© Denis Fitzpatrick,
2014
Errica von Boppard-Love had always
practiced an undying love for all of our lower animal friends, and elephants
are her favourite. Unable to own her heart’s most earnest desire though of a
pet cat and dog at home because of the landlord (in a tight market for the
renter) Errica watched animals on TV for most of her free time as a substitute,
and always just before bed. It was 8:35 in the morning, of a Saturday, a week
and a day before Easter Sunday, 2012, and Errica was not due back at Redferne’s, Sydney, in always sunny Aus,
supermarket liquor dept which she managed until the following Tuesday, the end
of her holidays. The current elephants under observation were just coming
within viewing range of a waterhole. Not too small, but not very big either. Every
elephant, when virtually upon the slakeful water, ran the last metre or so to
the water’s edge: ‘It is true: restoring water!’ They could now believe their senses and onwards
ran accordingly.
Errica now watched a calf, the last of the
group to trot up and imbibe, a bit of a straggler, and remembered it as if she
had already seen the calf’s running steps in a dream; watching the calf once
again run with joy; she was now accurately predicting his future, seen while
she was asleep and dreaming, knowing an instant beforehand what the calf’s
fumbling attempts with the water would be.
She was sure of it, as certain as she can
breathe.
Errica continued to accurately predict
where the calf would move, sipping on her tea, and not at all willing to doubt
the evidence of her average déjà vu sense. One thing that she noticed with the baby
elephant was that he was excellent at telling when an admonishing trunk or foot
would be swung at him. The little calf (she had named him Eduardo) always
predicted reprimand. Eddie must be reading body cues, eye movements, the ends
of trunks, learning to communicate with his betters with body language.
Errica then suddenly realised telepathy
must simply be able to read these body cues at a fine level, being able to
respond with same. The thought, or rather ‘hypothesis’, bore testing, that
telepathy is merely a fine reading of body language. It could easily bring her
animal friends so much closer. If they are all as telepathic as little Eddie
obviously was then it should be a snap to talk with them. But how to test it?
‘The Net!’
Of course, the Net! The Net can
answer anything!
‘Relation between telepathy and body
language.’
‘Sounds like a reasonable search entry,
Errica.’
‘Thanks, Errica.’
‘You’re welcome, Errica.’ This habit of talking very pleasantly with
herself was always the result of foreboding: she may well be opening a can of
worms with this idle telepathic rambling.
Thus, at her laptop after the show and her
heightened déjà vu had ended, Errica discovered that telepathy transcends ‘speech
and body language.’ So Eddie has yet to
progress to telepathy, still learning to get about by reading the mundane
physical body cues.
However, since I am of the wisest animal
species, reasoned Errica, I can choose to progress from ‘speech and body language’
to telepathic language, improving possibly all the animals’ inner thoughts,
enlightening them. It would be a bond beyond belief. Mind you, Errica was
completely aware that her mania may be getting out of hand, so she made a
mental note not to take telepathy too seriously. Health first; health, first.
She continued on the Net.
*
The basic reasoning behind the practice
and acquisition of telepathy, Errica learned, is the notion that the Universe
is aware. Sentience is a property of Reality, and when those ask why we are all
here the few telepaths ask: why not? Why
not, indeed. All animals, plants, and fungi share in this sentience of
Reality’s. Basically.
Telepathy is also being open to new ideas,
seeking out new ways of doing things, and new ways of dealing with people, all
while actively maintaining our best attitude. Pretty soon one finds oneself in
situations just where a kind heart is needed. And if acquiring telepathy meant
getting out more often to happily socialise then maybe doubly good was the
acquisition. Yes, very much so.
Thus, further reasoned Errica to herself,
if I begin by putting out some good ‘vibes’ and then heading out to meet up
with their natural consequence I’ll begin to become embroiled in this telepathic commerce of the Earth. What’ll
life be like then? Could it be Paradise,
always being in the best place for your mood/desires? It certainly sounded like Paradise to Errica
and was another impetus to becoming truly telepathic; one’s thoughts meshing
always with one’s environment to, naturally, one’s constant advantage.
‘I’ve found Paradise, Errica!’ she said to
herself, both somewhat stunned and bemused.
‘Well, let’s see what the other side says.’
It didn’t take Errica long to identify the
‘nay-sayers’’ primary flaw: they assumed telepathy was simply direct speech
between two or more distant brains. But from what she’d so far read, of the
more well written and cogent sites affirming the existence of telepathy,
telepathy was about one’s own thoughts, mingling contentedly with one’s
environs. Worthy thoughts encourage worthy actions encourage further worthy
thoughts and actions amongst us, and the whole thing could so easily be set up
into a positive feedback loop for everyone.
Accordingly, Errica had come down, on the
balance of probabilities and arguments, on the side that believed telepathy is
a real force, the simple ability to harmonise one’s thoughts with one’s environment,
one’s friends, one’s enemies, one’s goals and desires, and the planet’s shared
communal peace. Quite an obvious notion now that she thought about it, closing
the lid of her laptop.
‘Subtly obvious,’ she replied to her
thoughts.
Alas it was all well and good having a
fine sounding theory, hypothesis actually, but Errica needed hard data. She may
not have any scientifically employed friends currently but she did do physics
and biology for her Higher School Certificate and scored highly in both. Setting
up an experiment to test the interrelatedness of thought and surroundings
should be reasonably possible.
‘Most certainly possible.’
*
It was an hour after a fulsome dinner that
Errica suddenly knew how she could test her hypothesis, a revelation sudden
while she was flicking across TV channels for any animal programmes. Over a
month she planned to visit her friends each evening after work, simply acting
normal and not actively projecting her thoughts/wishes upon them and their
locale. That would be the control. Over the following month she would also
visit her friends regularly, a set one on each evening as with the previous
month, and bearing a small gift (small so as not to effectually bribe them to
repay the visit) for each person each time. As the gift was being transferred
Errica would have to project the phrase ‘this gift returns for bliss’ in the
general area of the recipient. Also, during these visits, she would have to be
sure to embellish the conversation with positive thoughts, jubilant musings. If
her telepathic efforts bore fruition her friends should noticeably return her
giftings, in some manner, be it a physical gift or quality company with her
amidst others.
However, only Errica’s successful or
otherwise thought projections could be tested as she simply did not have the
money to hire any subjects. But if the first run was verily successful she
could maybe invest in two or three subjects, maybe students from the local
University.
It was now 7:30 pm. She began preparations
for the experiment.
*
The results were in, at last. It was two
weeks after the end of the two month field test and Errica had graphed the
results with a trial subscription of some graphing software. She didn’t have to
spend long either in learning how to effectively use it.
Unbelievably, the results were good. Much,
much better than expected.
Errica was stunned. She was stunned not
only because the results were positive but by the fact that she had begun
something which she really couldn’t stop. She would have to continue with her
daily rounds of socialising or risk her few friends abandoning her as unstable,
flowing hot and cold.
‘The animals I will have to meet in
passing,’ she said to herself, ‘bearing gifts and cheer in the hope of
spreading further gifts and cheer.’
Errica was both gladdened and saddened by this. Glad at spreading love but
sad at the resultant abrogation of her free choice.
‘Still, what is free will? Really?’
Indeed.
After having finished analysing the
graphed results she checked her wallet (ten dollars) and decided on a bottle of
Chardonnay to visit Laurise with, her oldest friend. She headed off, ambivalent
about her approaching life of psychic merriment.
***
If you've been enjoying Denis' stories on this blog you may also enjoy his debut novel, This Mirror in Me, which tells the story of Tonia Esqurit Ailbe and her highly unusual method of achieving her heart's desire of a vibrant home. It is available on Kindle at http://amzn.to/1gXGF9h, for US $4.01 and on most other ereaders via Smashwords at http://bit.ly/1k7DEIV for US $3.99. The novel has a linked Table of Contents, an About the Author, and a link to Denis' Twitter profile. If either of the links do not work simply copy and paste them into your browser.
What a quirky character! Another great story Mr Fitzpatrick!
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