by Carlyn Cade
“I’ve been having nightmares recently, and someone once told me meditation would help me discover what’s going on inside me. It made sense to me.”
“May I see your palm, please?” she asked, her tone more of a request than a question.
He extended his hand to her.
She took it and placed it between her two hands and closed her eyes for a few moments.
He waited, wondering what he was doing here at all. This whole thing was probably nothing more than a modern day sideshow. A hoax.
“You’re going to get slapped hard,” she said abruptly.
“I don’t understand.”
She quickly turned his hand over, as if she’d seen something she hadn’t meant to share with him. “Everything will be fine,” she said, patting his hand.
“No,” Clay said. “You can’t drop a statement like that on me and then say, it’ll be okay. Who’s going to slap me? A woman? A man? And why?”
The woman shook her head. “No person will slap you. The slap’s part of your destiny and the fate of the other person involved.” She held his hand again between hers and closed her eyes. “You’ve been preoccupied with death recently, haven’t you?”
“You know that?” Clay said, amazed at her disclosure.
“Death is part of living. In order to live, we must die.”
“Am I going to die?” Had his premonition been true?
“You already have...” she declared. “Many times.”
“Reincarnation, right?”
“Do you believe in it?”
“I’m exploring the theory. I neither believe nor disbelieve. About this hard slap. Is it coming from death’s hand?”
“It’s better you not know,” she said.
“Then why did you tell me?”
“The image was so sharp and brilliant, I didn’t realize I had spoken aloud until it was too late. Most people do not care to be told this kind of news. It is not in their best interest.”
“What else can you tell me then?”
“I feel love – strong, everlasting love – flowing out of the energy in your hand. You must love someone very much.”
“I do.”
“And she’s hesitant to reciprocate, true?”
This woman was too…psychic, he decided. “What else can you tell me?”
“Royalty,” she said simply.
“Royalty what?”
“There’s some trouble involved –”
“Let me guess. I shouldn’t know about that either. Right?”
“Some things are better left unknown until fate decides the time is right to reveal them. I try not to interfere with changing the course of what destiny demands.”
Wow! She sounds just like Stacia with her “time is right” belief. “If you don’t want to tell me what’s in my future, then what’s the sense of you being psychic or me having a reading done?” Clay asked, annoyed with the woman’s evading answers.
“Many people believe a psychic is someone who performs parlor games. That is correct because there are some who do promote parlor games. But a true psychic does not do this. A true psychic is honest. We must not use the powers we are given in a bad way. We are grateful and appreciate the gift we have been given and know we must use it to help people. Therefore, I will tell you what I see in most instances, but how much I reveal is up to my discretion. Is that same thing not true in the case of royalty?”
“Excuse me?” Clay said, his mouth dropping open.
“Yes, I know,” the woman said quietly. “Now, do you have any other questions?”
“How do I learn to meditate?”
“Practice,” she said. “There are many meditation groups in Sedona. Join one here or at home, and when you learn the basics, expand on it. There are also excellent CDs to guide you on the subject. Remember, you’re discovering yourself. And who knows you better than you, especially if you let your higher self coach you?”
“You make it sound simple.”
“It’s because it’s all out there waiting for you to discover and use in this lifetime.”
Clay stood up and headed for the exit. “Thanks, you’ve been a big help.” He laid the woman’s fee, plus a generous tip, on the counter, opened the front door, then turned and shook hands with her.
“You’re welcome...Prince,” the psychic said as she closed the door behind him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
When the afternoon’s shooting break came, Stacia walked over to “Farrell’s Corner,” which the crew had dubbed the spot where he sat on his stool each day.
“Will you please tell me all about Mark Bennett?” Stacia asked.
“Mark?” he repeated.
“I know he was incredibly handsome with his blonde hair and blue eyes, but I’m talking about the man himself.”
“I’d say, sensitive is the word that describes him best.”
“Because...”
“He was sensitive to everyone’s needs, but above anything else, he was sensitive to Audra’s needs and desires.”
“And she felt the same way about him, didn’t she?” Stacia seemed to sense this instinctively.
“I’ve never seen two people more in love than they were.”
“Were you in love with Audra too, as the gossip suggested?”
Farrell shook his head. “Mark and Audra were my friends. It would have been pointless for me to be in love with Audra, because she could only see and love Mark. I settled for loving both of them...as friends.”
“I’m glad to hear that. The trouble with gossip, especially in Hollywood, is it’s so rarely true, but a person forms opinions anyway based on it.”
“You’re right, Stacia.”
“What else can you tell me about Mark?”
“Why the sudden interest in him?”
Even though she and Farrell had become what she’d term as “good friends,” she couldn’t tell him about the dream she’d shared with Mark after their elopement, just as there were things she felt sure he didn’t feel comfortable discussing with her. “I’ve been acting with his Dean Fulton image quite awhile now,” she said. “And with all the talk about Mark’s journal, I was curious what the real Mark Bennett was like.”
“Mark had a big heart. He gave freely of his time to any cause that asked him to. I never heard him raise his voice or use vulgar language. He was respectful to everyone, and was a very good actor on top of everything else. When he had Audra, he had it all, and he knew it.”
“And when she died?”
“He lost it all, and he knew that also.” Farrell looked away.
All of a sudden, Stacia thought he seemed to be very tired. “Are you all right?” she asked.
“Don’t worry about me. I just get worn out and sleepy sometimes sitting here all day. But I do want to tell you, Stacia, how much it’s meant to me to have you as a friend. I haven’t been this fortunate since Audra and Mark. You represent everything I hope your generation can become.”
“I think that’s the best compliment you could give me.” She kissed his cheek. “I have to go back to work now. I’ll see you later, okay?”
The rest of the afternoon and into the evening, whenever Mark’s face was on the screen, Stacia pushed Clay out of her mind. She dwelled solely on Mark and played the scene directly to him.
By the time the day’s work was finished, Stacia could see everything in Mark that Farrell had described...and more. A déjà vu´ feeling of loving Mark courted her mind, and she thought perhaps, like Audra, she had fallen in love with him too.
♥♥
When Clay refused to answer any of her calls, Stacia finally accepted the fact he was no longer interested in her, and also no longer in love with her. She coped the best she could with this discouraging realization. And she found meditation helped her immensely, and her sessions under Josie’s guidance gave positive reinforcement to the path she was following in her life.
“Guess what?” Josie said when she arrived for meditation at Stacia’
s condo on Sunday. “We’ve set the wedding date.”
“Fantastic. When is it?” Stacia asked.
“Two months from today, and I’d like you to be my maid-of-honor.”
“I’d love to.” Stacia gave Josie a hug. “Who did Ryan pick for the best man?”
“Your cousin, Jeb.”
“He’s coming from Wisconsin?”
“It seems so. Ryan’s planning on sending him a ticket.”
“I suppose you have a special place picked out to get married at.”
“Remember when Ryan and I drove up the coast to Oregon to Cape Foulweather?”
“You mean where you saw the whales playing in the Pacific Ocean at sunset?”
“You’ve got a good memory, Stace. Well, The Lookout’s on a high chunk of mountain jutting out into the ocean, but to me, probably because of the whales, it’s one of the most beautiful spots in the world. Certainly one of the most peaceful, and a perfect place to start a marriage. Of course, we plan to get married at sunset.”
Stacia grinned. “Have you invited the whales yet?”
“Now, wouldn’t that make it perfect?” Josie exclaimed dreamily.
“Are my mom and dad coming?”
“Ryan’s calling them today. I wanted to tell you first.”
“So my big brother’s getting married, and I’m gaining a sister. That’s great.”
“Yeah,” Josie said. “We’re already kindred spirits. We might as well be related.” She sat down on one of the pillows Stacia had placed on the floor. “What’s been going on with you this last week? Psychically and spiritually, I mean.”
“My dreams still keep happening, only they’re more spaced out now.” She sat down across from Josie and lit the candle between them. “But the other day I had a new one, and now I’m in love with Mark Bennett.”
“What?” Josie seemed confused.
Stacia explained her latest dream. “I was in some kind of fantasy world that day after my dream, and then going directly to the set to be with his image again, made me believe I’d fallen in love with Mark. The dream was very vivid and real. He seemed so alive, and I felt comfortable with him, like we’d been together before. The whole dream, along with his kiss and the dialogue, was like a déjà vu´ experience. What do you think that’s all about?”
“The simple answer is you were Audra in a past life, and you’re reliving it again. It would be a natural thing to feel as you do, if you were Audra. Why wouldn’t you be attracted to him in this lifetime also?”
“You’re kidding, right? Me, Audra?” She pointed her finger at her chest. Now it was Stacia’s turn to look confused.
“I said it was the simplest answer, not necessarily the correct explanation.”
“So what’s the correct explanation?”
“That, my dear sister--to-be, is anyone’s guess, and I emphasize the word guess. No one can say for positive what dreams are about. They’re significant to the person dreaming them, or they wouldn’t occur.”
“I figured it happened because of my working on London Affair. I’ve been seeing mostly Mark’s face since we started the movie. It seems logical I would dream about him. Then all this publicity came up about his journal, and I also knew about the cabin he and Audra shared, together with my dream of being with him.”
“That’s a nice little tidy explanation.”
“Then give me a better one.”
“All right. Explain how you knew Audra and Mark got married in Nevada? This fact in your dream doesn’t fit into your neat, logical world. Was it real, or did you make it up as you were dreaming?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t even know how to find out,” Stacia said. “I could ask Farrell Fontaine. They were good friends, but if there was a secret wedding, and they wanted to keep it private between the two of them, I doubt if they’d tell anyone.”
“Farrell Fontaine?” Josie repeated. “I heard on the news on the way over here that he died of a heart attack last night.”
“No, you must be mistaken. It can’t be my Farrell.” Despair cringed through her body rendering her hopeless and helpless.
“Your Farrell?”
“I didn’t mean that literally. He’s my friend.” Stacia felt like crying. “I just saw him on the set the other day. He can’t be dead. No, Josie, you have to be wrong. Tell me you’ve made a mistake.” Please.
“Sorry. I wish I could say I did, but I can’t. Let’s turn on the TV, and maybe they’ll have it on the news.” She reached for the remote and searched a few channels until Farrell’s picture came on.
“There,” Stacia said. “Stop there.” Shocked, she stood up and took a few steps closer to the TV.
A voice was heard as Farrell’s picture was shown. “Hollywood is mourning the death of eighty-three-year-old Farrell Fontaine. He passed away in his sleep last night of a suspected heart attack. Fontaine is best known for his role as producer on the classic movie, London Affair. He was currently a film consultant on the remake of the same name.”
“Turn it off...please...Josie,” Stacia said as she sat down on the sofa, the shock of his death pulsating through her. She tried to restrain the instant dam of tears that were threatening to burst from her eyes, but it didn’t work. The immediate grief she felt for Farrell’s passing was too strong, and the tears flowed freely down her face.
Josie clicked off the remote. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not fair,” Stacia cried out. “He’d just turned his life around, and now, see what happened? His best friends in his whole life were Audra and Mark.”
“And you, it sounds like.”
“Only recently. But I grew to like him very much. It’s going to be strange going on the set and not seeing him there.” She tried to blink the tears away as her phone rang. “The machine can get it.”
“Stacia, this is Jamie. I hate to disturb you, but the press has been calling you about Farrell Fontaine. Can –”
Stacia picked up her phone. “I just heard. Please tell anyone who calls I’m very saddened by the news of Farrell’s death. He was a good friend, and I’ll miss him dearly. I’ll talk to you later. Thanks for being on top of everything, as usual, Jamie.”
As soon as she put the phone down, it rang again. She automatically answered it this time.
“Hi Stace. Have you seen TV yet this morning?”
“Yes, Hal, and I can’t believe Farrell’s dead.”
“Neither can I. Are you all right? I know you two had become friends.”
“I’ll be fine. Thanks for caring, Hal.”
Stacia set the phone down and turned to Josie. “It’s funny, but I think Farrell was trying to say goodbye to me the last time we talked. At the end of our conversation, he told me how much it meant to him to have me as a friend. Do you think people know when they’re going to die?”
“I’m certain many do. Others probably deny it, just as they deny and are afraid to face many other things in their life. It’s like meditating. You can go within to learn so much. Some people do. Some deny its worth and its power.”
“I think I’d like to meditate now.”
“That’s fine, Stacia. And when you get to your special place, send some energy to Farrell to help him along on his new journey.”
♥♥
When Stacia returned to work the next day, the usual atmosphere on the set had been replaced with sadness. The first thing she did was go over to “Farrell’s Corner.” She saw his empty stool, and tears began to trickle down her face. Someone had put a sign on it that read, “In memory of Farrell Fontaine.” One long-stemmed red rose lay in front of the sign. She walked over to Nathan.
“I know, Stacia. I feel the same way. He didn’t say much from day to day, but his input when he did offer it was right on target. I hope the studio will allow his stool to remain there as a sort of memorial to him. I’m going to request it.”
“He’d have liked that. It’ll feel like he’s still there watching over us, so we make sure we keep his movie as authent
ic as possible.”
“We’ll do the usual black screen at the end of the film dedicating the movie to his memory. Do you feel up to working, Stacia? I know you and Farrell had gotten quite close. Everyone here wants to go to the funeral, so we’ll miss a day of shooting then, but everything’s going so smoothly we’re ahead of production anyway.”
“I’d like to film today. I think that’s what he’d have wanted.”
“Then we will.” Nathan turned to his crew and called out, “Places everyone. Let’s go to work.”
♥♥
Farrell’s funeral was two days later. Stacia rode there with Hal and Linda.
The inside of the funeral home was filled with flowers. Stacia was surprised at how many celebrities attended. The media stationed outside was quiet and respectful.
After the brief services at the cemetery, Hal insisted she go home with them.
“Besides wanting to spend some quiet time with you, Stace,” Hal said when the three of them were seated at the patio table, “there’s another reason we asked you to come here today. I’ll get us some drinks while Linda explains.”
“I have some business to discuss with you,” Linda said. “Farrell made out his will with me a short time ago, and he made you the beneficiary of his estate. You are his sole heir.”
“Why would he do that? I don’t understand.”
“He had two reasons. He said you were the first true friend he’s had since Audra Parker and Mark Bennett died. Everyone else wanted something from him. The other reason he gave was that you were the closest thing he had to a granddaughter.”
“Surely, he had some relatives.”
“No. He had none. He never married and said he grew up in an orphanage. That’s why Audra and Mark’s friendship meant so much to him, and why yours did also. You three were the only family he ever knew.”
“But I can’t accept anything from him,” Stacia protested. “Until he quit drinking, I didn’t even like him.”
“He knew that and admired you for it. He said the real Farrell Fontaine was the one you got to know and became friends with.”
