It had been four weeks since the happening with Tessie and Toni and they had been confused for weeks, and mighty tired of not knowing from month to month whether they would end up in some place lost in a strange exotic land, or whether next time they’d even be able to find their way home at all. This concerned them constantly, but one morning a tall and singularly graceful young man rose to his feet when he saw Toni rushing down the company’s hallway. “Oh Miss, are you Toni Riccio? You know…the one who works for Parks Oil Refining and Production Company?”
“Well, yes, who are you?” Toni asked as she stopped and turned to the man who seemed to be nervous and tense about something.
“Toni I have something to report to you…well, too vague to be a report, but nevertheless, I…well, I need to tell you that this time you won’t be so fortunate to find yourself without fault in your actions regarding the new product that you accepted from Kim and Kim Oil Corp.” came the astounding words from this total stranger who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
“What in the devil are you talking about Sir? I don’t know you, and you stand here trying to call me on the carpet for a company I never heard of? Please excuse me…I don’t have time for such nonsense for as you can see I am in a great hurry.”
The weary, resolute man stood staring at Toni’s back and the way she swaggered away. His eyes were bleary with lack of sleep with a small pencil hanging from his ear. “You’ll be sorry Miss…very sorry. I had something you needed to hear. In fact you needed to hear this now. Right now.” The man mumbled to himself.
Within seconds Toni turned around and began walking back toward him. “What did you say? I hear you saying something for which I’d be sorry. What may I ask will I be sorry about? If you’re insinuating or threatening me in any way, I want you to know that I will report you to that officer standing over there.” She pointed, placed her hands on her hips, smirked, and began walking away again when he reached out and grabbed her arm. “I said you’d be sorry if you don’t hear what I have to report to you, and you’re welcome to report me to that officer for all I care, but like I said, you’ll be sorry and I think you know that to be true. You’d better take heed and listen to me. You should understand that I’m not your enemy, you see I’m just a messenger.”
Toni jerked her arm from his hand and said, “Then tell me you crazy mad man. Tell me now or I’m walking away again. You’re making such a nuisance of yourself. Tell me if you think I should hear what you wish to report to me. Go ahead.” She twisted her foot over the other one in a defiant stance and stood waiting until he decided it was time for him to finally speak.
“You are in danger so I suggest you go to that old antique desk of yours and put another note in it to release you from the spell you so carelessly placed yourself under way back when. You are one crazy lady to think you could play around with the Wizard because he is a wise man and he is the one who makes the rules.”
Their eyes met and clung then they parted. Toni stormed toward her office door and when she stood in front of it, she turned around and saw that the man was gone. She figured he had darted into another door, but then again she felt a wave of fear go through her body and she wanted to run. But she didn’t, for she couldn’t think of where to run. She was standing in front of her door when Bob appeared and asked her what was going on. He told her that she looked white as a sheet. She flew into his arms and began to sob. “I think I’m losing my mind Bob. Things keep happening to me. I don’t know if it’s because of my near death experience or that damn wish I put in that old desk. I wish I could live that part of my life over again, and then I wouldn’t have written that silly note the Wizard suggested I write.”
“Tell me about your wish and what desk are you talking about?” Bob said as he released her and gently pushed her away from him so he could look into her eyes. “Let’s go across the street, settle down, have a drink, and then tell me what it is you’re talking about.” He took her hand and she allowed him to lead her down the hall, out the door and across the street. Once settled in their favorite place, he reached across the table for her hand and when he had it tightly in his, he squeezed it and said, “Now honey, tell me what you’re so upset about and what you wished.”
Several hours later, after Toni had finished telling her story about all the happenings she asked Bob if he thought she was losing her mind. He chuckled as he stood up pulling her up to him and whispered, “Not for a minute. Now honey, you know as we’ve talked before that a near-death experience can cause us to become more aware of things. You know, such as, visualizing things that normal people wouldn’t be aware of. By the way, who is the author of that Wizard book that you read, and what exactly did it say? Perhaps we need to find it and read it again very carefully to discover exactly what your commitment was to the wish you made.”
Toni stepped closer to Bob and said, “I’m sure it’s still at my parents’ house in my old room, but I don’t remember who the author was, however I think he lived in another country and hit the best seller list here in the states. I found it at a weird little bookstore where there were many other strange titles granting this and guaranteeing that if only you dared open the pages.”
Bob took her hand and lead her out of the restaurant and moments later they were settled in his car since he had convinced her to let him drive home and then return the next day to get her car. She agreed and in a way was relieved that she didn’t have to drive home, for at this point she was in no mood to do anything except ponder the future. On the drive home, he turned to her and said, “Perhaps we need to take a little trip to San Francisco and see that Wizard book you’re talking about. There’s something that disturbs you about it; something you don’t understand or can’t remember, and we need to get to the bottom of it. But Toni I need once again to reiterate that strange things do happen to people after a near-death experience and what is happening to you may have nothing to do with your book or your wish you made a long time ago. What do you think about us joining a group with other people that have experienced the same things we both have experienced? I know strange things have happened to me since that experience and I’d like to know if similar things have occurred with others who have had trauma resulting in death or near death. Seeing that brilliant white light is nothing to disregard because it is an experience that changes things within a person and in many cases alters their lives significantly. At least that’s how it affected me, and I know it has done something to you as well. Sometimes I think we met because we were meant to meet. Do you think that?” He said as he pulled into the driveway, turned off the motor, looked at her with asking eyes and then opened his door.