Counterfeit

In the past two months time has done two things. Sped up and slowed down, simultaneously. It started on mother’s day when I went to visit my mom. I brought her some lovely white roses for the occasion. It was on that day I met Harold. I’d been looking for a companion, some one to share my dreams and life with, someone to guide me and help me with decisions, and wall-la there he was. Just lots down from mom’s place, he was hanging around his yard, watching me. There was an immediate attraction. We kept our relationship hidden from mom by spending most of our time at my place. I felt like a teenager running around on the sly, though I wasn’t much older. (None of your business how much older!) I knew she wouldn’t approve of Harold, not because he, himself, was so much more mature than me but because he was strongly New Age and she raised me a staunch Baptist. No, that’s not quite right, she raised me as a Christian in the Baptist church, but I had started experimenting with different philosophies. New Age values and teachings were taught as erroneous and deviant in my old church home. Time sped up because there was someone to share it with, in eight weeks long we learned years of each other’s lives, in two short months we became inseparable. Harold was too good to be true. That is the scary part. We were so obsessed with each other, he had decided he wanted me to move in to his home with him, he practically lived at my apartment anyway. It now became apparent, to me at least, I should tell my mom about him. He however still wanted to keep our liaison clandestine.

No matter, I decided on mom’s birthday I’d go and confide in her about us. She and I had a longer history of sharing life events than Harold and I did. I was hoping for her approval, knowing I’d get a homily. Harold was still adamant we keep our bond hush-hush, it was too fresh, too new. We needed time to take root and grow, was his strong argument.
The rain was coming down in sheets making driving from my place hazardous yet Harold continued to plead the cause of secrecy. Why was he so afraid of mom’s reaction? He in fact was so distracting that he diverted my attention from my surroundings. He was good at that under any circumstances but it proved to be extremely dangerous in bad weather! I parked and stepped out in front of the only oncoming car. The look in the driver’s face was as incredulous as mine was when we realized simultaneously what was about to occur. The car couldn’t stop fast enough on the wet asphalt. Smack! Bang!

I hit the ground amid the sounds of screaming (mine), and squealing brakes. I felt the pavement smack my head. My vision blurred but it seemed I caught a gleeful smile on Harold’s face. Then my surroundings became hazy, hazier, and then wholly black.

I don’t know how long it took me to regain consciousness but enough time had elapsed that I was no longer on the concrete and it was no longer raining. I opened my eyes slowly and rotated my neck and shoulder blades. Then I wiggled my toes and fingers. I sat up cautiously then stood. I paced the floor testing out my balance. I was fine. No aches or pains. Some one had changed my clothes. I was in a dry, clean white robe so soft I could swear it was made of feathers. I pulled the neckline away and peeked down the front, nothing; I was absolutely a la natural under the gown. No signs of injuries or road rash.

“Well, I’m glad to have you here with us, back among the living” a male voice stated, startling me. It wasn’t Harold‘s. There was a figure standing in a shaft of light so bright I couldn’t make out his face.

Suddenly my mother burst into the room, flustered. She looked dressed for a party; her white dress glittered with gold sprinkles and stardust. She had several tiaras on her head making her look slightly comical.

“Mom, what are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? What are you doing here?” Mom asked, frantic. “You’re early!” How could I be early, I didn’t tell her I was coming, so she shouldn’t have been expecting me.

“I don’t know where I am, or how I got here.” I answered looking around the room I found myself in; it was beautiful, filled with priceless ornaments. Pictures hung on the walls representing a long line of ancestors, culminating in a picture of a couple smiling winsomely, dressed in …nothing, but tastefully concealed by bushes. There was a picture of the present young man standing next to a what I assumed was his father, as the cameraman didn’t adjust the shutter speed properly and all that developed was a big bright spot.

“That picture doesn’t do Dad justice, but I’m told that seeing me is like seeing Dad, we’re practically duplicates. And to answer how you got here, my servant carried you in; we couldn’t let you lay in the street, now could we.” The voice explained moving closer, bringing the light with him. Was it a stage light? It seemed to stay centered on him. I noticed no light fixtures on the ceiling.

“Where’s Harold?” Surely he wouldn’t’ let some stranger take me into his house alone and change my clothes, he was pretty possessive of me.

“His kind isn’t welcome in my father’s house.” The young man informed me, not bothering to contain his distain.

The arrogance of this Man, insulting my friends before meeting them and I said as much.
“Darling! Don’t be so rude,” Mother cried. “This young man saved your life and brought you into his father’s house, ” Mom was wringing her hands, “This is all wrong.”

“There, there, it will be all right,” the young man comforted my mother, patting her shoulder. Who was this man that acted so familiar with my mom! Then he looked me squarely in the eye. “Your friend, Harold, is an imposter. He wants to bring you down with him. He is no good for you.” Well, excuse me, just get to the point, will you, I thought to myself. What nerve, how dare this man act like he owns me!

“Don’t talk to me about Harold, you know nothing about him!” My attitude was becoming quite charged. I wouldn’t discuss Harold with a stranger until I had a chance to talk to mother about him…..in private.

“Honey, he’s right, I know all about Harold, the real Harold is a marvelous man, we play in a band together, and the one you’re with is an imposter.”

“Imposter!” I was dumbfounded. “Why would he want to deceive me?”

“That’s the agenda of New Agers.” the man explained, “It is really an old religion, founded way before Abraham was called out of Ur to follow the true God. It is based on communicating with devils, not real people. ”

“Oh give me a break, that is what Harold warned me people would say!” I responded. I don’t know why I was defending him; he wasn’t here with me at my side where he should be after being hit by a car. If he had really wanted me as bad as he claimed he wouldn’t have allowed me to be carried away by a stranger’s servant. Speaking of servant’s who here needed a servant anyway?

There was knock on the door and a head popped in.
“Did I hear my name?”

“Harold, come join us!” Man invited. A elderly man walked in with a spring to his steps that belied his obvious age. He face was devoid of wrinkles or age spots, but his hair was a glossy white. He was dressed in turn of the century clothing. Which century I couldn’t ascertain.
“This isn’t my Harold.” I proclaimed. I mean Harold had more years on him than I did but at least we were in the same century.

“That cad has assumed my identity without my permission. “ Harold exclaimed slamming a cane down on the chair next to him for emphasis . The cane was obviously for appearances, to make him appear dapper. “That devil follows no code of ethics, I’m the victim of an identity theft scam that has spanned the ages. I won’t be a part of it. Don’t let him fool you!”

I had been bamboozled. The youthful man spent some time educating me on the ways of the New Agers, while mom stood by nodding in agreement. She had tried to teach me these things years ago but being only human I had refused to listen to her. Now it made sense. After all demons have been around since Adam and Eve so they could just exploit someone’s life script and incorporate it into their lives, the perfect deception. Don’t they know about HIPPA! Privacy rules!

My head was beginning to ache, my body started to hurt, the room lights were dimming and gradually I started to feel water dripping in my face. I opened my eyes to find myself lying on the pavement once again, the warm robe replaced with my soggy, torn and bloodied outfit,. How rude!

Umbrellas were being held over me and a thermal blanket covered my very sore carcass. I was being instructed to not move as someone applied a collar to my neck. Log rolled onto my side, I was placed on a cot that was lifted to the waiting ambulance where three knock dead paramedics climbed in with me (pardon the pun), was I back in heaven or what?. You think the young man could have waited until my body was already in the nice warm emergency transportation before he had his servant return my soul. I looked around for my mother; I saw her standing by her house in the distance, a few rows onto the green cemetery lawn, where she had moved years ago. Harold was gone. This is where he had wanted me to move! Had he been behind the car accident? It was after all he who had deflected my attention from the oncoming vehicle, whose owner was now at my side apologizing profusely. He kept repeating he hadn’t seen me until it was too late. How could that have been, this isn’t a high traffic area. I doubt I would see Harold again. Having learned a serious lesson, I wouldn’t be inviting him back to share my live. I had just met my true spirit guide and vowed to study harder to recognize reality versus myth. No myth was too mild and not and accurate description; I would study harder to recognize reality versus the counterfeit.

I recognized one of the paramedics from the singles group at my old church. I wasn’t to far gone to notice the absence of a wedding band. He leaned over and asked me how I felt, a heavy gold cross hanging form his neck.

“ I feel like I was just hit by a car!” I croaked. "At the least I think I need mouth to mouth!"

Duet. 18:9-14John 10:28,30John 14:16-20John 14:21 John 4:1Rev 20:12Rev 21:8Rev 21:23