After driving around the block of an upper middle class neighborhood, I see the numbers “4567” and am greeted with a nice and quaint home made of the finest red brick, with a nice fenced in backyard, to which I am very certain that there is an in-ground pool. I nervously walk up the small steps and look for a door bell. Seeing how I am in the big city, I feel the need to look for such things, else I might give these poor people a heart attack and be greeted with a baseball bat.

As soon as the bell was pressed, I heard the sounds of dogs from inside, small dogs, the sound of the kind of yelping ankle biting dogs. Moments later, I hear the garage door rattle a little. Initially rattled by the strange noise that you do not hear much of out in the country side, I realize the door is opening. I back off the steps nervously and find an attractive woman peeking out the half open door, just as curious of me as I am of her.

Olivia introduced herself and instructed me to follow her through the garage. In the garage were loads of nice things, including one heck of a nice ride. My nerves were at their highest when I followed Mrs. Olivia up a set of stairs and into a tiny baby blue painted room with a set of seats and several pictures of religious figures and artifacts. Seeing the alien like picture Virgin Mother being surrounded by light on the wall only added to my nervousness. Olivia excused herself for a moment, and left me alone in the dimly lit room. During this time, I recall the first time I spoke to Mrs. Olivia just one day before on the phone, when she told me to bring pictures of loved ones that have passed, or any items that belonged to them. A little bit of doubt crept into my mind at that moment, slightly degrading her skill in my mind, but a promise is a promise, and I would go forward with this appointment.

I was awakened from my thoughts as Olivia made her way through the door, a little yappy four legged fellow behind her. After she mushed this little guy from the room, she sat across from me and took up a pad and pen. She asked “Have you ever done this before?” I answered with a no, and explained that I have wanted to for some while now. She said “Well then I could be the biggest quack in the world then!” she said with a laugh. Not the thing I’d have chosen to say to a semi-skeptical client.

Olivia took my hands and cast her head downward and began to pray aloud. The words “protect us” and “commune with the spirits” were all I heard. She began to tell me that anyone can do what she does, and that she offers classes on it if I am interested in the future. Olivia closed her eyes and took several deep breathes and then opened her eyes. She looked at me and told me, “There are two older men here.” She said they are coming off as cantankerous and good humored. She went on to describe both men as tall and rather large. She told me both had grey and white hair, one was older and larger, while the other was not as large and was younger yet no spring chicken. She asked me if this sounded about right to me. I told her it sounded familiar, without giving away too much detail. She told me that they were my grandfathers, even though there were slight inconsistencies in the description.

Olivia asked me of my father’s health, if he was unhealthy. I nodded that he was rather unhealthy, but did not mention the triple bypass he was just one year removed. She said that the older man was expressing concern for my father, and also my health. She said he felt like he robbed himself of a few more years on the mortal plane with his unhealthy lifestyle. She said that he was urging me to change my lifestyle and become healthier. Olivia took a break from communing with the spirits of my so called departed grandparents and went on to give me some very helpful health tips. Olivia returned to the spirits and said that the younger grandparent was coming through with more passion and energy now. She said that he was urging me to get out more, and lay off the video games. Again Olivia broke away from the communion to verify that I play video games. I do. I did not mention that I hardly have time for video games anymore. She returned to my younger grandfather, and said that he is strongly urging me to get out and mingle with people that I am far too shy.

Finally Olivia asked me if I had anything to say to my grandparents before they depart once more. I abruptly told her to tell them the first thing I am going to do once leaving my present situation was to eat three Big Macs, and an ultra big side order of fries. Olivia and I shared a laugh before she moved on to suggest that I join a gym, where I can be around people and get the exercise I apparently am in desperate need of. Damn, even ghosts think I’m out of shape.

Next Olivia contacted the spirit of what she described as a athletic boy, she would go on to ask me if I had a young friend who had passed away. Before I could answer, she hushed me and told me it was a close relative, and then asked if I had a brother that had passed away. I nodded that I indeed had. She asked if I had noticed my iPod or music player ever turn up loudly. She said that it was him playing tricks. She was a little disheartened when I told her that I have not noticed these things.

The final spirit she would contact during this session was the spirit of a dog. As if on command, as soon as she mentioned the word dog, one of her own dogs that were in another room immediately barked. Coincidence? Maybe. Strange? Definitely. At this point is when I looked at the clock to see that the session had gone over a half an hour longer than expected. He left with a joke that he no longer has to wear a helmet when he rides bikes, must be a lot of comedians on the other side; in fact I might take Mrs. Olivia’s class so I can get myself some new material!

Olivia concluded the session with a final word of advice, I must be very careful when finding a psychic because there are a few in this town who have been known to prey upon people’s fears and extract thousands of dollars from them. I only wish that she would have been so kind to let me know not to take that right turn which lead me to downtown Oldstown.

I left with the same semi-skeptical belief I had when I first arrived, although it was an experience, and she did give some pretty good advice, in fact the session felt more like what I would imagine therapy would be like. I will not forget the session, I left with lots of good information, including returning to college for a new career possibility.

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