Chapter 2 "Superstition"
The Third Monday in October 1984)
(Song suggestion-" Superstition" by Stevie Wonder)
Janine Melnitz
Merriam Webster defines superstition as "a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance..." We all know some common superstitions such as " don't walk underneath a ladder," or "don't cross a black cat," or even "step on a crack, break your mother's back."
Did you know? In Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Iran, and Morocco, people use "evil eye" charms to defend another's malicious glare, usually because one is envious of another's possessions. These charms are usually in the shape of an eye and contain a blue iris.
Pearl Katz, my great maternal grandmother, had a jeweler create one for her. It has been passed down to the firstborn daughter for generations, and my sister, Doris, will receive it when our Mother passes. Now the former keeps it on her person every day and takes its care enormously consequential.
Dr. Spengler would say that science negates the whole idea of magic and sorcery because it doesn't rely on observable data and results. Once earlier in the year, he and I had an extended discussion about his rationale for disbelieving in superstitions that lasted throughout a dinner date and a walk around Greenwich village as we window shopped.
Mr. Zeddemore remained skeptical about them, but Dr. Venkman really did believe in superstitions. He suffered through numerous bad experiences on Fridays the 13th, such as failing a test, a relationship failure, getting fired, and falling down the stairs. Dr. Stantz's family was heavily surmised in superstitions, and it would take too long to describe all the things he believed in.
I was superstitious, and I owned a lucky coin from the World's Trade Fair from 1964 that I always kept on my person. One evening I explained the story to Mr. Zeddemore, who insisted I call him Winston, while I was on my lunch break.
"So, let's hear this lucky coin story," the fourth Ghostbuster encouraged me as I took a sip of water from my cup.
"When I was nine, the World Fair was at Flushing Meadows in 1964, and my Dad took us there as a family one Saturday that summer. He was a massive fan of fairs and loved to look at the exhibits. That year it showcased future technologies, which was the type of thing that my father loved," I began but I stopped when I realized that Dr. Spengler was like him since they admired learning new mechanics and technology.
They were very detail oriented,too. I guess my attraction to him made sense in some regards.
When Mr. Zeddemore gave me a curious look as I halted my story for a moment, I immediately noticed then continued.
"On a humid June afternoon, I remember seeing one demonstration with my Father where a man was flying because he wore a jetpack on his back. We both stood amazed with our mouths agape as we watched a man in an elaborate white space suit soar through the sky by jet power, and I excitedly pointed in the air exclaiming,
"Daddy! Daddy, watch that!"
"That was pretty cool, huh?" Winston responded with an enthusiastic smile, and I nodded.
"Lamentably, we didn't get a picture of the man because Mom and Doris had split up from us. They went to the 'Small World' animatronic Disney exhibit, where certain characters sang songs. My older sister had the foresight to possess the family's camera to take numerous pictures of that showcase and no flying man with a jetpack," I said, rolling my eyes upward in exasperation.
"Needless to say, I was furious with Doris for taking the family's camera! I still had my vivid memories of the flying man," I emphatically explained.
Winston appeared amused by the story as Ray and Pete gathered in the landing.
"Ready, Z?" Ray asked, dressed in his jumpsuit.
"There is more to the story, Winston, if you want to hear it," I reminded him, sticking my chin out defensively.
" My middle name is ready, Ray! Would you mind telling me later, Janine" Winston enthusiastically r questioned , standing from his chair, and I nodded.
"This bust is located in our hometown, too bad it isn't at the end of your shift, Brooklyn," Dr. V joked, looking at a map.
"Too bad you are losing your hair at such a young age, Dr. Venkman," I snapped to the delight of Winston and Ray, who started to chuckle. Peter patted down his thinning brown hair anxiously and stuck his tongue out at me.
Minutes later, the team left to capture another ghost, and I thought about the World's Fair in 1964 some more. It was one of my most precious memories, and where I began to be interested in art.
My mom enjoyed seeing Michelangelo's Pieta since she was an artist. She relished explaining it to us as we passed by the exhibit on a moving walkway at 2 MPH three different times, and I greatly enjoyed it.
Dad,who spoiled Doris and I rotten, bought each of us a World Fair coin and gave it to us as a surprise later on.
When we opened the boxes, we found a bronze-plated coin that said "World's Fair Flushing Meadows 1964". There was a picture of the Unisphere engraved on one side. I felt astounded by my Dad's gift and overwhelmed by his kindness as I was a Daddy's girl.
"Those are lucky coins, girls; keep them in your pockets, and you will always have good luck," he expounded, giving us a wink. So I did after giving him a bear hug.
.
Less than one year later, I admired my prize possession while walking home from school and showing it off to my best friends from elementary school. An older boy named Blake, snatched it unanticipatedly from my hand as I held it up. I claimed that it was the reason I got an A on my Science test without studying.
Next, Blake sped off on his bike as fast as he could. Since my best friends and I were all tomboys, we ran after him yelling and screaming, but we couldn't catch up. Blake refused to give it back to me before moving to another neighborhood, and I was devastated.
Hysterical, I ran home and waited for my Dad to get home to tell him what had happened.
"Oh no! It's ok, love," he said, feigning being upset when I sat on his lap when he got home from working a long day and rubbed my back, " It is ok, It's ok."
"No, Daddy," I sobbed, "You don't understand. I am doomed to have bad luck for the rest of my life."
My Dad's shiny brown eyes took a profound turn for a second.
"Oh, my little Janine. A coin doesn't determine if you will have luck or not; you do," he promised, attempting to console me. I continued to weep in his arms for a length of time.
My ten-year-old brain couldn't handle his explanation, although, of course, now I see the logic.
A week later, my Dad called me into the den while watching college football on a Saturday afternoon. He was a huge sports fan, and on occasion, I would join him and even enjoyed viewing a few sports games with him.
"Here you go, Janine, my love," he handed me a nondescript box, and curiously, I grabbed it from his large hand. Excitedly, I opened it, and to my great surprise, I found another 1964 World Fair coin with a New York State Exhibit picture on it
!
"I bought this off of a man, who told me that you will always have excellent luck with this as long as you keep it safely hidden."
"Oh Daddy, you are the greatest," I exclaimed, throwing my arms around his neck and hugging him as tightly as I could.
That was one of my favorite memories of my Dad.
Ironically, Blake returned my coin to me when he dated my sister for a short time when they were seniors. Doris threatened to tell everyone that he was a lousy lay. In high school, that was like the kiss of death, so needless to say, I got my original coin back. I kept it in my purse hidden since I was thirteen.
The very next day, a boy I had a crush on named Harry requested me to go to my first junior high dance and gave me my first kiss in the corner of the gym. Now I was really convinced it was lucky!
Nevertheless, I took exceptional care of my lucky coin but was also gratified to have a backup.
Two hours later, the Ghostbusters returned from their busts, and I told Winston the rest of my lucky coin story. Each team member was in a different room as I tidied up the landing because it looked like a hurricane had hit the area.
.
At once, thick compact black circles of varying sizes invaded my vision. I first attempted to blink them away, thinking I had looked at the computer screen too long earlier. It didn't work, and a searing pain tore through my stomach.
"Uh oh," I whispered, feeling dizzy.
Then, the room commenced spinning, and I held onto the nearest item, a chair. A wave of nausea entered my already aggrieved stomach, and I felt my knees buckling. Next, I felt as if I stood in the middle of a hurricane, twirled around, and my head started to hurt agonizingly.
"Help," I called out in a small voice before I collapsed. The wooden floor was the last thing I saw before my eyes sealed after I hit the ground.
Peter Venkman
As I ascended the stairs, I heard a mysterious thump on the floor so I quickened my pace to see the cause of it. Janine laid on the floor and Egon, kneeling near her. His face showed deep consternation for her health as he gently shook her right arm.
"Janine," Egon stated in an urgent voice, but there wasn't any response from her. Her eyes were still shut, and she appeared to be passed out.
"What's wrong with Janine," I questioned him, noticing his dismay.
"I don't know, I heard a noise, and here she was," the theoretical physicist of the Ghostbusters answered nervously, attempting to revive her by jostling her shoulder with a little more force.
His brown eyes conveyed a disquieting look when it failed in restoring Janine.
"Brooklyn seemed OK when I left downstairs fifteen minutes ago. Have you spoken to her today," I asked my bespectacled business partner.
Although I inquired about his interaction with Janine, I already knew the answer. They hadn't been conversing regularly for months now due to their relationship's complex nature.
Shaking his head back and forth to answer, he took her pulse. Egon tenderly called out her name in a loving manner at sporadic intervals, "Janine...Janine...Janine."
"Her pulse is fine, and she is breathing," he reported, but since she was unresponsive, we exchanged frightened glances.
"Brooklyn, can you hear me," I inquired, patting her pale cheeks and noting that she appeared fatigued.
The business had been such that no one on our team hadn't had a day off for almost two weeks now.
Egon's expression showed the distinct ache of feeling incapable of aiding his beloved from feeling better.
"Janine, wake up, please," Egon prompted desperately in a whisper, looking helpless as he held her right hand within his own and squeezed it.
When our pretty secretary from Brooklyn heard his deep voice this time, her blue eyes unlocked like a key opening a door, and she muttered, clearly dazed from experience,
"Ohhh, what happened?"
"We don't know. You were here when I heard you fall. Did you hit your head," I questioned, checking her head and body carefully to see if Janine was bleeding or showed signs of extensive injury.
Unresponsive, she blinked several times and then closed her eyes again.
"I will get her a glass of water," I declared, standing up to go to the kitchen. I knew that my friend stood a better chance of renewing Janine than me because they were much more intimately familiar. After returning with the water, I stood back and watched Spengler's interaction with our secretary.
"Janine," he prodded worriedly.
Using his fingertips to caress her right pale-looking cheek, Egon murmured, "come back to me, please."
As if on cue, Brooklyn's eyes flew open again, and she started weeping unrestrainedly. Egon and I exchanged glances while she cried and babbled incoherently.
"Look at me...look at me...Janine, that's it... breathe deeply for me, please," Egon cautiously directed. Still crying, Janine did so, gulping some air in and trembling visibly. He maintained eye contact with her and modeled the behavior he wanted to see her perform for a few minutes.
"E-Egon, I-I," Janine sputtered out, and he shook his head slowly.
He removed his index finger from her cheek, and he placed it on her lips tentatively while glancing into her horror-stricken blue eyes.
"Hush, beautiful. I'd like you to continue to breathe deeply with me," he coaxed her soothingly before removing his finger tentatively. It was amazing how they communicated with so much love and admiration even though they hardly spoke to each other daily. Egon and Janine were very much in love, maybe more so now.
After a few minutes, he soothed her to where she was not spasmodic. Iggy's ordinarily expressionless face showed instantaneous relief as she stopped babbling and congratulated Janine,
"You did it! Excellent work."
Next, Egon leaned over to kiss her forehead, and Janine shut her eyes happily as he did so. If I hadn't been so ecstatic that she wasn't delirious, I would have cleared my throat as a warning at this display of affection as a joke.
"Iggy's right, Brooklyn. You did it! Let's get you on the sofa. Are you ok to move," I probed, gazing at her, and she nodded after sniffling a couple of times. I put the glass of water down on the counter.
Janine took my outstretched hands to help her up while Egon retrieved two Tyenol for her to take. Speedily, I pulled her upwards off of the floor and let her lean on me so I could guide her to the sofa.
As Janine laid down on the couch, her body was shaking visibly. I put a blanket over her body up to her chin. My heart went out to her as she was like a little sister to me, and I genuinely hated to see her upset.
"Can you tell us what happened," I questioned softly, pulling a chair up to the sofa next to her, " When you are ready, of course."
Iggy handed Janine a glass of water to drink after she sat up, accepting it and the pain relievers, then thanked him with a slight uneasy upturn of her lips. First, she swallowed the pills and lifted the glass to her lips, but her hands trembled badly, preventing her from doing so. Egon assisted her in steadying the glass by reinforcing her hand with his so she could drink from it, and Janine gave him a chagrined smile afterward.
"Shhh...You have had a tremendous psychological shock; it is quite normal for you to have tremors," he softly murmured.
Although his verbal bedside manner might be less than desirable, Egon consoled her successfully.
Janine put the glass on the end table. Then she laid on her back with her hand over her forehead, anguished. Brooklyn closed her blue eyes, and her face remained flushed as she disclosed,
"My head hurt excruciatingly as I was cleaning up after you all, and my vision was blurry. I had this horrible sharp pain in my stomach then I felt nauseated. The next thing I knew, I felt like I was spinning very fast, like in a state fair ride, and I fainted."
"How do you feel now," I inquired, attempting to figure out the reason for her fainting.
"Shaky, fragile, my head still hurts but not as badly. There's this awful feeling in my stomach like someone's turning a screwdriver into it," Janine answered, grimacing, rubbing her temples with her fingers to relieve the discomfort.
"Didn't this happen once before," Egon wondered out loud, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Y-yes, it...reminds me of a time I had a premonition about ten years ago... "
Janine took deep breaths in and out and recalled," Three of my cousins died."
Empathetically, Egon patted her shoulder gently as the pretty lady whimpered in a small child-like voice,"Something awful happened within the 72 hours. My cousins and friends were killed in this terrible car wreck involving a train; they were dismembered. Initially, I was supposed to go with them upstate. I warned them not to go, but they didn't listen. I rarely talked about that because I still feel guilty."
"Did you see that crash in a vision," I inquired as Egon touched her cheek with his right handed
"Yes, and my symptoms are the same as last time, from what I remember, " our office manager recalled.
As Janine shut her eyes, she mentioned that she felt dizzy again. She looked feeble, unlike our little but fierce Brooklynite.
"Stay with me, angel, please," Iggy softly begged, and I could see tears forming in his eyes.
"I'm disquieted because whatever this is...it..is going to be terrible. I can't have this happen again," Janine cried, opening her eyes to search our faces for a long moment and then putting her head in her hands.
"You didn't cause your cousins' death," I calmly informed her after a moment, and stated
"Janine, you couldn't have prevented it either."
She appeared doubtful at my statement.
"I'm scared, Egon," the petite woman whispered, removing her hands from her attractive face to view him, and started to sniffle. As a result, he clasped Janine's hand and squeezed it.
"Shh," Spengs reassured with a small half-grin while making eye contact, "you are going to be OK. Everything will be fine."
"You and the others may be in grave danger," Janine acknowledged to him, finally.
"We are in danger every day at a bust," Egon countered, gaping in her eyes, looking disheartened.
Janine allowed him to continue to hold her hand as she sobbed,
"This is different. I saw a rooftop, some big white Ghost- thing attempting to kill all four of you...I don't know what rooftop it was or how it was trying to murder you all."
"Do the premonitions get more detailed?" I asked, interrupting impatiently.
"What was she describing," I thought to myself.
"No," Janine answered listlessly.
Egon had a visibly concerned look on his face and nodded briskly without hesitation.
"This is just the announcement that something is going to happen," She explained to us, "it will go away if I sleep for a while. I will be 'out of it' for the rest of the day."
"Ok, sleep," I commanded gently.
"Don't go," She implored Iggy, with a sorrowful facial expression, "for a few minutes, please?
"
"I won't, Janine, I promise.
"
"I wouldn't ask if I didn't feel so badly," Janine replied, but Iggy silenced her by putting a finger to her lips. Automatically, she ceased speaking. The magic between those two was fascinating to watch.
As I motioned for my somber friend to join me away from her, Janine tried to sleep. I reminded myself that her premonitions might be wrong and that I shouldn't be fearful. However, I felt petrified.
"What do you think, " I inquired of Iggy as he examined all the details in his head, plugging away at the variables trying to develop a solution like a calculator or a computer. He was amazingly brilliant that way.
"I am not sure because Janine does not have many of these incapacitating headaches," Spengs answered thoughtfully.
Next, Egon gazed longingly at our redhead office manager, who was on the sofa resting uneasily. Janine tossed and turned, attempting to find a comfortable position as we spoke for a short time.
"Well, keep an eye on her. I will let Winston and Ray know that we'll answer the phones. Until then, I will," I informed, and he nodded once curtly.
Spengler hurried back to the sofa without a word.
Egon Spengler
When I heard that loud "BANG" while I was in the lab, I was in the middle of running tests and ironically meditating about Janine. I left immediately to investigate the strange noise, and my flight or fight reaction triggered as I saw the woman I loved on the wooden floor.
Rapidly, I ran to her as my pulse rate elevated dramatically and my breath caught in my throat in fear. I knew it was silly to stop breathing because that wouldn't help Janine, but I froze when I saw her there on the floor before dropping to my knees in shock. There she lay, in her long ankle-length purple dress, sprawled on the floor, appearing extraordinarily pale and cold to the touch when I patted her arm with my hand. Janine's auburn bangs were slightly wet with perspiration.
I immediately called her name as I felt a tightness in my chest grow.
"I can't lose you, not again, Janine, please wake up," I thought to myself as I attempted to revive her.
"Please, Lord, help her," I prayed, and I felt a wave of relief flow over me as I rocked back and forth on my knees for a while when my love finally opened her eyes. The emotional turbulence of the situation caused me to feel extreme uneasiness. Furthermore, I knew that if something happened to Janine where she couldn't recover, it would feel like my world was crashing down on me. Again.
I now sat on the edge of the sofa near her feet as she stretched out on the couch on her back. I was close, not too close to my love, so she wouldn't scold me after Venkman, and I discussed her premonitions privately. Janine had shut her eyes, but her whole expression had pain on it, causing my heart ache.
My ruminations returned to my life without her, which seemed highly bleak. Janine had previously added zest and exquisite color to my formerly black and white life. In fact, my life had exploded like the prettiest of fireworks during the fourth of July.
"I can't sleep," our secretary whined, and then I put my hand on her shoulder, nervously, to see if she would protest. To my surprise, Janine didn't, so I rubbed her back up and down very delicately. My mouth stretched into a slight smile as I attempted to comfort her.
"Close those gorgeous blue eyes, pretty please," I instructed in a husky voice, and she did so with a slight smirk.
As I observed her rest, I wished I could lie there with her on the sofa, put my arms around her while kissing her head, and anywhere else that hurt.
"Would she give me another chance?" I contemplated.
Although I had devised a plan for Janine's upcoming birthday to persuade her that I deserved one more chance, I certainly did not warrant anymore. I loved her with all of my heart, and I couldn't stand staying apart from Janine any longer unless that was her decision. I would do anything I could to be with her. Anything.
"I'm very afraid, Egon," Janine confessed again, interrupting my thoughts as she opened her pretty aqua eyes, troubled.
"Explain," I stated, glancing down at her with an expectant expression.
Although Janine looked alarmed, she kept eye contact with me even though her eyes were watery with tears and showed dread.
"This...vision... appeared...like you all were... not ..going to be...successful," she sobbed in between her words. Tears were flowing down her face again, and I reached over to wipe them away.
"Whatever we face, we can defeat Janine," I promised her, determinedly, with a half-grin.
Suspiring loudly, Janine curled her legs around my rear so we could be closer together. I guiltily cherished her nearness and noticed her biting her lower lip.
Quietly, I scolded my love gently while smoothing down her soft hair,
"Please close your eyes and stop biting your lip, Janine."
"Egon, you aren't understanding, you... and the others are going to die," she whimpered, her eyes wide with terror.
"Janine, I promise you, we will be fine. Now close your eyes, love," I reassured her with a slight grin even though her premonition disturbed me greatly, and I felt my stomach tense up as a result.
"Don't worry about that now, Egon. Take care of Janine, so she knows that you love her," I reminded myself quietly.
Consequently, I kissed the top of her head, and the pleasant aroma of her rose and vanilla shampoo entered my nose, causing me to grin.
Janine inquired,
"Egon, will you please stay right here with me?"
"
Yes," I answered, and she quit biting her lip. Janine shifted her knees around my body, allowing me some additional room on the couch, and I gradually clasped my hand with hers, squeezing it.
Janine apprehensively smiled at the gesture and stated,
"I have to know that you are here, or I won't be able to sleep, and I will worry."
Grinning, I leaned back into her knees a little and rubbed the top of her hand with my thumb methodically.
"Shut your eyes, and rest," I directed, and Janine followed my instructions with a tiny upward turn on her lips.
As I viewed the sleeping angel, Stevie Wonder sang "Superstition" in the background as I prayed for her health to be restored in full.
Didn't I believe in things that I couldn't understand," I wondered inwardly, "We based our whole business on it. Even though my scientific training would say the opposite."
Lovingly, I watched over Janine like a spouse would over their sick loved one. I cherished holding her slender and graceful hand, pressing it against mine occasionally. Janine's skin was as soft to the touch as cotton as was the rest of her body, and I had missed it.
Meanwhile, I attempted to wrap my mind around her suspicion that the GB team would be unsuccessful and the type of ghost that could destroy us. The thought terrified me, truthfully.
"Does this connect to the increase of cases we have been seeing? And if so? How?" I thought to myself, mulling over the questions inwardly.