Book Series: IRISH BLUE Author: Sheila Willar Copyright: 2022 Sheila Willar ISBN #: 978-0-9867101-4-8 Book Title: THE CHAPEL Chapter #: 07 - LOOK UP!
BOOK 1 - CHAPTER 7 - LOOK UP!
Erin and Lila arrived at Mrs. Mancinni’s and loaded their tools and supplies onto the back of a small garden vehicle, and made their way along the trails until they reached the rock wall.
As they drove under the archway of the old wooden door and into the meadow, Lila exclaimed “Wow! It’s so beautiful here.”
“Wait till you see the chapel,” added Erin.
They followed a narrow path through the golden fields of wheat, and entered the chapel where they stood in silence and awe.
They listened to the sound of the wind, and the songs of the birds, and the gentle brush of branches against the roof ... and to what seemed like the sound of the chapel listening to them.
“It’s alive!” sighed Lila.
“I know what you mean,” agreed Erin, remembering all too well the voice and the bright light. It was the purest light that she had ever seen.
"The whole thing is made of Irish Blue! It's priceless!" exclaimed Lila.
"Fortunately we only have to fix a small part of it," said Erin as she pointed to the broken tile.
“It’s not too bad,” observed Lila. “If we hurry we can fix it in time for the wedding."
"Do we need to wear gloves?" asked Erin.
Lila shook her head.
"Some people believe that if you touch Irish Blue stone you can see into heaven. They say that it came from the Garden of Eden, and that it carries the “Voice of God". Our team will be here soon, anyway. They will take care of it.”
When the others arrived, they laid out a grid of string across the stone floor and with special gloves they extracted each piece, and labelled and wrapped it in protective cloth. Then they sifted the sandy foundation to recover missing bits.
Professor Foster and his team weighed the stone, and examined it with magnifying glasses and microscopes.
“Yes, yes,” he kept saying. “This is it. This is THEE Irish Blue.”
The professor made a phone call to Alexander Mancinni and then directed the team to restore the foundation and tamp it down.
Next they prepared a special “glue” that was developed in house. It would bond the stone fragments together as good as new, and with near invisible seams.
The only problem was that the glue required time to cure, and that it may not be strong enough to endure the pounding of high heels, and the foot traffic that was expected over the next few days.
“I ordered replacement stone,” said Erin. "What should I do with it?"
Professor Foster smiled and replied, “Don't worry about it. They would never give the real stone to you.”
Then he ordered the crew to clean up and pack up the tools.
“I’m going back to the city with the rest of the team,” announced Lila. “Would you like to come with us?”
“No. I’ll stay here.”
Even though there was nothing for her to do, Erin dusted what didn’t need to be dusted, and fretted over what didn’t need fretting.
She wanted to catch her breath and to make sure that she had done the right thing by inviting the others into the project. She also wanted a moment of rest before she had to explain herself to Mrs. Mancinni.
As she took a deep breath, she heard a familiar voice say, “Look up!”
Erin stared past the crystal chandelier and once again saw the bright white light, but this time she saw more.
Through what looked like an opening in the roof she could see into a cathedral that was in another dimension, and instantly she was transposed inside a magnificent and brilliant room. It was so enormous, that galaxies swirled under her feet, beneath a crystal-clear floor.
Erin would have remained transfixed for who knows how long, but at that moment, Mrs. Mancinni entered the chapel and asked, “Are you alright dear?”
“Yes,” answered Erin as she was shocked back into a world wrapped in time.
“It’s perfect!” cheered Mrs. A as she admired the restored stone. “Thank you so much. It means a lot to me."
“I didn’t do anything. It was Lila and Professor Foster. They did it all. I just watched.”
“It has the Voice of God you know.”
“So I hear.”
“Legend says that if you make a vow on Irish Blue stone, it cannot be broken,” mused Astor wistfully.
“I don't know if it will be cured in time for the wedding.”
“Alexander told me all about it. Come now, let’s get you home.”
Erin and Mrs. A drove back to the main house in near silence, each lost in the thoughts of the day.
On the way back to the city, Erin tried to steady her nerves, but all she could think of was what she had seen and heard in the vision.
As she stared out the window, the light from the sun flickered through trees, and she wondered:
