by J. R. Bowles
The other's lifted their glasses and joined in the toast. “To Azid.” They repeated.
Every head turned to look at Mindy.
“What?” She said. “Did I put my make up on wrong, or something? What do you expect. I'm just getting use to this body and I'm not sure I even like it.”
“Hey, it's hard for me to get use to you.” Jamal said. “There's no damn way I'm going to call you Azid.”
“You better stick to Mindy.” Morgan said. “At least she had identification and from the way she spent money, she must of had a good bank account to.”
“Azid.” Chesaka said very seriously. “Mindy has plenty of money. But I would like to add that I would be honored to call you granddaughter.”
The other's broke into roaring laughter. They laughed so hard some of them began to cough.
As the laughter died down, Thomas joined into the humor. “Azid,” he said, “at least you didn't have to go to Sweden.”
Again they broke into laughter. Not so much at Azid but at Thomas's attempt at humor.
A waiter came in carrying a phone and walked up to Michael. “Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt you but you have a phone call, he said it was important.”
Michael took the phone offered.
“Hello.” He said into the receiver.
“I glad to hear you made it there okay.”
“Sure, I'll tell them. By the way you're missing a fun birthday party.” He paused. “Don't worry so much. I'll make all of the arrangements.”
Michael hung up the phone. They were looking at him in curiosity.
“He made it back to New York okay. He wants us all to get together to discuss this as soon as everybody has some free time.”
“I know I've got to be back to the ship day after tomorrow.” Jackie sighed. “When does your leave run out Billy?”
“Day after tomorrow.” He answered looking around the table. “I'm going to miss all of you. I feel like I've know you all my life.”
“Which life?” Bernie asked. “This one or the few million lives before?”
“Oh Morgan.” Michael looked over at her. “John said he will meet you at the Castleton before you go back to work.”
“Sounds fine.” Morgan said rather unenthusiastically and reached over under the table and rubbed Billy's leg from his knee up to his crotch.
Billy's eyes widened and he almost choked but he didn't say anything.
“To bad he had to go back to Governors Island to iron out some more problems with the Coast Guard.” Thomas said.
“That's government bureaucracy for you.” Jackie nodded.
“Well I've got to be getting back to work too.” Bernie said.
“Oh?” Jackie raised her eyebrows. “I had been wondering how a heart surgeon could take so much time off?”
He grinned. “I just got the job and start on the 5th of July.”
“Well I don't have to be anywhere until the end of August.” Zolar said leaning back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head.
“Professors!” Jackie said rolling her eyes. “We get thirty days a year in the Coast Guard but you get all summer.”
“Yeah but we don't get paid for it.” Zolar protested.
“I'll trade you salaries.” Billy volunteered and chuckled.
“Thomas what about you?” Morgan asked.
He inhaled and thought for a moment. “Well, I guess I'll go back to my church but I've got a lot of rethinking to do.”
“Jackie,” Bernie said, “can I continue to see you?”
“You better.” She leaned over and kissed him which brought some hoots from the others.
“I've made flight reservations for everyone that needed it.” Michael said and then turned to Kumara. “We don't know when or where we will meet you. You seem to turn up just about anywhere.”
“You never know Michael, you never know.” She said.
“There's just one more thing I want to know.” Michael paused for everyone's attention.
They all became quiet and waited for him to speak.
“What I want to know is there any way we can get Rudy out of hell?”
Morgan cleared her throat and spoke. “I have a question for you. Where did Mindy go?”
They each looked at each other none knowing the answer.
CHAPTER 66
John closed the hotel door a little harder than he had anticipated. Its sound made his tired nerves jump. He flipped on the light, walked into the room and tossed his briefcase on the bed.
At least they hadn't given him the same room as the one he had before. To much had happen in this hotel and he wished he had stayed somewhere else but that hadn't been very practical. When the others arrived back in New York it would be easier for them to find him here.
Michael had made him promise when he got back that he would stay with him at his uptown house. He told him he would for a few days but he needed to get back to Florida soon, he had been away to long.
John flopped down in an arm chair. He was to wound up to do anything else and to tired to sleep.
He stared at the textured wallpaper thinking about what had happen. He ran his hand through his hair and felt the sweat and oil lying thick around the follicles.
What had gone wrong? He had been above his body looking down and had made his choice. He couldn't figure out what had happen. By all rights he should be dead.
He shrugged and rubbed his tired eyes. His mind was so fatigued he couldn't remember when he had last slept.
When he had returned to the Hotel Roanoke he had felt relief to find that the Coast Guard had called and left a message. They said they had just a few minor details and they would sign the proposal. He was glad they called, he wasn't ready to talk to the others about what had taken place.
He shook his head. He just couldn't figure out why the world was still here. After everything Lamb had read to them last night his choice had seemed clear.
The world and all people just didn't seem to be worth saving. Not just worth saving, he thought, it didn't seem possible that all the problems that exist could be corrected.
He had chosen Michael, figuring that he was the good and that the universe should collapse and start again. He had felt certain it was right.
Then why were they still here? John leaned his head back in the chair and stared up at the ceiling. He blinked several times in succession trying to ease their sting.
Had he been wrong to assume good wanted everything to start over? He just didn't know. What was he to do now?
Maybe they were suppose to work to correct the problems? Could that possibly be the answer?
When he had been expanded to the complete God consciousness, when he was aware of everything that existed, he thought he was going crazy. The fragmentation of seeing everything which exists for all of eternity had been overwhelming.
He looked down at his hand and clinched it into a tight fist. He could feel the power he now had and it scared him. It was like everything that existed was part of his body and it responded the way his hand did. As if it were automatic.
He stared at the pack of Camel cigarettes he had bought in the airport. He didn't smoke but he had this peculiar craving that made him purchase them.
The pack of cigarettes lifted into the air as John gazed at them and floated within John's grasp. One cigarette worked it's way out of the pack and toward John's lips. The pack returned to the table where they had been before.
As John sat there with the cigarette between his lips, it lit itself. He inhaled deeply from it's non filter and exhaled. Reaching up to retrieve it between his fingers, he stared down at the glowing ash. He pursed his lips and spit out a small sliver of tobacco from his tongue. Why was he smoking? He inhaled again feeling the nicotine soar into his blood stream taking the bite off of his tired raw nerves.
“Thank you God for this cigarette.” He half joked aloud. “This is my Body, this is my Blood.”
I tried to publish this book many years ago, the old way. T
his book was written in 1992. Along with a few others. I really tried to get it published then but had little to no luck.
I came close but you know what they say about close. That’s another book unto itself. The original title was: “WAITING FOR THE MESSIAH: THE CHAKRA CENTERS” then I changed it, after the advice of an agent, who suggested the title; THE AVATAR. Obviously, I could no longer keep that title. It’s been over used. LOL
Most of my many rejections were: It’s not “politically correct,” or sacrilegious, or I was trying to start a new religion. Any similarity to anyone living or dead was an accident.
I stuck it on a shelf for years. And finally decided with the help of a scanner I would revived some life energy into it. I caught a few errors in the doing, and made a couple changes for grammar’s sake. I had some problems with organizing the bulk of it back into cohesive sense. Pages were stuck together, chapters duplicated. I hope I got it all. Obviously sites, and phones have changed, and then there is GPS. This book is not intended for those with strong religious beliefs or those under 17. If I offended you in anyway I apologize. It’s just a book. Get over it. If you read this I hope you enjoy. Questions or corrections send to : [email protected]