A Miraculous Encounter

I heard the following story a long time ago. It's a story of miracle, luck, and good chance. And, it's a story that moved me. And, it's something I've never forgotten.

It was Vienna. The summer of 1973. I was having tea with the Clarks. I was a family friend. And, the Clarks had 4 very nice children. Nicola and Roger who were 18 and 19, and Emily and Peter who were twins. And, Emily and Peter were still very young. In fact, only 6. And, the story I heard was all about Emily and Peter.

The Clarks had recently come up from Africa. Noel Clark, the father, had worked there as foreign correspondent and was now doing the same in Vienna. And, the story took place whilst the Clarks lived in Africa.

An old friend of the Clarks had dropped in for tea. A doctor from London. He was in town for a conference. And, then came the sandwiches. But, there was one person missing. Little Emily. She was up in her room not feeling well. And, then, when the doctor asked how little Emily was, it was Peter, Emily's twin, who spoke.

“Little Emily cries very much, she's tired all the time, she never wants to play, and, she never eats supper. And, there's one other thing, my sister looks kind of blue”. The doctor stopped eating. He was taken to Emily.

The very next morning, Emily and her mother were on the plane back to London. And, it was all thanks to Peter. In his innocent way he had accurately described the symptoms of Emily's condition. A hole in the heart. And, there at the airport in London and waiting for them was an ambulance. There wasn't much time. Speed was important.

The operation took place that very same night. It lasted more than 6 hours. And, 3 days later Emily woke up. She had come through.

And, 6 other little children were treated for the same thing that week. Only 2 survived. Emily and one other child. Emily had been very, very lucky. She'd had a Guardian Angel. And, Emily's Angel was Peter her twin. It was Peter's innocent words that had saved Emily's life.

A doctor on holiday, little Peter's innocent remarks, and a plane that was leaving. Good chance, good luck, and very good timing. All three at the very same time. A story I've never forgotten. And, I often wonder what happened to Emily. It was all a long time ago. The afternoon we had tea in Vienna.

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The 49er

 

The 49er is a small café in Vienna.  It's where the 49 tram goes back into town. And, this little 49er has stories to tell.

Last week, Liselotte Konrad, a regular 49er, told me the following story.  

It had just gone 11 when the old lady walked in. She wasn't alone. Behind her and slow was her very old dog. Could she  leave her dog in the café. Just for a while. Only 10 minutes. The waiter agreed. The old lady left her very old dog in a corner. It soon fell asleep.

The discussion that started was hot. A hot as the day. The regulars had all reached the age of knowing much better than everyone else. The old lady shouldn't be trusted. It was her trick to get rid of the dog. The old lady would never come back. And, just look at it. Filthy dirty old dog. Never been washed. And, it stinks! Disgusting. And, so the discussion continued.

Ten minutes later the old lady returned. There was silence. Lots of red faces. The old lady took a seat by the window.  The waiter soon brought the old lady her order. Chocolate cake, whipped cream, and a coffee. The waiter  told the old lady  her dog had been perfect. No trouble at all. In fact, a very nice dog. No one disagreed. Everyone smiled. All very friendly. 

The old lady paid with a generous tip. She then walked out of the café, over the tracks, got on the tram, and went back to town.

John Meredith

John Meredith used to like playing jokes. Most of his pranks were good. Others not so. And, some of John's practical jokes even made people angry.

It was late afternoon. The phone rang. It was Linda. John was surprised. He hadn't seen Rudy and Linda for a very long time. Rudi and Linda were having a dinner. Would John like to come and bring someone with him?

Sue was pleased when John phoned. Dinner at Rudi's and Linda's was something she liked. Rudi and Linda were hosts who were famous. They were the talk of Vienna.

John explained. The dinner was a fancy dress dinner. Topic, the French Revolution. Sue was excited. An original idea.

Sue worked hard on her costume. Maria Antoinette was her choice. Doreen, Sues best friend, helped with the dress. Hannes and Gordon, friends with a theatre, lent Sue a suitable wig. And, Mavis, another good friend, helped Sue with her makeup.

John and his Queen took a cab to the party.

Linda led John and Sue into the living-room. Pre-dinner drinks, nuts and crisps, meaningless small talk, gentle laughter. All of a sudden, there was silence. People stopped talking mid-sentence. Looks of surprise. Looks of amazement. Marie Antoinette had arrived. What a wow! Everyone else was boringly normally dressed. Sue whispered to John. She was going to kill him. This wasn't funny. And, nobody laughed at John's practical joke.

The evening wasn't so bad. Everyone knew everyone else. And, despite being very wrongly dressed, Sue had a nice time. John was well known for his pranks. Everyone knew him. But, this time, John had gone over the top. This wouldn't happen again. After the party, Sue went home on her own. She was very insulted and very, very angry with John.

John understood. He felt sorry,  and at the same time relieved. It could have been worse. Sue could have come as a nun, or even a clown. Sue didn't speak to John for a very long time.

This was John's first and last fancy-dress prank. He had got it all wrong in a very serious way. Now, of course, things are OK. It was a long time ago. In fact, many years. Now it is funny. Something to laugh at. But, things were never the same. Never again did Sue go out with John. A very bad joke almost ruined a good friendship.

John Meredith enjoyed playing jokes. Most were good. Others not so. And, some of John's practical jokes even made people angry. Sue had been too much for John. A very hard lesson in life. A lesson John never forgot.