SM C20.2 01-01-23 (582) The Puma / Walking to Ed’s Place from the JHMC D2 5p – Ed
After the doc left, I got my backpack together. I walked out the doors of the hospital and the cool evening breeze hit me. I had spent so much time inside, I really appreciated the outdoors. I tried to stay in the moment as I started walking home. I saw the cars on the streets and I tried to appreciate the colors and the uniqueness of each vehicle. I saw food and furniture trucks, a few motorcycles, several bicycles, too many taxis to count, and a baby carriage. It was a bit after 5 pm and the sun was still casting shadows. By the time I reached my block, the sun had set.
I had been down this way many times and the dark was not a problem. The street lights were no help, they were there but the trees blocked their light and the impression of the branches with the moonlight was very creepy. It seemed that I saw a little object fleeting by, near the wirelines. A squirrel I figured. But then a larger object went the opposite way. This passed by numerous times so it was definitely not a squirrel and I could not fathom what it might be.
Then I heard a high-pitched, “Edward!” No one called me Edward. Something was calling out my name, over and over. The figures were becoming more numerous.
“Who is it?” I tried to sound brave. There was no answer.
A couple of minutes later, I heard, “Do you remember when we stole those coconuts from the store in Manila?”
“Whaaaat?”
“I still have the necklace you gave me with your picture inside”
“Nikki?” I looked around. From out of the shadows, Nikki appeared. Oh, she looked really good. Her eyes were like red and orange fire and her teeth were bright white. I could hardly see the rest of her because it was dark.
“Nikki, I thought you were dead.” The teeth surrounded by fire were a bit unsettling. But the next revelation was even more! I felt something swat me. And I felt a large knob of hair. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I realized that the figure was a black puma. “What are you?”, I exclaimed.
“My secret.”
“You are a giant cat! You were dead, now a cat. Tell me about that!”
“Edward, I am a shaman. I have learned a lot and have gained more and more power. But I need something. I need the Chavin coin that belongs to P’aqo.”
“Who is P’aqo?” And is that some kind of rare coin? I was getting a bit impatient. I just needed her to answer this question. I needed Nikki or whatever or whoever this beast was to answer the question.
“P’aqo is the one responsible for Sergio and the spell that is on your girlfriend, Gwen.”
“How do you know about Gwen?”
Nikki ignored my question. “Will you help me?”
“Sure, but I have no ….”
“Great, I just need you to trust me. I know that is hard to do since you thought I was dead.” The beast changed into the familiar person I knew and loved.
“Edward…”
“Stop calling me Edward. Ed is fine”
“OK, Ed, we have to be careful. The last time I tried to poke around Menga’s property, P’aqo captured me and imprisoned me for over 2 years.
“But you are fine now, right?”
“Yes. Don’t I seem fine?”
