It was a beautiful Saturday morning, and although he hadn’t gotten that much sleep Aaron had been eager to get back to the hospital. It wasn’t that he had discovered a treasure trove of information. In fact, the only solid answers he had found was an old obituary from a San Francisco newspaper, with the issue being dated back to 1984. That, and the conformation of the burial site on the cemetery’s website.
Right away Aaron’s heart had begun to race, his eyes widening as he read the names of Gloria and John, and the same dates Gloria had mentioned during her initial assessment. And then came the sentence that had switched his heartbeat from racing to thudding.
“Survived by their loving daughter, Jeannie Borelli.”
Jeannie Borelli. He searched it. Nothing. But then again, how many seniors had a digital footprint? His own grandmother still only used a rotary phone and snail mail to communicate.
The cemetery was bound to have some answers, but he’d have to wait until Monday morning to get through to their business line.
For the next several hours Aaron tried to look at the whole situation from the objective, problem-solving mindset he had been trained in. Could it be possible that Gloria had come across the Borelli’s information and had convinced herself that she was this woman?
Maybe Gloria wasn’t her real name. But how about her knowledge of their past? Or did she make that up to go along with the few available facts found? Anything was possible, but considering the medication she was on, to hold onto such a delusion would be highly improbable.
And what about the timeline? The Borelli’s had passed in ’84. If rebirth had occurred, wouldn’t that put Gloria and Jimmy in their thirties? But then again, time was relative, Einstein having proven such decades ago.
And now here he was, seated near Jimmy, whom he had laid out on a couch and guided with a soft and even tone past the layers of awareness and into the depths of subconsciousness.
‘Now Jimmy, now that you are fully relaxed and safe.
‘Now that you are no longer under the control of those whom you believe would bring harm to you.
‘Now that you have someone on your side whom you can fully trust.
‘It’s time to bring all barriers down. Time to share your most inner truth with me. Your confidant, your friend, your ally.
‘Are you ready, Jimmy? Are you ready to tell me your story?’
‘Yes.’
With his player having already been pressed to record, with nerves increasing the rate of his heartbeat, Aaron began to probe Jimmy’s inner self.
‘We’re going to go back to the celebration of Mardi Gras. This was on a Tuesday, March fourth. This was the day you have stated you arrived in New Orleans. What brought you to this city? What was your purpose for being here?’
‘Work.’
‘And what is it you do for a living?’
‘Flight attendant. I’m a flight attendant for American Airlines.’
‘Why have you chosen this career?’
‘To find her.’
‘Who? Who is her?’
‘My beloved. My destiny.’
‘And what is her name?’
‘Gloria.’
Aaron could now feel his heart in his chest.
‘How do you know this is her name?’
‘The dream.’
‘You came here to New Orleans to find her?’
’No. Patti found out. She won’t let me search anymore.’
‘Who is Patti?’
‘My boss.’
‘How long have you been searching for her?’
‘Since the training program.’
‘And how do you know where to search?’
‘The dreams. The locations are in the dreams.’
‘How long have you had these dreams?’
‘Always. Since I can remember.’
‘Ok, Jimmy. We’re going to go back to that very first dream you can remember. You’re watching it as if it were a movie. I need you to help me by describing it to me. How old are you?’
‘Twee.’
‘And what are you doing?’
‘Playing.’
‘You’re three and you’re playing. Where are you playing?’
‘In a pak.’
‘In a park?’
‘Yeah.’
‘And who are you playing with?’
‘A gul.’
‘A girl?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Who is this girl?’
‘Jimmy takes a moment to respond, then, with an eerie combination of the child-like voice and his adult self, says, ‘her’.
Aaron instantly felt goose bumps on the surface of his arms. He sat in stillness, the possible consequences he was about to create for himself not enough to stop him from doing what he knew must be done.
‘We’re going further back now, Jimmy. Before that first dream. Even before your first memory. Beyond all the firsts you’ve ever experienced in this life. Beyond your mother’s first embrace of you. Before that first bright light of your birth. Where are you, Jimmy? Please describe it to me.’
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