2Promises

by Phil Armstrong

  “There,” she said aloud.

  Beth could sense that familiar strange feeling again and she honed in on its source. Subra had strayed into an energy channel and was having difficulty navigating his way out. The man in the washroom emerged and walked slowly past Beth looking at her outstretched body. He flicked his eyes in her direction. She paid no attention as she was singularly focused on the source of this strange feeling. Another strong feeling started to wash over Beth like a wave. She finally recognized what was happening. She connected with the strange feeling and she immediately felt panic. Her mouth opened slightly and her eyes darted from side to side. Beth was shocked; she was trapped on a plane and could feel the cold sweat clamming up at the base of her hairline at the neck. She wanted to get up and run, but she knew running would not solve anything. If she ran, this problem would run with her. The problem was inside her.

  Beth said to herself, “Breathe, breathe Beth.”

  Beth tried to relax and started to breathe deeply, she needed to talk with Subra immediately but how could she? She would not be able to sleep in this agitated state. She was annoyed and stressed, neither was a good companion for deep sleep. Beth unclipped her seat belt, stood and reached for the overhead storage clasp. She fished around in her backpack and found her paperback novel. She closed the overhead and returned to her seat. Beth buckled her seat belt and started to read. Stanton was dashing and handsome, women swooned over this man in his Army uniform.

  “Well, if he’s that interesting and handsome no wonder women threw themselves at him. I’ve yet to witness a scene where women throw themselves in a swooning manner at any man,” thought Beth. “Read Beth, it will make you drowsy,” she thought.

  Stanton scaled the castle walls and singularly overpowered the guards using his silent combat techniques learned deep in the Burmese jungles. He made his way to the inner chambers of the Nazis fortress. The romantic interest was Francine, a French underground captive being forcibly held. The hero never seems to get a chance to rescue Chuck or Fred. It always seems to be Francine, the incredibly beautiful, long strawberry blonde haired waif. She sounded intriguing and she managed to keep her makeup in pristine condition throughout her days of torture and abuse. That’s essential for a girl. The book described Francine’s form fitting gossamer like dress and how it clung to various parts of her female body. Beth chuckled at how corny this book was. Tortured for secrets yet she looked stunning wearing her form fitting summer dress, those Nazis had no appreciation for female fashion. The book was obviously written by a man because it left the reader wondering what shoes Francine was wearing. That’s important. Beth worried about Francine’s shoe choice; flats, pumps, sandals what? She smiled.

  In Beth’s mind she started to rewrite the novel. Stanton was now Sanjeev, bursting through the front gates of the castle in his heavily armored taxi. Sanjeev was dressed in commando white from head to toe with his Citizen Eco-Drive glinting in the moonlight. He could sense the pain and anguish of the heroine waiting for rescue. She had been shouted at. She had refused to cough up information about flight plans or menu choices. All the while she had kept perfect posture and managed to keep her long yellow jacket in pristine condition. Her lipstick and make up remained unblemished. Beth laughed to herself but it was working. This novel was so bad, her mind was drifting and she started to fall asleep. She lost track of time. Beth did not know how long it took her to reach deep sleep but she had now regained control of her thoughts.

  “Subra where are you? Subra we need to talk, do you hear me? Show me your energy and I will pull you through,” thought Beth. Slowly, a faint energy signature started to resonate. Beth spotted it quickly and honed in on the energy pattern.

  “Can you hear me?”

  “I’m here, you’re doing great with the auras, I’ve been trying to develop your cognitive recognition with your third eye,” said Subra.

  “Many big words, is there something else you want to tell me?”

  “About the auras?” responded Subra.

  “No about you personally,” thought Beth.

  “I’m not sure what you’re getting at?”

  Beth started with her explanation, “I’ve been feeling a little odd recently. It’s happened when we talk. I’ve had a certain type of feeling and I couldn’t quite place it. I’ve struggled with this. I’ve never experienced this before but I now know what it is. When I started to have conversations with you Subra you were strong, powerful and vibrant. Pure energy is what I think you called it. It’s different now. You fade in and out. I have to pull you into my consciousness instead of you instantly being there. I have to wake myself from our conversations. You used to do that. I felt tired for the first time and now I know why. When were you going to tell me?”

  “I’m not sure what you’re asking me Beth?” responded Subra faintly.

  “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Your energy source is running out. You’re fueling both of us and you’re dying. It requires energy to do these things. What happens to you when you run out of energy?” asked Beth.

  There was a silence followed by a long pause, “I don’t know,” admitted Subra.

  “How much time do I have to find the portal?” asked Beth.

  Another pause, “I don’t know?” said Subra.

  “You had a moral obligation to tell me this instead of making excuses.”

  “Compassion Beth is the basis of all morality. There is no moral precept that does not have something inconvenient about it,” responded Subra.

  “Inconvenient! I’m talking about losing my friend and having to live with the guilt. You didn’t see any risk in not telling me that I was on a time limit to find the portal?” stormed Beth.

  “If you don’t risk anything you risk even more. Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash,” said Subra.

  “George S. Patton, but he was talking about battles and war. We’re talking about your existence and a time limit. You should’ve shared that with me,” demanded Beth. “Again, how much time do I have?”

  “Calendars are for careful people, not passionate ones. Time is a cruel thief to rob us of our former selves. We lose so much to life as we do to death,” replied Subra evading an answer.

  “How much time?”

  “A single day is enough to make us a little larger but I really do not know. I know I’m growing weaker, that’s all I know,” said Subra honestly. “Can you forgive me?”

  “Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself; it is a virtue of the brave.”

  “Two interesting and very different women, Suzanne Somers and Indira Gandhi, I believe,” said Subra impressed at Beth’s ability to access the quotes.

  “Subra, I need to find the portal quickly don’t I?” asked Beth.

  There was a long silence and Beth decided to wait him out.

  “Yes,” was the response from Subra. “There’s no grander sight in the world than that of a person fired with a great purpose.”

  “I get that, trust me I’m motivated, but when will I know that I’ve found the portal?” asked Beth.

  “Some things arrive in their own mysterious hour, on their own terms and not yours, to be seized or relinquished forever,” said Subra trying to explain. “You may occasionally give out, but never give up.”

  “You can’t build a reputation on things you are going to do,” said Beth.

  “Beth, I didn’t want to burden you with a ticking time limit. You’re doing fine and you’ll find the portal. I have the utmost faith in you. If you don’t I know you’ve done everything in your power to help me,” said Subra reassuringly.

  “I’ll try harder Subra, some of the best things in life aren’t things. I promise you I will find the portal,” thought Beth.

  “I need you to keep finding leads and follow your heart; it’ll lead us to the portal.” Subra faded away.

  Beth surged a stream of energy to wake her and slowly opened her eyes allowing them to adjust to the cabin light. Her novel was pe
rched on her thighs. She closed the book and tucked it into one of the pod storage pouches. Beth felt sad and determined. She had already lost Anwar; she was not going to lose Subra by letting him down. Beth glanced at her watch, 5pm. It was still on local Mumbai time, which meant she had been flying for four hours. That left another five and a half to go before London.

  * * * * *

  7.30am, Apartment 732, Habourfront, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

  Kaigara sipped her ginger tea and stared out of her apartment window. She could see the sun reflecting on the gentle waves as the wind buffered Lake Ontario. Her eyes moved to a blinking red landing light attached to a small plane as it started its landing approach at the Island airport. As if in slow motion the small plane elegantly landed on the runway and then steered to one of the holding areas. Kaigara was staring off into space allowing different moving objects to catch her eyes, like a cat. Kaigara placed her cereal bowl on the edge of the coffee table. She was sitting in her robe allowing the morning sunrays to stream through her window. She picked up her teacup and took a small sip. Kaigara had experienced a restless night. Her mind was thinking through the possibilities with Beth Martindale.

  She had only managed a couple of hours of sleep. Kaigara walked over to the exterior glass wall of her condominium. From where she stood she had an excellent view of Toronto. She could see over the lake to her left, it looked calm and serene. As she panned around, the Island airport looked calm with little traffic. She liked the Island airport it was useful to get to Montreal, Ottawa, New York and Chicago in a hurry. Better than the busy Pearson airport with its lineups and International traffic. As she continued to inspect the view she sipped some tea feeling its warmth penetrate her hands through the bone china cup. She could see the long winding Gardiner Expressway full of commuters approaching and leaving the city. The Gardiner Expressway was filling in as commuter traffic tried to catch an early start to the day. She could see the railway tracks and the green and white commuter trains bringing in the daily crowd. To her right was the city skyline of Toronto. She looked at the curving shape of the Rogers Center. When they first build this stadium it was called “The Skydome.” The roof retracted and allowed for open-air lakeside baseball games. The dome was the home of the two-time World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays. People still called it the dome. Kaigara thought back to when the dome was being built. She could still vaguely remember her father pointing out the native Indians working in the steel rafters. They had no fear of heights and would walk around steel girders high in the sky with no safety tethers. Positioned next to the dome stood the CN Tower. Kaigara’s eyes followed the corkscrew like structure to the very top. This building for many years held the title of the world’s tallest freestanding structure. Its shaft corkscrewed slightly to counter act the earth’s gravity and rotation. The skyscrapers and the high-rise condominiums reflected the sun in a dazzling mirror effect. It was going to be another hot day in the city of Toronto. Standing in her condominium penthouse Kaigara was soaking in the view and sipping tea peacefully when the shrill sound of the phone pierced the silence. She gently placed her teacup on a coaster and walked to the phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, it’s me,” Kaigara instantly recognized the voice as her Mother’s. “Did I wake you?”

  “No, I was up, just finishing breakfast before I make my way into work.”

  “Just calling to say that your Dad’s plans have changed and he’s going to Yokohama this afternoon. I’m teaching tonight and have a busy week but I wanted to go to lunch with you on Thursday. We can go to Far Niente restaurant at 12.15pm, will that work for you?” asked Sakura Tanaka.

  “Sounds good Mum,” said Kaigara half asleep.

  “OK, see you then, and don’t be late, you’re always late. I may come and pick you up at your office,” said Sakura in a Motherly tone.

  “Bye Mum,” said Kaigara hanging up. Kaigara walked slowly in the direction of the shower to start her busy day.

  * * * * *

  6.05pm, Terminal 3, Heathrow Airport, London, England

  Beth knew she had an hour and was initially worried that she would not make the connection in time. The Mumbai flight landed a few minutes early and the transfer between gates was efficient. Beth soon realized she had plenty of time before she needed to board her next flight she was relieved. She looked around and was dazzled. Why could she not have a longer layover here! Burberry; Chanel; Cartier; Emporio Armani; Dior; and Bulgari, so many shops and not enough time to look around. As Beth moved to her gate she stopped dead in her tracks. She felt grungy, sweaty and unclean. She had another eight hours remaining in the same clothes. She looked at The Body Shop and smelled the clean fresh aromas emanating. Did she have time to stop in and get something? Beth decided to go in and get something that would make her feel clean again after this long journey was over. She had little time to browse and headed straight for the bath products. Beth instantly zoomed in on the Coconut Foaming Bath product. She could see herself kicking back in a foam-filled Toronto bathtub smelling the scent of Coconut. She snatched a bottle and headed for the check out.

  A small thin man rang the sale up, “Nine pounds and fifty pence please,” he said cheerily. Beth handed over the money and left the store heading towards her gate. She started to see a crowd of people and the familiar sight of yellow jackets. She approached the gate just as the announcement to board business class was being made. After the normal courteous boarding process Beth settled into her ‘pod’ and started to relax. She had some anxiety associated with the Heathrow connection. It was one of the busiest airports in the world and she only had one hour. She reflected on how smooth it had been. The flight took off on time at 7pm and she smiled thinking about Toronto.

  “Kaigara,” said Beth quietly, “Japanese for Shell.” Beth glanced over to her right and could see the face of the pod occupant. It was a man, approximately 28 years old and dressed in a light blue tee shirt and jeans. He was sitting high in his chair as he was untying his sneakers and kicking them off onto the floor. Beth caught a glimpse of his face and liked what she saw.

  “Easy on the eyes, hard on the heart,” thought Beth. She stared at the man as she was sitting slightly behind him and across the aisle. He emanated a Blue aura with strands of Silver. Beth was feeling a strong attraction to his energy and to him. She had not felt like this towards a man for a long time and it surprised her, she could feel her cheeks flushing.

  “I don’t know what you’re doing with my energy flows Subra,” thought Beth. Beth could see a flight attendant pushing a trolley but she could not see what was on offer. She would most likely have to refuse. When the attendant got closer Beth could see newspapers and magazines. As the trolley stopped at her pod she quickly looked at the magazines. The travel magazine looked interesting with Yokohama on the cover. The cover contained a beautiful colored skyline shot complete with skyscrapers, Ferris wheel and schooner. Intrigued by the pictures, Beth turned to the page on Yokohama and started to read.

  The city looked modern, fresh and exciting. Yokohama is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture. It is found South of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. Yokohama’s population of 3.6 million makes it Japan’s largest incorporated city. It has a large foreign population of nearly 75,000. Beth started to read about its origins as a small fishing village and how it established itself as a base for foreign trade. She read of the great earthquake on September 1, 1923. It destroyed most of Yokohama killing over 30,000 people and injuring more. Vigilante mobs killed innocent Koreans. They were falsely blamed for using black magic to cause the earthquake. Today Yokohama is an exciting place with the Landmark Tower standing 70 floors tall being the tallest in Japan.

  You could see monsters in Yokohama, the magazine suggested. Two Godzilla films were based upon and made in the city. The Kishamichi Promenade offers wonderful city views. Beth looked at the full-page photographs and admired the color, lights and architecture.

  All were very modern and different from the little
village of Haworth in the Yorkshire Dales. She wondered if Toronto looked similar. In the photographs she could see a large Ferris wheel it was illuminated at night with neon lights that undulated and made fascinating patterns. In front of the Landmark Tower was the centerpiece of this beautiful scene. Beth could see an old-fashioned sail ship. Its tall masts and brilliant white hull were stunning. The ship was floating in water but looked tethered to the dock. Brilliant lights bounced off the white hull giving the appearance of a mirror image reflection in the dark water beneath. The ship was called the “Nippon-Maru” and was open for the public to tour during the day.