Inner Sanctum

EASTWIND

Bernie Lopez

Fifth Avenue near Central Park, New York City. This story is inspired by an actual situation.
    Forty-year-old Sally is a successful VP Crisis Manager in a prestigious bank. She dips her fingers in any crisis and solves it instantly. That is why she is idolized by everyone. They call her ‘Trouble Shooter Sally’ or “Shooter Sally” for short. But she is high-strung.
    She is on the verge of a nervous breakdown due to stress. The President refuses to let her go, since he cannot find a replacement. She hesitates to leave because she fears dying of boredom by shifting suddenly from storm to calm. She is in tears, sitting on a Central Park bench alone, contemplating on resigning. Along comes an angel, Jimmy, a 60-year-old Filipino bum, noticing her tears.
    Jimmy – Hey, lady, tears do not match your pretty dress. (Sally ignores him.) May I sit?
    Sally – No, you may not. Leave me alone?
    Jimmy – (Sitting anyway). From your uniform, I would say that you work at First National Bank on 5th Avenue, right? And from your tears, I would say you are high-strung executive.
    Sally – Leave me alone, or a call a cop.
    Jimmy – I used to work there as VP Crisis Manager.
    Sally – I don’t believe you.
    Jimmy – I in fact saved the bank from bankruptcy. The papers wrote a fake news perpetrated by a rival bank that First National had an executive who stole $600 million. I was the suspect. The next morning, a bank run was in progress. There was an angry mob outside, waiting for the bank to open. I told the President I ordered a mountain of cash stacked all over the counter two feet high. No one could see the tellers. When the doors opened, the angry mob froze upon seeing the piles of cash. I announced for them to fall in line and everyone would be serviced. Slowly, the crowd vanished.
    Sally – Oh, you’re that guy. I remember that story. You were a legend. Why did you resign, and why are you now a bum?
    Jimmy – I became addicted to methamphetamine, also called shabu, popular in Asia, due to stress. My Filipino friend had plenty of it.
    Sally – And the bank threw you out, a hero turned addict. When you left, I was hired to replace you. I don’t do drugs. How will I survive?
    Jimmy – I met this priest who worked with alcoholics. He became my guru. But too late the hero, I have no more job.
    Sally – So what did he teach you?
    Jimmy – I will tell you only if you hire me, even just a clerk. I need a job badly.
    Sally – I need a guy to handle angry customers. You’re hired, but you have to clean up and do a disguise so no one recognizes you?
    So, (trouble) Shooter Sally and (drug) Shooter Jimmy meet every noon in Central Park for Sally’s lessons on stress management. She brings deli salami on rye and Dr. Peppers for their lunch.
Jimmy – (Starting the ‘lesson’.) You have an INNER SANCTUM, an inner garden inside you, whether you like it or not. It was there since you were born. You just don’t know it, or you have not discovered it yet. The Lord trims your garden, keeping the weeds out, and nurturing the flowers, because He knows your life depends on it. In that inner garden, you have a bench to meditate, pray and discuss your problems with the Gardener.
    Sally – I’m not very religious.
    Jimmy – (Ignoring her). The nice thing about your garden is – it is mobile. It can follow you wherever you go by sheer mental effort. So, when you are in heavy traffic, enter your inner garden and sing. In your snake-pit office, enter your inner garden, even just for 3 minutes, and smile at the snakes. You will notice that you gain calm and strength from your Gardener.
    Sally – You think your Gardener can help me?
    Jimmy – Sure, your stress will vanish instantly. Once, a nurse had a patient, a cranky old man, who screamed insults during her daily visits. She was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Then a pastor told her, “Hurt is a product of your will reacting to hurt, but you can tell your will not to be hurt.” While praying, she knew what to do. Whenever he shouted at her, she simply smiled, which made him angry, the greater his anger, the wider her smile. After a while, he gave up. Eventually, they became the best of friends.
    Sally – Hmm, a love story.
    Jimmy – Sort of. At sunset, every evening, the nurse would bring a bottle of red wine, and the old man would grill prime ribs. They would dine, watching the sun turn red, and share the pains of their former lives.     Graciousness healed the cranky old man. Eventually, he became strong enough to assist the pastor on Sundays. He did not need the nurse anymore, but she still came to dinner every sunset. The nurse started healing the depression of her other patients with her smile. She became a spiritual nurse on top of being a physical nurse.
    Sally – May I talk to your gardener?
    Jimmy – He is there beside you right now. He will let you discover your lost inner sanctum.
    Shooter Sally and Shooter Jimmy eventually got married and had five rowdy kids. Inner sanctum is a gift from the Lord. Discover it and attain peace and joy by simply loving others. Return screams with smiles. eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com

    (Author’s Credentials. Blogger – ex-Columnist (Inquirer) – Healing Ministry – ex-Professor (Ateneo University) – Documentary Producer-Director (freelance, ex-ABS-CBN, ex-TVS Tokyo) – ex-Broadcaster (Radio Veritas) – Facebook “Bernie V. Lopez Eastwind” / Pages “Eastwind Journeys and Journals” and “Mary Queen of Peace).”