Read Online Shadow Tree by Jake Halpern - Free Book Online Page A

but how?”
    â€œThe trick is to picture people around you at that age, like your wife,” said Marta. “Can you do that?”
    â€œMy wife,” croaked Alfonso. “What are you talking about?”
    â€œYour kids, too,” added Marta. “You need to picture the whole scene – your wife, kids, dog, house – but start with your wife.” She smiled. “It should be someone with a pretty name, like Hannah or Victoria.”
    â€œHow can I?” asked Alfonso with exasperation. “How can I picture someone I’ve never met?”
    â€œOf course you’ve met her,” said Marta with a smile. “You are a grandpa, you met her ages ago – you’re an old man now – just look at yourself. You’ve lived a long life. And all your memories are locked away in your head. It’s all there. You’ve just got to act your age.”
    â€œHow do I...” began Alfonso. He was gasping for breath. All of this talking had exhausted him. “How do I do that?”
    â€œBreathe – that’s the key to everything,” said Marta softly. “Just breathe.”
    â€œBreathe?”
    â€œYes,” said Marta. “Concentrate on your breath. It places you in the moment – at least that’s what the Abbot says. So you breathe in through the left nostril, hold it for four seconds, and breathe out through the right nostril. Then breathe in through your right nostril, hold it again – this time for eight seconds – and out through your left nostril. Repeat. Can you do that?”
    Alfonso nodded. He concentrated intensely on his breathing. At first nothing happened. He just felt foolish. In fact, he nearly gave up, but he persisted for a few more minutes. Soon images started flickering through his brain – a boathouse on a misty river, a little blond girl in pigtails, a plate full of sushi at a fancy hotel, an old woman walking a poodle, children dressed as knights at a school play, and the images just kept coming. It was almost as if someone was pasting photographs into a giant album – at an astounding speed – and Alfonso suspected that the pictures were moments from his life. He came to understand that his brain was being filled with a lifetime of memories. After some time, the sound of Marta’s voice brought him back to his senses.
    â€œLook for your wife,” said Marta. “It’s confusing when you are so old – there are so many memories – but she is there. You probably want to remember her when she is a young mother. That’d probably be when you are around thirty-six. I don’t know for sure. I’m just guessing. But when you see her, try to hold onto that image, and block out everything else.”
    Marta watched Alfonso closely. He appeared to be deep in thought. His breathing was rapid, and his sallow, hairless arms were trembling. He stayed like this for several more minutes – and then it happened. In the blink of an eye, he morphed into a tall, muscular man with a suntanned face, a mop of shaggy brown hair, and a thick beard. He looked a few years shy of forty.
    â€œKeep breathing like I told you,” said Marta. “In through the left nostril, hold, out through the right nostril. And keep at it – otherwise you’ll go right back to being grandpa.”
    Alfonso nodded. He sat down, closed his eyes, crossed his legs, and continued with his breathing. “Good,” said Marta. “You’re holding your form. The longer you hold it, the easier it becomes to stay at that age. When you feel ready, I have some adult-size clothing that the monks from Jasber gave me. They should fit you more or less. But give yourself another few minutes to get used to being a tall guy with a beard.”
    She laughed. “You look like one of those scary guys who spends all of his time at the alehouse in Jasber. Do you like drinking ale?”
    Alfonso shooed her away