The Return of Ruby Rubber

2: India Rubber Aunt

Stuart abandoned any hope of sitting properly and did his best to steady himself.

‘I’ve worked as a masseur for nearly three years now. My specialty is Indian Head Massage, but I’m qualified for Full Body and Reflexology. It wasn’t something I’d planned to study - I was originally going to go into Veterinary Science - but I was encouraged by my father. You see, I knew he’d worked as a physio for a football club back in the seventies, but I didn’t know that there was another job he’d held back then.’

With eyes wide, Stuart made his proclamation as if it was the most exciting thing he had ever said. For him, maybe it was.

‘My dad was the man behind Ruby Rubber.’

A couple of things started to come together for Ruth, but she was still uncertain how what had happened to her that afternoon fitted into it all.

‘”Ruby Rubber”?’ quizzed Ruth. ‘The superheroine from the eighties? What do you mean he was behind her?’

‘I mean he backed her up, helped her out. And most importantly he was the one who helped her tap into her powers. You see, they were brother and sister.’

‘You’re Ruby Rubber’s nephew?’ asked Ruth. Stuart nodded his reply.

‘I didn’t know about any of this until a few months ago when my dad retired. He told me all about it.

‘My Aunt Enid, she couldn’t keep still. As soon as she was old enough, she left home and started exploring. Europe by rail, trekking across Asia. She might hold a job down for a few months or more, but it wouldn’t be long before she became restless and moved on. I’ve a collection of postcards from when I was little from every corner of the world. We thought she would never settle down. So, it was something of a surprise when she suddenly returned to England and sought out my Dad. Back then, when I was in my early teens, I had no inkling what was going on - I must have been blind. I know my Dad set Enid up with a new home, helped get her a job at the university. She had no formal anthropology qualifications to begin with, but armed with a wealth of practical experience she charmed her way onto the staff while she gained them in the meantime. I’d assumed she’d got into some sort of trouble abroad, and came home seeking help. Well, I was right about the help part, but it wasn’t anything I’d have thought of.

‘Enid had made an extraordinary discovery and needed someone like my Dad, someone she could trust who had a good knowledge of physiotherapy, to exploit it. She had learned that she was one of the few people in the world who possessed an incredible gift, a gift that someone like my father could help develop.

‘Earlier, when I performed my massage for you. That’s what my father did for Aunt Enid. There are all manner of pressure points, energy lines running through the human body.’

‘Chakras, that sort of thing?’

Stuart nodded. ‘That’s one manifestation of the body’s hidden power being unleashed. Usually, it does nothing more than realign the balance between a person’s spiritual and physical being. But there is a small percentage of people in the world -’

‘Like your aunt?’

‘Like my aunt - and like you - who can use that energy in more extraordinary ways. To connect their mental and physical selves in such a way that a simple thought can bypass the limitations of your bones and your muscles. You have the potential to reshape your body simply by thinking about it. But you need that potential to be realised.’

Growing in confidence, Stuart stood up and confronted Ruth. She took a step back.

‘I suppose that’s where you come in, is it?’ asked Ruth. ‘Anything to get your hands on me.’

‘I don’t think my boyfriend would be too happy about that,’ announced Stuart. ‘Anyway, I don’t have to touch you. I can teach you some simple techniques that will allow you to exploit your power whenever you’d like to. Do you want me to show them to you?’

Usually, it was only with hindsight that you could tell which were the crucial, life-changing decisions that you made, but as Ruth stood there, looking down at the diminutive form of the only man to touch her since her divorce she could tell that this was one of them. The shy, uncertain figure who had shuffled into her house was now fixing her with a determined stare. He believed all this was true, even if Ruth didn’t. And yet, there were all the strange goings on (delusions? Suggestions placed in her mind while she was in a relaxed state?) at the gym. If nothing else, trying to recreate those events would enable her to get a handle on what had happened - prove to her that she hadn’t simply imagined it all.

Ruth thought for a little while longer. Finally, she replied.

‘No,’ she said, simply.

À SUIVRE…