I beckoned her to sit, and refocussed on the plot. But... have you felt someone's energies in need? Eventually I had to ask. “So what brings you here?”
“My son’s a clown.”
Huh...?
“A clown," she continued. "A real one. He was injured and just returned to the circus.”
“So you’re a circus mum?”
“I’m the queen of the circus. My husband owns it. He’s the king. My son is the crown prince.”
I must have looked surprised.
“A circus is a royal court,” she added. “The king is respected, and treated like royalty. We are the royal family.”
It was interesting conversation, but I preferred to write my "bad mafia-nice love" script. Until she said, "Mafia groups try to make power grabs."
"Mafia groups?"
"They're in the circus, and try to take over with threats. My son was clowning in the ring, pretending to hobble for laughs. As left the ring, behind the curtain a troupe of acrobats from Ukraine waited, and beat him. When he returned to the ring, he really hobbled. He was in agony. The crowd laughed, thinking he was clowning."
The queen told insightful circus tales, intriguingly relevant to my "bad mafia-nice love" script!
Is this why we met? I thought. I'll check it out...
"So," I smiled. "I usually meet people in need of help. How can I help you?"
It's amazing the variety of answers to the question, How can I help you. She hesitated. Then, blurted, "I'm suicidal."
I used to be a Samaritan, on the end of a phone for suicidal people, using a method to release suicidal thoughts. You confront potential suicide with a chronological process and structured questions, in a certain voice. When secret thoughts are not secret any more, there's a release of burden. (Important - do not try this unless trained - there's a process - refer suicidal people to the Samaritans or similar.)
"How often have you thought of committing suicide?" I asked gently, to start assessing risk.
"Every week for about 17 years."
Hmm... After weekly thoughts of suicide for 17 years, she's probably a low risk... But best to check...
I spoke in a soft voice. "If you did do something, what would you do?"
"Tablets. Every time I've felt suicidal I've bought more tablets. There's enough at home to kill an army!"
Oh dear, that's a higher risk. Her method is at hand. It only takes one change of thought not to buy, but to take...
"What happened 17 years ago?" I asked.
"Since I was two, I knew I was destined to paint portraits, with a painting hung in the National Gallery. That was my soul purpose. Then came the car crash. My soul fragmented. I saw the art part of my soul leave. Ever since, my soul purpose has had impossible obstacles. There's no reason to live if you can't do what you were born for."
She looked terribly sad, about to cry. Not good in a restaurant. Her sketch book lay on the table. "May I see," I asked. It was amazing. Really. Sketches were as professional as I've ever seen.
"There's finished portraits on my camera," she added.
Gosh, she was talented. Portraits painted in caricature, outline, colour, B&W, and like photographs etc were all astonishingly excellent. So this is why she's here... Her soul purpose needs help... "Have you heard of soul retrieval," I asked.
"Yes," she replied. "I've got Sioux blood."
I'd better say my credentials to give her confidence. "I was asked to be a shaman-medicine man for a Lakota tribe."
I tuned in for a moment, to feel what I was about to say was OK. It seemed good. "Well," I said, "Here's a deal for you. I come to your house and throw out all your tablets. After, I'll guide you through a soul retrieval process, to regain the art part of your soul, so you can achieve your destiny. OK?"
"Yes please." She grinned happily. "Are you an angel?"
I just smiled and said, "there are many weird things in heaven and earth".
"Well, I think you are. From now on, I'll call you my Hairy Angel".
I'm busy, but a soul in Need, is a soul in Deed. Should be interesting when I visit her house...