An old man woke up not knowing anything at all. He woke up on a stately white bed and was stunned to see a large number of young people standing around him. They all looked very similar - their hair was the exact same shade of red-brown, they were all wearing light blue robes and there was a sense of sorrow emanating from all of them.
When the old man got up, they all bowed and chorused, 'Father.'
'Who are you?' he asked suspiciously.
'We are your children,' they said in unison and bowed again.
'And who am I?'
'Our Father,' This was the simple reply from all.
The man felt a twinge of annoyance.
'Hasn't anyone told you not to speak all together?'
'You have, Father.' They stated together and bowed once more.
'What is it with all this bowing? And why are you all so sad? You are acting as if something horrible has happened.' He said.
A girl with particularly sad eyes was about to reply, when the old man said, 'I'm afraid I will not be able to remember your names, my children. Will it be all right if I refer to you as numbers?'
A tall blue eyed boy replied, 'You always have Father, even before.'
'What do you mean by 'before'?' The old man frowned.
And suddenly, another young man burst into the room.
'Ah! You are awake!' This man also wore sky blue robes and held a file. He leaned over to kiss the old man's forehead, 'Finally, Father!'
The old man smiled without realizing, open to the happiness that this new person was showing.
'I believe you do not remember anything?'
'No, I do not.'
'I'm Angelo.' The young man said. He was very handsome, but looked quite different from the man's other children. His hair was almost white and his eyes were the deepest blue.
'And who am I, Angelo? Please do not tell me I am your Father.'
Angelo laughed, 'I have your report, Father.'
He took out a paper from the file. 'Your name is Dr. Maze Fields. You are 81 years old and have 20 children. You taught agriculture at the College of Crops.'
'The Philosophy of Agriculture.' Maze automatically corrected.
'Yes, that,' Angelo smiled.
'Angelo, you mentioned my 20 children. Where is their mother?' Maze asked. He looked towards his other children and noticed their sense of despair growing.
'She had not made it here,' Angelo said.
The old man's heart sank, 'Oh... Angelo, I do not remember anything. Please help me.'
'Of course, Father. I think you should rest for now.'
And so Maze sank into a sleep without dreams.
***
Over the days, Maze got more and more used to the new place. Angelo told him about his old life, but did not mention his wife or anything else bad. His other children however, remained just as miserable. They refused to tell him anything but maintained that some horrible incident had indeed occurred.
Maze learned that he had woken up in a hospital and as he went to the cafeteria, he saw others just like him, helped by others like Angelo.
'Everyone has someone help them until they recover.' Angelo explained.
'But not all of them have someone of their own blood taking care of them, do they?' Maze asked.
Angelo frowned. 'Of their own blood?'
'Of course. You are my son.'
Angelo simply smiled in response.
Maze learned to love this white-haired man and his caring, happy nature. However, Angelo had other work to do as well in the hospital, and often the old man was left alone with his other 19 children.
'Tell me what you like to do, number 3.' Maze asked his son. The boy just shook his head.
Maze was exasperated, 'Why can you not be like my favorite son?'
The others shook their heads, 'It is quite impossible.'
What was impossible about being happy and cheerful like Angelo, Maze could not understand.
'And why is it impossible?'
'It just is, Father. We cannot be like Adam, I'm afraid.'
'Adam?'
'Of course, your favorite son. Your first child.'
Just then Angelo entered the room.
'You!' Maze was pointing at Angelo. He looked livid. 'You lied to me!'
Angelo looked surprised, 'How so?'
'You are not my son.' The old man cried, 'And yet you told me you were.'
'I never said anything, sir. It is protocol here to refer to patients as father or brother depending on their age.' Angelo informed him.
'Protocol..? I do not understand.Where is Adam?'
One of his children spoke, number 9, Maze thought, 'With our mother. They are not here with us today.'
The old man felt like weeping, 'My wife, and my favorite child...'
'I do wonder how they made it out of an accident that was fatal to so many others.' Angelo muttered.
'Wha-what? Fatal? I do not understand what you are saying' Maze asked, stricken.
Angelo sighed, 'I was wondering when the questions would start. Because of your amnesia we could not show you our video, I'm afraid. But I figured you would have known by now.'
'What are you talking about Angelo?!' Maze cried.
'Sir, have you seen your report?'
'No.'
Angelo showed it to him carefully. And as realization dawned on him, Maze's mouth fell open.
There was a pause. Everyone waited.
'Well then, I must get going. Please do close his mouth soon to avoid any flies entering,' Angelo requested the children.
Maze closed his mouth. 'There are flies in heaven too?'
'Well, of course. They're very important to the ecosystem, sir.' Having said that, Angelo disappeared with a pop.
When the old man got up, they all bowed and chorused, 'Father.'
'Who are you?' he asked suspiciously.
'We are your children,' they said in unison and bowed again.
'And who am I?'
'Our Father,' This was the simple reply from all.
The man felt a twinge of annoyance.
'Hasn't anyone told you not to speak all together?'
'You have, Father.' They stated together and bowed once more.
'What is it with all this bowing? And why are you all so sad? You are acting as if something horrible has happened.' He said.
A girl with particularly sad eyes was about to reply, when the old man said, 'I'm afraid I will not be able to remember your names, my children. Will it be all right if I refer to you as numbers?'
A tall blue eyed boy replied, 'You always have Father, even before.'
'What do you mean by 'before'?' The old man frowned.
And suddenly, another young man burst into the room.
'Ah! You are awake!' This man also wore sky blue robes and held a file. He leaned over to kiss the old man's forehead, 'Finally, Father!'
The old man smiled without realizing, open to the happiness that this new person was showing.
'I believe you do not remember anything?'
'No, I do not.'
'I'm Angelo.' The young man said. He was very handsome, but looked quite different from the man's other children. His hair was almost white and his eyes were the deepest blue.
'And who am I, Angelo? Please do not tell me I am your Father.'
Angelo laughed, 'I have your report, Father.'
He took out a paper from the file. 'Your name is Dr. Maze Fields. You are 81 years old and have 20 children. You taught agriculture at the College of Crops.'
'The Philosophy of Agriculture.' Maze automatically corrected.
'Yes, that,' Angelo smiled.
'Angelo, you mentioned my 20 children. Where is their mother?' Maze asked. He looked towards his other children and noticed their sense of despair growing.
'She had not made it here,' Angelo said.
The old man's heart sank, 'Oh... Angelo, I do not remember anything. Please help me.'
'Of course, Father. I think you should rest for now.'
And so Maze sank into a sleep without dreams.
***
Over the days, Maze got more and more used to the new place. Angelo told him about his old life, but did not mention his wife or anything else bad. His other children however, remained just as miserable. They refused to tell him anything but maintained that some horrible incident had indeed occurred.
Maze learned that he had woken up in a hospital and as he went to the cafeteria, he saw others just like him, helped by others like Angelo.
'Everyone has someone help them until they recover.' Angelo explained.
'But not all of them have someone of their own blood taking care of them, do they?' Maze asked.
Angelo frowned. 'Of their own blood?'
'Of course. You are my son.'
Angelo simply smiled in response.
Maze learned to love this white-haired man and his caring, happy nature. However, Angelo had other work to do as well in the hospital, and often the old man was left alone with his other 19 children.
'Tell me what you like to do, number 3.' Maze asked his son. The boy just shook his head.
Maze was exasperated, 'Why can you not be like my favorite son?'
The others shook their heads, 'It is quite impossible.'
What was impossible about being happy and cheerful like Angelo, Maze could not understand.
'And why is it impossible?'
'It just is, Father. We cannot be like Adam, I'm afraid.'
'Adam?'
'Of course, your favorite son. Your first child.'
Just then Angelo entered the room.
'You!' Maze was pointing at Angelo. He looked livid. 'You lied to me!'
Angelo looked surprised, 'How so?'
'You are not my son.' The old man cried, 'And yet you told me you were.'
'I never said anything, sir. It is protocol here to refer to patients as father or brother depending on their age.' Angelo informed him.
'Protocol..? I do not understand.Where is Adam?'
One of his children spoke, number 9, Maze thought, 'With our mother. They are not here with us today.'
The old man felt like weeping, 'My wife, and my favorite child...'
'I do wonder how they made it out of an accident that was fatal to so many others.' Angelo muttered.
'Wha-what? Fatal? I do not understand what you are saying' Maze asked, stricken.
Angelo sighed, 'I was wondering when the questions would start. Because of your amnesia we could not show you our video, I'm afraid. But I figured you would have known by now.'
'What are you talking about Angelo?!' Maze cried.
'Sir, have you seen your report?'
'No.'
Angelo showed it to him carefully. And as realization dawned on him, Maze's mouth fell open.
There was a pause. Everyone waited.
'Well then, I must get going. Please do close his mouth soon to avoid any flies entering,' Angelo requested the children.
Maze closed his mouth. 'There are flies in heaven too?'
'Well, of course. They're very important to the ecosystem, sir.' Having said that, Angelo disappeared with a pop.
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