- Let’s talk about serious things.
- It's more than time for us to talk seriously...
He leaned forward and began to speak. I was listening attentively and could not help but be impressed by what that red-haired man said.
***
- We're all prisoners here.
- What do you mean? Prisoners?
- Haven’t you realized that everything we do has a consequence? We are prisoners of our wills, our vices and our fears.
- That's just rhetoric...
- Is that so? I know you like that phrase. And it's the truth.
- Which one?
He smiled. I knew what phrase he was talking about but, as usual, I wanted him to be clear and specific. I always needed a confirmation on such things.
- You know... ah, you know... and you know it very well!
I smiled. He would not be fooled at all.
- What harm is there in wishing? If the desire is really strong... if we truly believe it...
- That's where the danger lies... Luckily, not everyone believes hard enough to make things happen... "if you have faith as small as a mustard seed” …
I laughed, somewhat disconcerted. I did not expect him to quote a sentence like that.
- You must know that I do not support transcendental things, nor follow any religion. This phrase, however, makes more sense than you can imagine.
- Just like my favourite one, I guess... But I did not expect a quote like this from someone who calls himself a "non-follower" of religions.
- We both know that it was men in their early days who created their gods, to compensate for their ineptitude in explaining the natural phenomena, giving them romantic names, and thus attributing superpowers to the forces of the universe.
And he started a long lecture on how religions were created and how the manipulation of knowledge, by the most erudite, rich and clever men was able to cross the ages and impose fear on those who could not - or should not - become aware of the truth.
- Men have been deceived all this time, led to believe the biggest lie of all, trying to find a reason to live their insipid lives and save their sinful souls. If they knew how powerful they were, above this whole bunch of lies, they would have changed the course of history for once and for all...
- On the other hand, not believing in anything can be even more dangerous. See what happens to the world, when people have nothing to believe in or are simply lost, without faith and without direction. They are not afraid of any impunity, they have no conscience and feel no guilt at all. See the chaos the world ended up becoming, with the most absurd and heinous crimes being committed not only by one man against the other but also against their own selves. We have never had so many homicides or suicides like we have nowadays. Our world has changed for worse…
- In a world where access to information is so easy and immediate, the false truths and the meaningless news with no depth at all are spread with the speed of a wind-blown fire in the dry grass. Few people still have patience to read newspapers, but everyone believes in what they read on these so celebrated and famous social networks. Something needs to be done urgently.
- But I'm too small to bring about any change that might be considerable...
- Are you really that small?
***
I'd never thought of those things that way. It was rather sad, complex and profound, though very true and credible.
The sound of a strange and intermittent beep began to annoy my head as he held out his hand to me and said:
- It's time to get back to the other side...
I looked at the end of that tangle of tunnels, in a very bright gallery, each with a different kind of exit, where people dressed in black were coming and going. He led me to one of the crossing terminals and told me that from then on I had to go alone, but that everything was going to be alright...
I confess I was somewhat afraid when I saw the shiny black car parked outside, but when its door was opened, I had the sensation I was being drawn out, with unexpected violence, by the powerful suction of an immense vacuum cleaner, in the direction of a very bright light.
The beeps sounded louder, more intermittent and in faster pace.
I kept my eyes shut, but I knew I had to face the facts. I felt a strange heat flushing my face and I slowly opened my eyes. A very strong light still seemed to blind me, but as I blinked, the misshapen figures around it slowly went into focus.
A few seconds later I heard a pleasant voice I knew
already. The sweet beautiful shape of the woman in white became clearly
visible, to my contentment.
‘Ah… a familiar face after all’...
I smirked and she smiled back at me, as I said:
- It's good to see you again.
She looked at me with patient caring eyes and spoke very gently.
- You've just gotten out of the coma you've been in since you had the car accident. You had been in that state for several months.
- But I left the hospital, right after then... We had met after that and we had even talked quite a bit...
- Maybe in your dreams. It is normal to have very realistic dreams in some unconscious states. But now everything's going to be all right. You just need to take the medications and do the physiotherapy very strictly. In a short time you will return to your former normal life...
'This is impossible! This cannot be happening. I think I'm in a recurring nightmare...'
- And how about my friend? Did he come and visit me, at least?
- What friend? You did not have any visitors.
- The one who always dresses in black clothes...
She laughed and pulled the sheet over my body, covering me up to my chest. She adjusted the intravenous drug flow, asked me to stay calm and quietly left the room.
I closed my eyes, half numbed by the effect of the painkillers. I felt like falling into a bottomless well, in slow motion, I do not know for how long.
***
From the corner of the room, a man dressed in black kept his stare set on me.
- I left an important message for you inside the drawer. You will recognize the symbol drawn on the folded paper.
I tried to think, but felt very tired suddenly and then I simply closed my eyes.
***
When I opened my eyes again, there was no one but me in the small hospital room. I tried to hear through the silence, to be sure I was really alone.
With a little effort, I opened the drawer at the bedside and searched for anything left there, but found nothing but a grey covered New Testament left by the Missionary Gideons. I thought I was in constant hallucination. I should have known I had another dream...
I was thirsty and needed some water and looked around. There was a plastic bottle of mineral water on the table. Beside it, there was an ordinary glass. I tried to move and reach both, but as I could not hold the bottle tightly, it fell off with a dry roar, rolling along the floor.
- What the hell!
- Calm down. I can help.
- What? How did you…?
She picked up the bottle and kindly poured me some water, which I drank with unusual pleasure. I had the impression I had not drunk pure water in a long time.
She then sat in a chair, crossed her legs and adjusted the coat of a modern, very elegant, dark grey tweed suit she was wearing. She ran her hand through her hair, bringing a lock of dark hair behind her right ear and making sure the bun was securely tied back at the top of her head.
I was still astonished, staring at her, who spoke to me, smiling:
- You can close your mouth now... You look very surprised to see me here.
- Of course I am. I did not see when you came in... I thought I was
alone here.
- You are never alone.
She grinned. Impressive how she looked so full of herself... and, depending on what she was doing there, she was maybe, too, the mistress of my destiny...
- You did not search hard enough. You should have opened the book...
At that right moment, the door was opened and the nurse came back in. Visibly annoyed, she spoke firmly and directly to the other woman.
- The visit hours are over. He needs to rest now.
The woman got up and approached the bed, patting my hand with a friendly gesture.
- I'll be back another day, with more time. We still have a lot to talk about...
She scrutinized the nurse, looking into her eyes and left without saying another word. The nurse however did not seem to be upset by the confrontation, especially because the other woman complied with the set hospital rules.
- If you’re okay tomorrow, we'll take the Intravenous off and start with the physiotherapy sessions.
- OK.
When she left, I opened the drawer and fetched the grey covered booklet, freely distributed by the missionaries, with the intention of providing spiritual comfort to the illnesses of body and soul. I searched through the very fine pages to confirm the information I had just received. A small folded note had been left in the middle of the book, where the Psalm 91 was printed. I recognized the symbol drawn from the outside, as soon as I laid my eyes on the paper.
I began to open the note with trembling fingers. My heart missed a beat and I felt a discomfort in my stomach, like the sensation we have when we are scared or when we must go through an unpleasant situation.
It was time to face the truth...
