S/he discovers an ancient amulet that can bestow incredible powers.
Judge Harmon declared, “Jessica Freemont, you are accused by the American Medical Association of practicing medicine without a license. Since this is a preliminary hearing to determine it there are sufficient grounds to present before a jury, how do you plead?”
A radiantly healthy thirty-seven year old Jessica stood defiantly silent before the court as her lawyer, Ruth Blevins stated, “Not guilty, your Honor.”
“Very well, your plea is so recorded. You may be seated.” Then he asked the prosecuting attorney, “Is the prosecution prepared to present their first witness?”
Prosecutor Abrams said, “We are, your Honor.”
“You may proceed.”
“I call Doctor Robert Johnson, prominent member of the AMA to the stand.”
After the doctor was sworn in, Abrams asked, “When was Jessica Freemont’s first illegal treatment reported to you?”
“Objection,” Ruth interjected, “alleged illegal treatment.”
Judge Harmon thought with a sigh, ‘Objection on the very first question – this is going to be a long one.’ Then said, “Objection sustained.”
Abrams continued, “When was Jessica Freemont’s first – alleged – illegal treatment reported to you?”
Dr. Johnson said, “Jessica’s unorthodox treatments first came to my attention three months ago.”
“And what were the circumstances?”
“It came to our attention that there was an organization calling itself the Atlantis Clinic of Healing Arts. It is owned and operated by a woman performing mysterious treatments while claiming to cure everything from ingrown toenails to breast cancer.”
“What did you do?”
“I sent out an investigative team to look into the matter.”
“And what did they find.”
“They found the Atlantis Clinic of Healing Arts and the woman running it.”
“Is that woman present in this courtroom?”
“She is.”
“Will you please identify that person to Judge Harmon.”
“That’s her – Jessica Freemont,” the doctor stated as he pointed a shaking finger at the defendant.
“How was she treating patients?”
“She was smearing them with scented oils, surrounding them with crystals, bathing them in colored lights, and mumbling incantations.”
As Abrams returned to his seat, he said, “Your witness, counselor.”
Ruth slowly walked up and stood in front of Dr. Johnson; then asked, “During your exhaustive investigation of my client, did you find any evidence of anyone who was injured or has died as a result of her treatment?”
“No.”
“Have you learned of anyone who has not benefited from her treatments?”
“No, but…”
“Has she prescribed any medication that cannot be purchased over the counter in any drugstore or pharmacy?”
“Not to my knowledge.”
“Then how in Billy Blue Blazes can you accuse her of practicing medicine without a license? Tell me doctor, why are we here?”
“Objection!” Abrams blurted.
“Objection overruled, I would like to hear the answer to that one.”
Dr. Johnson said, “Because if we allowed every self-proclaimed witchdoctor to treat disease indiscriminately….”
“Witchdoctor!” Ruth exclaimed, “When did you bestow her with that title?”
“Anyone who uses crystals and colored lights to treat people is a witchdoctor.”
“I see,” Ruth said. “By your own admission Dr. Johnson, you have not heard of anyone who has not benefited from her treatments. Yet, because she does not possess a doctor’s diploma, pay homage to your precious Medical Association, you and your learned colleagues have branded her – Witchdoctor.”
Ruth turned her back to him and as she strode back to her seat, said, “I have no further questions of this witness.”
“You may step down,” the judge said. “Mr. Abrams, you may call your next witness for the prosecution.”
Abrams said, “The prosecution rests, your honor.”
The judge thought, ‘This may not take as long as I thought.’ He said, “Miss Blevins, you may call the first witness for the defense.”
Ruth stood and said, “I have 132 witness prepared to testify on my client’s behalf.”
‘Oh my,’ the judge thought.
“However,” Ruth continued, “if it would please the court, rather than parade them before you, I would like Jessica to tell her story of what she does and how it all came about.”
“That pleases the court greatly! Have her take the stand.”
After Jessica was sworn in, Ruth said, “Please start at the beginning and tell the court your story.”
Jessica began, “About a year ago, I was working in the cosmetic research and development department for Grant’s Cosmetics. My boyfriend, David worked in sales and advertising at the time. We had been saving our money and vacation time in preparation to take our dream trip to the Bahamas.
“We had been studying the works of Edgar Cayce, that well known psychic and clairvoyant who died in 1945. Although he made predictions in many areas, his predictions about the Lost Continent of Atlantis, fascinated us the most. In 1936, Cayce predicted, ‘The first signs of Atlantis rising will occur in the Bahamas, near the island of Bimini’. He also predicted that it would be discovered around 1967 or 68.
“In 1968, thirty-one years after Cayce's original predictions and more than 20 years after his death, the stone formation was discovered by a private pilot flying over the island. This unique underwater phenomenon lies less than a mile off the North Bimini shore in fifteen feet of water. There are two parallel rows of huge rectangular stones that are actually part of a much larger formation. Due to its gigantic size, the formation is only visible from the air.
“David and I wanted the experience of seeing the Bimini Road of the Lost City of Atlantis for ourselves. I don’t know what we expected to find there, but we both felt compelled to make the trip. Although I didn’t know it at the time, it was more than just a vacation for me.
“On July 15th we landed at the Bimini airport and checked into our accommodations in Alice Town. During the first three days of snorkeling and SCUBA diving, we covered most of the popular tourist attractions.
“That night after dinner, we were sitting in the lounge area of the bar questioning some locals about places to go, places off the beaten tourist path. That’s when a sun-baked old man, calling himself Tupelo, appeared. He told us that he had been expecting me and for a few dollars, would take us to where I would find what I had come for. I had no idea what he was talking about, but we agreed to meet him at ten the next morning.
“Tupelo’s battered old boat must have been twice his age but he assured us it was seaworthy. We thought he would take us up the west coast but instead; we went east into the interior of the island.
“Even though North Bimini is seven miles long, only the southern three miles is actually habitable. The northern four miles consist of a thin shoreline and a massive Mangrove Forest. We wound our way along an elaborate waterway of mangrove creeks until we entered the north end of a natural phenomenon known as The Healing Hole. It’s a section of the creek connected to an underground labyrinth of narrow tunnels. Tupelo warned us that diving in the Healing Hole could be treacherous, but that if I was careful and looked diligently I would find it.
“Once again, I had no idea what he was talking about. I was not seeking anything special. That was until I found it. I was snorkeling along the mangrove shore when I caught a glint of reflection from something. I dove down and into the root structure of an ancient mangrove tree. There, caught and held firmly in the tangled maze of root mass, was what appeared to be a box. It took several more dives before I could work the box free of its imprisonment. It was a rectangular box, about 6” x 8” x 2”; dull silver in color which proved to be pewter.
“When I showed Tupelo what I had recovered, he said, ‘I see you have found what once belonged to you.’
“I simply stared at him dumbfounded. When he saw my expression he asked, ‘Don’t you remember when you were the High Priestess of Mu. This box contains your amulet of healing. I thought you knew. Why else would you have come to the island in this life?’
“I collapsed onto a deckchair. This strange old man, older than Methuselah himself, was talking about reincarnation and claimed I was once a high priestess.
“Tupelo continued, ‘It was lost to you and the world at the time of the fall of Atlantis, but now that you have it back, you can continue your healing arts.’
“‘Just hold it a minute,’ I told him, ‘I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re talking about.’
“He told me to open the box and I would.
“I turned the box over and over as I examined it thoroughly; there were no latches or hinges, in fact I couldn’t even find an indication of a lid. I held the box out to Tupelo and asked, ‘How does it open?’
“He told me to place my hands on the top and bottom then press. As I did so, one end of the box flipped open and a sliding drawer appeared. Nested in this shallow drawer was a beautiful amethyst amulet on a silver chain. Despite the fact that the box had been underwater for thousands of years, there was not a drop inside.
“Tupelo told me to take the amulet from the box and place it about my neck. I cannot begin to explain what happened because as I did so, I suddenly remembered everything. I was no longer the girl from Grant’s Cosmetics. I was once again the High Priestess of Mu with all the knowledge, healing power, and skill at my command.
“Tupelo returned us to our hotel but before he left, he told me that the only way I was going to get off the island with the amulet was to wear it. And if questioned by customs, tell them the truth, it is an ancient heirloom that had been in your family for centuries.
“We boarded the plane for the United States the next day but no one noticed the amulet that I wore as an old friend about my neck.
“Once home, neither David nor I went back to work at Grant’s. We opened the Atlantis Clinic of Healing Arts. We do not charge for our services, however we do accept donations. I do not prescribe any type of medication; in fact I strive to get everyone off their dependency of unnatural chemicals as soon as possible. It is for that reason and that reason alone that these learned physicians are prosecuting me. I am cutting into their pharmaceutical kickbacks.”
“I object,” shouted Abrams.
“Objection over ruled.”
Ruth said, “Your witness, Mr. Prosecutor.”
Benny Abrams stood and asked, “Miss Freemont, Would you have this court believe that you are the reincarnation of the High Priestess of Mu?”
“No, not The High Priestess, just one of many who held that honored position. Not all of us were healers, but that’s what I was – and still am.”
“And this is your defense against the charges?”
“No, my defense against your ridiculous allegations of practicing medicine without a license is based on the fact that I am not practicing medicine, I am healing people of their ailments without the use of drugs or intrusive surgery. I make use of universal energies and the patient’s own immune system to aid in their recovery. I do not heal them; I simply give them the will, desire, and knowledge to heal themselves.”
“If this is true, why do you smear the body with oils, dangle crystals about, and douse them in colored lights?”
“There is great healing power inherent in the light spectrum. I use various colored lights and the frequency they produce to enhance the healing process. I use crystals to focus healing energy into specific problem areas. The oils sooth the skin and relax the body, thus allowing it to become more receptive to the healing energies.”
“Now, if that’s not hoodoo voodoo witchcraft, I don’t know what is.”
“A rose by any other name….” Jessica calmly stated, “It works – people come to me for help and I provide them help. That’s more than they get from most Licensed Practitioners. I do not charge for my service and that’s definitely more than your patients get from the doctors who scalp insurance companies while practicing medicine with scalpels and drug therapy.”
Abrams huffed and said, “I have no more questions, she has proven our case for us.”
Judge Harmon said, “Court is adjourned until tomorrow morning at ten o’clock at which time I will render my verdict.”
If you were Judge Harmon, how would you rule?