The Mandela Effect

Chapter 72

On the other side of the door was a small room. It resembled a nicer version of a prison visitor's room. There was a pair of chairs, one of which was pulled up to a waist-high desk that was bolted to the wall opposite the door. On the desk were the dials and keypad that Wolfe had described. The left dial was activated and a small screen above it read 'B925AFC2B62C'.Above the desk was a piece of glass. The room was lit by low overhead lights.

Jon closes the door behind him; the lights dimmed automatically and the glass came to life. Jon realized it was like a plate of glass but behind it was a big TV screen.

Jon moved the chair at the desk slightly and stepped in front of it. He pulled it in behind him as he sat. As he was settling in, he had a thinks and pressed the left dial to deactivate it. He's not sure he could remember the number if he scrolled away from himself. As he scooted the chair closer to the desk, the now lit screen burst out in a blue-tinted picture. It takes a moment, but Jon realized quickly what he was seeing.

It was him.

He was standing in a kitchen. He couldn't see a lot of details but it looked like a typical suburban kitchen: stove against a wall, refrigerator catacorner to it, island in the middle of the room surrounded by stools.

Just when Jon became comfortable with seeing himself on film, that he didn't film himself, he heard his voice boom out over hidden speakers in the room as he turned from the stove.

"Essy, Zoo, breakfast is ready!" Video Jon called.

"Essy and Zoo, what about umama?" a voice called into the kitchen.

Video Jon looked up and smiled, "I was making you something special, iqabane."

"Special?" the voice called from off screen, "I'm not sure I want it.

Video Jon slumped sarcastically, "my cooking cannot be that bad."

Jon caught his breath quickly. He realized where he knew the voice. At the same moment, he saw her.

Video Jon takes a towel from his shoulder and tossed it on the island. She walked on the screen and stepped up to him.

"I love your cooking," she says, giggling, "but what will I have to do for it later."

His wife. She was gorgeous. Years had passed, clearly, he could see it in himself. But, he remembered the curve of her neck, her chin, her lips, nose, cheeks, eyes. She had her hair permed and pulled back tight. Jon always preferred it natural but she always kept it permed for professional situations.

"When did we start the quid pro quo?" Video Jon asks, "if we are, I would like to remind you of some things from back when we were dating."

Jon chuckles. This was a discussion they had before.

"If you really want to go back that far," his wife offered, "I don't know that it will improve your balance."

She backed up against Video Jon. She leaned against him, wrapping her hand above her and to the back of his head. He could almost smell her perfume. She always did this when they were waiting in line somewhere.

Video Jon grabbed her by the waist and turned her around before lifting her up to the top of the island. She squealed as he moved her. She lightly batted him on the chest in a show of struggle. Once up on top, she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Video Jon stepped closely in next to her and kissed her.

"Eww," a deep voice from off-screen says, "can you not. We eat there."

His wife chuckles and kissed Video Jon. They had talked about this before too. She always says that she never saw in her parents any love. They were formal. She wanted her kids to know that she loved their father, and he loved her; never hiding affection or emotion.