Time Tells Tales: Tale Four - Jim's Tale

By Stephanie Fletcher

"Out of the Mouth of Babe’s"

Set in 1994 in England this Tale is about Jim Middleton and his wife Serena, nee Rooney, sister to Alfred. Serena dies prematurely from bowel cancer at the age of 58. Serena and Jim have one child, Paul, born in 1958, who meets June Bennett, legitimate daughter of Catherine Bennett, whilst at university and they marry in 1982. They have a gifted child, Angela, born 1989, Jim’s only grandchild who Serena got to hold, cruelly for a brief moment before her passing.
Jim comes to terms with his wife's sudden death by helping to care for Angela whilst June is pregnant with their second child, as it is a difficult pregnancy. Angela opens her Granddads eyes to possibilities he had never given much credence to, his scepticism about all things supernatural and spiritual are challenged and Angela helps him to cope with his grief, changing his whole outlook on life and death.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stephanie Fletcher
• Release date: Aug 25, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301257720

Stephanie Fletcher

Biography (29 10 2012)I am a Mother and best friend to three girls. I truly love my life and every person who has ever touched it with unconditional love, and I am grateful for all their support in my endeavours. I am now a grandmother for the first time in October 2012 and I am sure inspiration will come for some children's stories! I have a website for publishing my writing and poetry. The web link is http://www.stephanie-fletcher.co.ukI started writing seriously after having a traumatic event in my life and having a nervous breakdown to boot. My physical and mental health suffered greatly and now six years later, hand on heart, I can honestly say I am not the self-driven OCD perfectionist I was before.I had a spiritual enlightenment, counselling, and time, lots of time on my hands. I could have quit, and sank deeper into depression but I didn't. I am lucky enough to have three wonderful caring and considerate daughters who witnessed my decent into hell and back, and a family who never left my side. I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and hit life head on again like the Taurean bull I am.I had always written a journal of sorts, spasmodically, and the days of staring into thin air became times of inspiration. At first I was scared to show others my work. The last thing I needed was criticism that cuts you to the soul. I needn't of worried, only but a few people gave me critique that knocked my confidence and I began to grow as a writer.I am not very well educated, only secondary school and college at forty doing a creative writing course and gaining a certificate in counselling skills. I read a lot, anything and everything and I take notes everywhere, for use later in my work. I collect idioms and sayings, inspirational quotes etc and they all help. A voice recorder is handy for those nighttime ideas and I also read my work out loud, recording them and then playing back, as it is easier to see where something doesn't work. I have a programme called ‘dragon speak’ which types up my recordings and saves a lot of frustrating keyboard time, which does my arthritis no good! I like to do my original work long hand so I have a lot of A5 notebooks needing attention.Writing is never dull, or a job, I enjoy everyday I spend writing and often surprise myself at what comes out. I am now attempting my first Novel, called ‘Time Tells Tales’, a synopsis is on my website and the first book of the five tales is published as an e-book on Smashwords.com and is called ‘Alfred's Tale - Dead in a Ditch’. I have three collections of poetry and two short, novella type stories available as well, one of which is free, so go help your self to a copy!

Book preview

Time Tells Tales

Theresa’s Tale

By

Stephanie Fletcher

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Smashwords EDITION

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PUBLISHED BY:

Stephanie Fletcher on www.Smashwords.com

Forbidden Love

Copyright © 2013 by Stephanie Fletcher

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This story is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

Adult Reading Material

I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Stephanie.

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Time Tells Tales

A Novel in Five Tales

Set in Ireland and England in the early 1900’s, covering a century, Time Tells Tales is a Novel in five parts or ‘Tales’. They explore the history of three families; their interconnected lives are intricately woven together by love, birth, death, and marriage. These lives are spiced up by religion, revenge, scandal, abuse, heartache and spiritual intervention.

The five Tales are told from different perspectives by the characters that drive this novel along to the surprising conclusion, spreading across time, space and dimensions, hence the title - Time Tells Tales.

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Theresa’s Tale – Forbidden Love

Quote:

"A man of illegitimate birth shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD."

Deuteronomy 23:2 The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003

Prologue: The Beginning or the End?

There was one moment of clarity before the bullet hit. How had it come to this? Was she dead? She couldn’t possibly have survived a bullet to the brain! Theresa looked down at herself and saw her glazed, lifeless eyes. Was that really her disfigured face, her blood-splattered body? There was no time to dwell on her appearance, as the slow motion picture in which she had been captured suddenly burst into action again, playing relentlessly on, leaving her questions unanswered.

When a hand rested gently on her arm, she turned to see who it was. To her bewilderment, a glowing white light was hovering beside her.

It’s not your time yet, Theresa, said the white light. The voice seemed to be inside her head, or it would have seemed that way when she had a head and body. But she was no longer sure she still owned a human form. We have some catching up to do, the white light added.

Theresa got to her feet, if indeed she still had feet, and stared at the strange being. What was this - a person, a ghost, or an angel?

All around them the world was carrying on with its business – and although Theresa felt nothing, she was able to see all. She observed her twisted body being carefully lifted and placed on a trolley, the paramedics all the time working like fury on her survival, and at last she was put into the ambulance. Lights and an ear-splitting noise signalled their quick departure, and all to save her – but why? Theresa was sure she was dead. She had an intense feeling of detachment from what was going on. The policemen, paramedics, sirens, flashing lights… All seemed of no importance, and appeared to bear no relation whatsoever to her. Indeed, they were slowly fading away into the white mist now surrounding the apparition and herself.

The apparition spoke again in a calming and relaxed manner, and she felt that the voice was vaguely familiar. It was melodious, hypnotic and enticing – so where had she heard it before?

Theresa, walk with me. You can return to your body later when I have smoothed things over a little and explained why I am here.

Theresa took a long look at this tall, graceful figure. More clearly defined now, 'he' was definitely a very beautiful (or should it be handsome?) young man, in gleaming white robes and had a shiny glow all around him, like somebody was lighting him from behind with a torch. Theresa was surprised that she could not see wings or a halo! His voice was deep, like the bass notes in a melody, rich and soothing her frayed nerves and laid quiet her tumultuous fears.

But then it struck her, she wasn’t afraid of this vision before her, or of what had just happened, for everything had taken on a dream like quality. It did not feel like a nightmare and she certainly did not want to wake up. Her real life held too much horror just now.

Theresa had always expected to die young. No one could live for forty-seven years, mostly in a hell on earth, and not expect a violent end. Indeed, it felt surprisingly welcome. She sighed heavily, knowing only a few would miss her - her abuser; her boyfriend and his friendly little sister. She had no parents, or grandparents, in fact there was not any known family of any kind.

The glowing translucent light surrounding the apparition now encompassed them both like a thick fluffy blanket. It warmed her tired, cold body. (Did she still have a body?), and she felt like she was floating beside the ethereal young man. Now they were rising above the scene of her demise to look down upon it, through the swirling mist. The noise and lights had dimmed, and now she was only aware of 'him'. Before she had time to question him, he spoke again.

Theresa, I am surprised you do not recognise me. It's David, your friend from the children's home all those years ago. Do you not remember me?

Theresa slowly shook what she thought was her head. He couldn’t be ‘that’ David, he wasn’t dead - or was he? Not trusting the vision before her or what her own ‘eyes’ told her. She couldn’t accept her childhood friend could be dead and now was talking to her from the ‘other-side’ or wherever it was he came from; it must be her damaged brain playing tricks on her.

Never mind Theresa, I am sure it will come to you soon. For now I have come to tell you that it is not your time to leave the earth plane as you still have much to give. I am here to help and guide you to a new path of enlightenment and knowledge.

Theresa looked at this angel or apparition of her delirium, with scathing disbelief. He acknowledged her troubled expression with a big grin that spread over his perfect face yet she still could not recognise him as David.

Oh Theresa! You are not the first or last to look at me like that. I am a little more grown up from your point of view, I suppose. He chuckled like a small child, which made her stare at him all the more. She was so confused and everything felt so hazy; what was going on? Was this really David from all those years ago, in that prison of a home where they shared their dreams and hopes of escape? There was something vaguely familiar about ‘it’.

Theresa had never had any particular faith or followed any religion other than that which was forced upon her as a child by those hypocritical Nuns and the Priest of her nightmares. She had always relied on her need for self-preservation and did what was needed to get by. If it meant breaking the law, then the law got broken. She never worried about the consequences to herself or her soul - is that what she was now, a 'soul'?

"In a way, Theresa, you are just your 'soul ' at the moment, though I prefer to say you are ‘in spirit’, with one foot in both planes for now." David answered her as if she had spoken aloud.

You, you can hear my thoughts? she stammered. Stay out of my head, it’s not right, you peeping tom!

"Okay Theresa, as you wish. I can communicate with you and others, in many ways, through their thoughts and dreams, by images, or by smell. Angels communicate on many levels. I have come to try and prevent you from becoming a lost soul, and guide you back to the path you should be on."

Lost soul? This angel was very well informed as that's what she was called in the many care homes she had been a ‘guest’ at. They always referred to her as a lost soul. They also called her a bad penny, a bad apple, or a black sheep, inferring that she corrupted all she touched. No matter how hard she tried to run away from these 'homes' she had always ended up back in one or another. Her memories merged in her mind until she stopped caring about what had happened to her on the ‘outside’.

A silence descended all around her and a chill crept through her… whatever she was. Theresa reasoned, she was either dead or going mad, or this was all a nightmarish dream. She wanted to believe this angel and that he was ‘her’ David. Anyway, she reasoned, she had been staring at her own mortal body not five minutes ago, so how could she not believe him?

You are right; Theresa, time and space are irrelevant for the here and now, for you and me. To coin a phrase, we have all the time in the world, all in this very moment. You need to survive this life and death challenge to grow as a soul. You are the key to a mystery; there are things that you have yet to discover. There is the past which can be healed and a future that will bring you much joy and contentment.

David (if that is who he really was) smiled broadly at her. His image slowly changed and now she recognised him as the young boy who had befriended her all those years ago. It filled her with a strange feeling, a warm fluttering in her stomach, like when she saw her boyfriend Brian. Her boyfriend - where was he? Theresa hoped he was alive still and that he was taking care of her ‘mortal’ body, wherever it was.

Theresa felt David pull her into his light again and peace flooded through her like a rainbow after a storm. She could feel each colour warming and soothing her spirit.

It’s love, Theresa, something you have been denied full knowledge of and you were just beginning to realise that you could change your way of life. This might sound a bit of a cliché, but I have been assigned to be your guardian angel. Theresa, to you I am David, your childhood friend, and I shall never abandon you. I will come when you call me, not necessarily in prayer, just say my name in your head, or scream it to the universe. I will hear you because we are inextricably bonded. I shall open your eyes to the endless possibilities and the countless choices you have yet to make. To experience true love and joy which as a child you were denied. You were beginning to experience it, to see that change is possible, and that not all people are like all those you have experienced. Theresa I promise you, I will walk beside you and help you to regain the strength you will need. All this awaits you, along with what will seem like insurmountable challenges and chronic pain. I am sorry to tell you, you must now return, Theresa, return to your beaten and battered body, which has miraculously survived.

David began to pull away, his light dimming, the warmth evaporating, and the safety of his embrace all but gone.

But David - how could I of survived? I am surely dead? I was shot in the head, for god’s sake! Theresa shouted at his fading silhouette. Panic rose inside her as her spirit body screamed out, David, help me! I'm falling… Oh God, help me! It’s so dark and cold. Ohhh! Arggh! David! Please don't leave me; I don't want to go back!

Faintly she heard his soothing tones, Have faith, Theresa, have faith, I am by your side always. Now you need to rest, to heal, so you can put your life back together. Survive so you can live the life that was intended for you and most of all - to be loved.

Theresa let herself (or her spirit?) go and felt herself spinning, swirling, until the all-encompassing blackness sucked her in.

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To understand Theresa's life so far and her current predicament, we must visit her in her past and see how her life had led her to the present day and for what reason she was shot.

This is Theresa’s Tale.

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Quote:

"I answer that, Children are of four conditions. Some are natural and legitimate, for instance those who are born of a true and lawful marriage; some are natural and illegitimate, as those who are born of fornication; some are legitimate and not natural, as adopted children; some are neither legitimate nor natural; such are those born of adultery or incest, for these are born not only against the positive law, but against the express natural law. Hence we must grant that some children are illegitimate." Summa Theologica - Saint Thomas Aquinas

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Chapter one - Being a Bastard.

Theresa Bennett was born on the eighteenth of May in 1952. It had been an especially warm and sunny day for this new born, but not for her Mother. Against all her beseeching, this tiny baby who weighed no more than five pounds was cruelly and with no ceremony, whipped away from her before she could even see that it was a girl.

Theresa was born a nursing home, in the county of Kerry, in Ireland. It was one of ‘those homes’ where young Catholic girls who got in the ‘family way’ were sequestered