Lynne: "Hello Father Murray. We haven't talked for
a while and I certainly wanted to get back in contact with you. We (of
the Village) have developed a close personal bond in spite of our various
backgrounds and ethnicity. Apparently, cataclysmic events bind people together
in a way that is stronger than individual deaths in a family. It was literally
the end of the world as we knew it. Many of us have things in common. It
ranges from citizenship to having lived within a certain geographic area
within the U.S. No survey has ever been done. The information is anecdotal
and from my point of view. Is it biased? Of course it is and I do believe
it colors the results. Let me call all of this Lynne's observations.
We have developed a way of helping each other. We as a
group have set up discussion groups. Some of these groups are social gatherings
and others are full of people who are doggedly determined to find answers
to all the questions. Apart from selecting someone or a few individuals
to give cohesion to the people in the Village, no one is in charge.
It is interesting, in retrospect, to see that there was
a waiting period when everyone was expecting the Heavenly Hosts, the Angels,
God, Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and/or various saints to appear and tell us
what to do. I don't know how we came together as a group. David and I arrived
together. I don't believe I told you how we arrived. I arrived right in
the Village in a grassy field. This field is beside our new cottage up
on a bit of a bluff overlooking the sea. Off to the right of the field,
facing the sea, is a headland covered with coarse grass and small shrubs.
It is similar to some areas of Cape Cod.
One moment I was in the plane and then I was launched
or projected into a very dark tunnel. I floated toward the upward end where
there were sparkling lights. They weren't like Christmas lights, but more
like the type of light you would see if you closed your eyes and pressed
your fingers against your eyelids. They were more like glorified eye strain
with eyes closed. I had no sense of anyone with me. I silently shot out
of that tunnel and landed, standing, in that field. I didn't see a soul.
I kept blinking my eyes and I ran my hands all over my body to feel if
parts were missing. I kept thinking that I had been thrown clear of the
plane and had landed in a field. I know that doesn't sound logical or even
likely now, but that's what I thought at that moment. I heard some noise
behind me. I turned and saw David sitting with his head between his knees.
I remember saying, 'Oh! Thank God you made it too?' David lifted his head,
looked around and said that classic line, 'Where are we?'
I told him that it looks like the Cape. We both hugged
for a long time. David then said, 'Do you think we made it? Did we really
come through all of that to land on our feet in a field?'
I didn't answer. We walked inland holding hands. We were
convinced that somehow a miracle happened and we were spared. As we walked,
we didn't see anyone for about ten minutes. The first person we saw was
an airline pilot lying in the grass. He didn't have his uniform jacket
on, but he had some shoulder stripes on a uniform shirt. We rushed over
to him. He looked to be sleeping rather than unconscious. David shook him
gently and woke him. He sat up, looked at the two of us, then put his head
down on the ground. He said that he needed five more minutes of sleep.
We left him and kept walking inland. We met other people after that. No
one we met knew where we were. When about thirty of us were together, we
stopped at the side of the asphalt paved road. On the other side of the
road were trees, grass and bushes. We milled around then started walking
to our right, down the road. Nobody was leading. We walked in one direction
in silence. Nobody said anything until we stopped in front of a mom-and-pop
type of roadside store/restaurant. We drifted inside where the thirty of
us spread out from the cash into the restaurant. Mrs. Crowe (I later
found out her name), motioned for us to go into the wider room. We sat
at the booths, tables and the counter. Mr. Crowe was behind the counter.
He announced in a loud voice, that he didn't have a menu, but the Misses
would be among us to take our orders. The Misses started at the booths.
As far as I know, no orders were refused. I remember hearing various ethnic
dishes ordered and I think they were served to the people. Three ladies,
waitresses, came in the front door. They also took orders. In about one
half hour, everyone had given orders. David and I ordered Clam Chowder
with pilot crackers. Three minutes later we had the chowder on our table.
We were surprised, but didn't question the service or the excellent food.
Mom Crowe asked for our attention once we were well into our food. She
said that there was a bus waiting for us outside. When we finished our
meals, we should board the bus. There was no charge for the meals or for
the bus. The bus would take us to the next town. There we would find rooms
and clothing. She wished us God Speed. There wasn't much talking. When
we finished, we went outside and walked to the bus. I thought the markings
on the bus said 'Grey Hound.' David said 'Trailways.' The rest of the people
moved from the restaurant to the door of the bus. A tall man walked out
from behind the restaurant. He was wiping his hands on a paper towel. He
nodded at us and said, 'Howdy folks! Boarding now. Watch your step.' He
reached up under the bus step and the door opened. We all found seats.
The driver closed the bus door and moved onto the pavement. We traveled
for about ten minutes. He then pulled over and into a gas station. This
station was at the edge of what is now our village. The driver opened the
door and got out. We carefully got out of the bus. He pointed to the town
and said, 'A nice man will meet you. Please walk to the middle of that
square. I know he is a nice man because he's my brother.' We walked to
the middle of the square and were met by a man named Jackson.
Oh! I didn't realize how late it is. I'll continue this
some other time.
Much love. God bless, Lynne."
(Later that same day)
Lynne: "This won't take too long--I promise. I'll
get on with it. When I left you this afternoon, I was describing my first
trip to the Village. We were dropped off at the gas station on the edge
of the Village.
Nobody asked me if I wanted to be there, but my biggest
desire was to have some kind of sleeping arrangement for David and me.
All of us walked to the Village square where Jackson waited. He then proceeded
to take some of his clothes off. I thought then . . . 'I didn't come all
this way to watch an old male strip. What is this all about?' As it turned
out, Jackson just took off his shirt. He dipped his head in the fountain,
scrubbed his face then put his shirt back on. He told us that he was very
warm and was making himself presentable. He gave us a short tour of the
Village. He pointed to the working farms around the Village and to the
stores. The Bowling Alley was the original or so he said (I think that
would date it back to before Noah and the flood.) I didn't say anything
and it never occurred to me that maybe he could read my mind. After the
tour, he led us to the one and only hotel. He told us that each person
would have a voucher, a type of ticket, for the hotel room for three nights.
It included two meals per day. I immediately thought about the fourth night
and the darkness after that. I raised my hand and asked, 'What happens
after the three days are up?' He came up with a not so comforting phrase
of 'I don't know.' David and I stayed in the Honeymoon suite. That is what
they had on the door. They must have had some real comedians working there.
After we checked into the Honeymoon suite, we went downstairs. David asked
them what was the difference between the Honeymoon suite and the other
rooms on the second floor? The desk clerk told us, 'The sign on the door.'
David asked about the suite part. The suite part was the bathroom or the
hall outside the door and we could take our pick for names. That night
we were told that there was going to be an 'orientations talk' in the Ballroom
above the Bowling Alley. We went there the first night. Surprise! There
was a lecture, and it was about where we could go and what we could do.
We could pick out building lots, build houses, apartments, do almost anything
we wanted. We had to respect living things. We couldn't cut down a tree
or pick flowers. Fresh flowers would be provided when and if we wanted
them. David and I talked it over and decided since we had a choice, we
would take a cottage where we landed or whatever we did. We found an architect
and he had the house (I think the word Michael used is 'zapped') created
instantly, then we moved in. We chose furniture from pictures and had to
get out of the way when it arrived. The next problem was getting from our
cottage to anywhere. Walking was good exercise, but it took up lots of
time and we couldn't carry much. Someone told us about teleportation. We
tried it, liked it and used it. We gave thanks to everyone we could think
of. We both said our prayers every day.
More some other time. Good night and God bless you and
yours."
(One day later)
David: "You were expecting, maybe, Michael? I seem
to have more time than Michael and he has given me permission to continue
our discourse on the situation of half past whatever. Yes, I'm rambling.
It is what I do best."
Bob: "Lynne just finished a description of your arrival
on that side. Do you care to add anything to her story or do you want to
check with her first?"
David: "Yes and no. Her story, I presume, is essentially
the same as mine. We both landed in a grassy field close to where I now
sit. I mean our house on the Cape. I remember waking up in that field and
thinking that somehow we had survived that flight. I only thought that
after I saw that Lynne was with me. I was very happy and had convinced
myself that God in his wisdom had spared us. I can't describe the drop
in my morale when I knew, just knew that we had died. The bottom dropped
out of my stomach and I started to shake. Lynne grabbed my hand and we
started to walk inland. I was too stunned to cry. We walked because it
seemed like the thing to do. As we walked, I started to think. I couldn't
say my thoughts out loud because they were fragmented. I wasn't doing lineal
thinking. Thoughts such as I must be alive because I feel the ground under
me. I can feel Lynne's hand. I can see, I can hear, I can walk. No sooner
had those thoughts passed through, when I thought that this must be a dream.
It has to be a dream. I'm going to wake up and have a good laugh. I'll
write this one up for sure. When we got to the restaurant, I knew it must
be a dream because it had some features of the Cheers set. The funny
thing is that Lynne saw that restaurant differently than I did. When we
compared notes later, she said it was more like a diner than a bar. I don't
think I let it sink in. I didn't want it to be over so I pretended that
it was a dream. Later that day, while we were in the hotel, I looked at
Lynne and said, 'It's over, isn't it. I think we have made the big exit
scene.' Lynne just started to cry and we hugged. She whispered in my ear,
'I know. I've known since we landed. Thank God we have each other. I love
you!' I still get emotional when I talk about it. I usually try to make
a joke about problems or emotions, but this is too raw, too painful. So
that's my story and I'm sticking to it. If Lynne tells you that we landed
here from the Mother ship and we're little green people, then believe her.
That's a better story anyway. I'm going back to work. Thanks for listening."
