“Why don’t you go outside and see what the other kids are doing?” Tim’s mom asked for what to Tim seemed like the 1,000^th day in a row. An immediate inner rush of annoyance washed through Tim, this feeling closely followed by desire to utter a rather final and terse “just leave me alone.” Fortunately he failed to actually vocalise either thought, choosing to squeeze out a rather muffled, half-hearted, and generic “I don’t feel like going out right now, Mom.”

Tim knew such a dismissal usually was sufficient for his mother to back off and leave him be. Unfortunately on that long ago day, things did not seem to be unfolding according to the usual script and pattern. Tim recalled how he felt his heart rate increase upon hearing the increasing cadence of feet ascending the creaky wooden stairs just outside of his room. The memory of this event caused a reprise of the increase in heart rate of that time, skittish with the very thought of what unfolded.

As the steps drew closer, Tim silently prayed for a physical diversion, some interest that would draw his mom toward the guest room that lay opposite his across the hall.

As Tim soon discovered, and very much to his dismay, his guess and his prayer both proved lacking. Fully an hour after his mom politely knocked first and then proceeded to walk on into his room without waiting for Tim’s acknowledgement, she left, her sweet and caring parental lecture now consigned to history and Tim’s memory.

Where Tim went astray in his search through childhood memories was with the fact that memories are not always what they seem, and in his case, far afield from reality.

Undoubtedly his mom believed that her words would help her child, but Tim felt quite the opposite in that long ago moment. His thoughts were rapid and disjointed, mind and body moved toward panic. That was the first of many such incidents which would shape his life for decades. Powerful memories came flooding back, how he was scared – scared by what was going on within, scared by what her words called attention to even as he tried to hide, scared by panicking.

Looking back on this now, with an ability to order, dissect, zero in on, contemplate, evaluate, and share, it is probably quite fortunate no one can see the future prior to actually living through it. Not a few of us would likely run from what lie ahead. How could one know the significance of an interaction that would be long forgotten to the vast majority of people?

A child has no advantage of experience, and they possess limited book knowledge. Some mixed street smarts that end at the edge of their local neighbourhood and environment. Children generally went about their lives knowing someone was usually at the ready should serious problems arise. Small wonder that the least likely place parents look for threats are within a child’s very own being, within their very own mind. And naturally, a child dealing with inner issues is even less prepared to cope and find their way through than parents are. What would a parent think in that initial moment of worry – if they saw the future, if they read their child’s mind?

No parent is blessed with such skill. They are facing the issues blindly, most often having little idea of the secret issues that lurk in their child, or if they do sense a problem, are quite unlikely to know specifics. Hindsight granted a window into what was unknown in childhood – many parents act in a very adversarial way as snippets of issues or information find there way out to them on the travails of their child. The parents react to a future they cannot see yet anticipate.

A voice called out “And here we are!” causing Tim to startle slightly, but it brought Tim back to his present day life and present day task. How much to say?

The moment would prove to be the first turn of the key, not just to a door, but to a floodgate. This in turn would let loose a deluge that would sweep through and from his mind, across a world.

For Dolores O’Brien, therapist, in her mind her next patient was yet one more who needed help. In reality, this was the first meeting on a case that would not only be the defining moment of her professional career, but would be one significant element of the most important moment in human history.