A Journey to Reality: The Sequel

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Crystal is stunned to see the changes in her life.
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jack_straw
jack_straw
3,218 Followers

Author's note: Time travel has been the stuff of dreams for generations. It has been the basis of classic fiction (H.G. Wells' The Time Machine), bad television (Time Tunnel) and popular films (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and, of course, the Back To The Future trilogy).

Recently, a relatively new writer on Literotica, nyte_byrd, wrote an interesting time travel story called, "A Journey to Reality," in the Non-Erotic category. In her story, the narrator, a woman named Crystal, talks her friend, who could be her significant other, into letting her try out a time-travel device he has built in his basement. Graham has tested it twice and come back unscathed, and Crystal wants to use it to go back in time to a point a few weeks before her birth in 1968.

Crystal wants to get a sense of what her mother's environment was like at the time of her birth. Her mother, Monica, was a scared 15-year-old when she had Crystal, and she grew to be a bitter woman who was constantly at odds with her daughter. Crystal wants some answers in hopes of perhaps bridging the gap between her and her mother.

So she goes back in time, actually meets the 15-year-old Monica, they talk for the half-hour that Crystal is allotted for staying in the past, and she does indeed get a sense of just what her mother and her mother's family had to endure. At story's end, she comes back to the present, and tells Graham she's accepting a lunch date with her mother.

One of the most memorable scenes in the Back To The Future series comes at the end of the first installment, when Marty McFly comes back from 1955 and awakens to a completely different reality from the one he left. Because he got his parents to actually fall in love, rather than just drift together, everything in his life is different.

I was struck by the similarities between that scene and nyte_byrd's story. I felt like the end left the readers hanging. Did Crystal's visit make a difference? If so, how? So, with nyte_byrd's permission, I've written a follow-up. The story picks up immediately after Crystal tosses the time device back to Graham and rushes to the door to go have lunch with her mom.

------

I dashed out the front door of the house, toward my car, then stopped dead in my tracks. I could sense my jaw hitting the driveway as I gaped at what I was seeing.

For one thing, the street where I lived was now a fairly busy four-lane roadway, instead of the modest two-lane it had been 30 minutes earlier.

But that wasn't what arrested my attention. Across the street, everything was different. Palmer's Grocery, the tiny mom-and-pop store that had long been abandoned, wasn't abandoned. Not by a long shot. It was a supermarket that took up half the block.

And the stores that made up the rest of the block were also different. Gone was the tattoo parlor, replaced by a hair salon. The cigarette shop was a store that sold items for expectant mothers. There was also a Baskin-Robbins store that hadn't been there before, along with a video rental store.

As I looked, I noticed that the curb was free of debris, the storefronts were clean and well-maintained, and the houses on my side of the street were neat and tidy, a far cry from the way they had been before.

What the hell had happened?

I was in a slight daze as I climbed in my car – thank God it was the same – and pulled out onto the street for the six-block drive to my mother's house.

When my grandparents started getting ill, Mom had moved back into their house to take care of them. It had been a financial and emotional drain on her, not to mention dealing with all of the ghosts that still lived there, the shades of her dead brothers.

Mom had been the youngest of four, and the only daughter, but two of her brothers had died within a short time of each other.

Robby, the one closest to Mom in age, had been killed in a car crash a week before I was born. In fact, the shock of his death had sent Mom into slightly premature labor – I was born 13 days before my due date.

And Bill, the oldest brother, had been killed in Vietnam a couple of months later. Needless to say, no one in my family remembered 1968 with any fondness at all.

Mom had gotten pregnant at 15 and had a baby, and the two boys had been killed, all in the same calendar year.

The only one left was the middle brother, Mike, and he and Mom hadn't spoken in years. He was a banker who had developed a sense of superiority over Mom because he'd gone to college and been successful, and she hadn't. He'd also married into one of the town's richest families, and that fed his ego as well.

After I was born, Mom had worked at Palmer's, until they closed their doors, then she'd gotten a job on the assembly line at the Johnstown Manufacturing Company, the town's only significant employer.

But the factory had become outdated, production had fallen off, and a month ago, they finally succumbed to the reality of their situation and filed bankruptcy.

Twenty-five years Mom had worked for them, and all she had to show for it was unemployment benefits. It didn't look like they were going to be able to pay the retirement pension she'd been promised, and at age 53, her prospects for finding another job weren't looking good.

That was one reason I hadn't wanted to have lunch with her that day. Well, one of many. I knew what was going to happen. She'd bitch and moan about her sorry former employers, complain about how lonely she was, give me a pity party about how fucked up her life was, then she'd start in on me.

She'd tell me I was wasting my time with Graham, that as long as we were living together, he'd never ask me to marry him. She'd rail at me about how my biological clock was ticking away, how at 37 – almost 38 – I was about to run out of time to have children.

I'd heard it all before, and while she was right in a lot of ways, I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of agreeing with her. So we'd end up fighting, and I'd go home angry and depressed.

It was with all of this in mind that I pulled in the driveway of her house. As soon as I climbed out of my car, I got another big shock. There were toys in the front yard, kids' toys, including a big-wheel tricycle. Huh?

As I walked up to the porch, the front door opened and a young black woman stepped outside. She was quite pretty, she had a baby on her shoulder, and I could hear the sounds of another child inside having fun with his lunch.

"Can I help you?" she said pleasantly.

"Ah, ur, I was looking for my mom," I said. "I thought she lived here."

"I'm afraid you're mistaken," the woman said. "We've lived in this house for four years, ever since my husband became a manager at the Toyota plant."

"The what?" I said.

"You must be from out of town," she said.

"Uh, yeah, I am," I stammered.

"Toyota built a huge manufacturing plant for component parts on the north side of town," she said. "People who've lived here a long time say it saved this place."

"Tell me, do you know Monica Nichols?" I said. "She would have lived here before you came."

"No, I don't know her," she said. "I know a Mike Nichols, where I bank, and I know this was his house when he was growing up, but I don't think any of his family have lived here in a number of years."

"Well, thanks," I said, then I turned and staggered back to my car.

If Mom didn't live here, then where did she live? I pulled out my cell phone, flipped it open and looked up her number. I had to blink my eyes twice to be sure I was seeing things correctly. I saw her number, all right, but right below it was a number for her office.

Her office?

I dialed the home number, but got no answer. I was about to hang up when an answering machine picked up the call.

Now, this was starting to get weird. As far as I knew, Mom had never had an answering machine on any phone she'd ever had. She always groused that nobody ever called her who would bother to leave a message. I listened, fascinated, at the voice on the machine.

"Hi, this is Monica and Parker's residence," her voice said. "We can't come to the phone right now, so leave your name and number at the beep, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks, and have a blessed day."

A couple of things jolted me as I pulled out of the driveway and drove toward Ellis Boulevard, the town's main drag. One, who was Parker? And, second, why would Mom tell callers to have a blessed day?

Parker was obviously someone who lived with Mom in this new reality and that was unbelievable to me. Mom hadn't had a boyfriend in years, let alone a live-in boyfriend, and she'd turned her back on religion when the church turned its back on her after she got pregnant with me.

Moreover, the voice on the machine sounded bright and cheery, not at all like the raspy, sullen voice I was used to hearing from Mom.

I turned onto Ellis, and got yet another shock. What had been a fairly rundown four-lane highway with a few bars, some dingy cafes and even a strip club, was transformed. It was six lanes of highway packed on either side with an overflow of restaurants, fast-food outlets, strip malls, shops and, as I drove aimlessly down the street, a Wal-Mart Supercenter.

I was becoming a danger to myself and others who were on the boulevard with me, a lot of others, so I pulled into the parking lot of a strip mall and stopped to get my bearings.

Opening up the phone again, I called the number listed under my mom's office. A woman whose voice I didn't recognize answered.

"Riley, Matthews and Sullivan, may I help you?" the voice said.

"Uh, yeah, I'd like to speak to Monica Nichols, please," I said hesitantly. The woman laughed in a good-natured way.

"You mean Monica Sullivan," the woman said. "I'll see if she's free. Who should I say is calling?"

"It's Crystal," I said.

"Crystal, are you OK?" the woman said. "You, of all people, ought to know that your mother hasn't gone by her maiden name in over 25 years. Has something happened to you that you wouldn't remember that? Hold on a second, I'll put you on."

"I'm sorry, I just had a brain fart," I said. I was flabbergasted. How did she know who I was? And what was this about Mom not having used her maiden name in over 25 years? What was going on here?

"Crystal? Are you all right?" Mom said as the call was connected. "Martha said you sounded a little strange."

"No, I'm fine, Mom, really," I lied. "I just called to see if that lunch offer from last night was still good."

"Sure, sweetheart," she said brightly. "I was just on the phone with Parker, and he was going to meet me at McAdory's. You're more than welcome to join us. Why don't you meet us in, say, 20 minutes? That'll give me time to walk down there. I can't stay too long, because I have a client coming in at 2:30 to discuss her divorce. But I've always got time for you. See you in a few. Bye."

"Uh, yeah, I'll see you in 20 minutes," I said before flipping the phone closed.

Now what? I had no idea what McAdory's was or where it was. I had no idea about anything. So I walked to a cigar shop that was located in the strip mall and asked if they had a telephone directory.

The book the clerk pulled out looked nothing like the phone book for this town that I'd seen before. It was considerably thicker than before.

The first thing I looked up was Riley, Matthews and Sullivan, and I was astounded to discover that it was a law firm. My mother was a lawyer?! No fucking way. But there it was in the Yellow Pages, offering legal services for reasonable fees.

I found the address for her office, then found the address for McAdory's, which appeared to be some sort of upscale deli. I knew about where it should be on Main Street, only the location as I remembered it was close to downtown, and the neighborhood hadn't been very savory.

I got up on Main Street, headed toward downtown. I happened to pass Mom's office on the way, and I was very impressed. It was located in an old English-style home that looked very comforting. I drove on a few blocks and found McAdory's, but as I pulled in the parking lot, I got another jolt.

The old dilapidated downtown had been completely changed. In fact, right at the corner where McAdory's stood the street was blocked off for a pedestrian mall. There were all sorts of trendy-looking shops, cafes, boutiques, and quite a few nice-looking nightclubs.

I had to shake my head vigorously to determine that I was really awake and not asleep dreaming all of this. Satisfied that I was really here, I got out of my car and walked in to McAdory's.

The place was packed, and I didn't see Mom at first. Then I heard my name being called and I saw a woman waving at me to come over. It actually took me a couple of seconds before I realized that it was my mother.

But this wasn't the mother I'd come to know over the course of my life. No siree. The mom I'd known was a tired-looking, dumpy woman who was 53 going on 60. Her hair was a dull gray, she was lined from years of hard work and worry, and she always wore a frown.

This mother was a vivacious, trim woman who was 53 going on 40. Her hair was still her natural dark brown, her skin was smooth and she had an ear-to-ear smile.

"Hey, honey," she said as she gave me a hug. Now I knew something was wrong – or right, depending on your point of view. My mother had never called me, "honey," and she'd never hugged me like that, not in a long time.

I actually felt tears welling in my eyes. This was the kind of relationship I'd hoped for when I went back to 1968, and to see it come to fruition gave me a real emotional feeling.

I sat down then, and it was only then that I noticed the man sitting in the booth next to her.

"How've you been, Crystal?" said the man, who I gathered was Parker. I'd never laid eyes on him before, but he obviously knew me.

"Uh, oh, fine, a little busy," I said, trying not to let on that I didn't know this man.

"We were a little worried you might have been in an accident or something," Parker said. "Your mom said you asked for Monica Nichols, and that sounded like you may have gotten amnesia somehow."

"No, like I told ... Martha," I said, quickly recalling the receptionist name. "I had a braineurysm."

I looked at the menu, trying to gather my wits. I couldn't let on about what had happened, because then they might really think I was wacky. The waitress came by and I ordered a BLT, then studied the man who apparently was now married to my mother.

He was a tall, handsome fellow, a little older than Mom, perhaps 58 to 60. There was an air of confidence about him, perhaps old money, but I didn't get a sense of arrogance. In fact, he seemed to be quite pleasant, with a quick wit and a good sense of humor.

He was dressed casually, in khakis and a dress shirt, with loafers. His hair was mostly silver, but he still had all of it. He had on a pair of half-glasses and was perusing some documents. Or he was until Mom told him sternly to put them away.

"We get few enough occasions to visit with Crystal these days," she said. "You're not going to spoil it by getting your nose in work."

"Yes ma'am," he said with a disarming smile.

Mom just shook her head in bemusement and hooked her arm in with his. I had to smile, because it was obvious that they were two people in love. Indeed, even as the thought crossed my mind, their hands clasped in an easy familiarity that told me they'd been in love a long time.

Moreover, I got the sense that Parker was a man who was used to giving orders to others, but who gladly took orders from Mom. I was not real familiar with those kinds of loving couples, but I guessed that was what it meant to love someone over a long period of time.

"Mom?" I started to ask. I needed some answers, but I wasn't sure how to ask the questions I needed to get those answers.

"What, sweetheart?" she said. There it was, another endearment, given casually, like she'd been doing it my whole life, which had not been the case.

"What was it like right after I was born?" I said. "I know we've talked a lot about it, but there's something missing."

"Like what?" Mom said.

"School," I said, hoping that would be enough.

"Oh, now, surely you know everything there is to know about that," she said. "But I don't know if I've ever told you why I was so determined to get back into the high school. Not too long before you were born, I met a lady outside Palmer's. Of course, it wasn't like the Palmer's of today."

I felt a knot growing in my stomach, because I knew where this story was going.

"I didn't know who she was, and I only knew her for a short time," Mom continued. "She was visiting from out of town. But in that short time, she showed me kindness like no one else had. She defended my honor, and she gave me a piece of advice that I never forgot. She told me, 'your baby will have a much better life if you go back to school.' Of course, I didn't think that was possible at the time. But after Robby and Bill were killed, I just couldn't see wasting my life like that. I knew I'd never get my diploma if I was working full-time, so I made up my mind that I was going to re-enroll in school. You know the rest. Without that woman's friendship, without her words of encouragement, I don't think I'd have had the guts to stick it out, because let me tell you, it wasn't easy. Thank God for Mr. Riley, bless his soul. He believed in me when no one else did, and he helped put me through college after I graduated. I'd love to find that woman and thank her for changing my life. I named you after her, you know. Her name was Crystal Dawn ... something. I don't remember her last name. But I remember Crystal Dawn. I named you after her so I wouldn't forget her and what she meant to me."

It was all I could do to keep from bursting into tears right then. I hastily excused myself and dashed to the bathroom before I lost it completely.

Mom and Parker were looking at my oddly when I returned, after restoring my composure. My sandwich was on the table and I ate in silence, while Mom and Parker talked about their work that day. When we were almost finished, Mom looked at me with a serious look.

"So how's work?" she said. "Have you given any thought to accepting that promotion?"

"What promotion?" I said.

"You know, taking on the charge nurse job," she said. "It's extra money, but it's also extra headaches. You do well enough financially, especially now that Graham's moved in to help out, so if you don't feel like you want that responsibility, just say no."

This was something new. I had been a nurse for over 15 years at the local hospital, but this was the first I'd heard about being offered the position as charge nurse.

"I'll think about it," was all I said.

We were just about finished when Mom's cell phone rang. She answered it and talked cheerfully with someone named Billy, something about a get-together the following night and something about a surprise.

"I'll ask her," Mom said finally. "Love you too."

"That was Billy," Mom said. "He and Annie have some big news they want to share with all of us. I told him we'd plan to have a family gathering tomorrow afternoon at the house. I want you and Graham to come also. Bring your swimsuits, we'll get some burgers and we'll make a day of it. I'll call Mike and see if they can make it. Be nice to have to whole family there for a change."

I think I stared, because Mom looked at me funny. The old Mom would have eaten barbed wire before she invited Mike and his family to her place. Oh, and who was Billy? Did I have a little brother I knew nothing about?

"Are you sure you're all right?" Mom said. "You've been acting awfully funny all day."

"Mom, I'm fine," I said. "In fact, I've never been better."

We all got up to go then. As we were walking out, a number of people stopped to speak to both Mom and Parker, and I got the sense that they were both quite prominent in town. People treated them with respect, and that made my heart feel good.

jack_straw
jack_straw
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