by S. Poulos
inconvenience, asking him if it would be possible to continue tomorrow with the press conference. He told me he had to consult his secretary-travel companion-organizer-butler- friend and in turn the organizer-butler etc. would have to consult his mobile phone.
'I believe you call it a gel-phone here. Is that right?' the Teacher asked me.
"At that moment I burst out laughing for I thought it was funny. Then he asked me if I have a gel-phone and when I answered no he felt good and he started laughing for he does not have a gel-phone either. He thought he was the only person in the world without a gel-phone."
"Is that so Teacher?"
"Absolutely."
"And what about the second photo that appeared in the newspapers next day?"
"I was driving home that day. It was the day I issued the recommendation. Although it was getting dark, I saw these two figures walking along and thought I knew them. I went closer and I realized they were the Teacher and his friend. I asked them if they needed a lift and they replied, 'No thank you, it is a beautiful day to walk.' So I stopped the car and went out to say goodbye to them, as any decent man would do. After all, for two days he was our 'welcome guest' and the recommendation found him not guilty.
"Both our meetings lasted about five minutes each and now this is our third meeting."
"You said the recommendation found him not guilty but this recommendation was issued by you they are accusing you of being too soft and too lenient, to put it mildly."
"I issued the recommendation based on the findings of the hearing and my conscience and I can tell you that I am sleeping easily at night. Now because so much has been said about this I declare that I issued the recommendation according to the hearing and my conscience. Whatever has been said before and after that is beyond me."
"We have only a few minutes left. Teacher, I will let you close this extraordinary show. Is there something you want to say? Is there last minute advice you'd like to give?"
"Man cannot act as though as Earth is limitless. Only in the spiritual spheres can it happen that there are no limits and can one so expand for ever. This is wonderful news for man to know but until then man has to be thoughtful on how he uses this Earth. So this is my wish for those who happened to listen to us speaking. In the material world, whatever you do, think if it is sustainable, for sustainability is going to be the word from now onwards. As in the spiritual sense, be spiritually alert; let your spirit guide you and the intellect fulfill it. That is my wish."
"Well ladies and gentlemen, tonight was certainly an interesting night in all its aspects. I hope tonight's show will make it easier for you to decide about whatever you were skeptical about in this issue, and give a better, clear picture about the whole controversy that has been unfolding in the past week. It is the first time that a major network has tackled a topic of this kind but as they say, the challenging subject is for the brave. Good night."
The show was over. Everyone in the studio was elated. The presenter thanked the Teacher and the chairman of the WCFET. The management came to congratulate the presenter and the guests and could not hide their satisfied smiles as the show had produced beyond expectation. The audience came to congratulate the trio with mixed comments.
As the night was beautiful with a soft breeze and a full moon, the management's small party was held outside in the garden area with drinks and food on the tables and all the guests mingling. Needless to say the main attraction was the duo of the Teacher and the chairman. They were in such demand that thy hardly exchanged any word between themselves.
Finally the chairman said to the Teacher, "Would you like to go for a walk? They have a beautiful park here."
This park was adjacent to the garden and with many lights and the full moon lighting it, it looked picturesque and very inviting. The Teacher agreed, and they strolled off.
The Teacher said, "I didn't know you would appear in the show. That was a beautiful surprise."
"I didn't know either. Believe me, my surprise and relief was even bigger."
"I don't understand."
"They asked me if I wanted to take part in a show in order to clear up some allegations that were made about the recommendation. On the spur of the moment I said yes, I would do it. But when I came here today I decided not to take part in it. In fact I am not interested in this anymore. I don't care about all the mud they sling on me. I am quite happy to be. For some reason I am enjoying things that before I took for granted. I love simple things. This life I was living before with power and exposure in spotlights and interviews does not attract me anymore. I don't know what is happening to me but I am changing or rather I have changed."
"You are one of the lucky ones, and you must be proud of yourself. My wish for you is not to ever let this feeling go. You have broken the bonds that were holding you down as a true human being. I am proud of you, for many people when it knocks on their door defy it. They suppress it until it becomes a fading memory, and finally they gave in to the old habits, ignoring the opportunity of a lifetime."
"Teacher, do you mean that it happens to every man?"
"It happens to every man who is mature for it. Unfortunately, most people when they hear this sublime voice suppress it until they cannot hear it anymore."
They walked for a while in silence.
Then the chairman said, "Anyway I want to finish what I was telling you before.
I came here for the show but I changed my mind and I didn't want to appear in the show anymore. I was so frustrated that I would give anything that moment for someone to take me away from that predicament. I even thought of running away but then what seemed a miracle happened. An official came and told me how sorry he was because they changed the program and that I would not participate in the show after all. My elation was such that I wanted to kiss this guy for the wonderful news he brought to me. Then I rushed to see the guy who offered me the show to ask him to organize a taxi for me and... listen to this! He offered my wife and me a month's vacation in the Greek Islands if I would take part in the show in which you would appear. It was unbelievable! A few minutes earlier I wished the Earth to swallow me and now I would meet you again, take part in the show and there would be a month of holiday waiting for me in the Greek islands."
This last three hours were probably the longest of his life, thought the vice-chairman. In order to pass his time and not to look odd just sitting there smoking, he went four or five times to the toilet, went to the cafeteria twice and nearly finished the packet of the cigarettes he'd opened earlier. In the meantime while he was smoking outside, the workers from a catering company were preparing tables and chairs for some sort of a party. Finally, as he was changing positions again, the doors of the studios opened and the audience started to trickle outside in the corridor. Now he could mingle with the crowd without looking suspicious, although he should be careful not to be seen by the chairman.
The waiters guided people outside in the garden area and they started to form small groups. The vice chairman watched the Teacher. Obviously he and the chairman were the men of the party and it would take time for the Teacher to be isolated. But surely it couldn't be that long, he thought. He must feel tired.
The vice-chairman was tired himself. If it wasn't for this important mission he would go home right now to sleep for who knew how long but he had to bring this mission to the end.
Suddenly he saw something that made his heart beat incredibly fast.
"Two birds with one stone?" he whispered to himself.
He could not believe his luck as the Teacher together with the chairman left the party and strolled towards the park. It felt as if the breeze was pushing them towards the park so he could finish his mission. At last, he thought the time has come; I have been rewarded for my patience.
He followed them, making sure no one was watching him. There were bushes and trees everywhere so it was not hard to hide and gain ground on them, and finally he came into the position to see and hear them. At least, they were talking but somehow h
e could not hear them as clearly as he expected. It was as though the wind took their voices away.
"Two birds with one stone," he whispered again, trying to take the gun out of the holster. Oh... it was so heavy! Finally he managed to pull it out but there was an excruciating pain in his chest. He lifted the gun to aim at them but it was so heavy... so heavy that it fell from his hand into the bushes. He held himself up with a tree branch for a few seconds and then he collapsed.
Michael was tidying up the paperwork at his desk ready to go home. It was a hard day but he was very satisfied as he had to take initiatives and to make decisions that he found invigorating. On the way out he passed the party in the garden and he thought that perhaps it would be a good idea to have a drink and something to eat as his fridge at home was empty. He filled himself a glass of wine and grabbed a sandwich then went to a corner. He was enjoying the meal and watching people conversing. He saw the Teacher with the President of WCFET. He wanted very much to join the conversation but he thought it would not be tactful for him to interrupt them. After all, they would have so much to catch up.
He was almost ready to go, but as he lifted his glass, he noticed the guy he bumped into earlier. He was sort of hiding himself from the crowd but he was watching every move the Teacher and the chairman made.
Suddenly he remembered who he was. He was the man sitting next to the chairman during the WCFET hearing. He had seen him when watching the hearing on television. The cameras had often focused on the panel and he distinctly remembered this man. But why was he watching the duo so suspiciously?
He was about to go when he saw the chairman and the Teacher leave the gardens and walk to the park. The guy followed them.
"Now what is he up to?" Michael whispered to himself, and decided to follow him.
He saw the man following the pair, taking care not to be detected by them but at the same time gaining ground. When he almost reached them, he stopped.
The ex-rookie hurried to have a better glimpse of him. He was coming out of some bushes which obscured his vision when he saw this guy collapsing on the ground. He ran towards him, leaned down and asked if he was all right. When he did not respond, he called the Teacher. "Someone needs help."
The Teacher and the chairman ran towards him asking what had happened. They recognized Michael and asked again what happened?
Michael indicated to the man lying on the ground.
The Teacher bent to take his pulse, but the chairman exclaimed, "It's the vice-chairman! I wonder what he was doing here."
"That's right," said the Teacher. "I remember him sitting next to you in the hearing." He shook his head. "We're losing him." Turning to Michael he said, "Go and get a car."
Michael ran to the network garage and fetched a van. He returned to find the other two giving CPR. He parked the car next to them and they loaded the vice-chairman into the van and continued with the CPR as they drove to the hospital.
And then the inconceivable happened.
The vice-chairman found himself sitting in the back of a van, looking at his body. The Teacher and the chairman took turns trying to revive him by applying constant CPR while the van sped through the streets of the city towards the hospital.
This entire scene looked tragic-comic to the vice-chairman. He burst into a loud spell of laughter, screaming, "Hey you— what are you doing there? Can't you see? I am alive!" But it was all to no avail. He shouted right in their ears but they continued with the CPR. They just could not hear him.
He moved to sit in front next to the driver. "It is funny you know," he said to the driver. "These guys back there are trying to resuscitate me. They don't know I am alive." The driver took no notice of him either. He shook the man's shoulder, saying. "Hey, I know you. You are the guy I bumped into earlier. You know me, don't you?"
But Michael was driving furiously until they reached at the hospital.
The hospital people put the patient on a stretcher and quickly conveyed him to the operating table. This time he found himself floating on the ceiling, looking down at his body. He could see the doctors working frantically, but finally they gave up. He floated a bit further. He was amazed with this ability he had to go wherever he wanted at will, but there was something he could not understand. Although he was away from his body, he felt he was attached to it somehow.
The Teacher, with the chairman and Michael, were sitting on a bench when the door opened and an orderly wheeled out a stretcher, bearing the body of the vice-chairman, covered with a white sheet.
When they realized there was no reason anymore to wait, Michael asked the other two if they would like to go for a drink.
The Teacher said, "That sounds good,' and the chairman seconded it, so off they went with the van to a bar nearby. They ordered drinks, and when they settled down, the rookie said to the Teacher, "I did not envisage you as a drinker, Teacher. I thought that you would stay aloof from these things."
"First of all, the most important thing man does, my friend, is not what he inputs, but what he outputs. I mean that we can occasionally try various things in our life, according to the circumstances, as is the case right now. We felt like a drink, so we have one. Man can try just about anything appropriate in this life, as long as he does not get hooked on it. The problem is not what he intakes in moderation; the problem is what he outputs, even in moderation. You cannot, for instance, try gossip, glancing, lying, swearing, slandering, etc., in moderation; you just don't do it at all."
"I must say I never looked it this way; I thought all the spiritual or religious people, would stay totally away from all these things."
And then he turned to the chairman and asked, "Why was this guy following you?"
"I am not sure, but I think I have an idea."
"What is that?"
"I think he was trying to listen the conversation I had with the Teacher, in order to use it against me in the upcoming election."
"Do you think he would go to all this trouble to achieve just this?'
"I cannot think of another reason... if he only knew!"
"If he only knew what?"
"If he knew that I am not intending to take part in the election he would not go to all this trouble.'
"You intend not to re-run for the presidency? I thought that this was full time work for you. What are you going to do then?"
"I don't know. But I know what I am going to do in a month's time."
"And what is that?"
"We are going for vacation for one month. My wife and I are going to the Greek islands."
"That is fantastic! Which island are you going to?"
"We are going to Patmos."
"Patmos. Isn't it the island that John wrote the Apocalypses?"
"Yes."
"That is fantastic! What about you, Teacher?"
"I don't know the schedule exactly. My organizer does all this. I know I am invited to give a speech next week in a university; and that we are going to tour the country for a few months, but that's all. What about you? Things have changed so much for you suddenly. You got a promotion so you must be very happy? Not many young men could hold an important position as you do at such an age."
"Thanks to you, Teacher. The opportunity arrived when you appeared in the scene."
"Nevertheless you had the ability to grab it."
The coffin lay in the chamber. Many mourners brought flowers and paid their farewell tribute to the body for the last time. The vice-chairman's ex-wife leaned over the body and kissed it on the forehead. Outside the chamber there were small groups having casual discussions.
The vice chairman, after he accepted the idea that people could not see or hear him, resigned with a heavy heart to reality. He remembered how all his life he mocked everyone who brought up this subject in conversation. He remembered how bitter and even hateful he was about the people who believed in these things. He remembered the murder he tried to commit to prevent his countrymen being influenced with such anachronistic ideas that would take the coun
try back to the middle ages. And now! Now he had to revaluate and to recall all his thoughts about it and say to everyone that life continues after death. But how could he do it? No matter how loudly he spoke they could not hear him although he could hear himself distinctly.
At least there was one thing he felt good about. He did not commit the murder. He went outside and mingled with the mourners. He was astonished to hear them talking of everything but him. There were some references made to him out of politeness, and in only a formal manner, but no more. He heard people talking at his funeral about football, the weather, politics... anything you can imagine, but not of him.
Then he spotted the trio that tried to save his life and went there to listen.
As he went closer he realized they were talking of him. It was not small talk or formal talk. They were really talking about him.
He reached them just as the chairman was saying that he was a good patriot and that he was not an opportunist. Whatever he did, he did in order to protect his country that he felt so strongly about.
"That's one of the reason he did not like you, Teacher, because he thought all these ideas would harm his country, and he wanted to protect it."
Oh how ashamed he felt. He had tried to murder this man who seemed the only one who understood him.
Then Michael turned to the Teacher and asked, "And what is happening now? Where is he? Where is his soul?"
"Somewhere around here. Probably he is listening in to us right now."
"Is that so? I thought the soul goes away somewhere in heaven."
"It may do so but not straight away."
"When then?"
"After the silver thread is cut off. When man departs this Earth he is still attached with a cord with his human body. It's something similar to the way a baby when born in this Earth is attached to the mother. Because of this cord, the soul is bound with his body and so he stays around it without knowing why."
"Why? He cannot see that?"
"Exactly! No."
The vice chairman was astonished with what he was hearing. In a few minutes these people whom he tried to kill taught him so much. He wanted to apologize so much as to kiss their feet and ask for forgiveness with all his heart, but he wanted to hear more.
"And how long will it take for this cord to be cut off?" asked Michael.
"It does not cut off just like that. It dissolves slowly. As the body decomposes, so does it."
"Does it take days? Weeks? Months?"
"It depends on the condition of the soul. The lighter the soul the quicker it is released. The heavier, the more Earth bound the soul, the longer it takes. I would say generally from two to three days to a week."
"And then what happens?"
The vice-chairman was waiting eagerly to hear the answer. After all he was right so far, so why should he not believe him now?
"What happens then?" Rookie continued. "What happens when the cord is