Fresh Flowers with a Twist

The house had just been cleaned and it smelled like fresh flowers. I walked into Martin’s room, and it smelled like cigarettes among other odors. In my mind I was thinking, why does this room smell like cigarettes when Martin does not smoke? Maybe Martin is hidding cigarettes and smoking in the room? He has been sneaky in the past so maybe he is up to something? I closed the bedroom door pondering my thoughts.

The fresh flower smell whisked me away into memories. It reminded me of my childhood when I went with my mother to the farmers market. Mom made breakfast consisting of pancakes with bacon, and then we headed out to the farmer’s market. We always had so much fun together walking around and picking out fresh cut flowers. I loved all the fresh fruit too, especially the peaches in summer. The peaches smelled so good and tasted so sweet.

Mom bought peaches then made peach pie and peach cobbler; the house smelled so delicious. She was an amazing cook. The fresh flowers were put into a vase on the kitchen table. They matched mom’s flower curtains over the window just above the sink. I just loved those special times. Every Sunday she made biscuits and gravy, one of my other favorites. Those smells really make me miss my mother, but not the hallucinations.

I heard the front door open; Martin was home from the junior college. He came into the kitchen, where I was preparing dinner, I smiled at him. We exchanged niceties about our day. I was not ready to confront Martin about his room.

Martin said, “The house smells like flowers, Consuelo must have cleaned the house today.” Martin headed to his bedroom to put away his stuff. He came back to the kitchen quickly and said, “Mom, why does my room smell like cigarettes and foul odors, I thought Consuelo cleaned today?” I thought to myself, hmm, maybe Martin is not smoking in his room after all, perhaps Consuelo is smoking in Martin’s room?

Immediately, I got on the phone and called Consuelo. “Hi, Consuelo,” Latrice said.

“Yes, this is Consuelo.”

“Consuelo, it is Latrice.” The phone went silent. “Are you there Consuelo, hello?” said Latrice.

“Yes, Ms. Latrice, I’m here,” Consuelo said.

I could hear her crying on the other end of phone. “What is wrong, Consuelo?” Latrice said.

“Oh, Ms. Latrice I I…” Consuelo mumbled.

Consuelo was not being her happy self; something was wrong. “Consuelo, dear, can we get together and talk?” asked Latrice.

“Yes, Ms. Latrice,” said Consuelo.

“Can you stop by the house after dinner around 6:00PM?” Latrice asked.

Consuelo responded, “Ok, Ms. Latrice, I can stop by after dinner.”

“See you then Consuelo,” said Latrice.

Martin said, “Mom, what is going on with Consuelo?”

Latrice said, “I’m not sure son, I’m not sure?” Martin and I ate dinner together. We were both pondering things about Consuelo and the cigarette and foul odors in his room. Martin washed the dishes, and I made a pot of coffee and began to boil some water for tea. The front doorbell rang, it was Consuelo.

“Hi Consuelo, thank you for coming over on such short notice.” Consuelo was very nervous, and anxious. “Consuelo, I have coffee or tea, can I pour you a cup?” asked Latrice.

“Yes, Ms. Latrice, hot water for tea, please.” Consuelo said.

“Which tea do you like, I have lavender-lemon, or chamomile?” said Latrice.

Consuelo said, “Chamomile, please.”

Latrice said, “Martin, go to the family room while Consuelo and I talk.”

“Ok, mom,” said Martin.

“Consuelo, I need to ask you a question,” said Latrice.

“Yes, Ms. Latrice?” said Consuelo.

“Well, the house smells wonderful like always. The only thing that is concerning is Martin’s room,” said Latrice.

“Oh, Ms. Latrice I I…” Consuelo muttered.

Consuelo starts crying again like on the phone. “What is it, Consuelo? You can tell me, I’m not mad at you,” said Latrice.

Consuelo said, “I am very scared Ms. Latrice,”

“Scared of what Consuelo?” asked Latrice.

Suddenly Martin barrels into the room, and he looks petrified. “What is wrong, Martin? You do not look so good,” said Latrice.

“Mom, mom…” He was acting just like Consuelo. “Go look in my room mom,” Martin said.

“Ok, stay here while I go look in the room,” said Latrice.

Martin said, “Do you want one of us to go with you, mom?”

“No, all be alright, especially after what I have already been through in my life,” said Latrice. I proceeded down the hallway to Martin’s room. As I got closer to the room, the foul cigarette smell was stronger than ever. I peeked into the room, screamed at the top of my lungs, and took off running down the hall.

The beeping sound was so loud, and the smell was antiseptic. “Mom, mom, you are awake!” Martin exclaimed.

“Where am I,” said Latrice.

“We are in the hospital, you fell and hit your head two days ago,” said Martin.

“What, two days ago? What happened?” said Latrice.

“You ran down the hallway and tripped when you entered the kitchen. I did not think you were going to wake up, thank God you woke up. The doctors want to keep you under observation for at least seven days,” Martin said.

“Seven days?” said Latrice.

“Well, we had pretty good scare you not waking up and all,” said Martin.

Surprisingly, I smelled fresh cut flowers. “I smell flowers Martin, do you?” said Latrice.

“Yes, I do mom, it is Consuelo with a vase of fresh cut flowers,” Martin said. Consuelo came in and dropped off a vase of flowers and left.

Being in the hospital reminded me of my last stay in the Mental Hospital. The smells were the same, sterile, and antiseptic. I hate hospitals and I was going to have to stay for seven days. Oh boy, this is going to be fun, I thought to myself. I told Martin he should go home and get some rest. He left, and I sat there starring at the ceiling. Martin went to a friend’s house to stay.

As I starred at the ceiling, I was remembering all those times as a child being in a mental hospital. My mom had run out of options and ended up putting me into a mental hospital more times than I care to remember. I had terrible hallucinations; a fearful hysteria would take over my body.

The mental hospital building was an old turn of the century building. Like something from the Victorian era, it was surrounded by a black wrought iron fence. The psychiatrist was disturbing to me. Once I was checked into the hospital, the psychiatrist did an evaluation, and I was administered some strong medication. The medication was the only way I could get some peace. Since falling and bumping my head, my memory has been scattered. I just remember waking up in the hospital, the smell of fresh flowers, and my trips to the mental hospital.

Martin showed up with breakfast, pancakes with bacon. The bacon smelled so good; I just took in the aroma. “Hi mom, how are you feeling this morning,” said Martin.

“Well, the nurses kept me up most the night running tests,” Latrice said. “I hope to be out of here quickly, there are just too many memories coming up from the past.”

“Mom, do you remember what happened before you hit your head?” Martin asked.

“No, why do you ask?” Latrice questioned. “What happened before I fell, Martin?”

Martin thought to himself, I better just leave this alone for now. She has enough to deal with just being in the hospital. “Mom, I was just wondering what you were thinking before you tripped and fell?” Martin said.

Honestly, I do not remember,” said Latrice.

Back at Martins friend’s house, Martin contacted Consuelo. “Hi Consuelo, it is Martin, can we meet somewhere to talk?” Consuelo agreed to meet him at the local coffee shop.

“Consuelo, please tell me what you saw in my bedroom,” said Martin.

Consuelo responded, “You need a holy person and some holy water Martin! Nothing is going to get that thing out of your room.”

So, you saw what I saw then,” Martin stated.

Yes, I did!” said Consuelo.

“Consuelo, you must not tell my mom what you have seen, she does not remember anything before she tripped and fell. I do not want her to get triggered back into her old behaviors and hallucinations,” Martin said. “Where can I find a holy person and holy water or someone who can help me? I want to take care of this situation while mom is in the hospital.”

Consuelo responded, “My cousin is a holy individual, maybe Renaldo can help you.”

The phone rings and it is Renaldo. We arrange to meet at the park to discuss the problem. “Tell me Martin about this problem at your house,” said Renaldo.

“Long story short Renaldo, there is a big dark being that smells terrible in my bedroom, and it is very scary,” stated Martin.

“Have you told anyone else about this issue Martin?” said Renaldo.

“No, I have not,” said Martin. “Why do you ask?”

“We do not want to stir-up the spirits any more than we have too,” said Renaldo. “I need some time to think about this.”

“Ok, said Martin, but I am trying to resolve this issue before my mom gets home from the hospital, she does not remember what happened.”

“I will do the best I can Martin,” said Renaldo. Martin and Renaldo leave the park. Latrice in the meanwhile is remembering more of her experiences as a child, the terrible hallucinations, and the petrified feelings of fear.

Latrice asks the nurse, “Do you have any medication I can take to make me relax and sleep, I am having bad memories?” The nurse leaves and comes back with some medication to give to Latrice. “Thank you for the medication.”

As Renaldo is driving, thoughts of a battle came to his mind. He arrived at his destination; it was a cemetery. Renaldo was the caretaker of cemetery. In the office, there was a door that went up to the attic. In the attic were all these different types of spiritual like relics, books, and weapons. He looked around and noticed a specific object. Renaldo picks up the object and puts it in a backpack. Consuelo had no idea that her cousin was part of special force of spiritual fighters, she thought he was some type of cleric.

Renaldo contacts Martin to setup a time to meet at the house. They decide to meet the next morning. Back at hospital Latrice is sleeping like a baby. Martin enters the room quietly and sits down. The nurse tells him that his mom will checkout of the hospital in the morning since all the tests look good. Martin panics in his mind, I must meet with Renaldo in the morning, what am I going to do? He leaves the room and immediately calls Renaldo.

“Renaldo, what am I going to do, my mom is checking out of the hospital in the morning?” Martin said.

“Calm down Martin, everything is going to work itself out. In fact, the best thing is to have your mom with us,” stated Renaldo.

“Yeah, but I do not want to trigger any of her old memories or hallucinations Renaldo!” said Martin.

“Martin, you are going to have to trust me, having your mom there will be positive in the end,” Renaldo reiterated.

Ok, Renaldo, but if she relapses, this is on you and you will have to go visit her every day in the mental hospital,” Martin stated sternly.

“Call me in the morning when you are on your way home from the hospital,” said Renaldo.

Martin returns to the room to sit with his mom while she is sleeping. Man, we are really going to need some help to get through this one Martin thinks to himself, how did we get here? He had worked so hard to help his mom through her difficult times since his dad left when he was younger. Martin had to grow up quickly, like most kids that experience a divorce in the family.

That night Renaldo went back to the cemetery office to meet up with some of his spiritual cohorts. “Fellow comrades, we have chosen this path to fight and protect our spiritual atmospheres, and today we face another battle to take spiritual ground, there are those that depend on us to help and assist them,” Renaldo affirmed. “Thus, we come together this evening seeking spiritual wisdom on how to move forward in this endeavor.” All the members agreed with what Renaldo was saying.

Beep, beep, beep, the alarm goes off, Martin hits the snooze button, thinking to himself, this is going to be a very trying day. He pry’s himself out of bed and turns off the alarm. At this point, he is still staying at his friend’s house. Martin gets to the hospital to pick up his mom.

On the drive home, Martin says, “Mom, we have a friend coming over to see us once we get home.”

“Really, who is it?” asked Lattice.

“It is Consuelo’s cousin, he is some type of special minister,” said Martin.

“Minister, why do we need a minister?” Latrice asked.

“Consuelo is sending him so he can bless our house,” said Martin with his fingers crossed.

“Oh, ok, that sound great, I think blessing our house is a good idea,” Latrice agreed. Little did Latrice know that there was really going to be a showdown.

Martin and Latrice arrived at the house. “I’m so happy to be home, and it still smells like fresh flowers,” stated Latrice. Martin took his mom’s belonging and put them in her room. He could smell the foul stench of cigarettes and other smells in the hallway.

Renaldo showed up to the house shortly after Martin and Latrice arrived home. The doorbell rings, Martin answered the door and welcomed Renaldo into the house. Latrice met Renaldo and they sat down at the kitchen table to talk.

Latrice starts in, “So you want to bless our house?”

Martin looks at Renaldo and smiles, “Yes mom, that is why Renaldo is here, remember I told you that already,” Martin reiterated.

Yes, Latrice, I’m here to bless your house,” Renaldo said. “Do you mind if I get started?”

“No, go ahead and get started,” Latrice said.

Renaldo goes outside and walks around the house and yard, then he comes into the house and heads down the hall. He can smell the foul cigarette and other odors. He walks back into the kitchen and sits at the table with Latrice and Martin.

Renaldo says, “Do you know that there is spiritual portal open in your house?”

“No says Latrice, “What is a spiritual portal?”

“It is a dimension where spirits can enter and exit from the spiritual realm to the earth realm,” said Renaldo.

“Why do we have a spiritual portal open in our house?” Latrice asked.

“The only way a spiritual portal is opened is if someone opened it or it has a right to be open,” said Renaldo.

“Ok, this is getting weird,” stated Latrice.

“Do not panic Latrice, I can help you with this, it is what I do,” said Renaldo.

Latrice confronted Martin “Did you open that portal?”

“No mom, I’m just like you, I did not realize a portal to another realm was a possibility,” Martin stated.

“We need to figure out what has opened this portal?” stated Renaldo.

“What is the history of this house,” asked Renaldo.

“This is my childhood home, and my bedroom was where Martin’s bedroom is now located,” said Latrice.

“Ok, is there anything significant that happened on this property?” asked Renaldo.

“Not to my knowledge,” said Latrice.

Renaldo pulls out his backpack and takes out an object. “Ok Latrice, I need you and Martin to come with me down the hall,” Renaldo stated.

Latrice is in a wheelchair, so Martin pushes her down the hall behind Renaldo, the foul odors get stronger. Latrice unexpectedly remembers what happened to her before she tripped and fell in the kitchen. “I cannot go down this hall, stop now!” Latrice said frantically. “I remember now why I tripped and fell; I’m not going back in there! That is the same hallucination that has tormented me my whole life, no way!”

Suddenly, it dawns on Martin, “Mom, mom, this is not a hallucination, this is really happening, I have seen what you have seen and so did Consuelo. You are not hallucinating!”

By now, Latrice’s heart is pounding a hundred miles a minute. Renaldo says, “Latrice, look at me, we are going to get rid of this thing, and I need you to be strong right now, take a deep breath, count to ten.”

“One, two, three…” counts Latrice as she exhales. “You mean to tell me; I am not crazy!”

“No Latrice, you are not crazy,” says Renaldo.

They enter the room together, first Renaldo, then Latrice, and finally Martin. They can see the open portal, and the large being. The large being is just laughing at them and mocking them.

“You are no match for me,” says the being.

“Why are you here?” asks Renaldo.

“I have been tormenting this blood line for hundreds of years and you think I will just leave; well, you have got another thing coming. I tormented your grandmother, her grandmother, you (Latrice) and many more. Now, I have come to torment your son,” says the being.

Renaldo handed Latrice the object he had in his hand. “He said, “Throw it Latrice, throw it at the dark being in the portal.”

Latrice chucked it and it hit the being in the head. There was blood everywhere. The portal closed and the being vaporized. Latrice finally had peace and smelled fresh flowers.