Chapter Two

Ben Jenkins crossed the state line and the New York Thruway soon became the Connecticut Freeway. He was the the least publicly known of the three journeying to Green Mountain, though for a few minutes on Christmas Eve, ten years earlier, the eyes of the world had been on him. Those few minutes of fame were the reason he’d given up his comfortable life and become a recluse, living in a small cabin, on the bank of the Pearl River, in south Mississippi, not far from the Mississippi - Louisiana border.

Even after ten years of seclusion, there were still occasions, when miracle seekers and plain curiosity hounds would seek him out. He knew that had the event that changed his life so abruptly had not happened on Christmas Eve and in front of TV cameras he would have likely been able to avoid the laser beam of public scrutiny. However, he also knew there was no way to turn back the clock so he came to terms with what had happened that fateful day.

Ben lived alone then, as now, only instead of living like a hermit, in a cabin in a swamp, he lived in a small, prosperous town, where he was a well liked, through eccentric, local entrepreneur. He was a man of many interests and he was content with his lifestyle. That all ended with a phone call from the local hospital. The caller, Franklin Pridmore, a friend and the administrator of the hospital, explained that a young man and his wife and two sons had been involved in an auto accident on I59. The man and his wife were in fair condition, but, both the boys had suffered multiple broken bones and internal injuries. Because the highway were closed due to snow and ice, which was the factor that caused the one car accident, Franklin asked Ben if he would fly one of the boys to Birmingham. He explained that Larry Walker, the local airport manager, would fly the other boy. He noted that it would take two planes since each of the boys would be accompanied by a nurse.

Ben quickly agreed and in minutes he was headed for the airport. When he arrived, Larry Walker was already there The airport manager said, “I’ve already preflighted your plane and mine. I talked to Birmingham and they said they expect to close the airport within the hour. There is no where else to take the boys, and no other way to get them there, so we have to give it a shot.” He paused and looked at Ben then continued, “There is a real chance we won’t be able to land at Birmingham, and if that happens we will be hard pressed to get clear of this storm and find a place to land with the fuel we’ll have left. Are you sure you’re up for that?”

Without hesitation, Ben said, “We’re the only chance those boys have and I’m not going to take that away from them.”

As they were talking, two ambulances pulled up to the front of the small airport terminal building. Larry and Ben walked outside to meet them. Larry explained the possibilities to the two nurses who had volunteered to the go with the boys. Like Ben, neither of them hesitated in agreeing to go.

As the nurses and paramedics were moving the boys from the ambulances to the planes, Larry was paged for a call. When he returned, he told Ben, “That was Air Traffic Control at Birmingham. The airport is now officially closed. However, since its an emergency, they will try to talk us in. However, if we don’t have the runway in sight when we are down to four hundred feet we’ll have to abort the landing attempt.”

He glanced up into the white sky, and added, “Judging from the way the snow is coming down here, we won’t be able to come back here.”

Ben laughed, “Larry, I’ve got it. Now, let’s get the show on the road before we become navigation hazards for Santa Claus.” Minutes later the two small planes taxied to the main runway, their lights shining bravely through the snow that was falling heavier by the minute. Seconds after lifting off they were swallowed by the snow.

The snow was the biggest news in Birmingham that Christmas Eve. A local TV station had managed to get a reporter and a cameraman into the terminal before the airport and its access roads were closed. The station is an ABC affiliate and ABC New York was searching for human interest stories on Christmas Eve. They found one in Birmingham, Alabama. The young reporter assigned to the story interviewed stranded travelers for an hour, until everyone was tired of hearing their stories. That’s when the reporter got wind of the two boys being flown in from northeast Alabama. That got his boss’ attention and in seconds ABC New York was carrying the story live, even preempting Midnight Mass from St Peters.

That’s how the nation came to know Ben Jenkins. With the conversation between the tower and the two Cessna’s piped into the room the reporter and his cameraman were broadcasting from, everyone heard the controller directing Ben and Larry through the blinding snow. Larry was trying to follow the lights of Ben’s plane while Ben strained for a glimpse of the runway lights. The camera was focused on the solid wall of snow outside the terminal while the audience listened to the two unsuccessful attempts by the tower to talk the planes on to the runway.

After the second attempt, the controller advised Ben that there could not be another try since the snow as not letting up and radar showed no break in it for over a hundred miles in every direction. It was at that point that Ben Jenkins began the action that subsequently forced him into the seclusion of Pearl River County, Mississippi. He keyed his mike and said, “Birmingham control, give us runway vectors one more time.” He paused, then keyed his mike again and added, “this time I will take care of the snow.” He said it so matter-of-factly the controller agreed to a third attempt, as millions of people watched, listened, and prayed.

Five minutes later, the planes again turned on final approach to the runway that was lost in the snow. Then, in full view of the world, and a speechless TV reporter, the snow stopped falling in an area later estimated to be almost a mile in diameter around the Birmingham Airport. The camera ran, recording the eerie scene that needed no commentary. Suddenly, the two small planes flew out of the wall of snow at the western edge of the airport. Moments later they touched down on the main runway. As if on cue, the snow quickly obliterated the scene.

The aftermath of the Miracle of Christmas Snow, as it became known, was phenomenal. Everyone wanted to know Ben, to talk to him, to touch him, to even have him heal themselves or a loved one. Hundreds of people every day showed up in his home town, drove by his house, knocked on his door, and sent him thousands of letters. It was too much for the naturally quiet, small town businessman. He disappeared late one night, less than three weeks into the new year.

Sand tracked him down, his efforts undetected. Sand’s continued monitoring of Ben soon proved that the incident had been neither accident or coincidence. He observed that Ben knew, and routinely practiced laws of the universe that went far beyond scientific law or scientific limitation, as Sand thought of the limiting teachings of science.