April 06, 2006
THE READING
by Trevor Romain
I have written about a wonderful 12-year-old named Megan Stento before, but I was reminded of her yesterday and thought I'd share her story once more:
Megan was an amazing 12-year-old girl who taught me how to turn feathers into wings.
I remember visiting Megan at the hospital one morning and telling her about a new book I had just written called The Other Side Of the Invisible Fence. (Which is unfortunately out of general circulation, but available on my web site.)
“I’m going to dedicate the book to you," I said.
“Thanks,” whispered Megan softly, with parched, dry lips. "That means a lot to me."
Megan was a beautiful child with a smile that could reach across an entire room. The effects of chemotherapy and grueling radiation sessions did not dampen her wonderful demeanor.
“As soon as the book comes out, I’ll read it to you,” I offered.
Megan said nothing for a few seconds. Then she said, “You’ll have to read real loud if I’m in heaven.”
She turned to me and smiled.
“I will.” I said. “If you die before this book comes out I’ll climb on the roof of my house and read so darn loud you’ll hear me all the way up there."
Megan fought an incredible battle, but she was no match for the savage cancer that ripped her body apart from the inside out. She died only days after our conversation.
Megan’s mom Becky spoke to me after the funeral. “You are going to keep you promise to Megan aren’t you?”
“Of course I am,” I said, fighting back my tears.
Becky called me later that day and asked if the family could come over to my house when I climbed on the roof to read the book. She thought it would be a good memorial to Megan.
“Absolutely,” I told her.
“Becky called me the next day and asked if I wouldn’t mind very much if Megan’s class came to the reading on the roof.
“I would love that.” I told her.
A few days later the principal of the school called and asked if the entire school could come to the reading on the roof.
That’s when I said, “I don’t think it’s possible. My garden is too small.”
Well, that did not stop Becky Stento. By the next morning she had arranged for me to do the reading on the roof of the Laguna Gloria Art Museum here in Austin. The location was ideal. The two-story building had a flat roof with a deck on it and was surrounded by a beautifully manicured green lawn.
It rained the entire week before the reading and we were fearful that the reading might not take place. Then on the morning of the event, as I climbed the stairs to the roof, the sun came out and bathed the entire garden in a warm golden light.
Once on the roof I leaned on the little wall surrounding the deck and looked over the edge.
My heart stopped.
Sitting on the lawn on chairs and blankets were almost a thousand people. I still do not how so many of them heard about the event.
The entire crowd was completely silent. The only sound I heard was the chirping of happy birds in the woods surrounding the lawn and the occasional barking of a dog way off in the distance.
The silence touched me in ways I cannot describe.
I looked up into the sky...and read the book to Megan.
1 comment:
That's beautiful. Goes straight to the heart.
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