Chapter 20

In the year 2002 …

Luke left the Romanian army and travelled down to Egypt. He was glad to have fulfilled Theophilus' last wish; delivering the note to the most suitable person. His twin brother Aaron lived in Egypt. It was an emotional reunion for the brothers as they had been separated for some years. Luke and Aaron had been separated since 1998. His exited the army to look after his wife, who at that time was pregnant. Hence Aaron had travelled with his wife to Italy. It was their dream to have a baby there. The couple had barely settled down in Italy when their issues started.

As the days went by, Aaron and Luke lost contact with each other. Aaron stopped calling and when Luke tried to reach the other man, it was disconnected. That was how the brothers parted and each went their separate ways. Before the "Theophilus' incident", Luke had been lonely, having lost contact with his only family; Aaron. What could have gone wrong? The answers weren't forthcoming therefore he became a loner who could only thrive and live on his own. He strove through for two years. It was the most agonising period of his life and the two years felt like eternity, all the while hopefully waiting for this brother's call. After he had left the army and decided living low like every other normal person, a call came one day, while he was painting (he loved painting and was glad to be an interior decorator).

When Luke picked up, he had nearly dropped the phone out of shock when he heard the caller's voice. It was his twin brother! After all these years of not hearing from him! They had a long conversation, Aaron apologised for the lapse in their communication through the years.  Luke wasn't bothered anymore, he was ecstatic to have his brother back.

   "Ronnie, where are you now?" Luke loved using the pet name for his brother.

   "I'm in Egypt, anytime you're free, I would love to see you." His brother sounded tired, sad, a loner like Luke. But how about his wife and child?

   "I will definitely."

Luke had asked about his wife and the other man brushed off the topic. That was when suspicions came, something was off somewhere, Luke had never been more sure. But he didn't voice out his suspicions after all, when they met eventually, he would know the whole story.

   "Anytime I'm coming, I shall let you know. Okay?"

   "Sure Lukey." Luke laughed at the pet name, he had missed that so much. The call ended moments later.

When Luke got to Egypt, his brother nearly squeezed the life out of him in a suffocatingly tight embrace. It was fun to watch the two grownups trying to squeeze the breathe out of the other like some teenagers. They really missed each other.

   "I really missed you Lukey." Aaron said kissing his forehead, he always treated Luke like a kid, well … he was the older of the two by 2 minutes.

   "I miss you too. But why did you stop calling me? What happened big bro?" Luke seldom called him big bro. But he did so at the moment to brighten up his brothers mood. He could sense some gloomy mood, despite Aaron trying to act cheerful. His words gave their desired effect. His brother smiled saying:

   "I'm glad you never forget that, kid bro." The ruffled Luke's hair, hugging him again.

   "So … why did we lose contact with each other?"

   "I will tell you Lukey, though it's not an excuse to have ignored you all these years. I'm very sorry bro." They hugged for sometime and left the airport for Aaron's home.

Aaron lived big. Like really big and Luke admired this. His brother was into various business. It had been Aaron's dream when they were growing up. He had business deals in America, Europe and Asia. When Luke had sipped the drink he was offered, he looked around hoping to see someone. But Aaron already knowing the reason for the search, spoke up.

   "She is no more with me." Luke paused in his bid to have another sip, he didn't hear well right? His brother had left the army for her so why? After business, Aaron's other dream was to be a soldier perhaps if the business dream didn't go as planned. And here he  was hearing that the reason for abandoning his dream was what … a forgone story?

   "I was of the opinion that you really loved her. You guys loved each other a lot."  Aaron nodded.

   "I messed up big time kid bro." He sounded so remorseful. "She couldn't take it anymore and one day, I came home at night, she had disappeared. I thought she had gone to see a friend, but the next day, it dawned on me. Lukey, I searched and searched, but she had vanished." Luke felt pity for his brother. There was just no need to lay a blame on his brother as it had happened four years back. So, there was nothing he could do. The other man had put it all behind him. Except for the fact that he still looked sad.

   "Oh dear … when did she vanish?"

   "That was on 2nd November, 1998. The date is forever fixed in my head. I felt so alone Lukey, she left me …"

   "Its okay big bro, you have me now." Luke's smile was reassuring to the other man and he nodded.

   "Thanks Lukey."

   "Anytime bro, so any woman?"

   "None." Luke nodded he understood his brother was still healing from the wound of losing both his wife and baby. To be sincere, it had been Aaron's fault, but the man didn't need to hear that, his suffering was enough already.

   "Welcome once again little bro."

   "Thank you. Do not let the 'big bro' thing get into your head. After all, it's just two minutes difference." Both of them laughed, it was fun once again.

Aaron's cook came over to notify them that he was done preparing their dinner, their food was already served in the dinning room. The brothers ate as they discussed. It was good to be together once again.

Luke decided against going back to Romania. He and Aaron did everything together. He got a highly paying job …

   **********

  2022 …..

One day Luke got a call from a strange number. Though he didn't always feel comfortable taking strange calls, this time he reasoned it could be one of his friends from Romania as the number calling was from there. Anyway, he picked up and was glad he hadn't ignored it in the first place.

    "Hi this is …" The caller was someone with whom he had always been in touch with.

   "Its been a while, how are you pulling through?"

   "All is good. How is Egypt?"

   "Just there. I'm with my brother here. So it makes it all the better."

   "You're having fun, I can definitely tell." The caller chuckled.

   "I can say same about you." Luke smiled through his words.

   "Okay." The voice got serious, here it is, Luke thought.

   "A new prophesy was discovered."

   "Oh … and what does it say this time?"

   "Let me send it to you now."

   "Okay." Luke said, he was very apprehensive to know the latest prophesy. The call ended. Seconds passed and his phone beeped, he had received a message. When Luke opened it, what he saw actually made little or no sense to him. The prophesy read:

   "The healing room, lay strange, bloodied but not. San Diego."

Luke read repeatedly trying to make meaning into the warning. What was the healing room? Luke was clueless, no idea came to him. Could it be the Church? No … Luke changed his mind. It wouldn't be the Church. Then what was it? The man just sat for a long time trying to decipher it all. Ideas compiling in his brain. Fighting off waves and waves of confusion, he arrived at the meaning. He smiled, the healing room was … he knew!

*************

The next day, Aaron called one of his associates in San Diego. Luke had told him everything. The person he called picked up.

   "Hi."

   "Hi man …" Aaron delved into the situation at hand.

   "Please I need you to get me someone, preferably a young man that can watch the biggest hospital in San Diego without being spotted."

   "On it." The associate didn't ask any questions. Aaron needed it done, that was all that mattered. And the next day, Aaron was given the number of a boy named Todd, who in turn gave the boy's number to Luke.

 ************

Presently …

"I just hope they have gotten the message. Todd has done his part." Luke said to his brother. But the other man was staring at the picture of his wife who had been gone about 25 years ago. Luke sighed, anytime his brother was in that state, it was completely hopeless to rouse him. You had to wait patiently for him to gain his consciousness.

Luke respected his brother's privacy and hence thought about the things he'd been through for the past years. Well …there had been no incidents in the hospital. He had made sure to set things right for the head nurse, just as Todd had called her. And Luke had finally disconnected from the boy. It was for the best, having paid him for his services. He and Aaron would take it up from there. They would watch the head nurse and her daughter.

    "Uh-huh what's my kid bro thinking  about?" Aaron the teaser chipped in. Luke rolled his eyes.

   "Big bro, you're not the only one allowed to think. I too can. Okay?"

   "No, I wasn't thinking."

   "Hmmm… what were you doing then?" Luke asked looking at him fondly. Aaron smiled sadly.

   "Sure, I miss her so much, wish I could  take back everything I had done to her and the baby."

   "I'm sure you will meet her again." Aaron nodded and turned back to his wife's picture.

    "I shall meet you again Agnes."