by John Nelson
It took Bodhi a while to relax his guard dog duties with all of these new people milling around, but Anna communicated with him and he spent the afternoon chasing Frisbees and eating table scraps. Mark, if not Grace, was somewhat surprised by Anna being asked to say grace, but otherwise he was oblivious to the subtle homage paid to his granddaughter. The gathering was much more genteel and civilized than Mark’s backyard barbecues, but he could tolerate it and was impressed with several philosophical discussions he held with two of Ma’s devotees. Grace had also noticed that Maggie was a focus of a lot of young male attention herself, but her daughter seemed oblivious of it.
After everybody pitched in and cleaned up and they left the house, Grace had a glass of Chardonnay and talked with Maggie while Mark took a shower and prepared for bed. After exchanging pleasantries about her friends, Grace broached the subject that was on her mind.
“Dear, are you interested in any of these hunky young guys?”
Maggie was sipping tea and smiled at her mother’s inquiry. “No, not particularly.”
“Well, they’re certainly interested in you. I mean, outside of your one-night fling with Thomas, I haven’t heard you talk about dating anybody. Aren’t you…?” Grace didn’t state the obvious.
“No, mother. The yoga and my devotional practices seem to have aligned my energy along other channels.”
“Well, spirituality is fine, but it’s no substitute for great sex,” Grace added.
“And how would you know that, Mother?” she asked, then added, “I mean, you’ve never been particularly spiritual.”
Mark came out in his PJs. “I’m ready for bed. You girls going to fix up the sofa bed or what?”
The two women stood up and pulled out the spring bed. Maggie had set aside the linen, and they tucked in the sheets and puffed up the pillows. She sat on the edge of the bed and bounced up and down, and told her mother with a smirk, “Well, I hope the springs aren’t too worn out.” Grace blushed, but Mark didn’t catch the reference as he pulled back the sheets on one side to slip into bed.
“Well, I’ll let you get to… bed. Pleasant dreams,” Maggie told them. “And thanks again for all of your help.”
“Don’t mention it, dear,” Grace said.
Maggie went back to Anna’s room, but she had fallen asleep earlier and was still sleeping soundly. She must have been worn out by all the activity. Maggie watched her daughter, amazed as always that she hardly moved an inch while sleeping, and never rolled over on her stomach or side. No doubt this was due to her spirit body’s astral travels.
Later that night, Grace had a peculiar dream. Anna had come to her while she was sitting in a lawn chair and touched the base of her spine. For Grace it was like touching a live electric wire, and a stream of intense energy shot up her spine and filled her head, and as her eyes crossed and she felt ecstatic, she heard young Anna tell her, “Better than sex.”
Waking up the next morning and recalling the dream, Grace laughed but could only wonder if this were her dream or Anna’s implant, as she began to suspect, and if so she really didn’t want to explore that possibility.
Chapter 18
In California educators can establish a private or homeschool in their homes, but they have to file an affidavit with the Superintendent of Public Instruction. James Edwards had previously filed all of the other necessary forms with the various departments, and after Maggie’s affidavit was received, she was scheduled for an appointment with the private and homeschool administrator for the San Luis Coastal Unified School District.
Maggie arrived for her meeting with Mrs. Linden with a file containing all of her forms and teaching certificates. She was ushered into the woman’s office. She was middle-age with wire-rimmed glasses and tight pulled-back gray hair, and had a severe look. After reviewing the paperwork, Linden looked up. “I see that you have an arts and crafts teaching degree from Berkeley, but that your elementary school teaching credits are from UC correspondence courses?”
“Yes, after I decided that I wanted to homeschool Anna, I couldn’t go back to school at Berkeley or for that matter to college here, so this was more convenient.” Mrs. Linden seemed less than impressed. “I did pass all the required state examinations and was rewarded a primary school teaching certificate.”
Linden shuffled through the paperwork and nodded her head. She removed a document from her own folder. “Our concern is not only the education of our children but their emotional health as well. I see here that a complaint was registered and that a Ms. Beverly Foster from Child Services interviewed you about your daughter Anna several years ago.”
Maggie calmed herself. “Yes, someone in the apartment complex where we lived was concerned about Anna being overly reclusive, but I addressed this issue with Ms. Foster and she seemed satisfied.”
“Well, as you know from your studies, preschool is as much about socialization as it is learning the three Rs, and establishing proper social habits for their later adult behavior, which is more difficult in a school with one child.”
“That depends on the child and their needs, and I believe my own child’s artistic nature requires special… attention.”
“I see. You know bible class at your church on Sundays would expose Anna to children her own age.”
“Well, we are Hindus, but we do attend functions if not services at the Buddhist temple in town, and she’s around children at my weekly yoga class and at the park near our home.”
“Well, while you’re qualified to homeschool your child, I am concerned about her socialization, and I’m going to ask for psychological testing at some point in her early primary education.”
“At that point, please address your concerns with my lawyer James Edwards of San Francisco, who handles legal matters for me and my Hindu guru’s California devotees. I’ll leave his address and phone number.”
“Why so?”
“Anna, even at her age, meditates and has an intense inner life, which is why she is ‘reclusive,’ I believe the earlier complaint read.”
Ms. Linden frowned but was sufficiently chastised. “I see. Well, that won’t be necessary.” She gathered up Maggie’s material and placed it back in her file, stood up and handed it back to her. “Thank you for coming in and I wish the best for you and Anna.”
As Maggie turned to leave, Ms. Linden added, “Have my secretary copy your certificates for our files.”
After Maggie left, Mrs. Linden made a note in her file that while Margret Langford was qualified to homeschool her child, there was something unusual about her and her child’s religious situation and she required further monitoring at some future date. She also noted that her Oceanaire Drive home was only blocks from Laguna Middle School, and so she would tell the head of the PTA there to ask around about Mrs. Langford and her Anna.
In September at the start of the school year, Maggie set up a schedule for Anna’s instruction on a daily basis. She had studied and was impressed with the German school educator Freidrich Froebel who established the first kindergarten in 1837. He used symbols as his primary teaching aide, and especially encouraged arts and craft activities. For him the garden symbolized the importance of play in a child’s early education. Maggie also spent several days at the local Montessori School asking questions of their kindergarten teachers, having read Maria Montessori’s ideas on educating children years ago. So while Anna preferred drawing and painting, they now also used Legos to build things and construction paper for cutouts as well, and played with voice toys that spoke the letters of the alphabet, or Anna’s favorite: the names of animals. So, every morning or afternoon, given their mutual schedule, time was devoted to such school activities, and if weather permitted at least twice a week they walked down to the park after normal school hours so she could play with other children.
Maggie also began teaching her to read, if only at a preliminary level. After the recent talks with Ma and Joseph, Anna understood the importance of developing her mind and learning the skills nee
ded to communicate with others. However, she also insisted that an equal amount of time be devoted to meditation, and maybe because of that discipline Anna seemed to be very single-focused, a form of active meditation, with everything she did. There was, at least at this point, no inner chatter or, as some called it, “monkey mind.” She was clear and centered and even-tempered almost all the time. Maggie wondered if she and Anna might collaborate on a book someday about maintaining this balance between the inner and outer worlds. This would be especially directed to children developing but not becoming obsessed with the mind, always being centered and using the mind as a tool and not over identifying with it and its obsessions.
For Anna including more outer activities only increased the depth of her inner focus and journeying, like a tether that grounded her. Unlike most people’s meditations, which was mainly to quiet the mind and connect it to their divine source or soul, Anna actively engaged in a kind of inner development. With Joseph as her guide, they would travel to other realms and she would receive, if not instruction—which was a mental concept—an infusion of spiritual energy with its own special evolutionary powers. In these realms beings were conscious creators of their worlds or dimensions, and the 3D physical realm in which Anna found herself was greatly affected by their activities. It became clear to Anna that as she grew older her mission would not be to instruct people as much as being a conduit for this energy into her world. This was what she had sensed and accounted for some of her resistance to standard education, and at some time in the future she would explain this to her mother. However, she would need to devote more time to the woman’s spiritual development before she could properly understand this concept.
Anna’s energy not only greatly affected Maggie but Bodhi as well. Joseph had told her that this would be Bodhi’s last lifetime as a dog, and that due to his exposure to Anna’s energy, he would next incarnate as a human. He had explained to her how all of life was evolving from lower or less complex forms—in regard to how much spiritual energy they could contain—to higher forms. As an example he himself had been a human being for many lifetimes before he was able to evolve into a strictly spiritual being, and that this may also be Anna’s last lifetime as a human, and that part of his guidance and “instruction” was to facilitate that transition.
Anna was greatly relieved to hear of this possibility. While she was still young and even though she could recall many of her own past lives, she found this body and its expression too limited. Interacting with the celestial beings of these other realms only made that clearer to her. However, Joseph insisted that she focus on her current state of being and its development and contribution to humanity’s elevation before she thought of moving on. He told her that this was the downfall of some in her position, who had foreshortened their own lives to leap forward as they imagined it, only to find themselves back again in the human realm and at a lower rung on the spiritual ladder, as it were. Anna was sufficiently admonished.
Chapter 19
That fall, only a month after Maggie had started the kindergarten homeschooling of Anna, she was sitting on a bench in the park and watching her daughter and Bodhi playing. There was a chill in the air and Anna had worn her red parka, one she had picked out to match the reddish color of her dog’s coat. She loved to point out, “Look mom, we twins,” to which Bodhi always barked. A short dark-skinned man, evidently Indian, with his young son approached her.
“Miss Langford,” he said and bowed slightly.
“Yes.”
“I’m Agam Chandra, and this is my son, Gish.” Maggie nodded and let him proceed. “I’ve been told that you are homeschooling your daughter, Anna, and that the two of you are of the Hindu faith.”
“Yes, that’s correct. How can I help you?”
“Do you mind if we sit down?” Maggie nodded her head and scooted to the end of the bench to give them room. “I’m also told that you are devotees of Sri Ma hi’ Ma, and are particularly devout.”
Maggie smiled. “Well, Mr. Chandra, I don’t know who you’ve been talking to, but I doubt that Ma would characterize me as such.”
Chandra smiled. “Modesty in a Western woman is commendable.” He paused for a moment. “I am wondering if you would be so kind to take on my son as a kindergarten student. He is very bright and will be an excellent scholar one day, and I wish that he get special attention in a devout setting.”
Maggie had considered taking on other students but thought she’d wait until the first grade at least. She looked around him and smiled at Gish, properly dressed in his short pants and blue blazer. The boy smiled back and seemed to be sweet and mild-mannered. Maggie closed her eyes and felt an up charge of energy that usually indicated a positive situation. She opened her eyes and waved Anna over.
“Anna, this is Gish. Why don’t the two of you play with Bodhi while I talk with his father?”
Anna smiled, put out her hand, which Gish took and they walked over to the swing set, where she sat him in the swing and began pushing him.
“Your daughter is rather forthright,” Chandra said, slightly taken aback.
“She’s no wilting flower, that’s for sure.” Maggie turned to Agam. “So, why don’t you tell me a little about yourself and your family and your expectations for your son?”
Chandra had to smile, like mother like daughter, he thought to himself. He told Maggie that he and his wife, Jade, were from New Delphi. His father was a university professor, and he met his wife at the university and they were married after they both graduated. He majored in business, and after graduation he started to work for an international trading company, and several years later he was sent to San Francisco to open a warehouse and manufacturing outlet. He and his wife didn’t like Western city life, and on a vacation had traveled through San Luis Obispo and loved it here. So they moved and he opened his own business. They have two children, Gish and his younger sister Rai.
Maggie waved Anna and Gish over. “Anna, would you like Gish to be homeschooled with you at our house?”
Anna gave this careful consideration. “He is a very nice boy; I hope he likes to meditate.”
Maggie looked to his father. “Well, both his mother and I meditate, but thought he was too young to learn, but if Anna would be so kind as to instruct him, I’m sure he’ll like that.” Agam turned to his son, who eagerly nodded his head. Maggie motioned for them to resume their play.
“I must say, Miss Langford. Your daughter is quite extraordinary.”
“Mr. Chandra. If I share something with you, can you keep it to yourself?” Agam nodded his head. “I think you need to know what your son will be exposed to.” She paused, as Chandra raised his eyebrows. “My daughter was born totally awakened, and has a spiritual vibration that can be quite overwhelming to others.”
Agam stared at Maggie for a long moment to gauge the sincerity of this statement. “Ms. Langford, my family has a long history of religious devotion, and it has been blessed with several religious adepts down through the ages. I can’t think of a more auspicious situation for my son.” He laughed wholeheartedly. “You must meet my wife, Jade. She’ll be dropping Gish off for lessons, and she’ll just love Anna and you. So, let’s make our arrangements.”
The following Monday Jade Chandra dropped her son Gish off at Maggie’s house. The woman was wearing a blue Western skirt and a white blouse with a colorful red scarf. Maggie showed them both inside, and the boy immediately ran over to where Anna was building a ship with Legos. After the customary introductions, Maggie walked Jade over to the alcove overlooking the backyard and poured cups of yogi tea for them. For a moment they watched Bodhi running around the yard chasing a sparrow. Finally Jade broached the subject that was of most interest to her. “My husband tells me that Anna was born self-aware?”
“Yes, and as I told… Agam, if you don’t mind me referring to him by his first name?”
Jade smiled. “No. Not at all.”
“It is not something I share with others, but given the cir
cumstances…”
Jade reached out and laid her hand on Maggie’s. “I understand, and you have our utmost discretion.”
Maggie could feel a tingle of energy from the touch of her hand, which reassured her. “Anna began talking to me before she was born, insisted that I buy only vegan food at the store.”
Jade laughed. “Oh, how delightful. And after she was born?”
“She would come to me in my dreams or talk with me telepathically during the day about matters that concerned her.”
“And today?”
“She has a spirit guide, Joseph, who whisks her off to other spiritual realms for instruction.”
Jade eyes narrowed. “A Westerner?”
“Well, he appears as such.”
“I would’ve thought, being of the Hindu faith, that he would be Indian.”
Maggie smiled. “I don’t think appearance is big priority over there.”
Jade nodded her head and smiled sheepishly. “Yes, of course. Hate to sound ethnocentric.”
Anna and Gish stepped over to the table and looked around for the customary plate of cookies. “Anna, this is Gish’s mother, Jade.”
The girl turned to her with a gaze was so full of love and sanctity that Jade put her hands together and bowed. Anna stepped over and touched her arm. The surge of energy almost overpowered the woman. She started to cry. Maggie stood up and retrieved some tissues from a box on the nearby counter.
Anna closed her eyes, and then opened them. “Joseph says your grandmother Isa teaches in one of their schools.”