The Witch of Portobello

"No, I won't speak."

"All right. You," Athena said, pointing to the older actor. "Go to the doctor tomorrow. The fact that you can't sleep and have to keep getting up in the night to go to the toilet is serious. It's cancer of the prostate."

The man turned pale.

"And you"--she pointed at the director--"accept your sexual identity. Don't be afraid. Accept that you hate women and love men."

"Are you saying--"

"Don't interrupt me. I'm not saying this because of Athena. I'm merely referring to your sexuality. You love men, and there is, I believe, nothing wrong with that."

She wasn't saying that because of Athena? But she was Athena!

"And you." She pointed to me. "Come over here. Kneel down before me."

Afraid of what Andrea might do and embarrassed to have everyone's eyes on me, I nevertheless did as she asked.

"Bow your head. Let me touch the nape of your neck."

I felt the pressure of her fingers but nothing else. We remained like that for nearly a minute, and then she told me to get up and go back to my seat.

"You won't need to take sleeping pills anymore. From now on, sleep will return."

I glanced at Andrea. I thought she might say something, but she looked as amazed as I did.

One of the actresses, possibly the youngest, raised her hand.

"I'd like to say something, but I need to know who I'm speaking to."

"Hagia Sofia."

"I'd like to know if..."

She glanced round, ashamed, but the director nodded, asking her to continue.

"...if my mother is all right."

"She's by your side. Yesterday, when you left the house, she made you forget your handbag. You went back to find it and discovered that you'd locked yourself out and couldn't get in. You wasted a whole hour looking for a locksmith, when you could have kept the appointment you'd made, met the man who was waiting for you, and got the job you wanted. But if everything had happened as you planned that morning, in six months' time you would have died in a car accident. Forgetting your handbag yesterday changed your life."

The girl began to weep.

"Does anyone else want to ask anything?"

Another hand went up. It was the director.

"Does he love me?"

So it was true. The story about the girl's mother had stirred up a whirlwind of emotions in the room.

"You're asking the wrong question. What you need to know is are you in a position to give him the love he needs. And whatever happens or doesn't happen will be equally gratifying. Knowing that you are capable of love is enough. If it isn't him, it will be someone else. You've discovered a wellspring; simply allow it to flow and it will fill your world. Don't try to keep a safe distance so as to see what happens. Don't wait to be certain before you take a step. What you give, you will receive, although it might sometimes come from the place you least expect."

Those words applied to me too. Then Athena--or whoever she was--turned to Andrea.

"You!"

My blood froze.

"You must be prepared to lose the universe you created."