I Escaped, But Only Just - Part 22:  Conclusion

I left home as soon as I could. For a while, I retained some social ties from my hometown, but those dissolved over time. I graduated in music and somehow managed to win a prestigious Piano Scholarship, as told elsewhere.  

Faith continues to play a role in my life, but not as before. I no longer belong to the Jewish Community.  About twenty years ago, I joined the Anglican Communion and I attend a C of E Church these days.  

Admittedly, I struggle with the issues presented in my story and would admit that I've sometimes felt that others expect me to wholeheartedly forgive the criminals in the story and go back for more.  Such expectations have often left me almost out of control with rage.

I also struggle with PTSD, as mentioned at several points in the notes accompanying the story.

***

I didn't go back to my hometown for more than a decade.  Then, about 12 years after the escalating events with the character Bob, an alias, I had an unusual dream:

Bob and his men are chasing Sam and I through a forest. I can hear Liszt piano music in the background, a Gondola-type melody that changes mood, taking on an angry and strident, almost frenetic, tone. Sam sounds heartbroken from his past experiences with the men, though bitter, his weakened voice pleading for justice.

I come to a house in the middle of the forest, where an elderly lady, I know only by sight, beckons me in, hiding me in the attic of her home. I'm safe now, but I don't know what has happened to Sam.

When I woke in the early hours of the morning, I couldn't shake off the fear that the men were going to track me down after more than a decade.  Worse, I had to go to my hometown the following weekend for an Engagement Party.  My unease mounted. Unable to dismiss the growing sense of danger later that morning, I sat on a grass mound close to where I lived, praying as I munched on chips, pleading with God to intervene and protect me.

A week later, I visited the town and met Sam who told me that he'd seen Bob by chance for the first time in years. Bob had called him over but Sam had refused. The attempted contact had taken place a few hours after my dream.

Premonition?  Coincidence?

Equally of interest, I had never spoken to the elderly lady from the dream, only smiled at her when we saw each other in church. Soon after the dream, this lady became a close friend of mine, supporting me through difficult times.

We remain close friends to this day.  

A fascinating dream, whatever the interpretation.

***

Thank you very much for reading my story.