Hidden Halos,
Chapter 6, Part 3
by Kimberly Carson

The Heart of Plaik'ni Inn

They both laughed, raised their eyebrows and shook their heads. Charlotte replied, "Jessica, I am the last woman on earth to think such a thing, but I honestly don't know for sure. You'll see. Then you tell me."

Keith added, "It's not a ghost, I mean, not like whatcha read about or see on TV. It's just the place or something. Talked to an old Indian guy about it one time, and he said some ol' medicine man used to play his drums out somewhere's around here when he was doing a big healing for a tribesman. Said it musta left an imprint of some kind in the earth there, kinda like the earth soaked up all that medicine he drummed up."

"Oh, now, I don't believe that, but there's something, for sure. You'll see." She said again.

Jesse wasn't convinced Keith's Indian friend was altogether wrong. She asked them if the guy was still around, but apparently he died a few years ago.

"But there's lots of folks 'round here you can talk to about, what they call 'em, conjurers? Yeah, conjurers."

They both shuffled in their chairs. and she wondered if they were finished talking. Charlotte kept her head down as she spoke. "Ya know, that house is crazy, but there's a heart in those stones. Loves to be filled to the brim with people." Yes, it does, Jesse thought. She went on, "That was our dream house, and we was gonna fill it with about ten kids." Her voice quivered slightly, and he kept his eyes downward fiddling with his fingers. "We had no idea about a lodge or an inn or any such thing. Keith had to change the design because the house was so darn crazy, but the original plans looked like a regular house. We just went along with it and kept trying for our ten kids. We got two, and that was the end of it." She paused for several moments, as if deciding how much more she would disclose. "After we found out there would be no more kids, Keith's daddy got real sick and they had to come live with us. Working, taking care of our kids and the folks, we didn't have time to go out and adopt more kids, and that sort of thing just wasn't that simple back in those days. They lived with us for about five years and then he died. Keith's mama stayed on another year or so, but by then we were done trying. The boys were in their teens, and then I started having more problems, so it looked like we were never gonna fill that house with kids. It was a low spot for sure; sixty years together next November, but we weren't sure we was gonna see to the next day together for quite a stretch in there." Their eyes met briefly, and she continued.

"Figured we may as well sell it, it was so big, what was we gonna do with it? That house knew just what to do, and one day this woman from California stopped by while I was sweeping the porch. Said the place reminded her of a bed and breakfast she stayed at in Santa Barbara. She thought it was a lodge and wanted a room for the night. Jessica, I swear to you that house jumped for joy the moment she said it. We thought we'd had an earthquake, but the shaking was only in the walls, not the floor. Once we took to the idea, everything fell into place, and a year later we were in business. Ran it that way for a good run and decided it was time to retire so Keith could build another house!" All three laughed. "But that house, I swear that house saved us, and filled itself full of good people for us to take care of and it wasn't always our kin, but we were happy."

Char's voice went from soft to authoritative, "I never wanted to find out why that house was the way it was because I was afraid it'd break the spell or something. I can tell you now, but I cried like a baby to leave that place. It's crazy for sure, but it's the best damn place I've ever lived in all my life. Take good care of it, Jessica, it'll take good care of you." Eyes wet, she got up and went into another room leaving Jesse with pretty moist eyes herself.

He rescued the moment, "I wondered that, too, fer a long time. Didn't talk to no one else after that Indian feller cause she threw a fit." He said, nodding toward the empty spot where his wife had just been. "No one's ever gonna convince me its justa house, but I got a bit attached to it, too. I've built six houses myself, and worked on pert near sixty, and I can tell ya, there ain't no place like that one. You talk to them walls, Jessica, they'll answer. And they'll tell ya the God's honest truth. Hell, it ain't got a reason to lie, like us. Heh, heh." He got up, and Jesse rose to leave, not wanting to over-stay her welcome. She was overwhelmed and wished she had brought a tape recorder. She'd remember it, she assured herself, every detail.

She knew there was something about that place, and even though there were no details, this bit of history made her feel more connected to the place. It's a living, breathing, caring entity that seems to respond to whoever is present. It's the kind of place you never want to leave. Its esthetic quality seemed to absorb the human sensations into the walls, and echo them back through some ethereal force.

It was mid afternoon by the time Jesse left for town, excited about learning as much as she could about the area and the inn, so she turned down the road where an elder of the tribe had a camp. He was a prominent figure in the tribe and these days taught the younger generation about the ways of their people. The gravel road turned into dirt, and not long after she came to an area with lots of huts, lodges and tepees. There was no activity and no one around, but she got out anyway, looking around and soaking up the essence, as though through this she might learn something. At the riverbank, she gazed up at the towering cliffs above, and thought about the story the Reeds told her, trying to imagine this spot a hundred years ago and even before then. Before we came, she thought solemnly.

She wanted to experiment meditating in each room and interact with the energy she experienced and got as far as the great room before the week came to an end. Julia would arrive in a few days, but Jesse decided not to mention anything about the history of the inn. Either she would come across its unique aura on her own, or she wouldn't. Was this mimicking her parent's policy of disclosing information only if forced into a corner? Why couldn't it be as simple as sharing something she learned and letting Julia decide for herself. For Jesse, this added a whole interesting dimension to this new life that made her sink her roots in more deeply. Spiritual policy might be simple, but there are times when personal knowledge of someone overrules. Is this true? It's so much easier to relate to like-minded people, Jesse thought. Is that the lesson? No, but the answer might be that when I am asked, I will give. There, I can live with this, she decided. This strange place seemed to present its unusual energy indiscriminately, so perhaps Julia would pick up on it in some way.

"Hello, Jesse, how are you this evening?"

"Oh, my God, Annie, hi. I'm great. How are you? I'm so glad to see you. Do I get you tonight? I mean, oh well, I mean, is the seminar finished?"

"Yes, Jesse, we get to be together this time. I understand night lighting is going quite well. You created a ritual. Very good. And, you've been meditating more. This is good. Tonight we will work on opening your heart and closing your mind."

"Then it's probably going to take more than tonight." They both laughed. "God, Annie, I don't even notice myself judging, but I know I am. How do I stop?"

"Imagine for a moment that you know the answer to this question. What would the answer be?"

"Love my judgment."

"Okay. Let's try. Go to that light."

Jesse inhaled and exhaled, focused on the light around the body, and gently held it in her mind. As she approached this time, she filled her mind with love for her judgment, and said, "I invite my judgment. I love my judgment." She was able to dodge more deftly the negative thoughts as they came her way, and watched as Tim came and held the light. When the light departed, Annie appeared next to Tim and Jesse. "Hello, Tim, nice to see you."

"Well, hey, Annie, good to see you, too."

"Tim, I wanted to apologize for Jesse interrupting your night lighting recently. I was at a seminar when she received her wings, and so her orientation was a bit incomplete."

"Not to worry, Annie. I totally understand. She seemed like she hadn't been debriefed by you."

"You are correct. And, her mother is Claire Mason."

"Now that explains a lot. Well, listen, I gotta run. Good to see you, Annie. You too, Jesse."

"How is it that everyone knows my mom?" Jesse turned back to Annie.

"Nothing is hidden here, Jesse. Okay, that was good. Did you notice any difference from last time?"

"Oh, yeah. The thoughts didn't pelt me this time. I could dodge them more easily. Why did you apologize to Tim for my interrupting him that first night?"

"An angel's work is sacred, and held in the highest regard. I am responsible for your training. It was a formality; he knew that. It was also to teach you. What did you learn?"

"Angels are more polite than I first realized." She thought for a moment then added, "Annie, that first time when you came to help me materialize you used the phrase, ‘perfectly safe, perfectly loved.' I had a sort of psychic experience last year, and that phrase came into my mind through a voice that was not my own. It seemed like a message; a gift."

"It was. Everyone receives this message, or gift, as you so accurately construed. The Celestial Board voted it in as the Message of Our Time, sort of like a mission statement for angels. More than any other message in life, this is the one we want to promote."

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Nolan Chart