2Promises

by Phil Armstrong

  “The lion and the calf shall lie down together but the calf won’t get much sleep.”

  “That’s right. Woody Allen, Without Feathers,” said Subra.

  Beth tried again. “A lie told often enough is a truth.”

  Subra corrected. “A lie told often enough becomes the truth; Lenin.”

  Beth didn’t have many left. “I’m just a person trapped inside a woman’s body.”

  “Now that’s one I can relate to: Elayne Boosler. Great quote. Sounds like you’re finally getting it. I need to tell you a couple of things. We’ll work together to reconnect your mind and your body. When you wake up I’ll not be able to talk with you. I’ll still hear your thoughts. Are you ready for another interesting side effect you’ll need to adjust to?”

  “This is getting stranger by the minute. You’re not going to tell me that when I wake up I’ll be a man or anything stupid like that are you?” thought Beth.

  “No. That would be fun though. When you wake up you’ll have an abundance of energy. You’ll use this pure energy to fuel your body. You’ll not need any food or water while I live inside of you. Your body will reject them violently.”

  “All right. Where were you when I needed to lose a few pounds,” joked Beth. “Come on, how will my body get the vitamins, minerals and energy that it needs to function? I’m not buying this.”

  Subra responded calmly. “You won’t lose any weight but you won’t gain any either. Your body will not be harmed. It’ll be living off pure energy, the type your body likes.”

  “No food or water until I get rid of you. We can only communicate when I’m asleep. Anything else? If that isn’t weird enough,” asked Beth.

  “Beth, one last thing. I think we should work on waking you up. This is the part where you’ll need to help me.”

  Subra explained to Beth about Master Xu’s Gieging teachings. He relayed the teachings and legends surrounding the portal that connects the physical world with the spiritual world. He explained the legend of the last soul through the portal. He described how that soul is afforded a glimpse of an image that would help locate the new portal. He talked of the famous Shell image, and how this was the clue to the physical location of the new portal. Subra explained the story of Corom and the dangers associated with his mission. He told of his fears; that he would meet the same fate and never return. Subra’s voice became more serious and direct. He went on to explain that he needed Beth’s help in locating the portal. Subra talked about the portal. It was his only hope of returning home with his cargo. This was the only way that Beth could remove him from her thoughts. Beth was starting to understand. She could not believe this was happening to her but what choice did she have? Either she was going crazy talking to an imaginary friend, or this was true. She had to wake up and find this portal. Perhaps if she woke she would see the world differently and this voice in her head would go away. It seemed an interesting story. Could she be sure that it wasn’t the product of her fertile imagination; could it be the drugs? The quotes could be suppressed memories. She had watched enough TV in her young life.

  “I know this is really hard to grasp Beth, but remember I can read your thoughts and feel what you feel. I’m real, and my plight is real. You will learn to trust me. We’ll work together to realign your energy flows and get you to wake up. Before we start I need to give you some instructions. This is important. You must concentrate as I need you to remember this.” Subra paused for effect before he resumed. “I’ll work with your energy flows and we’ll align them to help you wake up. When you wake I will not be able to communicate with you. I’ll really need your help. Together we’ll need to find the Shell and the portal. I don’t know where the portal is or even how to find it. Master Xu gave me some instructions but could not elaborate more. I need to pass these through to you. Beth, my future lies with you.” Subra sounded serious.“Master Xu always said that a journey would always bring you home. This is similar to a quote from Herman Melville; Life’s a voyage that’s homeward bound. What Master Xu was trying to tell me was if I wanted to go home I need to start with a person who has been there. This means finding someone who has had a near death experience. As part of my training, I used to assist with the transition of souls from one domain to the other. Some souls had too much energy, and it was clear that it wasn’t their time. They returned to the physical domain. Beth, I need you to think. Is there someone you know who has had a near death experience?” asked Subra.

  “I do! What a coincidence. I know a guy who has talked to me about this,” thought Beth.

  “Good, but there are no coincidences. Coincidences are spiritual puns. When you wake Beth you must seek this person out and talk with them. They will tell you something that will be useful, and it will lead us to the location of the portal. This person is the start of our journey.”

  “What will he tell me? I don’t know if I can do this on my own,” thought Beth.

  “I don’t know what he’ll tell you. You’ll have me to guide you in your sleeping hours. You can do this,” assured Subra.

  Beth did not know why she said it, but she felt Subra needed to hear it. Before she could halt she had thought it. “Subra, I promise you, I will help you find this portal.”

  As Beth and Subra continued to communicate Subra was sensing a small but steady rise in her energy levels. Beth could feel it too. They continued to dialogue. Subra informed Beth that he was working in the background to open up energy blockages in her body. As Subra worked Beth could sense parts of her body that she could not feel previously. Whatever he was doing was working. Subra could start to feel the energy in Beth’s body flow more rapidly. It was gathering intensity. Beth started to feel different parts of her body, and knew she was close to waking.

  * * * * *

  “How’s the sleeping fox this morning?” Inquired Dr. Ablett. Nurse Jones arched her back as she turned to the sound. Dr. Ablett and Nurse Rhodes entered Beth’s room looking for a response.

  “She’s had a good night. After we took her off the fluids she really calmed down. Her temperature remained normal. I just have to finish up a few things and then I’m on my way out. My shifts done so I’m waiting for the cavalry,” said Nurse Jones in a tired voice.

  “I’m concerned about hydration. I think we need to get her back on the fluids, but after last time, I wanted to give her a chance to wean off the meds. She looks pretty good. I think what we should do is take some blood; I’ll run some tests and come up with a new plan. Can you take a couple of vials before you go? I’ll have a look see and decide what we can do to get her through the day. Later, we can come back here and try again,” explained Dr. Ablett.

  “All right, I’ll get the blood drawn and down to the lab. Then I’m heading out,” said Nurse Jones.

  Nurse Rhodes and Dr. Ablett nodded as they walked out into the hall. Nurse Jones could hear them talking softly. The sun was streaming through the window in stark contrast to the night before. As Nurse Jones read the charts she was startled. She moved backwards instinctively. Beth suddenly opened her eyes and adjusted to the light. She raised her hands to her face and surveyed her new surroundings.

  “Doctor Ablett! Come quick,” cried Nurse Jones. The doctor quickly appeared and was greeted by Beth looking directly at him.

  “Hello young lady, you’re in Airedale Hospital. You had an accident but you’re quite safe. Do you know who you are?” inquired Dr. Ablett.

  The hospital insisted that Beth remain available for tests and observation for another day. Beth was fully coherent and felt fine. The tests came back negative for any abnormalities. Beth had to be resourceful at meal times; she could not consume the food or the liquids. Subra had been explicit; no need for food or liquids while he was inside her. Beth noticed that she never felt hungry or fatigued. She did need to play a game with the hospital staff. Beth only ordered water with her meals, which nourished the hospital Fichus. The food was a little tricky. She lined her bedside drawers with absorbent paper towels. She scoope
d the food into the drawers and disposed of the remains after mealtime cleanup. Beth would grab the paper towels, leave her room and dump the remains into a garbage bin. The staff was happy and amazed that she was walking and getting exercise. Beth fell asleep quickly when lights out was announced on the ward. Subra entered into Beth’s thoughts.

  “Cute trick with the food. You’re sly,” said Subra.

  “Sly, you say. You’re not the first one to say that. Good to hear from you. It was a fairly lonely day with my head all to myself. I need to get out of here. I feel great but they won’t let me go,” thought Beth.

  “I know. Tomorrow you can force them to let you go by signing the liability release waiver. I heard Nurse Rhodes talking with the doctor about it for another patient.”

  “I know you’ve been working on me; I’m feeling stronger and stronger. Do you know what would be really good? If you could help me lose a couple of pounds off my butt,” joked Beth.

  “The butt thing is not in my repertoire unfortunately,” laughed Subra.

  “I’m worried about getting out and letting you down. I hope I have the courage to see this thing through,” thought Beth.

  “You need not worry, you’ll be fine. Courage is fear that has said its prayers. You’ll not let anyone down,” assured Subra.

  As the night progressed Subra and Beth continued to discuss their release plan. Beth told Subra about the kind-hearted man that she knew down at the allotments. He spent his time there growing flowers and tending to his garden. Beth often passed the allotments, and as if by fate, he was always there. She didn’t know his name but she had talked with him often. At first it was small talk about the weather or his flowers. He was a kind man. Beth had mentioned her interest in Indian cooking. The next time she saw him; he gave her a couple of old Indian recipe books. He was the type of guy that was just genuine and not creepy in any way. Some guys appear friendly. You just know what they want, and you feel like you need a shower after a short conversation. The allotment guy was different, calm, honest, and helpful. Beth’s conversations with him grew longer and she enjoyed passing the time. They never arranged to meet; it was still left to chance. She would talk with him about three or four times a week. It was obvious to Beth that he was not in good health. He would cough often; a deep rasping cough that you would suggest gets looked at, if you were familiar enough.

  When Beth described him to Subra she realized that neither of them had taken the time to introduce themselves. He would call her, “love” and “dear.” She would call him, “old friend” or “Sir.” Beth described the Indian man to Subra. She told him of his allotment full of roses. Beth dwelled on one particular conversation they had recently. The allotment man had a slight Indian accent, but it was tempered by a seasoned Yorkshire twang. The old man had talked about not feeling well. He had been rushed to hospital. He described in detail seeing a bright light and not being ready yet. He talked of unfinished business. Beth recalled how uncomfortable this made her feel. She didn’t want to probe into what was wrong with him. This was probably the only person she knew who might have had a near death experience.

  “Does this guy fit the bill Subra?” inquired Beth.

  “I’m not sure, but it’s the best lead that we have so far. I’m confident that he can tell us something that will help us. Let’s try to get to this guy when we can. First, we have to get you out,” said Subra.

  Morning came quickly and Beth felt prepared. She had discussed plans in detail with Subra. She was eager to get going and help her new friend. She felt compelled to help. It was a burning sensation driving her forward. Beth felt great, strong, and alive. She liked the pure energy diet. It was like having a dozen “Red Bull” energy drinks. Beth needed to get the waiver signed, force the release, and get out.

  * * * * *

  Chapter 4: The White Rose

  Beth looked at her watch; it was 1.15pm. She headed for the green exit sign in the hospital lobby. She strode confidently to the door where she had arranged a taxi. Medical staff had advised Beth of her foolish and risky decision. She thought she might lose her composure. They could not know she was completely healed and running on pure energy. She would not tell them. She could quickly be transferred to the psychiatric ward. As she left the hospital she felt the cold sting of fresh air rub her face. The sun was bright but the wind was still cold.

  Beth jumped into the back seat of the taxi cab, “Going to Sun Street in Haworth please.”

  The taxi sped away. Beth was not in the mood to talk and pretended to study her release forms. The driver got the hint. She could see his brightly colored red turban. Strands of dark hair were peeking out from the bottom at the neck. He was a large man. He kept glancing into the mirror to look at Beth. She stared at the release form but did not read it. Beth looked at the roundabout near Cliff Castle and the thin road winding up the side of the Worth Valley. It was a busy time of day, and her mind wandered to the old Indian man at the allotment. The Taxi turned and Beth noticed the Bronte Pub. She knew she was close to home. They passed Haworth steam train station and the old Airedale Springs factory. When the taxi turned left onto Sun Street Beth let out a quiet sigh. It was good to be home. Beth could get out of her clothes and have a bath.

  “Right there. Three doors down from the Fish ‘n’ Chip shop on the right,” said Beth pointing.

  She paid the taxi driver. He thanked Beth in broken English. He had a large grin that looked strangely soft. Beth jumped out of the taxi and headed towards the door of her small cottage. She reached into her purse for her keys. They were still there; that was a relief. Beth entered her cottage and got undressed. Time was slipping away. Beth quickly showered deciding a bath would take too long. She changed into a pair of jeans, a tee shirt, and a sweater. She slipped on a pair of black runners. Beth pulled her auburn hair back into a ponytail. She grabbed her bag and left the cottage. Beth walked quickly through the park before heading up the alley towards the allotments. It was a glorious sunny day but a little on the brisk side. Her cheeks were rosy red, but she hardly gasped as she climbed the steep cobbled alley. Walking past the allotments she noticed a few people tending to their little patches of fenced land. She quickly reached allotment number four and scanned the scene. Behind a sea of color was the Indian man.

  “Good afternoon sir. How are you doing today?” chirped Beth in a cheery voice.

  The Indian man turned and looked to see who was talking to him. He had to squint into the sun to recognize her, but when he saw it was Beth his face lit up with a broad smile. Being Indian, and of darker skin, this seemed to exaggerate the whiteness of his teeth and make his smile more charming. Beth often thought his smile illuminated his entire allotment.

  “I’m doing better for seeing you young lady. Haven’t seen you in a few days, been keeping out of trouble?” said the old man. It was followed by a rasping cough. He caught it quickly by covering his mouth with a fist and bending over sharply.

  “Yes, I was busy but in a good way. The allotment looks good. The roses are beautiful,” said Beth noticing a lion. It was made from marble and faced the gate to the allotment. Beth leaned on the flimsy metal fence. The Indian man walked over to Beth and wiped his brow with the sleeve of his shirt.

  “What’s you name love? I talk to you like you’re my own daughter and I don’t know your name.”

  “My name’s Beth sir, Beth.”

  “I’m Anwar. It’s my pleasure to talk with you Beth, my angel,” he said.

  Beth thought it was sweet being called an angel. “It’s a coincidence; I was just thinking recently that we talk often and didn’t know each other’s names.”