Show Me What You See

"Theeya! You are awake!" Dawood hugged Theeya and kissed her on both cheeks.

"Miss Theeya are you feeling better now?" Erna, Dawood's beautiful little girl looked up at her with her big round eyes.

"Yes I'm awake and yes I feel so much better now." Theeya took a look at the dining room, some 200 people were there. Each minding their own business. Occasionally they would get glances but they would just politely nod and did not make conversation.

"Come, let's eat!" Dawood started chomping on his food, not waiting for those at the table to start.

"If it is not too much trouble I would like to see Magdalena again," Theeya requested.

"Dawood, is that possible?" Jeff asked.

Dawood stopped working on his lobster for awhile and nodded. "Kassim, please make an appointment with Madam Magdalena for her earliest slot and let me know," he spoke while waiving the lobster to the man who were standing in the shadows.

Minutes later, Kassim returned and whispered into Dawood's ears.

"The limo will bring you to her later after your lunch. Or would you like to freshen up? She actually cleared the whole day for us." Dawood grinned.

"I may need 10 minutes to freshen up after lunch," Theeya said.

"Have you seen your rooms?" Dawood asked. Both Jeff and Theeya shook their heads.

"Eat up first and enjoy the room later," he continued chomping on his lobster.

Just then Hameed and Hamood entered the dining hall with Fateema and Fatehah and their babies. As they sat down at the table the men handed their babies over to the nannies and joined them for lunch.

"I am going to see Magdalena later," stated Theeya.

"WE are both going," corrected Jeff.

"Yeah I felt incomplete this morning, and you needed that rest," commented Hamood.

"Right, it is better for you to meet her privately without us. Well with Jeff it's fine, as your chaperon," Hameed agreed.

"Are you feeling better, Theeya?" Fateema asked.

"Hope you are better rested now, Theeya," Fatehah added.

"Yes it was a very good rest. Thank you for your care and concern," Theeya smiled at the sisters.

"We were so worried. We wouldn't want anything to happen to you so early in the expedition!" Fateema said.

"Jeff, speaking about the expedition, as our families are going to join in it is only fair we chip in. Would 50 million riyal be enough for the entire six months?" asked Hamood.

"That is most generous of you brothers, thank you, it will help our expedition greatly," said Jeff as if it was everyday that one would offer USD13 million to him everyday.

Theeya quickly finished her lunch and excused herself to her room, escorted by a servant.

Jeff was walking beside her. He seemed deep in thought.

"Penny for your thoughts?" asked Theeya.

"Just thinking about the logistics, nothing much," he mumbled his answer.

In truth he was fighting his feelings on what had happened earlier that day. It was just ridiculous: how could Theeya be his mother!

The room were huge and beautifully decorated, unlike the motel that they just checked out from. Theeya's room was an adjoining room to Jeff's room not too far from where the family quarters were. Theeya quickly freshened up by washing her face and putting on some sunscreen and pink lipstick.

"I'm ready to go," she announced to an appreciative Jeff.

"You are fast," Jeff said admiringly.

"I need answers," she said.

"So do I, Theeya, so do I," muttered Jeff under his breath.

The ride to Magdalena was uneventful. Both Theeya and Jeff were mostly quiet, deep in their thoughts. They passed by a posh neighbourhood before pulling up a driveway with the name Magic Lane.

The limo stopped in front of house 169.

The driver signalled to them that he would wait for them right there as they walked towards the door.

As if on cue, Magdalena opened the door and stood there welcoming the duo with a bright smile.

"Welcome to my humble home," with her arms outstretched she gave Theeya a big bear hug.

"Come on in," she released Theeya from the hug and motioned for Jeff to close the door.

They were led to a room which seemed Iike the study. The crystal bowl with stars in it was actually on the round table with three chairs around it.

"Now how can I help you?" asked Magdalena as she took her seat behind the crystal bowl.

"Show me what you see," said Theeya.

"I see that you are a very special soul. You are the key to the entire expedition. You know what to do and when the time comes you will do what you need to do," Magdalena looked straight into Theeya's eyes as she recited those words.

"You are speaking in riddles," Theeya remarked.

"Don't play games Magdalena. We came here for answers," Jeff sounded impatient.

"I am just speaking exactly as I see it. Exactly as I receive it," Magdalena stated calmly.

Theeya looked at Magdalena and then at a Jeff and back at Magdalena. The tension in the air was thick. It felt like a knife could cut through the tension in the room.

"Then tell me how is it possible for me to be her son?" Jeff finally blurted out.

"It is obvious you do not believe in past lives and reincarnation. Everything is energy. Energy never dies. Our body may die but we still live on in the form of energy. The form that contains us changes according to the game that we decided to play, which role we chose to play, and so we play this game of Life, I have explained in length earlier this morning while Theeya was asleep," Magdalena raised her eyebrows slightly as she saw Jeff's face was unconvinced.

"You are here because you trust me and you want answers. Come give me your hands, both of them," Magdalena's hands caught his extended hands.

Jeff closed his eyes immediately and his face had an expression of shock, at least that was how he appeared to Theeya. His breathing became labored and he finally sobbed like a baby, still holding on to Magdalena's hands.

When he finally opened his eyes, they were a darker shade of brown. Through his tears he turned to Theeya and gave her a surprise hug.

"What happened?" Theeya patted his back trying to soothe him.

"I saw everything. You are really my mother from that lifetime with the snow storm," he sobbed even more.

It took them 10 minutes to call Jeff down.

Once he got hold of himself, Magdalena took a sip from her tea cup and cocked her head to one side: "Now can we begin?"

"You mean it hasn't started yet?" Jeff asked in wonder.

"We have not even begun, my friend," smiled Magdalena.