| Spiritual Fiction posted January 14, 2024 |
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Sometimes a wish today, is granted tomorrow
A Wish Granted
by T.A. Walk
The Wishing Well Contest Winner
Tommy sat down on the old mossy log he had on so many occasions before. He looked at the old, ruined well. Its small roof was dilapidated and did little to shield the well or its guests from the weather. Its mortar was far too weathered for strength, and some of the well’s stones had fallen astray.
On days when his wife worked Tommy liked to come here to sit. The beaten-up and worn out old well somehow reminded him that he could be strong. If nature could not tear this old well down, maybe he, too, would have a chance.
Unlike most people, Tommy knew about the well’s magic. He never would have believed it had he not seen his grandfather use it. One summer afternoon when he was still a young boy, he followed his grandfather into these woods and to this well. He was too young to remember everything, and too far away to hear anything. How the magic the well contained worked remained a mystery.
As he did every time he came to the well, he sat. He sat and listened to the wind in the trees and the birds singing. He listened to the Earth as she played him a melody from her heart with all the might of her forest. There was a time this warmed and calmed him. These days he just came to sit on this log to stew in his anger.
“God, if you’re up there, please let this be the day,” Tommy said aloud to no one and anyone.
He stood up and dug into his left front pocket for change. A pocketful of coins danced in and out of his fingertips until he found the right one. The silver dollar gleamed in the waning daylight. Although the memory had long ago faded, Tommy remembered that glint of sunlight from the silver dollar his grandfather had that day. He remembered how fondly his grandfather eyed the coin before dropping it into the well.
Someday, it’s gotta work, Tommy thought to himself. He took a deep breath in through his nose, held it, and breathed out through his mouth. The weight of his anger was heavy, and he was exhausted from carrying it. Anger and regret were closer friends these days. His post-traumatic stress had become too much for him to bear. Isolation was his first recourse, which in turn made him lonely and angrier.
“Please, please, God,” Tommy begged, gripping the coin tight in his hand. “Please let this work like it did for my grandfather.”
He held his hand out over the old well. With all his strength he focused his mind on one thought. I wish to no longer have this illness, he thought, and then he dropped the coin. The forest around him was silent for a split second, as if all the world around him waited for the same sound he did. PLOP! Another moment that stretched out like an eternity passed. The well released a sound like an earthquake tremor. The ground around the well beneath Tommy’s feet vibrated subtly.
Please, please, please, Tommy thought repeatedly as he awaited the well’s response. Finally, his tribute brought an answer from the well.
“Like I’ve said, times before, fixing you, I can do, for sure. But, if I choose to grant you this, you will know you used your wish. Look inside and you shall find, the power you need to free your mind. Wishes you’d use to mend your heart, will doom your life from their start. The only wish worth wishing here, is a wish from the heart, made purposefully clear. As I’m a well that listens to this, you have already been granted your wish.”
Tommy front kicked the side of the well. He screamed in furious anger as loud as he could into the forest. The loud splash, splash, splash sound of the rocks hitting the well’s bottom echoed as he fell to his knees sobbing. Birds took flight in fear as he half-screamed, half-growled while tears rolled down his cheeks. He sat back onto his feet and dropped his head to his chest. He wept.
“Why won’t you grant my wish?” Tommy cried out. His voice lowered to a whisper, “You granted a wish for my grandfather. What am I doing wrong?”
The well said nothing more and Tommy knelt beside it. Tears ran down his nose and cheeks, dripping down onto his shirt. Darkness washed over the forest as Tommy drifted into a fitful sleep. He dreamt about the day he followed his grandfather to the well.
***
In and out of bushes he crept as his grandfather walked along the path. From time to time his grandfather would stop to look at a flower or admire a fanciful spiderweb. Tommy would wait until his grandfather had walked ahead a good distance, then he would run to the next best hiding place. More than once, Tommy thought his grandfather noticed him. He giggled as he held his hands tightly over his own mouth, trying to stay hidden.
Each time his grandfather would move on, and Tommy would follow. This was a common pastime for the pair. Today was different than most days though. His grandfather had taken a longer path that led deep into the woods. He also seemed quite sad, moving much slower than usual. Tommy followed until the path opened into a clearing. He found a bush as close as he dared get to his grandfather.
There was a small well in the clearing. His grandfather walked up to it and stopped at its edge. Tommy watched his grandfather pull something out of his pocket. As he moved to hold it out over the well, Tommy saw a tiny sparkle in his grandfather’s hand. Instantly Tommy recognized the silver dollar, and he was horrified as he watched his grandfather drop it. A silver dollar meant an easy hundred pieces of candy.
Tommy could see his grandfather’s mouth moving but could not hear anything. His grandfather stood there for a few minutes; head bowed in front of the well. Finally, his grandfather turned away and headed in Tommy’s direction.
“You could always come out and walk with me, grandson,” his grandfather said.
As they always did, they laughed together as Tommy revealed himself.
“How did you know this time?” Tommy asked.
“Grandfathers know, grandson.”
“Wow! I can’t wait to be a grandfather. I want to know everything.”
His grandfather laughed and tousled Tommy’s hair.
“Hey, what were you doing at that old well?”
“Well, grandson, that’s a wishing well.”
“Whoa! Did you make a wish?”
“Yes, grandson, I did make a wish.”
“Is it like a birthday wish? Can you tell me what you wished for? Is it something cool or fun?”
His grandfather laughed again. Tommy could see the joy in his grandfather’s eyes. He looked down at Tommy briefly and smiled.
“I can’t tell you, grandson, or it won’t come true. I can tell you I have been making the same wish for many years with no success. Perhaps it’s a matter of asking for the wish just right. I haven’t figured it out, grandson.”
“So, did you wish to fix something bad or like…”
Tommy stopped at the sound of his grandfather laughing.
“How about we say that whatever I wished for, it would probably be something to help the whole family. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes!” Tommy answered, and he grabbed his grandfather’s hand as they finished their walk to the house in silence.
When they reached the front yard, Tommy heard his grandmother screaming from inside the house.
“Grandfather why is grandmother screaming?” he asked innocently.
His grandfather froze in place for a moment and his eyes widened. Suddenly, he began to hurry toward the house. Tommy followed close behind, being sure not to pass his grandfather. Tommy’s grandmother swung the door open as they arrived. Her face glowed with a wide, toothy smile.
“My love! Your wish has come true!”
***
“Honey?!” My love!”
Tommy was awoken by the sound of his wife’s voice in the distance. He rubbed his eyes, surprised he had fallen asleep.
“Tommy! Are you out here?” his wife yelled.
“Yes!” he said, voice hoarse from sleep. “Yeah, babe! Coming!”
He stood up and stretched and began the walk back to the house.
“I’ve been calling, honey! You okay?” she yelled.
“I’m good! Coming your way, babe!”
They met on the trail and Tommy stopped as she stepped into the bright moonlight. She was as radiant as ever. They had spent four amazing years together, but he often felt like a burden to her. His illness made him unpredictable and that made her life more stressful. Dairan blushed when she realized he was staring at her. She loved the way he did that.
She crossed the distance to him, and the pair embraced in a hug. They kissed each other passionately, as if they had not seen each other in days. Their love was always like this, and they each cherished it for their own reasons.
“Wishing again, my love?” Dairan asked, releasing her lips, but not her arms.
“Yes,” he said.
“Any luck?”
“No, babe. Still nothing.”
She put her hand on the back of his head and pulled him gently to her chest. They stood that way together as Tommy wept in his friend’s arms.
“Everything will be alright, my love,” Dairan said as she brushed her fingers through his hair.
***
Twenty-six years had passed since the last time he had come to the well. Tommy stared at the pile of rubble before him. The old well’s roof had toppled over, and its sides had caved inward. It was little more than a hole in the ground surrounded by debris.
“Mind the hole, sweetheart,” Tommy said to his granddaughter.
“Okie dokie, pop pop!” his granddaughter replied.
A tear trickled down his cheek as he thought about his last trip here. Those days were difficult, lost in his mental illness. In the early days, his post traumatic stress disorder was an unnavigable, unending crisis. He had been blessed to find Dairan, and her support and love helped him find wellness.
“None of that today, you big baby,” Dairan said as she clenched his hand in hers and smiled.
He laughed and wiped his cheek. His grandson drew his attention by pulling at his pantleg. Bottle in one hand, pants in the other, his grandson smiled up at him.
“Hey, dad,” his daughter shouted.
She waved and ran toward him. Three of their sons were following close behind, although she was pulling further ahead quickly. She leapt into his arms and kissed his cheek.
“Hi, daddy,” she said before letting go.
“Hi there, little bean,” he said. “Hey boys!” he shouted.
After everything that he had been through in the military he thought he would not have the strength to keep going. After the illness, he thought he could never keep going. Nowadays, he was blessed in more ways than he could number.
“Hey, dad-o!” his son said.
“Hey there, bud! Good to see you!”
“What up, pops!” another of the boys yelled. “My family is coming down in a few!”
“Father,” his third son said with a nod.
“Son,” he said, nodding back with a smile.
He turned his attention back to the old, ruined well. It had been a long time since he had been here. Regardless, he remembered that day with crystal clarity. Had his wish been granted that day, all of this may not have come to pass. Looking back, he knew in his heart that he would not have been able to live the same life without his illness.
Lost in thought, subconsciously he muttered in a barely audible whisper, “Like I’ve said, times before, fixing you, I can do, for sure. But, if I choose to grant you this, you will know you used your wish. Look inside and you shall find, the power you need to free your mind. Wishes you’d use to mend your heart, will doom your life from their start. The only wish worth wishing here, is a wish from the heart, made purposefully clear. As I’m a well that listens to this, you have already been granted your wish.” He paused and thought it through again. “Well, I’ll be.”
“What is it, pop pop? You make another poem?”
He laughed at her curiosity like his grandfather did on their walks together. She laughed, too. Tommy’s heart filled with joy and gratefulness.
“Why you crying, pop pop,” his granddaughter asked.
“Well, sweetheart, I got my wish.”
Tommy sat down on the old mossy log he had on so many occasions before. He looked at the old, ruined well. Its small roof was dilapidated and did little to shield the well or its guests from the weather. Its mortar was far too weathered for strength, and some of the well’s stones had fallen astray.
On days when his wife worked Tommy liked to come here to sit. The beaten-up and worn out old well somehow reminded him that he could be strong. If nature could not tear this old well down, maybe he, too, would have a chance.
Unlike most people, Tommy knew about the well’s magic. He never would have believed it had he not seen his grandfather use it. One summer afternoon when he was still a young boy, he followed his grandfather into these woods and to this well. He was too young to remember everything, and too far away to hear anything. How the magic the well contained worked remained a mystery.
As he did every time he came to the well, he sat. He sat and listened to the wind in the trees and the birds singing. He listened to the Earth as she played him a melody from her heart with all the might of her forest. There was a time this warmed and calmed him. These days he just came to sit on this log to stew in his anger.
“God, if you’re up there, please let this be the day,” Tommy said aloud to no one and anyone.
He stood up and dug into his left front pocket for change. A pocketful of coins danced in and out of his fingertips until he found the right one. The silver dollar gleamed in the waning daylight. Although the memory had long ago faded, Tommy remembered that glint of sunlight from the silver dollar his grandfather had that day. He remembered how fondly his grandfather eyed the coin before dropping it into the well.
Someday, it’s gotta work, Tommy thought to himself. He took a deep breath in through his nose, held it, and breathed out through his mouth. The weight of his anger was heavy, and he was exhausted from carrying it. Anger and regret were closer friends these days. His post-traumatic stress had become too much for him to bear. Isolation was his first recourse, which in turn made him lonely and angrier.
“Please, please, God,” Tommy begged, gripping the coin tight in his hand. “Please let this work like it did for my grandfather.”
He held his hand out over the old well. With all his strength he focused his mind on one thought. I wish to no longer have this illness, he thought, and then he dropped the coin. The forest around him was silent for a split second, as if all the world around him waited for the same sound he did. PLOP! Another moment that stretched out like an eternity passed. The well released a sound like an earthquake tremor. The ground around the well beneath Tommy’s feet vibrated subtly.
Please, please, please, Tommy thought repeatedly as he awaited the well’s response. Finally, his tribute brought an answer from the well.
“Like I’ve said, times before, fixing you, I can do, for sure. But, if I choose to grant you this, you will know you used your wish. Look inside and you shall find, the power you need to free your mind. Wishes you’d use to mend your heart, will doom your life from their start. The only wish worth wishing here, is a wish from the heart, made purposefully clear. As I’m a well that listens to this, you have already been granted your wish.”
Tommy front kicked the side of the well. He screamed in furious anger as loud as he could into the forest. The loud splash, splash, splash sound of the rocks hitting the well’s bottom echoed as he fell to his knees sobbing. Birds took flight in fear as he half-screamed, half-growled while tears rolled down his cheeks. He sat back onto his feet and dropped his head to his chest. He wept.
“Why won’t you grant my wish?” Tommy cried out. His voice lowered to a whisper, “You granted a wish for my grandfather. What am I doing wrong?”
The well said nothing more and Tommy knelt beside it. Tears ran down his nose and cheeks, dripping down onto his shirt. Darkness washed over the forest as Tommy drifted into a fitful sleep. He dreamt about the day he followed his grandfather to the well.
***
In and out of bushes he crept as his grandfather walked along the path. From time to time his grandfather would stop to look at a flower or admire a fanciful spiderweb. Tommy would wait until his grandfather had walked ahead a good distance, then he would run to the next best hiding place. More than once, Tommy thought his grandfather noticed him. He giggled as he held his hands tightly over his own mouth, trying to stay hidden.
Each time his grandfather would move on, and Tommy would follow. This was a common pastime for the pair. Today was different than most days though. His grandfather had taken a longer path that led deep into the woods. He also seemed quite sad, moving much slower than usual. Tommy followed until the path opened into a clearing. He found a bush as close as he dared get to his grandfather.
There was a small well in the clearing. His grandfather walked up to it and stopped at its edge. Tommy watched his grandfather pull something out of his pocket. As he moved to hold it out over the well, Tommy saw a tiny sparkle in his grandfather’s hand. Instantly Tommy recognized the silver dollar, and he was horrified as he watched his grandfather drop it. A silver dollar meant an easy hundred pieces of candy.
Tommy could see his grandfather’s mouth moving but could not hear anything. His grandfather stood there for a few minutes; head bowed in front of the well. Finally, his grandfather turned away and headed in Tommy’s direction.
“You could always come out and walk with me, grandson,” his grandfather said.
As they always did, they laughed together as Tommy revealed himself.
“How did you know this time?” Tommy asked.
“Grandfathers know, grandson.”
“Wow! I can’t wait to be a grandfather. I want to know everything.”
His grandfather laughed and tousled Tommy’s hair.
“Hey, what were you doing at that old well?”
“Well, grandson, that’s a wishing well.”
“Whoa! Did you make a wish?”
“Yes, grandson, I did make a wish.”
“Is it like a birthday wish? Can you tell me what you wished for? Is it something cool or fun?”
His grandfather laughed again. Tommy could see the joy in his grandfather’s eyes. He looked down at Tommy briefly and smiled.
“I can’t tell you, grandson, or it won’t come true. I can tell you I have been making the same wish for many years with no success. Perhaps it’s a matter of asking for the wish just right. I haven’t figured it out, grandson.”
“So, did you wish to fix something bad or like…”
Tommy stopped at the sound of his grandfather laughing.
“How about we say that whatever I wished for, it would probably be something to help the whole family. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes!” Tommy answered, and he grabbed his grandfather’s hand as they finished their walk to the house in silence.
When they reached the front yard, Tommy heard his grandmother screaming from inside the house.
“Grandfather why is grandmother screaming?” he asked innocently.
His grandfather froze in place for a moment and his eyes widened. Suddenly, he began to hurry toward the house. Tommy followed close behind, being sure not to pass his grandfather. Tommy’s grandmother swung the door open as they arrived. Her face glowed with a wide, toothy smile.
“My love! Your wish has come true!”
***
“Honey?!” My love!”
Tommy was awoken by the sound of his wife’s voice in the distance. He rubbed his eyes, surprised he had fallen asleep.
“Tommy! Are you out here?” his wife yelled.
“Yes!” he said, voice hoarse from sleep. “Yeah, babe! Coming!”
He stood up and stretched and began the walk back to the house.
“I’ve been calling, honey! You okay?” she yelled.
“I’m good! Coming your way, babe!”
They met on the trail and Tommy stopped as she stepped into the bright moonlight. She was as radiant as ever. They had spent four amazing years together, but he often felt like a burden to her. His illness made him unpredictable and that made her life more stressful. Dairan blushed when she realized he was staring at her. She loved the way he did that.
She crossed the distance to him, and the pair embraced in a hug. They kissed each other passionately, as if they had not seen each other in days. Their love was always like this, and they each cherished it for their own reasons.
“Wishing again, my love?” Dairan asked, releasing her lips, but not her arms.
“Yes,” he said.
“Any luck?”
“No, babe. Still nothing.”
She put her hand on the back of his head and pulled him gently to her chest. They stood that way together as Tommy wept in his friend’s arms.
“Everything will be alright, my love,” Dairan said as she brushed her fingers through his hair.
***
Twenty-six years had passed since the last time he had come to the well. Tommy stared at the pile of rubble before him. The old well’s roof had toppled over, and its sides had caved inward. It was little more than a hole in the ground surrounded by debris.
“Mind the hole, sweetheart,” Tommy said to his granddaughter.
“Okie dokie, pop pop!” his granddaughter replied.
A tear trickled down his cheek as he thought about his last trip here. Those days were difficult, lost in his mental illness. In the early days, his post traumatic stress disorder was an unnavigable, unending crisis. He had been blessed to find Dairan, and her support and love helped him find wellness.
“None of that today, you big baby,” Dairan said as she clenched his hand in hers and smiled.
He laughed and wiped his cheek. His grandson drew his attention by pulling at his pantleg. Bottle in one hand, pants in the other, his grandson smiled up at him.
“Hey, dad,” his daughter shouted.
She waved and ran toward him. Three of their sons were following close behind, although she was pulling further ahead quickly. She leapt into his arms and kissed his cheek.
“Hi, daddy,” she said before letting go.
“Hi there, little bean,” he said. “Hey boys!” he shouted.
After everything that he had been through in the military he thought he would not have the strength to keep going. After the illness, he thought he could never keep going. Nowadays, he was blessed in more ways than he could number.
“Hey, dad-o!” his son said.
“Hey there, bud! Good to see you!”
“What up, pops!” another of the boys yelled. “My family is coming down in a few!”
“Father,” his third son said with a nod.
“Son,” he said, nodding back with a smile.
He turned his attention back to the old, ruined well. It had been a long time since he had been here. Regardless, he remembered that day with crystal clarity. Had his wish been granted that day, all of this may not have come to pass. Looking back, he knew in his heart that he would not have been able to live the same life without his illness.
Lost in thought, subconsciously he muttered in a barely audible whisper, “Like I’ve said, times before, fixing you, I can do, for sure. But, if I choose to grant you this, you will know you used your wish. Look inside and you shall find, the power you need to free your mind. Wishes you’d use to mend your heart, will doom your life from their start. The only wish worth wishing here, is a wish from the heart, made purposefully clear. As I’m a well that listens to this, you have already been granted your wish.” He paused and thought it through again. “Well, I’ll be.”
“What is it, pop pop? You make another poem?”
He laughed at her curiosity like his grandfather did on their walks together. She laughed, too. Tommy’s heart filled with joy and gratefulness.
“Why you crying, pop pop,” his granddaughter asked.
“Well, sweetheart, I got my wish.”
The Wishing Well Contest Winner |
If you're struggling, please get help. If you know someone who is struggling, please try to help.
I wanted nothing more than to be rid of my illness once. Now I do my best to help others find a light to follow. These days I really have come to realize that my wish has been granted.
What I know now that I didn't know then, was my heart's wish was to simply be happy. The struggle with my illness clouded that. Somehow, I got sidetracked for a long time before I figured out that hating my illness so much kept me from fulfilling my own wish.
Odd what we can do to ourselves when we cannot be honest with ourselves.
STAY;
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. I wanted nothing more than to be rid of my illness once. Now I do my best to help others find a light to follow. These days I really have come to realize that my wish has been granted.
What I know now that I didn't know then, was my heart's wish was to simply be happy. The struggle with my illness clouded that. Somehow, I got sidetracked for a long time before I figured out that hating my illness so much kept me from fulfilling my own wish.
Odd what we can do to ourselves when we cannot be honest with ourselves.
STAY;
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