Grey Corkscrews

"Grey corkscrews'" he said, as if it was obvious, "They're coming out of your body all over the place."

*

This morning I was sitting in the public gallery at local court waiting for my case to be called. 

It is a noisy, smelly place like a Dickensian Zoo - with people from across the social spectrum huddled in uncomfortable chairs waiting to be called to account by the magistrate.  I scoped the room and chose a seat immediately opposite the entrance, so I could take stock if my defendant entered, and just keep an eye on things.  It is so important to find any shred of power in situations like this where you are exposed with the masses and seating position is a small advantage.

The man next to me had long hair and quite clearly had not dressed up for court - or even maybe had a shower.  On the other side was a nervous sparrow of a woman fingering her phone.

We sat silently for twenty minutes or so, until I realised my right leg had gone to sleep.  I couldn't move it at all, it was numb, so I stood up to stretch and rotate the ankle to get the blood flowing.

The man with the long hair looked at me and spoke.

"Grey corkscrews'" he said, as if it was obvious, "They're coming out of your body all over the place."

It completely disarmed me.  Here I was meditating on my rehearsal for in front of the court and this guy was talking grey corkscrews.

He told me he was a psychic healer and kinergetics master, and that he could use angels to draw the pain out of my body.  The pain was the grey corkscrews.  I didn't interrupt him as he told me about how he had left the real world behind years ago, and now he was a carer for a blind woman - and how the blind woman's neighbor had threatened him and then punched him and he was seeking a personal protection order.

He gave me his card and he lives not far from me.

"You look like you have been in pain for a long time."  Is not a very flattering way to address me, not when I'm cleanshaven and court-ready.  But he had touched on something and I started to explain how I am an alcoholic and how I am making progress changing my life by being accountable and grateful.

Then, he gave me his business card and he was called to face the court.  And I felt blessed for ignoring his appearance and his unusual approach, and for making a connection and actually listening to what he had to say.