that we were waking up and feeling like we could run the world.
I called Charlie to let him know that I was going to take a quick trip with the red sparks.
“Charlie, keep an eye on me please; I’m trying something new.”
“I gotcha,” he said.
Waiting for Ricky to show me her colors for only a few minutes and then she obliged. I jumped into the middle of Ricky’s particles aiming for the red and then I was in the eerie colored hue and even though there was a pull that was tugging me downward, I was buoyant and steady. Without effort I slowed the decent and I could see dates on the ledges and beyond that people within those dates. It was an intricate and methodical layered filing system. Instead of jumping onto one of the ledges, I just looked around, trying to figure out a way to read the system and then work within it. The process of examining the portal didn’t take as much energy from me as did the complete decent; the process and filing system became clearer. Even though I had little control, I was gaining a deeper understanding of the big picture.
My energy not depleting as fast; I was allowed to take a thorough look about and gain a modicum of understanding about how I could pick and choose who, when, and where I wanted to focus my attention. Time didn’t seem to exist in that cylindrical portal but eventually my eyes opened.
I was alone in my room. I tested my eyes, I could see fine. I tested the strength in my arms and legs. I could move just fine, as a matter of fact, I felt as though I had boundless energy.
Calling Charlie was a natural response.
“Woman,” Charlie answered.
“You got a problem?”
“No,” I said.
“I’m fine. Did you see anything different that time?”
“What time?”
Charlie sounded confused.
“Just now,” I said.
“Woman, I just spoke to you. You haven’t had time to go anywhere yet.”
It was my turn to be confused.
“Charlie, are you telling me that no time has passed since we last spoke?”
“A minute or two,” Charlie clarified.
As one try does not an experiment make I looked at Ricky to see if she would allow me another trip and was pleased to see her particles dancing all around me. The red spark jumped and so did I.
From the beginning of that ride, I slowed my decent and then took my time to examine what I could of the portal. Slowly turning around to follow a single file within the intricate system took concentration; the thread was so easily dropped. I thought of a random date and then searched for it. When the process took too long, out of frustration, I repeated the date as though I were telling someone – what, did I think I was at the reference desk of a Library?
The portal seemed to spin around me and then stopped and the date I was thinking of was right in front of me. The date I chose was the day of my sister’s wedding to Sam. If I wanted to I could find out Sam’s true intention or what Michael was thinking when we let the wave hit us about a dozen times or I could see what motivated Gene Handy to hate me so much. The possibilities were nearly endless but I took no rides that day. Understanding was my focus and I continued to explore within that chamber the intricate and delicate system for using the red spark portal.
Time and time again I thought of a date and then the cylinder would spin around until the date was in front of me and the list of individuals within that date became easy access for me. When I actually chose to go someplace specific there would be no confusion and no delay.
After what seemed like hours and hours my eyes opened and I called Charlie again.
“Woman, you got a problem?”
“No lover, I was just wondering if you were still monitoring me.”
“I gotcha.”
Charlie assured me.
“So how long was I out?”
“Woman, I just talked to you maybe 5 minutes ago.”
“Charlie we got some stuff to talk about when you get home. Are you coming home for lunch?”
The excitement was nearly too much for me. If I had indeed been gone only for a few minutes, there needed to be some serious thought given to the fact that I was within that cylindrical chamber for an extended amount of time but no time passed within our reality.
“Can I have you then?” Charlie had a playful tone in his voice that made me smile with expectation.
“Damn straight, we’ll have each other.” I giggled.
When Charlie got home, he found me in the kitchen finishing up the preparations for our lunch. He swept me up in his arms.
“I have another kind of hunger right now Woman’” Charlie said.
We satisfied our need for each other but we knew that to be a daily exercise that we both enjoyed and looked forward at each effort. When I heard Charlie’s tummy complain for lack of food, I took action for my man.
“Come on Lover, I made us a nice lunch and I can tell that you are ready for it.”
Taking Charlie’s hand we headed for the kitchen and the awaiting repast. Charlie grabbed my robe so that he could concentrate on his food.
While we ate our egg salad sandwiches and drank iced tea I told Charlie about the discrepancy in time and that I’d been in the red spark portal for quite some time but none of it registered within our reality.
Charlie, just like me, didn’t know what to do with that information. But I knew what to do with the knowledge I’d gained from my time inside that filing system.
“When Michael is here after the premiere we’ll make decisions about where and when and who for our red spark travel. Using the information gained today, we’ll be more specific and focused with our use of the travel.”
Charlie was more into the sandwich than the red spark information.
“Woman, good sandwich, my favorite,” he mummbled.
The next day we prepared to go to the premiere of the PBS special. Charlie was wearing a new suit that I’d just finished hemming the night before and I was wearing a new gown that I’d only finished just that very morning.
“Lordy Lover, you are so handsome and delicious looking that I’m afraid to take you out there for other women to see. Please remember that you love me, ok?”
“Ok,” Charlie said.
We were ready when our ride arrived. To my surprise and delight, I felt the fingers of the reconnect reaching out to me from the limo. Michael and Lu were inside. Glad that I had my camera because I made good use of it.
Our hook up was nearly overwhelming and made us all sigh. We were glad once again that we were together,
