Embracing the Spirits: True Stories of My Encounters With the Other Side by Barbara Parks (best ereader for graphic novels txt) 📗

ter-in-law Fiona, who assured us that we were kindred spir-

its and would have much in common. Our on-line friendship

blossomed from the first email we exchanged. Despite living

on opposite sides of the world, we immediately fell into the

easy rapport usually reserved for the most intimate of friends.

We readily exchanged our secrets with little reservation. It was obvious from the first that I had found a lifelong friend.

The Interactions of Others 161

Nikki is highly spiritual, with a catalogue of paranormal

encounters which easily rival my own. She has a sensitivity

which seems to be becoming progressively more heightened,

as her innate sixth sense becomes more finely tuned with

every passing year.

Given her sensitivity, it wasn’t surprising that Nikki was

filled by a sense of intense dread on the night her brother

Nigel passed away.

Nikki and her husband Jean Pierre were hosting their

annual staff party, when some time around midnight, Nikki

was overcome by an overwhelming sense of trepidation. She

was convinced it had something to do with Nigel. She horri-

fied herself by the words which impulsively sprung from her

mouth, bringing with them an intense feeling of nausea. Icy

fingers seemed to travel down her spine.

“Nigel’s dead!” she gasped.

Jean Pierre tried to reassured his stricken wife, reasoning

that Nigel was probably tucked up in bed twenty miles away in

Geneva. They would call him in the morning, which for Nikki,

couldn’t come quickly enough.

By first light they were driving to Geneva, as Nigel had

failed to answer his phone. With every passing mile, Nikki

became more and more convinced that her brother was no

longer alive.

The scene which confronted them in Nigel’s apartment was

devastating. Nigel was dead; a self-inflicted bullet wound to

the head. Nikki had known it all along. The police confirmed

Nigel’s time of death to be some time around midnight, the

very time Nikki had been overcome by her sense of doom.

A month later to the day, Nikki’s sense of foreboding

assailed her once again. Her father had died in her home town

162The Interactions of Others

of Perth, succumbing to a sudden bout of pneumonia. Nikki’s

devastation couldn’t have been more complete.

Cocooned within a haze of grief-stricken numbness, she

and Jean Pierre boarded a plane for Perth; Nigel’s ashes mak-

ing the final trip home by his sister’s side.

The memorial service was a joint celebration for father and

son; as the family conducted a beautiful beachside ceremony

which saw their ashes scattered over the waters of North Cot-

tesloe Beach.

By the time Nikki got home from the service, she was

exhausted and emotionally drained. She lay on the couch cry-

ing, after which she fell into a fitful sleep. It wasn’t long before she was woken by someone touching her forehead, after

which the touch was replaced by a gentle kiss.

Expecting to see Jean Pierre, Nikki opened her eyes, only

to see a dark figure quickly moving away from her. In a matter of seconds he had disappeared through the front door. In that

instant Nikki had no doubt that her visitor had been Nigel, especially since he had mirrored exactly what Nikki had done at his funeral. As Nikki bid her brother a final farewell, she had gently swept her hand across his forehead. She then bent down and gave him a kiss. And now Nigel had returned the favour, by visiting his sister and doing exactly the same as she had done to him.

Although she didn’t need outside confirmation, Nikki was

further comforted by her conversation with Dot, a highly

regarded local medium. Dot recounted Nigel’s memorial day

visit exactly as it happened; from the light touch on Nikki’s

forehead, to his gentle, fleeting kiss. He apologised if he had scared her, saying he just wanted to say goodbye.

Nigel went on to thank Nikki for the white rose; a comment which confirmed her brother’s presence beyond a doubt.

The Interactions of Others 163

Nikki had placed a white rose in Nigel’s hand as he lay in his casket, a fact that Dot could not have possibly known.

Nigel apologised profusely for the pain he had caused his

family and was desperate to make amends. His physicality had

let him down; his brain’s chemical imbalances and mental dis-

tress pushing him to the point where he could see no other

means of escape. He had clarity and peace now, but he had to

reassure his family. He wanted them to know he was OK. He

was desperate for their forgiveness.

Nikki’s bond with Nigel remains as strong as ever, as both

travel along their soul’s journey towards being together again.

Although Nikki’s sense of loss can never be entirely abated,

the knowledge that Nigel still walks beside her affords her

some much needed comfort. And for Nigel, being able to get

his message through to his family has no doubt brought him

immeasurable peace.

For those who cross prematurely like Nigel, where there

will always be some regret for their actions; no matter how

inevitable choosing to die felt at the time. Once physical-

ity is taken out of the equation, the spirit gains clarity, seeing beyond the immediate pain which lead to their physical death.

A moment after this photo was taken, Nigel delightedly

smashed the snowball over his sister’s head!

164The Interactions of Others

With this broadened perspective comes a sense of one-

ness; whereby the spirit becomes very much aware of their

loved ones’ pain. It is these souls who try so very hard to get through, to show their families that they are still around and the love between them will never die.

So in Nigel’s case, he was indeed very lucky to have a sis-

ter who is in tune with the spirit world. Both Nigel and

Nikki were sensitive enough to offer each other comfort, by

acknowledging that they were still very much a part of each

other’s lives.

And for those who perhaps aren’t as in tune to the spirit

presences around them, rest assured that your loved ones

remain close despite their physical deaths. So if you have even the slightest inkling that your loved one is around, be sure to acknowledge them: say hello, tell them that you know they

are there and that you love them. If