Excerpt from For Love of Children: The Storm
Under Eleutheros’s tutelage, Nicholas grew into a priest. He learned everything his uncle would teach him: arithmetic, geography, and ancient languages. By the time his beard began to grow, Nicholas knew the Bible by heart.
Nicholas’s speed amazed his uncle, who finally realized he knew nothing more to teach his nephew. He decided to take him to Myra, where they could seek out a better instructor. They boarded a ship and set sail, and Nicholas’s heart soared. He remembered the stories his mother had told him about the sea and the creatures within, and he smiled. There was a great wind on his face, and the waves splashed higher and higher, finally tossing water onto the deck, like a child playing in the sand.
Nicholas was lost in his thoughts, lost in the joy of the sea. He woke from his dream when he heard screams. He looked up to see the sailors in a panic. His uncle, barely able to keep his balance, stumbled towards him.
“We must keep faith,” Eleutheros said, and Nicholas saw he was afraid.
“What is the matter?” Nicholas asked.
Eleutheros looked at him as if Nicholas was mad. “The storm! It may be the death of us all.”
Nicholas looked into the storm, into the rain and the waves and the wind. He did not see death before them.
He saw geometry. In the swirling clouds he saw old symbols, spiraling and twisting. In the crashing of the waves and the echo of the thunder he heard voices; words. They were words he knew, though he could not remember who had spoken them.
Nicholas lifted his arms, and the wind slipped through his fingers. He shifted his fingers, tightening them and the air between. He looked to the sky, and saw the clouds change, the symbols alter and reform. He listened to the water and heard the voice change.
The wind increased two fold. The sailors grasped onto anything they could, convinced they were about to be thrown into the sea. Eleutheros fell to the deck. He stared at Nicholas, unsure if it was God or the Devil at work. The storm clouds overhead swirled as the wind grew and grew. Rain struck like stones, and Nicholas smiled.
Because the waves were at peace. Nicholas lowered his arms and a hole appeared in the spiraling clouds. A single ray of light came from the heavens and encircled the ship. The winds died down, until there was only a gentle breeze, pushing the boat towards the shore.
Nicholas’s speed amazed his uncle, who finally realized he knew nothing more to teach his nephew. He decided to take him to Myra, where they could seek out a better instructor. They boarded a ship and set sail, and Nicholas’s heart soared. He remembered the stories his mother had told him about the sea and the creatures within, and he smiled. There was a great wind on his face, and the waves splashed higher and higher, finally tossing water onto the deck, like a child playing in the sand.
Nicholas was lost in his thoughts, lost in the joy of the sea. He woke from his dream when he heard screams. He looked up to see the sailors in a panic. His uncle, barely able to keep his balance, stumbled towards him.
“We must keep faith,” Eleutheros said, and Nicholas saw he was afraid.
“What is the matter?” Nicholas asked.
Eleutheros looked at him as if Nicholas was mad. “The storm! It may be the death of us all.”
Nicholas looked into the storm, into the rain and the waves and the wind. He did not see death before them.
He saw geometry. In the swirling clouds he saw old symbols, spiraling and twisting. In the crashing of the waves and the echo of the thunder he heard voices; words. They were words he knew, though he could not remember who had spoken them.
Nicholas lifted his arms, and the wind slipped through his fingers. He shifted his fingers, tightening them and the air between. He looked to the sky, and saw the clouds change, the symbols alter and reform. He listened to the water and heard the voice change.
The wind increased two fold. The sailors grasped onto anything they could, convinced they were about to be thrown into the sea. Eleutheros fell to the deck. He stared at Nicholas, unsure if it was God or the Devil at work. The storm clouds overhead swirled as the wind grew and grew. Rain struck like stones, and Nicholas smiled.
Because the waves were at peace. Nicholas lowered his arms and a hole appeared in the spiraling clouds. A single ray of light came from the heavens and encircled the ship. The winds died down, until there was only a gentle breeze, pushing the boat towards the shore.
