Through a Glass Dimly, Book 2
Chapter 20

Copyright© 2013 by radio_guy

Her aura was evident to me and I went to her unerringly. As I got closer, I could see who was with her. Jack and Emily were there with Karen and John behind Lisa. I couldn’t tell how tense Jack and Emily were but Karen and John looked tense to me. I came up behind the kids and rested a hand on each shoulder. Mentally, I touched Lisa as I noted some tenseness in Jack and Emily.

I said, “Hello, everyone.” Mentally, I asked Lisa, “Is this the time?” I heard her reply that she wasn’t sure. I could also sense uncertainty in what to do. I said, “John, would you please get me some punch?” He nodded and left with Karen.

I continued saying, “I’ve been talking to people about how they met. It’s been interesting. Jack, Emily, how did you meet?”

Emily lost tenseness. She grinned. “Jack hit me with a dodge ball hard enough to make me cry. We were in fifth grade and he was new in town. When I fell crying, he came over to apologize and help me to my feet. He said that he was sorry he hurt me. There was a red mark on my arm where the ball hit me. I told him he had to kiss it and make it well. To my surprise, he did and did it gently. I think he meant it to heal.

“We’ve been a couple ever since that day. Jack was so big that he would have scared off all the other boys even if I had been interested. His eyes have always been on me and I know he’s always there for me.” Jack smiled at her gently with eyes that showed anyone who looked what a special person he still thinks she is.

I said, “That’s neat. However, Ted and Alice have you beat. They have been together since the first grade. It makes Lisa and I feel like we were late to the ball. Jack, I saw how you looked at Emily then. Apparently, she is still special.” I put a little question in my voice thinking to force Jack into a response.

He said, “She is. There has never been another for me. There never will be.”

Lisa said, “That’s good. You two can show Karen and John by example how a long-lived love should work.”

Jack started to say something and then stopped. He then said, “Your mother warned me about trying to argue with you. So did a couple of our customers. You don’t fight fair. It’s different now.”

Lisa said, “That’s interesting. So you believe that in this day and age, people should abandon those they love in search of new people and stimuli? With that argument, when are you leaving Emily?”

They both sputtered. Lisa grinned with that fiendish grin that told people that she had them pinned in a corner. Jack said, “That’s not what I meant and you know it!”

Lisa said, “Jack, I was taking your words at face value and applying them to you.” Jack was a little red faced. Emily was grinning like she was glad she wasn’t under Lisa’s microscope and knew where this conversation was going. Lisa continued, “Isn’t that what you’re telling your daughter? She has a deep bond with John already. It might be deeper than yours to Emily at the same age. You want her to abandon him and her feelings for him to try new people and new things without him to provide the comfort and trust that you gave Emily so long ago. I’m not sure that’s good parenting or even logical thinking.”

I decided that it was time for my two cents worth. I said, “I want to show you something. Let’s gather Karen and John and Ted and Alice and talk somewhere private for a bit.” Karen and John came up then with my punch. I saw Ted and Alice and headed toward them. “Would you come with me for a few minutes?” I led the way into our bedroom. Fortunately, we are neat and knew people might be in our room so we had it clean except for Lisa’s gown and my coat and tie. We moved them quickly out of the way. Jack and Emily were on our bed. Karen and John were at the foot of the bed on the bench there. Ted helped me turn the love seat and I moved the two chairs in our seating area to face the rest. We all sat down.

I said, “I discovered a new talent from our friends today and want to show it to each of you. I think it’s important because of the elephant that no one wants to mention here in the room. Just to show you that it’s here, that elephant is Karen and John’s growing bond and the fact that it will, sooner or later, be physical.

“As parents, you four can set an example of what good, long-term love means or you can do what your parents didn’t do and break them up. Lisa and I will not tell you what to do but what I show you might influence your decision to be positive toward your children.

“Now, I want each of you to ask your partner to connect you and to connect you to Lisa and I. Suddenly, I felt presences in my mind. It was jumbled and then calmed down. Mentally, I said, “Stargazer, show everyone the bond Lisa and I have.” I could see with my mind’s eye as well as my physical eyes. I saw that everyone seemed to see what was in my mind. “Brightshine, show Jack and Emily’s bond to us all.” Another bright glowing presence appeared connecting them. I continued, “Starmist, please show Ted and Alice’s bond to us.” Another bright glowing arc appeared connecting them. It was just as bright and solid as the other two. I waited while eight people mentally looked at the three bonds that seemed to hang over each couple. One more to go and I said, “Glimmer, Brightmist, show Karen and John’s bond in a similar way.” That bond appeared as a piercing bright light with connecting arcs to all three of the others. Out loud and mentally, I said, “Thank you all.” The bonds faded as we used only our physical eyes. I said, “That’s what I wanted to show you. Our partners can let us see things that others can’t. One of those things is the bond we have with our earthly partner. One of the things that some of you may have missed is the tendrils from each couple to the other. The ones from Karen and John show up more. I think it is because the bonds they have with each of the three of us couples are stronger than our bonds to the other couples. That, at least, is my opinion.”

Jack said, “Why is the bond between Karen and John so bright?”

“I hate to answer a question with a question but what do you think?”

Ted answered slowly, “It could be the purity of their caring while ours has had time to dim our bonds some or we have so many for who we must care that our bond to each other is some times not what we would want it to be.”

“That would be a very good guess. I really don’t know. I know that Stargazer and our partners tried to accurately depict those bonds for us.”

Jack looked introspective. His hand went to his wife and they held hands tightly. Ted and Alice looked at Karen and John with a new light in their eyes. I could sense that Jack and Emily were having a silent discussion and waited. Lisa reached over to hold my hand and I met her half way. We could feel the warm presence of Stargazer bathing our minds with warmth.

Jack’s head came up and he looked at his wife and then at Ted and Alice. He said, “I guess we are going to have to support our children or be hypocrites as to our relationships.”

Alice and Ted nodded. Alice said, “I love Karen as much as if she were my own child. I went them to be happy. That bond looked good.” She looked at Ted who nodded. “We will not even frustrate them much less break them up. Jack, Emily, what do you say?”

Jack grinned in an ironic manner. “I don’t see how I can interfere without denying my love for Emily. I won’t do that. I will insist that Emily get Karen on birth control immediately. Those feelings are much too strong to be denied for any length of time.

“If you can’t beat them because you’re on their side, then you have to support them.”

Karen and John began to cry and embrace. I heard Glimmer in my mind saying, “Wow! Thanks!” After a few minutes and after a number of us had wiped eyes, John said, “Thank you all. We love you all so much. It’s important to us for you to care enough to give our caring validity.”

I was impressed again by the maturity that Karen and John showed. We stood and hugged all around. After replacing the furniture, we went back to the party. I was surprised at how little time that took. Stargazer put in my mind the understanding that they had also frozen time for this discussion.

Paul was the first one I saw. I went up to him and gave him a hug. He hugged me back and asked, “What was that about?”

I said, “Thank you for your daughter.” We smiled and went our separate ways.

The next person I saw was Jenna with a man her age. She came up to me and said, “Al, I would like you to meet a friend of mine, Brian Garman. Brian, Al Chambers is a member of my church. This is his home and his wife is the new Ph. D. we are celebrating.”

I said, “Brian, good to have you here. We appreciate Jenna at our church and at our home. Where did you know her?”

Brian had a quiet, low voice. He said, “We went to high school together but I never got the chance to get close to her. Here we meet again after all these years. I am a chemistry professor at the college now.”

“That’s cool. Come to church tomorrow. You can sit with us. We’ll take the two of you to lunch afterwards.”

He smiled shyly and nodded. I said, “Great! We’ll see you there. Lisa and I sit toward the front on the left.” I smiled again and moved on.

I heard Lisa’s voice and moved in that direction. She was talking to Lois and two people who I figured were her parents. I put my arm around my wife. She said, “Here’s Al now. Al, please meet Morris and Kathryn Ross. They are Lois’ parents.” I shook hands with both and could see Lois in each of them. Both were tall people and Lois was, too.

 
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