2021 Read online

  ‘No, definitely not!’ chuckled Tom.

  ‘Spoilsport!’ grumbled Alec.

  Chapter Four

  20th November 2020

  Vatican City, Italy.

  Inside the Sistine Chapel the Cardinals have gathered to elect their next Pope.

  On this particular occasion, the usual one hundred and twenty Cardinals were forced to be reduced to only one hundred and eighteen, after two Cardinals had been declared as ‘too ill’ to travel.

  The crowds had gathered outside to see whether the tradition of smoke would appear white or black.

  Black would indicate that no decision had been reached, whereas white would denote a new Pope had been duly elected.

  The huge crowds waited with baited breath until white smoke slowly began to appear from the chimney stack and they all began to celebrate ecstatically that a new Pope had now been elected!

  The bells of St. Peter’s Basilica rang out as the Photo-Deacon of the College of Cardinals appeared out onto the balcony.

  ‘HABEMUS PAPAMI!’ he suddenly cried out.

  (We have a Pope!)

  The crowds all cheered happily!

  Shortly afterwards, the newly elected Pope with the chosen name of Pope Paul VII made his own way onto the balcony and joyfully waved to all the crowds before delivering his Apostolic Blessing to the City of Rome and the rest of the World.

  After the new Pope’s address to the people, he waved the crowds goodbye before he was led away towards a suite in the Domus Sanctae Marthae that had been set aside especially for him.

  Two Cardinals, Cardinal Greco and Cardinal Moretti had offered to show the newly elected Pope around.

  So they now lead the way through the corridors as they showed his new Holiness toward his quarters.

  The newly elected Pope Paul being a lover of fine art however, made his way quite slowly as he took this new opportunity to admire the Vatican’s many fine art exhibits.

  He stopped dead in his tracks however, when he discovered a painting with only its back facing out from the wall.

  ‘Tell me, Cardinal Greco, Cardinal Moretti, but why does this particular painting have its painted surface pointed toward the wall, is it a mistake?’ asked the new Pope curiously.

  ‘I’m afraid, Your Holiness, this a painting we do not speak of’ commented Cardinal Greco as he tried to rush the new Pope quickly passed it.

  ‘But why is that?’ puzzled the new Pope as he merely stood still in front of the painting as he refused to budge.

  Cardinal Greco now seemed to take a deep breath before looking over towards Cardinal Moretti to answer.

  ‘This painting is believed to depict the Anti-Christ’ replied Cardinal Moretti meekly.

  ‘Then I would very much like to see it’ replied the new Pope.

  Both Cardinals Moretti and Greco just looked at each other.

  ‘Are you sure, Your Holiness? We have many other fine works of art in the Vatican that we can show you?’ suggested Cardinal Moretti.

  ‘No, maybe later, I’d just like to see this one first, I’m curious about it’ smiled the new Pope.

  Cardinal Greco nodded his head to Cardinal Moretti and so between them they carefully turned the painting over so it was now face out from the wall.

  The new Pope just stood there and studied the painting carefully.

  ‘The man who stands there in the centre, is that lightening coming from his fingers?’ he asked curiously.

  ‘No one really knows, Your Holiness’ replied Cardinal Greco.

  ‘He certainly appears to be killing people’ nodded the newly elected Pope Paul.

  ‘Yes’ replied Cardinal Moretti thoughtfully.

  ‘Tell me, if you believe this painting depicts the Anti-Christ and it displeases you so much you feel you cannot bare to even look at it, why do you keep it hanging on the wall? Why not simply remove it?’ asked the new Pope curiously.

  Cardinal Moretti and Greco looked at each other again before Cardinal Moretti volunteered to answer.

  ‘It is believed to be the last ever painting by the Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh, Your Holiness.’

  ‘Really?’ puzzled the new Pope staring at the painting as he now studied it more closely. ‘Yes, it certainly looks to be the work of Van Gogh. I don’t ever recall seeing this one before though?’ queried the Pope.

  ‘No, Your Holiness, upon Vincent’s death, believing the painting to depict the Anti-Christ and it also to be a sign of the artist’s illness and insanity towards the end, it is believed it was deliberately hidden away.’

  Cardinal Moretti looked over towards Cardinal Greco as he wondered whether he should explain any more, but Cardinal Greco discreetly nodded his head, so Cardinal Moretti continued.

  ‘The painting was finally discovered and seized by the Nazis during the Second World War, Your Holiness. Hitler himself once treasured it believing it to hold hidden occult power. Winston Churchill himself later secretly donated it to the Vatican after British troops discovered the painting at the end of the Second World War. Only Winston Churchill’s own close relatives and select members of the Vatican even know of its existence’ explained Cardinal Moretti as he paused for a moment.

  ‘It remains here still, Your Holiness, as it would seem ungrateful to simply store away something of such immense value. Also we have occasionally had a visit from a close relative of Winston Churchill, who would come here especially to view it. When they do, we will discreetly turn the painting around again before they arrive, although we have not had to do that for many years now’ concluded Cardinal Moretti.

  ‘Fascinating’ smiled Pope Paul ‘but tell me, has the painting really been authenticated as a lost and previously unknown Van Gogh?’ asked the Pope curiously.

  ‘Yes it has, Your Holiness, indeed every test we have had carried out on the painting has proven it to be entirely genuine’ nodded Cardinal Moretti in reply.

  ‘Then it must be priceless!’ smiled the Pope.

  ‘Indeed it is, Your Holiness’ nodded Cardinal Moretti.

  ‘Then it would indeed seem ungrateful not to have it here on display’ nodded the new Pope ‘although I agree, in view of its content maybe it should be returned back to the way you had it before’ smiled the Pope.

  ‘Yes, Your Holiness’ replied Cardinal Greco, immediately asking for Cardinal Moretti’s help in turning the painting face down on the wall once more.

  ‘Thank you both for showing it to me’ smiled the new Pope as he finally agreed to carry on.

  When the two cardinals had finally settled the new Pope into his quarters and introduced him to his butler, they began walking back to their own quarters again.

  When they were finally alone, Cardinal Greco suddenly pulled Cardinal Moretti to one side.

  ‘What on earth is the matter, Cardinal Greco?’ Cardinal Moretti asked as he looked quite alarmed.

  ‘Did you not see the date on the painting?’ Cardinal Greco demanded.

  ‘No, I’ve never even seen the painting before today. Why, what on earth is the matter?’ puzzled Cardinal Moretti.

  ‘The painting is entitled 2021!’ replied Cardinal Greco.

  ‘But that’s only next year? Why, I had no idea’ replied Cardinal Moretti.

  ‘No, no did anyone else I’d wager’ nodded Cardinal Greco. ‘I think the painting has remained covered for so long now, I don’t think anyone still alive in the Vatican has even seen it until today.’

  ‘But what are you saying? You don’t seriously think this painting is predicting what is to happen next year do you?’ asked Cardinal Moretti with an incredulous expression on his face.

  ‘I don’t know’ replied Cardinal Greco as he looked very worried. ‘It was thought by many who claimed to know, that it does indeed predict the coming of the Anti-Christ’ replied Cardinal Greco seriously.

  ‘This painting though, it was painted by an art
ist who many considered was a madman at the time of his death?’ pondered Cardinal Moretti.

  ‘Yes, but they also considered his paintings not be worth anything as well. Why, I’d heard he only sold one painting when he was alive and that was only to a friend of a relative’ commented Cardinal Greco.

  ‘Yes, I believe that to be true’ nodded Cardinal Moretti.

  Then he hesitated.

  ‘Is there something on your mind, Cardinal Moretti?’

  ‘I trust I can speak to you in total confidence, my friend?’ Cardinal Moretti asked.

  ‘Of course’ nodded Cardinal Greco.

  ‘When I gazed upon that painting I had the strangest feeling of foreboding’ Cardinal Moretti admitted.

  ‘Why I thought it was only me’ Cardinal Greco sighed.

  ‘Do you think his Holiness felt it too?’ asked Cardinal Moretti.

  ‘If he did he probably wouldn’t say so’ replied Cardinal Greco.

  ‘What do you think we should do?’ asked Cardinal Moretti looking deep in thought as he gazed out of an open window.

  ‘I still have my people all around the world investigating any reports of miracles. So possibly I should ask them to seek out anyone displaying, let us say, any unusual abilities?’ pondered Cardinal Greco.

  ‘You are taking this painting seriously then?’ asked Cardinal Moretti.

  ‘Aren’t you?’ replied his friend.

  ‘Yes, I am. I’ll be honest, it gave me such a strong feeling of dread it was like there was something supernatural about it’ admitted Cardinal Moretti. ‘It was if, looking at that painting I could feel all the sadness in the world’ he commented thoughtfully.

  ‘Maybe this painting was given to us as a warning that the Anti-Christ is coming and very soon?’ questioned Cardinal Greco.

  Cardinal Moretti immediately turned around and just stared at him.

  ‘You mustn’t even say that!’

  ‘Why not, that’s what we’re both thinking?’ argued Cardinal Greco.

  ‘What are you going to do then?’ asked Cardinal Moretti now looking very worried.

  ‘I’ll have my investigators seek out this man. Then if he does in fact exist we will find him. It will be easy to separate him from the many reports of crying statues and people seeing Jesus’ face in items of food we now seem to get almost on a weekly basis’ replied Cardinal Greco.

  ‘But what then?’ asked Moretti curiously ‘what will we do if we find this man?’

  Greco didn’t answer.

  ‘Cardinal Greco, what will we do if we find him?’ asked Cardinal Moretti again.

  ‘We’ll have no choice, Cardinal Moretti, he must be stopped’ insisted Cardinal Greco

  ‘I hope you’re not saying what I think you’re saying?’ Cardinal Moretti asked as he looked very fearful.

  ‘We will have no choice but to kill him!’ whispered Cardinal Greco.

  ‘WHAT?’ shouted Moretti ‘YOU CANNOT MEAN THIS?’

  ‘Shssss, my friend or someone will hear us’ quickly uttered Cardinal Greco in reply.

  ‘But how can you speak of murdering someone so glibly? I tell you, I’ll play no part in this’ Cardinal Moretti told him firmly.

  ‘What other choice will we have? If this man is who we suspect he is?’ questioned Cardinal Greco ‘he could destroy the world if we do not destroy him first!’ he insisted.

  ‘No, I’ll play no part in this!’ insisted Cardinal Moretti again before he stormed off.

  Later on, after giving the matter some more thought, Cardinal Greco composed a letter to go out to all Catholic Churches around the world.

  ‘It has been anonymously reported to the Vatican that a person exists, a man who has performed miracles, but his exact whereabouts in the world is unknown to the Vatican.

  Cardinal Greco in Vatican City requests that all priests report any sightings that may have been witnessed of any such man.’

  Chapter Five

  30th December 2020

  Upper Compton,

  Surrey, England.

  After leaving their secondary school, Alec and Tom both started work in the motor repair works owned by Alec’s father.

  Alec took responsibility for all the company’s accountancy, tax returns and payroll from a former worker who had retired, whilst Tom, having now passed his car repair theory exams at school, began work as an apprentice mechanic, now learning the practical side of the business.

  Both settled into their respective jobs very quickly and soon became very adapt at their work.

  The two teenagers remained the best of friends and in their spare time still went everywhere together.

  One day towards the end of November 2020 however, Alec collapsed in the work’s office and had to be rushed to hospital by ambulance.

  The moment Tom heard the news he just dropped what he was doing and rushed to be by his best friend’s side.

  ‘Where is he? Where’s Alec James?’ asked Tom urgently as he arrived at the hospital and was then directed to his empty bed as Tom’s heart immediately missed a beat fearing the worst!

  ‘He’s having tests, Tom’ explained Alec’s dad looking very grim faced as Alec’s mother sat crying by his bedside. ‘I’m afraid, Tom, I’d rather be honest with you, it’s not looking very good at all’ Alec’s dad admitted to him frankly.

  ‘Is it OK if I stay?’ Tom asked politely as Alec’s mum just nodded her head.

  So Tom just pulled up a seat and waited for more news alongside them.

  Just over three hours later, Alec’s specialist arrived to speak to them all.

  ‘What is it doctor, will he recover OK?’ asked Alec’s mother as she jumped to her feet upon seeing him.

  ‘Is it all right to tell everyone here?’ asked the specialist cautiously as he now directed them towards a separate office.

  ‘Yes, Tom is Alec’s best friend, he’s one of the family now’ nodded Alec’s dad.

  The surgeon now sat down and spoke to them quietly.

  ‘I’m afraid Alec has a large malignant growth in his brain’ he explained.

  ‘Oh God!’ uttered Alec’s mum as she immediately began to cry.

  ‘What can you do, Doctor, can you operate?’ asked Alec’s dad.

  The specialist consultant just sighed before replying.

  ‘I have a couple more tests to carry out just to be certain, but I’m afraid it looks very unlikely that I will be able to operate’ he explained calmly. ‘The size of the growth and its exact location makes any surgery impossible. The brain would be permanently damaged and would only hasten the inevitable’ the surgeon informed them. ‘I’m really very sorry’ he uttered sadly.

  Alec’s mum and dad were now distraught.

  ‘Tell me, Doctor, realistically, how long has he?’ asked Alec’s dad, now with tears in his eyes.

  ‘Not very long I’m afraid. He will do well to last to Christmas’ the surgeon openly admitted.

  ‘But you must be able to do something to save him?’ insisted Alec’s mother.

  ‘Obviously I’ll keep looking, but I would be lying to you, Mr and Mrs James, if I said I really hold out much hope’ the specialist admitted. ‘I’d rather be honest with you both’ added the surgeon.

  ‘No, we appreciate that, Mr Hudson’ nodded Alec’s dad as he tried to consol his wife.

  Tom visited his best friend in hospital every day after that and at first Alec seemed quite chipper, cracking jokes and admiring the prettier young nurses.

  Gradually though, Alec started on a decline, until in the end he had fallen into a deep coma.

  Then on the 30th December 2020 Tom received a phone call in the middle of the night from Alec’s mother. He immediately suspected the worst when he heard her voice in between her floods of tears!

  ‘Oh, Tom, they say Alec won’t make it through the night’ she uttered breaking down in tears again. ‘My husband
has called the priest to issue Alec with the last rites’ she informed him. He’s so upset he can’t even speak to you at the moment’ she explained.

  ‘Can I come to the hospital to see Alec?’ asked Tom.

  ‘Yes, of course, you have been his best friend all his life. It’s only fitting you are with him at the end. This isn’t fair though, it isn’t fair. Why did this have to happen to us? Alec had such a bright future ahead of him’ she added tearfully.

  ‘I’ll come straight away!’ Tom told her as he quickly said goodbye and then rushed off to get dressed.

  Tom’s mum had also heard the phone ring and she now looked at him as she stood on the landing dressed in her night gown.

  ‘Is it about Alec?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes, it’s not looking good, Mum’ he replied.

  ‘Oh, Tom, I’m so sorry’ she replied.

  ‘I’m going to the hospital, Mum’ he explained.

  ‘Did they say it was all right for you to go?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes’ he nodded.

  ‘OK then, give them my love will you’ she smiled.

  ‘I will’ he nodded before he ran back to his room to quickly get dressed.

  Tom then went to rush out of his room when he just hesitated.

  He had been contemplating praying for his sick friend ever since he had discovered Alec was very ill, but he was too afraid he might be praying selfishly again.

  ‘Would it really be selfish if I asked for my best friend to recover?’ he now pondered.

  The thought had been going over in his head, but he hoped that Alec might recover anyway. Now he knew Alec’s death was immanent he just took a deep breath whilst he considered what to do.

  Then he decided to take action.

  So for the first time in years Tom knelt down to pray.

  He prayed for Alec to make a full and speedy recovery!

  With that done, he then quickly rushed off and headed straight for the hospital. Fortunately, it was only a short fifteen minute walk away, although on this occasion it took much less than that as he was now running all the way.

  He soon arrived to discover Alec’s family all sitting around an empty bed in a room on its own.