Tommy Makes It Rich

Chapter 03. 2 January 1967

2 January 1967

When I awoke my first thought was what an amazingly vivid dream. Then I noticed that I was naked and my pyjamas were under me. It must have been real. How else could I have gotten out of my pjs? But if it was real I was sure it would be a once only thing so best get on with life.

When I got to the kitchen mum already had the tea made and a piece of bread and sugar on a plate for me. I wasn't hungry. I felt like I had only just eaten a big bowel of stew, which of course I had. When I didn't eat it mum asked if I was sick. She put her hand on my forehead.

"You don't feel hot."

"I'm fine mum," I said, "I am just not hungry. I will go and get the cows."

I brought the cows in and settled into the milking. A couple of times mum asked me if I was all right. I told her I had had a dream where I woke up in 1900. She said, "That's nice dear. Perhaps one day you can use your imagination for something productive. Maybe write a book or invent something useful."

The rest of the day was boring as usual and after we ate dinner I tried to sneak off to bed. I was tired and Fran was picking on me for nothing as usual. In fact she tripped me as I left the table and as I fell I knocked over a pile of plates. Mum blew her top and made me clean up the mess. By the time I got to bed it was 7:06 PM.

* * * * * *

Instantly I awoke next to Jackie. "Oh you were right you did come today as a ten year old."

I said, "What do you mean? I was only here yesterday." Jackie looked at me funny. Then I looked at her and realised she had grown. She had breasts and her body had changed shape.

"Golly you have grown overnight."

Jackie slowly shook her head. "No. Not me. I am ageing normally. It is you that is ageing all over the place." Then she explained to me that I had visited her most days over the past six years but sometimes I was older. "We worked it out a long time ago. It depends on what time you go to sleep. You go back to the year of the time you go to sleep. It is always on the morning of the same date. That is to say if you go to sleep at 7:30 PM which is 1930 military time, on say the Second of January, you will wake up on the morning of the Second of January in 1930."

"So what you are saying is that you have met me when I am older?"

"Yes, dozens of times. Well, as old as me that is."

"Have I ever been younger?"

"Nuh. You look pretty much like you did the first time I met you, six years ago."

"That was yesterday!"

"I know it was for you but for me six years have passed and we have had heaps of fun together nearly every day since."

This was mind-boggling. I was really having a hard time getting my head around it.

"Don't stress you will work it out. But what you have to do if you want to do things in order is go to bed at the very same time each night. That way you can take each day as they come."

"How come you know so much?"

"Because you told me. In fact you have written all the important things down. There is a whole bunch of things you wrote for me to pass on to you. Because you are younger you haven't experienced these things yet. So we decided that if we have a written record you won't be so confused. But today is the youngest you will ever be so now you get the papers to take home and study. Every time from now on no matter how old you are you will know what is going on."