Читать книгу The Vision - Linda Blum - Страница 6

Judy felt someone shake her. The motion of being pulled back and forth caused her to regain a semi conscious state. Her eyes fluttered open for a second then shut too quickly, never giving her a chance to see who it was. She felt herself slipping back into unconsciousness, a place she didn’t want to be in, so she struggled to open them. Her vision was unfocused when they finally opened, so the person standing over her appeared fuzzy. She heard them call her name, but was unable to place who it was, as she still didn’t have her full wits about her. Eventually her sight and brain returned to normal and a vision of Ren and Jay appeared before her. Judy stared at both of them in disbelief. It wasn’t until Jay collapsed in her lap and Ren wrapped his arms around her that she became aware they were not an illusion.

A feeling of relief washed over her. She realized she must have fallen asleep. This didn’t surprise her as she often drifted off when she got a strong premonition. Sometimes they became so emotionally unbearable that she had to disconnect from reality. It was also a common thing for her to dream about it.

“I’m so glad you’re all right,” she sobbed.

Neither Ren nor Jay answered right away, as both of them were visibly shaken.

After a few seconds, Ren spoke.

“I’m glad you and your son are clairvoyant or we would be either seriously hurt, or dead right now.”

It appeared that Jay got her message and told his dad about it. Ren didn’t know what to think at first until Jay became hysterical. He opted to listen to his son and took an alternative route, which became backed up due to the accident. He tried calling Judy to let her know they were fine and would be delayed, but the battery on his cell was dead.

Jay was quiet for the rest of the night. He seemed utterly exhausted and eventually he fell asleep in Judy’s lap. She carried him up to his room to place him in bed. When she came back to the family room, she heard the announcer on TV talk about a serious accident on the highway. Scenes of twisted metal and people being whisked away on stretchers filled the screen.

Judy sat down beside Ren feeling numb. She thanked God that nothing happened to him or Jay, but felt sad for all the families whose lives would be affected. Ren put his arm around her and held her close.

He shuddered at the realization of how his life could have changed, or possibly ended tonight if it wasn’t for Judy and Jay. They sat in silence watching the scenes from the accident flash before them. When a commercial came on, Ren turned off the TV and they headed to bed.

Sleep didn’t come easy for either of them. Judy had a restless one, tossing and turning most of the night and so did Ren. When morning finally came, Judy woke up exhausted. She slowly opened her eyes and read the time on the clock.

“It’s time to get up Ren.”

She turned over expecting him to be there, but found Sam instead. Putting on her robe she got up and headed downstairs. In the kitchen she found a note on the table from Ren stating he went to pick up breakfast.

It felt strange waking up to find them gone, especially after everything that happened last night. A feeling of paranoia came over her as she remembered her dream. She pushed the thoughts from her mind and concentrated on keeping busy. Grabbing the coffee can and filters she began brewing coffee. Next she got out the plates, cups and cutlery and began setting the table. She was concentrating so intently on the chores at hand, that when the phone rang she jumped in alarm. The sound of an annoyed voice greeted her when she answered.

“Why didn’t you call?” Hope scolded. “I was waiting to hear how your interview went.”

“I got the job,” Judy said anxiously.

Hope noted the edginess in her voice. “What’s wrong Jude?”

Judy told her briefly what had happened.

Hope felt guilty for her rude behaviour and apologized. Judy never really gave it much thought. She was more anxious to get her friend off the phone. Hope was very curious, particularly when it came to extrasensory events and Judy wasn’t in the mood to be questioned to death right now. To deter her friend’s prying, she asked her out to dinner tomorrow telling her she would explain more then. Shortly after their conversation ended, Judy went back to the task at hand.

She was just about to place more dishes on the table, when the doorbell rang. Judy followed a barking Sam to the door. When she reached the door the images of her dream came rushing back causing her to not answer it right away. Sam stopped barking and sat staring at her waiting for her to make a move.

“I hope nothing’s wrong,” she said nervously.

Judy stood there caught in a mix of emotions while staring blankly at the dog. The sound of the doorbell ringing again made her answer it.

Jay’s friend, Dillon, was standing there.

“Hi Mrs. Storm, is Jay ready for school?”

Judy was letting Jay stay home today after last’s night fiasco.

“He’s not going today.”

“Okay. See you later.”

Judy felt silly as she watched Dillon walk away. She really needed to get a grip. She was about to enter the house when the sound of a car caught her attention. She turned to see Ren’s car approaching. A feeling of relief crept over her. When he pulled into the driveway and parked Jay emerged holding a carry out bag.

“Look Mom,” he yelled lifting the bag in the air. “We got breakfast from Uncle Will’s place. He wasn’t there though, so Hazel got our order ready.”

Her uncle Will owned a successful restaurant in town. One reason for its success was its tranquil and picturesque location. It was situated along the Grande River. Directly behind the river was a small forest. In the spring, summer and fall this area sprang to life with eye-catching colours and lots of wildlife. During the winter, nature took on a slower pace, yet it still held its appeal. The contrast of the seasons and nature became an attraction of its own to the customers of Willy’s. Some treated it like a dinner show, where one could dine while observing the backdrop of nature’s playground before them.

Another one of its drawing cards was the menu. It was filled with a variety of dishes to please even the pickiest of palates. It also catered to the town’s heritage by preparing German dishes from years gone by. This won over the German community that still presided there.

Along with the great food it also had great atmosphere, one that made a person feel truly welcome and relaxed. Uncle Will seemed to possess a quality that made people feel good when he was around. It crossed her mind that this may have been the reason Ren went there this morning, especially after last night’s ordeal.

When Jay reached Judy, he handed her the bag, then went inside. Ren was close behind ready to go in too, but stopped when Judy wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He began to wonder what was up when she wouldn’t let go of him.

“Jude, are you all right?” he asked.

“Fine, now that you’re home,” she replied releasing him.

Ren gave her a questioning look as they headed inside.

Judy noticed throughout breakfast that Jay still seemed quiet and out of sorts. Even Ren seemed in a weird mood. She was contemplating what to do when the phone rang.

“Judy, what’s wrong?”

It was Uncle Will. He sensed something was up.

Judy described what happened last night. Will heard the tension in her voice so he invited her over. When she got off the phone she told Ren and Jay about the invite. At first they didn’t seem enthusiastic to go, which surprised her. Judy, on the other hand, was raring to leave.

Along the way Ren and Jay seemed to perk up, which made Judy wonder if there was some kind of negative vibration in the house that had affected them. She made a mental note to ask Uncle Will how she can alter these vibes.

Uncle Will lived twenty minutes from the city, in a two-story house that was nestled amongst a small forest. Over the years this house had become her safe haven. A place she could retreat to when the world became too much. As they pulled into the winding driveway, Judy’s mind flashed back to when she was fifteen.

It had been a stormy day with lots of rain and wind. The air was cold and damp. The kind of dampness that seeped through your whole body leaving you feeling chilled. This was typical weather for March. The time of year when winter was almost ending and spring was just around the corner. Judy shivered and pulled the zipper higher on her coat, as she stood inside the entrance of her school. She scanned the line of cars that formed in front of the school to see if her mom was there, but there was no sign of her. Minutes passed as she watched the cars slowly disappear, until only a scattered few were left. Looking at her watch she wondered where her mother was. As the last car pulled away an uneasy feeling came over her. She always hated getting this sensation, as it usually meant something terrible was about to happen. The sound of footsteps from behind momentarily diverted her thoughts.

Turning she saw the principal, Mr. Ken Vanderbelt, approaching. He had been her principal since kindergarten. When she was done elementary school she figured it would be the last time she would see him. That was until he got promoted and took over at her high school.

She remembered being intimidated by him in her younger years, but at the age of five that seemed the normal way to feel when around new adults. Once she got to know him, however, her fears subsided. He had a friendly and caring attitude towards everyone. Often, he could be found in the schoolyard playing games with the kids. He knew all the students by name and always listened intently to each one as they chattered on about the events of their day. His kind demeanour earned him the respect of both the teachers and students. When problems arose he was a disciplinarian and handled situations with a sense of fairness.

Normally he appeared calm and at ease, but Judy noted he seemed to be moving with a sense of urgency. She saw a look of concern in his eyes and a feeling of apprehension came over her.

“Judy, I’m so glad I found you,” he said when he reached her.

Judy’s breath caught in her throat. She could feel his anxiety. The more she was near him the more she succumbed to these feelings, which seemed to only intensify her already uneasy state. Judy took a deep breath trying to will these emotions away, but the energy was too strong.

“Why, what’s wrong?” she asked.

“I don’t want to speak to you here,” he replied evenly. “Let’s go to my office.”

Obediently she followed. When they got to his office, he opened the door, stepped aside and motioned for her to go in. She stopped abruptly when she caught sight of her Uncle. He was a big man at six two with broad shoulders, and muscular arms. Looking at the man slumped in the chair before her he suddenly appeared smaller.

His normally well-kept brown hair was mussed up and his blue eyes were staring blankly out the window. When he turned to look at her, Judy noticed the weariness in his eyes, the lines of concern that ran across his face and the tension in his body.

Mr. Vanderbelt strode past them and claimed the chair behind his desk. He waved his hand at the empty seat beside her uncle, waiting for Judy to sit. Judy couldn’t move. The emotional energy coming from these two men was overwhelming. She began to back away in hopes that by putting some distance between them, it would lessen what she was feeling.

Uncle Will watched his niece. She looked like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights. He wished he could take away the fear that shone in her eyes, but knew he couldn’t. How could he tell her what happened? How could he ease the blow she was about to receive?

Mr. Vanderbelt was the first to speak. “Judy, please take a seat.”

Judy realized leaving was not an option, so she walked over to the empty chair and sat down.

“Your mother is in the hospital,” her uncle said and paused for a second before continuing, “She was shot.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Is she all right?”

Her Uncle dreaded having to tell his niece that her mother was in critical condition and not expected to live. He debated whether to tell her the truth. His hesitation made Judy panic.

“Is my mother all right!” she cried.

Mr. Vanderbelt looked at her uncle waiting for him to reply. He sympathized with him, for it wasn’t that long ago when he had to break the news to Judy that her father had a heart attack and died. The memory of this was still etched in his mind. He remembered her mother sitting in the same chair sobbing uncontrollably, while Judy looked on in confusion. She was in no state to tell her daughter what had happened, so Mr. Vanderbelt had the unpleasant task of doing so.

Her uncle’s silence meant that Mr. Vanderbelt was going to have to take over. He decided to not let Judy know the severity of the situation just yet.

“Judy, your mother is in critical condition.” He paused noting the look of despair that flashed in her eyes. “She is a strong woman, though, and may pull through.”

Judy looked at Mr. Vanderbelt then her Uncle. She loved them both, had come to depend on them and had always trusted them, until now.

Judy looked Mr. Vanderbelt straight in the eyes and asked, “Is she going to die?”

He was shaken by her question and rendered speechless.

Uncle Will replied quietly, “No one knows for certain.”

Tears welled up in Judy’s eyes. Please God, not my mom. You already have my dad. Leave my mom alone, she silently begged.

On the drive over to the hospital Judy was quiet. She took no heed of the familiar surroundings that passed by her, as her mind was on her mother. Judy intuitively knew that she was dying, as she could feel her slipping away. The sensation of it all was devastating and no amount of praying would change the situation. The only thing Judy wanted was to see her mother alive one more time.

Her stomach tightened when the sight of the hospital came into view. Her uncle quickly parked the car and headed towards the building. When they entered, Will swiftly guided her towards the elevators. They joined the crowd of people who were waiting patiently for the next available one to arrive. Within a matter of seconds, more than one appeared. Everyone stood aside when the doors opened to let the occupants exit before they piled in.

Judy glanced nervously at her uncle as he pressed a number. Her heart beat rapidly as she watched the light advance from floor to floor. It wasn’t long before the door opened and they exited. Judy’s breathing became stifled the closer they got to the room. Uncle Will was immediately by her side.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

She grabbed his arm for support. “It’s mom. We have to hurry she doesn’t have much longer.”

Uncle Will didn’t question Judy’s remark. He knew what she meant as he could feel it too. He put his arm around her shoulder and they quickened their pace. When they reached the room Judy was startled to find a police officer sitting outside the door. The officer got up as they approached and stopped them from going any further. He questioned their relationship to the patient before allowing them to go inside.

Judy felt dazed and confused by what she just experienced. She couldn’t comprehend why the police were there. The questions that were forming in her mind came to an abrupt stop when she saw her mother’s lifeless body. Her complexion was extremely pale, her breathing laboured and an endless amount of tubes were attached to her body keeping her momentarily alive.

Judy rushed over to her side. She reached for her mother’s hands and was shocked to feel their coldness. A memory came back to her of a time when her mother held her hands trying to warm them from winter’s coldness. She remembered the warmth of her hands and the loving expression on her mother’s face as she tried to comfort her, now all that was gone. The realization of this was too much for Judy to take.

Her mother had always been her best friend. She was the only person who understood her, supported her and loved her. She always felt a deep connection with her mother. Sometimes it felt like without her she could not exist. Is that why I feel her dying because part of me is dying too? Judy thought.

She watched helplessly as her mother lay there wishing she could do something to help her. As if sensing her daughter’s thoughts her eyes suddenly fluttered open.

“Mom? Mom?” Judy stammered.

When she didn’t answer Judy turned to her uncle with questioning eyes.

“She keeps drifting in and out of consciousness. When she is awake, it’s very difficult for her to speak.”

Tears began to fill Judy’s eyes.

“Judy...” she gasped.

“Mom... I love you.”

Her mother winced as the pain raked through her body. “I lo...ve you” she moaned.

Judy felt her mother’s discomfort. It was so excruciating, that she doubled over in pain. Uncle Will immediately bent down and pulled her into his arms.

“Judy...Judy!” he bellowed.

The emotional connectedness between them was so strong, that Judy was using her abilities to take on her mother’s pain.

“Judy you can’t do this,” he pleaded. “She is not going to get any better.”

Judy heard her uncle and understood what he was saying, but couldn’t stop herself. She keeled over from the physical discomfort.

“Separate yourself from your mother,” he urged holding onto her. “The best thing you can do for her right now is to send her love.”

Love. Judy kept saying this over and over as scenes flashed before her eyes of the fun times she had with her mother. The pain soon subsided and Judy straightened herself and took her place beside her mother.

“I don’t have much time,” her mother wheezed.

Judy painfully watched as she struggled to speak, gasping for air every time she tried to open her mouth.

“I know.” She put her fingers to her mother’s lips. “Don’t try to talk.”

Just then her mother looked pointedly at Judy and their eyes locked. Suddenly her voice filled Judy’s mind and a telepathic communication began between Judy as well as her uncle. Her mother expressed her love and told them that she’d always be there for them even in death. She asked her not to be afraid and assured her daughter that her uncle would take good care of her. Their conversation soon ended when she began gasping for air.

The monitors surrounding her were going crazy. Warning lights were flashing and the urgent sound of beeping echoed loudly, alerting everyone of an emergency. Nurses and doctors quickly rushed into the room, shoving Judy and her uncle away from the bed. So many people were hovering around her mother that Judy couldn’t see what was happening. Suddenly a strange sensation came over her. Closing her eyes an image of her mother appeared. She came to say goodbye and tell her that she loved her. After that the sound of a continuous alarm brought Judy back to reality. Her mother was dead.

The aftermath of mother’s death left Judy with such unbearable pain that she wished she could have died along with her. Finding out that someone had come to her house, stole money and then killed her mother was shocking. Judy kept replaying this over and over in her mind trying to make sense of it all.

The ongoing investigation of Mary Evan’s murder became a bust, since Mary was more unconscious than conscious making it difficult to get any answers. The other problem was there were no witnesses, or none that came forward. What made matters worse was that the suspect was still at large so Judy and her uncle were under police protection until the perpetrator was caught.

This became a newsworthy story and reporters swarmed Judy’s home hoping for a chance to speak with relatives, police, or even a neighbour that would provide them with any juicy tidbits of information. They reminded Judy of vultures, hovering, waiting for the right time to pounce on herself or her uncle in their most vulnerable time.

Life became intolerable with all the whirlwind of events happening around them. Between the police, reporters and nosey neighbours it was hard to have any peace, or private time to grieve. Even at the funeral, a crowd of curious people tried to make their way in.

Uncle Will decided it was time they move to his house to get away from the chaos. At first he was afraid Judy might resist this, but was pleasantly surprised when she didn’t. He wanted to get life back to some normality, if that was possible.

Their move went smoothly. Uncle Will was trying to make the transition as easy as possible for her. Judy, however, was numb. The loss of her mother left her feeling empty inside. She had suffered so much within such a short period of time that Uncle Will was worried how she was going to cope. He needed to be strong for her right now, but didn’t know if he could pull it off. There were times when his grief was so overpowering that he didn’t know how he would face each day. It was at times like this, he wished his wife were still alive to provide her support.

In the beginning, their new living arrangements took a bit of getting used to on both parts. It didn’t take long for them to become comfortable with each other. They spent many hours talking, and crying, over Judy’s mother. In time, they began to feel whole again and a bond began to grow between them.

Uncle Will provided Judy with a secure and safe home, acting as both father and mother, while guiding her through those rough teenage years. He always stood by the decisions she made, sometimes gently showing the err of her ways, yet never judging or belittling her when mistakes were made. Will also helped her understand her psychic abilities.

He had his abilities from a young age and knew how difficult it was to grow up being different than the other kids. He realized his sister did the best she could to help Judy, but not being a clairvoyant and having a skeptical husband didn’t make it easy. Will often wished he had lived closer. Maybe if he had, Judy wouldn’t have so readily dismissed her abilities in her younger years.

When her abilities resurfaced, Will planned to be there for her this time. He was expecting some resistance at first and was pleasantly surprised when she seemed willing to acknowledge her clairvoyance. Things were going well at first, until he found out the cause for this sudden change of heart.

She confessed that the underlying reason for her acceptance was due to her desire to find the murderer. She hoped that her abilities might reveal the person responsible for her mother’s death. Will was empathetic, as he too tried to use his abilities for the same reason, but got nowhere with it. This was bothersome since normally he was very clairvoyant and able to receive insight into situations when they arose. He tried to discourage Judy from doing the same thing. He didn’t want her to become obsessed with some kind of psychic manhunt, especially one that may lead nowhere and leave her feeling distraught in the end.

She resisted his advice at first, but eventually gave up. Even the police investigation was coming up empty. They had their suspects, but didn’t have enough evidence to make an arrest.

Over time the police protection stopped and the case was filed away as unsolved. Judy and her uncle had to come to terms with the fact that the murderer was never found and wrestled with their own inability to solve this crime.

When Uncle Will’s house came into view, Judy pushed away the memories of that awful time. She tried her best to get on with life after her mother’s death, but somewhere deep inside it felt like only part of her moved on.

Ren stopped the car and everyone piled out. Sam was the first to leave and bounded towards Will with her tail wagging furiously. When the dog reached him, she stuck her nose in his crotch for a sniff.

“Just like a woman,” Will said bending down to pet her.

“Uncle Will!” shrieked Jay.

Jay gave his great uncle a bear hug knocking them both down.

“Jay, take it easy on the old man,” Ren teased as he offered Will a hand to help him up.

Will grabbed his hand, but instead of getting up he gave it a quick tug and pulled Ren to the ground.

Will gave him a smug look. “Now, what was that comment about me being old?”

“So you can pull me to the ground. That doesn’t mean anything,” Ren taunted.

“Can you believe your father?” Will commented to Jay, “What do you think I should do with him?” he winked conspiratorially at him.

Jay, who had been piqued to excitement when his father joined them, smiled up at Uncle Will and said with delight, “Challenge him to an arm wrestle.”

Judy groaned. “Not this again.”

She watched as her husband and uncle locked hands preparing for their duel, while her son looked on in anticipation. Over the years, Judy had observed many matches between the two of them. It was all in fun, of course, but she often wondered what drove men to want to do this? Was it a testosterone surge, or maybe it was their time of the month. She had read that some experts believe that men have a monthly cycle, like women, only it affected them differently. This made Judy wonder if she was witnessing a male pms-like moment?

In the end Ren won, Uncle Will attested that he let him, Jay revelled in observing the male bonding ritual, Sam napped through the whole event and Judy wondered why she didn’t take Sam’s lead and do the same thing.

The day seemed to fly by. Judy was happy to see Jay and Ren were back to their normal selves again. She credited their change in mood because of their talk with Will about last night’s events.

Later, when Ren and Jay decided to take Sam for a walk Judy declined. She wanted to talk with her uncle. She really needed his help right now, but the question that plagued her was would he?