Then the voice came out of the darkness. A gentle,loving voice, neither too loud nor too soft.“John,” it said, “it is in being the caterpillar that you become the butterfly.”

I looked around but saw no one. Yet, the voice continued. “And it is in being the butterfly that you know where the butterfly goes.”

I stood up and peered into the woods. By this time darkness had descended. I was puzzled by the voice, and I had started to think that I might have been imagining answers to my questions when I saw a small pinpoint of light moving in the darkness. “Fireflies,” I said, as the light became brighter and brighter. “Actually,a bunch of fireflies!”I knew that fireflies did not move in groups, yet I stood there fascinated by the performance. Strangely enough, I was neither excited nor apprehensive as the glow continued. By now it was as bright as the beam of a flashlight. Then it stopped moving,as I continued staring.

It must have only been a few seconds,but it seemed to be forever as I was bathed in the radiance of an otherworldly phenomenon. Suddenly, just as it had started,it stopped. One moment it was there and the next moment gone. Out of the darkness I heard footsteps, and as I turned in the direction of the sound, up walked Gideon.

“Bet you didn’t expect to see me so soon,” he announced.

“You must quit doing things like that, Gideon,” I said after I caught my breath.

“You mean the light?” he asked somewhat innocently. “Not only the light, but the voice and your sudden appearance,” I replied. He had a habit of appearing instantaneously at the strangest times.

“Well,” he said, “I was sure that you’d be used to these things by now. May I come in and have a cup of that coffee you make?”

“The children are upstairs playing a video game. What if they come down and see you?” I asked.

“Don’t worry about it, John. They’ve already met me. Didn’t they tell you about their dreams?”

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