Anna shrugged and looked out the classroom window.
“I’ll pick you up at 6.” Sofia waited for a response but Anna just kept looking out the window. Glancing over her friend’s shoulder she saw a familiar black clad figure walking slowly down the sidewalk, away from the school. Sofia shuddered but Anna seemed mesmerized.
Not only did Anna not answer her door that night, she wasn’t at school the next day either. While she was sitting by herself at lunch the next day Sofia couldn’t help but notice that the HA marker had reappeared by the little door. It was calling out-- she could feel the pull, and part of her needed to investigate. But the other part was petrified. She really needed someone to talk to. Sofia decided to talk to Father Andrew.
Chapter 21
“Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was-- I think-- Lent.” Sofia paused before she began. “First of all I kind of lied to my mother. I thought it was the only way I could help my friend, but it was still a lie. Second-- I don’t know if this is a sin even, or trespassing or anything, but I’ve been taking little excursions to Marian apparitions behind the HA door.”
“Ah… so it was you.” Father Andrew stroked his beard. “Well, you know Cathedral is a pilgrimage site.”
“So you don’t mind?”
He shrugged. “Belief in apparitions is optional.”
“Another thing…” Sofia had been pleating her skirt between her fingers. Now her eyes met Father Andrew’s. “I remember about the Gonkers. Pentecost. I was just a little girl.”
“Well, that is surprising.” Father Andrew appraised her thoughtfully. “I wonder why. Was there some other reason for your visit today?”
“My friend Anna. I’m worried about her. Her parents are getting a divorce, and she’s really upset. She’s been wearing all black-- she even dyed her hair. Now she’s starting to skip school.”
Fr. Andrew sighed. “This is upsetting, and of course we all need to be there for Anna and her family, but the best thing we can do is pray. I will, too.”
Chapter 22
It wasn’t much, but it was a relief to finally talk to someone other than Grandpa Jack. There was someone else she needed to contact, but for this she needed to get the number from her mother.
Aunt Donna had moved far away as soon as she grew up and there had only been a handful of visits since then. Sofia had seen her twice in her life. When she was a teenager Sofia had heard she went through some difficult stages. The other aunts said she would sneak out at night and run with the kids who had no supervision. Sofia’s mother said she was big trouble for her parents and they were relieved when Aunt Donna finally grew up. And apparently Donna had felt the same way. She couldn’t get away from the family fast enough.
But when she came back she was a different person, a mother, like the other Mcguires. Then she regretted the necessity of living so far from her family, but her family and job kept her rooted in the South. She was never anything but nice to Sofia.
“Hi, Bug Bean!” Aunt Donna’s voice was full of warmth.
“Aunt Donna, Nobody’s called me that since I was five.”
“Well, aren’t we all grown up!”
And then there was much catching up on what each of the families had been doing and other polite inquiries. Eventually Sofia got around to the point of the phone call. When she asked if Donna remembered someone by the name of Ali there was dead silence on the line.
“He was in San Quentin,” she finally choked out. “Tell me he still is.”
“He’s living in the old Blom house. He said you and he were friends.”
This provoked a dry laugh on the part of her Aunt. “We were not friends,” she said with ice in her voice. “His name was Oliver-- people called him fat Ollie. Then he lost weight and changed the spelling to A-l-i. He hung around with the-” here she hesitated a bit- “people I knew back then, but he really wasn’t one of us. I felt sorry for him-- that was a big mistake. Promise me something, Sof-- stay away from that man! Better yet, get a restraining order and make him stay away from you. I cannot stress this enough. Oliver Blom is extremely dangerous. You said he talked to you…? Don’t talk to him-- EVER! Promise me you’ll have nothing to do with that man!” Then, after a pause she said, “Can I talk to your mom?”
And that’s when Sofia’s mother became crazy over-protective. Neither she nor her sister was allowed to set foot out the door unaccompanied by an adult-- ever. After a few days they both felt like prisoners. They didn’t get to walk home from school any more. Sofia couldn’t even sneak in a visit with Grandpa Jack and when she did get to see him there were always all sorts of other people around and it was impossible to even talk to him.
She did manage a couple of minutes alone with him on the porch. She took advantage of asking what had happened with Donna and the man called Ali.
“Bad news!” At first Sofia thought he was talking about the mail but then her grandfather shuddered as he snapped the mailbox shut, shuffling through the pile. “Nothin but junk anymore.” He sighed and when he next spoke he sounded deathly weary. “That Ali was into every bad thing you can think of-- and I don’t want your mind going there. I was never more grateful than when they hauled him away… I had hoped it was for good.” His gaze was wistful. “Your aunt was never the same. Well, not until she had your cousins. Children can be very healing… I prayed all the time in those days. But if it wasn’t for the Protector, who knows where she’d be now.”
“Who’s the Protector?”
Her grandfather’s eyes bored into hers. “You know him.” At her blank look, He said, “the simple one.”
Sofia had no idea who he was talking about.
Chapter 23
“ I need to use the washroom.” Sofia’s mother nodded and closed her eyes to resume praying.
She didn’t, but Sofia knew from past experience that she would only be gone for a few minutes. She was a bit relieved that her mother didn’t insist on coming with her, but there was hardly anyone in church during Adoration. Definitely not Ali Blom. As the little door clicked shut behind her she noted that the glowing light which beckoned was once again blue, the feeling was peaceful. No drums, no snakes.
Immaculate Conception was the inscription below this statue. The apparition had occurred in 1536 in Lourdes, France. As Sofia read aloud the spinning began. She landed in a meadow in front of a grotto beside which there was a stream. There was a group of people approaching, among them a girl of about the same age as Sofia, although she was quite petite. When she reached the grotto, she knelt and pulled out a knotted rosary. Her face changed then, she seemed almost to be falling into a trance. Sofia knew why, although the others who had followed seemed impervious. A beautiful lady dressed in white with a blue sash had appeared. The lady told the girl to drink from the spring and she gestured to a muddy patch. She told the confused girl to eat of the vegetation which grew there.
The onlookers were horrified when the girl got on her knees in the mud and tried to scoop it up as though it were drinkable. They began to murmur with disgust when she picked the greens and stuffed them in her mouth. Then they dragged the poor girl away in spite of her protests. Only Sofia was there to see the little stream which began to flow from the spot where the girl had been digging. The lady floated to the stream and, bending, filled a glass vial with the water. Then, wordlessly she handed the vial to Sofia, and Sofia began once again to whirl.
Chapter 24
Magic Show
“So this is the legendary healing water of Lourdes.” Grandpa Jack rocked the little vial which he was cradling in his palm.
“I wonder why she gave it to me.”
Her grandfather carefully passed it back to Sofia. “You’ll know.”
“How will I know?”
“When the time is right you’ll just know. In the meanwhile you need to put this somewhere safe.”
Sofia tucked the vial into the pocket of her hoodie. She looked to her grandfather earnestly. “So why has this been
happening to me?”
“Let’s look back at where you’ve gone and see if we can figure that out. First you went to see Our Lady of the Pillar…” he prompted.
“And saw St. James. He was having a hard time bringing the message of Jesus to the very first Christians, and so he prayed and then she came.”
“And left a visible sign that the Gospel was real,” her grandfather continued.
“And then the people believed.”
“Next?” her grandfather urged her to continue.
“The Saint Dominic dream where she gave him the rosary to help the people overcome that heresy.”
“Albigensianism.” Her grandfather nodded. “That was when the rosary really took off as a prayer. Next?”
Sofia shuddered. “Guadalupe.” Her voice cracked when she spoke the word.
“The poor people were being offered as human sacrifice to the false gods of the sun, moon, and stars,” her grandfather recapped for Sofia. “She came to save them from this and to let them know they were loved.”
“Then Lourdes,” Sofia said.
There was silence for a minute before her grandfather spoke. “In every culture there is a legend of a perfect woman-- sort of like a Disney princess. Because of this, and because she was given to be our Mother at the foot of the Cross, Mary has been the perfect Apostle to all the oppressed people of all time.”
“I thought there weren’t any female Apostles,” Sofia said.
“Mary seems to have a special connection to the number thirteen. She often appears on that date.” Grandpa Jack shrugged. “I like to think of her as the thirteenth Apostle.”
Chapter 25
At Mass the following weekend Sofia found herself mulling over her grandfather’s words. Imagine Mary, the original “Disney princess”, the underlying legend of every human race-- the perfect woman. The new Eve. There was a mosaic icon of Mary in the side chapel across from where Sofia was sitting. She was holding Baby Jesus as He blessed the people. Father said it was called Theotokos, which means God-bearer. As Sofia gazed into her inscrutable eyes she found herself praying that Mary would ask her Son to help Anna. A tear trickled from her eye and trailed down her cheek as she thought of her best friend slipping into the darkness. As far as that went, the whole world seemed to be turning black. Even at church most of the younger people were wearing black these days. Not that it mattered what color a person was wearing. But it depressed her. Sofia buried her head and concentrated on the words of the Mass. Gradually her anxiety lifted. But it rose again when she talked with the Gonkers after Mass.
Molly was staring fixedly at the back of Ali as he swept down the church stairs, his black cloak billowing in the wind. “He took the Host and put It in that black book he carries!” Her whisper rose and her eyes blazed. “I saw him!”
“What?” Sofia could hardly understand what her cousin was saying.
“At Communion.” Her voice shook when she spoke. “That man took Jesus and trapped Him in his book.”
“Why would he do that?”
Molly shook her head. “I don’t know. I just saw him do it.”
“Did you tell your mom?”
“She told me I should be praying and not watching other people during church.” Molly’s voice shook. “She didn’t care.”
Chapter 26
It was Thursday of the following week when Emily went missing.
Sofia’s parents were frantic when she never came home after school. Of course they called the Police but were told it was too soon to do anything drastic. She had probably just gone to a friend’s house and had forgotten to call home. This happened all the time.
But never to Sofia’s family. So they enlisted family, neighbors and friends to aid in the search. Grandpa Jack called the prayer circle from the church and he began a continuous rosary, which the family dropped in and out of as they passed through between leads. The authorities were just beginning to listen when it started to turn dark, still with no word from her sister. That’s when Sofia saw the angel.
He was outlined in shadow against the skyscape, with massive wings and billowing robes and he was prodding a smaller struggling figure, whose cries of protest quickly identified her as Sofia’s sister.
“Emily!” Sofia hadn’t hugged her sister like this since they were little. “Mom, Dad, it’s Em!”
Her parents were there in a second, also hugging and crying. Her sister, Sofia noticed, was dressed all in black like a witch. The next thing she noticed was the “angel”, who was actually Oscar, dressed as a superhero, complete with cape (billowing robes) and giant wings, and he was quietly crying into his sleeve.
“Let me go!” Emily shook her parents off and glowered at them. “I want to see the magic show!”
Their father was beginning to get his angry face. “What show?”
Oscar sniffled and handed him a crumpled flyer.
“The old Blom house…” Sofia’s father muttered as he read.
Now Oscar broke down. “I couldn’t get her to come!” he sobbed.
Sofia’s mother patted his arm. “She’s here. You did great. Emily is fine.”
“No,” he continued to blubber. Then his anguished eyes met Sofia’s, “Anna!”
Chapter 27
It was a bit difficult locating Anna’s mother (Allison McCoy) because her cell phone was out of the service area and the police said they had no jurisdiction to search the Blom premises without Anna’s mother’s consent, so they were left to wait and worry and pray until well after midnight. At that point Anna’s mother’s phone became functional and she gave consent.
Anna was found unconscious. Ali was arrested and she was taken to the hospital. As of the following morning she was still in a coma.
“I need to go see her!” Sofia begged her parents.
“We can’t just go barging into intensive care,” said her mother, “It’s only for family.”
“But I think I can help!”
Her mother shook her head. “It’s not up to us.”
But eventually she gave in and allowed Sofia to call Anna’s mother and leave a message on her cell. About an hour later she had permission to visit her friend.
Chapter 28
As Sofia closed the door to Anna’s room she said a silent prayer asking Mary to ask God for the Grace Anna needed to recover. “Wake Up!” she pleaded as she poured some of the Lourdes water on her friend’s forehead. At first she just continued to sleep, then suddenly her eyes popped open and fixed upon Sofia, who was so grateful she burst into tears. “Oh, Anna,” she sobbed.
She was awake, but there was no spark in her eyes. Anna’s eyes wandered the room, taking in the sights and sounds of intensive care. “Where am I?’ she finally asked.
“The hospital. They found you in the old Blom house… in a coma.”
“Where’s my mother?”
“She just stepped out for a break when I got here. She’s been with you all night.”
To this Anna said nothing. “I was having a good dream,” her voice was flat as she spoke, “before you woke me.”
“About what?”
Her friend looked confused for a moment. “I’m not sure,” she said, listlessly, “people who cared about me, I guess.”
“We care about you. Everybody was looking!”
At this point Anna’s mother returned to find her daughter awake and she burst into tears, hugging both girls multiple times.
“I’ll leave you two then,” Sofia said after telling Anna’s mom about the Lourdes water. Her last impression was the joy on Anna’s mother’s face in contrast to the sadness in her friend’s eyes.
Chapter 29
Miracle
“How is Anna doing?” Father Andrew had pulled Sofia aside as she was leaving church that Sunday. His face was creased with concern.
“She’s home now.”
“Praise God!”
Sofia was less enthusiastic than her Pastor, which did not escape his notice. He placed his hands on her shoulder
s and looked into her eyes. “So why are we concerned?”
A tear escaped Sofia’s eye and rolled down her cheek. “She isn’t herself anymore. She won’t talk to her mother or me. She just seems so angry.” Her voice broke as she continued. “I feel like I’ve lost her for good.”
There was a thoughtful silence during which Father Andrew found her a tissue. After Sofia had regained her composure he spoke. “Sounds like our friend could use a pilgrimage…?”
Sofia looked up sharply. Would that even work? No one else seemed even to be aware of the HA sign.
“Perhaps…” He spoke without Sofia even saying this out loud, “if she had a tour guide.”
Chapter 30
By the time Sofia had managed to convince her friend to accompany her to the church on the following Thursday during afternoon adoration, she was pretty sure Anna was thinking that Sofia was the one who needed psychiatric help - which was okay. At least it pulled Anna out of her funk. Sofia had told her friend about the little door under the staircase and how it only became visible when she was meant to take a pilgrimage. She told her about all of the apparitions she had visited thus far. She had warned her that they weren’t always pleasant. Parts of Guadalupe had been a nightmare.
Sofia bit her lip as they headed down the basement stairs. What if the HA marker wasn’t there after all? She would be looking pretty foolish.
But it was. And Anna could see it as well.
Taking her friend by the hand Sofia turned the door knob and they stepped inside, the little door closing behind them. This time the blue glow was on the right hand side and nearer than the others had been.
“Our Lady of Guadalupe” read the plaque underneath this statue and she was dressed in a white robe, trimmed with sparkling gold. Sofia reached for her friend’s hand and began to read: “The miracle of the sun…”
Anna’s grip became panicked as they began to whirl though time and space. Ultimately they were deposited without ceremony on a dirt road which was thronged with quaintly dressed people of all ages. The women wore long skirts and their heads were covered with kerchiefs. The men were dressed plainly, but they looked rather fancy because almost all of them were wearing little hats-- even the young boys. Weathered faces; grim, kind eyes-- a sea of them. They were all walking in the same direction and the line of people trailed off into the distance as far as the eye could see. It was raining and appeared to have been raining for quite awhile.