The Miracle Man
J. Arthur Goodwin
Preface: The Essence of a Miracle
What is a miracle? Once I saw two Indians whispering to each other in front of a campfire and I thought, “This could be a miracle.” But then on the train ride back to Santa Fe I knew in my heart that it was not. I was sad, so to cheer myself up I ate salted peanuts and made small talk with the woman sitting next to me. She let me use some of her hand lotion and for a split second I thought that I might be a homosexual.
The Miracle Man
Hannah Colarusso was in the middle of taking a bath when the telephone rang. It sounded like a legendary dragon climbing on the rocks. Hannah rose from the tub and stood there, silent and strong, like a black man’s clenched fist at a freedom rally. Hannah did not want to answer the phone. She wouldn’t answer the phone. Scholars would later argue that she couldn’t answer the phone. Little did Hannah know that it was her husband calling for her. He wanted to tell her that he had to stay late at the office and that he would not be able to attend the gala. The gala, which was being held at the old armory downtown, was being thrown to celebrate a blind man who inexplicably regained his vision. They called him the Miracle Man.
