Operation Soulmate (29 page)

Geraldine paced the living room floor wildly, as she waited for Danny to arrive. By the time he rang the door bell she was beside herself. He’d never seen her looking so unglued. Danny suddenly felt himself becoming emotional again as he watched Geraldine breaking down in the passenger seat next to him. He’d never even seen her cry before. “Hey ..sis, come on....You have to be strong now, for Ben’s sake...Let’s just get there as quick as we can...k?”

     Geraldine nodded, and Danny raced wordlessly around the backstreets that led to the small, private hospital. They arrived within ten minutes and Geraldine rushed to get her seatbelt off before he’d even finished parking and tried not to
run
into the hospital. As they walked quickly towards Ben’s room, Danny tried to fill her in. “Try not to be too shocked, okay, it looks worse than it really is. Just stay strong G. If anything can get him to pull through, it’s you.” He smiled weakly, and left her alone in the room with Ben.

     Geraldine bit her lip slightly to stop herself from crying. Outside the room, she could hear a nurse whispering to Danny...She heard Danny’s voice saying... “It’s okay, she’s his girlfriend.” Geraldine felt her lip trembling dangerously. Ben’s girlfriend...that’s
exactly
what she was...what she
should
have been all this time if she hadn’t been so busy being crazy.

     “Oh, yes, of course, I recognise her from the photograph we found in his wallet.” Geraldine, held her head up towards the ceiling and fought back the tears again. Ben had a
photo
of her in his wallet!!?? How could she have been so stupid all this time?! She could hear the nurse’s voice again but couldn’t quite make out everything she was saying.

      Ben was wired up to all sorts of machines and didn’t seem conscious. He still looked so gorgeous lying there. There was hardly any damage to his face, except for a small cut on his top lip. One of the machines seemed to make a slightly louder noise when she carefully took hold of his hand. Above the noise, she just managed to discern a few scattered words from the conversation just outside the room...

      “Vital signs seem to be stabilising now.... fairly minor procedure...nothing too serious......local anaesthetic....mild sedative to help him sleep...should come around some time tomorrow....yes, he was, yes ...very, very lucky.......not too many visitors tonight though...Yes, oh, yes of course she can stay...yes, yes, I understand completely.”

      Danny popped his head around the door and was relieved to see Geraldine smiling bravely. He winked at her. “It’s okay for you to stay G, no probs. I’m gonna get back and let a few more of Ben’s people know what’s happened. Do you want me to bring anything back for you? “Geraldine shook her head. “No thanks Dan...” She stared at Ben and smiled again. “I think I’ve got everything I need. Thanks again, Danny...” Danny waved at her and blew a quick and soulful kiss. He was slightly more worried for Geraldine at that point than for Ben. She seemed to think he was in some kind of a coma. He dismissed the thought from his mind. He had other things and other people to focus on, now.

     Geraldine sat holding Ben’s hand for about an hour, as various people quietly drifted through the room. Thankfully his parents adored her and understood perfectly when she continued holding his hand, rather than getting up to offer them a hug. They seemed to sense that she was the best medicine their son could possibly have at that moment. Geraldine was determined to maintain physical contact with Ben until he opened his eyes again. She knew it would also be important for him to hear her voice, so once his parents had finally left the room to go in search of bathrooms and coffees, she decided to tell him a story, a long and labyrinthine tale, which she would continue to tell, perhaps until he awoke; a tale that began, almost at the dawn of creation. The tale of two star-crossed lovers, not entirely unlike the two of them...

     “Once upon a time,” she began, “in a land, long ago and far away, there lived a handsome and magical man called Ammon and a beautiful and goddess-like creature called P’tah. Ammon and P’tah were deeply in love......” Geraldine interrupted her rambling odyssey at intervals, allowing for brief exchanges with the nurses who came and went. By the time Danny returned, she was regaling Ben with tales of Desta and Bekele. Danny shook his head. Poor Ben. Geraldine briefly interrupted her story again, when she spied him entering the room. “Danny, she whispered." Can you call my friend, Brogan please and tell her I won’t be coming in to work tomorrow. My phone’s in my pocket.” Geraldine leaned to one side allowing Danny access to her jacket pocket. “Might be a bit late to call, but can you text her please? Just tell her what’s happened and get her to tell Faith...” Danny looked at Geraldine’s worried little face and almost laughed.

    “Sis, you’re gonna
have
to leave the room some time, you know...What happens when you need to go...you know...to the ladies room?” Geraldine looked at him penetratingly before crossing her legs demurely. They both smiled weakly. Geraldine was more hopeful, now. She could tell from the nurse’s conversation with Danny that Ben was most probably going to be alright. And besides, she was
willing
him to be alright... She gently kissed the palm of his hand and held it against her cheek.

     Danny was secretly grateful for Geraldine’s presence at the hospital. He couldn’t think of anyone else in the world who could have understood and shared the emotional weight of the situation with...the fear, the grief, the sadness. It all seemed to melt away under the patient glow of their obvious and unshakeable love for each other. He noticed that Ben’s cheeks seemed slightly pinker. “You know what,” he said, as he began texting, “I know this might sound weird, but he’s looking better already.” Geraldine smiled hopefully and sighed contentedly.

     Brogan couldn’t believe how awful Geraldine looked when she walked into the hospital room. “There you go darlin” She said, throwing a large bag onto the empty chair next to her. “Danny told me you were thinking of never leaving this room again so I thought I’d bring you a survival kit. We used Ben's old keys to get into your flat; Hope you don't mind darlin'... It's just a few bits and pieces. Some PJs, undies, trail mix, toothbrush, toothpaste, make- up wipes, ipod, leave-in conditioner, coconut oil, deodorant... the usual stuff.” Geraldine was almost delirious from the lack of sleep, and suddenly almost overcome with emotion at their thoughtfulness. She had no idea what time it was. She wasn’t even sure what day it was anymore! The days and nights all seemed to be merging into one, long, gut-wrenching moment of abject cruelty and despair. But she wasn't going to be beaten by any of it! If ever there was a moment to rise up and overcome all obstacles and adversity, then that moment had surely come, and now, nothing else mattered.

     “Brogan, what are you even doing here?” Brogan rushed over and hugged her. Geraldine hugged back with her free arm.

     “I’m so, so sorry Gerry. Is Ben gonna ...be okay?” she whispered loudly. “Danny said he’s looking a lot better? You alright, hon?” Geraldine was exhausted. She nodded pathetically.      

    “Oh, Brogan, thank you! But how did you...”

     “Danny gave me a lift, over. He sent me a text, remember. Actually, I think he’s still got your phone...Anyway...We’ll bring it back later. We'll take care of your calls hon; You just focus on Ben”

    “Huh, who’s
we
? What’s going on?” This was so confusing. Geraldine was completely baffled. Why were Brogan and Danny suddenly a ‘
we’
? Just how long had she
been
in that room?

     “Uh? Oh me and Danny. I called ‘im back when I got the text. Just wanted to find out what was going on...make sure you were alright, hon. He said he’d pick me up if I wanted to come and see you...bring you some chick-stuff, as he called it. Ah, he’s such a great guy. Listen, I’ve gotta go, see if I can get some sleep before tomorrow. Danny’s waiting outside. Oh God, he’s so
gorgeous
!!!!! See ya later, hon.” Geraldine rolled her eyes and shook her head. Only Ben would have appreciated the irony. He’d been trying to get those two together for ages. How ironic that he’d chosen this way to finally do it.

    As she watched Brogan disappearing, through the door, almost in slow motion, she suddenly felt very scared and
very
alone. What if Ben
didn’t
recover? What if this was all just another chapter in the ill-fated Ben and Geraldine saga? She banished the thought quickly, and shook herself back into the room. She was just about to pick up her story again with Patrick and Josh when she noticed Lena, standing beside Ben’s bed. She looked sad. Geraldine waved politely and stoically and then, suddenly noticed something else? Some
one
, else... Lena had brought someone else with her! Geraldine watched, closely as a huge, nebulous, white and golden, light slowly sharpened up before her eyes, into the shape of a large and imposing Angel, which filled the room with its immense, loving presence.   

     Geraldine gasped, but at the same time, couldn’t help noticing that he looked an awful lot like Morgan Freeman in
Evan Almighty.
Her heart sank into a cavernous sense of despair, however, as she quickly recognised that the figure standing beside Lena, was Archangel Metatron, standing beside Lena, and casting a sorrowful glance in her direction.

    “Oh, no....no Ben...” She moaned into the bedding and the tight grip she had on his hand. “No Ben, no!!! You can’t go. I won’t let you.” When she looked up, she saw Ben standing between them,
outside
his body.

    “I’m so sorry Gerry,” Metatron said, casting a gentle beam of compassion in her general direction. “Ben has to go now.”

    “No!! That’s not fair!!!” She almost screamed. “Ben, don’t listen to him. Get back into that body now!!!”  Geraldine was, almost, hysterical.

     Ben smiled with affectionate longing and shook his head sadly.

    “But
why?
” She said, staring in disbelief, at the gathering crowd of angels. “Why when we’ve come so far?! Why when I’m finally ready to be with him...properly? This isn’t supposed to happen. This is so unfair!!!!”

      “I’m sorry, Geraldine.” said Metatron. “I truly, truly am. I can see how it might
seem
unfair to you. But then you, yourself haven’t been
entirely
fair, have you?”

      “What do you
mean
? What have
I
done?”

      “You dishonoured the terms of your contract.” He said. Geraldine was genuinely baffled. How could she
possibly
be expected to know what was in a soul contract?!!

     “Exactly my point,” said Metatron, reading her thoughts. “There are things in this world, Geraldine, that mere mortals are not
supposed
to know. Otherwise, it tends to skew the results somewhat... don't you think?”

     “Okay, okay, just tell me what I did wrong and I’ll fix it. Nothing is unfixable, right?  That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? You’ve come to tell me how to fix things, so we can be together, and Ben can get well and ...”

      “No, Gerry, I’m afraid it’s not that simple.” He said, smiling sympathetically. “This isn’t something you can fix.” Geraldine wanted to scream! What on
earth
was going on? How could she and Ben get so close and fail
again
? She could almost
see
their future together and
feel
the happiness of their life ahead. This was just plain, cruel.

     “I don’t believe you.” She said. “There’s
always
a way...There just
has
to be a way. I just know it....I can feel it. IN HERE,” she said clutching her heart with unbridled passion and feeling fresh tears welling up again. I am NOT going to let go of this dream....Not this time. Not
EVER
.
This
is the lifetime where we finally get to be happy! What about the contract of all twin flames, the agreement to come together in our final incarnation, to love each other and to be of service to humanity.”

      “Not worth the scroll it’s inscribed on. This is no longer your final incarnation, Gerry. I’m afraid that plan has been slightly derailed, for now. You and Ben will have to return to Earth to try again ...another time...I’m sorry,” He said, smiling compassionately.

       “I don’t
understand
,” she wailed, desperately.

       Metatron, suddenly, produced a large, glowing, red book and began thumbing through some of the holographic 3d images, which jumped out from between its covers, replaying scenes from the previous two and a half years of Geraldine’s life. First there was the scene of her initial meeting with Ben ‘by coincidence’ and a few other scenes, showing missed opportunities, where their lives had been carefully orchestrated to easily become more intimately intertwined, but they had, both, endlessly missed the boat. Then there was a rambling sequence of scenes, in which she’d ignored Ben’s, now obvious, attempts to get closer to her. These were followed by scenes of her anger towards him, the morning after pyjama-gate. Then various scenes in which Ben sat alone in his office, looking tortured, a scene showing Ben, accidentally, confessing his love, to Brogan, at
Soulful, Speed-dating
, followed by scene, after scene, after scene, displaying some of Brogan’s fruitless hinting over the last few weeks, and, to conclude this baffling catalogue of disasters, various scenes from her past-life regressions were suddenly weeping, wailing and revealing themselves, all around her.