To the Moon and Back

 

To the Moon and Back

Rachael was lying on the massage table with her face awkwardly positioned in the hole which was supposedly designed to facilitate comfort. She had been working long hours in a stressful job and it seemed that her whole body was one huge Gordian knot. It was obvious however from the oohs and aahs that she was enjoying the experience of the massage.

After what seemed to Rachael five minutes but was in fact thirty, Elizabeth the massage therapist bent over Rachael and said quietly, “ I am going to leave you now to relax for a few minutes before you dress.”

Rachael opened her eyes and looked down expecting to see the floor but instead could only see what seemed to be a mist. 'OMG,” she said out loud. “I am blind.”

Here I was tempted to write “Fear not,” said the guide but my better judgment resisted.

A voice from the apparent mist said,” It's not mist you are lying on it's a cloud.”

“Who, what, where are you?” said Rachael feeling sort of floaty but also rather stupid because she was talking to she knew not what.

“I am your thaumaturgist. Stand up and look around you. You really are in the clouds and no you won't fall through. They are fairly substantial and you are very light, almost weightless.”

Rachael did stand up and look around. “What in the name of god am I doing up here?”

“Obviously nothing at the moment. I can help you to do anything you like. Oh, and my name is Elisabeth but you can call me Liz.”

“Do whatever I like? I am standing in the clouds and talking to a thauma, therma whatever you are --”

“Thaumaturgist. Would you like me to make some suggestions?”

Rachael sat down and tried to think but nothing came to her.

“OK,” said Liz. “I can take you back to meet anybody in the world who is deceased.”

Rachael seemed to get herself together and began to enjoy herself. She began rolling around on the clouds.

“For goodness sake stop that. You are wasting time and think what do you want to do.”

“That is an awfully big brief. I don't think I want to meet my family, my mother or father or sister or brother but may be my son . No that wouldn't be--- I know I have always wanted to converse with famous writers. But then I do read about them.”

“Oh for goodness sake will make up your mind. You are wasting my time. Let me make a suggestion. You can go anywhere in the world in fact anywhere in the Universe.”

“Really anywhere in the Universe?”

“That is what I said, please make a decision.” Liz thinks, “Human beings drive me crazy. I don't know why I do this job. Maybe I'll ask for a transfer.”

“OK how do you fancy a trip to the moon?”

“A trip to the moon, a trip to the moon, really a trip to the moon you can do that?”

“I just said so didn't I? I take it that, that is a yes.”

“Here we go then, Hold my hand.”

“I am flying, really flying. Rachael started singing “Fly me to the Moon, and let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like
On Jupiter and Mars. ”

“Just be satisfied with the moon. Jupiter or mars for goodness sake.”

“There is the earth below.”

“Yes it is,”said Liz thinking where did she think it would be up above.

They floated down and landed gently.

“It is not made of cheese then,” said Rachael.

“ How old are you? Of course it's not made of cheese and no there isn't a 'man in the moon' either.”

“Sorry,” said Rachael, “I was only joking.”

“Now then where would you like to go ? “

Well as I have no nothing about the moon why don't you suggest somewhere?”

“OK, There are many seas. I will list the positive ones. There is the sea of tranquillity. The sea of of cleverness, the sea of fertility, the sea of knowledge the sea of nectar and dozens more. There are lots of lakes too. The lake of goodness, the lake of excellence, the lake of happiness, the lake of joy, and more . There are also valleys and mountains and bays.”

“How can I choose? There is so much to choose from. Why don't you choose for me?”

“Ok, I choose the Sea of tranquility as that is suppose to be how you feel after you have had a massage.”

Liz took Rachael's hand and they floated up and across the surface of the moon and landed gently by the sea of tranquility. Rachael immediately lay down and fell asleep. Liz flew away thinking, that is the last time I work with humans. They are sooo stupid.

The massage therapist leaned over Rachael and whispered, “ Are you ready to dress now? I hope you went somewhare nice in your dreams.”

Rachael muttered something like, “To the Moon and Back.”

The term masseuse is a French word that refers to a female who practices massage. (Males in the industry were known as masseurs.) However, due to certain unsavory connotations (as well as the need for more gender neutral terminology), both male and female massage practitioners go by the term “massage therapist”.17 Aug 2022

thaumaturgist thaumaturgy is the purported capability of a magician to work magic or other paranormal events or a saint to perform miracles. It is sometimes translated ...