Living Again

Part 5

      David paused for a moment collecting his thoughts of the events on that night over eighteen years ago in the intensive care unit of the hospital in the last few minutes of Angela's life.

"I have to tell you something. It's really important," she had murmured softly.

He leaned in close to her. "What is it my darling?"

"Don't cry, David. I'm know I'm going to die, but it's not the end. I'm coming back. I know this sounds crazy but this is my third life, and I know I'm going to live again a fourth time."

David had listened in disbelief. It must be the drugs, she was fantasising.

She continued, struggling to get the words out. "No, it's true, David. Listen to me. Remember what I say. Maybe you can check up on this and find out it's true. I was born in 1896 in Sydney. My name was Mary Richards. I died at age thirty in 1926 when I fell from a horse. Then I was born in Melbourne at the same time I died. That time I was Elizabeth Farlow. I died in 1956 of pneumonia. Then I was born here in Brisbane in my third life as Angela. Each time I died, I was born again at exactly the same time somewhere else into a completely different family. I only lived to thirty the first two times. I thought when I turned thirty one that this time would be different and I'd live my whole life with you, but it's not to be...." her voice trailed off.

He tried to speak, but she started again. "You don't believe me but I swear it's true. I don't know why it happens, but this is my third life and I know I'm going to live again. I feel it. I'll be born again the minute I die. I'll have a different name and maybe live in another city, but I'll look the same. But I don't want to lose you, David. I'll find you, wait for me. I'll have all my wonderful memories of you, of us. When I'm eighteen I'll come looking for you and I'll find you. We'll be together again. If I can't find you will you look for me? Please David?"

"Of course I will my darling, I'll find you," David was crying. He wanted to believe her.

"Promise, David. Promise me that we'll be together again," she was whispering.

"I promise, I promise."

Then the doctor returned to administer the sedative.

"That's unbelievable," said Paul shaking his head. "But surely you can't believe it? This is twilight zone stuff."

"I know, I know," agreed David, "but why would she make up such an elaborate story complete with dates and names as she was dying. It doesn't make sense. But these photos, they fit in with her story. The woman in these pictures is in her twenties. Angela, or Elizabeth as she supposedly was then, would have been twenty nine when they were taken."

"It could still be a coincidence that the woman in the magazine just strongly resembles Angela."

"Yes, but maybe there's a way to find out whether these other two women did live when Angie claimed, and maybe we can even find old photos of them. Paul, how can we get into birth and death records?"

Paul thought for a moment. "There's an Australian website of births, deaths and marriages. It's relatively new, and they're updating it all the time. It's worth a try."

He sat down at David's computer. A minute later he had the website on the screen.
"He we go," he said typing on the keyboard, "surname Richards, first name Mary, year of birth 1896, place of birth Sydney."

The computer displayed a screen with a list of names of people born in Sydney in 1896 beginning with the letter R.

David scanned the list. "It's there, look."

"Richards, Mary Victoria," read Paul, "born February 1st in Paramatta."

They looked at each other.

"Okay, now check and see when she died."