Parliament of Howells

Reginald Howell was mortified as he hurried through the woods within his family’s land close to sunset. He looked up and caught a glimpse of his quarry between the branches of the trees. He had inadvertently shot at a barn owl while out practising with his father’s rifle. That was sacrilegious, for the barn owl was nigh on sacred to his family.

Fortunately, no one had been around to witness, but it was on him to ascertain if the animal was ok. To do nothing was anathema to Reginald. Which was why he was running through the woods after the owl.

Winding through the forest, he knew it well enough to know that the family barn was nearby. After glimpsing the owl through the branches once more, he was sure he was approaching it.

Sure enough, he burst through the foliage into the clearing around the barn. He watched in the dim light as the owl entered the open door.

Reginald stopped short. It was sunset yet the barn door was still open. It was meant to be closed at night. Suspicious, he checked the rifle he held and pointed it towards the barn, as he crept towards it.

As he approached closer, he was able to make out muted flickering light inside and muffled voices emanating from within. He stopped at the doorway and peered within, making out three figures within. Reginald quickly noticed that the inside of the barn was blurred, as if looking through water.

He gripped the rifle to his shoulder and charged into the barn

His vision blurred as he felt as if he was walking through a flooding rain. He saw places and people he had never seen before yet they were familiar to him at the same time.

It all lasted an eternity yet also only a split second.

Reginald’s vision cleared as he saw two figures before him and started to yell “Hands up!“, only to find his rifle pulled down by a third man immediately to his left. Reginald pulled back the gun towards the man, the end of the barrel heading towards the stranger’s leg

The rifle went off, the bullet grazing the stranger’s leg. Surprised, Reginald let go and fell onto the dirt floor as he looked up

Above in the rafters of the barn, were four barn owls, sitting and looking as if meeting in parliament. They were all similar to one another with only one showing ruffling on the right wing possibly indicating that it was the one he had shot earlier. It, and the others, looked down upon him as if in judgment.

An open hand crossed his field of view, an accented voice similar to his. “It’s alright lad…. Having been where you are now, I would have thought to know better than to grab for it.” The man offered an open hand to Reginald, while holding the rifle under his left arm in a gesture indicating intimate knowledge of at least that rifle. Shaking his hand slightly, the man added, “Take my hand.”

Surprised for the second time in as many minutes, Reginald took the man’s hand who, with some strength, pulled him up to his feet, the shot to the leg not slowing him down in the slightest.

Seeing what Reginald was looking at, the man spoke “I wouldn’t concern yourself, the damage is something a good tailor would mend.”

Reginald took a look at the man, and was agog that his features were the same as his. He looked at the others and noted the same similarity although they appeared to be older, one middle aged and the other an elder, with the both men sporting walking canes.

The man who spoke, noting Reginald’s recognition, confirmed what he saw. “Yes, dear boy, we are you, only just in various stages of being…. older.”

“How can this be possible?” inquired Reginald the boy.

“I remember asking the same question and I am no wiser now to understanding the answer.” Said the older Reginald, who appeared to be a young man, who turned to the one who appeared to be intermediate in age of the three older Reginalds.

“It’s quite simple actually.” Intoned the middle aged Reginald. “We’ve been given a chance to look at the direction our lives take.”

The young Reginald, now curious, asked “Why? Who would do that?”

“By them.” The middle aged Reginald pointed up to the rafters at the four barn owls. “The owls have always been the guardian angels of our family line. They always have appeared during the crossroads of individuals in our family, at least that’s what historical records have indicated.”

The elderly Reginald spoke. “That said, I never found any records where the owls have appeared five times in a person’s life….“

“Five? But there are only four of us….” Young Reginald asked but paused as a fifth owl flew into the barn and did a circuit around the four before taking an empty spot in the rafters above.

“Oh…. We are due for more company as I recall.” Added the elderly Reginald. “Anyway, we have been given a chance to effect the course of our life, however I believe there will be limitations on what we can and cannot tell each other.”

“What do you mean?” Asked Reginald the boy.

“Well, for example, you have heard about the stirrings of unrest in Germany?” asked Reginald the elder.

Reginald the boy nodded.

“Well if I try to tell you that from your point of view, in a few years.…” began the elderly Reginald. His voice was drowned out by the parliament of owls above, hooting loudly.

Reginald the boy looked up, annoyed at the birds.

Turning to face the two older ones, Reginald the young man asked. “You mean to tell me that I can’t…..” Again the owls hooted, as it looked like Reginald was yelling trying to be heard.

“So I can’t even tell him that when he goes back, it’ll be 1940.” Reginald the young man looked up, surprised. The birds remained silent.

Reginald the boy had a quizzical look upon his face. “What do you mean, sir?”

Before a reply could be given, they heard steps and the repeating thud of a cane approaching. A fifth figure entered the barn, and appeared to be the oldest Reginald. “It means, my dear boy, that for whatever reason, when the each of us leave here, five years will have passed in the real world and the owls don’t mind that piece of information.”

All four turned to the newcomer, the oldest version of themselves but yet did not look decrepit. And his attire appeared of a better make than the other two older ones.

Reginald the young man looked to the older ones. “I honestly can’t remember what happens now….. For the longest time, I believed this was a dream and hallucination. Joining…..”

The owls began their hooting which once more earned a look of annoyance from the young man.

“Right…. I dare say future events helped me supress some of the memories I suppose.” Reginald the young man looked up at the birds as he said that.

The oldest Reginald spoke “Yes, I’d be guessing the rifle was what you remember from this meeting….. as for myself and these two gentlemen.” He gestured at the elder and middle aged Reginald. “We have been through this enough to remember more properly regarding what happens.”

“Excuse me, sirs?” asked Reginald the boy. “I’d still like to know what’s going on.”

“Indeed, indeed…. We always did like to cut to the chase. Come sit.” The oldest Reginald gestured at the tied bales of hay lying on the floor. Reginald the young man found a supporting beam to lean the rifle against before joining the others.

As they all found a seat, Reginald the boy chimed in. “I’m trying to get this sorted in my head. If you are all my future selves, may I ask what year are you each from?”

Reginald the young man says. “I’m from 1955.”

Middle aged Reginald replies. “I’m from 1975.”

“1995.” Said the elderly Reginald.

“And I’m from 2015.” Offered the oldest Reginald.

A look of incredulity flashed over the boy’s face. “2015? But that would make you…..“ The boy had a thoughtful look as he did the calculation “97 years old….. you…. I….. we….. look rather well for that age.”

“Well, to the world, yes I am 97.” Replied the oldest Reginald. “However as I mentioned, when each of us return to our respective times, five years will have passed, so from my point of view, there’s been twenty years passed that was skipped over so my real age is 77.”

Reginald the boy asked. “So will that mean when you go back, you’ll be 102 as five years would pass?”

“I suppose it would.” The oldest Reginald said.

“That’ll be the year 2020.” Offered Reginald the boy. “I wonder what that time would be like.”

The middle aged Reginald chuckled. “This is sounding like an episode of Star Trek or Twilight Zone or even Dr Who.”

Reginald the young man asked “Doctor Who?” while the boy asked “What’s an episode?”

The oldest Reginald responded. “You’ll find out in the fullness time.”

They all went quiet for a moment before Reginald the young man asks. “A moment, did you say five years will past from the moment I entered here? My wife just told me she was pregnant and I’m not going to be part of it for five years? We had been trying for years and I came with her to visit my family home so I could tell me parents the news.”

“Yes. I fear the passage of five years will occur…. To each of us.” Said the oldest Reginald, looking at the young man. “As for your questions, I’ll let the one for whom it was most recent explain.” He gestured for the middle aged Reginald to speak.

The middle aged Reginald looked up at the owls before starting to speak. “You have been brought here by the owls to spare you what happens. She lied. The child is hers but was not ours.”

“Not …… mine?” Reginald the young man looked forlorn. “No one else could be the father but….. ”

The owls again made their choir of hoots.

“The owls’ reaction confirms your suspicions.” Spoke the oldest Reginald.

Reginald the young man shook his head. “No, I don’t believe it.” He looked at all the Reginalds and to the owls above. “I don’t believe you! And I don’t have to listen to any of this.” And runs to the door of the barn, only to disappear and reappear facing the group at the same spot. He ran towards the other side only for it to repeat in that location.

The shock on his face turned to one of dejection as tears started to roll down his face and collapsed on the floor, his lips mouthing denials. The elderly Reginald came to him. “We’ve been where you are. Are you taking heed of this dear boy?” He looked at the boy, who simply nodded.

“How come I don’t remember this? I mean I’ve seen this from his eyes.” Reginald the young man pointed to his younger self.

“Again, supressed memories, them” Offered the oldest Reginald, glancing up at the owls.

The middle aged Reginald spoke. “For what it’s worth, when you return to your present, she has run off with that other man.”

The young man held his head in his hands. A silence settled, only broken by the occasional sob.

“I understand that we are being given glimpses into our life.” asked Reginald the boy. “But I still don’t know how the owls are doing that.”

“At your age, we never gave much thought to our family line or history. Frankly, it took a few decades of digging and cross referencing to put things together.” Admitted the oldest Reginald, who turned to the other two older Reginalds. “You two have had a look through the records available to you?”

The middle aged and elder Reginald nodded, while the latter asked. “Have you found more information?”

“Indeed, I have. Money and influence opens many a door.” Replied the oldest Reginald. “Speaking of which….”

The oldest Reginald reached into his jacket and pulled out two envelopes. One was marked “Reginald Howell 1975”, the other “Reginald Howell 1995”. He looked up at the owls. No reaction.

“For acquiring money and influence.” He passed them to the respective recipients. “Just do not open them until you go back.”

The exchange was looked upon sullenly by Reginald the young man, while the boy looked on hopefully.

The oldest Reginald shook his head. “Nothing for you, I’m afraid. As it was, I wasn’t sure if they would allow these letters…. But given their purpose, it appears that it is so.”

He gave the boy and the young man a concentrated look. “Right, now as for how, quite simply our family line was blessed or cursed during the 1700s as the result of the interactions of one of our ancestors back in the Americas with members of the native population.”

“The accounts were a little open to interpretation.” Offered the elder Reginald.

The oldest Reginald nodded. “Indeed they are. Either our ancestor did something that drew the ire of a shaman resulting in a curse or they inherited the duties of guardian from a shaman and was blessed. Either way, the shaman’s spirit animal was an owl, specifically the barn owl. Upon returning home, he devoted his efforts in proliferating the animal in these lands.”

“Is that why our family lands are heavily forested? For the owls?” asked the boy.

The oldest Reginald nodded. “We believe so. And for our ancestor doing so, owls have watched over and guided our family line ever since.”

“Is that what you call it?” asked Reginald the young man bitterly.

“My parents….. our parents used to tell stories about our ancestors’ lives and fortunes changed when they encountered owls.” Said Reginald the boy, before straightening up and mimicked his father’s voice. “Always listen to the wisdom of owls.”

“Yes, not all of the stories were happy ones, more like warnings.” Said the young man from the floor.

“Well from what I’ve read, admittedly the owls’ intercessions have been met with mixed results, although it spoke more of the character of the recipient than anything else.” Said middle aged Reginald.

The oldest Reginald nodded. “Quite so.”

“As I mentioned earlier, I don’t think I ever found records of someone having five intercessions in their life.” Said the elderly Reginald.

“No, although perhaps our circumstances may only count as one instance.” Replied the oldest Reginald.

“So, for my intercession, I was warned of my wife’s betrayal.” Sneered Reginald the young man. The owls starting making soothing sounds as if confirming this realisation. The young man just glared at them contemptuously

Middle aged Reginald. “Yes, the path our life takes from your point of view to mine turned out differently because of it. The blow wasn’t as shocking.”

“So what of me?” asks Reginald the young boy. “I know there is something that I am going back to wary of that has something to do with the stirrings in the continent.”

Wiping his face, Reginald the young man spoke. “Your life will be difficult. Firstly, you will have a tough choice to make between family and country when you return. Either way, I’d say take stock in how you shoot in the future….. Doesn’t matter anyway, as the amount of this you consciously remember is questionable, I sincerely hope your subconscious remembers.”

“I’ll do my best.” Replied the boy, looking as if he’s trying to take it all in.

“Everything said here between us will matter.” Said the oldest Reginald. “Anything that the owls allow us to hear is of import.”

The elderly Reginald looked to both of the young man and boy. “Try not to fret too much. Take heart that things do get better for us.”

“Do I….. we get remarried?” Asked the young man.

“Indeed,” the middle aged Reginald paused, looking up at the owls. “We do. She’s…..”

The owls started hooting.

Reginald the young man asked while looking above. “Can I at least ask if it’s a happy marriage?”

The owls went silent. The middle aged Reginald simply nodded, causing the young man to smile.

“Yes our wife and subsequent…. offspring, help in continuing our family’s work?” said the oldest Reginald.

The young man and the boy looked at him perplexed. The young man said. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

The oldest Reginald fixed the young man with a stare. “The difficulties of our early life, indeed our entire life, will always bring back to the owls and our family home, to the very forests around us.”

Middle-aged Reginald spoke. “By my time, these forests and the owls are in a decline from lack of attention on our family’s part. No one was interested in conversing what was here. We had a happy family life and enough money to maintain that but nothing more.”

“Hence those letters.” Added the oldest Reginald. “I wagered they would be allowed as they are more like advice and not foretelling of future events.”

“What advice do they give?” asked the elderly Reginald.

“They are investment tips. With your money in your given time periods, they’ll allow for sufficient monetary growth that will afford us…..” said the oldest Reginald.

“Money and influence.” Filled in the boy. “Is that why you look rather well dapper?”

“Quite so, people listen to those who not only have but also project money and influence. By my time, our family’s land and the owls will be protected and propagated by conversation efforts funded by ourselves.” Replied the oldest Reginald.

“Why would people do that?” asked the boy.

“You’ll understand soon enough.” Said the young man. “So we basically go through hell in our early life to get to the stage of living the good life later on?”

“Something like that.” Replied the oldest Reginald.

“What if we don’t want to accept it?” asked the young man.

“I’m sure you will, in due time. As I said, whatever that the owls allow us to hear is of import. The course our life takes is intertwined with their fate.” Said the oldest Reginald, looking up at the owls above. Two of the owls were hoping on their perches. “Now if I’m not mistaken, your two owls are ready to leave.”

The young man and boy looked up as two owls flew down to their shoulders. The young man shrugged his owl away, which was met with a hoot of disapproval from the owl.

“It has been quite enlightening this meeting, this little parliament of ours.” Said the oldest Reginald, although concern was seen on his face as he turned his eyes to the young man.

“Nothing much else to say other than good luck.” Said the elderly Reginald. “However I’d like to talk to you both a little longer if I may?” He turned to both the oldest and middle aged Reginalds.

The boy picked up his father’s rifle, an owl perched contently on his shoulder. The young man stood just behind him. The boy turned to the older gentlemen. “Goodbye, sirs.”

“Goodbye dear boy.” The oldest Reginald said. The other older men waved their canes.

“Yes goodbye indeed.” Said Reginald the young man, who grabbed the rifle from the boy and pointed at the owls above, while the other men looked surprised. “They caused all of this so they can undo all of this.”

“Noooo!” yelled the boy, scaring the owl off his shoulder as he grabbed and yanked at the strap of the rifle.

The sudden jerk ripped the rifle from the young man’s hands who watched as the rifle twirled in the air, landing inverted on the floor at the butt with the barrel pointed up at his face.

There was a flash and a bang as the rifle went off. Time slowed as the world went white while the sounds of owls hooting filled the air.

Reginald Howell’s view of the world returned slowly. It was near dark; the sun had gone down a short while ago. The owl perched on his shoulder. It fixed him with stare from its round eyes. It hooted once followed by a more soothing sound. Reginald felt that it approved of his actions. The owl opened its wings and flew away.

He found that he was still in the barn and, in the dim light, he could see the glint of the rifle on the floor. The smell of gun discharge hung in the air. He picked it up and held it in his hands as he viewed the inside of the barn.

He focused on what he remembered had transpired but found that details were already slipping away. There was wisdom to be gleaned from it all. There was so much to know. He resolved to ask his father about their history and the records when he had a chance.

He wondered if the others returned to their respective part of their life or had his slightly older self’s action possibly broken the future chain of events. He would have to be on guard, especially if owls were involved. It was indeed an impossible meeting and a broken parliament at the end. Were his future selves’ actions justified or selfish? Was his life’s path set or can it still be altered? he all wondered to himself.

Reginald went to close the barn doors. After he finished, he looked to the rifle and ejected the empty casing. It’ll be a while before he’d dare shoot it again, he thought. It was then he remembered the detail about the five years passing. Was he in 1935 or 1940? He thought quizzically.

Steeling himself, he traced his path back to the Howell family home, the fluttering of wings and ghostly glimpses of an owl accompanying him all the way to the house.