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				LIKE MOTHER LIKE SON LIKE FATHER LIKE DAUGHTER by Nigel Preece Chapter One: October 1999       The tiny methodist church was packed to capacity. They had even had to borrow some chairs from the schoolroom next door, so full the place was. It was as though the whole town had turned out to witness the baptism of the seccond child of these two people. Two people known through the local community. The couple stood before the font at the front of the church. The man, tall, dark haired, and looking very smart in his air force dress uniform. The woman, slight in build, with short dark hair, slightly arched eyebrows, arching over deep blue eyes that gazed down lovingly to the small sleeping human being in her arms that was her two month old son.       For once she fellt a little out of place, normally she would be watching procedings from the small seat infront of the organ. As church organist, she had observed many a baptism, and played many a baptismal hymn for all the proud parents. Now it was her turn, for the seccond time. Just three years after the first.       The minister, Rev Brown, called the congregation to stand.       They duly did.       He began, "Members of the body of christ, are you ready to receive this child".       "We are", they replied.       "Will the parents of this child please present him for baptism".       The couple stepped forward and the young lady placed the tiny infant in the arms of the minister.       He asked, "Name this child".       The man answered in a deep and clear voice, "Virgil Ivan".       The minister, supporting the baby with his right arm placed his left hand in the font, drew out a small amount of water, and drew with it a cross on the child's forehead. The little one didn't utter a sound, "Virgil Ivan Tracy, I baptise you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In baptism we welcome this child into Christ's flock, and we pray that the Lord will help him and guide him in all that he choses to do, through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen".       Rev Brown turned to face the parents, "I'm sure Jeff and Lucille won't mind me taking a walk down the asile and showing off little Virgil to the folks now", he said, loud enough for the whole church to hear.       "Of course not", Jeff replied, and looked down at his other son who had been a bundle of excitement all morning.       Jeff asked, "Scott, would you like to walk with the minister?".       "Yessir", came the enthusiastic reply, and the minister and the three year old lad by his side did a brief tour of the congregation. Every now and then they would stop to allow some of the folks to stand up and take a closer look. Scott, on more than one occasion during this walk would point up to the baby and with a huge smile on his face would say out loud, "that's my little brother, and I'm going to take very special care of him".       His mother, looking on from the font, wiped away a small tear, and looked at her husband, "I think these two are going to be really close Jeff. Isn't it beautifull to watch".       "I think you're right honey. Although I have a feeling they are going to be like chalk and cheese in some way. Remember Scott? He cried his eyes out when he was baptised, yet we've not heard a peep out of Virgil all day", he smiled, and kissed his wife.       "I wonder if he'll be musical", Lucille asked, "goodness knows I spent many an hour sat infront of the piano at home and the organ here while I was pregnant with him. I still don't regret going back on the concert circuit after having Scott, and staying on the tour for the first three months of this seccond pregnancy, somthing I chose not to do when I was expecting Scott"       Jeff couldn't help but smile at that last scentence, "Well it was certainly a first, a well known concert pianist annouces to the packed audience in, of all places, the Royal Albert Hall in her native London, that she is pregnant with her seccond child, and offers a secret wish that this one takes after her and becomes a succesfull pianist".       Lucille laughed, "Well it got the biggest applause of the night, I was playing Mahler after all".       By now the minister had made it back to the font and very carefully handed the infant over to his mother. As he did so he took one last look at the tiny face and uttered something that Jeff would remember the rest of his life.       "Don't he look like his mother". On to Chapter Two: November 2041.