16. Vision

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There’s an old saying about those who cannot remember the past being condemned to repeat it. But those of us who refuse to forget the past are condemned to relive it.

***

Upon a low stone pedestal, carved like a branching tree, sat a shallow Silver Basin. Lady Galadriel lead me into the small glade. The Lady of Light poured water into the basin from a silver jug, causing a glow to rise from the water.

“Will you look into the mirror?” she asked with a hypnotic voice.

“What will I see?” I asked in apprehension.

“You know that even the wisest cannot tell, for the mirror shows many things,” she told me, “Things that were… Things that are… And some things that have not yet come to pass.”

I hesitated but slowly stepped up to the pedestal. I peered into the glossy surface. The night sky is reflected into the water…

Suddenly fragments of moving pictures began to form on the water, until it came into focus on a particular memory.

I biked across the street of New York, smiling as I breathed in the crisp morning air.

“Anastasia!” sang the lady who owned the bakery that I passed every morning to my work. But this time I wasn’t heading for work. I was heading to my dream college.

I beamed at the lady as I rode my bike past her store.

“Good morning, Mrs. Mann!” I sang back, giggling to myself as I cheerfully copied the British accent of the warm lady. “Smells lovely as usual!” I yelled as I kept on riding, the pleasant smell of fresh baked bread entered my nostrils. I waved at the plump lady who smiled and shook her head fondly at me.

I continued riding along the familiar neighborhood, chirping my greetings to some of the regular faces that I knew.

A few hours later, I came home with my heart bursting with joy. I got accepted to my father’s alma mater, the NYU. I couldn’t wait to tell my dad.

“I’m home!” I sang, giggling softly to myself.

I grasped the acceptance letter in my hand, about to show it to my dad who was sitting at the dinner table. But when I saw his expression, I knew something was up.

He looked up at me from the papers on his hand and immediately flashed me that boyish smile he had.

“What’s up, dad?” I asked, tilting my head. I looked at the papers on his hand. “What’s that?”

My dad hesitated as he looked at me before deciding to lie to my face. And he was always terrible at lying.

“It’s nothing, Annie. How’s your day?” he asked before a frown etched on his face. “Oh my gosh. Are you fired or something? It’s way too early for you to come back home, isn’t it?” he stated with drama on his expression. I chuckled at that and went to sit across from him.

Nooo, daddy,” I rolled my eyes playfully. “I’m always the best worker of the year. I’m taking a day off today because I have another errand to do,” I told him. “So why the long face?”

His face fell and he handed me the papers. I scanned it roughly only to know that it was a medical test result.

“I’m positive for Leukimia, Annie.”

I was stunned, feeling my heart dropped to my toe.

Leukimia?” I asked in disbelief, thinking that I heard him wrong. “But that’s cancer…” I said with question in my eyes.

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