Miguel and two of his friends stood near an intersection. He stared down at the sidewalk and kicked a loose piece of concrete, unable to look them in their eyes.
“So this is it, eh? This is how it ends. Tomorrow you go back to school.”
“Yeah. The poor guy,” the other teen added.
Miguel shrugged. “Well, now that we have a place to live, I can register. You know, I want to go to school. I’ve got some catching up to do.”
The two teens laughed and shook their heads.
“Well, don’t be a stranger. You know where to find us.”
“Oh no, I’ll see you. I’ll see you all the time after school, I promise.”
The other two teens came racing down the block and doubled over in front of them, nearly out of breath.
The two teens with Miguel looked down the street in alarm. “Cops?”
They shook their heads. “No, not that. You gotta see this. Especially you, Miguel. Come on.”
Still panting, they picked Miguel up by the arms and raced with him back down the block to an electronics store, where they burst inside and set him down in front of a towering television. The other two teens followed them in. A commercial blared from the stereo speakers on either side.
The storeowner glowered at them from the register. “Hey! I thought I told you kids not to hang out here no more?”
One of the teens who had brought Miguel in waved at the storeowner to be quiet. “Okay, okay. We want to see this one news story, and then we’ll be gone.”
The commercial ended, and the local news returned.
One of the teens put his head close to Miguel’s. “You won’t believe this, man, you just won’t believe it. Watch.”
The newscasters appeared, a man and a woman. The camera switched to focus on the woman.
“And here’s the story we’ve been promising you. After an anonymous tip arrived in the mail, police raided the home of Dr. Carl Dorning today, a retired neurosurgeon.”
The picture switched to the familiar house, surrounded by police vehicles. The police were carrying empty animal cages and other scientific apparatus out the front door.
“The tipster claimed Dorning was performing unregulated animal tests in the basement of his home, which the police described as filled with expensive medical equipment including surgical tools. His neighbors describe Dorning as somewhat of a recluse, rarely seen in public. Police won’t speculate what those experiments were exactly, but they did say some of the equipment was intended for use on humans. One of the items taken away was said to have been a small freezer full of dead, dissected animals. Police reports show Dorning was recently charged with obstruction of justice, but details on that arrest are sketchy. Dorning is currently out on bail, and his whereabouts are unknown since the home appears to have been vacated days earlier, and the tipster didn’t provide any information to police as to where Dorning might be found.”
Dorning’s mug shots from his arrest appeared on the screen.
“See?” The teen said. He elbowed Miguel in the arm. “That’s the guy in the Mercedes. He’s the one you were with.”
The news report continued. “If you’ve seen this man, police ask you call them immediately. Since there were no records found of what experiments might actually have been performed in the home, they’re anxious to talk to him. His court date on the obstruction of justice charge is coming up in two weeks, and if he doesn’t appear, a police spokesman said a warrant will be issued for his arrest. Chuck?”
The camera switched to the man, who looked appropriately concerned. “That’s a very disturbing story, Jill.” He looked at the camera. “We’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available.”
The teens let out a collective howl.
“Whoa, man, you’re lucky he didn’t operate on you, Miguel,” one of the teens said. He drummed his fingers on Miguel’s head.
The other teens laughed.
“Quiet!” Miguel said. He stepped closer to the television. “There’s another story.”
The man reading the news was smiling now: “ . . . and the editors of that prestigious science journal said today they’ve received a manuscript from beyond the grave. Percival Marlowe, the famous astrophysicist who died almost two months ago, was the author of the manuscript dated just days before his death but mysteriously not mailed until recently. The editors are convinced the work is genuine because they described it as a stunning breakthrough in quantum physics, bringing us one step closer to a Unified Field Theory, which is something of a Holy Grail for physicists everywhere. The editors said only someone as brilliant as the late Professor Marlowe could have written such a work, which rules out any possibility of forgery. That and the fact the manuscript contained references to private conversations the professor had with the editors decades ago, conversations they’re convinced no one else knew anything about. It’s just unfortunate, they added, that Percival Marlowe won’t be around to see his last major work published. The breakthrough article is slated to appear in the next edition of the journal but has already generated considerable excitement throughout the entire scientific community.”
“Come on, man. We better go,” one of the teens said, eyeing the storeowner who was reaching for the phone. “The show’s over.”
Miguel hung his head, then slowly followed the chattering teens out of the store.
****
The black Mercedes crossed the state line under the cover of the night. Dorning sat hunched over the wheel, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep. He muttered to himself to help stay awake, then glanced once more at the stack of papers on the passenger seat as if to make certain they were still there.
****
Miguel’s mother poked her head into his small bedroom in their apartment.
“Are you ready for bed, Miguel? Tomorrow’s your big day, you know.” She smiled, vibrant again, the way Miguel remembered her. “You need a good night sleep before starting school.”
“I’m ready,” he said. He went over and gave her a hug. “When’s Papa coming home?”
Her smile faded a little as she patted his face. “Not for a while, Miguel. The Sisters are helping him like they helped me. When he’s ready, he’ll come to visit. And if those visits work out, we’ll be a family again. It won’t be easy, but we’ll try. I promise, we’ll try very hard.”
“I hope so, Mama. I want us to be like we were before.”
“Me too, Miguel. Me too. Now you better get to bed. Goodnight.”
She kissed his forehead, then closed the bedroom door.
Miguel listened until he was sure she was gone, then went to his dresser and removed the letter that had come with the hundred-dollar-bills from its hiding spot under the bottom drawer. He unfolded it and read it to himself once again.
Miguel-
I want to thank you for the chance you gave me to live for a little while more, but after reading your letter I knew the time had come to say goodbye and respect your wishes that you return for good. I know what it is Dorning uses to make you become me and will soon get rid of it forever, where no one will ever find it. I have a hunch how to get you back and—more importantly—keep you back; whatever it is that restores your memories you’ll need to keep with you always and enjoy every day so you forever stay Miguel. You must surround yourself with everyone and everything you love, all you hold near and dear to you to help you stay just the way you are and help you grow up the way you should, as Miguel Sanchez. The enclosed money is a gift from me, but when you’re a bit older you’ll get an even bigger gift—you’ll become the sole trustee of my estate. I know you don’t understand yet what that means, but it will be a truly wonderful thing for you and your family. You might even want to use it to do a little something for your friends who helped you and helped me too when I needed it the most. I wrote to my lawyers and instructed them to find you when the time comes; I’m sure they will. They’ll also take the necessary steps to end any lingering problems you might have with the police. And finally, I’m going to make it impossible for Dr. Dorning to ever do to anyone else what he did to you. This must never be allowed to happen again. I’m glad I had the chance to meet your mother and your father and am certain everything will turn out just the way you want. Be good, get back to school and study hard, and someday maybe you’ll be famous like I was. My time lasted longer than it should have, but yours, my young friend, is only just beginning.
Percival Marlowe
He stared respectfully at the professor’s name as he nodded to himself. “I knew you were a good man,” he said softly.
Miguel carefully refolded the letter and returned it to its hiding spot. He picked up the wooden picture frame on top of the dresser and touched the photo of his family. Then he took the frame to his bedside, wound the music box with care, and set the frame down gently on a table in the corner of the room. After turning off the lights he got into bed, closed his tired eyes, and let the soothing lullaby weave its magic spell.