Michael "B.B." Hill was a 27-year-old successful attorney who worked for one of the hottest law firms in California. He was tall, dark, handsome, well-mannered, and rich, all of which would make him an exceptional catch for most women if he wasn't already happily married. His wife of just over 5-years was his high school sweetheart, and a successful doctor.
Michael was in his impressive office and was going over some case files. As always, he was dressed to impress, as he lounged in his cushy leather executive chair, behind an enormous mahogany desk. A phone that sat atop the well-organized desk rang. He quickly pressed a button on said phone.
"Yes, Kelly," Michael said pleasantly.
"I have Officer Rodriguez on line one," Michael's personal secretary said.
"Thank you, Kelly."
"You're quite welcome, Michael."
Michael ended their call and pushed the button for line one. "Hey Tina," he said cheerfully.
"Hey, B.B. Listen, can you get away right now?" Officer Rodriguez said noticeably urgently. She and Michael were childhood friends, and she was amongst the rare few who were allowed to call him by his nickname.
"For you, absolutely. What's going on?"
"I'd rather wait until I see you to discuss it."
"Sounds serious, Tina."
"Trust me, it is."
"Alright. Where are you?"
"At the precinct."
"I'm on my way."
Officer Rodriguez ended their call. Michael prepared himself to meet with his friend. His mind was trying to find a logical reason she wanted him to come down to the police station.
Several It took Michael fifteen minutes to arrive at his destination, thanks to his triple black and chrome BMW 7 Series. Once inside the precinct, he greeted several officers he knew well thanks to his relationship with Officer Rodriguez, as well as for his frequent appearances to interact with clients who found themselves in need of his services.
Michael and Officer Rodriguez entered one of four interrogation rooms, and after the pleasantries were out of the way.
"B.B, what you're about to see is going to be, well, weird," Officer Rodriguez said. The lovely Latina was five feet nothing, but not even her loose-fitting uniform could hide the fact that she possessed a body to die for. "I couldn't believe my eyes when—"
"Alright Tina, you got my curiosity on high alert. What gives?"
"How about I just let you see for yourself?"
"Sounds like a plan."
They made their way out of the interrogation room and began walking toward the holding cells.
"I hope you don't freak out too much, B.B."
They made it to the area where the holding cells were and began walking down a lengthy corridor. As they were walking, individuals in the cells they passed were trying to attract Michael's attention, but he was too focused on trying to figure out who was ahead of him, to have noticed. They made it to their destination and as Michael stared at the occupant of the holding cell; he had a look of utter disbelief on his face.
"So, who are you?" The occupant of the holding cell said. He stared intensely at Michael.
"I'm you," Michael said in a trance-like manner.
"What does that supposed to mean?" The young man said. He had a confused expression on his face.
"Tina, I need to speak with him in private."
"I gathered as much. I'll go tend to some paperwork. Call me when you're done." Officer Rodriguez walked off.
"So, are you a lawyer?"
"Indeed, I am," Michael said. He was looking directly into the young man's eyes.
"Listen, I didn't do what I'm being accused of having done."
"I know."
"You know? What, are you, psychic?"
Michael chuckled. "Not at all. But some things...you just know. What I'm about to tell you is going to sound crazy, but it's going to be the truth. Don't ask me how, because I won't be able to explain it, seeing that it defies logic. I'm you, and you're me."
A frown appeared on the young man's face, which was quickly replaced by a smile. "Oh, I get it. We're both black, so you can relate to my current situation, right?"
"Wrong, Michael. I'm you, nine years later."
The young man laughed, "So, what did you have to drink before you got here?" he resumed laughing.
"I'm going to prove it to you. Now, you believe that we've never met, correct?"
"Correct."
"I take it you didn't tell Officer Rodriguez anything outside of your name, correct?"
"I didn't even tell her that. She took one look at me, rushed me in her patrol car, and drove me right here."
"Sounds like something Tina would do, under the circumstances. Anyway, I'm going to tell you something only you would know, something you've never shared with anyone. Once I tell you, it'll confirm that I'm actually you...nine years later."
"Alright, speak your mind."
"When you were sixteen, you decided you were going to ask Barbara Morgan out on a date. You had it all planned out. A movie, dinner, and then back to Mom and Dad's home so you could tell her how you felt about—"
"Okay, okay. I'm convinced. You're right, I've never shared that with anyone."
"And you didn't start the first step until two years after you decided you would. In fact, you'll be asking her out next month."
"Okay lawyer man, you're creeping me out. How is this even possible?"
"I told you, don't ask...because I won't be able to tell you. But I'm going to do everything in my power to find out. What are you being accused of?"
"Taking this young woman's purse. It's crazy. One minute I was in one place, and then I was in this alley, with the said woman, holding her purse."
"You're saying that you do not know how you ended up with the young woman or her purse?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying. I gave her purse back, and she said she was calling the police."
"Why didn't you take off after she said what she intended on doing?"
"For what, I had done nothing."
Michael smiled, "Don't worry about it, we're going to sort this out."
"Hey, who's the hot officer that arrested me?"
Michael chuckled, "That's Tina Rodriguez."
"Whoa. Wait. That's little tiny Tina Rodriguez that lives down the street from me?"
"Indeed it is, B.B."
"She turned out to be a real winner."
"That she did a younger version of me, that she did. Are you tripping out over us sitting here talking to one another, like I am?"
"I am. It's surreal. So, are you and Tina, you know—"
"Nooo. We're just great friends, more like family, actually. I'm happily married."
"Is our wife hot like Tina?"
"She's hotter."
"Wow! I'd sure love to see her."
"Oh, don't worry, you will. After I pay your bail, you'll be staying with us until we can figure this thing out."
"What about Mom and Dad? Won't they be worried?"
"From your era of time, I'm sure they will be. But not here."
"Right, it makes sense. So, what's next?"
"Getting you out of here, and then I'm going to speak with the young woman."
"Sounds like a brilliant plan to me."
After calling in a few favors and paying his bail, Michael took the younger version of himself to his home.
There was no need to introduce him to his wife Barbara Morgan-Hill because she knew exactly who he was, instantaneously. After she got over the initial shock, she and the younger version of her husband began talking, as if it wasn't strange for them to actually do so. He told her about what he intended to do when he was sixteen, but was fearful that she was going to reject him. She laughed and told him he obviously had nothing to be afraid of. They both laughed afterward.
Michael reconnected with Officer Rodriguez. He asked her for the young woman's address, which she quickly gave him. He also discovered that in her statement, like the younger version of himself had said, the young woman did not know how she ended up in the alley, nor could she recall how young Michael ended up with her purse.
Michael now stood on the front porch of the house the young woman called home. He rang the bell and was now patiently waiting for someone to arrive. The front door opened and there stood a tall, dark, and extremely attractive woman. The 20-year-old wore a stylish dress and had her long raven hair in a braided ponytail.
"Hello," the woman said cheerfully. She smiled afterward.
"Good afternoon, Miss. Goodwin. My name is Michael Hill. I'm an attorney. I'm here about the incident that occurred earlier involving yourself, your purse, and a young—"
"Oh yes, are you representing the young man?"
"I am."
"Please come in, Mister Hill."
"Please, call me Michael."
"Only if you call me Ann."
Michael chuckled, "Fair enough, Ann."
Michael entered Ann's home, and she closed the door behind him. She led him to the living room area.
"Would you care for something to drink, Michael?"
"No thank you, Ann."
"Alright. Have a seat, Michael."
Michael and Ann sat on a cushy silk sectional sofa.
"You have a lovely-looking home, Ann."
"Why thank you, Micheal, it once belonged to my parents. My mother left it to me in her will. She died last year, cancer."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Ann."
"My father died three years prior, and because of a plane crash."
"Wow. You've had it rough."
"Yes, but I created some memorable moments with them."
"Great way to look at it. My parents died in a plane crash also, in fact...it happened the same time period you said your father's crash occurred."
"Sorry for your loss, Michael. Those are my parents, and myself," Ann pointed at a huge painting that hung over a fireplace.
Michael glanced at the painting at first, but then he couldn't take his eyes off of it. He was staring at the face of the man, a face, he knew oh so well. He stood up from the sofa and walked towards the painting for a closer look, and to be absolutely sure.
"Is everything alright Michael?" Ann said, a hint of concern was in her voice.
Michael turned to face Ann, "Ann, you're my sister."
"What? How?"
"The man in this painting is my father, our father."
"Oh my God!"
"Were your parents married?"
"They were engaged to be married. So, you're telling me that our father was already married?"
"Yes, he very much was, Ann."
"Oh, my God. This explains why I and my mother couldn't find out what had happened to him until a year later. His other family was informed of his death, had a funeral, and buried him, all without knowing nothing of me and my mother."
"I was the one who ensured my parents were properly taken care of."
Ann ran over to Michael and wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped his around her waist. As her head rested comfortably on his chest, she was sobbing uncontrollably.
"There, there, Ann. It's alright."
"I and my Mother were in the dark about what happened to my father, our father that is, for an entire year. She filed a missing person report. We checked the hospitals, the morgues. Then one day, a detective called my mother and told her he'd been killed in a plane crash. He told her that a member of his family ensured he was buried. We used to visit his gravesite together every Sunday, and until she was too weak to do so. We were never told who actually buried him."
"So, you never knew that our father had another family?
"Never."
"Ann. This is going to sound crazy, but trust me, it's the truth. The young man who had your purse, that's me, nine years prior."
Ann raised her head from Michael's chest. "Huh?"
"I know, I know. It sounds crazy, but it's true. Somehow, he came from the past, so that you and I could connect in our present. This is why neither one of you can recall how you both ended up in that alley. How neither one of you can recall how the younger version of myself ended up with your purse. It was never about anything outside of you and I connecting, connecting, so that we could discover that we're family."
"Michael, how is something like this even possible?"
"I can't explain it. I just believe it to be true. I'm glad I found you, Ann."
"I'm glad as well, Michael."
Michael took Ann to his home and introduced her to his wife, and the younger version of himself. The entire chain of events utterly overwhelmed his wife. After hours of enjoying one another's company, Michael and the younger version of himself left. Young Michael gave Ann and Barbra big hugs before he left them, and told them he looked forward to seeing them again in the future.
Michael connected with Officer Tina Rodriguez, and they, along with the younger version of himself, went back to the alley. After the younger version gave Tina a big hug, both Michaels went to the mouth of the alley.
"We did alright, huh older version of me?"
"Yes, we did, younger version of me."
"Think I'll remember any of this when I get back?"
"I couldn't even tell me. Would you like to?"
"Of course I would."
"Well then, I'll be praying that you do."
They hugged each other, and then the younger version of Michael "B.B" Hill walked into the alley and then disappeared.
Officer Rodriguez walked up and pinched Michael's arm.
"Hey. What did you do that for, Tina?"
"I wanted to make sure we weren't dreaming."
They both laughed.
"What a day," Michael said. He resumed laughing.
The End