Otto’s unforgettable dream

Posted by Jayant Kumar

Joerg is a close friend of mine. We studied together, at the Technical University in Clausthal, Germany. The school had closed for summers and he invited me home to spend the vacation. I readily agreed, and soon we were at their lavish villa in Basel, Switzerland. Joerg’s father Otto was a renowned industrialist and a thorough gentleman.

One night after dinner, the table talk shifted towards the paranormal. Otto described a very strange incidence which had left a permanent mark on his memory.

“This happened 20 years back. It was one of the worst winters in Switzerland with heavy snow fall and icy winds. It had been a long day, and all through I strangely felt that something was amiss. After dinner I went to bed, rather tired, that night.

A couple of hours later, I heard a very familiar voice calling out my name.

‘Otto! Otto!’ It went. I immediately recognized it as Frank’s, who was my younger brother. ‘But how could Frank be calling me?’ I thought. He lived in New York, besides I had spoken to him recently and he had no plans to visit me so soon.

‘Otto! Otto!’ he called me again. I immediately got out of my bed and looked outside. To my surprise, I saw Frank standing at the gate, across the driveway.

‘Frank come inside’ I shouted.
‘Why are you standing outside in the cold’
Frank did not respond to my question, and went on calling my name.
‘Wait I am coming’ I shouted and ran out of the house in my night gown.
‘Frank come inside’ I repeated.
As I went near him, I saw him moving away from the gate, but all the time
he was facing me.
‘I have come to say goodbye Otto’ he said.
‘But I don’t understand!’ I blurted in total confusion.
‘I love you Otto!’ said Frank.
‘Good bye!’ he repeated.
I ran towards him, he seemed to be moving back and away from me, and by the time I reached the gate, he was gone.

I woke up very disturbed and got out of bed to drink water.
Gertrud (my wife) woke up and asked me what happened. I described the
whole incident to her. She consoled me that it was just a dream.
I couldn’t sleep after that.

An hour later there was a call from New York. It was Mary, Frank’s wife. She informed us that Frank had passed away a short while ago, due to
cardiac arrest.”