AS THE SUN ROSE over greater London on a cold but clear Friday morning,Courtney Olsen quickly got out of bed and prepared for the day. She wasstaying in an upscale hotel in the Earl’s Court district to attend a large business convention at the nearby expo center that weekend. She worked for a major financial firm in New York City, and she was selected to represent the company’s interests at the convention. Fortunately, everything had gone smoothly for her during the two-day affair and she was looking forward to coming home to discuss it with her co-workers. Today she would have a rare opportunity to spend time enjoying the many sights of London before returning to the regular work routine.
Emerging from her hotel right after the hotel's complimentary breakfast, Courtney saw that the morning commute was already underway because the streets were already congested. She walked down the steps of the Earl’s Court Underground Station and waited on the platform for the Piccadilly Line train with a specific agenda in mind. She had read about all the interesting shops in the Covent Garden district of London in her travel guides and wanted to visit them for herself. For as long as she could remember, she had always enjoyed collecting unusual artifacts from years gone by. She wanted to see if she could find something unique to bring home from her trip to Great Britain. Because this was her last day in London, she needed to make sure she took the time to carefully explore all the one-of-a-kind shops for that special something. The convention drained most of her time, and she had many things to accomplish before her plane left for New York the following morning.
The crowded train approached the platform with a dusty gust of wind from the tunnel, and Courtney somehow squeezed into the next to last car. Naturally, all of the seats were occupied so she tried her best to stand comfortably amidst a diverse group of Londoners as it sped through the dark tunnels. A sudden jerk of the train as it pulled away from the South Kensington station caused her to accidentally jab her purse into a middle-aged man's back as he stood quietly beside her. The man turned around and looked at her.
"Oops... I'm so sorry," she apologized.
"It's quite all right," the man said, noticing Courtney's American accent. "Say... what part of the United States are you from?"
Courtney managed a small smile. "I was born in South Dakota, but I moved to New York City after I graduated from college. I'm visiting London on business but I get today to myself. Right now I'm heading for the shops in Covent Garden."
"If I may recommend it... there is a nice book shop in Covent Garden that you might want to look at," the man suggested.
"Thank you very much!" Courtney said. "I think I would like to try to find something there for my son back home." Courtney's twelve year-old son, Anthony, was an avid fan of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series and had read every book in record time. Imagine his happiness if she came home from London with a special Harry Potter treasure for him! Looking at the route map above her in the train, she knew that he would have been eager to look for the infamous platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station where Harry and his friends had boarded the Hogwarts Express. He would have also wanted to travel north to Scotland and specifically Edinburgh, where his beloved author wrote the books. Courtney's fiance, Mike, was taking care of Anthony at home while she was away on her business trip.
As the train slowed to a stop at Leicester Square, the man she had been talking with moved towards a door. "Your stop is the next one... have a nice day," he said pleasantly to Courtney as he walked off the train and into the passing crowd. Courtney smiled as he disappeared, for she was definitely verifying firsthand the unprecedented kindness of British citizens.
Within a minute, the train had reached Covent Garden, and Courtney worked her way to the door and headed for the lifts to take her up into the street. Despite the large number of people, she was able to fit into the lift without too much trouble. As she walked out of the station, she saw a bustling marketplace filled with distinctive shops, street entertainers, and diverse restaurants. "This is going to be just perfect," she mused to herself as she turned down the street. "I could spend all day here."
*****
By noon, Courtney made a complete circle around the Covent Garden marketplace and had her arms full of interesting packages. She bought a warm and colorful knit sweater for herself at a small clothing boutique that specialized in local British fabrics for about thirty pounds. Later, in the bookstore that the man had recommended to her earlier, she found an extensive collection of Harry Potter memorabilia for Anthony. Although they did not have anything that immediately caught her attention, she decided to purchase the autographed edition of the first book in the hope that it would become a collector's item. Her fiance Mike was a devoted card player, and she got him two beautifully illustrated packs of cards with European historical figures on them from a gift shop.
As she approached the entrance to the Covent Garden Underground Station, an unusual storefront caught the corner of her eye. It appeared to be a typical antique shop of some sort, but something was distinctively Asian about its appearance. Its windows were decorated with lavish purple and green tapestries with intricate patterns, and various books and artifacts of Chinese and Japanese significance lay neatly in the display case. The dark wood that framed the entryway had the words "Ornate Oriental Objects" carefully engraved in it. Courtney was so intrigued by the store that she found herself unconsciously drawn to the store's door before she was even aware of it.
The small bell above the door jingled softly as she entered. Inside the store, the shelves were filled with Asian art, crafts, books, clothing, and collectibles much like the ones she saw outside in the display case. Although she had been mysteriously drawn to explore the unusual store, she regretted that she did not understand more about Asian history. She picked up a red and white book titled 'A Brief History of Japan' and riffled through its pages, noting all the historical monuments pictured inside.
Behind the counter, the store attendant was straightening up the many pieces of jewelry that filled the case near the cash register. He was a young Asian man with a short haircut and a slender figure. Looking up, he noticed Courtney looking around. "Good day, ma'am," he said kindly with a thick Chinese accent.
Courtney had hardly noticed him standing there as the browsed the store and the sound of his voice startled her. "Oh... hello," she said quickly. "This is a very interesting store that you have here. I don't think I've seen anything like it!"
The man smiled. "Thank you. Is there anything I can help you find?"
"Well, not really... I just saw your storefront as I was on my way back to the tube and my eye caught the tapestries that you had out front. They are very beautiful."
The man smiled again. "Thank you. Please let me know if I can be of assistance." He returned to his business of organizing the shelves.
Although there were many extraordinary things in the store, Courtney knew that she could scarcely afford to buy any of them. She was about to leave when she saw a small greenish vial sitting on top of a high shelf. She might never have noticed it if she hadn't glanced up there while straightening her hair. It glittered even in the dim light of the store, and Courtney wondered what that item might be. She turned to the man and asked, "I'm curious about that bottle up there, can you tell me what it is?"
Without even looking, the man replied casually, "That is a very special bottle that contains incredible magical powers. It is not for sale. One day the chosen person will walk in the door and know that it is their destiny to come into possession of the bottle." He looked up and studied Courtney carefully, as if looking for something in particular in her face. She had a face that radiated a classic feminine beauty with a warm smile and deep blue eyes, framed by her long and flowing brunette hair. There was a special something in her eyes that the Asian man saw, and he knew immediately that the bottle had finally found its intended owner. An uneasy silence filled the store as the man continued to watch Courtney's face intently. Just then, the man bowed respectfully in front of her. "I sense that you are the person destined to find this bottle." He quickly brought it down from the shelf and handed it to her. The bottle's contents were sealed by a small black stopper.
Courtney was at a loss for words. This whole situation just seemed a little strange to her as she examined the small bottle in her hand. Its translucent forest-green color seemed to glitter more brightly in her hand than up on the shelf. Although she was definitely intrigued by the bottle's appearance, she could not fathom how she would be the 'chosen one' destined to find it. For a moment, she thought that she might have found the legendary Diagon Alley by mistake. Still searching for words, she stuttered, "But how... I mean... I just don't get it."
The man clasped her hand gently and explained patiently, "The ways of the magical world are mysterious and no one can really explain them. I know that it seems confusing but it will all make sense in time."
"What am I supposed to do?" Courtney asked timidly.
"Take the bottle home and you will know," the man answered cryptically. "I cannot be of much more help. I suggest that you discover the bottle's true meaning on your own." He ushered her towards the door and out into the noisy streets of Covent Garden and waved courteously as she slowly wandered into the passing crowd towards the Underground Station. It was as if she were in a trance as she boarded the train to return to her hotel.
*****
Courtney felt as though the whole world had been turned on its head while she quietly ate dinner at an Italian cafe in Earl's Court. Although she had a rare opportunity to visit Saint Paul's Cathedral and climb all the way to the top and enjoy a spectacular view of London's skyline, she could not stop thinking about the mysterious bottle she had received earlier. She had put the bottle away in her hotel room just after returning from her shopping excursion and did not dare fool with it immediately. For all she knew, anything could happen with it because the Asian man said the bottle contained magical powers. It really did seem like a page right out of a Harry Potter book, and she feared that she might become a clueless Muggle thrown into an unknown mystical world.
Upon finishing her meal, she decided that it might be best to call Mike and talk to him about the bottle. Perhaps he would be able to shine the light of logic on a seemingly illogical situation. Leaving the restaurant, she felt considerably less anxious with the notion that everything would probably turn out just fine with Mike's reassurance. Climbing the stairs up to her hotel room, she consoled herself in the knowledge that tomorrow evening she would be safe and sound at home and the bottle would probably turn out to be a big joke. She dashed for the telephone as soon as she arrived in the room and and hoped that Mike would be home with Anthony after school by now.
A confident male voice answered on the other end of the line. "Hello?"
Courtney's thoughts were racing at a mile a minute. "Mike... it's me," she said nervously.
"Courtney!" Mike exclaimed with great surprise, sensing the quiver in his fiancee's voice. "Is there something wrong? You sound like you've seen a ghost."
With a deep sigh, Courtney explained to Mike in great detail what had happened at the strange shop in Covent Garden that morning. After telling him about it, the butterflies that had been fluttering around in her stomach subsided. "So anyway, the guy at the shop said that I should take the bottle because I was destined to find it. He also mentioned that it contained magical powers, and frankly I don't know what to think."
Mike could tell that Courtney was profoundly influenced by the bottle and its purported powers. "Sweetheart, I'm sure that this was just some Oriental gift that the shopkeeper thought you might appreciate. I'm sure it's not going to be a big deal. Just get a good night's sleep before you fly home... don't stay up all night thinking about it."
Deep down, Courtney knew that Mike had the right idea. "You know, you're probably right. I just didn't know what to say. Tell Anthony that I love him and that I will see him tomorrow night. I love you too, Mike!"
"I love you too Courtney. Good night."
Courtney hung up the phone and sat on the edge of the bed staring off into space. She just could not stop thinking about that bottle no matter what she tried to do to divert her mind from it. Taking it out again, she set it on the small table in her hotel room and looked at it again. The bottle still shimmered in the light in the same green colors that she had seen earlier, but the bottle did not appear different to her. She resisted the urge to pull out the small stopper on the top of the bottle to find out what lay hidden inside. Whatever it was, it could certainly wait until she returned to New York tomorrow evening.
With a big yawn, she undressed and prepared for bed, leaving the bottle alone on the table for the moment. As she turned off the lights and pulled the covers over her body, she tried diligently to think about something other than the glowing green bottle on the table. It was just like the fabled pink elephant that psychologists always described, because she just could not put it out of her mind no matter how hard she tried. Fortunately, Courtney's growing tiredness soon overtook her unquiet mind and she finally fell fast asleep.