Familiar Stranger

“The DVD should start reading automatically,” said the tall nurse. “Just push play on the controller to start the movie.” The nurse slid the controller into Megan’s twisted hand, walked quickly out of the room, and let the door close behind her with a soft thump. From the hospital bed, Megan followed the nurse with her eyes and winced at the sound of the door closing. Megan heard the swish of the nurse’s scrubs as she walked quickly down the hallway. She wished the nurse had stayed a little longer. She would have like to talk to someone.

Megan fumbled awkwardly with the controller in her hand. Even if she could not move her arms and legs, being able to push the tiny buttons gave her a small feeling of control over herself. Megan lay in the bed, one crooked hand wrapped around the controller and the other curled awkwardly around her My Little Pony named Jewels. Megan zoned as she watched the Muppet characters bumble across the TV screen. Her eyes were fixed unmovingly on the screen mounted on the wall and her mouth was slightly open. Halfway through the movie Megan lost interest in the fuzzy creatures. She stretched her thumb for the red power button at the top of the controller and turned the TV off, her whole hand shook with the effort. The screen went black and the room was quiet. Too quiet.

“Jewels” Megan said to the purple pony in her other hand. “We have to stay here awhile. I know you don’t like it very much but Mommy will be here soon and then nurse will bring us grape Jello. And if we are good she will also bring us Macaroni and Cheese.” Megan craned her neck to see her twisted limbs. “And if we are very very good nurse says we will get better and go home... if we are very very good.” Megan stared at the ceiling. It was white, like the walls, like her sheets, like her hospital gown. Everything went suddenly white.

Megan opened her eyes without realizing that she had closed them. She heard the children before she saw them. Their laughter came floating towards her like a friendly and familiar breeze. The children surrounded her. Two girls about her age grabbed Megan’s hands and pulled her into their circle. Megan stood—she stood!—enveloped by the children in the middle of a gigantic green field. Megan laughed as she looked down at her perfectly straight legs and pudgy hands. She stepped cautiously once and then jumped up and down ecstatically. The other children clapped their hands and smiled as Megan joined their gleeful play in the field. Covering the field were snow white flowers that she did not recognize but they came up to above her knees and seemed to be nodding their heads to the laughter of the children.

Megan felt herself being twirled around and around, her blonde hair whirling around her face like helicopter, until her feet left the ground. It felt delicious. From somewhere a single child’s giggle echoed across the field above all the other laughter. It sounded so unique and hilarious that Megan could not help but smile. She looked around for the laughing child before realizing it was her own laughter—which made her laugh all the harder. As she twirled, Megan became aware that someone strong held her by the arms and was spinning her. As she slowed down a man’s face came into focus. He was laughing along with her as he set her down. The children were gone.

“Do I know you?” Megan asked breathless. She tottered slightly.

“Yes, you do.” The stranger smiled at her. He was rather plain looking, with a wide forehead and high cheekbones. Megan was sure she did not recognize his face but something about his eyes seemed vaguely familiar...and his smile.

“Yes, I think I do.”

“I want to show you something,” the man said. He took her by the hand and ran with her faster than Megan had ever dreamed it was possible to run even in her wildest fantasies about what it would feel like to run. He ran and she felt like she was being carried along by the wind. Her feet barely seemed to touch the grass. They ran right to the edge of the green field where it suddenly dropped down in a sheer cliff to the ocean below. The sea looked like it was made of glass and the Sun was just setting beyond the horizon. It filled the sky with rays of purple, gold, and some other color Megan did not know the name of. The colors reflected off the waves of the ocean were mixed into even more amazing shades. The whole landscape seemed to be a moving symphony of colorful sounds and light.

Megan stood breathless at the very edge of the cliff. The ocean breeze whipped her hair back from her face and her cheeks glowed rosy with delight. “It is so beautiful.”

“I am glad you like it” the man said. “I made it especially for you.”

“You made it for me?”

“Yes. I have made many many things for you.”

“You have?” Megan thought for a moment. “Oh, yes I remember now... the forests, and the beautiful rainbow slides, and the ponies, and last time I was here you taught me how to twirl.” Megan stepped back and spun around. “And now I am really good at twirling.”

The man laughed. “Yes you are. And next time you come back I will show you something else... but it is a surprise.”

“I have to go back?”

“Yes. You do,” said the man becoming suddenly serious.

“I wish I could stay here with you.” Megan looked hopefully up at the tall man.

“I know. And I want you to stay with me too. But there are still a few more things I need you to finish back there.”

“I can’t stay then?”

“No child, I am sorry. You cannot stay. There is nothing worse than being called away before the right time. I would never do that to you Megan.”

“Oh,” said Megan. “Is back there very important then?”

“Yes. It is the most important thing. If you do not finish well there it will be much harder for you to fully enjoy being here with me.”

“Oh,” said Megan. “I guess I don’t really understand. When I am here with you I never want to leave. But when I go back I seem to forget you every time. I don’t know how I can finish well if I keep forgetting you.” Megan looked up at the man and slipped her little hand into his huge one. “I don’t want to forget again.”

The man grabbed Megan’s other hand, knelt down next to her, and looked into her eyes. His eyes were multi-colored like the beautiful sunset that had just finished fading in front of them. Megan saw an answer in his eyes that did not fully make sense in her mind but seemed to wrap itself around her heart. She knew everything would be okay.

“I will be coming back very soon. Won’t I?”

“Yes, you will sweet one. But next time you come you will be able to stay much much longer. In fact next time you won’t have to leave.”

“Promise?”

“Yes, I promise.”

“Then I had better finish well.” Megan’s forehead crinkled. “I don’t even understand what that means. Will I be able to finish well?”

“Of course you will, darling. Of course you will.”

“I’m glad.”

“So am I. More than you even know.” The man kissed Megan’s forehead and tweaked her nose.

Somewhere far away Megan heard a voice calling. “Wake up honey. It is time to wake up.” The beautiful field with the flowers and the familiar stranger melted. The last thing she saw was his smile before the white ceiling of the hospital room returned. Megan saw her mother’s face and felt her warm hand on her cheek.

“Hello sweetheart. How are you feeling?”

“Mommy, I just had the most beautiful dream ever.”

“You did? What was it about?”

“Yes, I was... it was....” Megan searched her mind for the disappearing fragments of the dream but nothing remained except a beautiful peace. “I can’t remember.”

“That’s okay sweetheart.”

Megan closed her eyes and smiled. “I remember his eyes though.... I remember his eyes.”