Druzella’s car door shut, alerting me that she had arrived for her weekly session with Mom. A minute later the doorbell rang. I waited until they’d exchanged greetings and moved to the kitchen table where they always held their meetings.
The plan was for me to casually show up and feign interest in what they were talking about. Sometime during our conversation I was supposed to tell Mom my big news. Druzella and I hadn’t quite figured out how that was to happen. How was a person to announce they’d recently arrived from the future and another universe?
“Hey, Mom,” I said, turning toward Druzella. “Hello again,” I added, feeling nauseated at the prospect of defending the type of story I planned to tell. “What are you two up to?” I asked. “Casting spells? Poking voodoo dolls of the neighbors?” I teased.
“Mapping the charts, honey,” Mom said. “Nothing your skeptical mind would care about.”
I pulled out the chair near Mom. “That’s not true,” I said, sitting down. “You never know.”
“Speaking of that,” Mom began, sliding out of her chair.. “Hang on, Druzella. I got Michael something from the library yesterday that I want to give him.”
Mom headed to the living room and I looked at Druzella. “Do you want me to bring up parallel universes or are you going to?” I whispered. “Maybe it’d seem more natural if you did,” I added.
Mom was back in an instant.
I nervously tried to act normal even though I’m sure I failed.
She handed me a book. “Parallel Universes,” she proudly stated, tapping on the cover of a book that had a photo of deep space on it. “Just like you’ve been talking about.”
I flipped the book over to the picture of the author on the back. He appeared to be a science type nerd. “Thanks,” I mumbled before handing it to Druzella.
“I thumbed through it,” Mom said. “Too much science for me but it does offer some unique perspectives.”
Druzella opened the book and leafed through a couple of pages before speaking up. “Anything astrological or spiritual with regards to these universes?” she asked, sliding the book across the table to me. Apparently we were playing a game of Hot Potato.
“Not really,” Mom stated. “Mostly scientific theory and what-ifs.”
“Kinda weird huh, Mom?” I inserted, thinking now was as good as any to dive in. “Could you imagine?”
“Ever since you brought it up to me, son, I’ve been thinking about parallel universes,” she began. “I’ve read that déjà vu might be related to them.”
“That sounds plausible,” Druzella inserted. “I certainly believe in infinite possibilities in our world, so why not?”
“Could you imagine multiples of us?” Mom asked, directing her gaze to Druzella. “That would really be something, wouldn’t it?”
“Absolutely,” she agreed. “There are still so many unsolved realities to our known world. Ripples in time or even time travel,” she added. “We might have many parallels to our lives. I think the concept is fascinating.”
Mom looked at me. “I wonder if a person would know?” she questioned, and then answered her own question. “Probably not. I mean, I don’t sense anything about another me out there somewhere.”
“But what if you could?” I blurted out.
Mom puckered her lips, placing an index finger to her bunched up lips as she gave serious thought to my question. I sensed Druzella inhale as we both anticipated her reply.
“Nope, not for me,” Mom answered. “I don’t think I’d want to know.”
“Well that’s interesting, Kathleen,” Druzella observed. “You’ve always seemed to be a woman interested in discovery.”
“Good point,” Mom agreed. “Butdiscoveringon my own terms.”
“Valid point,” Druzella concurred. “I imagine that our stars and their alignment might be involved in these parallels,” she added. “Opening doors to them perhaps?”
I saw an opening that Druzella had just skillfully delivered. “You like that, right, Mom? The stars and stuff?” I asked, perhaps too eagerly.
“I do, yes, but we’re talking about multiples of ourselves. This is where I’m unsure,” she pondered. “I wonder if you’d know?” she repeated, seemingly stuck on that part of the crazy theory. “Because I’ve experienced déjà vu but just not to the point that I’ve seen myself in another dimension.”
Mom was so involved with the topic that I struggled to know how I should proceed with telling her my truth. I kept looking at Druzella but all she did was make a barely perceptible nod with her head to encourage me to keep talking.
“Here’s a wild idea, Mom,” I interrupted.
