2Promises

by Phil Armstrong

  “Another quote from Adrienne Rich. Yes, it’ll be cat and mouse. You’ll let me know if you feel the energy of the portal? I want to know I’m in the right place,” thought Beth concerned at being on her own with Hoshi.

  Subra tried to feed Beth some profound advice hoping she would pick it up quickly. “I will. Just remember that we learn what we have said from those who listen to our speaking.”

  Beth knew instantly where Subra was going with this. “She’ll provide me with a clue that’s why I have two ears and only one mouth. I’m confident but I’m realistic, this isn’t going to be easy.”

  “All good is hard. All evil is easy. Dying, losing, cheating, and mediocrity are easy. Stay away from easy,” teased Subra.

  Beth laughed, “That’s a good one; Scott Alexander I believe.”

  “I know you need to hear this but I think you’re on the right track. Right now it’s our only track so it’s the right one. You have to be confident, you have to believe and prepare. Luck is where opportunity meets preparation and when we get the luck we’ll be ready,” explained Subra.

  “When choosing between two evils; I always like to try the one I’ve never tried before,” chuckled Beth. “Mae West sounded like a fun woman.”

  “She did! You’re starting to get conscious access to the quotes; you now have this great resource at hand. Use it when you meet with Hoshi remember though the good life is inspired by love and guided by knowledge,” urged Subra.

  Beth switched the topic of conversation radically and with no warning. “Why am I starting to feel attracted to men all of a sudden? Why is it that I’m noticing men looking at me? That’s never happened to me before, never?”

  “One simple word Beth, confidence,” answered Subra. “If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you can’t. You’re right!”

  “Confidence?” replayed Beth.

  “Beth, you have a strong life force now. That’s exciting for you but equally exciting to those who meet you and feel attracted to your energy. You have what we call the grand essentials of happiness,” explained Subra.

  “I haven’t heard that term before, grand essentials of happiness?”

  “The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. Right now you’re learning to love yourself Beth. You have a job and a mission. Once you get comfortable with who you are you’ll need a handsome man to complete your essentials of happiness. Don’t get me wrong you don’t need a man to exist, but your soul is telling you that you’re ready to share your life and laughter with someone special. If you could only get this spirit out of your head!” laughed Subra.

  Beth thought about the message carefully, “I see what you’re saying. I’m ready; the time is right so I’m attracting this. You can’t shake hands with a closed fist.”

  “Just as you’re ready to find the right man, you need to prepare yourself to be as ready and open to receive signals to locate the portal. You have to be ready,” said Subra in a serious tone.

  “I understand it, I need to be truthful to myself,” thought Beth.

  “There are truths on this side of the Pyrenees, which are falsehoods on the other. To interpret truth you need to fully engage your intuition. Does this feel right? Beth you’re heading into some heavy topics, be careful not to get into analysis paralysis, this can be simple. Trust yourself and don’t resist. Things will come to you when you’re ready. Just be prepared to see the signs,” offered Subra.

  “Yeah, you’re right,” thought Beth feeling much calmer.

  “I have to go and you have to wake. Not only is another world possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day I can hear her breathing,” Subra faded from consciousness.

  “Arundhati Roy; that’s a beautiful quote,” thought Beth to herself.

  She woke and glanced around the aircraft cabin to orient her self. The plane landed in Brussels in its usual smooth and timely manner that Beth had now grown accustomed using Jet Airways. The airport is located in Zaventem just outside of Brussels and has been voted the best airport in Europe; you could see why. It was clean, efficient and highly organized. The customs process was equally efficient with Beth explaining she was visiting Brussels on vacation. Beth left the customs officer and walked towards baggage claim. She passed the crowded carousels and entered the greeting area. It was 8.15am local time and the greeting area was only half full. Nothing looked full these days compared to the frenzied chaos of India. Centrally located a tall man stood holding a sign, “Martindale” written in bold black letters. Beth caught the man’s eyes and nodded. His face immediately registered a smile as he navigated his route through the calm stationary crowd towards Beth.

  “Good morning Beth, I hope you had a pleasant flight? Welcome to Brussels I’m Everard,” he said in a friendly way. He spoke with clear English tinged with a slight accent. Everard reached for Beth’s backpack and pointed in a direction for them to leave.

  “Flight was great, nice to meet you Everard, Sakura and her husband have asked me to pass on their best regards,” said Beth.

  Everard was probably in his mid forties, he had a full head of dark hair carelessly swept back from his face. He wore matching pants and shirt, which looked like a dark blue uniform. He was a little overweight and had a beer belly.

  Beth noticed his girth and thought, “Good Belgium beer.”

  He seemed very polite and was friendly enough as he chatted on route to the parked taxi. Everard’s taxi was a shiny black Mercedes Benz. He opened the trunk for the backpack and then opened the door for Beth. As Beth climbed in she could imagine diplomats and politicians being driven around by Everard’s company.

  “Traffic is just filling in Beth but we should have you to your hotel by around 9am, sound good?” asked Everard.

  “Sounds good.”

  The car pulled away and merged onto a highway. The traffic was light and the road was smooth. The pace of the traffic seemed slower than Toronto with not as many lanes. It was much quieter than India, no horn blowing! Beth watched the green trees and brick houses whiz by. The Benz was powerful, smooth and very quiet.

  “First time to Belgium Beth?”

  “Yes, I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Got any requests for chocolate from back home?” laughed Everard.

  “No, but I’m going to take some home with me though,” said Beth laughing.

  “We’re famous for beer, waffles, chocolate, a little peeing statue, diamonds, and our beautiful architecture. Go see the Grand Place. We’re the capital of the European Union so we have many politicians. You’re going to Schelle, which is a pretty little place. I wish I could say the same for Hoshi; she’s an interesting old bird. Sorry, I shouldn’t call her that, but she’s fairly cranky, you’ll see. The drive to Schelle isn’t bad. I was thinking of letting you get settled in maybe take a nap or a shower. I will pick you up at the hotel for the drive to Schelle say 1pm? It takes about 40 to 45 minutes up the A12,” said Everard glancing in his rear view mirror at Beth.

  “Do I have a time booked to meet Hoshi?” asked Beth a bit surprised.

  “Yes, Hoshi is keen to meet you. She wants to see you at 2pm. I’ve arranged for you and her to meet. It’s going to be a gorgeous day and I know Schelle from my frequent visits. There’s a restaurant that Hoshi hangs around, it’s near a beautiful park. I can pull into the parking lot and let you two have a natter on the park bench near the restaurant. This seems to be her favorite spot in the whole village. I hope this is not too tiring for you but I was told that there was some urgency that you two meet,” explained Everard.

  Beth would have preferred an extra day, as this would have given her more time to prepare for Hoshi. The date and time had been set and she did not want to be the one to back down and appear weak. She needed to be ready and she would be ready.

  “That’s fine Everard. I’ll be ready to meet Hoshi at 2pm. So I need to be ready for pickup in the hotel lobby at 1pm?” said Beth adjusting her w
atch to sync with the time displayed on the Benz dashboard.

  “Great. I’ll wait until you’ve finished your chat and drive you back into Brussels for the night. I’m available to take you to Schelle as often as you wish. Just make sure you arrange that with Hoshi before you leave. Hoshi doesn’t have access to either email or phone so it’s tough to arrange anything with her. She remembers everything for an old woman though. She’s still mentally sharp,” explained Everard occasionally taking his eyes off the road to meet Beth’s in the rear view mirror. The Benz turned into busy city streets and then into the front of a crescent shaped building. “This is your hotel Beth, the Hotel Meridien. It’s a decent hotel and you’re central to all the action. The Manneken Pis is about a ten minute walk and the Grand Place is even less. There are fantastic places to eat within walking distance. You should go out tonight and explore. You have to see the Grand Place and it’s worth seeing during the day and at night, totally different,” said Everard with excitement and pride in his voice. “Anyway I’m keeping you; I’ll see you at 1pm.”

  A doorman welcomed Beth as she retrieved her backpack and walked into the hotel. A stained glass revolving door opened up into a larger reception area. To the left the hall narrowed. In front of Beth was a large sitting area with a few people drinking coffee and reading newspapers. The sitting area had three large floor to ceiling windows flooding bright sunshine into the room. Flanked by cream-colored tall pillars the room was calm. The polished marble floor had a circular wheel design inlaid in tones of brown with a glass table at its center. A large brass chandelier with many lampshades hung above the table. To the right was a wooden reception area and check in desk. Two men and a woman in their early twenties staffed the desk.

  One of the men raised his eyes to meet Beth “Bonjour.”

  “Good morning, Beth Martindale checking in,” said Beth in a cheery tone.

  “Certainly Miss Martindale,” said the man in crisp English. “I have you on account Miss Martindale and we have a suite for you. Can I see your passport please and I’ll go ahead and check you in?”

  Beth handed over her passport and the young man typed information into the reservation system. He prepared the room key package slipping the plastic key into a holder made of card. “Is one key sufficient?”

  “One’s fine.” Beth received her passport and the room key together with a small visitor’s booklet.

  “You’re in room 722; the elevators are down the hall behind you and to the right. You’ll need to insert the key to call the elevators. As a promotion we’ve included a small booklet with some really useful maps and tourist information for your sightseeing if you have time. Enjoy your stay with us.”

  “Thank you,” said Beth smiling and turning to face the hall behind her.

  She walked the hall, which came to an abrupt end as it swung away to the right. Turning the corner she saw the elevators on the left and what looked like a bar on the right. Beth pushed her card into the metal wall slot and pressed the button to call for the elevators. The elevator on the right arrived with a cheery dinging noise. Beth stepped out at the seventh floor and faced a mirror and a small desk with yellow flowers arranged in a vase. She glanced at the signs on the wall and turned left down another narrow hallway. She arrived at room number 722 and entered using the plastic access card. Beth activated the lights using the card slot in the wall although the room was flooded with natural sunlight. The room was spacious and neat. Wooden furniture accented the modern design. Beth walked to the window where she could see the busy street below. She looked out onto a church and in the distance could see an ornate spire high above the rooftops.

  “Brussels,” said Beth aloud. “Who in their right mind would have thought that I would visit Brussels? I thought I was going to India,” said Beth shaking her head at the ridiculously sumptuous notion. Beth unloaded her backpack, showered and changed her clothes. She stocked the room safe with her valuables and later pushed her face into the streaming water jets of the showerhead.

  She let some water enter her mouth and said to herself, “Just like the Maid of the Mist.” As she said the words the water spilled out as the shower head continued to pelt her face with small jets of water. She recalled the spray from the falls. Beth did not feel like going out and exploring yet. There would be time later for that. She would stay in her room. She watched television jumping from channel to channel. She flipped through the tourist booklet and stored it in her backpack. She lay on the bed and relaxed. Beth stared into the mirror and practiced some well-rehearsed lines imagining how her conversation with Hoshi would go. She was nervous about this meeting and this was her way of preparing for the dialogue. She tried various approaches watching her performances in the mirror. 1pm could not come quickly enough for Beth. Finally it was time to head down to the lobby and meet up with Everard. The morning had dragged but Beth’s strong intuition told her to stay within her room and rehearse, even though the exciting city of Brussels was within reach.

  She glanced at her watch. To be honest she had looked at her watch almost every three minutes for the last fifteen minutes. It was time to head out and meet with Everard and Hoshi. Beth recognized Everard when she turned the corner and entered the hotel lobby area. He was pouring his charm over the young attractive receptionist who seemed to be enjoying the attention. Beth sized up the prospective couple and gave Everard a very slim chance of turning this into something meaningful. She gave him near impossible odds of turning this into something not meaningful. She smiled as she recognized that look of relief on the young woman’s face when she saw Beth approaching.

  “Are you ready?” was Everard’s question.

  “Yes, you?” responded Beth.

  Everard nodded and headed for the stained glass revolving door that exits to the street. Beth followed and stepped into the bright light. The shiny black Benz was parked in the premium spot just to the right of the doorway and ready to drive off. Everard opened the passenger door for Beth as she positioned herself in the back seat. Beth was slightly annoyed at herself as she felt butterflies and knots forming in her stomach.

  “Don’t be nervous, you’re strong and confident,” she heard herself affirm.

  Everard sensed this awkwardness. Before pulling away he stared into the rear view mirror to catch Beth’s eyes. “It’s going to go well Beth, nothing to get nervous about. She’s a cranky old witch but you can handle her.”

  “Witch,” thought Beth, “He used the word witch. How much did he know?”

  “The drive’s a simple one; it should only take about 40 or 45 minutes depending on the traffic. I’m going to take my time but it should be smooth sailing today. Beth, Sakura told me that this was going to be one of the most important meetings of your life. I don’t mean to pry but when someone piles that amount of pressure on anyone you get uptight and nervous. My only advice to you is relax keep anything that you do simple. That’s always worked for me in difficult situations,” offered Everard.

  “Thanks, that’s good advice, I will,” smiled Beth.

  Everard slid the gearshift into drive and pulled away from the parking lot. After winding through a carefully planned street route he announced that they had made it to the roundabout that will get them onto the A12.

  “We should be on here for about 25 kilometers,” said Everard.

  Beth was quiet running through key phrases in her head and trying to anticipate questions. “Keep it simple,” Everard had said. That made more sense to Beth who was busy tying her nervous system into knots. The journey was smooth and uneventful; to break the thundering silence Everard turned the radio on. He selected a station that played light soothing instrumental music. It helped calm Beth. She glanced outside at the signs and did not recognize any. This was not Ontario with English sounding names. She saw names like Boomsesteenweg and Langlaarsteenweg. These were long and foreign sounding to Beth.

  “Beth we’re close now,” said Everard turning the radio off. Steenwinkelstraat came into view. “This
is Schelle Beth,” announced Everard in a heavier accent.

  The Benz glided down the road and smoothly pulled into a parking lot made of compressed stone chips. Beth could sense the tactile feed back of the car moving from a smooth asphalt road surface to the crunching sound of the dusty gravel. Everard pulled into a spot at the far end of the rectangular lot, which provided him some shade from the overhanging trees. Beth had been looking to the right. When she moved her head to the left a flat building came into view with a weathered wooden sign. Beth could just read the sign through the dust stirred up by the Benz. In Den Vos RestaurantSteenwinkelstraat, 49, Schelle, 2627 Beth rubbed her eyes as if imaginary dust were blurring her view. “Do you feel anything Subra?” A surge of warmth flushed her cheeks and a message flooded her thoughts.