I was our Gypsy Leader 1 - My reincarnated Soul Mate - 8. Chapter 8. John's parents; and having a talk with Eric.

Walking together, we went to John's abode that turned out to be only five houses away. On our way, John unexpectedly took my hand, almost as if he was already used to doing this. While pointing to the fourth house in the row that we passed, he explained:

"This is where Thomas and Chrissy are living. During daylight, Harry always walks to their house and towards Jack's former house through our backyards, to hide his face from any strangers that might see his burns and possibly feel shocked, shoo him away, tease him, or call him nasty names like 'freak' or 'alien'."

After arriving at the fifth house in the row that was John's abode, John took a key out of his pocket, opened his front door, and politely allowed me to go inside first. Soft music played in the background while the house lightly smelled of incense. It made me feel welcome, while John took me straight into their dimly lit living room.

Inside their living room, I first had to wait for a second until my eyes were accustomed to the sudden lamplight. Then, I saw my little namesake, lying prone on the carpeted floor while playing some game of cards with Marrie and Mark. He looked up from his game when John and I entered their living room, clearly feeling surprised to see ME. Again, all the others around us seemed to fade away when my boy's bright blue eyes pierces into my soul, while his aura reached out towards my thoughts and quickly paged through them as if searching for any telltale signs of disgust or rejection. One by one, he opened all my inner doors, looked inside, and carefully closed them again.

Surprisingly, my inside felt already totally safe in my boy's skilled 'hands', probably because it was now sure that my former pupil would never damage me, not even accidentally, by unintentionally stirring any hidden thoughts or redundant traumas! In the meantime, my own analytical mind started to make overtime. How in the world did this so extremely special child know exactly what he had to do? Even my own extensive course in 'aura reading and healing' had never taught me how to do something specialized like this. Would I ever be able to equal his skills, and would I ever be able to defend myself against such an unexpected 'psychic intrusion'? Wow, what an extremely powerful child was my former little trapper son! And, this so special little upcoming Shaman and Cosmic Mage, who once had been my most promising psychic pupil, would again be 'MY BOY'!

In the meantime, my little upcoming Shaman had already left my aura and carefully closed all my inner doors. Although clearly feeling satisfied with what he had found, he also returned into a vulnerable little boy that seemed to feel unsure about how I would react to such a sudden boldness, whilst smiling apologetically as if he recognized me as being his Supreme High Priest and therefore excusing himself for being this impertinent. At the same time, he seemed to feel relieved, because his hitherto penetrating gaze suddenly softened considerably. As if wanting to prove to me that he really trusted me, he also opened his own protective aura towards me and let me enter it...

By using my own 'aura reading capabilities', I could again read my boy's surrounding aura like an open book. Unfortunately, he still had some remaining fears. Although he absolutely was a Very Wise Old Soul, at the same time, he was a vulnerable little boy who still had to grow up and therefore needed another loving and caring grownup in his life. Next to this, he also showed me his regret for running away from me, and his longing to make up with me. Could I please forgive him? Although he knew he had disappointed me, he also hoped and prayed that I still wanted to be his new Big Friend...

To get on level with him, I first sank onto one knee. Then, I just opened my arms wide towards him while I asked him:

"I am really happy to see you back; and I also want to make up for what happened this morning when I rudely rejected your spontaneous kiss. Therefore, could I please get another hug?"

For a second, my boy seemed to feel shocked by my unexpected request. Then, he showed me again his still remaining fears of being disappointed. Could he really trust me; and did I really accept him for what he was, including his so ugly shriveled and stained lips? Plus, did I still want to be his new 'Big Friend', even after he screamed and then suddenly fled away from Jack's former house?

Again, I started to send him all the Universal Love that I was able to bring forth, whilst telling him in my mind that it was ME who had made such a silly mistake. Could he please forgive me?

Again, my boy had picked up all my thoughts; because, this time, his proudly beaming face almost lit up the entire room. Determinedly, he pushed his game of cards towards Marrie and rose from the floor. For a split second, he seemed to hesitate again, whilst looking straight into my eyes as if searching again for any telltale signs of rejection... Then, he definitively left all his hitherto remaining fears behind!

Trustfully, he approached me, until I could feel his surprisingly warm body heat. From there, he just leapt straight into my arms. With an amazingly deep and sonorous sounding baritone voice, he told me:

"I am still sorry for disappointing you this morning..."

Then, he folded his remarkably strong arms around my neck, put his head under my chin, and tried to melt completely into my chest. Instinctively, I put my arms around his tiny waist and pulled him even closer against my chest, while I could feel how he started to sob. Only, this time, his sobs were sobs of Pure Joy and Sheer Happiness!

No words in the world can even start to describe what I felt now that 'my boy' so trustfully and totally committed himself to me. My inside was feeling an entire mixture of fatherly feelings, responsibility, eternal friendship, Real Love, and Pure Joy, all in one. We had finally found each other, and my inside was sure that we would be 'Eternal Soul Mates' for now and forever! Surprisingly, even my too analytical mind respectfully kept its meddling mouth shut; at least for now...

Again, old remembrances showed up in my inside, showing that my boy and I had been together during many 'past lives', where we had been friends, kindred souls, brothers, father and son, teacher and pupil, King and Vice King, and much, much more. My heart was now sure we were Soul Mates and that we BELONGED to each other, for now and for all eternity, despite our obvious difference in age!

Involuntarily, I too got tears in my eyes, but this time from pure happiness. Never before had I cried as much as today, but being able to let myself go completely and allowing myself to be this emotional, felt wonderful! Although my 'little soul mate' was still crying with me, our mingling tears were tears of pure joy and happiness. Finally, our waiting time was over. Finally, my powerful little Shaman and I could start working closely together; and, from now on, nobody would ever be able to separate us; not even our so meddlesome 'society'!

After first rubbing our teary faces together, we looked into each other's eyes and suddenly grinned at each other like crazy. Again, we melted into each other and mingled our tears of happiness. Again, we stared into each other's eyes, almost drowning in each other's mutual love... Tentatively, I puckered my mouth and touched his stained and wrinkled lips with mine. Without any hesitancy, he kissed me back, again full on my mouth. Fortunately, my former hesitation seemed to be gone, so that even my puritanical inside was sure that, from now on, I too would be a real 'kisser', probably for the rest of my life!

For quite some time, we just went on hugging and feeling happy. This only eight-year-old little Gypsy boy with his so badly burnt face really was my former trapper son, my dearest friend, my long-lost blood brother, and my Eternal Soul Mate, all in one! My inside was sure that, from now on, and despite our difference in age, we would always be friends, even after one of us died and returned to heaven! Looking into my boy's happily beaming bright blue eyes, I could see that he recognized me too and clearly felt just as happy as I was. I had found MY 'eternal soul mate', and my boy also had found HIS!

At last, slowly and carefully, I disentangled my beaming little soul mate from my enveloping arms. Then, I rose from the floor, while my boy rose with me and cleverly ducked his head under my arm. Clearly, his vulnerable 'little boy' inside still wanted to feel safe and protected. While I draped one arm around his small shoulders and pulled him even closer against my side, I started to look around...

Mark was still lying prone and from there staring at us. Did I see some hidden jealousy in his eyes? Marrie was still sitting on the floor and from there looking up at us with tears in her eyes, as if she felt happy for us. John had already placed himself next to me, proudly leaning into my other side whilst looking both elated and truly happy. Sitting on her couch like a queen, a dark-haired middle-aged woman looked at us with approving eyes. When I looked back at her, she also started to smile as if sending us all her love and understanding. We seemed to like each other at first sight, and my inside war sure that she and I would easily become good friends. For a split second, a hint of recognition crossed my inside, as if we already knew each other, although I knew that we had never met before during THIS life.

Sitting alone in an armchair, an angry looking man with hazel eyes was continually smoking a cigarette, while his piercing eyes drifted from my boy to me, to his wife, to his children, and back to my boy and me. My inside did NOT like that smoking man at first sight, and my gut feeling told me this was mutual! This nervously smoking man clearly did NOT like our spontaneous kissing and cuddling...

Tentatively, I ruffled my boy's unruly blond hair, so that he looked up at me with still lots of adoration in his beaming bright blue eyes. Stealthily, I looked from him to the smoking man, while I sensed how my little Shaman almost immediately understood what I wanted, read my projected thoughts, and thus knew without using any words what I not wanted to say aloud. I would NOT talk to that nervously smoking man, unless he opened his mouth and asked me something first!

Together, we went to the smiling dark-haired woman on her couch, because I wanted to apologize for unexpectedly intruding on her like this. Whilst smiling back at the woman, I told her:

"Good evening, ma'am; and I also want to apologize for intruding on you like this. This evening, when John paid me an unexpected visit, he also told me a couple of sad sounding things about his burnt 'little Gypsy brother'. Therefore, I hoped I could have a talk with Harry and maybe help him overcome at least some of his sadness..."

Offering me another warm smile, the woman responded:

"Please call me Trudy, and I am really happy that you are here to talk to Harry! All of us were at a loss, because nothing we told Harry could help him out of his unexpected desperation. None of us could reach him anymore, not even John and his friends. Harry didn't want to listen to them anymore and just went on crying and crying. For a moment, I was even angry with you, because I thought you could have brought him into such a difficult situation..."

At that moment, John jumped in and interrupted his mother:

"Mom, you are not fair, because none of this has been Big Harry's fault! None of us could ever imagine what my little brother could be thinking, or why he suddenly started to scream and then ran away from Jack's former house without saying another word."

At hearing John trying to defend me, my boy quickly ducked his head from under my arm, turned around, and determinedly stepped towards his 'big brother', this time showing a proud demeanor as if he could be sort of a little Prince who reprimanded a naughty subject! Talking with a sonorous sounding deep baritone voice and only now and then a slight outlandish accent, he admonished John:

"No John, you really cannot imagine why I suddenly started to cry or why I ran away, because you are not a creepy Gypsy orphan with such a freaky face and a badly burnt body. Of course, you never have to hide your burns from other people, and you never have to sneak to your friends in the dark or through their backyards. Nobody around you ever makes fun of you, and nobody ever points at you in plain daylight and calls you a 'freak' or an 'alien'. That is what I am feeling nearly every day, and that is why I am still shy and sometimes even start screaming and then run away. But, of course, you cannot help it. You just cannot imagine my pain and my fears. Yet, I still love you very much, for being my 'big brother' and trying to protect me from any pestering or bullying others in our neighborhood!"

Next, my 'little Prince' put his small arms around John's waist and fiercely hugged his surprised looking 'big brother'! Automatically, John draped his own arms around his 'little brother' and hugged him back, this time also showing a thankful look in his deep brown eyes. After a few seconds of hugging each other, my boy left John and just returned to me, although again ducking his head under my arm as if he still sought some more protection from ME... This time, I could clearly feel my upcoming little Shaman's surprisingly strong Inner Powers! Wow, what an extremely special child was he! Did I ever think I had to protect HIM; or could it be the other way round?

All the time, the nervously smoking man in his armchair had been glaring at us with disapproving eyes. My gut feeling told me that this man did NOT approve of the already blossoming friendship between his children and this bearded 'ancient grandpa'! Suddenly, he seemed to reach a decision, because he put his only halfway smoked cigarette into an already nearly filled ashtray, and sat upright. Clearly feeling more and more impatient, he pointed at their wall clock while, with a raspy sounding voice, he harshly announced:

"Children, go upstairs and to bed, NOW!"

As if feeling shocked, all four children just remained silent; until, almost unwillingly, my little soul mate ducked his head from under my arm and turned around to face me. As if again feeling unsure, he looked up at me with his piercing bright blue eyes. Then, hesitatingly, his sonorous sounding deep baritone voice pleaded:

"Could you please take me back to Jack's former house? I want to get my old room back and start living with you from now on!"

At hearing his little brother's request, John's beaming face almost lit up the entire room; until his happy sounding voice exclaimed:

"Yes, Dad, Harry has an excellent idea! Finally, I can get my own room back without having to share everything with him..."

Stealthily, John peeked aside at his surprised looking little brother and me, this time with what looked like hidden fear in his deep brown eyes. Could we understand the real meaning behind his probably too enthusiastic sounding words? Of course, we could! Without using any words, both my boy and I smiled broadly at John, so that John's face brightened again with relief while he happily smiled back at us.

Only John's again smoking Dad didn't seem to feel too happy with Harry's 'excellent idea'. Glaring at John, his raspy voice instructed:

"I want to talk to this stranger first, and then we shall see. Now go upstairs immediately, without any more complaints!"

Again showing some hidden fear in his eyes, my boy asked me:

"Could you please wake me up as soon as we're going home?"

"Yes, I promise."

Reluctantly, my boy started to follow John, Mark and Marrie into their hallway. For a split second, he looked back at me longingly, before he too disappeared and closed the door behind. Faintly, I heard them climb the stairs to the second floor, obviously trying not to make too many noises, so as not to annoy their already angry Dad.

All at once, my inside started to feel empty, as if I already missed my boy. At hearing him saying 'as soon as WE are going home', my inside felt both proud and elated. Clearly, my boy assumed that he really was going to live in what he still called 'Jack's former house'! And, of course, I had already promised John and all the others to give him his 'old' room back and even to furnish it for him.

Surprisingly, my inside also seemed to feel some hesitancy, as if I was NOT sure about my perhaps too spontaneous decision! Why was that, and what could be bothering me? Of course, as a psychotherapist, I was also used to question my subconscious feelings. Was I really willing to take this boy into my house and to raise him until he would be old enough to fend for himself? Of course, I wasn't Jack who had rescued him and who obviously had been a 'replacement father' to the little orphan. In reality, I was only a stranger to this boy who had met me for the first time only a few hours ago! What would happen, once the authorities found out that I was hosting a little boy in my house? We were living in an extremely mistrustful world where I also had to reckon with any too meddlesome 'Big Brother' people around me...

Unexpectedly, 'Dad' interrupted my train of thoughts, by telling me with his raspy and by now also whiny sounding voice:

"We haven't been introduced yet, but MY name is Eric."

Reluctantly, 'Dad' extended his smoke-stained hand towards me. The moment I took Eric's hand full of brown cigarette marks and shook it, involuntarily, my inside shuddered. To me, this handshake felt the opposite of a manly 'firm grip'; so that I decided to be very careful with this mistrusting man who already saw me as an enemy. Probably, he would do everything that he could to prove he was right, even when everybody else could prove to him that he was wrong...

At the same time, my inside also wondered how such a cold and hateful man like Eric could have been able to father such a warm and caring boy as his oldest son John seemed to be...

Still glaring at me with his cold fish-eyes, 'Dad' grumbled:

"You can sit down over there, and do you care for coffee?"

"Yes please. Black would be nice, with two lumps of sugar."

Suddenly feeling unsure, I sat down on the appointed chair, while Trudy disappeared into her kitchen. Whilst Trudy started to rummage with what sounded like coffee cups, Eric started his 'talk' to me, with an even more raspy and also still whiny sounding voice:

Eric started his 'talk' by telling me that the authorities had saddled him with that burnt little Gypsy orphan, but without HIS consent. His wife had insisted on taking the boy in their custody to help 'Jack', the single neighbor in the same street who had been living all alone in his too big house for at least twenty years. Two years ago, John suddenly brought Jack home, crying as a baby because he seemed to be rather charmed with that six-year-old burnt little Gypsy boy who had been hospitalized and was now delivered to some orphanage. Although HE didn't approve, his wife had insisted on taking the burnt Gypsy boy in their custody, so that he could start living with Jack in Jack's house.

Before Eric went on with his 'talk', he first lit another cigarette whereby he 'accidentally' blew some smoke into my direction. Was he trying to make me angry? After I didn't react, Eric just went on:

After Jack's sudden death, the burnt little Gypsy orphan returned into HIS house, so that HE should decide what was going to happen to the boy. Living in Jack's house seemed to be okay, because Jack always tutored the boy and the boy had his own room in Jack's house. However, I was still a stranger to him and to the boy, he didn't know anything about me; and, of course, the neighbors would start talking again. Who was I? Was I married, and did I have any children of my own? Why was I here, and what did I really want from HIS boy?

Feeling totally perplexed, I involuntarily balled my fists in my trouser pockets, while I nearly forgot to breathe from sudden anger! Who was this again arrogantly smoking man who still tried to blow his stinking smoke into my direction, and what kind of a fifth-degree interrogation was this? And, how the heck dared this arrogant man talk about 'HIS boy', as if my little soul mate really could be HIS son? Didn't this extremely arrogant Eric person have a heart?

Feeling angrier by the minute, I even thought about leaving HIS house and forcefully slamming HIS front door! Only, by doing this, I could be sure I would lose all my young friends, and this was the very last thing that I ever wanted. Therefore, I had to be extremely careful with my answers. Still hearing Eric's hateful voice in my head that was talking all the time about 'the boy' as if little Harry wasn't even a person to him, I was now sure that I wanted to take MY boy home and also give him his 'own' room back! If it were up to me, I would storm upstairs, kidnap him, and take him home immediately!

Fortunately, despite my more and more flaring anger, my normal brain still realized I had to satisfy Eric first, by giving him the proper answers that would hopefully impress him. Ultimately, my little soul mate WAS in his custody, and therefore Eric had every right to forbid both my boy and his own children to visit me ever again! Quickly, I suppressed my still growing anger, by taking a couple of deep breaths and forcing my inside to calm down, as I always used to do during my own difficult youth whilst talking to my angry parents. Next, I started to answer Eric's questions, whilst still trying to sound calm:

"I am a retired but still active psychotherapist, sixty five years old, and I have been married but divorced around two months ago and now also bought a new house. I'm also the proud father of two already grownup daughters who are living in another town..."

Exactly at that moment, Trudy suddenly stormed into the living room, still drying her hands! Demonstratively, she stepped in between her husband and me, and put her hands on her hips. Looking furious, she first stared her husband down until he unwillingly averted his eyes. Then, with fire-shooting eyes, she barked at him:

"Eric, this will be enough! As John's father, you should know that John already thinks the world of 'Big Harry', and you should also know that John already has proven to be a more than excellent judge of character! And that is totally unlike you, my dear. You are always immediately criticizing and belittling others, but, from now on, I have had more than enough of this! I trust Big Harry, John trusts him, and Harry clearly adores him. Therefore, from this moment on, Harry is free to start living with his new Big Friend if he wants to, and our own children are also allowed to visit Big Harry in his newly bought house whenever they want to. And, from now on, YOU shut up!"

Still looking flustered, Trudy first draped herself onto her couch as if she could be a real queen. Then, she smiled broadly at me while she told me with a warm and soulful sounding voice:

"I want to apologize for my husband being so... Well, I'm sure you understand what I mean. Especially to any new neighbors, he always tries to prove that he is the 'man in the house', although he also has a few good sides. About what you are here for, apart from my husband forcing John to ask you for help, I am already sure that you and Harry belong to each other, probably for all eternity! Therefore, from this moment on, Harry is all yours and you can do with him as you wish. Your boy clearly needs you, and I think that you need your boy too! Tomorrow, if you would like to get some help, I will first ask John to help with setting up Harry's old room, and then Mark and Marrie can also help move Harry's belongings to his new old home."

For a second, Trudy paused, while she stealthily wiped a few tears from her eyes. Then, she went on, with a slightly choking voice:

"Please be good for Harry, because he really needs your love! He always sleeps in John's bedroom, upstairs, second door to the left. Do you need any help dressing him for the cold night? No? Okay, then just go upstairs and take your boy home..."