Omnis, an Everlasting Birth

OMNIS, AN EVERLASTING BIRTH

PANOS SAKELIS

Published by Valia Sakellariadi at Smashwords

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Table of Contents

Chapter 0: The Fool, SHIN

Chapter 1: The Magician, Aleph

Chapter 2: The Knowledge, Beth

Chapter 3: The Nature, Ghimel

Chapter 4: The Emperor, Daleth

Chapter 5: The Hierophant, He

Chapter 6: The Temptation, Vau

Chapter 7: The Conqueror, Zain

Chapter 8: The Justice Heth

Chapter 9: The Hermit Teth

Chapter 10: The Wheel of Fortune - Yod

Chapter 11: The Strength - Caph

Chapter 12: The Sacrifice, Lamed

Chapter 13: The Death, Mem

Chapter 14: The Temperance Nun

Chapter 15: The Devil, Samech

Chapter 16: The Tower, Ayin

Chapter 17: The Star, Phe

Chapter 18: The Moon, Tadd

Chapter 19: The Sun, Quoph

Chapter 20: The Judgment, Resh

Chapter 21: The Fool, Shin

Chapter 22: The World, Than

Chapter 0: The Fool, SHIN

The card was thrown upside down on the table. It was one of those cards that tell the fortune, a leaf from a deck of Tarot Cards. The scrawny hand touched it with tenderness, almost indefensible. Then, slowly, he or she, whatever was the sex of this creature, turned the card slowly. The Fool was illustrated on the other side. He threw it hurriedly on the edge of the table, onto the package with the other cards. It looked like the table, and the cards were the only things in the small room located somewhere on the edge of nowhere. The strange creature that shuffled the cards looked now slightly more like a humanoid. The way he or she looked at those made it seem like this game was part of its participation in a story that was happening far away, both in time and space.

Young girl, you're perfectly healthy, there is nothing wrong with your stomach. You just need to rest, stop eating and drinking all that junk food all you young people eat, add some glasses of milk in your diet, and you will be as right as rain.

The doctor seemed very pleased with his little patient, although the same could not be said for her. The girl looked uncomfortable.

What's wrong? Asked the doctor when he realized that the news were not received, as expected by the young girl.

Oh doctor, nothing, she responded, only...

Come on, what is your problem? Your stomach is not that bad, at least not yet.

And the pain I feel? replied the girl.

There is a minor problem with your stomach. You have signs of what we, doctors, call the beginning of an ulcer. But it is only at the beginning, and, as I said earlier, there is nothing to be afraid of. Rest and eat proper food.

This is exactly my problem, said the girl, I am working in a fast-food restaurant, and the only thing I can eat is what we sell.

Then you have a problem, the doctor said, but sit down and lets see what we can do about it. How old are you?

Twenty, sir, said Scintilla.

Come on; you cannot be twenty, he replied.

Sixteen? she said.

What did you say your name was? the doctor asked again.

Scintilla, said the girl.

Well, Scintilla, there is a way to solve your problem, but I'm not sure this is the best solution for you. It is better to return home.

No, doctor, this is not possible, said the girl. Up in the mountains, there is nothing left for me after my father's death. Is there any other solution?

I can help you if you want to do an extra job for an institute. How does that sound? the doctor said with something like a smile hanging off the edge of his mouth.

I do not understand what I have to do, Scintilla said.

Don't worry, I'll write an address for you, and there, Dr. Connolly will explain everything to you. Well, what do you think?

If you say so, Scintilla said, and held out her hand to take the small card the doctor had completed.

With this decision, all of her problems started. The next morning the girl went to see Dr. Connolly; his name featured strangely on the card she was holding in her hand, and what was more bizarre, was to discover that he was a gynecologist.

The only thing you have to do is give birth to a baby, he said.

Do you mean I should do with my boyfriend a baby and you will give me money for that? the girl asked.

No, you don't understand, the doctor said. There is no need to do anything with anyone; it is an artificial insemination, he said. We want some special sperm to fertilize your oval, so you need not worry about who will be the father.

And what will I do with the baby? asked Scintilla, more tangled than before.

We will keep the baby. You will only give birth, and so you will win a lot of money. Think about it, Dr. Connolly said, and give me an answer.

Where shall I stay during this period? the girl asked again as if she wanted by this to delay any severe answer or a possible intended direct engagement.

We will settle you in the Institute, said the doctor.

Can I think about it for a while? she said with the agony clear on her face.

Yes, we can wait for a while but not for more than a week because I have to admit that many youthful girls are waiting, replied Dr. Connolly.

Scintilla didn't know what to do, but the pain in her stomach resumed so she went ahead as soon as possible in an attempt to shake off any change of opinion from a more profound thought.

All right, doctor, I think it's the best I can do. Should I have to keep working? she asked, not believing that everything would be free.

No, you need not work; you need not do anything. You have just to rest; you will watch television, read some books and do whatever you want to do but under one condition. You will live in the institute. If you want to go anywhere, someone will accompany you. Do you understand? the doctor said with a solemn voice. Scintilla felt an icy breath freezing her heart.

There is nothing dangerous, she thought. It must be the idea that at sixteen, I will give birth to a baby.

In the beginning, everything was smooth. Scintilla could sleep as much as she wanted, the food was excellent, and even the boyfriend she had was happy with the possibility that they could buy a car and have fun on some remote beaches. But suddenly one day, he vanished. Just like that, he was gone without an excuse, without a word, with no problem. He just left. Scintilla did not give a second thought. Then again, it was not the first time something like this happened to her. After one month, everything was nothing, but a blurred memory. The young boy had just disappeared from her life. The information that some of his friends got when they were looking for him at the place he was staying, was vague. They said he had gone to Mexico. 'Lucky he,' they said, 'but where did he find the money?'

As for Scintilla, the days went by doing nothing. Three months later, though, something strange happened. She thought of the baby. At first, she asked Dr. Connolly if she could visit the family that would adopt it. When He replied that this was impossible, his answer stimulated her feelings. She loved the baby, and before she realized what was happening, she changed her mind about the promise she had given to the obligations assumed and organized a fleeing from the institute. For the young mother, no harm would happen if she and her baby remained together in some distant place. Her age did not seem to be a problem and going back to her house didn't even cross her mind. She was almost ready to leave the institute when she heard some whispers in the corridors. 'It was an institute for pregnancy... something like a research institute.' The second thing she discovered was that cameras monitored the stairs and courtyards.

At the same time, Doctor Connolly worried about the young mother mainly because she had a narrow pelvis and perhaps already two abortions.

Come on, Connolly, said Dr. Johns, the drug is almost ready, and we would have to wait at least another six months. It's a long time. Stop worrying, everything will go as expected. You know very well that we were in a hurry and we had to move the program at a faster pace. The lab had already prepared the drug. The government will never give us permit us for official experiments. We should move on by ourselves and Scintilla is our guinea pig.

It is easy for you to say whatever comes in mind but think for a while. Can you imagine a baby with full consciousness of the world before birth? Can you imagine that this child will know about life before birth?

I hope everything would be as easy as you claim, replied Johns. But although we will not have a memory loss, the baby's brain is not yet formed. In other words, it contains no pictures, there are no perceptions and the functional system is not even built, so I doubt if it is possible for the baby to sustain these memories for long.

Then why on earth were you putting so much pressure on me to find you a chit to start the experiment? Dr. Connolly replied. Don't you worry about the results?

The experimental injections that applied to rats, showed no reaction. So, stop worrying, and everything will be fine, doctor Johns said.

She is very young and has a narrow pelvis. It's possible that Scintilla to give birth and survive will need cesarean and perhaps the removal of the uterus.

Even in this case, we have all the means, said Johns.

And her future? She cannot give birth in the future.

Stop worrying about the little whore. When she realizes her good fortune...

Stop it. Do not say a word! doctor Connolly said. She is a silly chit, but many of these girls later become useful individuals in society.

She will be useful, even without knowing it, Dr. Johns added.

Doctor Connolly was very sensitive in such cases and could not forgive himself that the other doctors had convinced him to take part in the experiment. He was a gynecologist and had nothing in common with this genetic team studying the DNA. They told him they had identified a specific hormone produced by the uterus capable of erasing the memory of the newborn. They produced another hormone, a substance that hedged the first, and so the child that would be born under these conditions would have all his memories from the moment of conception. The whole idea was fascinating. But who could attest that any human born under such conditions would be rational and not crazy?

No one, even for a second, ever bothered to think, that, maybe they were negotiating with a much more significant experiment. For example, an experiment that would be a proof and in parallel a study for life in other dimensions. Still, they could face so many concepts that might exist in the human mind, that it was impossible to conceive and that even the spirit of philosophers would not understand. Scintilla would finally be the one to pay for the knowledge that not even the ones that started this great story would know that existed. Because at the end she was the one that was eventually selected for the experiment, it was she that had been given the needed drugs and would soon become pregnant after an artificial insemination. In the period that followed, they continued to administer her the medication. At the third month of her pregnancy, they gave her the last dose. From that moment the anticipation period started.

She had to leave the institution at any cost, and step by step prepared her escape. She did not know that a particular camera monitored her every move day and night. So, when she tried to escape from her room during the night, she discovered that the door was locked and that any hope for fleeing at night was impossible.

An entire month passed by until the first opportunity presented itself. The young driver who accompanied her when she wanted to walk or go somewhere out of the institute, certain of his charm, hit on Scintilla. She pretended that everything was possible as long as they had somewhere to go for this purpose. So, one day, at noon, he took her with him. They both knew that soon an investigation would start for the escapees, but the young man believed that before they were aware of their absence, they would return, safe and sound, to the institute. Moreover, it was not the first time that the young driver led in the small apartment he occupied in the suburb, one of the various nurses or patients of the institute.

For over twenty-four hours, Scintilla was the mistress who did not spoil any of his wishes. Sometimes even she felt the pleasure from his various caprices. On the second day, she left him with no excuse and fled to an unknown destination. He returned to the institute, pretending to be unaware of the incident. The whole section was in a state of alarm. But after discreet inquiries of several weeks with no result and no word from Scintilla, everyone thought for obvious reasons the case should be closed and with it their lawless efforts end.

Scintilla worked in various places doing various jobs, but as time went on, her problem was growing increasingly. When she tried prostitution, the police caught her and only thanks to her young age and her late pregnancy, the judge put her to an asylum for girls in her condition. But Scintilla had no intention to give birth to her child in such a place.

She escaped from what euphemistically was called Asylum, one day before the birthing pains begun. She was starving, she was exhausted and the worst of it all was that she had no one to help her. She wanted to pray, and immediately her mind went to the priest in her village, the only good man she knew when she lived up in the mountains. Then she decided that the only thing left for her to do was to seek help from another priest, the support that father Michael never refused to anyone. At that moment she did not know that the last day of her pregnancy was so close and that the birth was a matter of hours.

A day after, the first pain had occurred.

Oh, my God, no, she cried. Please, not so soon. One, two, three... she counted to find how much time it was left until the birth. She ran. She was running, and at the same time, she felt that her body was ready to collapse. She did not want to admit that she had lost the game, a game that, according to common sense, was a case lost from the first moment.

One, two, three, four... Oh! God, please help me! the young girl cried, holding at the same time her pregnant belly with her hands. The pain was extreme, and it was clear that she would soon give birth. She walked a few steps, and then stopped, again a few steps, and stopped once more. She could not move quicker.

Come on, Scintilla, she said to herself, you can do better than this! Try to run faster...

One, two, three, now the pain came quicker.

The critical moment was approaching faster and faster. Scintilla turned at the corner of the street in this slum of New York without knowing where she was. A few meters further was a church. She started walking towards it when she felt she was about to faint. Her last memory was that of a little girl running toward her. Or maybe not? Was it a dream? No, it couldn't be. Not for her, not for the baby.

The little girl saw her faint just out of the side door of the church. It was late in the afternoon, and she was only there for the regular afternoon meeting with Father Alfonso, a priest who among others taught the young Mexicans the language of their new homeland.

Father Alfonso! Father Alfonso! She yelled. Come quickly, please!

The priest ran as fast as he could after hearing Costanza's screams. He found her next to an unknown girl who, as he instantly realized, was ready to give birth. The whole birth process had even begun. Immediately he searched for her pulse. It was barely there. He prayed while he sent Costanza for help in the neighborhood. The ambulance came quickly, and everyone joined to help the young nurse with the birth, which was already in progress. The little boy came to life without a single cry, born in the ambulance at the very moment his mother died. The nurse felt so bad about his fate.

Father, I'm not sure that this little thing will make it, he said.

And she was right because the baby was sneering at them without crying, without making the slightest effort to move, with none of the known symptoms that all newborns have. He looked at all of them in the most strange way, without the slightest cry coming out from his lips.

What a beautiful baby! Costanza said.

Unlucky, however, added Father Alfonso. What would we do with it?

We don't even know for sure if it will survive, said Costanza. Maybe we should baptize it?

Let it be so, said the priest. What name would you give him Costanza?

A black curtain fell on Costanza's mind. She could not find a single name, not just an appropriate name, absolutely no name came in mind. It was like someone else had taken over her soul, and it was impossible for her to intervene.

'My name was and should be Johannes; ' she heard a voice in the back of her mind.

Let his name be Johannes, she finally said with great effort.

Let it be so, said Father Alfonso. Let thy name be Johannes.

The ambulance finally arrived at the hospital. The body of the dead mother was removed, and the baby accompanied by the priest and the little girl headed to the nursery. Costanza saw the baby stretches out his hand towards his mother. She went to him and tried to say something sweet, as if the baby could understand.

What should I write as the name of the baby? the nurse asked in the receiving chamber.

His name is Johannes, last name unknown, replied the priest.

Where is his mother? the nurse asked again.

She died during the childbirth, replied Costanza. Johannes is alone.

Do not worry, little one! said the woman. He will find a family and be happy.

I do not think so, said Costanza. Don't you see how quiet the baby is?

You're right, said the nurse. I should call the doctor to examine him in case something goes wrong. Meanwhile, can you go down to the reception to see whether they found any papers on his mother, said the nurse, because if so, there could be a relative somewhere?

Costanza left for the reception.

Father, said the nurse. I sent her away on purpose to tell you something. I am already informed that there was nothing on her. Obviously, she will stay in the morgue for a few days, but in my experience, no one will care. The baby seems to have a serious problem. In the best-case scenario, he could be deaf. At any rate, we send babies in these cases to orphanages where they usually stay since it is extremely rare for an adoption to take place of a sick baby. I have notified the Children's Welfare officer to take care of the details. Do you want me to do anything else?

No, nurse, I think you did whatever was possible, said Father Alfonso. My concern is about Costanza because she is a very compassionate girl, and she was the one that found the young woman.

I'm sorry, Father, said the nurse, here's nothing I can do about that.

The lady from the welfare came after a while, almost simultaneously with Costanza that was carrying the bad news, as expected.

Father Alfonso, his mother, did not have a name, she said. What will happen now?

Costanza, you should not lose your hopes. Johannes is a healthy baby, and we must be able to find his relatives. Soon he will be with his grandmother or his aunt or another relative who will take care of him.

I care about him, Costanza said. Does...

You're only ten Costanza, the priest said, and your parents are so poor that they cannot afford to feed another mouth.

I know that Father, but he is so little, little and all alone, Costanza said, and I do not know what to do.

The first thing you should do, the nurse said, is to let him rest because he is tiny and very exhausted.

Johannes, don't be afraid, I will come to the orphanage to see you every Sunday. This is a promise. Be happy. I love you. I'm your godmother, am I not? From now on, I will be your mother. But you know I'm only ten years old, and so you should wait to see me on Sundays. Is that possible, madam? Costanza asked the woman from the Welfare.

Tell me your name and I will arrange it.

Costanza Toros, mom, and his is, Johannes. Thank you very much.

Father Alfonso took Costanza by hand and left. The little girl turned back while exiting the room and said: Do not worry Johannes, I'll see you soon.

The baby was looking at her as she left. The nurse and the lady from the Welfare felt his look and got scared.

I do not understand why this baby is creeping me so much, the nurse said. There is something strange about his eyes.

The baby was sneering at them the entire time they were talking as if he understood what they talked about.

What kind of baby do I have here? the nurse said.

He is cute, the lady of Welfare said, but isn't he so weird? Look at him. He is looking at me as if he understands what I'm saying. Isn't it strange?

What is strange is being here so long without crying at all. The baby is looking at me with this strange look. Other babies have this faraway look, but his eyes show no fear, only despair that cannot be real.

Okay, this whole thing went too far, the lady from the Welfare said. Put him to a cradle and let's hope that tomorrow everything calms down, and all will go back to normal.

After a while, the baby slept among the other babies. That moment, no one could say that Johannes was a tragic mistake, no one could tell who the father was or what was his nature. It was just a little baby in the nursery ward of the hospital, just a baby, among many others.

The humanoid with the unknown sex stretched out his hand to the card he had just before thrown to the package. The Fool was walking toward the ravine. A wolf was biting his leg. In his sack, something heavy seemed to hang over his cane. The Spade, the Sword, the Cup, and the Pentacle, according to tradition, were the objects that tipped the bag. Where they? Were those items really for him or were they just a dream hanging in the pouch? Who is to decide on this?

Who are you, Johannes? asked the card. Are you the Fool or am I the Fool? Is Doctor Johns the Fool, or eventually we're all a bunch of fools? Do you realize that you are the son of yesterday that has to prove the existence of tomorrow? And you Costanza, what do you want this time and who will you be? Are you going to be the sister or the loving one? Are you the driver or the one that will follow?

The card of the Fool remained silent. The tarot cards are not talking. The Fool of the Tarot always goes into the ravine, the wolf always bites his foot, the pouch is always full of unfamiliar objects. This is the fate of a tarot card. There is only one exception when the game of life and destiny is played by the hand of the Unknown.

Chapter 1: The Magician, Aleph

The humanoid was ready to draw the second card. Suddenly, a strange thought crossed his mind.

Why the first card I pulled is The Fool? Is there a chance that the second card might be the...? Is someone playing a game with me?

He looked up and laughed, most odd.

Oh, you will not bluff me. I do not believe that anyone can mix the cards in such a way. So, for my sake, I will reshuffle the deck.

He got the pack to shuffle the cards, but he stopped. A new idea came to his mind.

Am I wrong? Should I check the cards?

He felt like a puppet in the hands of someone much stronger than him. That infuriated him. He threw the cards all over the room and started laughing.

Trick or not, I will use another package.

He stretched out his hand to nowhere and got a new pack of Tarot cards. He shuffled it and slowly turned the first card; it was The Magician. He felt discomfort and stood still for a while.

So, dear Johannes, you're the Magician. If this is the case, do your tricks and amuse me!

Three years had passed since the day Johannes was in the orphanage, and as the nurse had noticed, no one ever chose him for adoption. However, nobody knew what was happening. A young couple once wanted a baby boy, had almost chosen him, but while completing the adoption papers, they had written the name of another boy. Not anyone could imagine what on earth had happened, not anyone but Johannes. He had just chosen to stay at the orphanage. He felt that he was carrying a bizarre body and so far didn't have the power to manage it and he wanted. He had to be patient for at least another year. The only significant and delightful thing happening in his life was his meetings with Costanza. The girl had kept her promise and visited every Sunday the orphanage to be close to him. The baby calmed her unprecedentedly. She did not know how, but again, she was only thirteen years old. Johannes knew why, but it was not the right time for her to find out.

Five years ago, at the Research Institute of Genetic Code, a team of doctors had found the hormone that would change knowledge on earth. Nobody knew that this strange humanoid, wanting to sow chaos, was the one that discovered it, the one that put the idea in Dr. John's head. But neither the humanoid knew that one level above, someone else had changed his plans. So Johannes once again found himself with flesh and bones. He was the one who decided Scintillas' actions. He also helped her escape and led her to the steps of Father Alfonso and Costanza. Finally, it was he who once again had stopped the humanoid's plans. As always, the Celestial Order of entities that lie far beyond the material level was the only one capable of sorting out such situations. The humanoid had realized from the first moment that this game was challenging and that perhaps somebody has deliberately blocked him. He tempted Johannes with various emotions. He wanted to prove that no one was worthy of being a member of the Collective Entity of that other level responsible for the Cosmic Order.

Johannes was preparing what we would call the 'First Period.' Since the last time he was on earth, many things had changed, and it was not a bad idea for him to see the details of the new procedures. He possessed very well almost all human knowledge. The problem with the incarnations was the emotions. It was the only thing he could not bring along from beyond. So Johannes had to build from scratch his emotional world without taking into account some specific details such as Costanza, the thirteen-year-old girl, who was an old acquaintance. His mind traveled to Father Alfonso, another old friend, a comrade most times.

Father Alfonso was... Johannes denied himself the privilege of old memories. He was a human being and had to act like one.

Father Alfonso was in his church preparing for the evening ceremony when Costanza entered restlessly and approached him.

Good evening Father, how are you today? she said, looking around to make sure nobody was in the church.

Hi Costanza, the priest replied. Why did you come so early? Is there something wrong?

Yes, and no father. I would visit Johannes this Sunday, but my father is taking me with him in a place I don't know, and there is even a chance that we shall move there for good. I hope things change and we go back they way we were, Costanza said without taking a breath, but someone has to go to see Johannes. Will you be able to do that?

Costanza, Costanza, the priest said, you can press someone to do exactly what you want and to believe that you give him the freedom to decide for himself.

Oh no Father, this was not my intention, Costanza said with a smile hanging on her lips. I have no intention to give freedom. I want to force them to do what I like from the very first moment.

She stopped and started laughing loudly.

Costanza harry back to your house before I will forget that I am a priest.

Thank you, Father, and please give many kisses to Johannes from me.

Did I say that I will go, and I didn't hear it? the priest replied.

Oh yes, Father, you will go, and thank you so much for that, yelled Costanza while running outside the church.

What a little devil, Father Alfonso whispered to himself. He loved Costanza profoundly and could not deny her anything. Okay Johannes, he said to himself. We shall meet on Sunday.

At the same time in the orphanage, a rather odd couple visited the children to adopt a boy, a little older than five years old. The lady who was responsible, the Chief as they called her in the orphanage, accompanied them through the various rooms. The husband, a middle-aged man who looked like a mountain man type, asked to visit the nursery to see the younger boys.

The Director asked politely if they were interested in adopting a child because otherwise it was hard for the children to hope for it and not go through with it, eventually.

Yes, his wife said, we will adopt a child, but we want a boy who reminds us somehow the son we lost. Additionally, he must have a rather robust structure because we live in Montana, and the weather is difficult. You understand why we must be so thoughtful.

If you are sure about your decision, I have no objection letting you meet all the orphans in the country, said the Director.

The couple and the Manager entered the kindergarten. All the kids were playing. The picture was very joyful but as soon as the strangers entered the children stopped playing simultaneously and looked at the eyes of the two intruders, all except Johannes who was still looking at a magazine. It was hilarious the way he was holding a large magazine in his little hands and stared at it as he could read. The man went up to him and looked at the magazine. The photo was from a forest of Montana.

What is his name?

Johannes, and he is a silent and strong kid. His mother died in childbirth, and no relatives claimed him, the teacher that was watching over the kids replied.

Martha, what do you think? the man asked his wife.

Yes Marcus, she said, he is all quiet and charming. But there is a small problem. This young gentleman seems interested in books. Imagine what will happen if he takes yours!

She began laughing with her heart, pure gurgling laughter that proved she was teasing her husband, a tender habit of hers.

Martha, you're right, he said. This is an excellent reason to choose him as our son. If there is no problem with the institution, we would like to adopt Johannes. As for you, young man, let's hope that your new name, Johannes Lukas Marcus, will fit in your plans.

I see what you mean, Martha replied. Imagine when I call you out for dinner, I will say, 'Marcus Lukas, Johannes,' come out for supper.

She laughed again with all the children imitating her and breaking into laughter. A pandemonium spread in the kindergarten, with children laughing and the teacher trying to bring them back in order while giggling herself as well. The Director asked the couple to follow her back to her office, giving the kindergarten class the chance to go back to normal. But a careful observer would notice that Johannes didn't take part in the general merriment. He was merely smiling in a way that was anything but consistent with his age.

The phone rang shortly after. The Director asked the teacher to prepare Johannes since the adoption would take place the next day. Johannes was to leave with his new parents for Montana soon. They puzzled the teacher since most of the time, the process was taking no less than twenty days.

Don't worry, said the Director. They carry with them all the necessary documents, and I have already called and spoken with the local authorities. They know them very well, and they were the ones who informed them of us initially. They faxed us the papers that prove they are a very respectable and wealthy family with no problems. They are perfect for this case!

The next day Marcus and Martha came with a bunch of toys for Johannes. He looked at them, smiled in his peculiar way, took the toys, and as a Lilliputian Santa Claus, distributed them to the children. All the staff of the kindergarten was speechless and stunned at the sight of the three-year-old toddler who shared joyfully the toys he had just received as presents. This site was beyond the wildest imagination. It was like a dream. When Johannes finished, he clapped his little hands as a gesture of farewell. All the children imitated him, and soon, a frenzy of applause caught up with the younger and the older crowd. The children laughed, the grown-ups smiled, and everyone seemed so thrilled.

Marcus reached out and held Johannes' hand while Martha reached out for his other hand. The happy trio, in the strangest way as part of a family sitcom, left the kindergarten. Soon their car was heading for Montana, leaving behind a story that for many years amused the orphanage staff.

Father Alfonso was shocked to find out the following Sunday about Johannes's adoption. He was happy and sad at the same time. The little boy was for him something more than just an orphan. He had become the son he could never have.

Oh God, what will I say to Costanza? he gushed.

Pardon me? the teacher asked.

Excuse me, I was speaking to myself, Alfonso said.

He knew he was about to face a problem. He got the new address of Johannes and left the orphanage troubled.

The first person to see Tuesday morning was Costanza.

Good morning, she said. How was the Sunday sermon?

Come on, Costanza. I'm not saying you don't care about the ceremony, but to be honest we both know the only thing you care to know right now is how is Johannes. Father Alfonso said while trying to find the right words for the tragedy he felt would break out soon.

You are right, said Costanza. How is Johannes?

I have good news and bad news. What do you want to hear first, although before that I would like to know how was your weekend was?

Don't change the subject, father. What happened to Johannes?

He's fine, don't worry, replied the priest. Please tell me about your news first.

I have nothing but bad news. My father got a job at the end of the world, and he will move out there next month. The rest of us will follow this summer.

Costanza, I am sorry, but try to think positively, the priest advised her. Your family deserves a better life.

Costanza harshly interrupted him. I don't give a damn. Sorry, I didn't mean to speak that way, but the only thing I care about is Johannes and...

Johannes, Costanza, has been adopted, Father Alfonso said calmly.

What? How? the girl asked in distress, while her face lost its color.

Costanza, do you feel all right? the priest asked.

Yes, father, she replied, but the girl was lying. When is he leaving?

Costanza my sweetheart, Johannes has already left.

The little girl nearly fainted at the sound of his words.

Costanza, please dear Costanza, said the priest, not knowing what to do. He mildly smacked her cheeks to wake her up, as if she had fallen asleep. The girl opened her eyes and cried.

Costanza, you shouldn't cry, said the priest. Johannes is finally with a family that I am sure will take good care of him. You didn't want him to stay all his life in the orphanage.

No, but I wanted to adopt him myself, said the girl as if she was admitting the most natural thing.

I know you love him, but don't you think this is a bit unrealistic? the priest told her as calm as he could under these circumstances.

I could kidnap him and run away, Costanza said in an utterly childish way.

Then thank God they adopt him, said the priest.

Silence fell between them. Nobody dared to interrupt each other's thoughts. A few minutes passed before Costanza asked: Do you know where they will be located?

I have the address in my office, replied the priest. Come, let's go inside.

They walked down the long hallway of the sanctuary, which was next to his office.

Where is the place you will move? the priest asked.

It is a wood sawmill somewhere in Montana, and my father will be in charge of the mill, said the girl.

In Montana? the priest asked, quite surprised. If so, you can be close to Johannes. He is already somewhere there.

In Montana? Costanza gushed, not believing her ears. Did you say in Montana?

You said earlier in Montana? the priest asked again.

Father, are we playing the echo game? Costanza asked brutally.

Costanza, watch your manners, said Father Alfonso. I'm not playing you. Johannes has been adopted by Mr. Lucas, a wealthy man from Montana.

My father will work as a foreman at a mill in Montana. The owner of the mill is called Mark Lucas. Is it possible to be the same man? Costanza asked, not believing her incredible luck.

I don't know the answer to that one. His father's first name is not written in the note. But miracles happen, the priest said. You will be close to your brother. Because, Costanza, if God went to all that trouble to send you and Johannes to the same place, he sure did it for a reason. This is no coincidence. Don't you think it's a good idea to pray for what happened?

She didn't answer, just took him by the hand and led him in front of the sanctuary. They both kneeled and prayed.

Far away, in a beautiful home in the mountains of Montana, Johannes started smiling.

Dr. Johns was only right on one thing. Johannes had full consciousness from the first minute. But what the doctor did not expect was that Johannes did not merely have memories from the first moment of his conception but also carried ones from long before. Johannes problem was now to keep his memories alive. As time passed by, the consciousness of this world of flesh was getting more and more entrenched. And because even though the recalls existed, the only way to preserve them was through journeys in the Astral Plane where one can enter through meditation. The metaphysics call them transcendental journeys to other dimensions or transitions. In doing that, he found considerable support because he was still in the first phase of his new life and that's why he could divide his time in both those different situations.

That was the reason he moved to Montana and have Marcus Lucas as his father, who was a well-known metaphysic, specializing in the study of Kabbalah. Marcus always wanted a son, but after the death of his own, he had suffered psychological sterilization that did not allow him to become a father. So he and his wife Martha decided to adopt a child. They prayed for it until the day a friend of theirs told them he knew of an orphanage in New York, whose Director was a very good friend of his. They visited New York, mainly because they wanted to adopt a child from a distant place.

After the