Saturday 1 March 2014

An Undying Love

© 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.

1 comment:

  1. What a quirky character! Another great story Mr Fitzpatrick!

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