Wishes of the Heart

The tide pushed and pulled as old man, Timothy Brown, walked along the pools, searching the shallow water for sea life amidst the rocks. Tim’s intentions were always the same during his walks. He never searched for anything of value, save the thoughts of precious moments in his early days. His memories were all he had now. He thought he had his profession as a fisherman, but something about nature changed. Fish weren’t as abundant as they once were. The weather was lifeless, so traveling on the rickety boat that had endured years of expeditions was out of the question.

But Tim’s life wasn’t always fixed on the life as a fisherman. At sixteen, Tim came from the monotonous life as a worker from the south. His father walked out on his family shortly after he was born, leaving him to care for his mother and younger brother during their times of poverty. Despite their troubles, Tim always felt blessed during that time. Being a white man amongst the slaves, he was shown more kindness than others. However, he never believed people should be treated better than another because of their skin color. Hence, as he got older, he became a Yankee soldier and fought for their freedom.
While dwelling in a trench somewhere on enemy soil, his mother caught a fatal illness. Tim came home a broken man to the news of becoming an orphan and his brother having fled to Texas due to some trouble he had with the law. Knowing he had nothing left, he took what earnings he received from the war and travelled north, mourning his mother and angry with his brother for ruining the family name.

Tim stopped suddenly, remembering the day he arrived with nothing but his name and the clothes on his back. He was walking on the very shore when he met the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. She was searching the tide pools just as he was, marveling at the sea shells she was finding. She had long hair she refused to cut, eyes that sparkled like the sunset on the water, and a clean soul unmarked by the ugliness of the war. He passed her; too shy to say anything until she approached him.
He will always remember the first thing she said to him.

“Did you know there’s a legend of a magic starfish that resides in one of these tide pools?” she asked.
Astonished that she was speaking to him, he replied with a simple, “No.”
She smiled at him and said, “It’s said that if you find it, you get three wishes. And it has to be something you can see, hear and touch. If you were to find it, what would you wish for?”
Tim had no real answer for her except, “Nothing.”
She was puzzled and he continued with, “I can’t take any worldly possessions with me when I die, except for the ones I love. Last I checked, one cannot see, hear or touch love.” She seemed to agree, but only smiled as if she knew something he didn’t.
He married that girl, completely surprised someone like her could ever love a man like him. After many years of blissful happiness, he finally asked her, “Why me?”
“The day I met you,” she said, “I found the star fish. I wished...for the perfect man to love me. It was only moments later when I saw you, I heard you speak and I eventually felt your loving touch. You are mine and now you always will be. Who says one cannot wish for love?”
He then asked, “What about your other wishes?”
“Didn't need them,” she shrugged. “I have all that I ever wanted and will ever need.”

Smiling at the memory, Tim’s eyes misted at the wonderful years he spent with her, the three sons they had, and simply living life without fear or sadness. But now, his empty heart began to ache knowing he'll spend the rest of his days without his wife—having passed away one year ago today, he missed her with every fiber of his being and was quite lonely. His sons had moved on with their lives. He hadn't seen or spoken to his brother since he left for battle, and now lived with the only ambition of one day being reunited with wife after death. He knew the day would be soon and she had lived a fulfilling life. But he still worried for his children.

Despite how hard he tried to teach them, each of the three faced a certain challenge that he tried so hard to provide wisdom for. However, his council was everything short of a quick fix and none were interested to hear what he had to say. As he wandered along the beach, he came upon a deep pool and stared into its depths. Instantly his sight was caught by a brilliantly colored starfish with curling tendrils and reflected the light of the overcast sky. At that moment, he closed his eyes and made three wishes...

***

The three sons all stood around the lawyer in a private room where he read their father’s will. Each waited to hear what they would receive, but knew already it wouldn’t be much. Their father had always been a humble man with no intentions to spoil his children.
The Lawyer was a family friend, so propriety was replaced with a more casual tone. “Each of you were given something considered very precious to your father. He had one wish for each of you and asks you to treasure it dearly. To the oldest, Thomas Brown...your father wanted you to have this,” he said, presenting him with an antique fishing hook. “To the second oldest, Lucas Brown, you are to receive this…” He then presented him with a small, satin ribbon. “And to the youngest, Jonathan Brown, this is for you,” he told him, giving him an empty bullet casing.

All received a small envelope that each were to read in solitude. None spoke a word as all walked out of the building. With endearing goodbyes, they each went their separate ways with their small tokens from their departed father and a set of instructions they would soon discover.

PART TWO

After being presented with the "inheritance" his father left him, Thomas stared at the fishing hook in his hand as he walked down the sidewalk in the salty-aired coast of Maine. He hadn't been home in years. He finished school, left and never looked back...until now.

Since then he thought he did everything he was supposed to do. He attended a university, found a decent job, married a nice girl and had twin girls he loved and cherished. But after a few years, his debts began to overwhelm him, more so to his family than himself. At one point he was so desperate and greedy to get it all back, he used the money he planned to put a down payment on a house and lost it all on the gambling tables.

He came home to the small, rundown apartment, empty of his wife, children and the few belongings he could provide. His heart was broken, but he understood. He couldn’t blame her for leaving, but couldn’t keep from resenting her for taking his children away. She allows him to visit them every now and then. But if going to her parent’s house was uncomfortable enough before, it was a cake walk compared to now.

Approaching a small park that contained one swing set and teeter-totter, he sat down on a bench and opened the letter from his father. An old, yet uniquely crafted fishing hook fell into his hand. Despite how simple such a thing was, being the son of a fisherman, he knew its value in price. He then opened the letter that read...

Thomas,

So often do I think on the hardships you are facing. I grew up without a father—without the chance to have a childhood—without so many worldly things that could have helped our little family get by. But if I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing. I wouldn't change any of the mistakes I made, because without them I would have never taken the opportunity to right my wrongs. By doing so, it brought me to your mother and you are my greatest reward. Your family is the only possession you may take with you when you die, Thomas. And your choices now will determine whether or not that will happen. You are struggling a lot with your debt right now and it is affecting you and others emotionally in a negative way. And so, I ask you to take this fishing hook and take it to the collector who lives on the address I wrote down for you. Sell it for the price that it’s worth and use the money to start paying off your debts. Gain the stability you need in your life, humble yourself, seek out your family and never let them go. I love you, son. I will never let you go.

FOUR MONTHS LATER

Thomas slumped down on the couch in the living room, pleasantly exhausted from the day. He singlehandedly putting his three-year-old daughters to bed, which was a long and complicated process, but he wouldn't change it for anything. Sighing in relief, he looked up and smiled when his wife approached and sidle herself alongside him, her head resting on his shoulder, his arms around her. As she gazed lovingly into his eyes, everything his father told him made complete and perfect sense.
“Welcome home,” she said. He knew it wasn’t the house she referred to, but him finding his way back into her heart.

***

Lucas had no idea what to make of the ridiculous object his father left him. A ribbon? What am I going to do with a ribbon? Never in his twenty-three years would he have guessed his father to play such a joke. Beyond the grave, no less. Frustrated, he ripped open the letter.

Lucas,

It's very easy to see all the moments in your life where you have succeeded. You finished school, received a well earned education, have a good and stable job, live in a nice home and you are at a point where you believe you have it all. What could possibly be missing in your life? I could give you the answer, but that is not what this life is about. But I will say that true happiness is waiting for you and all you must do is open your mind towards others to see it. True beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Do you remember when you were young? You were always playing down by the inlet with the neighbor girl. You would come home with stories of the greatest adventures. Somehow you lost that part of yourself. What I want you to do is take this ribbon, find that neighbor girl you used to play with and give it her. You will find that greatest adventure is yet to come. I love you, son. Always remember that.

After the long drive back to his childhood home, it wasn’t long until Lucas discover Annabelle still living in the same house she resided in all her life. She stayed to tend to her grandfather who was in need of assisted living. They couldn't afford a real facility, so she volunteered. Over the years she had become quite the artist and was told that she could be found everywhere with her sketch pad.

When inquiring about her, he was told to go to the inlet—ironically back to where it all began. He found her sitting by the narrowest part of the river. She sat on a high rock, holding a pad of paper on her lap while she hovered closely over what she was sketching. Her hair hung like a curtain over her shoulders, so he couldn’t see her face. She glanced over at him for a moment, picking up her things to leave while still keeping her head down.

“Annabelle?” he asked, and she stopped dead in her tracks but did not turn. He approached her from behind, asking questions about her life, trying to start a conversation, but she would not look at him. Not even a hello.

Finally, before she was about to leave, he placed his hand on her shoulder and gently turned her around to face him. He remembered her face, but did not remember the scar that now trailed across her cheek and up towards her forehead. He couldn’t help wince at the pain she must’ve endured to receive such a scar. Tears, brimming in her eyes, she shied away from his grasp, but he stopped her.

“What happened?” he asked.
In a quiet voice, she responded, “Accident.”
Lucas immediately knew she was lying, remembering her father and his drinking problem. He was about to say something, but an unknown force stopped him, reminding him about the ribbon in his pocket. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. So that’s what his father was talking about—why she kept her hair in front of her face. When they were young, her hair was always pulled back in a ribbon, revealing her smile and laughter.
“I have something for you,” he said, pulling out the ribbon. “May I?”
She was confused at his inference, but as soon as he moved forward and pulled her hair back, she stiffened, but allowed him to tie her hair back in a bow. She felt the silky ends with her fingers and a hint of a smile appeared on her face. Instantly, something changed in him. A feeling he never had suddenly erupted in his chest.
“Wow,” he breathed. “You are more beautiful than I remembered.”
Her smile grew ever so slightly and all at once did Lucas see exactly what his father wanted him to see...

SIX MONTHS LATER

Never had Lucas heard a more beautiful sound or seen a more beautiful sight than watching his new wife laugh as they danced to the music playing at their wedding reception. Her hair was pulled up, the ribbon he gave her weaving through her cascading curls and he could not imagine being happier anywhere else. His father was right. True beauty was in the eyes of the beholder, and the greatest adventure was yet to come.

***

Jonathan looked at the empty bullet shell and began to cry. He didn't have to open the letter to know the significance that it held. But nevertheless, he tearfully read the small print that said,

Jonathan,

You told me that you want to make a difference in the world, that you wanted to become a soldier like me. But know this…it is one thing to fight for personal honor than it is to fight for your life and freedom. You left believing you would return with glory. Instead, you came home with a bullet in your shoulder and endless nightmares that won’t seem to ever go away. Though you won’t admit it, I know this to be true. I’ve had those nightmares, I’ve seen those terrors. This bullet shell represents the bullet I took from the rebels who held me captive for those dark weeks. I thought I was going to die, hoping I would so I wouldn’t have to endure. But there’s a reason why I lived and why you survived the trenches—why those bullets didn't kill us. We were meant to move forward and continue to help others. You are not alone in this. I love you too much to see you give up your life any longer. It’s okay to admit to weakness. It’s okay to ask for help.

ONE YEAR LATER

Jonathan sat in the hospital, waiting for the nurse to finish up. He was as nervous as can be, knowing reality was going to hit hard in a few seconds. After fighting in a war, enduring endless gunfire in such horrific circumstances, spending months in therapy to deal with it all, never was he more scared than this moment right here. His nightmares had almost completely disappeared, but were now replaced with new worries and fears that would affect him for the rest of his life.

He held his breath when the nurse turned toward him and headed in his direction. Slowly, he released it as she placed his newborn baby girl in his arms. She was wrapped in a soft blanket, sleeping peacefully after the chaos of her coming into the world. As if she was the most fragile thing that ever existed, he held her close and lightly kissed her forehead, whispering, “Hello little one. I'm your daddy.”

All his life he wanted to be a soldier. He spent his days dreaming of what it would be like to hold glory in his hands. But the war did not have such an effect. He was proud to have served and protected his country. He would never regret that part. But it left him a scarred and broken man until his father’s words told him there was no shame in seeking help. He was too proud to do so at first, but knew it had to be done to rid himself of the demons that followed him everywhere. Now, having made peace with that part of his life, he was in the presence of an angel and now literally held glory in his hands.