Green Lake 14

I have a sense of forboding as I hear my sister will be away at a friend's for a sleepover, I can sense what's coming. Mum and I have just finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher, when she quietly says, "come, we'll sit a bit."
We do.
"So how is school going?"
"Fine."
"And your friend Tasma?"
"Fine."
"Phys Ed class?"
"Fine."
"Jamila honey, be honest now. Something happened when you had that fever. Very bad for awhile, then faded. So, tell me, you ah see anything unusual?"
"No Mum."
"But it affected you in some way, just not the same person after. What do you suppose was my first clue?"
"I don't know Mum."
"You used to be so-oooo rebellious, just never wanted to behave. Ever since, why you've been a good girl, like you just plain don't have the energy to play bad."
I laugh, she joins in.
"I've heard of such things happening before. My real child died and you ended up in her place, right?"
I blush fiercely.
She hugs me tight, "matters not Jamila honey, far rather have you here and alive. So, tell me the truth."
"Well you see Mum, long story, starts 1,000 years ago...."
Cheerfully she says, "ok, let's see what we can actually trace."
She calls up Maps of Antiquity, a super-obscure website. Sure enough, Green Lake is exactly where I said it would be. Same as other nearby towns.
The ethnic faultline in Northern Saskatchewan is easily traceable. In fact, the roads I describe are the only viable ones for such a venture.
She calls up what is then known of the ruins of the Chernobyl 2 site, curiously it matches my drawings.
The first base where I was matches up; as does the base of 318th Para.
She stares out the window uneasily, "with your computer skills, Jamila honey, no way on earth you'd have dredged up info like that, to concoct a story. I can only conclude, that yes, you were there, in the past, in the future. One more angle, what rank do you suppose General Strasser would be now?"
"Lt or Capt, Mum."
Half minute later, she grins, "picture look familiar?"
"It's her Mum, all except the wrinkles."
"Time Corps, exact lot you were mentioning. Well nuff of that, you're still my baby. Play checkers or computer games, your choice."
"Checkers Mum, had enough computers for the week."
"You're on, you move first."
I win one, she wins the next, we leave it a tie.
"Jamila honey," she says, "I'll make tea. We really must talk. See I hafta explain certain things in life. It's now gonna be lots harder than I thought before. But please, be patient."
"Yes Mum."
My eyes glaze over. Oy! I would happily choke to death that smart-ass Capt Williams and her 1 in 850 million odds. Same goes for Uncle Billy Bob and his drinking and never fixing that truck.
But when it's over, I feel better, some anyhow. The path ain't easy, but at least now it has more light shone on it.

"So lemme guess," Tasma says, "you told your Mum?"
"How'd you know?"
"Is that a silly question or what? Aren't we friends? Don't we read each other's expressions?"
"Not what you think, she pried it outa me. Still, better off now for having been honest."
"So what did she tell you to do about boys?"
I blush, "she suggested your brother, best behaved on the street."
"That toad? I'd poison him, he has no right to a girlfriend like you. That geeky nerd should be dropped in the ocean. Fed to the fishes," laugh, "still, he does kinda like you. Might be ok."
I laugh, "and of course, from the parent's side, easier to check up on, side-by-side."
"Don't do it," she laughs, "he'll bore you to death."
"Didn't you say a while back how everyone is bored to death these days?"
"Yeah, but him more than the rest. So, here's what you do, ask him computer advice."
"Just like that?"
"Why not? But I'll be there too."
"Why? Protect me from him?"
"Actually not, to protect him from you."
We both laugh.

As it turns out, Rahim is way too deathly shy to try any moves. He teaches me fast computer tricks, leaves it at that. Suits me fine, I'm learning and yes, we are sort of becoming friends. You never know, might happen. He asks my advice on subjects like book reports. He just absolutely cannot fathom my grasp of history of Antiquity. "Sounds so very real, almost like you were there. Maybe you should be a history teacher, you have a real talent."
Plan B if the mils don't want me for whatever reason.

I don't like Tasma's expression as she falls into step on the way to school, "we gotta problem. Translation, you gotta problem."
"How so?"
"Rahim has been asking me about you. Says he thinks you're just way too wierd to be his real girlfriend. Asked me to explain, what I thought, why you were so wierd."
I gasp, "you didn't tell him?"
"No, your call to make. As I see it, you lose either way. Don't be honest, things kinda fade away. Be honest and he goes freaky-deaky thinking about all that gay stuff."
"What would you do if you were me?"
"Oh no friend, just doesn't work that way. If I give you advice and it misfires, our friendship could be oh so gonzo. Your call to make."
"Right, let's try a middle path. Half the truth. Not the first switch, only the second. So you can tell him of the electronic jump that went sour, but not the accident with Uncle Billy Bob."
"Sounds reasonable," she asserts, "only one thing, partial disclosure might be ok with a boyfriend. If you ever do marry him, better be the whole truth, before, or it could be serious problems."
"Yeah, guess you are right. So, tell him the second half of the story."

Mum accompanies me to the Doctor. Everything is routine until she takes my arm, stares at it a long moment. Sharp tone to Mum, "why didn't you tell me bout this injection?"
"Which one is that? Think I've lost track, it's you has all the records."
"Don't give me that, you might fool 99% of Doctors but not me, I'm retired mil. Your baby here has something only one in every 10,000 or so mils ever sees. Makes you temporarily totally immune to radiation sickness. Now where do you suppose she would have got that?"
Mum raises an eyebrow, "positive you're not mistaken?"
"Unique shape of needle. Once you see it, never forget. So?"
Mum looks at me.
"Doctor, ever hear of time travel?"
"In its infancy now."
"There really are things you're a whole lot better off not knowing. Maybe you could just forget that scar, or think it was something else."
Doctor looks at me a long moment, chuckles, "so, cover it up. Put a bigger scar on top of it. Catch your arm doing some job around the house. See, it fades, perfectly safe to have another when you grow up, if you grow up."
"If it's any comfort to you Doc, happened on our side of the fence, not theirs."
Wicked smile, "that much, I do know. Their injection looks different."

Tasma falls into step with me, "your halfway plan, even that, too daring. He's afraid of you, I mean, afraid of the whole older woman thing."
I groan.
"Well cheer up, we're still friends. One day, someone else comes along maybe."
"Or doesn't. Either way, still friends."
"So," she grins, "what you gonna say on that historical essay? The one on Chernobyl 2."
"Certainly ain't gonna admit I was there."
She laughs, punches my arm in fun, "strange world. You've changed me."
"How so?"
"Before all this, I was gonna grow up, be a bore like everyone else. Now, I wanna do the mil scene. Maybe we'll even end up together."
"That sure would be nice."
She laughs, "so, whaddya think of the new kid in class, the token white boy? He reads sci fi. Might be interesting."
"I ah well"
"Go for it, far more likely to be understanding. You were white, should know how to deal with it."