by Meltem Y. K
CHAPTER 18
Ethan hugged Jayna and swung her around in his arms like a figure skater and kissed her till her brain turned into mush.
“Congratulations on your new office and everything else that goes with it. Are you going to give me the grand tour?”
“I sure will,” Jayna said and they were at the University in the next instant.
Ethan looked around appreciatively at the buildings and the grounds. Even at this late hour there were lights in research areas. Some of the students and researchers worked pretty late into the night.
“I like your campus, Jayna. It’s got a lot of creative energy.” Ethan was referring to the ideas that were floating in the ether going to their owners – a feat not visible to the ordinary human eye, but very visible if one had Astral vision.
“Are you kidding me?” Jayna said. “You are at the hub of creativity. This is geek town, Canada. Do you have any idea how many things were developed here?”
Ethan was laughing at Jayna’s enthusiasm. It was almost contagious.
“What, you don’t believe me?” Jayna grabbed his hand and took him to a brand new building on campus. “Look, this building here was made possible by a huge donation from the founder of RIM. You heard of RIM, right? The makers of the famous Blackberry.”
“Okay, I believe you.”
He wrapped his arms around Jayna and kissed her neck, then whispered in her ear.
“I thought you wanted to show me your office.”
Ethan’s kiss ignited all kinds of passion in Jayna. She felt a strong buzz go through her system. She closed her eyes just for a moment to savor the feeling, then took Ethan to her office.
“Here it is,” she said. “I know it’s a tiny office, but it’s all mine.”
Ethan saw two watercolor paintings in Jayna’s office wall. They were not framed; she had used tacks to put them on a cork board. They were scenes from their cottage in the Astral plane. Jayna is a talented artist, he thought. She had done an amazing job of making their little piece of heaven come to life in her paintings.
Jayna saw that he was looking at the paintings, but she said nothing.
“Those watercolors are amazing, Jayna. You are a talented artist,” he said.
“I hope you don’t mind that I painted them. I wanted something to look at during the day that I share with you at night.”
“Will you paint one for me,” he asked, “one for my new office.”
Jayna picked up on his clue immediately.
“You have a new office?” She was excited for him and a little disappointed at the same time. “You didn’t tell me that you had a new office.”
“That’s because I just got it this afternoon. I was given a new assignment and a new office to go with it.”
Jayna’s face lit up. “In that case, congratulations to you, too.” She hugged him close to herself and wondered if there was anything else that he could tell her.
“I guess I can take you and show you my new office if you promise not to peek around too much to figure out where it is.”
“Deal.”
Ethan took them to his newly assigned office that his mother must have been preparing long before that afternoon. One did not put an office of such elegance in a couple of hours. Estelle had been working on this for some time, but kept it a secret.
Jayna was speechless.
Holy shit, this is Ethan’s office, she thought but wasn’t quick enough to muffle her thoughts. This is a palace compared to my cubby hole.
“I am proud of your ‘cubby hole’; you earned it.”
“I am so proud of you, Ethan. This isn’t just an assignment, this is a promotion, but you are too modest to say.”
She read the panic on Ethan’s face.
“I am not peeking, but I am not blind either. This is no ordinary office. It’s wayyy up there.”
She hugged him again, and they kissed passionately. “I am not trying to figure anything out. I am just very proud of you is all. I am sure you worked hard for it, so you deserve every square inch of this place.”
Ethan relaxed, Jayna wasn’t getting too curious. She knew and obeyed the rules that were laid out for them years ago.
“Ethan, I have an idea.”
“What’s that?”
“Would it be okay if I painted us? Like a portrait?” Jayna held her breath while she waited for his answer.
Ethan thought about it for a moment. “I don’t see how that would be a problem.”
“Then I will.”
Jayna’s eyes sparkled from happiness. Finally, she would be able to have a picture of them together. She would do several; put them up in her room and bring one to her office. She was tired of trying to convince people that she really had a boyfriend. This would be awesome – a face to go with the elusive boyfriend.
Ethan heard her thoughts and his heart ached for her. He didn’t have to convince anyone of her existence. They had met Jayna many times, knew that they were soul mates. They also knew about the cottage at the beach and how they were playing house there. His sister, Eve, had met her husband in the Astral plane as well, but for whatever reason they were not restricted to meet in the Earth plane. So they had arranged to meet in the flesh and here they were, married with kids.
Ethan could only hope that, one day, their no-contact-on-Earth ban would be lifted. Until then, they could see each other only in the Astral plane.
They jolted to attention when a scroll appeared in front of them in the middle of Ethan’s office. Ethan grabbed it and unrolled it. The edges were on fire, indicating that that this was an urgent message. They read it together.
They held hands and relocated to the Toxic Plane. The place was burning with fires, but no demons were to be found. They needed to bring Astral water to put the fires out. They got busy constituting water and dousing the fires. For some reason, Jayna was feeling out of sorts. She had no idea why she felt like she was blacking out for a split second. This was not the place to be blacking out. This was the most dangerous place she could be in. That’s why they were needed here with their special skills to keep the dangers from spilling on to Earth.
They worked for what seemed like hours, although Jayna was sure it was probably only minutes. Time was different in this plane. Everything was distorted.
Finally they were making a difference, and the fires seemed to be going out. Jayna felt danger everywhere. She wasn’t sure when a demon would pop in front of her. She had to keep her focus, but it kept slipping. She was being distracted by the odd sensations she was feeling. She was dizzy one moment, okay the next; then everything would go black for a split second and back to normal. Ethan was busy doing his part, but he was aware that Jayna was not feeling hundred percent. This isn’t good, he thought. What is the matter with her?
They should be able to contain the problem without help. They would not be sent on a mission if they were not capable of handling it.
Jayna saw the demon a split second too late. It appeared from her blind spot. It was a poisonous lime green mixed with dark blue and violet. She could not imagine how colors could look evil, but on a demon they did. The color range was indicative of levels of toxicity – this one was as toxic as they came. If the demon touched her, she would be dead. She saw the demon lash out at her with its fork like tongue. The second it touched her, she would be poisoned; with no antidote death would follow. For the first time in her four years, Jayna was scared. She was face to face with death, untimely as it seemed.
She saw her entire twenty-one years of existence in one blinding flash of memory. This was it. She would not be among the living anymore. She wondered if she would be able to see Ethan once she was dead. Would he kill himself again? Was history repeating itself?
Only moments ago, she was deliriously happy in Ethan’s new office. She was thrilled at the prospect of painting them together. I guess it wasn’t meant to be, she thought.
Ethan heard her thoughts and was instantly beside her. That’s when he saw Mia, running at
full speed and jumping in front of her. The forever loving, faithful Mia had also heard Jayna’s thoughts through their ever-present connection and came to her rescue. Mia would take a bullet for Jayna in a heartbeat.
That’s exactly what she did.
The demon’s meter long, forked tongue touched Mia’s midsection. The faithful Black Lab collapsed to the ground. Jayna jolted back into action and using her full force extinguished the demon that killed her beloved Mia.
Once the demon was extinguished, everything subsided. The fires were all out and the sense of danger was gone from the ether.
Ethan took Mia’s lifeless body into his arms and they left the Toxic Plane.
Jayna was crying uncontrollably. There was no consoling her. She had helped raise Mia since she came to their home as a puppy. Now, she was gone.
They took her back, and buried her Astral body next to their cabin on the beach. Jayna was in deep mourning; she had never known this much grief in her life. She was thinking how her family would react to Mia’s passing away in her sleep. She would have to tell Liam the truth.
Liam was now a regular in the Astral plane, but only in the safe zones. He would not be permitted to enter the Toxic plane until he qualified as a demon fighter; as Ethan and Jayna were. Jayna secretly hoped the Masters had safer plans for him. If Liam was ever going to be allowed to go there, he needed to be well prepared. Perhaps demon fighting was not in the cards for him; Jayna could only hope. Only time would tell what direction Liam’s Astral career would take.
“She isn’t really gone, Jayna. You know that, don’t you?” Ethan asked.
Jayna shook her head. “No, that doesn’t help. It hurts too much.” She continued to sob.
“The Astral plane is vast, much bigger than the Earth plane, there are many levels. There is a special place for pets that have passed on. Mia is there now. You will see her again, just not in the Earth plane. I mean, you will see her even on Earth, but only in your Astral vision. You shouldn’t cry this much, because she is still connected to you and can feel all your pain.”
Jayna wiped the tears away from her eyes and looked at Ethan. “You aren’t just saying that to make me feel better, are you?”
“You know better than to ask me that question.”
Jayna nodded. The strict code of the Astral Warriors would not allow Ethan to say anything, but the truth to her. She had learned that long ago.
“If there is such a place where dead pets hang out, I want to go visit her,” Jayna said.
Ethan’s heart broke to pieces to see Jayna in so much pain. There were lessons in everything that happened to us, whether they took place on Earth or in the Astral plane.
Ethan wiped away the tears running down her face and kissed her gently.
“We’ll go find her,” he said.
They went to the departed pets’ park. This was the place pets waited for their owners to join them; then they lived happily ever after in the Astral plane.
The place was a piece of heaven. The unconditional love these animals carried in their essence was palpable. Jayna felt much better as soon as she mingled with the animals. They were very friendly and greeted Jayna and Ethan as friends.
“How do we find Mia,’ Jayna asked.
“Easy, just call her.”
Jayna cleared her head and focused her thoughts to reach out to Mia, and then spoke to her. “Mia, where are you girl? Come see Jayna. Jayna is here for you.”
She looked around, but didn’t see her. She glanced at Ethan expecting some help.
“Just give her some time, she’ll find you.”
Jayna resolved to waiting. She sat down on the grass and watched the parade of animals. Dogs and cats made the majority of pets as one would expect, but there were also birds, turtles, horses, hamsters and even a reddish-brown chicken. She came clucking to Jayna and said hello. Jayna smiled, her curiosity stirred; she wanted to talk to the chicken.
Communication with animals was an ordinary skill in the Astral world, plus Jayna was an experienced communicator on Earth as well, having had plenty of practice in the last four years.
Hello there.
Hello pretty lady.
Jayna smiled at the chicken’s response. Were you somebody’s pet?
Indeed I was, answered the chicken proudly.
Do you have a name?
Yes, my name is Henna.
Wow, that is a beautiful name.
My girl called me Henna, because I am the color of henna, red henna to be more precise, the chicken explained.
Jayna was impressed with the chicken’s intelligence. And they said chickens were not intelligent. This one, certainly, was.
Did a young girl own you, Jayna asked.
Yes, indeed. My girl was eight years old. She is a grown woman now. I was given to her by her uncle as a gift. She raised me in a shoebox; kept me by her bedside until I grew out of the shoe box. The family made me my very own henhouse. I laid an egg for my girl every day. She came and collected it. My henhouse was next to her bedroom window; she could look and see me from her room. My girl loved me very much. She played with me every day. In the afternoon the family would let me out and I walked around in front of our house. No one bothered me, because everyone new I belonged to my girl. I lived for about a year. Then one day when I was outside on my daily walk these strangers were passing by on our street. I didn’t think anything of it when they came to pet me, because all the neighbors did it. If I knew they meant to kill me and eat me, I would have run away, but I didn’t know. My girl was away with her mother visiting an aunt in another town. I was home with grandma. She looked after me while my girl was away. That fateful day, grandma was inside doing her work while I was out on my daily walk. I never saw them again, because when grandma came out to let me in, I was long gone. The strangers who approached me killed me and stuffed my body in a bag and took me away. They meant to eat me for supper. I could see what was happening and I was sad. Some of the neighbors told grandma that there were some strangers who seemed interested in me. Poor grandma; she was so upset. She cried, because she didn’t know how to break the news to my girl when she came home. Grandma loved me, too; but my girl loved me the most. When she came home and heard that I was gone, she cried and cried. I tried to console her, but she couldn’t hear me through her cries. After a few days, I left and came to this place. We are all waiting for our people here. When she leaves Earth one day, we’ll be together again.
Jayna was mesmerized by Henna’s story. She had noticed that there was a small dog and some turtles who had joined their little group, and they acted like they knew one another.
Do you all know each other? Jayna asked.
Talkative Henna answered for them.
Yes, indeed. This is Chomar, she was also my girl’s pet, but that was before my time.
Chomar came closer and wagged her tail in greeting. Hello.
Hello Chomar.
Henna continued, My girl also loved turtles, she owned many.
Henna pointed to a group of turtles of various sizes, some as small as walnuts, others bigger, one that was the size of a fist, another one as big as a dinner plate.
When my girl grew up and had a boy of her own, her son liked the Ninja Turtles a lot, so she bought these turtles for him and named them after the Ninjas. They did not live very long; she had to keep replacing them until she decided it was not a good idea.
My, my, Jayna thought, I can’t believe the stuff I am learning from Henna. She sure is a chatterbox.
So you all hang out together? Jayna asked.
Indeed, we do. Henna answered. When the time comes for our girl to leave Earth, we will be with her again.
Jayna was feeling a lot better already. Of course, Ethan wouldn’t make up stories just to make her feel better, she knew that; but having a firsthand account of how pets waited for their owners was comforting. She was reassured that Mia was not gone forever.
Jayna noticed a commotion and a black blur. Before she could
grasp what was happening Mia was on her, licking her face.
Jayna hugged her and fresh tears ran down her cheeks. Mia licked them off.
No more crying Jayna. No more crying. I am here.
Oh baby, I am so happy to see you.
Me too, Jayna, me too. Mia is happy to see Jayna.
I love you baby. I love you so much. You saved my life tonight, but you gave up yours.
Mia always save Jayna. You are my Jayna.
I know baby, but I will still miss you on Earth.
Mia visit you on Earth. Jayna can see Mia on Earth. Jayna use special powers to see Mia.
You smart cookie; Jayna will see Mia, but mom and dad will not.
Liam will see Mia. Liam is here. Mia wants to see Liam.
Jayna looked at Ethan for help. Is that a good idea?
“We need to explain to Liam what happened anyway. We might as well do it now. It will be easier for him to face it on Earth, if he sees that she really is okay here.”
“Can we just walk out of here with Mia?”
“Sure we can. The pets are not restricted to the park; this is where they are comfortably looked after until they meet up with their owners. Unlike us, most people need to leave Earth permanently to be with their pets; we don’t have that restriction.”
“Okay, Mia. We’ll go find Liam.”
Henna and her group had moved on and were playing with a lion. Thankfully, the lion did not seem interested in eating them. Jayna wondered whose pet the lion was on Earth.
Ethan took Jayna’s hand; she was holding Mia by her collar. Together, they went to the Astral playground where Liam was playing with Hope, Pavlina’s three year old daughter and a group of other children.
Liam and Hope ran over as soon as they spotted them. Liam was thrilled to see Mia. Jayna let them run around and chase each other for a few minutes.
Hope had quickly caught on that there was something special about this meeting. Although she was only three years old, she was wise beyond her years. Hope was permitted to retain her memories from a past life and the Astral world in her present incarnation. Having one look at Mia, she had understood that Mia was no longer among the living on Earth. Her aura had the shimmer of those who existed only in the Astral plane. This little detail had totally escaped Liam.
Both Ethan and Jayna looked at Hope without saying anything about Mia. They could tell that Hope knew. It was hard to treat her like an adult when the body she occupied was that of a three year old.
Sensing their hesitation, Hope spoke first. “You don’t have to explain it to me.”
Jayna blew out the breath she was holding. She bent down to Hope’s level and gave her a big hug.
“You are such a smart girl, Hope.”
Hope smiled demurely. “Don’t worry Jayna, Liam will be okay when we wake up. He will know that he can play with Mia every night when we come here.”
“Like I said, you are very smart.”
“And you are very brave for fighting demons to save the rest of us,” Hope said.
Ethan ruffled Hope’s golden curls, picked her up and swung her around until she started giggling and squealing like the little girl she was.
Ethan was great with kids.
Too bad we’ll never have any of our own, Jayna thought, but quickly chased away the aching thought before Ethan heard her.
Liam and Mia came back to join them. Liam finally noticed that Jayna was subdued, not her usual bubbly self.
“Why are you so quiet Jay?” he asked.
“Liam, we need to have a talk about something important.”
Oh, oh! This sounds serious, Liam thought. “What’s up Jay?”
“I want you to come and sit on this bench with me. I have something to tell you.”
Liam didn’t argue, came and sat next to Jayna. Mia went to play with Hope. Ethan stood to the side, keeping an eye on everybody.
Jayna chose her words carefully. “Honey, Ethan and I had to go into dangerous territory tonight, we had to put out some fires and …stuff.”
“You mean demons,” Liam stated.
“Right. A demon popped out of nowhere and attacked me. I would have died if Mia hadn’t jumped in front of me to protect me.”
Liam was listening carefully, not knowing where this was going. As far as he could tell, Mia was okay, playing with Hope right in front of them.
Jayna continued. “Mia shielded me with her body; the demon struck her.”
“But Mia is fine, Jay. Look, she is playing with Hope.”
Jayna shook her head trying very hard to keep the tears from coming.
“Honey, Mia passed away.”
Liam shook his head vigorously not accepting Jayna’s story.
“You will always see her and play with her here, but tomorrow when we wake up we’ll find Mia’s lifeless body. She crossed over to the Astral dimension permanently.”
Liam’s eyes flooded with tears. Jayna hugged him and kissed the top of his head.
“It’s okay to cry, honey, but not too much, or Mia will be sad. We don’t want to make her sad. She did the most courageous thing tonight; she gave up her life to save mine.”
Liam nodded to indicate that he understood what Jayna was saying.
“I want to be a demon fighter like you Jay. I want to kill that demon that took Mia’s life.”
“I already extinguished that demon, baby. It can’t hurt anyone else.”
“So, when we wake up, Mia won’t?” Liam asked.
“That’s right, baby. We’ll call mom and dad and they will try to wake her up, but it won’t work. Dad will take her to the vet, but there is nothing the vet can do to bring Mia back. And we can’t tell them what happened here tonight. That’s our secret.”
“Because if we tell them, they will think we are crazy.”
“That’s right. We tell them only what they can understand and accept.”
“Can I go play with Mia some more?” Liam asked. “I will miss her tomorrow.”
“I know, honey, I will miss her too, but we’ll always be with her when we shift into the Astral dimension.”
Ethan came closer and gave Liam a pat on the back.
“Hey, buddy. You okay?” Ethan asked.
“Yeah.”
“Jayna and I have to go speak to some of the Masters before the night is over. You and Hope can play with Mia. I have a feeling Mia will be hanging around the playground a lot to play with you. If you can’t see her when you shift tomorrow night, just call her name, she’ll come running. Okay?”
“Okay.” Liam ran to play with Mia.
Ethan said, “Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?” Jayna asked.
“I want you to get checked out by the Masters. Don’t even try to deny it, you weren’t feeling hundred percent out there tonight. If you hadn’t blacked out for a millisecond, you would have had that demon.”
“I know; I feel very guilty for not getting him before he got Mia.”
“Jayna, I am not saying this to make you feel guilty about anything. You could have been killed. That possibility terrifies me. We have to find out why you were blacking out; I know it happened more than once.”
Ethan took Jayna’s hand; they relocated to a palatial building. The entire structure was made of marble. They walked down a hallway and stood before a Light being, a receptionist of sorts.
“Greetings,” Ethan said. “I would like to see one of the Masters if possible.”
The Light being bowed, “I will see what I can do,” she said and vanished. A few seconds later she appeared back with a Master. Jayna and Ethan bowed together, the Master bowed back. His inner glow was brilliant, indicative of his degree of enlightenment.
“I am wondering if you would have a look at my partner, Sir?” Ethan asked. “We were called to the Toxic Plane earlier. Jayna blacked out for a split second several times. She was almost killed.”
The Master listened carefully, but he did not need any explanation from Ethan. He could
see what happened from their memories.
“My dear child, you should never go into the Toxic Plane while intoxicated,” the Master said.
Jayna was dumbfounded.
She knew about the no alcohol rule from the very beginning, even before she had reached the legal age of drinking. Ethan had stressed the importance of never drinking or using recreational drugs to her. They interfered with the life force; she was never to touch them. Jayna had obeyed that rule always. She didn’t understand any of this.
Ethan gave her an incredulous look, “Jayna!”
“I swear I didn’t take anything. I am not sure how it got into my system.”
The Master touched Jayna’s head and closed his eyes.
“It was in the drink you had at your place of learning, child. Someone added the substance to the drink all of you had from the big bowl. It was not done with malicious intent. However, it affected your finely tuned energy flow.”
That explained the blackouts.
“Do you know the symbol to neutralize toxic substances in food and drinks in the Earth plane,” the Mater asked them.
“No, Sir,” Ethan said. “We simply never touch the stuff.”
“Your hands, please,” the Master said and drew a symbol in their left hand, another one in their right. “You will use the first symbol to detect unwelcome substances. If there are any, you will feel a buzz in your left hand. You will use your right hand to neutralize it. Once neutralized, it will have no effect on you or anyone else who consumes it.”
Jayna and Ethan bowed deeply to the Master.
“Do not feel guilty about your animal, child. It was not your fault the dog lost her Earthly life tonight. It was her time to go and she taught you a valuable lesson in the process. She will be well cared for in this dimension.”
The Master materialized a golden collar in his hand.
“I will put this collar on your dog to honor her for her bravery. Your Mia will be much respected by everyone.”
The Master threw the golden collar into air, it disappeared. Jayna was so proud of her dog. Mia was decorated by a Master for her bravery and would wear the golden collar proudly.
“Thank you, Sir.”
“And I thank you for all that you are doing to serve the Light Force. Your prayers will be answered,” the Master said looking Jayna directly, “when the time is ripe. Until then, know that you are doing the right thing, following the path laid out for you.”
Jayna was embarrassed about the thought she had harbored earlier in the park -- Ethan being great with kids, how they would never have any of their own. She was sure that’s what the Master was referring to. She was always on guard to keep her mind clear of such thoughts around Ethan.
She bowed again deeply, Ethan followed suit. The Master bowed back to them and vanished.
Ethan respected Jayna’s privacy and refrained from making any comments or asking questions about the Master’s remarks.
“Shall we go home so you could rest,” he asked Jayna.
“Yeah,” was all Jayna said.
He wrapped Jayna in his arms and they were gone. Over the last four years the cabin had become their home. They had made additions to it until it was perfect.
“Do you feel like a walk on the beach,” Ethan asked.
Jayna shook her head. “No, I want to feel your arms wrapped tightly around me. I want your lips on mine. I want to feel alive.”
She need not say another word. Ethan wanted the very same things she wanted. He had a lot of bottled up nervous energy inside him. He had come very close to losing Jayna tonight. Life was precious; he couldn’t imagine a life without Jayna.
His days were busy with work, but he wanted to spend every second of his nights with Jayna. He scooped her up into his arms and walked inside. Their bed looked very inviting. He gently laid her down and went about making her feel alive.
Later, lying in his arms, Jayna asked about his new job.
“I heard CEO,” she said. “Is that your new position?”
“Yeah.”
“I am very proud of you Ethan.”
He kissed the top of her head. “It’s just a job, Jayna. We all have to work somewhere.”
“I guess.”
“I am actually very proud of you. You are a PhD candidate at such a young age.”
Jayna shrugged. “I like school and without distractions, I was able to keep going through the spring sessions and get ahead of schedule. Most students like taking the summer off to work or do their own thing. In fact there are quite a few who go to school on alternating terms if they’re in a co-op program. I chose to keep going. Besides there is almost a month off between the end of the spring term and beginning of the fall one, so I still got my summer vacation. It’s not like I am a genius or anything.”
“You are so modest.”
“Look who’s talking?”
They both laughed.
“Are you able to tell me what your company does? Do you guys provide a product or a service?” Jayna asked. “Tell me only if you can, no worries if you can’t,” she added to make sure she did not put Ethan in a difficult position.
“Both, we’ll provide goods and services.”
“Hmm,” Jayna said. “That’s a tall order. Most companies provide one or the other.”
Ethan sat up in bed. “Okay, I will tell you as much as I can, deal?”
Jayna’s face beamed with delight, “Deal.”
“We are doing something new. Most people in the Western world are meat eaters, as you know. Our company will bring vegetarian and vegan meals to the masses. Make it readily available, affordable, tasty and fun; no tofu or meat substitutes. If you were to research vegetarian cook books, most of them are trying to create meals based on carnivore principals. What people need is a new approach. One of the reasons I was given the job is because I’ve been a vegetarian since birth. Eating no meat is natural to me. I don’t know any other way to eat. The head of the company thinks my background and my MBA qualify me for this job.”
Jayna clapped her hands together. “I know you can do it, Ethan. You really are perfect for the job. I agree with the boss; you are a natural choice.”
“What do you say to your friends when they ask you how you can be a vegetarian?” Ethan asked.
“I tell them I eat everything but meat,” Jayna said without giving it too much thought.
“That’s exactly what I tell them; but they don’t really get it. With this business we’ll show them how to eat vegetarian without looking for meat substitutes. The owner of the company is putting up a lot of her own money into this venture. She is betting that given a tasty meal at an affordable price people will listen to their doctors and go vegetarian one day a week. Her purpose in doing this is not to turn a profit, but to teach people how to be vegetarians – for a day.” Ethan explained enthusiastically.
“Aha,” Jayna said with a sparkle in her eye. “I bet this woman is a Lightworker herself.”
“You promised you will not try to piece things together,” Ethan warned.
“My employer’s plan is two-fold: There will be restaurants that will serve the food for a pleasant dining experience, and also offer take-out. People will be able to take a meal home to their family. They don’t have to shop for the ingredients or worry about cooking. Everything will be freshly made that day.
“I sure hope your company will open up locations in my town. I would be a customer,” Jayna said.
“We’ll approach this from various angles. One angle is that most doctors recommend people should eat less meat to lower their high blood pressure and cholesterol. The other angle is that eating meat makes no sense from an environmental perspective. It is a drain on our natural resources. The trick is that we have to make this venture sustainable. As I said, the owner is not looking to make a profit, and she is even willing to keep pumping money into the venture to make sure it’s adequately capitalized, but at some point we have to break even. She is counting on me to make it work.
”
Ethan laughed. “No pressure at all.”
“Babe, I know you can do this. The concept is pure genius. To tell you the truth, I don’t know why someone hasn’t done it already.”
“Maybe the timing wasn’t right. Let’s hope that we got the timing right. Many a business venture does not succeed, because people aren’t ready for that idea yet. Sometimes, being a pioneer works against you.”
Jayna shook her head. “I think the time for vegetarian restaurants and kitchens has come. You’ll see, once people see that it’s readily available, they’ll give it a try.”
“We are going to make it as easy as possible for people. We are confident that once they give it a try, they will come back again.”
“What kinds of dishes are you thinking?” Jayna asked.
“We collected recipes from all over the world. You see, in most countries people cannot afford to eat meat every day, it’s a luxury. So every dish has two versions, one with meat and one without, and no tofu in it,” Ethan stressed. “We’ll borrow their meatless dishes.”
“Hmmm, all this talk about food is making me hungry. I’ve never been hungry in the Astral plane. What’s up with that?” Jayna asked.
“This calls for a celebration.”
Ethan got out of bed and dressed himself in very fashionable clothes. He was devilishly handsome. Jayna took one look and fell in love with him all over again.
“Going somewhere, handsome?” she asked.
“Yes, I am taking you to Paris. It’s six a.m. in our time zone; that makes it twelve noon there. We are going to Paris for lunch.”
“You are taking me to Paris? Is that even allowed?”
“Why wouldn’t it be allowed? Nobody said we can’t travel.”
“You’re right, they didn’t.”
“I know of a very exclusive little café whose owner is a Lightworker and serves only vegetarian dishes. We can go visit her and sample her food.”
Jayna got out of the bed and glowered at Ethan.
“Just a minute mister, I need to be properly dressed if I am going to Paris; but I have no idea what to wear. Obviously, I am not going like this.” She was totally naked.
Ethan smiled at her seductively. “May I?”
Jayna shrugged, “Sure, go for it.”
Ethan materialized a ruby red shirt dress and matching red shoes. Jayna looked in the mirror and could not believe her eyes. The woman staring back to her was the epitome of high fashion and sophistication. The dress had gold buttons that were matched by gold accessories on Jayna’s person. When Ethan whipped that little number up, he brought a complete ensemble.
“Since when are you a fashion aficionado?” Jayna asked.
“Oh, I dabble in fashion here and there.”
Jayna checked the new gold watch she was wearing on her wrist. It was six oh five a.m.
“Ethan, I need to be back in my body by seven a.m. That’s when my parents go to Liam’s room to wake him up - that’s when they will discover that Mia’s passed away.”
“We’ll be back by then, sweetheart. Don’t worry about it.”
Ethan held Jayna’s hand and they were in Paris at Le Petit Café de Marie. There were tables set up outside under a brightly colored awning. The chairs were wicker with flower patterned cushions; mini vases held fresh flowers on each table. Jayna feasted her eyes on the beauty of the place. Even though she knew that no one there could see her, she was trying not to gawk. There was a woman of indeterminate age, dressed in a flower patterned dress. Her hair was jet black, and chin length. She had the most amazing skin, flawless porcelain; her lips were painted red and she wore black eyeliner. The woman was absolutely stunning.
She must be Marie, Jayna thought.
Ethan nodded to her.
He walked up to Marie and gave her a hug and kissed her on both cheeks. Marie’s face lit up.
Hey, who’s here?
You have one guess.
Ethan, is that you Cheri?
Yes, it is. I have someone special with me that I would like you to meet.”
Bien sur.
Marie went straight to the back where her office was located. Her head waiter noticed Marie’s hurried pace and gave her a questioning look.
“I have to make a call, I won’t be disturbed,” she said to her him in French.
“Oui, Madame,” the waiter said and went about his business.
Marie went in her office and shut the door. She sat in her chair behind the opulent desk and leaned back comfortably. She closed her eyes and shifted into the Astral plane. She was instantly out of her office greeting her visitors. She kissed Ethan on both cheeks and squealed in delight.
“What a wonderful surprise, Cheri. How are you?”
“I am doing great. May I introduce you to the love of my life? This is Jayna. Jayna, meet Marie; an old friend of the family.”
Jayna offered her hand to Marie, Nice to meet you, she said rather shyly. For some reason, Jayna felt like a little kid next to the sophisticated Marie. The woman commanded respect just by the virtue of her presence.
Marie shook Jayna’s hand and also kissed her on both cheeks giving Jayna the same enthusiastic welcome.
“I had this crazy idea to bring my girl to Paris on a whim. She’s never been here and is really excited to see your fine city,” Ethan said.
“I am delighted you remembered your old friend, Cheri. Welcome to Paris, and welcome to Marie’s humble café.”
Marie guided her guests to the best table in her café, manifested a “reserved” sign and placed it in the middle of the table so that no one would be tempted to sit there.
“Sit here chers,” she said. “I will personally serve you my best croissants and some delicious coffee.”
Jayna was curious to see how this little adventure would go. So far she was enjoying it immensely.
“Marie, just to let you know we can’t stay too long. Jayna needs to be home soon; there is some pressing business waiting for her.”
“Mon Dieu, you can’t bring this lovely young lady to my café for only a few minutes. That’s hardly enough time to feed you everything I have in mind,” Marie protested.
“We promise to come back again, Marie.”
Marie shrugged in an exaggerated fashion.
“Oh well, I understand you perfectly. Something is always happening in our line of work. Jayna is pulling a Cinderella today.” Marie smiled at Jayna affectionately.
I feel like Cinderella; she had to leave the ball at the stroke of midnight, I have to leave at seven……….to my dog’s funeral.
“Heavens, what happened to your dog?”
“An accident of sorts,” Ethan explained. Marie understood from his tone that he could say no more.
Ethan wished he could be there for Jayna during the day, but he could not. They were Astral Warriors under orders. Insubordination was out of the question.
Marie sat in one of the wicker chairs and started waving her arms around to cheer up her visitors. The table was filled with all kinds of pastries and little sandwiches; heavenly aromas of freshly brewed specialty coffee filled the air.
“Eat up my dears, eat up. I hate to see this wonderful food go to waste.”
Marie helped herself to a piece of Tiramisu cake and sipped some coffee from a porcelain cup. She closed her eyes as she savored the flavors.
Jayna smiled at the woman’s unashamed delight in consuming the heavenly desserts. She didn’t seem worried about the calories as no one in the café was. Was it only a North American thing to worry about calories when they ate sinful desserts?
“My dear Jayna,” Marie said, “enjoy the food and do not worry about the calories. My pastries are made with the finest of ingredients. Each bite of these delicious desserts is like a piece of heaven in your mouth. They are also loaded with nutrition. I serve nothing but the best to my clientele. Marie pointed at the people sitting in and outside of her café. They come for my fine food, and t advice. I give them both.”
“You are a good woman Marie,” Ethan said. “You wouldn’t be one of mom’s best friends if you weren’t. You two are so alike. You love fiercely, give all you can, but take no crap from anyone.”
Marie laughed.
Jayna thought about the two older women, both Lightworkers, both very respected and accomplished, and then she thought of herself. She felt inadequate.
Ethan heard her thoughts and reached to cover one of her hands with his. Jayna looked at him embarrassed. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
None of this exchange went unnoticed by Marie. “You are quite the legend in your own right, Cherie.”
Jayna’s face turned beet-red. Caught again, she thought.
“I hadn’t met you until tonight, Cherie, but I heard a lot about you. People who sing your praises are a legion.”
Ethan took a look at his watch and rose.
“I am afraid the time has come for us to leave, Marie. Thank you very much for this fine feast.” He leaned and kissed Marie on both cheeks.
“Bienvenu. You are most welcome. Come again.”