The Song_A mysterious tale of the Mayan spirit world and the Mayan calendar

by Joseph Arnold

  “Oh my,” said Sarina. “Why are we here?”

  “I don’t know and I don’t particularly enjoy the thought of working in my dream, if that is what this is. How do I wake up from this?”

  “My experience of lucid dreaming is that aspects of your life are unsettled and need resolution. I needed to better understand the events of my dream last night so I went back to my dream space to seek guidance. I was shown more details of what I saw last night and then you showed up. I’m not so sure of your unresolved situation, but clearly you and I are connected in some greater way.”

  “I am not at all comfortable with this and as for unresolved aspects of my life, well, just look at that pile on my desk.” He swiped his hand across his desk, knocking the pile over. “As for my connection with you, well, I can’t speak to what that means, although …” The papers began to float up from his desk in no apparent order and then, one by one the papers burst into green flames with no smoke. “What the hell …” he blurted out.

  Sarina looked over and noticed the detective crying. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Nothing, I was just remembering something from long ago …” The detective was remembering his connection with Jennifer Banderas, his first partner on the police force when he graduated from the police academy. As he got lost in this reverie, they both watched the papers burst into flames one by one.

  A loud scream sent a jolt of fear through their dream beings as they looked at each other just as a bright blue flash sent them retreating back into themselves and they were both awake, in their separate apartments.

  Sarina looked over at her clock. Damn, 4:30 again. The phone lit up. She recognized Detective Holden’s number, who no doubt wanted to talk about the dream.

  She let it go to voice mail, something Sarina rarely did. She wanted to collect her thoughts and prepare for the inevitable conversation she was going to have with the detective.

  She wondered, Why did I need to be in the detective’s office? How am I connected to him and why?

  Sarina took out her journal and scribbled down the events of her dream to recall later, although it was so real for her that she remembered all of the details easily.

  Sarina dressed and had a light breakfast. The phone was buzzing again. The detective was on the other end. Ugh, she pressed the key that sent it to voice mail again. She needed to get in touch with her mother and she had the energy this morning. Sarina texted the detective to assure him she was alright. “I will call you later.” She pressed send and closed her phone.

  Sarina finished breakfast, made a few calls, and connected with Minister Buchanan. “Hello Mr. Buchanan?”

  “This is Minister Buchanan.”

  “My name is Sarina Conti.”

  “Oh yes, you must be Mona’s daughter. How are you today?”

  “Just fine, thank you.”

  “I have missed your mother’s attendance at services for quite some time.”

  “Oh? What do you mean by that?”

  “Well,” the minister began “It was so unlike your mother to miss a service. She had been coming to my church for years faithfully, if I may say, and then one day simply stopped.”

  “How long ago was that?” Sarina asked.

  “About three years ago.”

  Sarina paused.

  “Miss Conti … are you there?” the minister asked.

  “Yes, three years?” she asked.

  “Yes, three years.”

  “What happened to her?”

  “I'm not really sure. She simply stopped coming to church one day.”

  “How was she in church? Did she share much?”

  “Not really. She kept to herself most of the time. She didn’t share a lot of her life with me.”

  “Really.” Sarina was surprised because her mother had been such a chatterbox when she was growing up. And sharing her feelings had been something she easily did.

  He went on to say that for all intents and purposes Mona lived as if she had no relatives at all. He found this strange because he knew Sarina and Ann as Mona’s daughters and, after all, Sarina had attended the same church for a while. The minister was much less detective-like than Detective Holden and considerably more self-centered; all he said was that he had been unable to find Sarina’s contact information and had had no idea where to look. Sarina had changed her last name to her children’s father’s name after the divorce and had not changed it back up until a few years ago to alleviate confusion for her children as they finished their schooling. This may have explained why the minister had not been able to contact her, not knowing her married name.

  Sarina was deep in her ritual of judgment suspension as she listened to this man speaking on the other end of the line. She figured that he was more concerned about the loss of her mother’s tithing than about her mother’s well-being. She thought, If you weren’t so full of yourself, placing your ego on a pedestal … No, that was judgment and she was suspending that, right?

  Minister Buchanan also told Sarina that her mom had not been to church for a week those three years ago. Sarina’s mom had attended services twice every week, like clockwork, which had made that long an absence unusual. The minister had called Mona and left a message but had received no response.

  “I visited your mother’s home and knocked on the door, but no answer. Her car was in the driveway so I figured she was out with a friend. A few days passed and I stopped in again but still no answer so I called the police. They asked me similar questions such as you are asking and I told them what I’ve told you. That’s all I know”

  That was all the minister said he knew. It seemed evident to Sarina that he had either not followed up on anything more or was withholding information. Sarina thought it odd how the minister started sharing Mona’s disappearance right at the beginning of their conversation.

  “Thank you, Minister Buchanan.”

  “I am sorry I was never able to contact you. Do you know what happened to your mother?”

  Sarina got a little agitated. Of course I don’t know; otherwise why would I be calling you, is what she wanted to say but instead said, “No, it’s been a long time since we last spoke. We lost touch a few years ago and the time went by so fast. I have been wanting to get in touch with her but you know how it is. I was hoping you might be able to tell me.”

  “I’m sorry I can’t answer your question. Can I help you in any other matter? How is your sister?” he asked in a more direct voice. The minister had detected a tone of sarcasm in Sarina’s voice.

  “My sister’s been…I mean is fine.”

  “Oh,” said Minister Buchanan, “well then, give her my best …”

  “I will,” said Sarina and hung up.

  The minister’s tone changed when he asked about Ann, which took her off guard. It was as if he were holding back some information or maybe it was because of her tone with him. The minister seemed innocent enough to Sarina and he did not sound too bright; she figured he was likely being honest and let go of the thought that he might be holding something back. No matter, Sarina was frustrated but at least she had a bit more information about her mother.

  Chapter - Five

  Sarina called the police department in the town where her mother had been living and finally got through to Detective Jennifer Banderas who had investigated Sarina’s mom’s mysterious case after Minister Buchanan had reported her missing. The detective was reluctant to share information with Sarina even after Sarina had relayed the story about her sister’s death. Then, out of nowhere Sarina mentioned Detective Riley Holden’s name to the detective on the other end of the line. She hadn’t thought of him consciously. Rather it was as if someone had whispered the detective’s name in her ear; Sarina knew her guides were close.

  “Do you know Detective Riley Holden?” Sarina asked.

  After a brief silence Detective Banderas acknowledged, “Yes I do. He and I were partners when he first entered the force. My God, that was over 30 years ago. We were so close in
those years, but I lost contact with him after he moved away to California. How is he these days?”

  “Fine, I suppose.” Sarina was startled when she felt the pang in her heart.

  “Is he working on your sister’s mur– …” She caught herself realizing that Sarina might be sensitive to her question.

  “It’s alright … Yes he is working on the case.”

  Detective Banderas figured that if Sarina knew Riley then Sarina deserved to know this information. Although she would have liked to dismiss protocol and ask more about Riley, Detective Banderas instead decided to share all she knew of Sarina’s mom’s case:

  Sarina’s mom had not been there when the police had entered her home. Her absence was not in and of itself all that unusual. What raised a few eyebrows among the detectives was finding toast popped up in the toaster and butter on the table with an open jar of jam. The butter had melted to the form of its container, which indicated that it had been on the table for some time.

  A brief investigation revealed nothing out of the ordinary. They found no evidence of any struggle and all the things that would have interested a burglar—her wallet with $100 in cash, her credit cards, and her identification—were on the table next to her car keys near the chair where her sweater hung. The officers assumed that Mona had been planning on going out after she had eaten her toast.

  The detective said that what had seemed strange to her was how everything appeared so as to create a tableau. Although she had not been able to make any logical conclusion or to crack what the detective had been sure was a facade, things had just felt odd.

  “It was if someone had placed everything this way for us to find it,” she said. Was anything else important in your family that I don’t know about?”

  “Well, my mom was a very organized person and very neat to a fault,” Sarina said.

  “That may be so, but something never sat right with me and I sometimes have dreams about that investigation.”

  “A dream? I don’t know if this helps but my father was working on the secrets of the Mayan calendar.”

  “Really? You mean the end of the world stuff around the Winter Solstice of this year?”

  “Not so much the mystery as the calculations and mathematical equations associated with it.”

  “Sarina, do you mind if I do a little digging around the Mayan stuff as it might have a relationship to your mother’s disappearance?”

  “I suppose, if you think it might help.”

  “I’m not sure but I have a feeling it might. Anything else?”

  Sarina, not able to resist asking, “You mentioned that you had dreams about the investigation. Do you mind sharing what your dreams were about?”

  “Well … I don’t usually share my dreams with just anyone, especially in this small conservative town where prejudice is more prominent than art. And I believe dreams are a form of art.”

  “Hmm, I have never heard dreams categorized like that before. I like that. You can trust me, really.”

  “Okay, I do trust you; after all you do know Riley. Well, my dreams are always the same. I find myself in the kitchen at your mom’s house and the setting is like we found it that day. I hear something and turn around and glimpse a shadowy figure surrounded by a green mist slipping out the front door. The figure is squatting with either a flute or one of those blow guns used to shoot poisoned darts. He appears to be aiming at a round stone tablet with ancient markings on it. Maybe it’s the Mayan calendar as you mentioned before. Then I hear chanting and wake up. I can’t make anything out of it ...” She trailed off still a bit hesitant about how much she had just shared with Sarina.

  “Wow. What a dream.” Sarina was fascinated by the green mist and how she had experienced a similar image in her dream and had to contain her own curiosity and not reveal too much about her own experiences just yet. “Not to change the subject but, I liked your comment about prejudice and art and how you believe that dreams are a form of art. I dabble in astrology and numerology in my off time and I am curious about your chart and your numbers and how they might relate to your dreams. Are you comfortable sharing your full name and birthdate, time of birth and geographical location of birth?” You may feel a bit uncomfortable so you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

  “Well, I barely know you but I feel like you are a friend I may have known for a long time. What is your connection with Riley, aside from the case I mean?”

  “Well, he and I have just met so there isn’t much to tell. He is nice and easy to talk to but other than that …”

  “He is indeed a nice and easy partner to talk to and I do miss him.” Jennifer paused. “There seems to be more than a coincidence that you called me today. I’m also interested in numerology and astrology, although I haven’t had much spare time these days to explore them in more depth. My full name is Jennifer Margarita Banderas. My birthday is November 22, 1963.”

  “Great, can you tell me the time and city?” Sarina had shifted back into her inquisitive mode.

  “4:30 in the afternoon in Austin, TX.”

  “The same day President Kennedy was assassinated, but about 3 hours after he was shot!”

  “I know.”

  Sarina paused as she wrote this down. “Numerology, astrology, and dreams are all connected because they offer insights into your deeper spiritual self. And what you are describing in your dreams fits patterns regarding these spiritual matters. But more of that maybe at a later date. I'll call you again if I have any more questions about my mom’s disappearance and I'll send you a copy of your numerology reading if you’d like.”

  “Sure, sounds fascinating. It’s been years since I’ve had a reading. In fact the last time I explored numerology and astrology for that matter was when Riley was my partner …” Jennifer paused and recalled an event that happened more than thirty years ago. “Wait a minute. You’re Sarina, one of the sisters of that house Riley and I went out to on a domestic disturbance call? Your sister’s name was … Ann, right?”

  Sarina was surprised that Jennifer remembered but then realized the irony. After all, she was a detective. “Yeah, and it was a long time ago.”

  “My God, you and Riley are working together? What are the chances of that, I mean after 30 years. Wow, even in the mystical world that’s kinda spooky, don’t you think?”

  “I guess,” Sarina said. When she thought of it that way it felt more than just something in the cards or numerological destiny. How much more was there to this mystery? The power of this began to creep into Sarina’s mind and body.

  “Well, I find this very unusual and quite intriguing. Do you think Riley would fill me in a bit about the case about your sister?”

  “I suspect he will, but you can ask him yourself. Here is his number.” Sarina shared Riley’s number with her.

  “Thank you Sarina. This is quite an interesting thing. Is there any other way I can help?”

  “Uh, no I don’t think so.”

  “Well then, take care.” Detective Banderas hung up. She had been wondering more about why she felt so at ease with Sarina, even over the phone. After she figured out the connection it became clear. Still, the coincidence did seem less of just that. She began to sense something. Her intuition as both a detective and a woman began to stir. She wanted to know more.

  “Thanks, Bye.” She pressed the end button on her phone. Sarina felt funny about the conversation. Not the details they exchanged so much as an inner feeling. Sarina paused for a moment wondering why she was feeling a sense of dread. She felt an anxiety as if Jennifer was going to be in some kind of danger.

  Sarina brushed it aside for the moment because she was also feeling excited that someone wanted to learn more about themselves, especially if she was able to use her experience of astrology and numerology. She intentionally held back much of her enthusiasm on the phone. She just wanted to get a feel for Detective Banderas. If their connection were to grow, she could always return to this common thread.

  But
as she slipped back into the present moment, Sarina lost much of her enthusiasm. This mystery was going in a challenging direction, thought Sarina. The recent events of her life were beginning to close in on her: her sister’s murder, Detective Banderas’s phone call, Sarina’s commitment to a spiritual reading for her, Riley both professionally and personally. I want to be compassionate and present to all that has happened, but I feel so overwhelmed.

  The timing of these events was not the best for Sarina. Along with all that had happened in the last couple of days, Sarina was getting ready to do the interview of a lifetime. But the more she tried to resolve things to get back on track with the Thirteen Grandmothers, the more complicated the path had become, and it seemed to deliberately be moving her away from the course on which she wanted to be. As Sarina internalized these events, she realized that they manifested as the need to be in control. She was sensing how stressed she felt at the thought of being out of control.

  First, Ann had been murdered. Then, as if that weren’t bad enough, Sarina was blocked from actually dealing with her sister’s body and what she should do with it. To do that required contacting her mother with whom she had not spoken in six years, which in turn had become its own mystery with her disappearance. Sarina learned of the impact her mother’s case had had on Detective Banderas. So now Sarina might have to figure out Detective Banderas’s mysterious dream in order to help solve her mother’s cold case in order to claim Ann’s body in order to give it a final resting place. Maybe then Sarina could make her trip to Guatemala. And that didn’t even begin to scratch the surface regarding what had actually happened to Ann and bring to justice whoever had done this terrible thing! But that was the detective’s job, not hers. Sarina’s head spun from the possibilities, pathways, and diversions.

  Sarina abruptly stopped in her thoughts. A new mystery confronted her. When Detective Banderas remembered who Sarina and Ann were, the wheels began turning in her head. How did Detective Riley Holden know Sarina was Ann’s sister? He said Ann’s naked body had no identification with it. Why had he called her such a short time after Ann’s body was found? How was he able to connect Sarina to Ann so quickly? How did he even know the body was Ann?