The Therapy Sessions

Saturday morning witnessed Sam accompanying Dr. Jerome in his Chevrolet to Jennifer's dwelling. The artistic golden sun had woken up like a baby and started painting the dark black sky into a bright blue sky. The bright-looking milky clouds had also got up from sleep and started traveling around the sky visiting the wonderful environment. Fresh windy cool and crispy air began whistling like an invisible ghost. The red and green color birds with chili-like beaks kicked off their morning melody to welcome the dawning. The car pulled over at Jennifer's abode.

Their ample banging at the door made Jennifer shuffle and approach the main gate sluggishly. She appeared inattentive and perplexed. Her clothes were wrinkled and shabby, her hair was uncombed and she wore no makeup. She avoided eye contact with Dr. Jerome but looked at Sam thoughtfully, "What brought you here again?"

"Didn't I mention I would come again?" Sam replied meekly.

"Yeah… I remember… but who is he? She glared at Dr. Jerome.

"This is Dr. Jerome. He is a therapist… I'm convinced that your ailing condition must undergo appropriate treatment." Sam mustered the courage.

"Hahahahahaha…" She burst into a spooky giggle. "Ok… come on in… take a chance…there will be ramifications…I don't need any therapy or medication." Her speech was mixed with a chuckle.

They followed her inside the house.  The room, where Sam had spent time earlier, looked creepier than before. She offered them chairs and seated herself on the bed in front of them.

"Don't hesitate to take the burgundy drink when you're at our home." She offered warmly.

"No… no … it's … okay… we're fine… that's too…  I mean…" Sam shook his head. Before Sam could complete it, she had made her way to the kitchen.

"Why is she so obstinate in serving the Burgundy Drink?" Sam spoke in his breath, yet Dr. Jerome heard it and looked at Sam in wonder.

In not more than ten minutes, the burgundy drink was served.  Since Sam had tasted it before, he drained his glass in one gulp, whereas, Dr. Jerome kept taking sips one after another while his eyes met with hers inquisitively.

"Ms. Jennifer, I've learned about you through Sam. How're you holding up? You look a little bummed out!"

"How do you make it out? I'm not depressed… I'm just tired," Jennifer replied tersely.

"Your wailing is often heard at night?" Dr. Jerome penetrated.

"No one has seen me cry," Jennifer tried to show her innocence immaculately. Then she confessed, "This keeps happening to me."

"What this?" Dr. Jerome looked into her eyes.

"I don't know. I've been going through a phase or something… I've tried to figure it out, but I failed to know what it is. Sometimes, I enjoy it. It's like an itch, the more you scratch it, the more you want to scratch it because you keep enjoying it. Then it ends with suffering, agony, and wailing… I just wish I hadn't been so caught up," Jennifer opened up to Dr. Jerome.

"That's a natural response… it's one of the stages of grief," Dr. Jerome made an effort to diagnose it.

"Come on doctor… it's not about grief… I get all these thoughts running around and around in my head… non-stop… every night… over and over," Jennifer raised her voice.

"You need a therapist, Jennifer… and I'm ready to treat you… I'm a workaholic psychologist…" Dr. Jerome swanked and continued. "See... grief befalls when you suffer a loss… and there are lots of kinds of losses…Some losses are significant; life-changing events, which are the mother's father's lessons. I lost my mother and my love… it caused me much agony… and it made me sick for some time… but you don't have to let your heart take over your mind… your mind must rule your body… you must return to a normal life…I'm here to help you… I'll try my best to help you lead your life blissfully… I'm not here to harm you," Dr. Jerome began counseling Jennifer.

"Even your forefathers can't touch a hair of my head, let alone you… Jerome!" Jennifer spoke with rancor, her voice turned husky and attitude exotic with an eerie effect.

"Try to understand… I'm here for nothing but to treat you…there's a saying…guilt is the very nerve of sorrow…  It can affect us in many different ways… It is a distress and is called grieving… everyone experiences it whether they are aware of it or not, and there are some well-known stages of grief; anger and depression. Anger is a very difficult emotion to handle… even if you are not sick…you should wear your heart on your sleeve… come on confide your secrets to me… you are familiar with the problems that you have and how you think and how you feel. Something is going on within you…" Dr. Jerome spoke amiably.

"You are getting under my skin, Jerome; don't forget I'm not what I look. You'll never succeed in listening to my thoughts. My mind is my mind if you don't mind…" Jennifer croaked.

"You're not playing fair Jenni… you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" Dr. Jerome tendered.

"Let's not get too personal…. I think I do play fair…You'd better understand… harm yourself or leave…. The decision is yours, frankly… in my opinion, it's a no-brainer…" There was intimidation in Jennifer's tone.

Taking no notice of Jennifer's changing mood, Dr. Jerome continued, "When a relationship ends, or when a loved one passes away, we often hear about the need for 'closure', which means the desire for an answer. Once the answer is achieved, life moves on happily…. You must be in search of closure, Jennifer?" Dr. Jerome was no less than an importunate.

"Please leave now!" Jennifer was exasperated.

  "Are you on meds?" Dr. Jerome asked keenly.

"Leave! Leave!" Jennifer yelled her lungs out.

Dr. Jerome and Sam immediately stood on their feet and exited her house. They did not even look back. They got to the car, which then rumbled and took to the road.

"I'm sorry doctor for her misdemeanor… I understand. Sometimes it's tough to be a shrink." Sam looked apologetic.

"It's OK Sam.  Being a psychologist, I'm used to such responses. That is her illness yelling… a patient does it over and over and over to endless absurdity. So much so that they get so sick and tired of it and they just stop." Dr. Jerome, who was at the wheel, replied calmly. 'Where will you get off by the way?' Dr. Jerome asked.

"I'll accompany you to your clinic… my office is nearby… Thank you very much for your understanding…. What's the matter with her?" Sam asked with curiosity.

"I diagnose hitherto…she is suffering from schizophrenia, which is a serious mental disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally. It may result in some combination of hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior. I'm convinced that she had suffered a breakdown because of a stressful and emotional life which might have triggered this psychotic episode. But no worries; all problems are meant to be solved…she'll be alright once she finds herself beyond the pain … I'll do my best not to fail us." Dr. Jerome spoke with conviction.

"Thanks, doc… I think your diagnosis is working… her yelling was as a result of hitting the nail on the head…" Sam commended him.

"If you believe, you can achieve." Dr. Jerome spoke with vanity.

"Why does she often say 'we' and 'us' although she lives alone?" Sam asked in wonder.

"See dear… I don't rule out the presence of a supernatural. However, being a psychologist I'd extend that in most common delusion types, there is no demonic possession, but patients believe that their feelings and movements are controlled in a certain way…and some other forces are always alongside them and they put thoughts in their heads. Hallucinatory experiences are generally voices talking to the patients. These are positive symptoms of schizophrenia, which deserve careful study. I hope it will give information about the pathophysiology of her disorder. Living alone is dangerous for her life. She needs love; a human love. I mean she needs a husband. Once she finds a partner, she will be alright."  Dr. Jerome informed Sam.

"Really! What about the burgundy drink? What is it? And something pressed my left shoulder when I visited her last time… what was that?" Sam's curiosity aroused.

"Many things are yet to be unraveled. Loneliness bites. She allowed you in her house because she is craving for the human company.... also I think…. to her, it might be the anxiety of 'closure' or the feeling of being unimportant. What pressed your shoulder is something beyond my gumption. It might be your obsession about her being possessed or your hallucination." Dr. Jerome looked at Sam and spoke.

"What is 'closure'?" Same asked in amazement.

'Closure' can give someone a feeling of control and it can provide a stronger foundation of pleasure. For example, if you have a fiancée and she breaks up with you via a text message. You thought everything was going well and were completely blindsided. She refuses to text you any further, ignores your phone calls, and avoids seeing you whenever possible. You seek out her because you want to know why your relationship ended. You finally get the 'closure' when you discover your fiancée with another man at her favorite hangout. You now have your answer and you feel you can move on. Dr. Jerome explained to Sam like a university professor.

"It's really hard to grasp the relationship between the 'closure' and the 'burgundy drink'… I believe it's paranormal activity." Sam let out with a wrinkled forehead.

"If you believe so… you're far from alone; around 60 to 70 percent of people in the world believe in bodach. You spooked yourself out at her house and the cause of that tingling sensation you got on the back of your neck…only time will tell whether there is a supernatural; her house is haunted or what.. one approach to this hallucination problem could be the demonic world. Demons are unseen creatures that are believed to exist in all major religions and have the power to possess humans and control their minds." There was a quiet smile on Dr. Jerome's face.

"Should I contact some ghost hunter?" Sam asked with a mysterious grin on his face.

"Ghostbuster… dear! They are faith healers. I know a few faith healers who help patients with schizophrenia. Their methods of treatment seem to be successful because their patients become symptom-free after three months. If my treatment does not bring a positive outcome, I'll work together with a faith healer to define better treatment pathways for Jennifer. O.K. here comes my office… would you care for a cup of coffee? Dr. Jerome grinned.

No thanks… I've got to hasten up to the office, doctor. Any amount upfront?" Sam asked politely.

"Nothing… Once she returns normally… that's my reward…" Dr. Jerome's solemn face broke into smiles.

While both hands were being shaken for farewell, Sam asked, "When is our next due visit?"

"Next Saturday." Dr. Jerome replied.

When Sam reached his office, Julie, his colleague, was waiting for him, "Where have you been?

"Sorry for being late Julie… a special case of a mysterious lady kept me engaged…" Sam put up the reason. "What are you writing by the way?"

"It's the beginning of my story 'Valour', which I'm hoping to be published in our magazine 'The Weekly Sunshine" next month." Julie handed in the paper to Sam.

"We came from the sky… we have been running through the ancient days down the long years to this moment… coursing through our lives… like the bloodlines of kings… a swiftly flowing stream of memory and sorrow… one drop of water or blood… and then another can become a ripple, a river, a rising torrent… unstoppable… which in time breaks down all resistance to flow free once again on the journey to its destiny… the remnant of the faithful… the men of the east were scattered and beset by many dangers… Anthony had not forgotten the past… and of all the peoples of Middle-earth, he had none with more hatred and more fear. He spread his will amongst his servants and through the long years sought ever to discover if the heirs of his enemy lived… so that he might destroy them… and the last of his greatest enemies would be lost… forever…"

"Wow! The beginning is captivating…very impressive… ancient fiction…. very well written… you'll go a long way, my dear… Julie Wagner… " After reading aloud, Sam complimented Julie.

"Thanks a lot. Rebecca hasn't shown up since yesterday?" Julie asked Sam.

"I've no idea…" Sam replied uninterestingly.

"Are you not serious with her, Sam? You've been together for two years now? Julie looked into his eyes.

"Yeah… I know… Julie, you're my best friend. You're the only one I can trust…I'll confide it in you… two complete years I spent by her side….yet there is a gulf between us… that only the flames of a stranger's pyre could reveal…she shows no affection to me… she has no warmth for me…I yet have to find the 'closure'…I can't vie with such beauty and such sorrow… I now have to contemplate…" Sam uttered depressingly and asked, "Have you ever been in love, Julie?"

"Not yet… but I don't know when the heart would command the tongue. No man should stand in the way if there is a command from the heart. If you delay, you may find what should have been spoken is forever locked in your heart and regret will only be your companion…"  Julie spoke intellectually.

"Your words are wise! I may not have known love, but that look and those sunken eyes ... a mixed feeling of love and compassion... I found beauty in the broken..." Sam poured his heart out.

"So you're in love? Is she the same lady you were in the morning with?" Julie asked Sam.

"Yeah... I've never felt for Rebecca what I've begun feeling for Jennifer! " Sam nodded and uttered meekly.

"Oh, I see! Have you expressed your feelings to her?" Asked Julie.

"She is unwell, suffering from schizophrenia…I wanted to express myself today, but my heart was in my throat. I feared that she might grumble at me." Sam looked upset.

"You found beauty in the broken… don't worry… the seasons are changing; maybe it will bring a change to her heart too." Julie was optimistic.

"If it changes with the seasons, I pray it ought not to grow colder." Sam showed his distress.

"Just hold your ground and speak your heart…" Julie convinced him.

"I'll, but Jennifer needs constant therapy, treatment, medication, or maybe sessions with faith healers."

"Where there is a will, there is a way… If you're passionate, she'll be alright… I wish you enjoy it… your heart should be filled with joy! Julie spoke with a wide grin on her face.

"I hope to be if fortune is with me," Sam spoke hopefully.

"I can't wait to meet her," Julie showed her interest.

"Certainly, I'll take you there one day… thanks a lot…you are a good friend to me," Sam turned excitedly.

Next Saturday arrived. Its morning was a bit dreary and the sky was overcast. Then it began drizzling, which turned into pouring. Each drop was a kaleidoscope. Sam, who was waiting outside his house for Dr. Jerome, wondered how it would be to stop time, to suspend this watery gift and peek through each one. Perhaps it would be fun to sit inside those raindrops with Jennifer and take a ride around the world. As he imagined it, he felt his inner self laughing a little at the crazy daydream and a little at his silliness. Soon Dr. Jerome arrived and the car full of rain beads upon it pulled over at Jennifer's house.

"Are you always on people's business, prowling and telling them what to do? I'm not an obsessive thought; not a maniac. I'm in seclusion. You've no right to intrude into my solitude. " Jennifer, who opened the gate to answer the door, without a word of greeting, grumbled and gazed at Dr. Jerome.

"I didn't realize paranoia was catching," without replying to Jennifer, Dr. Jerome glanced at Sam.

"You've got to get over it… you want to be mired in your misery?" Sam looked into Jennifer's eyes.

"There is no misery… and I don't want to mire myself in anything." Jennifer was soft while replying to Sam.

See Jennifer, "I've discovered the beauty and innocence buried under the oppressed.  You're the prettiest woman; I've ever met in my life… You're not only ruining your life but also…."  Sam was about to complete when "Crash! Thud!" a sudden loud noise as of something breaking or hitting another object was heard from inside the house… Jennifer sprinted into her bedroom, and Sam and Dr. Jerome followed her.

A battered Greek-patterned empty vase had fallen off the vanity table crashed down on the floor and all its broken pieces scattered around half the room. Squatting on the floor holding its big piece was Jennifer, who was mourning the loss with her hiccups and mumbling and stuttering, " the…whenever, the….there is … a… p… p… pro… provocation, … the… there is a… a… an… ou…outrage… I… I… to… told … you … to… le… le… leave… us …alone…!"

"Please calm down…tell us what happened... how it dropped on the floor…" Sam caught her by the arm and made her sit on the bed… " See Jennifer… please trust me and confide all your fears to me…I'm committed to rescuing you from all your woes... even if I had to lay down my very life for you… because I feel you're all mine…" Sam seated himself beside her on the bed. He then held her hand and looked into her eyes," I can't stop looking at you… I'm ready to live the rest of my life with you… The world is so bright…. You should listen to your heart instead of your grief."

Dr. Jerome took his turn in the pause, "See dear…We're your friends… your well-wishers… we want you to turn over a new leaf… I understand... many people are suffering out there… everyone deals with grief very differently… certainly, you had a breakdown after the death of your mother and your divorce… there is no right or wrong. Everyone deals with grief very differently… It's going to take time, but acceptance is the first step."

Jennifer, who had covered her face with both hands, wiped her tears with her hands, took a deep breath, and spoke, "The story of life is like sailing… the water rushing past the keel…it trails ever distant and is all too soon more behind us than ahead and with the voyage of time fades our chances of finding what has been lost or even providing us with opportunities to win our goals."

She looked at Sam and continued, "Love and happiness may be fleeting or elusive or evasive and not always attained. Mine is one of those stories of life… hoping for a second chance in the eternal quest for love and happiness. You may not know what love is. No man just falls in love… They climb to it… struggle for it… claw their ways up to it with heartache and blood and a thousand bruises… I've spent learning how to love... You can't match that in a few weeks Sam,… everything else falls into place… even your dreams!

She then turned to Dr. Jerome and continued, "It's actually… I've never told anyone that before… it's something… that has overtaken me… when Joseph was out of the city for business and my mom was at my sister's, I was alone at home for a little more than a week. The second night of my loneliness, all of a sudden I woke up in the middle of the night… nothing I could see but there was someone in my room… I was extremely terrified because I had heard about haunting horrible things that come at night and want to copulate with lonely lasses. The next moment, I was paralyzed; lying in my bed I could do nothing.

"Was he an intruder?" Dr. Jerome intervened

"Yes, he was…. He was an unseen intruder… I couldn't touch him, but I could feel him … I couldn't see him, but I could hear him whisper into my ears: 'you're damn cute…I'm stirred…how beautiful tied to you I am… I'll make my fire with you… gonna make my fire with you.' I'm sorry … that must be awful." Jennifer seemed to be in pain when she uttered and disclosed her secret.

"I think when seemingly unrelated events happen by chance… like mailing a letter and meeting someone that you never would have met, a door opens. The path is revealed and the world moves into mysterious, synchronistic ways, and in a mysterious synchronistic world… It's like a bad dream…" Dr. Jerome tried to console her… "You need rest… you should get a sound sleep now…here are some meds…. Please never forget to take them on time… and yes… never cheek your meds… okay ... bye for now… see you next Saturday…" Dr. Jerome stood on his feet and looked at Sam.

"Take care of yourself, Jenni…Don't cloud your mind…take a deep sleep… we've gotta go... I'll call you... bye"… Sam stood and both left the house.

"What do you think of her doctor? Was that all real, which Jennifer narrated?" Sam asked Dr. Jerome, who was at the wheel.

Give me a break, Sam. It's too early to deduce any conclusion about whether she is a psychopath or possessed! I've worked with patients with alternative and interactive treatments. I've been helping people to look inward and to see the light in something that I find very rewarding… I love it…" Dr. Jerome replied placidly.

"That means you've seen the light…" Sam asked.

"Yeah… I've seen the light… looking inwards leads people to the light…and I've cured many patients… Jennifer is not the one with the problem. The problem lies in those affecting her… whether this or that creature…but all problems are meant to be solved…She needs love; a human love because she is the same… She needs a husband… She needs you."  Dr. Jerome reiterated.

"Doctor…I don't want to give you the wrong impression... I'm sure…  I'm in love with her.

"Hmmm! The same what I'd experienced; love at first sight. So…you know what you have to do?" Dr. Jerome asked.

"Yup! What should I do now?" Same replied interrogatively.

"Make her believe that you love her... tell her how she makes you feel. Tell her that her eyes are so… so alluring that they devour you…okay… you've to work out...to make her captive in your love..." Dr. Jerome extended guidelines to Sam.

"Thanks, doctor … I've got it... see you then on Saturday... bye." Sam shook hands with Dr. Jerome and they both parted.

"Hi, Julie… how're you doing?" On reaching his office, Sam greeted Julie.

"I'm great… How's your beauty in the broken!" Julie chuckled.

"She is a mystery!" Sam replied with a wrinkled forehead. "Julie, do you believe in demons? He then asked her.

"Yes dear… they do exist…" Julie replied instantly.

"I mean… Do they fall for humans and can they copulate with humans?"

"I don't know much… but I've heard … they can and they do… with those they love. Have you got a lady demon infatuated with you or your sweetheart is possessed?" Julie pinched.

"How could it be possible? Two different creatures; one is made of clay and the other with fire… how could it be?" Sam was perplexed.

"How… I don't know… but I've heard it happens…"  Julie replied.

The Saturday eve was spent in tossing and turning in bed where the slumber was a far faint hope to Sam. He reckoned himself to be a patient of insomnia. His mind was obsessed with a flurry of thoughts about Jennifer's courtship with a supernatural creature. Sam further deliberated whether it was an agreeable practice or a forced one. In the case of the latter, Sam will certainly play his part to help her get rid of that devilish demon. He knew it was not as easy as he was thinking it would be. His role was like the one of a matador challenging a furious annoyed bull in the bullring to take it by the horns and twist it to death. He was praying that Jennifer's abnormality should only confine to schizophrenia and nothing more than that. Because healing from schizophrenia is slow but steady, whereas, dealing with a demon and performing exorcism might be dangerously perilous. Despite all that, he had made up his mind to go for it; come what may.

The Saturday morning was not unusual. The sun was about to beat down the earth with its fiery intensity. The gentle morning breeze was rustling tree leaves and making twigs twirl in delight to declare the beginning of a new day.  The coos of cuckoos, croaks of mynahs, caws of crows, and chirping of sparrows were the common music of a morning. The touching of the morning breeze on the warmth of Sam's cheeks evidenced its presence. It did not take long; Dr. Jerome arrived in five minutes. Sam seated beside him and the Chevrolet Spark Chevy pulled over in front of Jennifer's abode. Dr. Jerome's forehead was glimmering with a plethora of sweat beads; maybe because of the high humidity in the air or because of his sinking heart to confront what he knew, what he was going to encounter, or may be because of the main gate of Jennifer's house was opened; an unusual sight.

Dr. Jerome did not dare to enter the house, but then he followed Sam when he initiated by tiptoeing through the veranda with his eyes, not on their safety, but on Jennifer's well-being. The door of her living room was also opened. They passed through it into her bedroom, where Jennifer, facing the almost opposite, was rocking on a wooded rocker and crooning a song. Her long wet hair tucked behind, flaring the inside and outside demons. Her cheeks were begging for Sam's attention. He knew that he was falling for her. She was humming a silent song. Sam placed his right index finger on his lips to hush Dr. Jerome not to utter a word. They stood behind her silently, listening to her song:

All the time I dream of you

I see you, I feel you

That's how in me live you

Wherever you come from

you're the one I'm singing to scrum

surely your mistress I've become

Near, far, wherever you abode

with the warmth of you, my face glowed

My emotions overflowed, to you I showed

All the time I dream of you

I see you, I feel you

That's the way I love you

"Ahem, ahem! We're right behind you." Sam intervened in her immersion.

"Whooo…uu? Whaaaai aaaaa u alwayyys hea…  to disturb us?  She turned around her head and looked over her shoulder at them; her eyes were full white like blind eyes without pupils and iris. "Oh my Gosh!" Sam got freaked out, screamed, and ran for his life out of the house. Dr. Jerome followed him.

"You're a coward! Why did you run out man?" Standing outside her house, Dr. Jerome questioned Sam.

"Did you see her eyes; no pupils no iris … and did you notice her unintelligible speech?" Sam defended himself.

"It happens dear… see… talking gibberish, delusions and hallucinations are the symptoms of schizophrenia patients," Dr. Jerome tried to explain.

"And what about those white blind eyes as if they belong to a ghost or undead zombie or some horror story monster? They were spooky and uncanny," Sam was extremely frightened.

"This may be a unique symptom of a schizophrenia patient; I've yet to explore it. But then where is your love that you expressed to her that you would lay down your life for her?" Dr. Jerome tried to convince Sam.

"I've never changed my mind doc… I will never give in… never give up…being frightened doesn't mean I will break up," Sam was committed to his words.

"That's the spirit! Come on let's go again to her… and yeah… you must ask her for a date… "     Dr. Jerome brought a big grin on his face.

"O.K… I'll…"  Sam agreed and they both mustered the courage to enter the house again.

Jennifer was no more rocking in the rocker or humming a love song, rather she was lying in her bed, whimpering; her face buried in the pillow. Dr. Jerome patted Sam's back to push him forward to catch up with Jennifer to solace her. He slipped out of her bedroom to let them both avail solitude.

"Jenny… You've got a very sweet rhythmic voice…who was the singer?  What a fabulous song and the lyrics too! You're a love bird with a broken heart that you like such song?" Sam asked Jennifer.

"Yes… I'm in love… with the unseen, but sometimes I feel that I'm broken…something is wrong … something is missing…perhaps my peace of mind," replied Jennifer while staring at the ceiling.

"See ... Jenny … seeing is believing… you might have indulged yourself in something unnatural… you must come back to nature… come back to life… a lot of fun and happiness is out there… they are for you … you must accept them, " Sam sat on the bed beside her and pressed her right shoulder.

Jennifer looked at him, sat up on the bed, and wiped her tears but her lips zipped… there was a deafening silence. Having received a warm comforting peck on her cheek and a cuddle, she felt safe and snug in Sam's arms.

'Jenni… you need a change… come out of your cocoon... you need fresh air… O.K…tell me… have you ever tasted 'Manchurian' at 'Tai Pan'?  Well, this great place I go to a lot. I'm going there this Thursday evening. Would you like to join me?' Sam invited Jennifer for a date.

"I don't date… I'm not allowed to date," Jennifer replied solemnly.

"Who? You're staying alone! You're independent!" Sam was puzzled.

The moment Sam uttered these words, an empty glass tumbler fell off the table on the floor and spontaneously burst into hundreds of pieces that scattered across the room. He then vividly saw a long dark shadow slithered on the opposite wall and disappeared into the ceiling. A shiver ran down his spine. "What was that? How did the glass fall?" Sam cried out of fear.

Dr. Jerome, who was standing out of her bedroom, hustled into the room, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing doctor…so you were hiding!" Jennifer, who looked fearless, asked.

"doctor… the tumbler fell off the table and  I saw a dark shadow in the room… just now disappeared," Sam looked pale and frightened.

"It's nothing Sam ... don't be scared… It's your illusion… I think I'll have to bring you too under my medication… just give me a break... let me have a brief session with Jennifer," Dr. Jerome didn't believe Sam.

"Ok Jennifer, how are you holding up now?"  Dr. Jerome asked

"I'm great… doctor," Jennifer was relaxed.

"Jennifer, please lend me your ear…you've within you the ability to expand your capacity and reach far beyond what anyone thought was their maximum capability. You might think your best days are behind you. You might think you're done. There are people out there who are 30 years old and they say-I'm done. You are not done…you haven't even begun… you can go far beyond your current capability. You've greater strength to handle more, to go further, and put a new piece of the puzzle together. Maybe you never saw that piece. Let me tell you… there are many pieces to your puzzle you've never seen. And until you expand your view, you may never see them. You have to open your eyes!"

Dr. Jerome continued, "You might have read or heard about Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American Philosopher, who said that shallow people believe in luck and circumstances, whereas strong people believe in cause and effect. I always tell people to be positive and to keep empowering their minds because your mind is always eavesdropping on your self-talk. You've to be careful what you say to yourself because it's this unconscious command. I'll be very careful like I think some successful people live at the edge of their limits. And they play there also and whenever I feel in my nervous system that I can't do it then I feel like I… I must do it…

because I feel like how we do anything is how we do everything. So It's your time Jennifer… don't squander it… join Sam at dinner… relish your life. Remember! Yesterday is history; forget it, tomorrow is a mystery; don't strain your brain and today is a gift that's why it's called present… so enjoy it."

Thank you, doctor… your lecture is quite motivational and convincing… I'll mull over it, "Jennifer seemed to be convinced.

Sam and Dr. Jerome then bid farewell to Jennifer and left.

"On Friday Sam made a phone call to Dr. Jerome,

"Hi doctor… how are you doing?"

"I'm fine dear… how was your date yesterday evening?"

"I'm very upset! She didn't turn up."

"Why? Did you remind her?"

"I called on her phone multiple times, but she didn't answer," Sam uttered calmly.

"Oh! Maybe she has this irritating quirk of changing her mind. But you need to love her the way I did to Sheeza… bear in mind, patience and perseverance… pursue her… don't leave her." Dr. Jerome persuaded him with conviction.

"Could you make it one more time… I mean if you could accompany me to her house?" Sam requested.

"See… Sam… I think…I did what I could ... and I think … we should now try another option… I don't much believe in demon possession, but people say it's there. Anyway, on the morrow I'll bring with me a faith healer namely Hammad Syed if he's available," Dr. Jerome exclaimed.

"Who is Hammad Syed?" Sam was intrigued.

"He is a well-known faith healer and there are several success stories to his credit; people speak highly of him." Dr. Jerome spoke unceasingly.

"What is his treatment procedure?" Sam asked with interest.

"As far as I know, he recites certain verses from the Holy Quran," Dr. Jerome replied.

"Okay... Thanks, doctor. I'll be waiting in the same spot tomorrow. See you then…bye."

"bye…"