The Unveiling

By S. C. Guardian

When her brother was tragically killed years ago, S. C. was angry, vengeful, sad, and confused. She loved her older brother dearly, and set out to find answers about his death. She started writing to heal herself, and the writing led her to new understandings. In addition to the writing, she began seeking answers. This is how Unveiling was born.

Unveiling is based on S. C.'s real life experiences as she searched for answers about her brother. In the Unveiling, Champion, the brother, is the main character and his younger little sister, Seeker, is out looking for answers about why he died. When she starts to uncover the truth about her brother's death, she is awakened to a whole new understanding of life, and she learns secrets to living her own life well.

More than 20 years in the making, Unveiling started as a painful tragedy, but developed into a gift when Seeker much like S. C. in real life discovered the gift her brother gave in his death.

"The purpose of this book, Unveiling, is to share what Ive learned from this experience," S. C. explains. "My brother's passing was a deep gift because it triggered in me a Spiritual journey, as a result of the gifts he showed me. Life is different when you live from a totally different Spiritual perspective. Life has become easier for me because I now have the tools and understanding of how to be in the world, but not of it."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Oct 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504366250

S. C. Guardian

S. G. Guardian was inspired to write this book after her brother's tragic death. When she started writing the book more than 20 years ago, she was angry and sought retribution. But as she wrote, and as she sought answers, her perspective shifted. Thanks to her dialogue with Advisor, she began to see that although her brother's death hurt her deeply, it also allowed deep gifts to come to her. This book is a celebration of her brother, and of the teachings that brought S. C. to where she is today – a much calmer, more peaceful place. It is S. C.'s great hope that the Unveiling will help others who are seekers of knowledge along their own Spiritual journeys.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Clarity’s one-year fellowship at Dramco, a drug company in Hidden Valley, was coming to an end. She was moving back to Russia and I offered to help her pack. As we drove to her home, we reminisced about her year at the laboratory.

I can’t believe I’ve been here for a year, Clarity glanced over at me in the passenger seat. I’m so glad we became friends.

I’m going to miss you, I said. Work just won’t be the same. Even though Clarity was in her late twenties and younger than I, we became close friends. She usually wore a broad, warm smile, which made it easy to like her.

We drove along in silence for a while. Then out of the blue I said, It’s strange how major changes seem to occur in my life after the death of people I love. I met my husband after the death of someone close to me.

Who died? Clarity asked as I pulled up in front of her apartment. I choked up and shook my head because I couldn’t answer. Tears dimmed my vision as we walked up to the building.

In silence, Clarity unlocked the door to her apartment, put down her things and went to the kitchen to put the kettle on. After settling down with a cup of hot coffee, Clarity asked again, Who died?

Champion, my older brother, I answered reluctantly. I was only twenty-one years old at the time.

How did he die?

Seeing that I was unable to answer, Clarity asked softly, Did he take his own life?

How did you know? I answered in surprise.

Clarity hesitated before she confessed, I can see and feel things that others can’t.

Her honesty and frankness inspired me to open up. Through my tears, I recounted what I knew about Champion’s death.

It was twenty years ago, back in Bay City. The police arrested him when they caught him unloading guns from a car and carrying them into a building. He was not a bad boy; he was just involved with the wrong crowd. Members of his gang raised bail money and helped him flee to Honduras with Adventurer, his girlfriend. Pretty soon he ran out of money and in desperation hijacked a plane to Cuba, where he was arrested and apparently committed suicide by hanging himself in his jail cell. That’s all we know.

Are you sure he went to Cuba? Clarity asked with surprise. I felt that it happened somewhere else. There are banana trees like you find in a jungle. I see him hitting dirt.

That’s the story we heard. This happened during the Vietnam War. Since the U.S. didn’t have relations with Cuba and with nowhere else to turn, my mother, Dragon Lady, wrote to the Algerian embassy asking for more information. They responded and confirmed the story that my family heard from Champion’s friends. Rumor had it that Adventurer returned from Cuba four years later, but she has never contacted our family.

Can I tell you what I’m feeling? Clarity asked.

I nodded, not knowing what to expect.

I don’t think Champion committed suicide, she said. "They didn’t want him to go to trial because he knew too much, so they helped him out of the country to keep him quiet. They, whoever they are, were not up front with him and when Champion realized he was in danger, he fought them; so they killed him. Champion did not kill himself. He was stronger than that." Clarity used her fingers to form the shape of a gun; then she took aim and shot twice.

You’re angry because the people at the embassy lied to you, Clarity continued. They told you he took his own life in jail. Now you know that’s not true.

Clarity’s insight enabled me to grieve openly for Champion for the first time in more than twenty years. She leaned toward me and put her arm around my shoulder as tears of sadness overwhelmed me.

"Champion has always been with you. Well, not all of the time, but most of the time," she corrected herself.

I straightened up and asked with bewilderment, What do you mean? How do you know this?

Your brother told me, Clarity responded. Do you want to hear more? I don’t want to alarm you.

Yes, I answered with doubt in my voice, not knowing what more to expect.

He loves you very much, and has told me how close you two were, Clarity said.

I think about him often and grieve for him in private. Tears welled in my eyes. My feelings are as strong now as they were twenty years ago.

Clarity brought her hands down on the table and stated emphatically, Champion says you must stop this crying right now!

But I couldn’t hold back the tears. I was finally able to release and acknowledge my bottled-up emotions. Champion was gone forever and I was terribly sad that I could no longer talk with him.

At least that is what I believed.

My thoughts went back to the night twenty years ago right before Champion fled. He and Adventurer came to the house and begged Dragon Lady for help. Although Champion disliked our parents and had not gotten along with them for a long time, he was desperate and scared. He needed some money and a good lawyer, but Dragon Lady refused to help him.

You will have to face the music by yourself. I warned you not to hang out with those bad people. They are nothing but trouble, Dragon Lady stated. You didn’t listen to me so now I can’t help you.

So you won’t help me get a lawyer? Champion’s question sounded more like a statement.

No, Champion. I can’t help you. I don’t have money to waste on a lawyer, Dragon Lady said. You’re an adult now and will have to get out of this predicament by yourself.

I saw the fear in his eyes and pleaded with Dragon Lady to help him, but she wouldn’t. Where were her priorities? I couldn’t believe that she didn’t care about the safety of Champion. He was forced to go outside the family for what he needed.

As Champion and Adventurer went down the stairs, Champion pulled back his jacket and I saw the gun tucked in his belt. That frightened me because that’s when I realized Champion knew he was in big trouble. He opened the door and turned to Dragon Lady and said, This will be the last time you’ll ever see me. And it was.

My thoughts were interrupted as Clarity said bluntly, You think Dragon Lady is glad Champion is dead because she no longer has to deal with him. You still blame her for Champion’s death. But it’s not her fault. He was the exact type of person the gang needed. He was young … and it was his time to go.

Clarity’s information was so astounding that all I could do was stare at her and wonder how she was able to talk to Champion. Isn’t he dead?

Reflections on the Past

The night Clarity channeled my brother, my mind opened up to what I had been suppressing for years. I remembered the night I came out of my bedroom and Dragon Lady stopped me in the hallway. It was just a few short months after Champion had walked out the door. She told me that Champion had hung himself. To my surprise, my first response was relief that he didn’t hurt someone. When I had seen the gun he was carrying, I was afraid that he might shoot someone else. Then I experienced a wave of disbelief. It happened so unexpectedly. I stared at Dragon Lady as she slowly walked past me to her room and quietly closed the door. She didn’t come out for several days. I sensed that she felt bad about Champion’s death. What does it feel like to lose a child?

My mind returned to the present and I sipped coffee while Clarity stated what she was sensing. "Wise One, your grandmother, was both grandmother and mother to you. When she died in January this year, you felt that you also lost your mother."

Clarity’s comment caught me by surprise. How do you know about my grandmother? It’s true that she was like a mother to me. I remember when my family moved from the old house in Chinatown to a newer one in the Jefferson area of Bay City. Dragon Lady insisted that Wise One, my paternal grandmother, remain in the old house in Chinatown. When Uncle Agitator, my father’s younger brother, returned home from Germany where he served in the Army and found Wise One living alone, he was so angry at my father.

Clarity explained, Dragon Lady wanted to separate you and Wise One. She didn’t like it that you two were so close.

How do you know all this? I asked again. I wondered how she could know all of these personal things about me.

I can hear Champion in my thoughts telling me these things as though he is right here speaking to me. I trust him and he trusts me, Clarity responded, as if everyone hears voices! "The thoughts come across very clearly, and I repeat them aloud without any doubts in my mind. When the thoughts start, they keep coming even if I ask them to stop. Earlier tonight, I was compelled to ask you who died. I don’t usually press, but for some reason I felt I had to ask you again." Clarity paused and looked directly at me.

You know, Seeker, we were destined to meet.

I nodded in agreement before I quietly asked, How long have you known about Champion?

I sensed it the moment I asked you, ‘Who died?’ Then Clarity added something that made me stop in my tracks. Seeker, you are psychic too. Much stronger than I am.

Let me see your hands, Clarity said. I stretched my arms out. She took both my hands and studied the palms. Here, put your hand over my eye. Clarity placed my left hand over her right eye.

I pulled my hand away, uncomfortable with the thought of possessing these powers. Could I really do what she was doing? It goes against everything I was taught in church.

Clarity sensed my uneasiness and stepped back. She looked around her apartment and changed the subject. Oh well, the packing isn’t going to get done on its own. I’m going back to my bedroom to sort my clothes. You can stay here in the living room and pack away the books in those boxes in the corner.

I was kneeling over and taping a box closed when she returned and stood quietly next to me.

They are here with us, Clarity whispered softly.

I know! I can feel it, too. There seems to be a group of them here. I acknowledged the comforting Presence in the room and my mood changed. I like it. Wise One must be here, too, helping Champion.

That night in her apartment, Clarity and I shared an experience that changed my life. It was a major step in my spiritual awakening. Who was I before this evening? I was what my parents, traditions, and customs wanted me to be. I followed what was expected of me, going through the stages of life – finishing school, getting a job, buying a car, getting married, buying a house, and raising a family. It appeared that what I did was normal, just like everyone else.

But that night I realized my life was never going to be the same. The seeking didn’t suddenly start that evening. At that time, something deep within me was calling for answers. The Celestine Prophecy explains that coincidence appears and moves life forward to the next coincidence. During my life, one thing led to the next and the energy kept flowing until that meeting when Clarity and I talked about my brother. Is it a coincidence that she was there at that time and saying those words when I was ready? I think not.

PART 1

Back to Where it All Started (1990s)

CHAPTER 1

Nine months earlier

I had been working in the same office for three years, but after a recent reorganization I was assigned to share an office with Electra. She was seldom in the office since she spent most of her time in the laboratory. Soon after moving into our office, I began feeling the creeps, as if I were in a haunted house. I couldn’t help wondering if someone had carried on an affair in the room, or worse, died in this office. At times when I experienced those strange feelings, I glanced at Electra, who sat at her desk in the opposite corner next to the door. Simultaneously, Electra would turn and look at me. We smiled at each other, but neither said anything. I wondered if she was picking up on the same feelings.

Electra was happy when she was transferred to another department, but I felt uneasy left alone in that office. I couldn’t stand it and would often make any excuse to get out of there. I needed to surround myself with other people, so I asked Reason if I could use the computer in his office since mine was out for repair. Reason shared his office with Clarity, and that’s when we became friends. I taught her how to use the computer and corrected her English when necessary.

After I had been working in her office for just a few days, Clarity came up behind me and whispered, Something feels strange and I don’t understand it. Do you feel it, too? What’s going on?

I felt chills crawl up my spine as I slowly turned to face Clarity. At that moment, we both realized there was a connection between us.

What do you mean? I asked.

People are acting so strangely, Clarity replied with a frown. I’ve been working in the laboratory under Manipulator for about six months. Almost every time I duplicate his experiments I get completely different results. He becomes angry with me and thinks I’m not doing them right. But I know they are right. I have repeated the experiments several times and still don’t get the same results as Manipulator. It makes me feel stupid. I’ve even gone over my procedures with Manipulator and I’m following the procedures properly. I don’t know what’s happening in the lab, but whatever it is, it’s not scientific.

I glanced around to make sure no one was watching us. "That’s really odd. Manipulator can be difficult to work with at the best of times and he tells the Boss everything that happens. Even though he is a medical doctor, the Boss has little hands-on experience and doesn’t know laboratory procedures so he believes everything Manipulator tells him. He supervises Manipulator as an armchair lieutenant."

Well, it’s not just the experiments that are weird. I’ve asked for supplies and equipment that I need for my work but I can’t get them, even though I’ve requested them through the proper channels. Will Manipulator get mad at me if I ask colleagues in another department for help? asked Clarity.

I moved closer to her because the office door was open and whispered, He probably will if he finds out! I’ve had to do the same thing. He gave me an old computer in August and within six months it crashed, leaving me to figure out for myself how to meet a tight deadline on an important assignment. Manipulator can’t be trusted because he wants to be in control of everyone and everything. He withholds supplies and equipment on purpose. If someone needs help, he brushes it off and says, ‘It’s your problem. I’m busy right now.’

Clarity said, I’m glad you warned me about him.

Be careful, I advised. If he knows you know how he operates, he will defend himself by attacking you.

When Reason walked into the office, Clarity and I quickly resumed working. I settled back at my desk, relieved that there was someone in the office to confide in. Our casual relationship had suddenly grown into a trusting friendship and I could talk with Clarity as if we had known each other for a long time.

Throughout the weeks I used the computer in Reason and Clarity’s office, Clarity and I didn’t talk to each other because she thought the place was bugged. When we felt a need to speak, we’d pass a note – Coffee?

One day as we were on a coffee break, Clarity stated, The Boss knows everything that’s going on in the office.

I have the same feeling. But how does he know? I replied.

"I don’t know, but have you noticed that even if he’s not around during the day, he seems to know what we’ve been talking about, often using some of our exact words?

I think the Boss is trying to recruit you to work for the CIA, Clarity said. I keep feeling that he has a connection with the CIA, maybe involving drugs.

That’s highly unlikely, I scoffed at the idea. "My work is not that important."

"He’s not interested in your work so much as he is interested in you! Have you noticed how much he travels? As a scientist he can easily go in and out of foreign countries. What do you think he’s doing on those trips?" Clarity’s questions made me start to wonder.

I think the CIA is suspicious that the foreign scientists in our office may be spies, Clarity stated. And the Boss may be interested in recruiting you because you would make a perfect spy!

Me? You must be joking! I laughed.

But Clarity was serious. Think about it. You’re smart and quiet, and you get along with people.

I think you’re worrying about all this for nothing. My work may be interesting to me, but surely it doesn’t interest any foreign government, I replied.

Anyway, you should leave this job because the people here are no good for you, Clarity warned.

That was true. Although many people at work were exceptional in their careers, it did not make for a solid balance of personalities. The Boss looked for prima-donnas, not for compatible personalities. All these primo people were insecure and continually jockeying for a superior position in whatever way they could – manipulation, control, gossip, and backstabbing – in their attempts to gain his approval. In reality, everyone was equal, but no one wanted to be equal. Our workplace was a difficult place to make friends; therefore, I found myself isolated within the office. Clarity was the only person that I could chat with on a personal basis. The subtlety of office politics – the difficulties and the challenges, the games people play, the unpleasantness of being left out – can make anyone who doesn’t fit in feel uncomfortable. Once Clarity inadvertently found a note in the wastebasket with the time, location, and names of those invited to a birthday party after work. Clarity and I were not on the list.

Our co-workers act like you don’t exist, even though it’s obvious they are jealous of you. Leave this place as soon as you can, Clarity urged.

CHAPTER 2

I haven’t written my will yet

I received an unexpected call from Wise One. Uncle Agitator, Vanishing Man’s younger brother, had to dial the numbers for her because she had severe rheumatoid arthritis in both hands. She sounded weak, both physically and mentally. Wise One usually did most of the talking, but this time I had to keep the conversation going, repeating several times in Chinese that I was doing well and my family was happy. I wanted to ask more questions, but couldn’t find the Chinese words. Auntie Companion, Agitator’s wife, came on the phone and explained that Wise One had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and was getting physically weaker and needed help to the bathroom. I wanted to visit Wise One before things got worse.

Soon after that phone call, Uncle Agitator and Aunt Companion went on a cruise and left Wise One in a nursing home while they were gone. This must have been difficult for her because she had never been away from home since coming from China. When they returned from vacation, Uncle Agitator brought her home and tried caring for her, but she couldn’t be left alone during the day while they were at work. She needed 24-hour attention, which required two full-time people to care for her. Uncle Agitator never thought he would put his mother in a nursing home, but there was no other option. They just couldn’t take care of her at home anymore.

She never left that nursing home. In January, Uncle Agitator called.

Seeker, I’m so sorry to tell you that Wise One has passed away.

I couldn’t answer.

Are you okay? Uncle Agitator asked after a long silence on the phone.

I still couldn’t answer.

I understand. I’ll call back later, Uncle Agitator said gently.

It’s normal that my father doesn’t inform me of significant events in the family. He has never taken the initiative to contact me. Control games and assumptions are the legacy of my family. Uncle Agitator often presumes the authority of what should be my father’s duties. When I was a kid, he disciplined me if my father was not available. In our culture, he has the right to discipline younger family members and he still tries with me sometimes, though it is a bit late for that.

Wise One died at the age of 89 on Dragon Lady’s birthday, a day that connected the two women. Now every year when Dragon Lady celebrates her birthday, she remembers Wise One. I often wonder why she died on Dragon Lady’s birthday. Was it an omen?

I made travel plans to arrive in Bay City on Friday and stay with Uncle Agitator and Aunt Companion until after the funeral on Sunday, but thought I’d better tell Dragon Lady.

When I called, she spoke in a loud voice, "Wise One lived