Recapturing a lost past can be a difficult, if not impossible, thing to do. But it doesn’t stop us from believing it can happen.

Then one evening, out of nowhere, the unexpected occurs. And our heart and mind are opened by . . .

The Enlightenment Of The Evening

     The street was quiet, except for the thumping sounds of the taxicab’s tires rolling over the cobblestone road. As the cab neared the Majestic Hotel, the young woman riding in the back seat noticed a tall, balding, older gentleman, dressed in a gray suit, white shirt, and blue striped tie, standing in front of the main entrance doors. His elegance captivated her. Something about him seemed familiar. Her heart fluttered with excitement, as she pictured herself standing beside him.

     “Driver, please stop at the corner and let me out,” she requested. As the cab slowed, she tried to muster up the courage she would need to meet the fashionable man who stood staring into the darkness of the night. The driver pulled over to the curb. She paid her fare indicated on the meter, opened the door, got out, and walked in the direction of the hotel.

     The starlit sky intrigued the man, who gazed up at it, seemingly searching for something . . . possibly answers to questions flowing through his mind. The youthful doorman approached this aristocratic looking chap and asked, “May I be of assistance? You appear to be lost.”

     “Lost? I hadn’t thought of it that way. But maybe I am. However, I don’t know how you might assist me. I’ve been standing here observing the greatness of the universe and contemplating my place in it. At times, I wonder if I’m meant to wander through the rest of my life without a purpose or meaning. So young man, I am in awe at how perceptive you are.”

     The young man stood there speechless. He’d asked a simple question that elicited an answer far more complex than he could’ve anticipated. And now, he had no idea how to reply. Tempted to walk away, he instead, spoke in words he pulled out of nowhere, “You appear to be an accomplished man whose purpose in life must’ve impacted many in very important ways.”

     “Well, that is what I’d hoped to accomplish in my professional life, before I retired. But I’m not sure I reached the goals I set for myself. As a banking consultant, I helped many people to open profitable and successful businesses. But I’ve not always been honest and this concerns me. And my personal life has been less successful than I’d believed it would be. I stand alone in the night searching for answers that I pray will fall from the sky.”

     The woman, taking slow and deliberate steps toward her destination, thought only about the man who’d aroused a desire in her for the closeness she’d not felt for more than six years. The car accident that had left her a widow had destroyed her passion for life and, in particular, men. But there was something about this stranger in the night that ignited her need for attachment to someone—a need she believed had been taken from her, not once, but twice in her life.

     The gentleman thanked the doorman for going far beyond his responsibilities to help a patron of the hotel. “You are a fine, caring young man, with what would appear to be a wonderful future. It would be my pleasure to share my opinions with your employer. Now, please go. There surely are others in need of your kindness and thoughtfulness.”

     As the young man turned away and proceeded toward a vehicle dropping off new hotel guests, he found himself face to face with the young woman. He eyed her with concern, for something didn’t seem right. She was sad and appeared lost in a way similar to that of the gentleman he’d just spoken with. “Madam, can I help you?” he queried. “You seem lost.”

     “Lost? I hadn’t thought of it that way. But maybe I am. However, I do know how you might help me. I’ve come in search of a gentleman I saw standing in front of the hotel—a very stylish looking older man. He seemed to be gazing at the stars. Yet I don’t see him now. I don’t know why, but I have an urge to meet him. I thought the feelings evoked in me were ones of attraction, but now I’m not sure.”

     The young man stood perplexed. Why share your intimate feelings with me? he thought. He bowed his head and contemplated whether or not he should try to unite the two people who’d entered his life on this beautiful starry night. Why, yes, he concluded. It was his purpose. This was why he’d been placed on earth—to aid those lost souls in search of one another.

     “Madam, please wait here. Don’t go anywhere. I’m sure I can find the man you’ve described.” He turned and rushed in the direction of the gentleman he’d encountered, but he was nowhere in sight. Confused, he raced into the hotel lobby, filled with people, but not the chap he needed to locate. “God, please light my path, so I may accomplish my mission,” he whispered. Silence fell upon the lobby and the crowd parted, just as the Red Sea had in ancient times, and the angelic young man marveled at what he saw staring out a side lobby window—the noble older man.

     He moved toward him and gently took his arm and, without words being spoken, led the man out into the starlit night. The refined older man felt himself being nudged in a direction he wanted to go, but didn’t know why. The young woman turned toward a flicker of light she thought she saw. And there was the man she’d dreamed of. The one she thought she’d never find. The one who would make her life complete. He stood before her and took her hand in his. Then he looked into her eyes and whispered, “Janie, it is you, isn’t it?”

     “Yes, Daddy,” she replied.

Copyright © 2017 Alan Lowe. All rights reserved.