Extract From The Next Of Kin

Chapter One

The Dream

‘In a dream, in the vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on mortals, while they slumber on their beds, then he opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings…’ - Job 33: 15-16

Rome – Thursday, 27 October 1983.

The dream recurred at five thirty in the morning.

Angelo found himself walking along the seashore in the early hours of the morning. He was dressed in his Franciscan brown habit. His hood, which slipped off his face, allowed the ocean breeze to ruffle his thick dark brown hair.

The rising sun, adorned with beautiful reddish-golden hues, was just beginning to break through the strips of clouds yonder on the horizon. The breeze, fresh and gentle, mingled the fragrance of the ocean with those of the endless skies above.

Meditatively, he held his black leather-bound Bible with hands that were clasped behind his back. He strolled along barefoot, delighting in the feel of the silky sand between his toes. Slowly, he inhaled the whole experience and closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes, he was just in time to see three doves directly above, which were making a spectacular flight display in the dazzling sunlight before flying out into the horizon.

The tide was gradually starting to come in and he felt the cool foaming waves splash and tease his feet. Once again, he inhaled deeply and felt at peace.

All was well.

Unexpectedly, his heart began to skip. There she was again! Of course, he knew who she was. She looked exactly as she did in the life-size painting that hung in his childhood home, which depicted her holding a large crucifix of the Lord, surrounded by roses. He had always been fascinated by the incredibly beautiful white rose that had fallen out of the main bunch. It was decorated with red speckles.

Today, here on the shore, her countenance was more compelling than ever. “Saint Therese…,” he whispered.

He stopped walking and stood, completely immobilised, watching her in great wonderment, like a little boy. In one hand, she held a large crucifix of the Lord, which was surrounded by many stunning roses. She smiled at him and offered him a pure white rose identical to the rose in the picture, but this one was far more exquisite – and did not have any red speckles.

Before accepting the rose, he first kissed the Lord’s nailed feet with deep devotion, lingering long enough to absorb the heavenly perfume from the many other roses.

When he finally took the flower from her, she gazed at him with a certain expression of urgency, infused with compassion and love.

Not a single word was spoken.

He was inexplicably engulfed by overwhelming pain and copious tears ran down his cheeks. As they fell and hit the center of the rose, the drops changed into vibrant red liquid, which then splattered onto the pure white canvas of the petals, thus giving the rose the appearance of a speckled white rose.

Although he felt distress rising within him, he could not help noticing how this transformed rose was now identical to the picture in his parents’ home. A replica hung on his wall in the seminary.

He felt himself grow more and more perplexed.

During the struggle to find the meaning of all this, an unexpected wave came and knocked him off balance and totally drenched him. While he wrestled with it for what seemed quite a long time, several other larger waves followed; each seemed to be more powerful than the preceding ones.

When everything became calm again, Angelo became frantic.

He had lost the rose!

He searched everywhere… in the sea, along the shore, but it was not to be found!

The loud pounding on the door jerked Angelo out of his fitful sleep. He found himself tangled up in his bed sheets and, being so confused, he tumbled out of bed, landing with a thud on the floor.

The knocking continued.

“Angelo! My old friend! Is everything all right?” It was Carlos, his close friend and one of the seminarians. “We are all waiting for you. It is your week to lead the Morning Prayer, remember?”

Hearing no reply, Carlos became quite concerned and opened Angelo’s room slightly and peered in. … …

(And the chapter, which is the first of the four chapters under Part One, continues…)

Dearest reader, I welcome comments from you. Feel free to share what you think about the extract. Later, I will share with you another extract. Many thanks for taking the time to read the extract.

- Olivia