Doctor Wilson sat at the large table at the Arroyo ranch and placed his napkin next to his now-empty plate.
The doctor was a slight man, with round spectacles and graying hair. He had a pleasant smile and an easy manner that Elizabeth easily was attracted to.
“That was the best meal I have had in some time. My compliments to the cook,” he said, patting his stomach. “Those tamales were especially good, though I think I over did it a bit,” he added with a laugh.
“I will tell Teresa,” Elizabeth said from the head of the table. “Those are her specialty.
“Shall we retire to the veranda for some coffee?” she said, standing and motioning to the open glass doors to her right.
The sun had just set and a pleasant breeze was playing with the currents on each side of the double doors.
“Great idea,” Will said.
He quickly got up and pulled out Rosa’s chair. She had been sitting beside him during the meal, her and her husband Wilmar. The doctor had explained to Elizabeth all about hypnosis and how it worked, and she agree to invite her friend Rosa and her husband to dinner so the doctor could explain the same thing to them. She did not feel qualified to talk about such a difficult subject. It turned out that the doctor did speak a bit of Spanish, but she told him she could translate any of the concepts that were particularly confusing.
“Pilar, please ask Laura to bring the coffee.”
“Si, mama,” Pilar said and left for the kitchen.
They all made themselves comfortable in the cushioned wicker furniture on the veranda as Laura, Pilar, and Elizabeth handed out the teacups. Rosa and Wilmar had said very little at dinner and they sat close and somewhat rigid as they politely sipped their steaming cups.
Will looked at Elizabeth, hoping she would start the hard conversation.
“I would like to start by thanking Rosa and Wilmar for joining us this evening. I am sure you both have lots of questions and would like to hear from the good doctor himself, what he thinks he might be able to do for Oscar.”
The couple sat up a little straighter but didn’t say anything.
“Doctor, if it seems as if Rosa or Wilmar are not understanding what you are saying, I will help you with the translations.”
“Wonderful! As you know, my Espanol is a bit rusty.”
Dr. Wilson put down his tea cup and sat forward in his chair, turning his attention to the anxious couple.
“Let me start by telling you that I have been a medico, a doctor for over thirty years, trente anon. I specialize in the study of psychology.”
“Doctor en psicologia,” Elizabeth said.
“Yes. Si, psicologia,” Doctor Wilson repeated. “From what Will and Elizabeth have explained to me about your son, Oscar, I think that hypnosis could make a significant difference in your son’s life. Clearly, the trauma he went through as a small child was the catalyst for his inability to speak. I would have to examine him, of course, to make sure his vocal cords are not damaged in any way, but since his injury was to his head, there should be no physical reason for him being mute.”
The doctor picked up his cup and took another sip of his coffee.
After Elizabeth translated the doctor’s words, the couple both nodded their heads in understanding.
“The practice of hypnosis has been around a long time. The oldest record can be traced to Embers Papyrus of 1550 BC that describe techniques used by ancient Egyptians, which are similar to those that are used even now to induce hypnosis,” he said setting his cup back down on the table in front of him.
“Um, doctor,” Will said, interrupting him. “I think maybe a history lesson isn’t the best use of our time at the moment.”
“Yes, I’m sorry. I can get carried away. Maybe it would be best to just give a demonstration.”
“Wonderful idea,” Will said.
The doctor stood and pulled up a chair in front of Wilmar.
“Senor Ortiz, may I try some hypnosis on you?”
Wilmar looked at Elizabeth for the translation, and when she was done, he looked at his wife.
She nudged his elbow and pointed to the doctor as way of encouragement.
Wilmar eventually nodded.
“Contrary to what people think, hypnosis is not sleep. It’s an altered state of consciousness in which the body is relaxed, attention is focused, and mind is highly susceptible to suggestions,” the doctor said as he pulled out his pocket watch.
“Elizabeth, please repeat what I’m saying in Spanish.”
Elizabeth pulled up a chair and sat next to Wilmar.
Dr. Wilson raised the watch in front of Wilmar.
“Wilmar, look at my watch and listen to my voice. I want you to take a deep breath in, and let it out. Good. Now again. A deep breath in, and let it out.”
Wilmar did as he was told.
“Keep your eyes on the center of my watch as you listen to my voice. I want you to focus on my voice and only on my voice. In a moment I am going to say the word sleep. You are not going to go to sleep but you are going to let your eyes close and you’re going to go into a sleep-like trance.
The doctor snapped his finger and said, “Sleep.”
Wilmar closed his eyes.
Rosa put a hand over her mouth in amazement.
“Now, Wilmar. Continue to focus on my voice and only on my voice. And as you’re listen to my voice, I want you to let your arms drop to your sides.
Wilmar immediately let his arms drop to the chair seat.
“Now, Wilmar, your arms have become so heavy that you won’t be able to lift your arms, they are so heavy ten men couldn’t lift your arms if they tried. I am going to try and lift your right arm, now, Wilmar, but I can’t, it is too heavy for me to lift.”
Dr. Wilson motioned for Rosa to try and lift her husband’s right arm. She put her hand under Wilmar’s forearm but she couldn’t lift it.
“I’m trying to lift your arm, Wilmar, but it is too heavy for me to lift.”
Rosa tried again, but still she couldn’t lift it.
“Now, Wilmar, keep listening to my voice and only my voice. Your arms have gone back to normal, in fact, they feel so relaxed and light that they can float up in the air, as if they were both balloons.”
Rosa gasped when both of Wilmar’s arms started to raise off the chair at the same time.
“That’s right, they are so light they can float in the air with very little effort. Now, Wilmar, I want you to bring your arms back down to your sides.”
Wilmar let his arms drop softly to his sides.
“Now in a moment, Wilmar, you are going to open your eyes and you are going to feel like you have had a deep sleep. You are not going to have trouble sleeping tonight, in fact, you are going to have the best sleep tonight that you have ever had. But in a moment, when I tell you to open, you will open your eyes and you will feel refreshed.”
The doctor snapped his fingers and said, “Open!”
Wilmar slowly opened his eyes and looked at the doctor, then at his wife.
Wilmar said in Spanish, “See, I knew that wouldn’t work.”
Then everyone around him started to laugh.
Wilmar looked at Elizabeth. “Que?”
“I will let Rosa explain to you on your way home,” she said with a smile.
Rosa turned to Dr. Wilson.
“So this will help Oscar?” she asked. “It will help him speak again?”
“It could very well be just what he needs.”
Rosa pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the tears from her eyes.
No comments:
Post a Comment