2018

Ethan has just removed his bike helmet, which he is resting on his left knee and he is carefully studying Kenny's hand drafted document.  Carl has just placed before him on the coffee table a plate loaded with Costco potato salad, buttered sourdough bread, cheese and tomato slices and large black olives from a tin.  "Thanks", he says without looking up. He further studies the document, then looks perplexed, "Could you explain this to me please?" "Does nothing here ring familiar to you, Ethan", says Kenny. "Kenny!" he says suddenly, turning to look at my old friend. "So you do remember me." "I was working in your florist shop...in Duncan...Remember?  I was doing bike deliveries. "And you spent the night with us in Carl's mansion near Chilliwack." "That I did." I have just sat down on Ethan's right.  "Do you remember none of the story you were telling us?" "Before I started working for Kenny two years ago, I was studying ancient church history at Malaspina College.  So I was telling you about what it was like under the persecutions of Diocletian." "What else do you remember", says Carl, pulling up a chair from the dining room table. "We were eating chocolate chips and drinking milk like a bunch of kids.  It was lots of fun." "The next morning, you came into the bathroom while I was stepping out of the shower", say I.  "We were both naked." His handsome olive toned face is reddening and he mumbles, "Sorry." "Nothing to be at all sorry about.  We both comported ourselves like chaste Christian gentlemen." And Ethan sputters, "Yeah, dammit", and now we are all laughing. "And then, after we were both dressed, we went onto the grounds through the gardens, to a southern magnolia tree in early bloom.  There were two peacocks, a blue and a green one, and there was a beautiful teenage boy waiting for us, and then you two went off together..." Ethan's eyes are widening, and yes he is now remembering.  "Oh my God", he says, dropping his fork on the plate..."Oh my God!"

2017

"Ethan", say I, simultaneously shocked, delighted and irritated, "How did you find us here?" "I saw your car pass me when I arrived in New Westminster, so I thought of following you.  I almost went in to visit you in the big old mansion in Queen's Park, but there were too many people around so I rode away, but when I came back your car was just leaving, so I continued to follow. "Would you like to come in for lunch?  We are still eating and there's lots of food."  And I am remembering my own father's tradition of hospitality which, despite my own selfish and solitary nature, I am bound and determined to uphold, if only to honour his memory while living in his house. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble." "No trouble at all.  And please take off your shoes, if you don't mind.  Thanks, you can just leave them over here." "François, this is Ethan, who spent the night with us in the mansion.  He was so taken by our hospitality he decided to follow us all the way here on his bike." "I remember you", says Francois.  "From the Refuge.  Your name is Tron." "Ethan", he says politely. "Come sit with me here on the couch.  Christopher will bring you some lunch, won't you please, Christopher?" "Oh, you don't have to ask. "  Francois is showing him the document he has just drafted out and which we have all signed...

2015

"Second point:  There is a tendency of losing time, but not in a linear or Newtonian sense, as we understand time.  One can pass days there and not one second has passed in the real world, or vice versa, or it can match perfectly our concept of linear time.  Christopher Jones, our friend, is like an open portal between the dimensions, and his memory can be uneven, but still consistent.  Others who have been there are more apt to fall into temporary or long term amnesia.  He is also vulnerable to being slapped with a bogus mental health diagnosis because of his wonderful spiritual gift." Kenny pauses, to gently shovel some potato salad in his mouth.   "MMMM"...he says, chewing thoughtfully..."Good ol' Costco..." "Third point...People such as me, or Amaris, formerly Letitia, have lived at the Refuge long term, but often forget, or process the experience as a series of dreams, plus, our time spent in so-called real life often seems uninterrupted or unimpeded by the experience.  And we also have personages there such as angels, holy ministers, and Christian martyrs from almost two thousand years ago, such as Tron, who can easily appear here in the real world as ordinary human beings, sometimes losing their own memory of the refuge or their true identity."  And now we are signing it again.

2016

"Does this seem to cover everything?" says Kenny, receiving back from Francois the signed document. "I think that should work for now", say I. "So that if there is any doubt over the veracity of these recollections should they occur, especially when we all have succumbed to collective amnesia", says Kenny, "then we can refer back to this document."  And now I am reminded of another side to Kenny I seem to have forgotten, but respect and admire: he was always very efficient and very thorough.  He said he had to  become that way from the very process and constant hard work of living in and out of drag as Cassandra. "I have just finished eating", says Francois, "So while Carl and Erik...hint, hint...are cleaning up and doing the dishes, I can transcribe this onto my laptop and send everyone copies, including our friends who are absent.  And given how stubborn we can all be when we can't remember, I also recommend that we post the handwritten original in a highly visible place, perhaps the fridge door." and now there are three loud knocks on the front door and I am about to choke on the slice of vintage cheddar I have just put in my mouth, because I have heard that same knock oh very recently.  Carl gets up to open the door, and into my father's living room steps none other than Tron, or Ethan, random bike dude...

2014

Amaris is suddenly gone, perhaps disappeared, but Kenny right now is seated alone on the couch. "Where did she go?" "Who." "Your friend from the Refuge. Amaris." "She wasn't here" "What?" I am silently appealing. first to Erik, now to Carl. "Did...Did Kenny come here alone?" "I have been with you since yesterday", he says, a slight perplexed smile adorning his lips. "I am afraid he is telling the truth"; says Carl. Erik?" "I think you should let me explain a thing or two", says Kenny. "Both versions are correct. I was here with you guys since we ran into you yesterday in the café, and I only just arrived here ten minutes ago." "But"...and now the words are failing me. This is happening again. "And your friend?" "I imagine she's still in Richmond. Chris...it's okay, you are a portal between the two dimensions that have just come together. It is all true. But right now you are with us... All I can do right now is sit back, quiet, stil, and breathe, slowly, rhythmically, deepy, slowly, rhythmicaly, deeply, slowly, rhythmically , deeply. This is all too much, this has all gone way beyond too much. Alice in Wonderland, anyone. And now I am singing out loud, "One pill makes you bigger, and one pill makes you small; and the ones that mother gave you don't do anything at all..."and now my voice rises in operatic flourish, chanelling the young grace Slick..."Go ask Alice....when she's ten feet tall..." Carl is clapping. "I didn't know you could sing like that, Chris...Have you had voice training?" "What I am supposed to do with all this", and now my voice rises to a near scream..."What am I supposed to do.." Kenny places his hand on my shoulder, and his touch is calming. "Chris, Jesus sent me to be with you to help you with this transition. Even though our two dimensions have come together they have unleashed a cosmic storm, and we are to wait for things to get calm again. One thing I would like to propose to all of us, and this under the mandate of our young Lord"...He reaches into his backpack and pulls out a note pad and a pen..."while we are all remembering now what happened, I am going to write it all down and we are all going to sign it. Whenever anyone of us slips into amnesia or falters into the other side, we can simply review this document together. Is it a deal?" We are eating buffet style in the living room, and Kenny has shoved his plate of food aside on the coffee table in order to focus on note taking.  "Okay, he says, to begin with, "The Refuge is a real place that exists outside of real time as we know it.  We have all been there.  It occupies the top of a small mountain on an uncharted Gulf island that now is suddenly on the map, with a tiny populated village.  Even though we have all been there, in the company of Jesus as a youth of sixteen or so in appearance only, and his parents, Joseph and Mary, who appear very aged but also strong and robust.  We also have to accept the possibility that with the merging of the dimensions, the Refuge may or may not be visible or traceable to the mortal eye....everyone here, Chris, Carl, Francois, and Erik...will you agree to add your signature...I see everyone is nodding...Okay, put down your forks and get busy..."  He passes the notepad to me with a pen.  I sign it, then pass it to Francois, who does the same, and passes it to Erik, then to Carl, all signing the document, then Carl returns it to Kenny...

2011

A loud confident knock sounds on the front door, and I have just sprung from out of the kitchen to answer it, almost knocking down Carl who was just getting up to do the same. And here they are, Kenny, with Amaris standing on his left. He is smiling broadly as they proceed their way in before I can say anything. "You sly old dog you", he says, slipping off his shoes by the door, Amaris following suit. "You didn't give me the address because you knew if it wasn't really me we would be lost." "And you didn't need to wait to be asked to take off your shoes", as we enter the living room, and he already knows his way around. Before claiming a spot on the couch next to Amaris, Kenny chimes, "You haven't done one single thing to change this place. It is exactly as I remember it." Then, glancing around, he notes, "Except for that landscape painting, the small one by the window." "Dad, just a year before he died, was giving a lot of support to Leonora Vandervene. "She was married to, what's his name, Cornelius, or Larry." "You do have a gdood memory. Larry passed away and..." "Yes, I remember, Leonora was an artist and that does look like her work. Beautiful..."

2008

"I suppose I could get some food together", says Francois, as he presses send, then shuts his laptop. "I can do it", say I. "What have we got?" "There's a ton of Costco potato salad in the fridge", says Francois, swinging his legs down to the floor. "We don't shop at Costco." "Chelsea does, she came over this morning to get her cat and to dump the potato salad on us because she bought too much." "Easy to do at Costco", says Erik. "Kenny and Amaris are coming for lunch by the way." "who?" says Carl. "My old friend. He lived here." "He's dead." "Carl, you already saw him alive last night. Remember?" "I already told you we didn't see him. Right, Erik?" "We did see him", he says. "Now I remember. With Ethan." "Oh my God", says Carl, his eyes widenng dramatically, "You're right..."