Hindsight 2020: The Great Appreciation

By John Cicero

An epic tale of faith, appreciation and hope where the entire world has been quarantined due to an unexplained virus. A furloughed middle-aged father of two tries to beat a band of international governmental-led crooked chemists to a unique religious artifact which is central to their plans for world contamination.

Battling against his wife’s recent illness, a bruised ego and a raw but unknowing apprentice, Tommy Parete and his sons Luke and Nico set out on a journey to find a cure for his wife while detouring the mad men from their evil quest along the way – all during a worldwide lockdown.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665516181

John Cicero

John Cicero is the author of Soar, Hindsight 2020, Sway and the Rainbows Shadow Series. He writes fictional, spiritually themed novels set in adventure settings; stories sprinkled with symbolism, suspense and inspiration.

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© 2021 John Cicero. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or

transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 02/08/2021

ISBN: 978-1-6655-1620-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-1619-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-1618-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021902475

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in

this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views

expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the

views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

For Debra

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1     Touched

Chapter 2     The Manuscript And The Modern Age

Chapter 3     Clare And The Monstrance

Chapter 4     Making Sense Of It

Chapter 5     Masked Production

Chapter 6     Patient Zero

Chapter 7     The Social Distanced Scan

Chapter 8     Waiting For Mom

Chapter 9     The Old Man And The Scroll

Chapter 10   The Precursor

Chapter 11   The Imprint

Chapter 12   The Drive Home

Chapter 13   Cover-Up

Chapter 14   Quarantine

Chapter 15   The Sanctuary

Chapter 16   Hope Stalled

Chapter 17   The Sanctuary Of Clare

Chapter 18   Tag Team

Chapter 19   The Monotony Of A Pandemic

Chapter 20   Origins Of The Block

Chapter 21   Flushing Sabotage

Chapter 22   The Escape

Chapter 23   The Shoe

Chapter 24   The Hill

Chapter 25   Taking Things For Granted

Chapter 26   Motocross

Chapter 27   They’re Gone

Chapter 28   In Pursuit

Chapter 29   The Church

Chapter 30   A Parking Surprise

Chapter 31   The Hope Passage

Chapter 32   The Encounter

Chapter 33   The Setup

Chapter 34   To Gain Access

Chapter 35   Zip Line

Chapter 36   Subdued

Chapter 37   Into The Archway

Chapter 38   Cascading Rapids

Chapter 39   Mount Of Hollow

Chapter 40   Regroup

Chapter 41   A Way Up

Chapter 42   The Ascent

Chapter 43   Cryptic Messages

Chapter 44   The Train

Chapter 45   Gatekeepers’ Dinner

Chapter 46   Big Brother

Chapter 47   Historical Ride

Chapter 48   The Transition

Chapter 49   Coming Home

Chapter 50   Home

Chapter 51   Invasion

Chapter 52   Gateway To The Block

Chapter 53   Entrance Into Writer’s Block

Chapter 54   Extra Pages

Chapter 55   Appreciating The Viral Of It All

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Debra, Brittani, Mike, Luke, Joey, and Anthony,

The past few years have been indescribable times for all of us, years we could not have made up if we tried. They have stressed us, challenged us, and most important refueled us with an impenetrable faith in God, which I am so proud of all of you continues to grow daily. Whether the times were light or dark in our individual worlds, we have all gained a new understanding of the moment and the day like no other. This understanding we should cherish and be grateful to view as an inconceivable gift for our family.

My hope is to have Hindsight 2020 be one of those vehicles to remind everyone to one simple fact. We spend far too much time worrying about our future’s unknown path when we forget to appreciate the beautiful present that is in front of us each and every day. Never forget this, and live your lives for the moment at hand and make sure you appreciate every page in the chapters you are given.

I love you all and am so proud of all of you.

Debra, you are my world and my everything. Your strength inspires us all, and you will always continue to be the miracle and love in each of our lives. Love you beyond words!

A very special thank you and acknowledgment to DeAnn Bartram for her support and editing of Hindsight 2020, the Great Appreciation.

CHAPTER 1

TOUCHED

An outbreak is on their doorstep, the old man said as he sat on a log in his garden. He turned a page of the oversized, pristine manuscript next to a monstrance on top of a stump. His calloused and chapped hands grasped a small knife and a chunk of wood. He set out to carve his next masterpiece as he stared at a stream.

Sitting to his right, a young boy with stark blue eyes and caramel-brown hair listened intently as the old man shared his wisdom. You can smell it. It filters through the air like a snake slithering in the field. The more they gather, the more risk they spawn, he said whittling another piece of bark from the wood and staring out. Their undisciplined nature and voracious want will heighten it before any curve can be flattened. Many may lose the battle before a rejuvenation is realized. They each have intentions and perceived purposes. However, if the wrong tribe reaches it first, it could trigger an end.

The old man dipped his cupped hand into the water and let the water flow over his palm and back into the stream. It’s time for a forerunner to emerge, rejuvenate, and guide.

The boy absorbed as much as he could as he watched the knife cut the bark off. They sat for the next few moments in silence. All that could be heard was the knife cutting the wood, which had begun to take the form of a small box.

The boy asked the old man, How long can this take?

The old man kept at his whittling. As long as it needs to, but once it hits, they may not be able to contain it. They will need a guide to remind them and give them access.

The boy looked at the manuscript and monstrance. Is the forerunner even out there?

The old man stopped his whittling and turned to the boy as the wind kicked up. He’s out there. He just doesn’t know it yet.

CHAPTER 2

THE MANUSCRIPT AND THE MODERN AGE

Pages from a wind-worn manuscript on a stump in the middle of the forest near a stream fluttered in the breeze. A small wooden box was half-buried in the soil next to the trunk. Securely sealed and branded with a unique circular symbol of a monstrance, the battered box had taken on the demanding elements as the manuscript had.

Rain pelted the pages of the manuscript as time passed. Fog rose from the stream. As gusts from intermittent storms persisted, brilliant sunlight illuminated the book and the chest, which were remarkably unscathed considering their exposure to the ever-changing elements. No matter how hard the rain or snow fell, no matter how strongly the wind blew or the sun shone, the manuscript and the box remained unaffected by the unforgiving seasons.

The book’s and the box’s defense from the harsh conditions was the occasional turning of a page and the gradual accumulation of soil. As the soil built up and concealed the box and the pages turned, seasons passed, leaves fell, snow drifted, flowers blossomed, and soon construction of a modern age emerged nearby.

This modern age rapidly developed and flourished beyond imagination. The thriving quickly gave way to a world of waste and wonder, of poverty and plenty. The people of the land developed companies that swiftly spawned corporations that conducted trade across all the land.

The wants of the people outweighed the needs of the land, and getting whatever they dreamed of was only a click away. Technology became the norm, and families soon stopped talking to one another in favor of a quick text or a whimsical snap. They had developed the ability to filter out their imperfections but felt more alone among the never-ending noise of progress. Mass transit ruled the land and clouded the air until it was barely breathable. Children were driven everywhere and forgot how to run and play.

Grass, trees, and parks soon vanished as parking lots and buildings ruled the land. Amid it all, the stream that housed the manuscript remained in the center but hidden from view. The constant sun shone as the carved box gradually disappeared beneath the soil. The manuscript remained atop the tree stump turning its pages in sequence as the seasons changed. Eventually, only the stream remained as the pristine waters covered the tree stump and hid the manuscript and box from the modern age, which had overtaken the area.

CHAPTER 3

CLARE AND THE MONSTRANCE

It was a Friday in September of AD 1240 at the convent of San Damiano in Assisi, Italy, where Muslim crusaders threatened the Poor Clares. By imperial order, regiments of soldiers and bowmen were stationed at the convent. They were amassed like bees ready to devastate the encampments and seize the city.

As the enemy approached the gates, the ferocious soldiers invaded San Damiano and entered the convent. The women swooned in terror, and their voices trembled with fear as they cried to Mother Clare. With a fearless heart, Clare remained steadfast in the sacristy staring at the crucifix on the wall. She was on her knees speaking to an old man near the altar. The old man with stark blue eyes handed her a monstrance and softly said, If you carry the truth, they will all see. He turned and vanished. Clare stood alone.

She left the chapel and gingerly walked toward the women. She commanded them to lead her sick as she was to the enemy. As she strained to march through the streets with the golden vessel, she prayed for the protection of her handmaids. She had her sisters help her stand upright and confront the invaders while she held the monstrance high in the air as it carried the blessed sacrament. A bright white light shone from the vessel.

When the attackers saw the courage of the sisters in the presence of the holy vessel and its bright white light, they were filled with crippling fear and fled back over the walls they had scaled. The sisters were left in peace. As the lead warrior left, he slammed his ax in frustration against the wall as the gates of the monastery shook.

Startled from the force of