Rae E.Martin 1987

Here is a story about the seeming prediction of doom,(?) by a mysterious numberologist.

I don't know how old we were... we were in junior high school, I think. Rae Martin and I have known each other since nursery school and been friends as long as I care to remember. We were shopping in the mall with my mom. We had separated from my mom because she was doing the secret Christmas shopping.

Rae and I went to a bookstore and were actually looking at sex manuals to buy as a joke for her mother. I know that may sound totally strange, but Rae's mother has more of an open mind, perhaps than my mother, and a heck of a good sense of humor. We didn't buy any such manual, and were about to leave the store when we were distracted by the occult/new age section... which at that time was not a labeled section of the store like it is now.

A strange old man appeared out of no where as Rae and I were looking at a book called 1001 Dreams Interpreted. He said "Only you can interpret your dreams".

(Hey, Kinda like Smokey the Bear says "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires!")

All joking aside, the man introduced himself as a numberologist. My memory is not quite as keen as it should be, and I know Rae can tell this part of the story much better than I ever could.

He was wearing one of those old man type hats, plaid with the butt shape top. He had a small notepad where he did some figuring. He told quite a bit about himself but I do not remember the details. I think he had kids in college and the way he talked revealed that he was religious. He told Rae that she had four of the seven Biblical gifts. (and did not specify which ones) He said that something would happen to change her life on April 4th, 1999.

I stood and watched and listened but was not part of the conversation. After he gave Rae the little peice of paper from his notepad, he turned to me and said "Why did you doubt?" He repeated this phrase getting louder and louder each time until Rae and I ran out of the book store.

We stood outside the store and waited and watched but he never came out. We eventually went back in to have a look but he was not there. He just vanished as mysteriously as he had appeared.

Years went by...

I forgot about it for many years, it was nothing more than a date. I was never good with dates and frequently asked Rae what year that was suppose to be.(89?)

We talked about what it could mean for her. Would she have a baby? get married? or would it be something bad? Then many years went by and I started to notice a trend of incredible bad luck in my life on every April 4th. I decided that it was maybe something that may happen to me. And we talked about how my death would definetely change Rae's life!

I didn't get totally paranoid and superstitious about it until many things had happened to me! Once I had all my tires slashed at work by a friend's psychopathic x-boyfriend. I might have been in real danger from him if it hadn't been for some good friends giving me a ride home.

And then one night I was working in a bar when a man who had been acting drunken and digusting grabbed my arm and forced me to sit with him. I was not happy to be there. This man had been taking the lit in of cigarettes and pressing them against his fingernails. The smell was hideous!

He began to tell stories of how he was a POW in Vietnam. I listened. The stories were pretty bad! I started to yell for the waitress or anyone... no one seemed to hear me!

He repeated the phrase "Ask the man about the Mascot." He got stranger and stranger and I wanted to get up but his claw like fingers were dug into my arm. Then he started to talk about things that only I knew about myself. He hinted at the vampiric things that had recently happened to me. Wondering if he really knew something, I sarcastically asked, "What about April 4th?" (without having told this story to anyone)

He leaned forward. With a face that could've been the devil himself, he said "Well, I'm not going to doubt it, are you?"

I freaked out! The hair stood up on my arms. I pushed the chair back, and stood up. I just screamed in terror. Then I backed away screaming at him "How dare you?" (which is the only thing I could get out)

I had him thrown out of the bar. My boss said she didn't understand his behavior as he was always such a quiet and polite little man.

Rae and I have discussed the meaning of the prediction many times. It's one of those unknowns that can't be sorted out. I've done research into the connection of the date April 4th and the word doubt. Despite the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, there doesn't seem to be any significants (historically) to the date. Biblically, the phrase Why did you doubt? sits alone as well.

I had always guessed the man was talking about my doubts in religious faith. I've been working on that, and have greatly strenghtened my faith. We wouldn't be human if we didn't have doubts.

I used to entertain fantasies of being with Rae in a bomb shelter with a full medical staff on April 4th, 1999, in case something should happen to us.

I always thought that it would be a day of massive destruction to life the way we know it. The end of the world. Or maybe just a tornado here in my town.

Regardless, as the year 1999 approaches and I am less than one year from it I see that the fantasies are way out of my price range. I suppose it is best to face April 4th, 1999 armed only with my faith, family and friendships.

I look forward to seeing the light of day April 5, 1999!

AN UPDATE: Well well well - nothing happened. At least nothing visible happened. It was like 15 years of dread, worry and excitement for nothing. Rae and I survived it. She had an Easter egg hunt for kids - I went to church (for the first time in 20 years) I took it easy but I did get out of bed and I did eat - and I guess if I picked up anything from church it was that Jesus is with me all the time. I sat up during the last few hours re-reading Betty J Eadies book "Embraced by the Light" which was a very sort of inspirational thing for me. Rae and I did not spend any part of the day together - but we did keep in phone contact.... We counted the hours for 24 hours. It was actually A RIP OFF! I did however make major decisions that will change my life - and I did strengthen my Faith. I suppose it was all nesessary. But still - a rip off. Thank God it is over!

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