Chapter 40

At noon I summoned dad.

"Have you checked that they are at home?"

"Yes. They have just finished shopping. They are at home, all right."

"OK. I'll give it a try."

It was a neat little house in a what we call a 'Silver anniversary neighbourhood' in Denmark. You know, the kids have grown up and left home, and it happens to nearly all the families around the same time, because they were young and newly wed, when the houses were built. Alex's parents were having coffee on the terrace. I opened the garden gate and went up to them.

"Good morning. My name is Erik Hansen. Can I have your attention for a minute?"

"What is this about? We haven't met before, have we?"

"No. I want to tell you, that when Alex was 7 years old he was stung by a wasp, and you, Mrs. Langholm, fainted. When you regained your consciousness you put chlorhexedrine on the sting, and then you got stung yourself, and you fainted again."

"What kind of nonsense it this, " Mr. Langholm barked. He turned to look at his wife, who had turned all pale. "What is he telling us, Karen? Is it true? And how can he know?"

Mrs. Langholm stuttered a little. In a very weak voice, almost a whisper, she said: "It is true. It happened just like that. But nobody knows! Alex and I never told anybody."

"How on Earth have you got such an information? And why do you come here?"

"Can I sit down? This is going to take some explanation and some time."

"All right, sit down. But you've better have a good explanation."

"Mr. and Mrs. Langholm. If I had come to your terrace on this sunny Saturday, and told you that I have been in contact with Alex, would you have listened to me?"

"I might, " Karen said, "but my husband would have sent you away. But it is true, John. It happened just that way. And only Alex and I know."

"This is crazy, " John answered, not as angry as before, but still grumpy. "You claim you can make contact with Alex? He's been dead and buried for 4 weeks, now. You'd be a cruel man if this is a scam."

"I can."

"OK. Then ask him why I have a scar on my little finger."

"I shall. It may take a minute or two."

I closed my eyes, and I hoped to God that dad and Alex were ready. Dad was there immediately.

"We heard the question. I'll pass Alex through to you."

Alex was there, again, talking faster than dad, with his quivering 'voice'. "I had climbed a tree in our garden, and I didn't dare to climb down. My father fetched a ladder, and while he took me into his arms he tore a finger on a broken branch, but he wouldn't go to the hospital to have it sown up."

I told John. He was stunned. For a while he was silent, then he looked firmly at me. "Mr. Hansen, that was correct. How incredible it may be, I believe you are in contact with Alex. But why? And how?"

Karen got up and went into the house. A little later she returned with a cup for me. I told them about dad and about the spiritist 'temple' in Copenhagen, where I heard from him the first time. I also told about the months of training and meditation I had gone through.