To Infinity and Beyond

       Bella strutted down picturesque Warren Street, lined with its original 19th century architecture, with long strides in her killer over -the- thigh black boots. A brisk autumn wind ruffled her shoulder length honey-colored hair in a way that attracted attention and reflected the waning  afternoon sunlight. Her short black dress was only adorned with a gold belt. Her entire ensemble was put together by an on-line company who shipped outfits based on her surveys. Likewise, her makeup was applied several hours ago in a department store by someone named Sierra -she used some of the same products herself. She ponied up $200 for the beauty enhancers that helped achieve this look that hopefully could be duplicated at home.

        She was rewarded by the efforts of her fairy-godmother assistants in that many a head turned in her direction on the crowded street-single men,women and straight and gay couples alike. Her stomach knotted and heart thumped at this rare attention and she was tempted to turn and sprint back to her Jeep in public parking. She yearned to speed to the nearest drive-thru and chow-down every item on the dollar menu. High caloric food binges since childhood gave her comfort, security and filled in the missing space in her heart. Instead, she willed her shaking knees to transport her into the sixth antique shop of the day in search of her quest. 

       Otto's Oddities and Curios seemed more promising than the other disappointing stops of the day. If nothing else, she might be entertained. Bella was let-down in a similar antique hunt in Ballston Spa last week. Nothing quite fit the bill and the most heart-stopping find she discovered was priced $2000. She weaved her way around the store that was akin to a hoarder's paradise. Taxidermy mounts, surreal paintings, creepy dolls , animal skeletons and even a few human skulls dotted the landscape. She spotted both the presumed  owner, Otto, and the object of her desire leaning against the desk. "What brings you to Hudson?," he asked. 

       Bella stared at the chest-high gold-gilt mirror for a minute before she could answer or study Otto. It was beautiful in its rectangular simplicity with the gold leaf shimmering, casting an ethereal light on the strange objects surrounding it. The only embellishments were four small carved cherubs -each occupying its respective  corner. They were smirking at her. The glass had a distressed and foggy surface that didn't accurately reflect the person or object in front of it. There were only a few spots in which you could see your image-you had to contort yourself to adapt to the mirror's specifications. Bella thought it was perfection itself. " How much is it?," she inquired with hope and trepidation. 

       Otto appraised Bella before he spoke. He resembled Yoda as much as someone human. He could have been anywhere from 70-90, was bent like a twig and leaned on a gold-tipped dragon cane for support. His voice was surprisingly low and powerful as he answered ,"I'm not sure it's for sale. It's been in my possession for a long time and I hate to part with it."

        Bella tore her gaze away from the mirror and now focused her attention on Otto. She stared into Otto 's brown eyes, much enlarged by a huge pair of glasses with tortoiseshell frames. With a feeling of true hopelessness combined with an inexperienced attempt to charm him with her feminine wiles, Bella burst into tears and said, " I must have it !"

       Otto was a solitary soul and hadn't been in the habit of comforting anyone for years, but gave it a shot now. He was moved and alarmed by the effect the mirror had on Bella. He patted her on the shoulder, offered a chair next to his behind the desk, handed her a kleenex for her runny make-up, and whispered, "There, there. "

      Bella said, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I don't know what got into me. I don't get out much. You might not believe this- I haven't come to grips with it myself- I was 170 pounds heavier eighteen months ago."

       Otto said, "You are a beautiful person inside and out. I hope you weren't ill and the weight loss was something you desired. "

        Bella nodded her head, comforted by Otto's soothing words. She continued her story that was part confessional and part sales pitch for the mirror. She relaxed as she unburdened her tale of woe to this kind stranger over the next hour. 

       "I grew up in Clifton Park and had no brothers or sisters. My mother was beautiful and Dad was a successful attorney. I've never asked, but feel I was an accident- Mom always complained about what the pregnancy did to her figure. She was a great cook and was forever plying us with pasta and homemade goodies. She never gained an ounce while Dad and I packed on the pounds. She was less generous with her affection and compliments-she couldn't understand why I was gaining weight. My marks were good, but the huge school system swallowed me up. The bullying started in the fifth grade. My three friends were tormented as well and we hung together for support. I couldn't stand the sight of myself in any full-length mirrors, broke every single one in the house, and threw huge tantrums when Mom attempted to replace them. Dad spent large amounts of time at work while Mom took lots of vacations with her friends. A well-stocked fridge and pantry, books, video games and TV were my main companions. Hanging out with my friends at each other's houses kept me mostly sane - playing music, Dungeons and Dragons and videos. Dad bought me a Jeep for my sixteenth birthday and taught me how to drive. I loved the freedom of being able to go anywhere and the ability to get my fix of fast food. The pounds piled on and my parents didn't seem to notice. In my nightmares, I became someone who was bedridden and couldn't leave the house." Bella broke down again and Otto handed her more kleenex. 

     "Go on, go on ," he continued gently. 

      " I graduated with honors but only ten people came to my party. The thought of commuting or living at college was too much, so I took online courses. My friends lived away and we got together mostly on breaks. Dad wasn't around much and Mom moved in with a wealthy real estate developer on my twentieth birthday. She calls once a week but  hasn't introduced me to him yet. Doesn't want to scare him off, I guess." Bella dabbed her eyes-that now had no trace of makeup-with the tissue. 

       "Dad found me crying in my room a few months after Mom left. He started sobbing too and apologized for the unhappy life he and Mom created for me. We had all been strangers to one another. He said how much he loved me and saw so much potential. Was I interested in a new start? When I said I was, he outlined a plan. We got rid of all the junk food in the house and replaced it with healthy options. Low calorie dinners arrived weekly on our doorstep from a weight loss company. A spare bedroom became our gym and we spent hours on the treadmills. Dad insisted on working out to DVDs of hot women or this emotional guy who used to be fat. We hung out more and encouraged each other. I finished my degree and Dad started dating. A State test and Dad's connections landed me a job as a human resources manager a month ago. "

    The diminishing sunlight of the late autumn Saturday flickered on and off the mirror. Bella stared at it with longing as she continued her story. 

       "Dad said I could stay with him as long as I wanted and would be sad to have me leave. It seemed like we could both use a little space,  though -especially when he started bringing women back to the house. I wanted him to be happy. He insisted on putting a deposit down on a Washington Park apartment and paying the rent for a year to help me get settled. We went on a shopping spree two weeks ago to get furniture and decorations- he has better taste than me. We looked through a boatload of decorating magazines to get ideas. My promise to myself once I got down to my target weight was to buy a full-length mirror. The terror of catching my reflection doesn't hold power over me anymore. One magazine featured a whole section on interiors decorated with antique mirrors. They have so much history, beauty and mystery. I have fallen in love with yours," she said pointing at the object of her desire. 

       Otto said at long length, "This is some story you have told and I greatly admire you." He waved off her apologies about taking up his time and should be paying him for his role as therapist. He let out a long sigh and said," The bottom line is whether I'll sell and for how much. You have given me a great sales pitch-you've missed your calling."

    Bella said, "You're the one with the shop-you should be selling to me." They both burst into laughter. 

       Otto pushed himself up from the chair with his cane and pushed back the wispy hair from his brow. He pointed the dragon-end of the cane towards the door. He said, " Wait outside while I think it over." 

     Bella was startled, but nodded. Otto followed behind her and locked the door once she was safely outside. Temptation was great to look in, but thought he'd back out if she was spying on him. She allowed herself one quick peek and saw him speaking to the mirror and patting it.

      After ten minutes, Otto unlocked the door and let her back in. The mirror had a packing blanket with bungee cord wrapped around it for safekeeping. 

        Bella asked, " Do I take this to mean you're selling it?  Bbbut…you haven't said the price !"

         Otto replied, "Give me a dollar and its yours. Like I said before, I've had it for so long - it would be like selling an old friend. My sister is to inherit my estate and she doesn't want it. You are doing me a favor knowing that it is going to a good home and to someone making a fresh start. "

       Bella 's waterworks started again and she gave him a big kiss on the cheek. She fished a dollar bill from her wallet and asked, "Are you sure?" Otto nodded and took the bill.

       Bella left the shop, retrieved her Jeep from public parking and pulled in front of the building. She carried her prize from the shop and had help loading it into the Jeep from a good Samaritan. 

       It was nearly dark now and the streetlights had come on. Otto gave his friend a final pat before Bella closed the hatch. His last words before she got behind the wheel stayed with her the whole drive home. He said, "This unusual mirror has seen a lot in its long life and has learned hard lessons. Treat it with kindness and it will do the same for you. Remember, I would never put you in harm's way. "

       Bella pulled up in front of her apartment complex and started to unload. Her neighbor, Kyle, seemed to appear out of nowhere and helped her carry it up the stairs to her door. She felt awkward as she fumbled for the key and hoped he didn't think her rude for not asking him in. His hazel eyes looked hopefully at her when he asked if they could get coffee sometime. Her voice trembled as she said, "Maybe," turned on the lights, and closed and locked the door. 

       Safely inside, she carried the mirror over to her newly-purchased blue velvet sofa and leaned it against it for balance. She undid the bungee and blanket and threw them on the cushion. The backside was exposed- she hadn't looked at it before. It was covered with aged horizontal pine boards with beautiful handwriting. As she examined it more closely, she saw five names listed. The last three names were familiar to her-Otto Hicks 1st, Otto Hicks 2nd and Bella Ross-her own. With shaky hands, she turned the mirror around. 

       She saw her beautiful image-partially obstructed by the mirror's cloudiness-

reflected back. She heard the husky deep male voice before she spotted him in the glass. 

       Albert C.Hicks said, " Bella, my name is Al and I am your friend. I don't have any power to haunt or hurt you, even if I wished for it. The mirror has me trapped inside and I can't escape. Your story is sad and powerful and I wish only the best for you, like Otto does "

       Bella digested this information while every part of her body shook. It was then that she spotted Al in the misty glass. He was knee-high, although gave the impression he would be tall in human form.

His flashing black eyes and hair were partially obscured by a hat pulled rakishly over one eye. He had high cheekbones and appeared to be in his thirties- he had a presence that commanded attention. 

       Al suggested, " Why don't you fetch a drink while I tell you my story?"

       Bella forced her shaky legs into the kitchen, grabbed the entire bottle of Merlot and returned to the living room. No need for a glass at a time like this. 

       Al started out by saying, "If you haven't guessed yet, Otto is my great-grandson. The first name on the back-Sarah Hicks- was my wife's. I'll cut to the chase and get the worst over with. I did really horrible things during my life. Some call me the first gangster of New York. I've robbed, stolen, and  killed at least a dozen men. I was the last person to be convicted of piracy. They hung me on Friday, July 13th 1860 for brutally murdering a three-man crew on an oyster boat. My confession, hanging, and several lifetimes of praying for forgiveness trapped in this mirror has hopefully set things right with the Almighty. "

       Bella was now the captive audience as Al spent the next three hours relating his life of crime. He had a great sense of humor and knack for storytelling. She felt relaxed even during the most gruesome moments. Al was born in Rhode Island in 1820 and turned to crime at an early age. He was sexually abused in prison and this turned him against mankind. Criminal acts were as natural as breathing. He married Sarah, who was religious and had no idea of his background. Their son, Alan, was born shortly before the oyster boat murders. PT Barnum himself commissioned his death mask. Tens of thousands watched him hang on what is now Liberty Island. 

      It was nearly midnight when Al wrapped up his tale. He asked Bella, "Are you ready to kick me to the curb?"

       Bella had been so entertained, she forgot to ask the obvious, "How did you get trapped in the mirror?"

       Al sighed. He said, "Sarah said I was going straight to the Devil. She placed this mirror in front of my corpse so I would see my reflection and be trapped. So many cultures cover glass in front of the dead so this doesn't happen. She spent the rest of her life trying to rehabilitate me through Bible study and a lifetime of atonement. She hoped then I could join her in Heaven. Just before she died, she couldn't go through with our plan of smashing the glass and setting my soul free. She said it would be akin to murder. My son, grandson and Otto felt the same way as Sarah. They viewed me as a family member and dear friend-also, there's that seven years bad luck thing."

       It was now Bella's turn to do the comforting. When she let out a loud yawn, Al insisted she get some sleep. He again assured her that she was completely safe and he would scare the crap out anyone trying to break in. Regardless, she slept fitfully and with one eye open. 

       Over the next few months, they became fast friends. Bella and Al acted as each other's therapists and exchanged views on every subject under the sun. Al had very knowledgeable, insightful and witty views about history and world events. Bella filled five notebooks with Al's take on things. She was tempted to call Otto several times, but she was afraid he'd ask for Al back. 

        Just before Christmas, Bella decided that she would assist Al on his spiritual journey. He seemed down-hearted that he would forever remain trapped and had no control over who his next keeper would be. Al expressed hope he could rejoin his family on the other side. 

       On New Year's Eve, Bella took the action that none of Al's relatives had the nerve to do over the past 160 years. She suited up in protective clothing-complete with face mask. They made tearful goodbyes and Bella wished him the peace he had been longing for. She gave him a brief kiss on the lips before she pulled the visor down. When he nodded, she swung the sledgehammer into the cloudy surface- just as she did long ago when she was filled with pain. There was a joyous haunting song and a white cloud of smoke. Pages of  notes behind the glass fell to the floor. Al was no more. 

      A few days later, Bella replaced the glass and hung the mirror in pride of place in her living room. She treated Otto to lunch and filled him in on the last few months. He seemed relieved about her description of how Al passed over. They decided to co-author a book.  Bella found the courage to set herself free as Al did.