A meal 1976

I am not sure when I sleep or whether I am inhabiting some heavenly plane as it seems I am aware and then I am not aware until I am aware again. I am aware again.

“Jesus I am hungry how do you eat in this state?”

“It was as you people say 2000 years ago that I turned that wee boy’s lunch into a banquet, humans don’t change much. It is never long before you are thinking of your stomachs.”

“The spiritual works in the natural it is just you guys aren’t great at seeing it. Shall we eat in that cafe over there?”

“I may be sounding cheeky but what if we combine eating with visiting a place?”

“ No worries, fire away, where do you want to go? You lead the way!”

I look around me and see that somehow we are back in the air. I am not quite sure how this works though I am going with it. I recognise the M1 going out of Belfast and decide to follow it knowing that it will bring us to Portadown.

“This time you follow me!”

I am not aware of time I am aware of movement and the ability to pause if we choose. We are in the town almost as fast as I said: “Follow me.” I am beginning to wonder have we somehow entered into a world of memories. It seemed like things have reversed. In normal life, you are the person and you carry the memories in your head now it seems the memories are the person and we are like the memories inside the head.

There are Police officers checking cars as they enter the town with soldiers acting as backup, it reflects what I remember of 1976.

There is a restaurant on the High Street, ‘The Beefeater’. “Jesus we are going in here.”

As we enter a waitress meets us and asks, “ A table for two?” I reply , “Yes that would be great.”

I can hear us from where I stand. I am thinking I should be tingling but I am not then I remember “ No feelings, no judgement.”

We are seated near something of an enclosed section. I know who is in there.

While we order food my mind is remembering it was here my parents and sisters had a meal. The inner voice is musing that it is what may seem to another as the most ordinary scene a family having a meal together yet for me it was memorable, as why else would we be here.

“Jesus,” I say, “ Shall we have a look?”

“ I am bringing my tea with me.” he replies.

I look in and there we are my ma, my da and my two sisters. Everyone is as I remember, happy.

g.