by J.R. Bowles
CHAPTER 14
In the front seat of Zolar's car, Bernie managed to straighten up to a sitting position. His hands were still clutching his stomach from the pain he had experienced.
“What the hell was that?” He moaned.
Jackie, in the back seat, heard him and also managed to sit up. She felt as if she had been stabbed; her temples were throbbing.
“It's the beginning,” Zolar muttered, holding on to the steering wheel for balance. “This is going to be difficult.” Zolar paused and looked at Bernie, then turned to see how Jackie was. “But after what we have just experienced, I hope it will be easier to grasp. That was the opening of a chakra.”
“A chakra?” Bernie repeated. “What the hell's that?”
Zolar shrugged, trying to locate a point to begin. “Although I wasn't born in Tibet, my mother was, and her parents before her. The Tibetans teach that in the body there are seven energy centers, corresponding to organs in the body. What we just experienced was the opening of the first chakra center of the coming Avatar. The Avatar is a man of destiny, a man who has been born and he is only now coming awake. His awakening is through the opening of these chakra centers. What we just experienced was the opening of the Solar Plexus Chakra.”
“But why are we involved? Why did we experience it?” Bernie interjected, and then pointed his finger at Zolar. “Did you somehow drug us?”
“No, I wish it were that simple.” Zolar shook his head. “I wish it truly were that simple, but please just try to bear with me for a moment, and I'll try to explain. You and Jackie are both chakra centers, just like I am. Because I have been trained to some extent by the Tibetans, I was able to find you, using a form of telepathy, or rather, more like empathy. I could feel you. I went out tonight, trying to home in on your particular vibrations. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. One thing which helped me is that whatever centers we are, the three of us are connected―much more closely than the other four centers. That's why I was on the street when you ran into me. I could sense you.”
Zolar paused, giving them a few minutes to think about what he had said as he tried to choose what he would say next. He started the car and flicked on the air conditioner.
“Next week is my birthday, but Bernie, it's your birthday and it's Jackie's, too. We were all born on the first of July along with five others.”
“Wait a minute―you said there were seven centers―that's eight,” Bernie objected.
“That's right. Seven centers, and the Avatar himself: that's eight.”
“What's an Avatar?” Jackie leaned over the seat resting her elbows.
“He's the new Messiah,” Zolar explained. “Next week we will all be thirty; that is when the Avatar will be fully awakened. What we experienced tonight is the beginning of that opening, and there are six more centers to open.” Zolar rubbed at his stomach. “Although I don't think the other openings will be as painful. This first one corresponds to the Solar Plexus or umbilical cord; similar to a mother attached to her child. Like I was saying, the Messiah is awakening. The best my teachers could learn is that there were originally seven centers born, but two of them have been replaced. The first two apparently died. The one we just experienced was a substitute. I don't know about you but I couldn't identify who the Avatar is, but I did get the name of “Billy”.”
“Yeah, Billy!” Jackie repeated. “I heard his name and he felt familiar to me.”
“The chakra centers in the body are energy sources. We are the keys that open the centers in the Avatar.” Zolar turned to look at Jackie, and felt her breath against his cheek.
“Hold on bub,” Bernie protested. “This is craziness. I'm Jewish, and, well, no offense, but we don't go for any of that. We're still waiting for the Messiah.”
“Religion has nothing to do with it. Although you will find this correlates with your own religion. You just said that your faith is expecting the Messiah. And the Christians are expecting the Christ to return. Although, the Christians may view this; not as the Christ but as the Anti-Christ.”
“Anti-Christ!” Jackie's mouth dropped open. “Hey, I'm not doing anything that has anything to do with the Anti-Christ. This is crazy!”
“Listen, I was able to find you because we are linked. Just like we were linked to the opening of the Solar Plexus; the one we just experienced. I'm afraid even if we object we are still bound together; we will have no choice. I know this is too much to grasp at once; it took me a long time of study and I still don't understand it, “ Zolar said calmly, trying to soothe Jackie's worries. He understood how she felt.
“But the Anti-Christ? This just isn't making any sense. We were taught the Anti-Christ was evil. The ultimate evil! The way you make it sound, he's here to save the world.” Jackie sat back in the car seat and rolled her neck. This had been the wildest day she had ever experienced.
“I tell you what,” Zolar said as he put the car in gear. “Let's go to Bernie's and not talk about it anymore at the moment. Okay?”
“Okay,” Jackie and Bernie agreed. They sat back and watched the city lights zip past them.
After a short time Zolar pulled into a parking space on the street.
“Is that your apartment building, Bernie?” Zolar pointed.
“Yeah, let's go in and try to make some sense of this.”
“We were lucky to find a parking spot so close at this time of night,” Zolar said as they got out of the car and headed into the apartment.
“Well, that's one you got right.” Bernie said.
Bernie unlocked the door to his apartment and led them in. Although he had very little furniture, the area was immaculate.
Bernie hung his apartment keys on a hook near the door. “Make yourselves comfortable. Matter of fact, I don't know about you guys, but I need a good stiff drink; if you want one too, help yourselves.”
“I'll fix them,” Zolar offered. “Jackie?”
“Please.” Jackie said and looked at Bernie. “Do you have Scotch?”
“Yeah, I have just about anything you want. Including me.” Bernie said lightly.
“A drink will do. How about Scotch and water? Light on the water.” Jackie said, and then added to Zolar, “If you're sure you don't mind?”
“Make it two, unless you mind?” Bernie grinned.
“Make it three.” Zolar smiled back.
“Thanks. Jackie, while Zolar's fixing us a drink why don't you come with me and see what we can find for you to put on?”
Jackie followed Bernie into his bedroom. After several minutes, Bernie returned.
“We found some sweat pants and a jacket she can wear. She'll be out in a few minutes.” He walked over to the bar and stared down at the inviting glasses. “Is one of these mine?”
“Either one.” Zolar said from the recliner, where he leaned back and sipped at his drink.
Bernie grabbed the drink, sat down in his other recliner and began to nurse it. They sat there several minutes without speaking.
“There, I feel more human.” Jackie said as she came in, wearing Bernie’s well-worn work-out suit. “I guess that's my drink.” She walked over to the bar and then sat down on the couch between the two men. “You have a nice apartment, Bernie.”
“Thanks. I'm not much on decorating but I try to keep things clean.”
They all sat there clinking ice around in their glasses. It was almost as if they were trying to avoid the whole subject that was foremost on their minds… the experience of the day. Bernie broke the silence. “How did you say you found us?”
“As I said earlier, we are all connected. I have had a little training so that I know that whatever center I am, I seem to be connected to the two of you more than the others. I headed out on the street and just sort of let myself feel around for you.”
“You said that guy man who kidnapped Jackie was involved. Do you think he's one of the centers?”
“I don't know, but I can specul
ate that he sensed there was something about Jackie that was special. I don't think it was a random abduction.”
“I know what I would do with her, if I had her tied up naked.” Bernie said, more to Jackie than to Zolar. His eyes sparkled a smile of desire. Jackie felt a rush of warmth travel up her neck and settle in her cheeks.
Then Bernie looked back to Zolar and knitted his brows. “But to be serious, I wouldn't have put it past him to have killed her. At least after they had used her.”
He paused and saw Jackie shudder slightly. “You're safe now.” He tried to reassure her. “But if you had heard them I think you would have come to the same conclusion. I heard him preaching uptown and he kept talking about the coming of the black Messiah. His whole group is belligerent towards whites. Do you think that's the truth? Is the Messiah black?”
“I can't answer that one either, but by this time next week we should all know.” Zolar set his drink down and reached down to untie his shoe. “Mind if I take off my shoes?”
“No. Like I said, make yourself comfortable,” Bernie answered. “We're all strangers here, but you know, I don't feel threatened by you. And I certainly don't feel threatened by Jackie. If anything, she's probably afraid of both of us.”
Jackie sat, silent a moment as the two men turned for her response. She held her drink with both hands to keep them from shaking. They hadn't stopped shaking since her initial rush of fear adrenaline had subsided after she felt safe in Zolar's car. She thought about what Bernie said, and realized she didn't fear these men: Strangely, enough she trusted; beyond that, there was a shared familiarity.
She gave them a half-hearted smile and said softly, “I, I don't know why, but I feel safe with you. First of all, Bernie, I want you to know how much I appreciate you saving me tonight. What you did―risking yourself like that and you didn't even know me―it was the bravest thing and the most noble thing anyone has ever done for me.” She gazed into Bernie's eyes and added with a faint grin, “I don't care what your motives might have been, I want to thank you.”
Bernie looked away nervously, gratitude embarrassed him.
Jackie turned to Zolar, looking intensely into his eyes in turn. “I don't know where you came from, and how you found us, but I want to thank you for being there at the right time and helping us. Truthfully,” she shrugged her shoulders slightly, “I find what you're saying hard to believe. The fact that you knew when my birthday is, was a little of a shock. Although in today's world of electronic information, facts like that could be easily found out. I just can't think of any motive for a story like that. But even though what you have told us sounds incredible, for some reason I can't fathom, I do believe you.”
“Thank you.” Zolar said.
Jackie stretched and yawned, placing her hand over her mouth. Shortly after, the yawn desire hit Bernie and he yawned, also. Zolar's eyes twinkled as he watched them, tried to fight his own yawn, and felt one catch in his throat.
“I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready for some sleep.” Jackie rolled her head, trying to work out some of the kinks.
“Me too.” Bernie said. “But just one thing before we sleep. Zolar, you said there are seven―what did you call them? Chakra centers?”
Zolar nodded.
“Chakra centers.” Bernie repeated. “You said there were seven that correspond to organs in the body. What are these centers and what organs do they relate to?”
“The one we just experienced is the Solar Plexus, the umbilical and navel area. Then you have what I call the Sex Center. Then the Spleen Center, the Heart Center, the Throat or Voice Center which is actually connected to the thymus gland, and you have two in the head: The pineal gland, which you often hear called the 'third eye,' and is considered to be the Intellectual or Intuition Center. Then the last center is in the crown of the head, the pituitary or “Spiritual” Center. They actually have Sanskrit names, but basically that is what they really are.”
“I see.” Bernie nodded. “Well, actually I don't see, but I was just wondering.” He started to ask another question, but stopped himself when Jackie yawned again.
“I guess we'd better get some sleep,” Bernie said as he stood and headed toward the bedroom. “I'll get some blankets and pillows. Jackie, you can sleep on the sofa and Zolar and I will each take a recliner. I think we should stay in the same room, just in case those men followed us. Unless you object—then you can have the bedroom to yourself.”
“Thank you. I feel safer with you guys close. The couch is fine.”
“It's settled then. I'll get the blankets.”
