Chapter 3

As Theresa had requested I should think for a moment or two about what had happened to Peter's aunt I did so, though I was more and more coming to regard her as my aunt since I now occupied Pete's body. Her life had been blighted by the actions of her father and I felt a great sadness about what had happened. I knew the psychological damage that could result from this kind of trauma and Theresa had succinctly outlined some of the effects it had on my aunt's life.

"Having responsibility for your care while you were in hospital" Theresa said, "Has brought her into contact with another human being's needs and she has responded to that need. This has meant she has got to know you more intimately than anyone since the rape by her father. More than that, the way you have reacted to her and shared with her the things you are doing and responding to the things she is doing has provided a closeness that she has lacked over these years."

"I have only reacted the way most young people would in this situation," I told her. "I am extremely grateful that she is prepared to take on the burden of my care and for the way she has supported me as I seek to recover from my injuries.

Experiencing that and living in such close proximity with her I have come to love her as she has sought to make up for the parents that I lost. I have to confess, however, that as the mature male that inhabits Peter's body, she also has physical effects on me as you have pointed out."

"Yes, I realise that." Theresa said. "But I am going to ask you to keep control of those urges in her best interests. I want you to deepen the kind of relationship you have with her in the way you would have done if you were her nephew. By doing so you are making her realise that by cutting herself of from human intimacy, she has missed out on what should have been a natural and fulfilling role in her life; that of being a mother. The more she comes to love you, the more she is being made aware of this."

"That is all very well," I responded. "But won't that just deepen the pain as she realises yet another thing her father has taken away from her."

"In one sense it will," Theresa said, "But it may also prove the springboard to her doing something about it with your help. There are factors in her life of which she is unaware that may aid in this process."

"If I am going to be of help," I told her, "I would like to know what they are."

Theresa smiled at me and said,

"That is one of the reasons why I am here, so let me put you in the picture.

First of all there is a man who knows her well and who loves her. He is the owner of the firm where she works for and is a widower with a thirteen year old daughter. He is very shy and would never find the courage to approach her. His first wife was one of those bubbly personalities who saw his fine qualities and decided that she wanted him. She made the running in the courtship and was the one in control throughout the marriage. I don't say this in an unkind way. She was exactly what he needed and she loved him and led him into the discoveries that come from loving and being loved. He misses her terribly and that is heightened by the fact that he has feelings for your aunt that he will never have the courage to act on."

I smiled at her, "It almost makes me jealous to hear that," I said. "But even knowing of this I don't see how I can bring them together"

Theresa laughed at my admission of Jealousy over the man who was besotted with my aunt.

"Oh she is not ready for that yet," Theresa told me. "You have work to do before that, and you will have to be the one who senses when the timing is right before doing the two things I am going to ask of you."

I somehow did not feel comfortable about using first name terms with this woman who was some sort of divine messenger, so I replied,

"My lady you are making me more and more apprehensive about my suitability for the tasks with which you are going to entrust me."

"On the contrary" She said with an encouraging smile, "If we had planned to do something to help her turn around her life, then you are exactly the kind of person we would have chosen for the role."

"Then why is it that I don't see why this should be?" I asked.

"Well let me set out the reasons," she said.

First of all, you are a pretty selfless person. You are the kind of man who lays down his life for his friends. Secondly, you have a degree in psychology. Ok! You are not a shrink but you have the knowledge to be a good counsellor to a friend. Thirdly you are not a boy, but the man who can help her to break out of the chains that bind her."

"The last part may be true," I told her, "but she doesn't know that."

"No she doesn't," said Theresa. "But that is the first part where you have to get the timing right. She already knows part of the truth about your out of the body experience. You have to judge when it will be right to tell her the whole truth."

"How am I going to know that?" I asked

"I will give you limited powers that will help you with that. You will be able to sense when she is suspecting that something has happened to make you so much more mature than most fourteen year olds have any right to be." The second part you have to be able to judge. She controls her life and everything in it that may lead to intimacy. You will have to judge when the time is right to show her that she can have intimacy with her boss and still be in control and fulfil the dreams of having a child of her own. I am confident that you can do this, are you willing to try?"

"I don't seem to have much option do I?" I asked her.

"Being the kind of man you are," She said, "No you don't. But I think you will find that doing it has its own reward because you will discover another person who needs your help to blossom, and when she does, she will bring you much joy and happiness. But I am not going to say any more on that now. You will discover it for yourself."

"I am your servant my lady and I will seek to do as you bid." I told her.

"No!" She said, "You are not my servant, but my partner in this enterprise and if you have need of me, I will return to aid you. Now I give you my blessing and my peace. Continue your meditation until you feel ready to leave."

I felt her spirit touch mine and her peace washed over me. I don't know how long I sat in the garden but when I rose I felt more confident about the task I had been given.

Over the next few weeks it seemed that my aunt and I were growing much closer. She actually gave me hugs when I had pleased her and this enabled me to respond in kind if she had done something for me that I really appreciated. One evening after dinner, she was relaxing with a glass of wine, while I sipped a coke when she turned to me and said,

"I did not visit a lot with your mum and dad when they were alive. They kept inviting me, but I had reasons for not wanting to get to close to them. When I did visit, even as late as last year, you were still very much a child." She told me. "The accident seems to have changed you and aged you for your actions and your thinking and planning for your rehab are that of a person so much more mature than your years. I find myself talking to you about things as an equal and once or twice, I have almost asked you for advice on matter that was bothering me."

It was at this point that I seemed to tune in to her mind and catch her thoughts

It seemed she was thinking that if she had not been raped by her father, she might have been able to marry and would have had a child who would not be much younger than me.

I was pondering how to answer this when another series of thoughts came to me

She was actually thinking,

"Now if I could find a man like young Peter is going to grow into. I might find that a possibility for it isn't just my maternal instincts he disturbs. But even so, I will never let myself be controlled again by any man."

I thought to myself is this the time to do what Theresa has asked me to do.

"Aunt Isa," I said "I am so pleased to hear you say these things about me and there is a sense in which you are quite right. Over these past weeks, I have come to love and care about you, I think I can trust you so I am going to tell you something I don't want to keep from you anymore. If I do speak of this, then you have to promise to not to tell anyone ever. If once you hear what I say you are too upset to put up with me anymore, we will figure out a way round the problem it creates."

"Peter I care for you a great deal," she told me, "I don't think anything you say we would cause me so much grief that I would want to get rid of you."

"Wait till you hear what I have to say Aunt Isa, before you tell me things like that," I said with a smile"