Chapter 12

Kitchen Apparition

Saturday evening, later

I managed to get home and into the garage without any scrapes; but my mind was still in a muddle. Why did that happen? Could I be having hallucinations due to overwork? I’d never had any before. Or if it was a vision, what would that mean?

Was I losing it? If I wanted to keep my job I’d better have a level head and both feet planted. But what I saw in the library tonight didn’t belong in my world; I could never tell anyone about it. I was pretty sure no one would believe me anyway. Hell, maybe I didn’t really see what I thought I saw.

I turned on the computer and looked up ‘hallucinate.’ It seems to relate to thinking something’s real that isn’t really there. It could be caused by drugs or a mental problem of some sort. But I don’t take any drugs; and I never did. What about a mental disorder? Always possible I suppose, but I never had one before, nor has anyone in my family.

I couldn’t think of any reason I’d imagine something like that. I took a few deep breaths; inhale, exhale; don’t think. Another word came, and I typed ‘vision.’

Maybe that would fit better. It was described as something that appears or happens to you in a vivid or realistic way; but is not actually real. Apparently most people think they’re caused by divine agency. This is a little deep, but not bad. I don’t understand how one could know the cause of something so mysterious anyway.

But if visions are real, then maybe all my visions were real. That seemed to be a little more plausible. After all, my teaching and research sometimes touches on ways people perceived the Divine in the ancient world, when visions were a common occurrence. Today, we don’t talk about such things; so it’s easy to think they’re abnormal. At least that’s how I interpret current cultural bias. It never occurred to me that the history I study could affect me in some way like that.

But even if that’s possible, I didn’t know why they happened, or why they happened when they did. Then I remembered the emails with ancient codices I’d read last night and today. Had they influenced my mind in some way? Was my unconscious wandering in ancient times? Or maybe everything was just a coincidence or an accident. If these are metaphysical questions, that’s way out of my area. I decided it would be best to act as if everything’s normal and think of the visions as a temporary anomaly, maybe a minuscule kink in the space-time continuum.

A hot shower and fresh pajamas, helped me start the evening over again. I sat down at the kitchen table, opened the newspaper and told myself to relax. It’s time to let go of all that; like I do after I watch that weird Outer Limits TV show.

My mind was not cooperative as more thoughts about those visions, ancient times, the codices and my regular work popped in and out and I began to feel a great sadness. Everything was a huge mishmash and I was still too anxious to pull myself together. But I thought it would be best to drop it, just ignore it.

Finally my head cleared, and I realized how late it was when my stomach growled. This would be a good time for my favorite sandwich-that-can-cure-anything to appear. And so it did; roast beef and cheddar on pumpernickel with mustard, horseradish and dill pickles plus a sweet full-bodied ale. The first bite was delicious. But before I could swallow, I choked.

For the second time tonight, a blonde young man in sandals stood before me, this time in front of the refrigerator. He was haggard, dirty and wore mangy animal skins. Oh, and he held a Roman gladius. Not again, my mind screamed.

But since I’d read that definition of vision, I decided instantly that this guy must be one. I came back to calm and focused on the image. He was the same person I’d seen at the library. He didn’t move or make any attempt to communicate. I didn’t move or make a sound.

Then, as before, after several seconds or it might have been minutes, he began to fade and was gone. I was alone, looking at a plain, white refrigerator door. Still sitting down, I thought I was calm; until I realized my clenched jaw and fingers clamped on the table edge were quite painful. I let go, took in a breath and let it out really slow.

This time I stayed calm, didn’t even lose my appetite, and decided there was no logical answer or explanation. It’s just something that’s happening right now. So I let it go, finished the ale and more or less inhaled that sandwich.

Then I relaxed. I decided all the visions were related in some way to the Romans, the Great Library and early Christianity. I felt like I was back on solid ground. The storm had passed and home felt like home again.

When I hit the pillow, infinite peace flowed through me and I slept without dreams. Woke refreshed and clear-headed the next morning; though later I wondered what Alexi and Mark would say about those visions.

Sunday

First, I got busy and raked the backyard. Winter isn’t that far off, and it felt good to work outdoors without anything else to think about.

Late that afternoon I went to the library to check those dates for Alexi. The library was open, students and a few faculty were all over the book stacks. As we know, anomalous things only happen when you’re alone in the dark.

I decided to celebrate my return to the real world at the coolest taco hangout in town. When I returned home, I admit I hesitated for an instant before walking into the kitchen. But everything looked real and stayed normal. Life was fine.

 NEXT.....Chapter 13
Eppie Calls