Epilogue

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Installment #31 of:Sing Low: The Hangman of the WoodsBy B.C. Crow (Epilogue“Why?” Duy moaned. “I was supposed to have been given another chance!”I pitied my roommate. I tried to tell him, but he never listened.I shook my head. I was still marveling at everything that had happened. It’s hard to believe the impossible. Most people would have said that my past two years were impossible. I’ve since learned that anything can happen. If the last few hours weren’t proof of that, then my last two years definitely were.When Duy and I first found ourselves back in this sleepy college town, we were really confused. I'd gone from being a round unattractive teenager to being a handsome thin man in my early twenties. Duy also looked unlike himself. He'd been fairly good looking before, but had changed into a stocky young man with a severe case of acne.These bodies were our own, though they looked nothing like our normal bodies. For the last two years, we'd spent our time living as these strangers. We debated whether or not to keep the same names that we'd known them by. They seemed fitting when we'd first met them, so we continued to call ourselves Thie’ng Won and Thie’ng Tu. What better names for two unnatural misfits?You could say we were part of a paradox. I don't pretend to know anything about such things, but I knew that in two years, I'd be meeting back up with Iddo and I'd give him my memories. He in turn would go back in time two years, inhabiting this body.Anyhow, we got an apartment with Iddo and Duy. I don’t suppose anyone could imagine how weird that was for us. I don’t know how many other people have experienced this for themselves, but I’m sure it can’t be many.So I enrolled in college. Luckily, proof of identification was easily overlooked in our small corner of the world. I suppose that’s one little blessing of living in a war-torn region that is still struggling to rebuild. I already had two years of prior medical schooling as Iddo, but no proof. I easily tested out of those earlier classes to begin my third year. I love how the schooling system here is organized. If you have the knowledge, you’re allowed the chance to test out of almost any class.Thie’ng Tu focused most of his time on befriending the earlier version of himself, but trying to reform Duy by changing his past was very unlikely. He couldn't see the futility of that effort. I tried to tell him. I’d always thought him a lot more rational before our unnatural transformation happened. Sure, he was still rebellious; I knew he could understand common sense, at least enough to consciously dismiss it, rather than ignore it for ignorance’s sake.As for me, I spent my time doing what I couldn’t before. Over the course of my two years, I worked my way into a job that gave me a degree of influence over the soon-to-be prisoners. There was nothing I could do to save the hangman of the woods, and really, I think he was okay with that. But I made sure to have a say in where the children of the woods were taken. He'd put a lot of trust in me to do that. I worked hard to research the best homes to care for and teach them. By the time I finished, I knew they'd be well off.Two years, living as Thie'ng Won, now I was back.I still felt a little wobbly, but that was fading fast. Daddy Smiling was gone and Duy was still moaning. I looked down at my hands. After two years it was like looking at someone else’s hands again. But they were mine. I was Iddo once again.Duy looked up at me. His face looked like snails had slimed their way up his blotchy skin, jabbing him in the eyes with their shells before crawling back down his cheeks. His bloodshot eyes were an even mix of anger and regret. “Why didn’t I get another chance?”“You did,” I responded carefully. I was always honest with him, even as his temper had grown worse over the last year.“But I wasn’t able to change anything.”“How could you? That Duy was already you. You’d already made those choices. You should have been working on the Duy that was Thie’ng Tu. Instead, you repeated all your old mistakes.”“You changed things for yourself, though,” he accused.“I didn’t interfere with the Iddo version of myself. I followed a different path. I didn’t want a second chance to change who I was. I wanted a second chance to change what I couldn't influence as Iddo.”“Yeah, but you’re still better off.”"Whatever you've done is in the past, your real second chance starts today. Every day you live, you have another chance to change."The clock attached to the courthouse gonged one o’clock. Had it really been an hour since the execution? I looked up. There were still some people milling about, but with all the wonder we’d just witnessed, nobody paid any attention to what had happened to me and Duy. The crowd parted a little, and I saw Midnight peek her head around the courthouse building.I’d told her to wait behind the courthouse for the clock to gong before coming around. I wasn’t sure what she'd think if she saw Thie’ng Won vanish into thin air.Getting her off the bus that was headed for China had been easy. I’d planned it all out in advance, making certain that her name was left completely off the transport roster for the other children of the woods. Nobody questioned me about it.When she saw me, not as Thie’ng Won but as Iddo, she straightened with surprise. I hadn’t told her what she’d see. I didn’t want her to rush out before I was ready for her. Now she broke into a run. I ran as fast as I could too.We held each other for a long time. Then with arms around each other, we left the square. As we walked away, I saw my reflection in a window. I was definitely Iddo again. Nothing had changed in my physical appearance. I was back to being as unattractive as ever, but I didn't see a fat unconfident boy anymore. I could see Thie'ng Won in me.In truth, Thie'ng Won was never anyone but me. He was full of confidence and self-worth. In my time as Thie'ng Won, I'd lost myself as I'd focused on helping others. In doing so, I'd unconsciously become the man I'd always wanted to be.I took in a deep satisfied breath, filling my chest to capacity. I felt tall and strong. Midnight looked at me and smiled. She'd seen this man in me before I'd ever known he could exist. She was as much a visionary angel as anyone could be in the flesh. I knew I'd have a lot to live up to if I was to remain worthy of her.Before I was too far away to view of the square, I paused once to look back at Duy. He was sitting on the ground with legs crossed and his back against the overturned wooden bench that had supported Daddy Smiling. Duy looked worn and faded like the weathered and chipping red paint of the picnic bench.A tuft of hair was balled into each of his fists as his arms sandwiched his head. He rocked back and forth. He'd been a Believer. He’d forsaken his knowledge. His group of Believers had been right all along, and he was now feeling the pangs of his conscience.I realized something then. When we eventually stand before our maker to be judged, we will have a perfect knowledge of our evils. God may stand in judgment of us, but we will be our own jury. I felt bad for Duy. He hadn’t been obliterated by the destroying angel that had passed by only minutes ago. But who’s to say that it wouldn’t return for him?Duy had even been given a second chance, and he’d foolishly repeated all his same mistakes. Still he lived. I don’t understand everything yet. I assume that the world will change. Still I get the feeling that part of life will go on.The Second Coming isn’t here yet. But today’s events were a witness that it was near. I had no idea how much of the world would hear or believe what happened in this sleepy little college town. Maybe events like this weren’t unique to us, but something deep down told me that the end was not quite here. Not yet, at least.Maybe the end would happen in my lifetime, maybe not. But it was coming. We and the rest of the world would be afforded a little more opportunity to grow, change, and become Believers ourselves. For me, becoming a Believing would come sooner for than others. Of that I would make sure.I hoped for Duy’s sake that he could still be spared. He did have a good heart. He’d fallen, but perhaps he still had time to change. I turned away. Whatever happened to him was up to him now. I hoped I’d see him again someday.I led Midnight home. Not to the apartment that I shared with Duy, Charles, and Jhon. I took her to a small cottage that I was able to rent as Thie’ng Won. I doubted we’d be able to get married today. Too much had happened. But in the next couple of days, I would see that we did.***Two weeks later, I stepped down from the same courthouse that had condemned Daddy Smiling. It had taken that long for the courthouse to open back up. A different judge presided over our marriage. Only a few people attended. Five, to be exact. Two were court-appointed witnesses. The other three were only visible to myself and Midnight. They were my own two parents, with Daddy Smiling standing next to them.After the ceremony, the judge and two witnesses left for their lunch break.My mother came up to me and gave me a warm hug. “I always believed in you.”Next my father shook my hand. “My boy, you’ve become a man. You’ve made a lot of good choices, and followed your own path. Thank you for not listening to this stubborn old miser.”“Dad,” I choked.“Iddo, I’m proud of you. You have my best blessings.”Last of all, I stuck out my hand to shake that of Daddy Smiling. I had to wait, of course, for Midnight to stop hugging him. He just bellowed out a laugh that filled the whole building. “You've done well. It makes me smile to see you two happy together. I’d stick around, but I’ve got work to do.”“We all do,” my father added.“We all love you,” my mother said. “Midnight, it was very nice to meet you. Take care of Iddo for me.”They faded away. I didn’t know what kind of work they had on the other side, but it wasn’t a sad parting. My heart felt light as I took Midnight in my arms and we walked toward the door.It was a busy day for the justice; many other people had decided to legitimize their partners. Some even had a kid my age, but had never officially married. Yes, the miracle of two weeks ago had a great influence on that. Many of the other people were just the normal backlog due to the two-week absence of a judge.As time went on, I knew many people would forget what had happened two weeks ago. Some would deny it. Others would find excuses. I couldn’t deny what had happened, though. No signs short of the actual return of the One could ever truly convince everyone. But I'd started believing before this sign. Maybe that had something to do with my being able to experience it all. Regardless of what lay ahead, I would live my life so that if I did see that great and final day, I’d be ready.As I escorted Midnight out of the courthouse, I saw Krystal. Her attention was on another recently married couple. Finishing her interview with them, she turned to face me. A wingless sparrow couldn’t have been more surprised if it had just found a cat standing right behind it.“Iddo! I was just writing an article on all these sudden marriages. I—what? Is this—”“Midnight,” I half replied, half introduced, “I’d like you to meet Krystal. We grew up together.”“You’re so pritty, yes you are,” Midnight cooed, as she reached up and fingered a strand of Krystal’s thick blond hair before running her palm across that Caucasian face. “Like sun, you’re so bright, like angel. Pritty angel.”Krystal blushed. Not something she was used to doing, I don’t think.“How are you, Krystal?” I inquired.“I’m good. It looks like you’re not doing too bad, either. Listen, Iddo, about what happened last time we met, I was wrong, please—”“Please, Krystal,” I interjected, “It’s all right.”She let a small smile show. “Listen, if you want, I can help you get your job back at the newspaper.”I laughed. Not rudely of course, just a friendly chuckle. “Don’t worry about me, Krystal. I appreciate all you’ve done for me. I know I haven’t always treated you the best, and I’m sorry for that. But I’m good now. I hope you are, too.”“You already have another job?”“Let’s just say that I tested out of a couple extra years of medical school, and qualified for a paid internship. I’ve also got a wonderful wife. The world isn’t perfect yet, but my little corner of it couldn’t be better.”We talked for a minute or two more, then Krystal raced off to weasel out an interview with the new judge who was finishing his lunch break.The old judge still stained the new judge's seat with a burn mark from when he'd disappeared. With any luck, the rumors of what happened would encourage this new judge to preside honorably in his court.The late-morning sun on any other day would have felt smotheringly hot. Today no blistering heat could have felt more soothing. Today was the beginning of something good. I looked at Midnight. She looked at me. We smiled. Then we kept on walking.The EndCopyright 2017: While I encourage you to share this link with your friends and family, please keep in mind that this is copyrighted material. Under no circumstances do you have the right to re-publish any or part of this content without specific written permission from BC Crow and Blue House Publishing.