SHE got out of bed, drank a glass of water and sat down, unable now to sleep, reflecting on the strange dream that took her to a land she had never visited.
As a student, and now a teacher, she had read a lot on the history of the CARICOM nations so she recognised the land was Guyana, located on the northeast coast of South America. It was a country famed for its pristine rainforest, majestic waterfalls, exotic flora and fauna and beautiful coastline.

She had always found intriguing similarities between her country Belize and Guyana for both were once under British rule with sugar plantations, indentured servants, slaves, and the only English-speaking countries in Central and South America.
“And now it gets more interesting,” Sarah mused as she thought of the private estate, “Something sad seemed to have happened there, I wonder…” she left the thought unfinished as she got back in bed and closed her eyes to sleep.

For the next few nights, she slept peacefully with no more strange dreams taking her on travels, but on the fourth night, she found herself once again in the garden, walking amongst its outstanding blooms, though veiled still by gloom. She stopped on a curving walkway to look at the poui tree and saw the man standing there again with his back turned to her. She inhaled deeply and stood there for a while, noting how tall he was, shoulder-length hair and probably young judging from his posture.
“Why am I here?” she questioned silently, “And who is this man?”

He turned slowly, as though he heard her questions and the dream vanished again. She could not understand what was happening but she had a feeling she was being pulled into someone else’s story. She spoke to one of her friends, a Pastor, detailing the dreams to her and was told, “Maybe it’s a calling for you, your destiny.”
Sarah looked puzzled, not quite able to grasp the meaning of that.

“There are lots of things we don’t have answers for,” her friend told her, “They just happen, so let it flow smoothly through your mind until you can understand.”
And so she did that, easing the tense feeling in her mind.

Summer began, a season she always looked forward to,for it was vacation time. Trips she sometimes planned with a few close friends to different countries to explore the beauty and uniqueness, and experience the culture and cuisine.

This year’s vacation was destination Guyana in South America, a place described by tourism magazines as a hidden paradise, and that trip had been planned before she started having the dreams.

“How strange is that?” Sarah thought, remembering her pastor friend’s words, ‘A calling, your destiny.’
Two days into their visit as they sat down for breakfast at the Pegasus hotel, her friend browsing through a catalogue of Guyana’s finest gardens and grounds, looked up at her and exclaimed, “Oh my gosh, Sarah, you won’t believe this!”
“What is it?”

She handed her the catalogue and Sarah stared at the page astounded. It was as though she was looking at a picture of herself, a picture of the lady of the private estate whose garden was featured. The lady died two springs ago, leaving her husband – the tall man with charming good looks alongside her in the photo.
Sarah dropped the catalogue.
“Oh my god, I can’t believe this.”

The realization of what was happening stunned her and grabbing her friend’s hand she gasped, “I can’t breathe.”
She was given some water to drink and her friends stayed close, talking to her until she had regained some calm.
Now she understood the gloom in the garden, why she was asked in her dream if she believed in miracles and why she had become a part of that story.

That day had been fully booked to meet tour operators and a bus tour of the city, so the next morning Sarah and her friends took a hotel cab to the private estate on the West Coast of Demerara. It was surrounded by canals and bordered by huge flamboyant trees.

There were no security guards and the gate was opened slightly. Sarah walked slowly through, her friends keeping a little way behind, a nervous feeling within her.
It was quiet, just like in the dream, a splendorous place, like a world in its own, where a young couple once lived.
Now he was alone.

She stopped when she reached the poui tree but he was not there today, and she stood there for a while looking around, the nervousness in her rising.
“Maybe I should leave and come back another day.”
She turned to leave but stopped when a deep, smooth voice asked, “Hey, can I help you?”

She turned and a soft gust of wind blew, ruffling her hair, causing some strands to fall over her face. She smoothed back the hair and he stared at her shocked. She could see the tautness on his jawline, and how deeply he inhaled to get a grip on himself, as he asked in total disbelief.
“Anna?”

She smiled a little and shook her head, “My name is Sarah.”
He glanced at the poui tree and then at her, “How?”
“I don’t know,” she said calmly, “A miracle maybe?”

He shook his head, tears filling his eyes as he looked at her – the dark tresses, the light in her eyes, the beautiful face.
“I had many doubts.”
“And I was perplexed about the dreams that brought me here.”

“Dreams?” he asked, with a puzzled look.
“We need to talk,” she said.
“Yes, we do,” he agreed.
He glanced at her friends who were standing a short distance behind her and Sarah said,
“My friends, we’re on vacation from Belize.”

A hint of a smile crossed his face and he said, “It gets more interesting.”
As she followed him to the manor, the shadows slowly lifted, light streamed through the trees, and heard again were the sounds of the birds and wind.
Fate’s book could not close, for a believer, who had given up a chance to live had asked for a miracle for the one she loved.