supposed to learn over here.
Chapter 16
Brian, feeling confident that all was well, gave all his concentration to his spiritual studies. He spent much of his time in the Temple of Wisdom learning from the Masters how to develop that depth of perception that crossed the huge divide between conventional knowledge and true wisdom. He was an apt pupil. One day as he sat beneath the Tree of Knowledge meditating on all he had learned, he felt the sudden urge to see his mother. Instantly arousing from his light trance, he was at once by her side.
She was wiping down the kitchen counters and he smiled as he saw her. Her hair had been recently done and she wore a light trace of makeup. Glancing around the kitchen, he was pleased to find it neat with everything in its place. The ringing of the phone interrupted his observations.
Vivian Forrester tossed her cloth into the sink and picked up the receiver of the wallphone next to the doorway. “Hello?”
“Mrs. F? This is Adrienne.”
A puzzled frown creased Vivian’s brow. “Adrienne? Brian’s Adrienne?”
Brian could hear the light laugh that came through the receiver. “One and the same. Listen, Mrs. F, we haven’t seen each other in a long time and I was wondering if you’d agree to have lunch with me.”
Brian noted the look of confusion in his mother’s eyes. “Me? Lunch? Well, I . . . I . . .”
“Please! It would mean so much to me . . . considering . . .”
“Where did you have in mind?”
“Oh, I don’t know . . . There’s a little Soup and Salad Bar not too far from your place, maybe you could meet me there?”
Brian could almost see the wheels of thought turning in his mother’s mind. “Okay,”
she said tentatively. “When do you want to meet?”
“I was wondering if you might make it today, say about eleven? I know it’s short notice, but we have a full staff today, so I wouldn’t have to rush back to work. We would have time to really talk.”
“Eleven? Okay, I’ll see you then.” She hung up the phone. “And talk we shall,” she muttered. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”
While Brian waited for the appointed time, he again went to his favorite stand of forest. He meandered through the magnificent old trees and beheld in wonderment the perfection of the wild flowers he chanced upon. How could anyone ever doubt the existence of a powerful Creator when all of nature provided evidence every day, if only they took the time to notice?
Knowing his mother’s punctuality, at exactly eleven o’clock he popped into her presence. As he’d expected, she was already seated at a small table, impatiently tapping her manicured nails on the tabletop. Within a few minutes, Adrienne came rushing in and took the chair opposite her.
“I’m so sorry I’m late, Mrs. F.,” she said breathlessly, picking up the waiting menu. “I didn’t realize that traffic would be so heavy in the middle of the day. That’s quite unusual.”
Vivian nodded with a tight smile. “I learned to plan for things like that.”
Adrienne returned her smile, but Brian thought her eyes looked a little too bright. “I’m still learning,” she said demurely.
A waiter appeared at Vivian’s elbow. “What can I get you ladies to drink?”
“Iced tea,” Vivian said absently.
“Iced tea is fine,” Adrienne agreed with a smile.
As soon as he left the table, Vivian looked sharply at Adrienne. “I want to know ,” she said forcefully, “what happened to Brian?”
Adrienne’s gaze dropped to where her hands rested on the table, fingers twisting together. “You don’t really want to know,” she said in a voice barely above a whisper. Brian was amazed to see tears well in her eyes and her lips begin to quiver. Is she really going to confess to what she’s done?
“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong,” Vivian said firmly. “I certainly do want to know.” She glanced up as the waiter approached the table with their drinks. He set their teas on
Chapter 16
Brian, feeling confident that all was well, gave all his concentration to his spiritual studies. He spent much of his time in the Temple of Wisdom learning from the Masters how to develop that depth of perception that crossed the huge divide between conventional knowledge and true wisdom. He was an apt pupil. One day as he sat beneath the Tree of Knowledge meditating on all he had learned, he felt the sudden urge to see his mother. Instantly arousing from his light trance, he was at once by her side.
She was wiping down the kitchen counters and he smiled as he saw her. Her hair had been recently done and she wore a light trace of makeup. Glancing around the kitchen, he was pleased to find it neat with everything in its place. The ringing of the phone interrupted his observations.
Vivian Forrester tossed her cloth into the sink and picked up the receiver of the wallphone next to the doorway. “Hello?”
“Mrs. F? This is Adrienne.”
A puzzled frown creased Vivian’s brow. “Adrienne? Brian’s Adrienne?”
Brian could hear the light laugh that came through the receiver. “One and the same. Listen, Mrs. F, we haven’t seen each other in a long time and I was wondering if you’d agree to have lunch with me.”
Brian noted the look of confusion in his mother’s eyes. “Me? Lunch? Well, I . . . I . . .”
“Please! It would mean so much to me . . . considering . . .”
“Where did you have in mind?”
“Oh, I don’t know . . . There’s a little Soup and Salad Bar not too far from your place, maybe you could meet me there?”
Brian could almost see the wheels of thought turning in his mother’s mind. “Okay,”
she said tentatively. “When do you want to meet?”
“I was wondering if you might make it today, say about eleven? I know it’s short notice, but we have a full staff today, so I wouldn’t have to rush back to work. We would have time to really talk.”
“Eleven? Okay, I’ll see you then.” She hung up the phone. “And talk we shall,” she muttered. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”
While Brian waited for the appointed time, he again went to his favorite stand of forest. He meandered through the magnificent old trees and beheld in wonderment the perfection of the wild flowers he chanced upon. How could anyone ever doubt the existence of a powerful Creator when all of nature provided evidence every day, if only they took the time to notice?
Knowing his mother’s punctuality, at exactly eleven o’clock he popped into her presence. As he’d expected, she was already seated at a small table, impatiently tapping her manicured nails on the tabletop. Within a few minutes, Adrienne came rushing in and took the chair opposite her.
“I’m so sorry I’m late, Mrs. F.,” she said breathlessly, picking up the waiting menu. “I didn’t realize that traffic would be so heavy in the middle of the day. That’s quite unusual.”
Vivian nodded with a tight smile. “I learned to plan for things like that.”
Adrienne returned her smile, but Brian thought her eyes looked a little too bright. “I’m still learning,” she said demurely.
A waiter appeared at Vivian’s elbow. “What can I get you ladies to drink?”
“Iced tea,” Vivian said absently.
“Iced tea is fine,” Adrienne agreed with a smile.
As soon as he left the table, Vivian looked sharply at Adrienne. “I want to know ,” she said forcefully, “what happened to Brian?”
Adrienne’s gaze dropped to where her hands rested on the table, fingers twisting together. “You don’t really want to know,” she said in a voice barely above a whisper. Brian was amazed to see tears well in her eyes and her lips begin to quiver. Is she really going to confess to what she’s done?
“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong,” Vivian said firmly. “I certainly do want to know.” She glanced up as the waiter approached the table with their drinks. He set their teas on
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