“The Lives We Live”

                                  “The Lives  We Live”



    When the alarm sounded Frank stumbled out of bed and headed for the shower,
but he was thinking of the dream he had last night.  Despite his ordinary life
installing windshields in an automotive factory, his satisfactory but dull marriage, he
kept dreaming he was Sir William, a knight who protected a royal couple in
medieval setting.  Now why in the world would that keep happening?

    Even when he was at work, doing his job, as he had been for thirty years, his
mind was still with the dream self…..


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    Sir William stood at the head of the table, where eleven other knights were
waiting for their duties to be assigned.  The king and queen were attending a
wedding in a neighboring kingdom and this meant work for all.  William himself
would ride the route to be taken by the royal couple; to make certain ahead of time
that all would be well on the journey

      Later as he rode, he was not happy with the road.  Although it was in good
shape, there were heavy woods on both sides, where thieves and villains could
easily hide  indeed these woods were often hunted by the Black Knight, sworn
enemy of William and the royal family, and his devious ways were notorious in the
countryside.  As William was surveying the route to be traveled, an uneasiness
came over him.  He knew he was being watched, but from where?


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    There was a tap on Frank’s shoulder.  Startled, he turned around, it was Tim
Johnson, the line supervisor.  “Sorry to frightened you...  I know your doing the best
you can but I’m going down the line telling everyone we are going to speed up
production.”
   
    Frank nodded in acknowledgment.  One thing he had learned after thirty years,
no matter how fast you worked, it was not fast enough.

   
    Once everyone was informed, the speed of the assembly line increased.  Like
the machine, Frank increased his speed.  Soon he found the groove, and the
machine and Frank worked as one.  His thoughts drifted to that dream self….


                                                *****

    As quickly as the strange feeling came over William, it left him.  He looked
around although everything seemed peaceful enough, he made a mental note to be
extra careful when escorting the royal couple.  When William arrived at the castle
where the wedding was to take place, the knights invited him for a drink of ale and something to eat.  After his thirst was quenched and his belly full, William asked
his friend James.  “Have you seen any sign of the Black Knight in the forest?  I take
lieges, and I would not have them travel in peril.”

    But James shook his head.  “All has been peaceful, save for the occasional
bandit. We have seen no sign of the black-helmeted one in months.”

    Heading back home, he again checked out the route.  As he came to the area
where he got the strange feeling in the morning, he discovered a log across the
road.  The log was not a problem for someone on horseback, but the road would be
impassable for the royal chariot.  William climbed down from his stallion.  The log
was not very large and was easily removed.  If this were to happen tomorrow, the
chariot would have to wait while the King’s footmen removed the log.  This would
leave the royal couple vulnerable to attack.  William checked out the woods,
making sure no ambush was set for the royal couple.  As he was checking out the
woods, he heard a strange whistle.


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    The noon whistle blew, bringing Frank back to the world of installing
windshields.  As he sat in the lunchroom eating, he was concerned about all the
daydreaming.  The whole morning had passed and Frank didn’t remember installing
one windshield.  Every day was the same, it didn’t matter if Frank was at work,
driving his car or even at home, his mind just seemed to drift.  The whistle blew,
signaling the end of lunch, Frank headed back to the station and started the
afternoon shift, determined to say focused on the work at hand.  Within moments
his mind started to wonder.


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    William had finished checking along the road for any trouble that might beset
the royal couple.  The woods were clear, but William had an uneasy feeling about
this place.  He mounted his steed and returned to the castle, where he went to see
if the other knights had completed their tasks and were ready for the journey
tomorrow.

   
      When William was finished his duties of the day he headed home, kissed his
wife Marianne, and sat down and quizzed his son Josh on his studied for
knighthood.  Marianne called them to a meal of roast pork and potatoes.  After
supper William tended to the fire and rested for the busy day ahead.  As he sat in
his favorite chair, his mind drifted to a confusing vision of chariots that moved about
without help of horses.  He saw huge silver birds flying nosily in the sky, above
building that seemed to touch the heavens.  What freighted William the most was
that he saw himself dressed in odd clothes, installing clear substance to these
horseless chariots.  Again he heard an odd whistle.


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    William was getting ready for the journey.  They were ready to leave shortly and
there were many details to go over.  He called for his most trusted knight and good
comrade Arthur.  Although William had checked the route to be traveled the day
before, he instructed Arthur to scout the road ahead and report anything unusual. 
Soon the royal couple arrived.  With a crack of the driver’s whip they were on their
journey, under the guard of William and his knights.

    All was going well, William traveled alongside the royal chariot when his mind
faded to an odd land.
   
    He was sitting next to his wife watching a box that showed magic pictures. 
Just then a strange object on the table made a ringing noise.  Marianne picked up
the object and talked into it.  She gave the thing to William, and somehow he could
talk to his son, Josh, using it.  William was very confused and nervous

   
    One of Williams’s knights pointed to a log across the road.  William was angry
with himself, he should not have let his mind wander, but he had not been able to
control his thoughts.  He stopped the chariot and sent two footmen ahead to
remove the log.  All the knights were on alert, for Arthur should have reported this to
William.  They knew something had happened and the King and Queen were in
danger.  William kept his eye on the woods for possible trouble.  He heard the bells
of the village church, and knew that if he could get the King and Queen to the
village they would be safe.


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    The doorbell startled Frank and he got up to answer it.  Josh had called earlier
to ask if he could stop by for a visit.  Frank invited him in and took his coat. 
Marianne bought coffee and cake left from dessert.  Josh had a special
announcement to make, on July twenty-eighth he was to become vice-president of
a large computer company Entron. Suddenly Frank heard a whistle of wind no else
seemed to hear.


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    The arrow whistled by William’s ear, hitting the royal chariot and just missing
the King and Queen.  The knights automatically formed a circle around the chariot,
shielding the royal couple with their armed bodies.  The Black Knight’s hand-picked
troops burst from the forest, and William’s men faced them, swords ready, horses
twitching with excitement.  So fiercely did the royal guard protected their rulers the
attacker began to withdraw into the woods.  William faced with a warrior wielding a
morning star, reeled as the weapon struck his helmet and knocked him
unconscious.


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    The battle was over and the Black Knight retreated into the woods.  The King
and Queen were safe but William lay by the chariot, mortally wounded.  His fellow
knights along with the royal couple, tried to help stop the bleeding.  The King ordered the knights to put William into his chariot and the Queen comforted him as
the King mounted his stallion.  They made haste to the village, were the healer
could help William.  The knights quickly brought him into the healer’s home. 
William was half conscious now, and his mind drifted to a land were chariots move
without horses and men wear odd clothes.  William saw himself with strange tubes
going into his skin, he lay in a peculiar bed.  Suddenly he felt light as air and found
himself in a very unusual place, where for the first time he met the man in the odd
clothes.


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    William was standing next to Frank, They hovered over their bodies, bewildered
and frightened, watching the healers in their different times working to bring them
back into the physical world.

    A man wearing elegant clothing appeared to them, smiling.  “Who are you and
where are we?” the two men asked in unison

    “I had the same question… and more when this first happened to me,” he told
them.

    “When what happened? What’s going on?” The men asked.

    We are all the same person, each living in a different time in history.  William
my friend, once you finish your pre-birth orientation, you will come back and live the
life Frank has completed.”

    William stepped forward into a bright light and was gone.  The mysterious man
then tells Frank that he will be flying spaceships, and he will be the owner of the
number one spaceship dealership.  He will have a beautiful wife and son.  With that,
Frank entered the light to begin his journey to his new future.

    On this day in different worlds, three women grieve over their dead husbands. 
On this day, in different worlds, three women rejoice over their newborn sons. 
Death is the birth of a new life.