18 Weeks of Twoey - 36. Week Six Monday, October 6, 2014: A Day of Warnings

The morning run demanded quiet thoughts.

It gave me time to remember something about my meditation. When Sam got me to begin meditating, it was to calm myself, allowing me to cope with daily pressures. He taught me to go through a process of slowing my brain activity and enter this deeper state. It has something to do with biorhythms, whatever they are. Of course I tried it and found it did help. When I used the technique before baseball games, I wasn't as nervous and seemed to be able to focus better.

I went to the old bookstore downtown, researching this a bit more. It began by perusing several books on the subject, learning there were different techniques to center my being, as one of the books called it. I could visualize ‘centering my being’ more easily in my mind than the images used in some of the other books. Because of that, it's the one I bought and started to use. The same book talked about some practical uses for this state of mind. I had a hard time believing some of the stuff they were proposing, but I soon had an opportunity to experiment with it.

Gary got a painful wart of some kind on the bottom of his foot. He couldn’t even walk. When his mother called the doctor on a Friday, she was able to make an appointment for Monday. The Doctor told her to keep him off it and he would evaluate whether he needed to give Gary this powerful stuff that would take a few week to heal, and might have side effects, or do surgery. I told Gary to wrap the foot in an Ace Bandage and concentrate on it getting better before Monday. I called him several times over the weekend to make sure he concentrated at least that many times.

Meanwhile I used the techniques from the book and brought myself to a different place, they called it the healing place, where I could visualize Gary's foot in my mind's eye. I saw the problem as a red-purple circle on his sole. According to the book, I needed to conjure up a helper who was supposed to be someone I admired.

It was Derek Jeter. (I know ...but he was the first person who popped into my mind, and the book said to use the very first one! Also, I'm a shortstop and he’s always been my hero.) It was Derek Jeter's job to heal Gary's foot because he could work on it 24/7. The Yankees must not have been playing that weekend ...hehe.

On Monday when Gary went to the doctor, they unwrapped his foot and the wart was nearly gone! I guess Gary went on and on to the doctor about how I healed him. The doctor laughed and said it must have been a different kind of wart from the one he suspected, and it started going away by itself. Well, I don't know which was true, I guess only Jeter knows for sure ...hehe. Anyway, I sort of filed it away in a compartment of my mind for future reference, although I never had a need for it.

Perhaps I do now.

I won't have enough time today until the two hour gap between the end of practice and my visit with Twoey's mom. It's when I'll try. Hey, it can't hurt ...right?

I did get a little meditating time after my shower, but no Twoey. He must be awake this morning. I'm starting to sound a little weird ...I know! Although, there is that shit with the half-dollar!

Did you ever have one of those days where everything was a little off? When stuff normally believed safe and predictable suddenly became unstable? Today was one of those days.

It began this morning right in my very own house. Surprisingly, it was only Tommy and me for breakfast. Before leaving for school, I remembered some notes I had forgotten in my room. As I began to climb the stairs, I overheard them. Their bedroom is sorta close to the stairway. Even though their door was closed, they were speaking rather loudly, and I could hear them.

“I think you’re being too stubborn about it!”

“No, you’re being stubborn. I’m left to be the only one worried about his soul!”

“You are wrong about the doctor! We’ve got to let him go.”

“I’m going to visit Pastor Johnson today. His behavior is troubling me. We have to take drastic action!”

I ignored my notes and fled the house. Drastic action? What the hell is she cooking up now? It put me in a mood, walking to school.

Second period, as I arrived in bio, I asked Martin about his text. He told me Kathy danced with Cal Saturday night. I didn’t know what to make of his news. I mean, I danced with several girls. She can dance with other guys. She danced with Martin for sure ...no big deal. But Cal? I told you she wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Third period, before class, I was on my way down the aisle toward Kathy’s desk. That piss-ass little kid, who’s desk is behind mine, was sitting down. He threw the pack off his back and it hit me square in the chest! When I glared at him, he was ignoring me, removing a math book from the pack. I swear, one day I’m gonna pound that little shit!

Finally arriving at Kathy’s desk, I asked about her dance with Cal. Figured I might as well get it out in the open. If Martin saw it, so did a hundred other kids.

“It was nothing! You know how Cal is. He’s still trying to apologize, but it was all innocent.”

So innocent Martin had to be the one who told me. Hmmmm.

Next, I had my first weigh-in with the nurse. I only gained two pounds. She wasn't happy. I got a five minute lecture. I told her I'd try harder.

The final, and most disturbing thing, Erik was back. He was subdued at lunch, and working with another guy in Gym. At the end of Gym, he pulled me aside.

“Tell me about Twoey.”

“I think he’s going to live.”

“No. Tell me more about Twoey.”

“I’m not sure what you mean Erik. I only know what his mother tells me.”

I was standing about three inched from the padded wall of the gym. Erik placed his hand on my chest and pushed me back into the pad. It wasn’t a violent push, but slow and firm as his face got close to mine. He was staring directly into my eyes. Erik was in my space.

“What happened with Twoey on that night?”

“I know the same things you know Erik. Now get your fucking hand off me! ”

He relaxed and let go of me. “I thought you might have found out something.”

“Nothing more than what you already know, and of course all the rumors. We should probably ignore the rumors. What’s wrong Erik?”

“I don’t know. I’m sorry for pushing you. I had this weird idea you were hiding something from me.”

“I’m sorry you pushed me too.”

Pivoting, I left for practice.

On my way to the field I tried to figure out Erik. Well two things I guess. First I didn’t like his attitude or the physicality of his confrontation with me. Don’t kid yourself, it was a confrontation.

I think Erik is off my nice guy list.

Erik is definitely off my nice guy list.

Second, am I somehow showing I know more about Saturday night? I’ve been trying to appear as clueless as everyone else. If Erik detected something, someone else could. Sam’s good at picking up my moods. What would I do if he asked me like Erik did? Not by pushing me, of course. Sam would never get into my space. Shit! Something else to worry about!

Oh yeah! You can tell how fucked-up my mind is! I almost forgot to mention this, and normally it would have been my very first thought. When I got to practice, Mr. Elcher sent me to the other side of the field to practice with the varsity XCountry team, for the first time!

I made varsity!!!

I met the coach, Mr. Basuba, this tall black dude from Nigeria or somewhere who doesn't even teach in our school. I hear he teaches at the community college near the top of the lake. He wanted to watch me run and actually ran along with me for like 15 minutes. He wasn't even breathing hard!! Anyway, he said by tomorrow he'd have a regimen laid out for me. I'm not even sure what it means, but I smiled and said I couldn't wait.

It was strange being surrounded by juniors and seniors. There was hardly anyone I even knew, except for Jimmy Jacobs. Yep, the same family! The only difference is that Jimmy is a really great guy. He’s the best runner we have, a senior, and vice-president of his class. Class is what Jimmy is! I’m surprised he even has a brother like Cal. Anyway, Jimmy trotted right up to me and welcomed me to varsity. He told me if I needed anything to ask him and he’d take care of it.

When I got home I beat it up to my room and got into a comfortable meditating position on my bed. When I first concentrated on centering my being I didn't feel Twoey. I repeated the countdown ten times to go to my healing place! It actually took that many times to visualize it before me. Maybe because I haven't been there in a while? Probably.

After I climbed the little stairway in my mind, and looked out over the crashing ocean waves through those large windows, there was Jeter! (I guess he has more spare time now he's retired ...hehe.) Well, as usual, this monster screen appeared in front of me. On the screen was a full body image of Twoey. It wasn't like an X-ray or an MRI but it showed his bones, muscles and blood vessels all at once. Like I could see everything important in his body. The center of heat was in his neck. The image zoomed in, becoming only his upper chest, neck and head. I could recognize it was Twoey, but not by facial features, which weren’t even visible.

I did see the bullet damage on his left-side neck and it was ugly with torn skin and damaged blood vessels, some closed off. That must have been one fucking fat bullet. There was another area of red near the base of his skull right at the top of his spinal column, but I couldn't understand why. I mean, there was no apparent damage or connection to the wound, but it was brilliant red. Derek told me it's what was causing his severe head pains. I begged him to work on it, and also on the healing of his bullet wound. He told me the doctors need to reassess that area. He told me it was important. I left Derek Jeter in charge of hurrying the healing of Twoey's wounds.

As I returned to consciousness, Tommy was next to me telling me it was time for supper. He had a worried look in his eyes.

“I’m alright Tommy. I’m doing some extra meditating since I can't see the psychiatrist. It’s making me feel better.” That got his sunny smile back!

The meal was supposed to be a beef roast. It must have been cooked in the crock-pot because it was beyond mush. Jesus, she doesn't work, is home all day, it takes 3 hours to roast the toughest piece of meat in the oven! Why this crock-pot atrocity?

Well, I decided to make the best of it. I turned it into pulled beef and mixed it with the goop that was the sauce and made a sandwich of it. First, I toasted the bread to try and firm it up a little and maybe get rid of the chemical taste, which didn't work. But I had to eat. My weight chart has been flatlining! I gagged down one bite and one swallow of milk when I froze. She was staring at me with a demonic smile.

Then she spoke. “I want you to have a private meeting with Pastor Johnson and explain what’s bothering you. He’ll know what to do for you.”

I’m sure he will. Without saying anything, I got up and went to my room, praying to Demeter for food from Ginny! I attacked my homework.

After finishing, I told my father I would be back about 10-10:30 and headed out. Ginny told me Twoey was awake most of the day but complained about head pains most of the time. Our supper was bratwurst and some kind of baked beans that were delicious. I normally would have eaten the bratwurst plain, but she had these amazing hoagie rolls and I was starving. I made a bratwurst sandwich with a special strong horseradish mustard that is only made in Buffalo, or so Ginny said.

Outstanding!! My sinuses are now clear till Easter or something.

“You know Ginny, I'm gonna be huge by the time Twoey gets back to school.”

She laughed and rolled her eyes, telling me I could never get huge.

When the meal was over, I helped her clean up. I started to leave. When I reached the door, I began to dance around what I had to tell her. I really didn't know how to do it.

“Oh, by the way, have the doctors given you any reason for these terrible head pains?”

“They think it's the body reacting to the bullet trauma somehow.”

“Sometimes doctors miss things.” I don’t know why I blurted it out the way I did, but I did.

She stared at me for a long time. You could see her calculating, rejecting and re-evaluating. She finally said, “The only thing I care about is seeing my son recover and not be in pain. Tell me what you're trying to say.”

She's spooky.

I said, “Have they examined the base of his skull?”

We both stood quietly and then she kissed me good night.

When I got home, I was too exhausted to call Kathy.

This was a day from hell.

I turned off my phone and immediately dropped off.

Twoey

My days are starting to get really boring! Floating in and out of consciousness, then too soon another headache, push the button, float, awake, etc. etc. YUCK!

At least if David were there ...but I haven't felt him since yesterday morning!

Mom did say David got the half-dollar last night and she had to explain about it to him. She also said he seemed surprised. I don't know why he would be surprised, I certainly told him he was going to get it!