A story ...

CLASSIC FINAL

Magicians should be friends with surprise -- nothing new under the sun sort of thing. Then came the phone call, the request and Willis.

I knew about the work of “Make a Wish,” of course, and have no idea how they found me. I didn’t ask – happy to let the magic happen. Mr. Sernan explained about Willis’ degenerative condition and how he would never see his fourteenth birthday. The special request seemed simple. Willis wanted to put on a magic show for his family and friends. “A real show,” Willis had said, “Not one of those magic kit things – classic effects like famous magicians do.” I agreed to meet Willis and find out if I could help.

My thoughts immediately ran to self-working tricks available at any magic shop, but this boy was clear on what he wanted. Unfortunately, he had difficulty making others understand. His words were often halting and complete thoughts had to be pieced together over a series of practice sessions. I had to discover the limits and capacities of his hand and body. What could he hold, could he make a fist? What movements were smooth and which jerky? Should he speak while performing or perform to music? All of that was just mechanics. I also had to learn of why he was driven to perform magic and what he already knew of tricks and ploys and misdirection and sleights. His life had been filled with books and videos rather than direct experience. What was magic for him? What is it he wanted to pretend at?

These thoughts are in my words – my attempt at making sense of the chance thoughts and phrases during our hours together. I offer them as quotations for emphasis. They are thought-bites glued together with respect. Call them a legacy.

“There will be one opportunity, one chance to have my friends understand magic as I do. It will be the first time for this magic – and the last. Many do not come and see me as I am. They are afraid of their own vulnerability. They do not wish me to die, but do wish that the problem of me would go away. But they will come to see a one-armed cripple perform some magic tricks.”

Willis liked to have a napkin on his chest so that he could dab at his lips and mask a cough. Sometimes he would gesture with this piece of cloth. I began to muse on silk effect he might do. He wore a bathrobe and could reach the pocket – another problem solved.

“There is magic all around that we pretend not to see. We have been trained to forget that we knew of magic before we knew of science and rules and what was impossible. Doctors said I should have died two years ago – it is impossible I am still alive. Others said I would be completely paralyzed and on life support. It is impossible that I can speak and shake your hand. Each person is confronted with impossible tasks everyday, or at least told they are impossible.”

Our sessions were often interrupted by nurses and doctors doing their own type of magic – or the illusion of it. This was minimized by my willingness to help him eat, drink and even exercise. He had difficulty with a pencil but could hold a flat object like a fork. A plastic knife can serve as a wand. Those plastic cups universal in hospitals have ridges for a reason. Willis had no problem holding the cup if not too full.

“If you rely on science and technology and dogma and what others think you surrender to the concept of impossible. If you look for the other right answer and act as if impossible is an illusion, then you know of magic. One way to do this is to pretend to do magic, to act out for others that impossible can be defeated. It is no different from taking courage from a character in a book or dreaming of being as beautiful as a dancer on the stage. If I do what others expect there is no magic. If I can make people aware of the magic inside of themselves I can give them hope. I will soon be forgotten. They will remember the magic.”

At first I considered Willis’ life as a parody of real living, like a set for a sitcom with windows to nowhere. Everything seemed artificial, contrived and constructed more for the convenience of the help than the patient. We talked about a backdrop and more suitable setting for his show. No! He would perform in a wheelchair surrounded by the chrome and tubes and dancing screens that were the reality of his world. I came to understand that all of these would disappear when he performed. He had a natural way of raising his fingers gracefully to his eyes to grab my attention – then wink. This would work!

“Everyone learns some tricks to fool their friends or hide behind. Most magic tricks are puzzles to amuse or pretend at being superior in some way. I don’t want that! There are magic effects that might be considered standards or classics. They allow the performer to test themselves against the art of magic itself and put something of their soul into the special connection between performer and audience. If you wanted to demonstrate your passion for piano music, would you play an invented tune or a powerful melody everyone would recognize?”

He had dreams of a long show with many traditional effects. I got one doctor involved in a discussion of a reasonable balanced between strength, endurance, pain and desire. A few tests revealed that after about twenty minutes Willis would start dropping things. Short breaks helped and we explored volunteer management as a way of providing rest periods. After all – he would need “helping hands.” Other magicians are concerned with developing a character, costumes and stories that make sense. Willis only has to be more of who he already is.

“I won’t have a chance to adjust to the whims of my audience, so must perform effects already somewhat familiar to them. I don’t want them remembering the flashy props or clever jokes or shock over something unexpected happening. I want them to face the impossibility of a dead boy with one hand bringing hope alive for them. I want them to go home and look at some problem they consider impossible and pretend it away. I want them to live!”

We settled on a routine of silk productions leading to Sympathetic Silks with a Silk Fountain finale. These will change into a large butterfly silk (thanks Ruth) and a Zombie Effect as a freeing of his dreams and spirit performed with Willis’ sister holding one end and finally carrying his dreams away. Then he will do a Cups & Balls routine with hospital cups and large red “pills.” The cups are “other hands,” of course; but he will also have two friends participate in lifting and turning the two cups. I have included the complete routine below. It is impossible for a magician with only one hand to do Cups & Balls, right? Thanks Willis for allowing me to be part of your magic – and the laugher.

The hospital set aside a room off of the Caféteria to accommodate the large crowd of spectators. Several nurses and aids had volunteered to be in attendance “behind the scenes,” and many doctors were in the audience. Several University Professors had asked if they could attend. Willis took my hand one last time, knowing that I would not watch the show. I had done my part and refuse to share the stage. Each spectator will have a story to tell their grand children. I have mine.

………………………………………………………………………

Two Cups, Three Balls and One Hand.

EFFECT: Two volunteer assistants are called up front to serve as “helpful hands,” and directed to hold a tray between them to serve as a platform, and “Catch things I drop.” Each is handed a cup with some balls inside. They pour out the balls onto the tray. One Assistant is designated “Cup Wizard” and the other “King of the Balls.” Each is instructed to take care of the extra items of their domain. Thus, the guy on your left has two cups – the guy on your right three balls.

Wizard places one cup mouth up on the tray and King drops in a ball. You pick up the cup and pour the ball onto the tray. King picks it up and drops it back in the cup. You take another ball and place it in your pocket. Magic wave! Wizard pours two balls out of the cup.

You give one ball back to King and drop the other into the cup. Magic wave! Wizard tips the cup – nothing! He shows the cup around. King opens his hand and has three balls.

Wizard moves the second cup out to tray center into which King drops all three balls. Wizard pours the three balls into your hand and sets the cup on the tray mouth down. You drop two balls into the open cup and place the other in your pocket. Magic wave – Guess – in the cup or in King’s hand? Neither! You lift the second cup and the ball is underneath.
Wizard pours two balls out of the first cup into King’s hand. You drop the ball on the tray into cup-2 while King drops one into cup-1. You turn both mouth down, grin, and lift each in turn to show one ball underneath. Both are covered again. Magic wave! Cup-1 has no ball and is set aside in the Basket. Cup-2 has both balls.

These are covered with the cup and the third ball placed in your pocket. Magic wave! Wizard lifts the cup and all three balls are there.

Retrieve the other cup and place both cups on the tray mouth down. One ball is set on the top cup that is then covered with the second cup. When the top cup is lifted the ball is gone – to be found under the bottom cup.

Finally, all three balls are placed in your pocket and one cup removed. Lots of Magic Waves from all of you. Both Assistants lift the cup and six balls roll all over the tray.

Very nice...and a moving story. Glad you were able to make a kids dream come true. I only wish more people would give back like this.