Chatting With Angels -10-

Chatting with Angels

Chapter Ten ~ Viola

By Sasha Zarya Nexus

Who is Viola and what message does she bring to Monty?

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Chapter Ten - Viola

Monty was exhausted from the trip back from the LARP as well as the time spent over at Kathy's home. He entered his brother's home and did not find anyone in the common areas of the apartment. Monty thought about spending some time online as 'Gail' .Time spent as Gail was very precious but not as much as sleep right now.

Monty entered his room to gather things that he would need to take a bath and get ready for bed. Monty enjoyed a nice soak in the tub and he found that it really relaxed him. Upon exiting the tub he patted himself off dry and got ready for bed. In his bedroom, the bed looked inviting. He snuggled under the covers and went right to sleep.

Monty had never showed the aptitude to part his astral spirit from his physical body. He lacked the faith to believe that it was possible. The last time, he had help for it to occur. He only remembered it as a wild dream just as he would remember this encounter in the same manner.

As Monty lay sleeping, the flittering movements of his eyes indicated that REM sleep had come. However this dream was not like any that Monty had had before. For one thing she had transcended into what she believed was a physical female form. A waft of fragrance swept over her which called to mind her grandmother's perfume and the wonderful smells of fresh red velvet cake and fruit salad that signaled that Grandmother expected her visit.

As she opened her eyes, she was back in Grandmother's house decorated for Christmas. The deliciously warm flannel nightgown that she wore kept her snuggly warm as she pulled back the covers and her feet found the warm fuzzy bunny slippers and she pulled on her plush red velvet robe. She opened the door to her bedroom and went to the fireplace in the living room and found stockings hanging there for her two brothers Tim and Richard.

There was also a girly stocking hanging for little sister, Karen, for whom Christmas held the wonder of a child no matter how old Karen became. Karen was a miracle who had so severe birth defects that without emergency surgery right after she was born, she would have died. And with being born with Downs Syndrome, her child like faith in Christmas would never fade with the years.

Her child like faith in family told Monti that no matter what the reaction of the others in her life, that her sister would love her sister to sister. All she would have to do is explain that Monti was only born a girl on the inside but that she wanted to be a girl on the outside and inside like her sister Karen Karen had the child like faith in Monti that sadly some of the people who thought themselves smart would never have,

Finally Monty saw her stocking which had the name Tina on it. On the coffee table she reached down and felt the ceramic creche that Aunt Jerri had made for Grandmother that had adorned the coffee table on Christmas in Grandmother's house for as long as she could remember. She heard the voice of her grandmother singing a Christmas carol as she approached out of her sight down the hall. She delighted in seeing again the decorations which had always adorned Grandmother's house on the occasion of Christmas.

Viola had chosen to greet her granddaughter as she would have liked to while she still shared Christmas in the physical world. This setting was possible since the spirit form of Monti transcended the physical world. Still anticipating her grandmother to open the hall door and meet her in the Living Room, instead she now felt a presence of light and glory which manifested as an angelic visitor. The light and glory faded so that, Monti could discern the face of her grandmother as being the angel who had entered the room. Viola knew that her time would be too short but the message she conveyed was essential.

Viola broke the silence, "Greetings, Granddaughter, I have so little time to plant the seed of faith that you will need to survive the times ahead." She kissed her granddaughter on the cheek and gave her a hug as tears came to her eyes feeling her grandmother's love for her.

Monti composed herself and seized the chance to speak to her grandmother, "Grandmother! I love you so much and I miss being able to hear your voice, yet it echoes in my soul. And that you see me as I really am is such a blessing."

Viola dried the girl's tears with a handkerchief that Monti recognized as unmistakably grandmother's. Viola gave the handkerchief to Monti and spoke, I "My granddaughter, in order to grow the faith that you need, you must learn to make your promises without adding loopholes. When you promised your parents the first time that you would not dress as a girl, What was your loophole?"

Andi recognized that Grandmother had gotten right to business. As Grandmother started teaching her like she had done so many times in her life, Monti leaned forward and concentrated on what Grandmother was saying so that she wouldn't lose any word. Andi knew the answer to Grandmother's question and she answered, "That I would do it in secret so I would not be caught."

Viola continued the lesson with another question, "When you promised your parents the second time that you would not dress as a girl, What was your loophole?"

Monti knew the answer to that one too, "That instead I would mold my body with female hormones that I found and also to use a computer persona to appear as a girl in public."

Viola asked her granddaughter the final question and hoped that her granddaughter would see the connection, "And what loophole do you use now?"

Monti had to admit that she seemed to be making the same mistake over and over again. She contritely answered," That I am no longer living at my parents and I'm only getting ready for the Spring Game."

Her granddaughter needed to realize that she had to walk in truth, "Sweetie, you were raised better than that! How can any good come from deception?"

Monti agreed with her grandmother but wondered if she were strong enough, "Grandmother, No good can come from deception. I can't bear the consequences if I don't conceal some things."

Viola hoped that she would have the strength to bear the consequences "My little one, My Tina, there is a time for deception to be done away with so the truth can shine." She hugged Tina tightly and smiled, hoping Tina understood and would accept herself unconditionally.

A light gleamed in her granddaughter's eyes as she accepted her new nickname, as Viola's instruction changed focus, "Would you like to know the real reason that I gave your father the middle name, Montine, which your parents also gave to you?"

Tina brightened with the strength that she drew from Viola, "Yes, Grandmother! I'm glad that I'm your Tina! What a lovely nickname that you have given me!"

Viola explained, "Tina just as I told your father, there was a French actor with the last name of Montine who I admired. But that was not the only reason. God gave me a prophesy of things to come and I knew you would be born, my Tina, with your challenges and that your parents would give you the same name as your father. I had a close girlfriend as I was growing up named Montine which for a woman's name means 'A lovely rose'. I knew that you would need a name as well as your father so I named you Montine."

Tina smiled a familiar mischievous smile and asked, "Did daddy know Montine was also a woman's name?"

Viola was glad to give her granddaughter some joy to see her through the sorrow that was to come, "Yes, my Tina, That is why when he used every possible permutation of your shared name, he never went by the middle name and only used the initial. In the beginning when you started to go by Montine, he let it go because you were doing it believing it was a masculine name. Your parents had moved away from their roots, where it might be interpreted as a feminine name. Of course when you do your research now, you'll find that every first name Montine belongs to a woman. When you wanted Kathy and your friends to call you by a masculine nickname, Monty, it became even less of an issue to your parents."

Tina had a far away look on her face knowing how much she was loved, "Grandmother, How I love you even more for your gift to me. I'll treasure that my name reflects the me inside as well as the me outside."

Viola changed the focus again, "My Tina, You must increase your faith! Your condition is physical like the man in the gospel of John who was born blind. In that day like your own, people tried to blame either him or his parents for sin that caused his condition. People ascribe your condition to sin in your life. One day there will be a medical test that will should silence the accusers widely available. Until then they can only trust a person's own testimony as well as that of the professionals involved." Her granddaughter would be assaulted savagely by those who could only count their worth by casting down someone else.

Tina trusted her parents and the chance that they could have been right had hindered her from following the truth. She had to ask her grandmother about what they had said, "My parents told me that it was impossible for my condition to occur so instead of being female in my spirit, I had chosen to fake it and had deluded myself."

Viola winced as her son's words echoed which were in fear of how others might react instead of for Tina's well being, "My little one, you are protected by Jesus Himself. Jesus said that it would be better for them to be hung by a millstone and cast into the sea than to harm one of His Little Ones. To deny that any physical condition is possible through God's Perfection is clearly misinterpreted scripture. All manner of imperfection is in the human condition and it can not be perfect because Sin came into this world. The role that God has in a human life being born is still perfect but that is a proof of your condition instead of an argument against it. When God finds a female brain the life spirit that God breathes into it is a female spirit."

Tina heard her grandmother's words but something else was still troubling her, "What about the argument that 'God is not the author of confusion.', Grandmother?"

Viola knew that it was a case of circular logic which only seemed right because it assumed the thing that it asserted was the proof. She spoke to Tina with reassurance, "Tina, If God placed a male spirit in a female mind then God would be the author of confusion because that act would be entirely God's. We can trust that God is not the author of confusion and that every time God finds a female mind that he breathes into that a female spirit."

Tina knew that some pointed to the physical sex that they could see instead of the spirit's gender and asked, "Grandmother, which is more important, the body or the spirit and soul?"

She smiled knowingly that Tina had arrived at the crux of the matter and explained, "Tina, Jesus taught us that if part of our body offends us that it would be better to dispose of it, rather to let that offence plunge our body and spirit into everlasting punishment. Clearly the Spirit trumps the Body and Jesus endorsed altering the body if necessary to preserve the spirit which is eternal."

Tina realized that the incongruence of her physical body with her spirit was a congenital defect just as the Man born blind that her grandmother had spoken of before so she asked, "What did Jesus tell them when the asked if the man born blind sinned or did his parents sin?"

Viola realized that once Tina accepted that her condition was real that the next question she would wonder would be 'Why?' Fortunately the answer that Jesus had given so long ago was applicable to her condition too as she explained, "Tina, Jesus answered that neither the Man or the Parents sinned to cause his condition. He was made that way that the glory of God might be revealed. And you, my Tina, were made the way you were so that God's Glory might be revealed in you. "

Tina asked incredulously, "Grandmother, can God really use me to do His work?"

Viola smiled, hoping that Tina would act in faith, as she told her, "My dear Tina, remember that God uses the weak vessels of the Earth to confound the wise. God may be able to use you, sweetie, in ways you can't even imagine. As you follow Jesus on your journey, God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory."

Tina confessed her faith as the seed that Viola needed most to plant had sprouted, "Grandmother, I want to follow Jesus because He will never lead me astray."

Viola loudly voiced her approval, "Good Girl, Tina! My little one! God has sent you companions to help you on your way. Tina, do not forsake them to please another, so you will receive everything God has provided for you. When family and fair weather friends desert and shun you, Remember God is always with you and loves you just the way you are. Be especially considerate of Kathy, who is your God Sister. Together you will help each other in both your journeys."

Tina rejoiced, "It's good to know that I will never be alone because God is always with me!"

Viola kissed Tina on her forehead "It's time for my visit to end. You aren't ready yet to accept this encounter as real, but the truths that I have shared are planted in your spirit for when you need them most. Maranatha, Tina, till we be reunited, my love."

Tina hugged her grandmother tightly as if she would never let her go, "Maranatha, Grandmother. I love you."

The room faded from existence as Tina remembered her grandmother's love for her which had been especially vivid at Christmas. Viola looked on as Tina merged with Monty in body, soul and spirit. Her grandchild's eyes fluttered signifying that REM sleep was continuing. Monty hardly ever remembered his dreams, yet he embraced just as Tina had been only Monty only embraced a pillow.