ABE. He was there sitting in the back row. Bryan took a deep breath and looked back to his soon-to-be bride. Whoever he was didn’t cause him any problems, and he hadn’t seen him since he was in the hospital months ago. But he sure couldn’t tell Julie about him. No use her thinking he was nutty even thought he might be.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Part 2 Continues Next Month