The Cycle

By Chawnaw Hershel Kahn

Also known as Jeffrey H. Kahn
Copyright 2014 All rights reserve
After winter ha passe! a "ricklayer in the early 1#00$s in Boston! %assach&setts
caref&lly scrape away the top soil of a fiel that he knew yiele an e'cellent "o&nty of clay.
He &g his han into the gro&n an cr&("le it to eter(ine if it was the right te't&re. )&tting
asie a s&fficient a(o&nt he waite &ntil spring when he wo&l grin it with his fingers into the
right consistency an p&t it into a soaking pit where it wo&l "e (i'e with water an po&re
into a (o&l that wo&l shape the clay into a "rick. Then the (ole clay was rie in a kiln
that was heate at low te(perat&res &ntil all the water ha evaporate. *inally the fla(es were
increase to 1+00 egrees to co(plete the process. The "ricklayer then isasse("le the kiln
an chose those "ricks that ha a nice sal(on color. After his wheel"arrow was loae with as
(any "ricks as he co&l carry they were taken to a lot that containe a partially "&ilt str&ct&re.
Here he caref&lly place the new "ricks on top of the e'isting ones ce(enting the( together
(aking the str&ct&re higher an higher. ,hat he i not know was that within two of the new
"ricks he ha lai containe the so&ls of a (an an wo(an who ha no for(er relationship.
They "oth were now trappe in the confines of the "&iling. -ach one ha live a selfish life
with not a single "it of co(passion for anyone else. He! an e'ec&tive "anker "y trae! st&ck
efficiently to the r&les ignoring any an all re.&ests that wo&l (anate taking a chance en/oying
the power he ha over his c&sto(ers. His life was one of solit&e0 preferring reaing (aterial
(ore than the co(pany of others. 1he! a )rincess of royal "loo! was raise to "e pa(pere an
wo&l never even think of associating herself with any co((oner. 1ociali2ing an gran parties
were her aily ro&tine an it was well known that she wo&l ref&se the han of any (an who she
consiere inferior. 3ow they each were confine against their will in a "ake clay resience
&na"le to leave or co((&nicate. ,hen the ho&se was co(plete an p&rchase they co&l
perceive a ho&sehol of people who cherishe each other an even with their petty ifferences
there was always har(ony in the ho&se.
The ho&se age an was sol (any ti(es! its rafters now creaking! its "rick walls
weather "eaten! "&t still protecting the eifice fro( the raging f&ry of winter an s&((er stor(s.
The two so&ls witnesse the lives of (any ifferent people as the years passe. 1orrows an
cele"rations as co((on people ca(e an went. 4t wasn$t &ntil after one h&nre an fifty years
ha passe that the ho&se was e(olishe for the nees of a "igger eifice that wo&l serve as a
hospital for the growing co((&nity. ,hen their "ricks ha "een re(ove the two so&ls left the
str&ct&re not knowing where there /o&rney wo&l take the(.
After the new str&ct&re was "&ilt an the new hospital was officially opene! two re
roses grew (ysterio&sly on the right sie of the entrance where octors! n&rses an visitors were
a"le to view the( as they walke &p the long steps leaing to the two large wooen oors. The
flowers so(ehow gave the( a feeling of co(fort an hope. Chilren were warne not to to&ch
an invalis (ae it a point to stop an a(ire the "ea&ty! "&t caref&l not to to&ch the ste( lest
they "e pricke with the (any thorns that /&tte o&t. The two so&ls that ha resie in the "ricks
fo&n their new ho(e in the roses a "lessing as they felt the war(th of love that was "estowe
&pon the(. 1easons passe an the two roses "losso(e every spring "ringing each of the so&ls
a s&"li(e happiness every ti(e they were a(ire. 5ne ay a chil on his last /o&rney stoppe
"efore entering the "&iling an took a (o(ent to look at the two roses silently "ringing
happiness an content(ent to his heart. A week later his so&l left the hospital an as he "egan
his spirit&al voyage to his new ho(e he passe "y the two roses an .&ietly sai! 6Thank yo& for
the /oy that yo& gave (e.7 *ro( that (o(ent on the two so&ls were a"le to co((&nicate with
each other! telling their life story0 their isappoint(ents an achieve(ents! an the lessons that
were learne. The seasons passe an as it is with all life it was ti(e for the two roses to leave.
The petals roope an withere falling onto the gro&n an t&rning into fertili2er that wo&l
help other plants grow. The so&ls were force to leave wonering where they wo&l go ne't.
The years passe an the hospital e'pane as the nees of the co((&nity grew. 4t was
in the early 1890$s that a stray og wanere into the vicinity feeling rawn to the pre(ises. He
was scr&""y with a irty white coat an wet nose that annoye every frienly peestrian that got
in its way. The no na(e og love to "ark in happiness! wag his tail an "eg for a pet with every
new face that went into the hospital. This attracte (any chilren who love the ani(al. 1o(e
long ter( patients na(e hi( accoring to their own nees. After a year of scro&nging aro&n
for foo an living in a "o' in an alleyway ne't to the hospital another stray og wanere into
the vicinity! a og that was a"&se "y its owner with (&ltiple (arks of kicks an "eatings on her
ri"s an "ack. Her owner finally a"anone her ref&sing any for( of ai. ,hen the scr&""y
og saw this ani(al he i((eiately felt a nee to get close. He approache her an seeing the
pain on her face "egan to lick the other og$s nose an ears. 1oon they "eca(e very close! the
scr&ffy og sharing his foo an loging with his new frien. The two so&ls ha fo&n each
other again insepara"le witho&t knowing why. They live an love each other$s co(pany
sharing an helping each other o&t. Then one ay as they an'io&sly greete new patients a
yo&ng chil threw a "all in orer to play catch with the ogs. Acciently it rolle into the (ile
of the street. 4((eiately the scr&ffy og$s (ate ran energetically chasing after the "all in orer
to retrieve it. An a("&lance racing to the scene in an e(ergency i not notice the og an
sla((e into the happily sca(pering ani(al throwing the startle og twenty feet onto the lawn.
As the scr&ffy og looke on in horror the fe(ale og took one long sa look at her frien for
life an e'pire to the shock of all who ha witnesse the scene. The scr&ffy og never
recovere fro( seeing his "est frien ie. He constantly howle an ha no esire to play with
anyone any(ore. -vent&ally he ie in loneliness in his "o' in the alleyway! &nnotice &ntil the
s(ell ca&se the /anitor who threw o&t the gar"age aily to investigate what was ca&sing his
annoyance. The re(ains of the scr&ffy og were gently place in a gar"age "ag an eposite in
the receptacle never to "e seen again.
The years went "y an in 18#: a year when the hospital in Boston ha an &n&s&al a(o&nt
of "irths! a "oy na(e ;eorge was "orn to two very happy parents! their only chil. He was
pa(pere an place in a p&"lic school &ntil his seventeenth year. After he gra&ate! he so&ght
to help people as his a("ition ha "een n&rt&re "y caring parents who ha traine hi( teio&sly
in this respect. ;eorge went away to 3ew <ork an enrolle in a (eical progra( in a
&niversity training to "eco(e a peiatrician. Ten years later a girl na(e ;race was "orn to
wealthy parents in the sa(e hospital. Being an only chil she was pa(pere an ta&ght in an
elite private school for the rich an fa(o&s. Against her parent$s wishes she ha a great esire to
"eco(e a (eical assistant an as s&ch she enrolle in a n&rsing progra( at a posh 4vy =eag&e
1chool. After gra&ation she chose to work in Boston so that she co&l "e near her parents an
friens. By coincience ;race! now a yo&ng wo(en in her early twenties with a re(arka"le
&nflattering appearance! si(ple an plain with a sweet isposition! got a /o" as a n&rse in the
very hospital where she was "orn. 1he worke long an har caref&lly taking care of every
whi( of the patients that were assigne to her. 4t so happene that one ay she fo&n herself
looking at the new "orn "a"ies in the (aternity war when a octor walke &p an stoo "esie
her. His face was worn an tire fro( the long ho&rs that internship re.&ire. ,hen ;race saw
the reflection of his face in the glass she looke &p at hi( an s(ile. He s(ile "ack an sai!
6Aren$t they "ea&tif&l>7 3ot knowing why! ;race felt a war(th fro( this (an as if she ha
known hi( all her life. He felt the sa(e way an it wasn$t long after that a powerf&l relationship
evelope "etween the(. To hi( she was known as 6<o&r ;race! his special princess.7 How
co&l he not love a wo(an who was so sy(pathetic to others! always apologi2ing for any
(isee that ha "een reporte> To her ;eorge was a (an that co&l "e tr&ste with all the
(oney in the worl. How co&l she not love a (an whose very e'istence was to take care of
others an whose heart was evote to her every whi(>
The two so&ls ha fo&n each other again. They wo&l (arry an have one chil! a "oy
whose so&l years ago a(ire a pair of roses near the entrance to the very hospital where they
"oth worke. A so&l that in repay(ent for the pleas&re it receive wo&l give (&ch happiness to
the two parents that were entr&ste with it.
1o it was that the /o&rney of these two wo&l first take the( into harene "ricks of clay
in orer to learn patience! to "ea&tif&l roses in orer to learn &nre.&ite giving an to ogs where
they wo&l learn the "ea&ty of tr&e love. The years wo&l pass an event&ally they wo&l ie!
where their so&ls wo&l live on in eternal happiness together.
The -n