Freedom of Energy

David looked around the diner. He saw as energy what other people viewed as ambiance, and it seemed to bubble with requests in places like this. He turned and leaned for his hiking bag but instincts made him look around, again. He took one of the last few French fries from his plate and bit off half. The deep fried taste became bland as he entered another trance and looked at the washroom door as Ken walked out, rubbing his hands.

Seeing fiery red clouds enveloped his heart and crotch made David sad. The clouds intensified as Kevin approached. He bumped the table lightly before sitting.

A blunt and annoying distraction, but today the trances seemed stronger than usual and not broken easily.

“I swear, I’m so looking forward to that ski trip,” Ken said, enthusiastically. “I love those school breaks even though I’m not... are you listening to me?”

David eased out of the trance, acknowledging the voices. “Sorry. I was just...,” he said, frowning, debating.

“I wonder sometimes, if you do it on purpose to piss me off the way you go into your own little world.”

He looked at Ken and continued to debate. “Ok… How long have we known each other for?”

Ken paused, as though with growing worry. “What kind of a question is that?”

David stared, waiting for an answer.

“Ok, I’ll say about two years, give or take a few months… Why?”

David sighed, working mouth and lips in an attempt at cleaning teeth. “Do you think I’m weird?”

Ken smiled, pausing. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far.”

“Ok... what does Colleen think of me?”

Ken shifted and grimaced. “Well, ok. Maybe we see things differently, I don’t know, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that… you’re a nice guy.”

David smiled. “That’s ok. I’m not insulted. I know I’m different and there’s a reason for that. But more importantly, do you think I’ve changed since we met?”

Ken frowned. “I hope this isn’t going where I think, but, ok, yeah, I think you’re a hell of a lot more quiet, and maybe a little less edgy than before...  Why?” Ken appeared to look around the room as though he were uncomfortable.

“What if I told you that I can see things that most people can’t?”

A ‘look’ of immediate relief. “God! For a second there, you scared me. I thought you were going to say something else.” He gestured effeminately with his hand.

“What?” David paused then laughed. “Oh, no, no, no. I’m not ‘that’ way, but I never knew how to talk about it and this ‘stuff’ is getting stronger every day.”

Ken stopped smiling. “Ok. Now you’re scaring me again.”

“Sorry. I’m making this way too serious.” He paused trying to word thoughts properly. “What if I told you I can tell when people are sick, in pain, or going through a life change because I can see that their chakras are out of balance.”

Kevin cut the air above his head with hand and whistled softly. “Sorry. Way over my head here–-I mean, I may have heard Colleen mention something about that when she talked about her friends, but nothing more than that.”

David tapped the table. “Ok. Think of your body as containing like twelve areas of energy, or chakras, and each doing a specific thing.”

Ken appeared intrigued. “Ok. Go on. I’m with you so far...”

“All right. Now, when you hurt a spot on your body, you affect a chakra.”

“Well, ok, this is interesting, but no earth-shattering science yet.”

“Ok... Now... what if that chakra showed up on the person like a cloud?”

Ken stared at him, eyes darting from eye to eye. “Yep. That’s weird... and let me guess, you can do that.”

David smiled.

“Why the hell did you wait this long to tell me that?”

 “Because I’m seeing something in you that… that bothers me.”

Ken paused, a half smile creeping in. “Really? Like what?”

David debated, watching him. “Ok. I know Colleen thinks I’m weird. That’s ok. She tolerates me and she doesn’t know why other than the fact that we’re friends. But on the chakra front, I can tell you she’s a queen. I mean, serious power coming off of her.”

Ken stared as though dumbfounded.

“What’s more, I think you should go through with proposing to her.”

Ken became serious and leaned to David. “Hey, man! How the hell did you find out about that? I didn’t talk about it with anyone yet.”

“Part chakra work and part deductive reasoning. when I see you two together, it’s like your energies are intertwined, working productively together. I mean... it’s beautiful man.” He worked at suppressing a tear. “But a while ago, when you came out of the washroom, and then when you said you were looking forward to the ski weekend, your chakras changed. It was like you were thinking it was going to be one big sex fest,” David continued, chuckling, “only, you weren’t thinking about Colleen.”

Ken inhaled hard, and then laughed. “Ok. You’re jerking me around. What you’re saying sounds psychic to me, and to be honest buddy, you don’t look the type.”

David shook head like in a double take. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, people who do the ‘psychic’ thing usually wear beads and talk in a funny kind of way... but Jeans and sweatshirts don’t give you that ‘look’.”

David sat back and smiled as he switched between Ken and the waitress approaching their row of tables. She fiddled with a pad and pen.

“Tell you what,” David said. “I’ll prove it to you.” He looked at the waitress, and sunk into a semi-trance, paying close attention to grey clouds appearing at her stomach and ankles, and hearing his echoed voice say, ‘back and ankles, back and ankles’. “Our waitress is sore at her lower back and ankles.”

She reached their table but looked at a point behind them.

“Excuse me,” David interrupted.

The waitress appeared frustrated by the distraction.

“Hi. I think you work way too hard,” David remarked. “Is your back and ankles ok?”

She frowned, and David could tell she was insulted. “That’s a smart ass remark.”

“No offence indented. Honestly,” David reassured. “You deserve a big tip.”

“Thank you,” she said, “that would be nice.” She walked away with what seemed like a half smile.

David smiled gloatingly at Ken.

“That’s bullshit luck,” Ken asserted. “Any waitress will tell you the same thing because they walk and bend and reach all the time.”

“Ok. Fine,” David said, frustration building. “I’ll give you more proof.”

He scanned the restaurant, and spotted a heavy man with hand covering eyes.

David eased into a trance. “Look at the big guy at the corner of the corner,” he said, voice deeper and calmer.

Ken turned slowly and looked briefly before turning back to David. “Ok. He looks sad. So what? Anyone can see that.”

David reached into hiking bad, pulled out a bottle of aspirin and placed it on the table. “I think he’s recovering from a binge. Give him this bottle... and tell him...” he said, going deeper into the trance. A cloud formed around his head. A picture of a bust of a young woman in cap and gown appeared. ‘happy, sad, drunk driver, nooooo’ he heard his echoed voice say. The picture faded from the cloud. David worked hard at suppressing the misery of the moment. “Tell him that you’re sorry that his daughter died.”

Ken stared blankly. “Are you out of your fucking mind? I can’t just walk up to a guy I’ve never met and tell him that? What if he’s just pissed he didn’t get laid last night?”

David eased out of the trance. “Have I put you in a risky situation? Ever?” He emphasized the point by hitting table with finger.

Ken pondered. “Ok. You got me there.”

David watched Ken think, switching between him and the heavy man. “Ok. I’ve got to warn you, that this is really testing our friendship.”

David smiled and nodded.

“All right,” Ken said seriously. “I’ll do it, but if you’re wrong, I’m leaving the restaurant and never talking to you anymore.” Ken swiped the bottle from the table and walked away.

David eased into another trance as he stared at a couple at the centre table, focusing on the woman. A white cloud and sparkle formed at her belly button. The ambiance of the restaurant faded to the sound of a fast heart beat. A foetus appeared with blinking star for a heart, followed by the echoed words,

‘strong boy, strong boy. Strong boy, strong boy,’ which lasted until David eased out of the trance.

The couple held hands and stared passionately at each other.

The heavy man hugged Ken then wiped eyes before wandering out of the restaurant. Ken appeared dumbfounded as he returned to the table.

David smiled lightly.

“All right,” Ken said with authority, “so you’re psychic. Want to tell me what the hell just happened? I mean, the guy was looking at a picture of his daughter when I got there.”

“Well, I’m not exactly psychic. But you’d be amazed at what the clouds like to say if you let them tell you.”

Ken chuckled, shaking his head. “That sounds too scary for me.” He looked at his watch. “Listen, I’ve had enough excitement for one day. What say we leave?”

“Sure.”

Ken stood to remove wallet from his back pocket.

“Forget it buddy. I’ve got lunch today. Like I said a while ago... you’ll need the cash for when you get married to Colleen.”

Ken smiled shaking head again.

David placed bills on the table, worked himself into his coat and grabbed hiking bag.

“Any other surprises for me?” Ken asked, forming another sarcastic smile.

“Oh, maybe one more for the road.”

“Do tell.”

“No. I’ll show you.”

Ken laughed cautiously as David walked past him and stopped at the couple.

“Oh, my God. You’re nuts,” Ken said, walking past the couple.

“Congratulations on the future birth of your son,” David said brightly. “He’ll be a strong boy.” He tapped knuckles on the table before walking away.

“What?” The man said as though he were coming out of a daze. “How did you–- We just found out an hour–-I don’t know you!” he said, standing from his chair. “Freak!”

“Hey,” his wife told him. “It’s ok dear. Don’t let him ruin our day”.

David and Ken walk gingerly out of the diner.

“I’ll tell you one thing for sure,” Ken noted. “You’re a hell of a lot braver than a year ago.”

“That’s easy when you know the truth about things.” Both were headed for the sidewalk. “Besides that, she was dying to tell someone about it but she’s naturally shy. I just acccommodated her.”

The end.