The Day My Soul Spoke

By Jean-Yves Fortuny

At the age of sixty-five years old, Anselme is a retired nurse. Like everyone else, he's his fair share of difficulties, and now he aspires to live a quiet life with his wife, Constance. But this year promises to be different than those before it, and a plot revolves around him: a mysterious invitation is sent to him, asking him to come to Paris during Christmastime. The invitation says nothing about the purpose of this journey, which will lead him from discovery to discovery, and which will radically change the rest of his life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Éditions Dédicaces
• Release date: Jan 9, 2018
• ISBN: 9781770766914

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Jean-Yves Fortuny

The Day My Soul Spoke

The most secure door is one that can be left open

First published by Editions Dedicaces in 2018

Copyright © Jean-Yves Fortuny, 2018

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

ISBN: 978-1-77076-691-4 | 978-1-77076-691-4

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Contents

Preface

Supernatural phenomenon?

Surprise

On the way!

Dreams or nightmares?

Spiritual walk

Progress?

Such is an expedition...

Review

Nose-press

I’m watching over you...

Providence

Florentine maneuvers

Who are you?

Welcome...

Final adjustments

One small step for us...

Back to basics...

We finally meet again

Epilogue

Thanks

Preface

’Life is dead

in the memory of the living.’

Marcus Tullius CICERON

We all knew that in some cases we can surpass our own mental or physical limits. For example, I remember that of a mother – a very small woman. To save the life of her child, she raised the front of a car under which he was stuck.

Is it really superhuman?

Would it be enough for us not to want to make it possible?

She would not necessarily raise the car, but simply save the life of her offspring.

And if we had such a desire in us, are we able to accomplish what we commonly call feats, without being conscious about it?

It was certain that in today’s world we sleep…

JYF.

1

Supernatural phenomenon?

‘For the ways of the day walk alongside those of the night.’

Homer

It’s three o’clock in the morning. Anselme, a man of seventy nine fell asleep watching a movie in the chair in his living room. He slept deeply.

The television continued to broadcast nightly programs as he entered a phase where dreams and reality merge. His Dog ‘Drakkar’, a beautiful five year-old husky, slept deeply as well near the his master’s chair. Suddenly, crackling came to replace the documentary on the screen, and stealthy flutter of air touched his face, face causing Anselme to change his position.

Drakkar felt something wrong, but did not appear afraid. It only kept one eye open and wagged its tail, sweeping the ground while letting out a little ‘woo’ which he has the secret.

‘Hi, good to see you.’ The coat of his skull flattened in an instant.

It looked towards the room, half opening his mouth and let its tongue hang slightly, as if it just swallowed some beef jerky. As a satisfied guest, a face appeared on the screen, whispered something vague, then disappeared. Drakkar got up, went to his master, and licked the inert hand hanging out of the chair ‘It’s time to go to bed!’ then returned to lie on the carpet in front of the door, to sleep peacefully.

Supernatural phenomenon?

Anselme did not knew it, but the journey of his personal evolution was just beginning…

2

Surprise

‘Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.’

André Comte-Sponville

In the Ardèche countryside, in the small village of Saint Just, that a clinic called ‘Méribell’ was closed recently.

Perched on a hill, the large building had only one fault: its accessibility slowed by the narrowness of the road, upon a protected site. Set upon arches and beams, it majestically overlooks the village and in some ways reminded one of ancient Gallo-Roman architechture. Today restored and refurbished as a hotel of the same name, the old clinic became also a place of pilgrimage for some, with a beautiful garden that encircled the building. But there was something in the air; ‘every little thing’ that still made the site enjoy the majestic scenery of the past. Moreover, several rooms inside were dedicated to it.

Anselme worked there until his retirement, which he quietly enjoyed in the same village with his wife, Constance.

Truly passionate about his chosen vocation, he took care of the disabled, paraplegic or tetraplegical, and he had many dramatic situations which have certainly profoundly affected him.

As he says, ‘Everything was good to live for, even the worst, because we still continue to move forward.’

He knew that better than anyone. He had also found himself disabled during three years after a road accident; but he still managed to get out with an amount of effort. To this day, he still did not knew the significance of that result, which was, according to him a just reward relating to hard work.

Everyone knew him in the village. It was in the eyes of many, he was someone simple and generous even in the medical field. Anselme was part of that generation of nurses who took it easier than many of his colleagues; devoted yet, the little humanity in this world of stress and profitability made him inadequate for these times. Apart for some good advice on the profession, he left former employees with an indelible memory. With a natural kindness, he succeeded in restoring gladness into the heart of his patients who were often broken physically and mentally. His attentive side was appreciated by all and he had even established relationships with some of these people whose life would never be the same before their accidents. But, there was a patient who has left the most impression on him, one he thinks of often. His name was Rémy. He became a quadriplegic after a fifteen-meter drop in his work as a carpenter. Anselme had woven a friendly relationship with him, but as spiritual so to say and when he speaks, it was never without emotion.

On 22 December two thousand and thirteen, he prepared for a day like any other since retiring with Constance. Contrary to the past years they were not entertaining their two children Sébastien and Grégory – they were fathers as well. Both men have planned a trip with their wives and children, in addition to the gifts under the tree, a surprise holidays trip together to ‘Disneyland’. They will not be the only ones pleasantly surprised. In cahoots with Constance, ‘Seb and Greg’ have received a special invitation for everyone. Anselme did not suspect that he was about to experience the most memorable Christmas in his life.

The clock of the Town Hall showed exactly half past seven; he was about to go dog walking as he did every day. It was the same ritual every morning. Before leaving, he always asks his beloved if he to stop at the supermarket in the village, and over the bakery where he will systematically be going to.

In better times, there was also a stop at the only butcher of the village and the surrounding area. But he had a fault: one in that he wanted to have fun as much as possible. Thus, frequently, it did not bother him to take what he liked, obscuring the need to vary the food and the recommendations of his gentle and loving wife. For him this was really not that big of a default as he can swallow everything except the tripe. But he was what people called a ‘free-thinker’. He was convinced that if people continued to tap into nature reserves, there will be a shortage. A theory that he often has to vouch for his calorie-counting wife, Anselme but never thought of it lightly. He inquires, he studies, reads, listens, observes and carefully formulated conclusions that only mattered to him; over the years, however, he became convinced that one day soon, we can certainly eat as much as we liked.

Constance just did not see eye to eye. For her, diversification was essential and, in this regard, Anselme admits readily it was not fundamentally wrong. It took ten years nevertheless for him to consider it, the time of a week-long leave, when her beloved husband was not so refractory to good food, she thought.

They never went on vacation during the first ten years of their marriage, and despite the many opportunities he had balanced meals, he had often managed to escape. But in these past seven days of respite in the mountains in a hostel, there was no choice but to honour the dishes presented to him and it gives her great misfortune. The ‘Unfortunate’ had to eat only foods that were a part of those that demanded a systematic effort of concentration from him with each gulp. For her part, Constance conceded to the evidence as seen with each swallow without saying anything and sometimes claiming even a second plate!

Before this realization, Anselme, in her eyes, was fussy and she absolutely wanted to change that by any means. So, she did not hesitate to forbid squarely from his ’butcher-stop telling all their friends that he behaved sometimes as a ten-year-old boy. But the information was circulated so that it became the laughing stock of which in his eyes was that of a ‘brotherhood of gullible and ignorant people’ whose master was none other than his wife as a stubborn ignorant… Of course!

It never, stopped Anselme living the way he wished, but he was with these straight and unequivocal people; he likes to be seen for who he was and not as another character, fabricated and authenticated by others. To him, this type of relationship falsifies everything. Certainly there was no loss of life, but all these little details added to each other unnerved him.

With a saintly patience, at least in general, he held on to some ‘rules of life’, one of which, of not leaving a situation rot too long, until it was otherwise included in his own life and thus promote cancer! It was true that his views were relatively unusual incited different reactions. But he hated wasting time with problems that did not exist; it will not even be prudent, and he preferred to spend his time on something else. However, when he put himself in poor posture, it was quite capable of taking charge and fixing it, although sometimes a certain time passes before his eyes could take a new look straight ahead.

This radical and unusual behaviour had surprised him; thinking that with time… But Constance had decided to hit the target once and for all; although the fact of seeing her husband react just to make her happy and have peace, had the gift of testing her patience.

Left to his devices, Anselme heads towards the entrance where Drakkar waited for him, so as to attach it to its harness – he had preferred it to the collar. Not knowing what Constance planned for meals this festive day before year’s end, he preferred to confirm.

‘Are you preparing something special this year?’

‘No, don’t bring anything in today, I have a surprise for you with the children, but I have been sworn to silence. Let yourself go and all will be well!’

This was all Constance’s style to say things without saying them. Anselme smiled and did not seek further.

‘With the children. Why, are they coming?’

‘Maybe, maybe not!’

‘Well I will not insist; would it thwart your plans if I go out and walk the dog?’

‘Go away!’ replied Constance, amused!

The simple act of taking its leash had the dog in all sorts and stretched his