Confluence

By Claude Saks

CONFLUENCE is the story of an international trader who had a rage to succeed. After having a major concussion his spirit guide contacts him while in coma and starts the process of his spiritual search and empowerment. During the many issues that he encounters his wife develops her own sense of self empowerment which presents a conflict to their union. These many challenges force an in-depth look at the three knots of the heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jun 24, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524612276

Claude Saks

Claude Saks obtained his engineering degree from Columbia University and an M.B.A. from Duquesne University. Claude was a very successful commodity trader and chairman of Saks International Inc. the largest U.S. coffee importer in the early 1980’s. After a traumatic experience Claude became involved in seeking spiritual answers to the human condition. It has taken him thirty five years, at the feet of several masters, to come to some revelations which he unfolds in this fast moving fiction of life’s encounters.

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© 2016 Claude Saks. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Published by AuthorHouse 06/23/2016

ISBN: 978-1-5246-1228-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-1226-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-1227-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016909013

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1—Revelation

Chapter 2—Reboot

Chapter 3—Building the Man

Chapter 4—International Experience

Chapter 5—Relationships

Chapter 6—Tacks

Chapter 7—Commitments

Chapter 8—Fast Forward

Chapter 9—Recall

Chapter 10—Transitions

Chapter 11—Partings

Chapter 12—High Desert

Chapter 13—Mist

Chapter 14—Crescendo

Chapter 15—Home Port

Chapter 16—Elementals

Chapter 17—Winter Solstice

About The Author

To my love.

Acknowledgement and Delineation

Thank you to all entities past, present, and future for your help on this novel.

The names of some recognizable companies and individuals have been used to establish a backdrop to the story; however, they have no bearing or relationship to the events in this novel.

All other companies, characters, and situations are fictitious, and any resemblance to reality is strictly coincidental.

Note to the Reader

This story deals with the confluence of an aggressive trader and his spiritual guide and the winding path that leads to ever-deeper connections.

Please note that text in this font represents reflections, conversations, or remarks by the spiritual guide.

The prologue establishes the introductory event for what follows in the story.

Prologue

Oh my God, Michael! What should I do?

Javelin righted herself. Then Michael stepped over the tangle of lines and took the helm from Henny saying:

I’ll take charge of the boat, you take care of Brad. Don’t move him, but cover him with blankets and tie him back to that stanchion.

Michael then turned to Alice. Get that foredeck crew to clear the lines and bring the spinnaker inboard. I need to start the engine.

"Javelin, Javelin, Javelin! A voice crackled over the radio. This is Slip Sliding. Can we be of assistance?"

We have things under control, answered Michael. Keep racing.

Alice, now that the foredeck is clear, you take the helm and head for Greenport. I need to raise the coast guard. Michael turned his attention back to the radio. "Mayday, mayday, mayday! This is the sailing yacht Javelin requesting assistance."

This is coast guard station Greenport switching to channel twenty-two alpha.

"Javelin here. We have experienced a knockdown, and the vessel is now secure. One of our crew is unconscious from a boom hit. We need an ambulance to meet us at the Greenport public dock to transport him to North Shore Hospital in Manhasset. We are proceeding from Jennings Point and should arrive in approximately fifteen minutes."

Is everyone on board wearing a life jacket?

Yes, yes. We are a forty-four-foot yacht and quite secure. Can you confirm what ambulance company will meet us?

North Fork Medics ambulance. Can we be of any further assistance?

"No, thank you, Greenport Coast Guard. Javelin switching back sixteen."

Greenport Coast Guard switching sixteen.

***

Michael then dialed his dad with his cell phone, keeping his fingers crossed that they would connect. Hello, Dad. I have a serious emergency—Brad’s unconscious. It’s a sailing accident, and I need your help with North Shore Hospital.

Michael, what happened?

I’ll tell you later. I had the coast guard arrange an ambulance for him at the public dock in Greenport. The outfit is called North Fork Medics. Can you trace their number down and cut a deal to transport Brad to the North Shore and not some small facility out here? Also, Henny and I must ride with the ambulance.

Okay. I’ll take care of this and talk to you when I see you. I’ll have the top neurological team ready when you get here.

Thanks, Dad. We should be in Greenport in about fifteen minutes and Manhasset in less than two hours. One last thing. Would you arrange for the neurological team to advise the guys on the ambulence until they arrive at the North Shore?

"I’ll make the arrangement immediately.

***

Hey, Mike! Michael’s dad greeted them when they finally arrived at the hospital. Good to see you. The staff will take Brad right in for an MRI. Let’s get Henny to fill out all the paperwork.

Dad, who’s the surgeon on call?

I got Dr. Stein. He’s the top guy and sits on the board with me. Let’s wait to see what the pictures show.

Hi, Henny. Michael’s dad greeted the young woman. How are you holding up?

As best as can be expected with an unconscious husband. One of the interns gave me a Valium, which should calm me a little.

Ah, Dr. Stein, said Michael’s dad as the surgeon approached them. I’m so worried. What’s the prognosis?

The MRI confirms that he has a hematoma that should be drained immediately to avoid paralysis. He turned to Henny. Mrs. Overlook, I need you to sign the release papers so that we can operate.

I will, she answered. Please proceed immediately.

Henny, come sit in the waiting room, said Michael. Dr. Stein will let us know as soon as he’s completed the procedure.

Oh, Mike, she said. I wish Brad would listen to your counsel and not always push so hard in everything he does.

Henny, take a deep breath. Let’s see what the doc says.

***

After several hours, Dr. Stein returned to the waiting room. Mrs. Overlook, the procedure has been successful. However, I have decided to keep Mr. Overlook in an induced coma to help his brain recover.

Oh my God! Is his brain damaged?

No, I don’t believe so, but he’s had quite a trauma, and this should help him to come back slowly with less shock.

How long?

Mrs. Overlook, the brain is a wondrous yet strange part of the human anatomy. It can recover miraculously sometimes; however, unfortunately, at other times it cannot. From previous experience, we believe that a slow return to this world for the brain is the most beneficial for patients who have experienced a serious concussion. We still don’t fully understand all the brain’s nuances, but patience, calm, and monitoring is our present recommendation. We can’t give you a date when we might slowly bring him back. I think you need to count on a week at minimum.

Mike, how am I going to keep an eye on him? asked Henny. Is there a motel nearby?

Listen, Henny, my dad has a small guesthouse on his property. You can stay there and even set up communications to your office in New York. Anyway, it’s all yours until Brad is released and you two are able to return to New York.

Thanks so much. I’ll take you up on it.

CHAPTER 1

Revelation

Everything appeared blurry. Yet there seemed to be an extremely bright light permeating the entire atmosphere. Was I on an operating table? But then why the bright light from the floor as well? Was I dead or having an out-of-body experience? I looked for my body, but could not find it. I felt that my eyes were closed, yet perceived strange, tall beings around me speaking in low tones.

***

I could now work with Bradley without interference from the outside world. My first task was to allow his consciousness to become aware of my presence and to accept that there is an alternate reality beyond what he normally has been experiencing.

"Hello, Bradley. I’m Arcturus, and I am here to help you along, so do not be frightened. To address your question, you are not dead; you are presently in an in-between state. Your doctors have placed you in an induced coma to give your brain a chance to recover. I have been assigned as your spiritual guide to help you accelerate your spiritual growth. My purpose is to work with you firsthand and to communicate with you consciously when deemed necessary. To do so, I need to rewire parts of your brain, and I’m seeking your permission.

I can read your thoughts, so you need not try to use your voice to communicate with me. Similarly, my communications with you will be internal and, for the most part, will be interpreted by your brain as a conversation. I mention this because, on rare occasions, there will be a different kind of communication, which you might say comes from a higher vibration than mine. In such cases, the communication will be downloaded the way software is installed into a computer. When a download occurs, there is no room for interpretation or questioning; you will know the entire truth. I need to give you a basic download so I have an operating system that will enable me to work with you. I will deal with this further at your first conscious moment. Understandibly, from your doctors’ point of view, you will have had a miraculous recovery. So, Bradley Overlook, do I have your permission to rewire you?

My head was swirling, and I couldn’t get my mind to think in linear or logical patterns. I answered in my dream to whatever was addressing me. Sure. Why not rewire me? My head is scrambled anyway. How much pain do you intend to put me through?

These changes will not hurt a bit. In fact, your head will become unscrambled and very clear. Everything will be done in milliseconds. Unfortunately, this will set off all sorts of bells and alerts on the hospital’s monitoring machines. By the time the staff arrives in your room, everything will be back to normal, and in fact will show that your brain functions are back to full capacity. The entire medical community will consider it quite extraordinary. When you are brought out of your coma, you will not recall the specifics of our communications together; rather, you will vaguely remember it as a dream. Eventually I will contact you. Slowly the dream will become part of your new reality.

***

The room seemed hazy at first, and an antiseptic smell overwhelmed my nostrils. Where was I? My hand felt warm. I slowly opened my eyes. Henny was holding my hand, and some man in a white coat was smiling at me.

Welcome back to this world, said Henny. How do you feel, Brad?

I feel a bit fuzzy, but otherwise quite well. I reached up and touched my head. There’s a bandage on my head. What’s that all about?

You experienced a serious concussion while sailing, and we had to drain out a hemetoma, said Dr. Stein, so please don’t pick at the bandage. You are in perfectly good shape now and will just need some quiet time to be fully functional again. Your memory will slowly come back to normal; however, it may take quite some time, so just go slowly and allow the healing to take place. You’ve had an amazingly swift recovery. My colleagues and I want to give you another battery of tests to make sure everything has returned to normal before we release you. I need to continue my rounds now, so I will leave you in your wife’s good care, and she can bring you up to date concerning what occurred. I will stop by tomorrow to assess when we might discharge you. He shook my hand and walked out of the room. I thought to myself, Must be the surgeon.

Henny gave me the softest kiss, and it vibrated gentleness throughout my being. I cried with joy.

She brought me up to date, in simple terms, about what had occurred and how Michael and his dad had saved my life by making all the right decisions and getting me into North Shore Hospital.

The surgeon implied that, if all your medical signs are good tomorrow morning, he would discharge you by afternoon, she told her husband. I arranged for a limo to take us with all our belongings back to New York. I’ve hired a practical nurse to take care of you while I slowly get back into my work at the office. The doctor wants you to take it easy for a week to ten days. Then he wants to evaluate your memory situation so he can advise you about when you might slowly go back to work.

Okay, but I don’t remember the details of the business. Neither do I have a drive to return to the fray. Something happened while I was out, and I’m not sure what. My head feels fine, and my thinking seems to be clear, but my business-related drive and understanding seem to be missing. It’s almost as if something else is calling me. Don’t ask me what, because I don’t know.

That’s fine, honey. Jag has been doing a terrific job, and even David flew in from London to look things over. Needless to say, he was quite concerned not only for you but for the business. This may presage some changes for the future.

Who are Jag and David?

Henny looked very concerned, but made no comment. She knew that, in the old days, I would have had a fit about anyone sticking his or her nose in my business. Henny had not mentioned the large currency positions that I personally had established and would need to attend to soon, but at that moment they were not present in my mind. Of course the company had some massive exposures in coffee as well as some complicated cocoa straddles that had to be undone. These I had no recollection about.

I was discharged the following day.

We arrived at our apartment in New York by late afternoon, and I immediately headed to bed. What a pleasure to sleep in one’s own bed. The next morning we had breakfast late, at seven thirty, and I could tell that Henny was anxious to get going. At seven forty-five Lisa, my practical nurse, arrived, and Henny, after showing her around, dashed out the door for the office. Lisa, a pleasant woman, insisted she needed to help me take a shower per instructions for fear I might slip and injure myself further. She then helped me get dressed. By that time, I was tired and just wanted to read the paper sitting on the living room couch. Lisa retired to the kitchen. I fell asleep.

Bradley, good morning to you, sir. This is just a little reminder that it is time to commence our work.

I woke up with a jerk. What? Start what, Lisa?

This is not Lisa. I am Arcturus, your spiritual guide, reminding you of the deal we made when you were in a coma.

Lisa came rushing into the living room. I’m sorry, Brad. I couldn’t hear what you were saying. I just heard my name. What can I do for you?

I suddenly realized that the voice I was hearing was in my head, and I had been responding out loud. Was I going crazy? Sorry, Lisa. I came out of a dream and was just mumbling about some thoughts. Please disregard my outburst. I’m fine, thank you.

She looked at me with a puzzled expression and then walked back to the kitchen. I vaguely remembered the dream from the hospital … something about being able to communicate with my spiritual guide mentally."

Right. I contacted you while you were in a coma, and you agreed to let me rewire you so we could communicate directly. I remind you that I can read your thoughts, so there is no need to use your voice.

You can read all my thoughts?

Indeed! Quite a shocker, aye? I do not interfere unless there is an emergency or I want you to be aware of some spiritual work that you need to address. You do need to know that I deal with other souls, so I am not always around. Right now I will stay close to you until you are used to me and you learn how to contact me when I’m away.

So, how do I do that?

I will teach you the details at the appropriate time. You will have to learn your own vibration signature within the universe. Humans are similar to motorcars in that each has its own vibration. Once you learn your proper signature, you will then have to place it out in space-time so I can locate you.

I might have signed up for more than I can handle. So tell me something, you sound like a Brit. Did you incarnate previously in Britain?

"No, dear Brad, my kind have no home and no language as you would understand it. You might say we communicate through an advanced combination of mental thought patterns and vibrations. The only way I could communicate with you was to lower my vibration and to learn English. I monitored the BBC in London to acquire your language.

Concerning your spiritual work with me, you must start one step at a time. This is similar to the way you developed your ability in trading and deal making. It did not occur overnight. As I mentioned to you in the hospital, I may use a download feature to accelerate your knowledge when I feel it is appropriate.

At that moment, Henny walked into the apartment and gave me a big hug. She paid Lisa for a day’s work.

Time had flown by, and I would have to pick up with my guide the next day.

Brad, how are you doing?

My head seems quite clear, yet at the same time, I seem to day dream a lot, and none of it has to do with trading. How else might I slowly introduce her to the idea that I was hearing voices and having conversations in my head?

Don’t worry. It will come back. By the way, your mother is flying in from France next week to spend some time with you. I dissuaded her from coming earlier because, until you were well enough, she would only have become depressed at not being able to do anything to help. Besides, I had enough on my plate without having to take care of her.

Why is she flying from France?

Henny looked at me quizzically and then realized pieces of my memory were missing. She gently reminded me of recent events. Well, as you know, your parents sold their apartment in New York, and your mom sold her art gallery with a proviso that they would continue to carry her works. I understand that they have done a huge renovation of the old farmhouse in the Dordogne including changing the barn into a double art studio.

Why double?

Henny hesitated, and then flatly stated the situation. Your brother, Andre, has moved into a separate wing of the farmhouse, and one of the studios is for him. I will let your mom bring you up to date when she’s here.

I felt annoyed, but I wasn’t sure why. Then I pulled Henny over to me, embracing her. How about some sex? I whispered.

The doc said no sex until he sees you again. No strenuous activity for another two weeks. She gently pulled away, knowing that this would be the safest decision in the moment. We sat down to the delicious dinner that Lisa had prepared for us. Later we quietly read in bed. The following days passed with a similar routine. My guide would start communicating soon after Henny left for the office, and I decided to retreat to my home office so as not to appear strange to Lisa.

Good morning, Bradley. I have been monitoring your conversations with Henny, and, of course, your thoughts in general. I have reviewed all your brain functions, and you’re good to go, as you say in your country. I feel it is time to accelerate your memory back to its full capacity.

And how do you propose to do that?

My intention is to reboot your brain so you can access your lapsed memory. It’s a similar process to rebooting your computer when it malfunctions. Then I will help you get into the Akashic records and have you review your past. I will allow you to see and be so close to the action that you will feel as if you are actually living in the moment. You will even experience the personal thoughts you had at a particular time. To counteract the slowness of earth time, I will accelerate your vibration during your review so you will be able to retrieve three to ten years at a time in a couple of days depending on the subject matter. You will have to be careful how you communicate with Henny and others, since your memory will be coming back quite swiftly.

Okay. And what the hell are the Akashic records?

Right. I will download the pathway for you to access the Akashic records. They are a type of holographic written pathway that records everything that transpires on your planet. In the old Bible days, it was referred to as God preserving evidence of all matters of importance. It was described this way because early man would not have understood the concept of a hologram. In actuality, the Akashic records are even more sophisticated, but it will suffice to describe them as holograms at this time in human history. I will download a complete program of information that cannot be denied by the soul, or your mind. This was the case, for example, with Joan of Arc. She was receiving direct downloads about the military actions she needed to perform, and so she never hesitated. When her soul’s assignment was complete, her guide stopped communicating and she no longer received downloads. Then, feeling abandoned, she lacked the conviction to confront her accusers who believed she was a heretic, and of course you know the rest of the story.

So what are you hinting at? Do you want me to start a rebellion?

No, no, my dear boy. I only gave you that example because you were involved with her in a previous life. No worries! We will deal with that later.

Let’s explore my early life through the Akashic records. I suggested. My entire memory is spotty at best; why not start at the beginning?

So let it be said, and let it be done. This exercise is also to help you see where you need to change for the purpose of your soul’s growth, and it will give me the necessary information for our work together. Besides, this will release you from all the medical concerns since you will have your full memory back, and you will be able to function accordingly.

And when do I start this?

I will prepare you overnight.

CHAPTER 2

Reboot

I suggested to Bradley that he needed to let Henny know what was happening to him. Further, I felt that if he could reawaken her interest in meditation and spirituality, my task would be a lot easier. I wanted to avoid conflicts in their lives as they moved forward.

Bradley, it is time to focus. I gave you a full reboot while you slept. Since Henny will not be home for a while, I will give you a partial introduction to the Akashic records now. What you are about to experience will upset you, but is necessary for all that follows.

Suddenly I found myself in the middle of an argument. I was so close to it that I felt I was actually there. I was standing in the middle of the room eyeball-to-eyeball with my father.

Bradley you’re nothing but a spoiled brat! Everything has been given to you in your young life. As your Grandfather Isi’s pet project, you will end up becoming controlled by him as he tried to do with me. You are an American citizen, not British. Stand up as a man on your own and go to work for an American company!

My father could not abide that I got on famously with his father, since they were barely on speaking terms.