Gold Lame' (That's le-mayy) (Gold Lame' Series)

by C. Pic Michel

  Most achieve this only by going into service to others. This is quite simply because those who maintain personal agendas are egotistically attached to particular conditions and are unable to take leave of these senses.

  The prevailing stories of Beta and Alpha awareness appear to be what humans are most attached to due to their 3-dimensional outcomes. Being able to move from these brain wave states to Theta and deeper Delta vibrations while maintaining lucidity is fully appreciated only after an individual has moved beyond the limitations of waking consciousness. At these levels explorers may consciously work directly with creative energy, rather than confusing their identities with its physical outcomes.

  Resume, resume, resume…

  Jahni never connected with Alpha or Beta awareness. His entire career had been spent in Delta frequencies and beyond. The encounter with the stoner in the Wait Zone brought Jahni to a curious dalliance with Theta waves and the possibility of a little vacation into the karmic realms.

  Masterful at inter-dimensional travel and thrilled to have an excuse to closely explore connections with the physical plane, Jahni connected with the energy that he knew as Hrim and found himself walking out of a wooded area into a field. His clothing had shifted from white robe to khaki slacks, sport shirt and leather loafers. It took him only a moment to spot Hrim and catch up with him.

  Well now, what brings you this way? Hrim was surprised to see Jahni outside the University and the Wait Zone. Jahni scanned Hrim and found his character to be named Hiram. He also found that the woman could hear think-speak so he fell into character and used spoken words to cover his tracks.

  “I just left the fields and thought I’d share some interesting news with you.” Jahni nodded to Jojo and Miguel as he slowed down. Hrim stopped to talk with him. “There’s a pretty drunk fellow in the receiving area that seems to be attached to you and your crew. I wasn’t sure if you had a chance to venture over there lately. I’ve seen him two or three times. He’s adamant about making up with a woman he loves. Do you know of whom I’m talking? Who is your undecided case?”

  Hrim looked at the group moving across the field. “To tell you the truth Jahni, except for Tetta, every one of them is up in the air right now.” Jahni looked at the man who was walking with his hand on the shoulder of the boy who was taking a snail from the woman.

  “All three of them?” Jahni considered the possibilities that could take three lives at once and guessed, “Car accident?”

  “Separate incidents, same reason,” Hrim informed him.

  “That’s a lot to cover.”

  “Yes, Tetta is helping me to handle the shifting scenery. All three are active in multiple dreams. The boy, Jojo, as is the case with kids, adds a lot of diversity to the dreamtime.”

  “What about the man?” Jahni asked.

  “Miguel? Not figuring in just yet but he could go lucid at any moment.”

  “So the character back at the Wait Zone, his dream isn’t figuring in yet either?”

  “Not yet. Popping in and out,” Hrim verified.

  “So there’s no one else?”

  “Oh yeah, there’s a whole team of characters that are bouncing around Amelia’s dreams right now.”

  Jahni looked at Amelia recognizing that she had the key. “Shoes?”

  “Yep.”

  “Isn’t that a little…” Hrim beat Jahni to the punch.

  “Ruby slipper?”

  “Yeah. So…movie musical ago.”

  “Um-hmm,” Hrim continued the metaphor, “but the wicked witch might be winning and this man behind the curtain isn’t sure who or what could come up next.”

  “I’ve got an idea,” Jahni offered.

  “You don’t need to dance around the subject Jahni, I would be grateful if you could lend a hand.”

  The pair started walking again, and Hrim prepared to introduce Jahni to the crew. “Fried chicken and potato salad!” Jahni observed, “I think I just died and went to heaven!” They laughed.

  Hrim and Jahni joined the dinner table with full plates and empty stomachs. “Everyone, this is Johnny, my brother from Darke County,” Hrim introduced. “He’s come to visit for the weekend.”

  “Wonderful.” Tetta smiled at Jahni in warm recognition. “Are you going to stay long enough to visit the circus with us tomorrow?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Jahni was shaking hands with Miguel and rubbed Jojo’s head. “I’m going to pick up a little good luck from you mister. Those were some great plays you made out there!”

  “Thanks!” Jojo beamed holding Dumbo up for Jahni’s inspection. “This is Dumbo, he’s my lucky snail!”

  “Did he teach you how to slide like that?” Jahni asked.

  “No, I listened to my coach.” He smiled at Amelia. She smiled back, only slightly distracted by the appearance of Johnny and a continuing feeling that something about Hiram was familiar to her.

  The picnic was followed by a show of fireworks that lit up the clear evening sky. Families lay on their blankets in the field and greeted their favorites with “ooohs” and “aaaahs”. Amelia studied the faces of her newfound friends as the flashing fireworks shined different colors on their faces. Jojo was completely entranced as he leaned his back against Miguel’s chest. Hiram, Johnny and Tetta sipped cider as they watched. Afterward, families walking home found their way lit by fireflies.

  The configuration of people Amelia walked with wasn’t really her family and she wondered if the other groups walking down the road were really families. Her mother’s dream had attracted the consciousness of hundreds of participants who had bumped into it and made it quite a celebration. She wondered if the connecting theme that brought them all together was the Fourth of July, picnics, ball games, or possibly family reunions.

  Amelia found comfort in the way everything worked in the dreamtime. No one seemed to need a special reason to be with someone else. Everyone was, as Tetta said, One. What she didn’t see was that some people did have a special reason to be with someone else and for one person in particular, that reason wasn’t exactly small town pure.

  From a distance their group seemed like all the others, but the discerning eye, the eye of one who had something to lose, something he was unwilling to give up, that eye saw danger in the well being of this little group.

  I never meant to hurt you. But now, what can I do? A shadowy figure moved behind the tree to keep the group in sight.

  Jahni stopped. His attention was grabbed from the group and he turned his head to find a visual for the sound of the voice he heard in his mind. It was directed straight at them. Hrim and Tetta noticed the departure of his attention from the friendly dream scene but they hadn’t heard the voice.

  “What’s going on?” Miguel turned to ask. The three quickly composed themselves. The prospect of danger was a sure trigger for Miguel. There were already three guides working on this project. They didn’t need any heroes trying to take over, but it was too late.

  Miguel scanned the surroundings and saw what the threesome had been looking for. While they tried to distract him, Miguel watched the figure of a single man moving from behind a nearby tree and disappearing around the corner of a house. Crime lurks on the streets of Main Street America? Miguel thought. He knew it was true. There was no place in the country where the effects of drugs and even gangs hadn’t warped the scenery. Still he found something eerie in this incident. It didn’t have the feel of a random street crime. He didn’t anticipate the group was about to be mugged. There was something more ominous surrounding the encounter. He couldn’t quite put his finger on the feeling of meeting with destiny. He scanned the faces of Johnny, Hiram, and Tetta. They had returned to socializing as if nothing had happened.

  Miguel didn’t know what had caught their attention, but he stayed toward the back of the group now, watching, to see if he could get a better view of this man. His hand automatically went to the side of his ribs under his right arm. Becoming aware that he was reaching he realized he was
looking for a holster. Seeing that, the full memory of being a detective entered into his awareness and he realized that he was dreaming.

  Hiram turned to say something to Tetta then allowed himself to slow down and join Miguel at the back of the pack. Miguel could see that Hiram was concerned about his growing awareness and so decided not to share what he was experiencing with him. There was something out of place. Tetta, Hiram and Johnny had a different feel to him than Amelia and Jojo. He felt certain protectiveness toward the boy and Amelia and a strange detachment for Hiram and Johnny. He felt he had met Tetta under some other circumstances but couldn’t place her.

  Hrim listened to Miguel’s thoughts. It was obvious he had a breakthrough but gratefully, did not have all the details. The holster had not appeared. Miguel was too confused, by his own standards, to be carrying a weapon. Hrim determined that Miguel was neither going to act out of character for the moment nor share his insights with anyone else. Miguel could possibly become high maintenance now, but sometimes the things that moved dreams along weren’t always predictable.

  The three guides would have to be more careful now to not interfere with the unfolding of events that would bring the dream to its conclusion. At the same time they were responsible for seeing to it that no one crossed over before his or her time.

  Engrossed with determining the effects new awareness would bring to the scene, no one noticed that the shadowy figure had not exited the scene for long. From the corner of another house he watched Miguel carefully to determine if he had been seen. It didn’t seem anything had changed. The group seemed as comfortable and calm as before.

  A streak of panic combined with frustration ran through the very soul of the dark figure. Still thinking in 3-D terms, he was sure that his power would be curbed or accelerated by the interference or compliance of others. The dream world was not new to him. He was experienced in functioning in altered states of consciousness without seeming as if anything was different about him. What he wasn’t sure of was how to accomplish what he needed to do in a way that would be effective without a doubt.

  Pause, pause, pause...

  “When we go to the circus tomorrow can I get some cotton candy?” Jojo peered up into Tetta’s face as they walked side by side.

  “Not too much,” Tetta mused. Jojo pulled in front of Amelia walking backward facing her.

  “When we go to the circus tomorrow can we see the clowns?”

  “Of course,” she replied smiling. Jojo started running back and forth across the sidewalk with his arms raised in the air.

  “When we go to the circus tomorrow can we watch the acrobats?”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Hiram nodded.

  The group climbed the steps to the front porch.

  “Can I fly off a trapeze?”

  “No!” Everyone shouted. The group gathered in the kitchen to discuss the plans for the circus. They continued to answer Jojo as he asked one question after another with lightening speed. Amelia was impressed with his ability to think and speak without a break.

  “I think I’m going to turn in. It looks like tomorrow is going to be a very busy day!” After a series of good night and sweet dreams well wishes, Amelia excused herself from the gathering and went to her room.

  All of the conversations of the day ran through her mind as she changed into her flannel pajamas and crawled into the double bed beneath the big down comforter. We must be in a town up North, she thought. It gets pretty cold here at night.

  Amelia wriggled out from under the comforter and pulled the big window closed, automatically locking it as she did so. She noticed the reflex and decided she must come from the city as she snuggled back under the comforter.

  Outside the man waiting in the shadows of the bushes wasn’t ready to give up. He moved around the corner of the house and pulled himself up by the window ledge to look through the next window. He watched as Miguel read a story to Jojo and tucked him into bed. The man outside the window was filled with frustration at the homey sight. Miguel ran his hand over Jojo’s head and switched off the light as he left the room and closed the door. The man outside the window let his weight slide down the side of the house. The task that was ahead of him was complicated. If he had to make a move he had to take them all together or one of the others might be able to identify him. He emerged from the bushes on the side of the house and started heading away from town.

  Pause, pause, pause…

  5 Clowning Around

  “The circus is coming to town!” Jojo shouted as he ran through the front door, through the house, out the backdoor traveling the wrap-around porch to reach the front door again. “Come one, come all to the Big Top today!” Jojo sprinted across the living room floor and leapt into a handstand next to the piano in the dining room. Amelia, Tetta and Miguel applauded his calisthenics.

  “Are you ready?” Jojo begged breathlessly wearing a proud smile. “Can we go now?”

  “I thought we’d have breakfast at the diner,” Tetta offered.

  “That sounds like fun,” Amelia agreed.

  “Good, I’ll call Hiram and invite him and Johnny to join us there.” She smiled at Miguel, “Do you think you could convince Jojo that his Superhero pajamas are not appropriate attire even for a circus?”

  Miguel put his hand on Jojo’s jumping shoulder, “Come on little guy, let’s get you dressed for whatever adventures there may be today.” The two exited the room. Amelia wondered if it was time for them to go into waking life.

  “No, no dear. This is clearly dreamtime.” Amelia smiled at Tetta who was humming while doing nothing in particular.

  “Whose dreamtime?” Amelia asked.

  “Why, we’re all visiting Jojo’s dream now.”

  “Funny,” Amelia noticed, “Jojo’s dream looks a lot like my mother’s.”

  “Ahh,” Tetta smiled, “that’s the joy of dreams. They weave together so many different possibilities without any seeming conflict.” The old woman arranged herself on the rocker. This morning she wore a red and white checked blouse and dark blue jeans. Amelia felt uncomfortable looking down at Tetta so she sat next to the rocker on the floor.

  “Let me give you a little Upanishad.” Tetta went into a way of speaking that Amelia was beginning to recognize as giving lessons.

  “Upanishad?” Amelia repeated.

  “As in to take a lesson from the foot of the master.” Tetta tapped her shoes on the floor.

  “Are you a master?” Amelia asked.

  “I am a very old woman. Ancient, you might say. How many old people do you know who don’t think they have the answers?” Amelia smiled at Tetta. She never really thought of it like that. She watched as Tetta’s eyes softened.

  “Humans don’t realize that the stuff of dreams is endless. There is never ‘not enough’. Humans use the plenty to create the limits of their dreams. Do you see?” Tetta’s head rolled back as if she was breathing in some sort of knowledge. “You are having a dream, and your mother is having a dream, and Jojo is having a dream, and Miguel is having a dream. Lots of people are having lots of dreams. Your dream intersects with Jojo’s dream and so you become a part of one another’s dreams. You think Jojo is your friend. Someone you know. It is exactly that. You know Jojo inside your own dream. Yet Jojo may not know himself the same way in his own dream. Because you are connected to your mother’s dream, everyone who knows you knows your version of her dream through you. They like this part of the dream and so adapt that dream for themselves too. Jojo adds some of his own stuff to the dream, like the circus. He saw it coming, and he will produce it and because we are all connected to Jojo’s dream we will go along with it and maybe add some of our own to it. This is collective dreaming. So the dream you think looks like your mother’s dream is actually a collective dream. You have added your dream to it, so has Miguel, and others. It is constantly shifting shape. It is the same with the dream of the planet and all of your waking dreams. The only thing different in the waking dream is the belief that it’s
not a dream at all.”

  Amelia was anxious to ask questions throughout Tetta’s teaching yet managed to wait, hoping it would all make sense when she was through. “So, when I met Hrim whose dream was that? Mine or Jojo’s?”

  “Yes.” Tetta shrugged her shoulders and giggled.

  “We were both dreaming of Hrim?” Amelia almost scowled at Tetta’s playfulness.

  “And Hrim was dreaming of you.”

  “One person sucked us both into his dream?”

  “The elephant was a common denominator,” Tetta advanced.

  “So Hrim came because both Jojo and I had an elephant in mind at the time? I don’t remember thinking anything about an elephant.” Amelia searched her memory of her encounter with Hrim in the fog.

  “For Jojo it was the elephant. For you,” Tetta closed her eyes, tipped her head back and searched the field to check for boundaries, “… for you, it was India.”

  “India?” Amelia remembered Hrim asking her if she had always wanted to take a safari just after the rainforest appeared. “But why was it important that Jojo’s dream and my dream were connected by this one elephant?” Amelia asked.

  “It didn’t have to be an elephant but it was the first common denominator that also carried meaning.”

  “Then someone or something else could have appeared other than Hrim?”

  “No, Hrim could have appeared as someone or something else.”

  “Hrim can change what he looks like?” Amelia put this information together with the morphing figure she watched in the documentary and tried to remember what had been said about that. Then she remembered how the tiger turned into a man just before he dropped off the path to the village. Forgetting about the documentary, Amelia pursued learning more about which dreams belonged to whom. “That part of the dream, when we were on the mountainside and Jojo had a little battle with the tiger,” Amelia went on, “that was more Jojo’s dream than mine, correct?”