He absently stroked his chin as he watched, wondering if he should go inside. Shrugging to himself, he opened the door and walked in, careful to shield his identity.
Flo looked up at the jangling bell that announced that someone else had arrived. Her face broke into a wide smile and she motioned for the man to come in and find a seat. He nodded and sat down at a booth.
Flo walked by him and briefly touched his shoulder. "I'll be right back, shug" she assured. "Hot tea?"
"Yes, please" he answered with a smile. She patted him and went to the window and yelled "Mel! Order up!"
"I got it!" he yelled back. Flo rolled her eyes heavenward before busying herself making a cup of Earl Grey tea.
The man who looked like Patrick Stewart, but assuredly was not, chuckled at their familiar banter. 'Some things never change' he thought, and was glad they didn't. He looked around, noticing people involved in quiet conversations, sometimes broken up by laughter.
A thought came through, loudly and clearly--"God, I wish I knew what to do."
The bald man rose from his seat and went over to the young woman's table. She looked up at him, recognition stealing across her face. "You're Captain Picard!" she blurted, almost dropping her spoon.
He smiled at her. "As a matter of fact, I am" he replied, tugging at his uniform shirt to straighten it. "Would you mind very much if I joined you?"
She blinked at him. "Uh...no! No, sit down, please!"
"Thank you." He slid into the seat across from her, folding his hands on the table. "I thought you looked as if you could use some company."
"I--" She looked at her meal. "I dont even know what I'm doing here. What is this place?"
"Well" he began, "it's a place where dreamers go. When the world Out There becomes a bit much, you can come here and relax a bit."
"Here you go, darlin' " Flo said, setting a cup of tea down in front of the man. "Earl Grey. Hot."
The young woman's eyes widened. "Wow" she breathed. "You really drink that."
"Hmn? Oh, yes, yes quite." He took a sip of the tea and smiled up at Flo. "Excellent" he praised. Flo winked at him and then hurried off to another table. The man returned his attention to his tablemate.
"Would...you feel more comfortable in another setting?" he asked.
She looked puzzled. "Another--I dont understand."
The woman jumped up from her seat. "Holy shit!" she exclaimed. "What the hell is going on here?"
The Captain laughed. "I just thought you'd be much more at ease here, since you're so familiar with these surroundings."
She looked around, spotting the complete works of Shakespeare on its stand. She pointed at it with a shaking finger. "Can I look at that?"
He turned his head. "Oh, that? Of course you may. And anything else here that you'd care to see."
She walked over to the book and ran her hand across its pages. It was opened to Hamlet, Act I, Scene V. She read aloud, "'There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.'" She looked at the starship captain.
"Was that meant for me?" she asked. The captain nodded, took a sip of his tea.
"Of course" he replied. "Everything and everyone here is meant for you. Weren't you looking for answers?"
"Well, yeah" she admitted, beginning to relax. "I mean, my life doesnt make a lot of sense to me right now."
"Does it ever?"
"What? Well, yeah. Sometimes it does. But not at the moment."
The captain gestured for her to sit across from him. She sat down across from his desk and sighed. "This isnt real."
He looked puzzled. "Isn't it? It seems very real from my perspective."
"YOU aren't real! None of this is real! I'm dreaming or something."
"You are" he agreed. "But that doesn't mean this isnt real."
She sighed. "I can't do this. I'll go crazy if I do."
"Do what?" the captain asked. He set the mug down onto his desk. "Look for answers in your dreams? I hardly think that will cause madness. It might, however, help you sort things out."
"I dont see how. I feel so trapped." She looked out the window at the stars. Not computer generated, special effects stars, but actual heavenly lights. They were beautiful. And so was Livingston, the lion fish that gracefully swam in his spherical aquarium.
"Trapped? Here?" The captain stood, again tugging at his shirt. He walked around his desk to stand beside her. "We are in the vast expanse of space, the--Final Frontier." He smiled at her. "I know things are difficult for you now" he said in a deep, reassuring voice.
"I know you don't think things will ever change for you, but I can promise you, they will, and sooner than you may think."
"I don't see how" she responded wearily. "I'm single, I have all these kids to take care of, I don't have a job, I--"
"You asked for answers" the captain interrupted. "And I'm giving them to you. But it's up to you to accept them."
"I just wish..." She looked up at him. "I just wish..."
The man looked down at her with great compassion. "I know exactly what you wish" he said. "And I know just how hard it is to wait for that wish to come true. But it will." He put a comforting hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. "I promise. If you can believe, I promise you, things will be better than you can possibly imagine."
She looked up at him with dawning awareness. "I know who you are" she said, wonder in her voice.
He put his index finger to his lips and said "Shhhhh. Don't tell."
She shook her head. "No, I wouldn't. But...why Picard?"
"Do you believe what Captain Jean Luc Picard says?"
"Well, yeah. But...oh. Okay. I get it." She frowned. "But what was with the whole bar and grill thing?"
She peered at him more closely. "And what is that on your head?"
He laughed. "That is something you will discover at a later date. And with someone very special to you. In fact, that someone special will be revealed very, very shortly."
"How shortly is 'shortly'?"
Angie was awakened from a nap by her son, David, saying "Mom. Mom."
"Huh? What, Dave?" She blinked at him, knowing she'd dreamed something important but not remembering at all what it was.
"I didn't mean to wake you up."
"No, no. It's okay. Shouldnt have been dozing off during the day, anyway. What's up?"
"I have this friend I met online. Her name is Karen. I think you'd really like her."
Angie blinked the blurriness of her nap away. "Yeah? Okay. When can we talk?"
"Tonight?"
Angie felt a twinge of something in the back of her mind, then dismissed it. "Sure. Sounds great."
"I'll tell her." Dave walked out of her room. Angie sat on the edge of the bed, trying to remember what she'd dreamed but with no luck.
She thought it was something profound, but damned if she could remember.
"Oh well" she said and sighed. "I guess it didn't matter anyway."
****************************************
God moves in a mysterious way
his wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
and rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
of never failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs
and works his sovereign will.
You fearful saints, fresh courage take;
the clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
in blessings on your head.
His purposes will ripen fast,
unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
but sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err
and scan his work in vain:
God is his own interpreter,
and he will make it plain.
God Moves in Mysterious Ways
Lyrics by William Cowper
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