This time it was Benjamin Franklin.

I'm guilty as sin. Instead of thinking that I'd had some kind of weird reaction to all this brain surgery and that it had progressed to a point where I was beginning to have hallucinations, I found myself seriously preparing for a conversation with men who had been dead for a long time with some of those being dead for hundreds of years.

I spent hour after hour waiting for the next communication from the founding fathers. I found myself turning down the volume on the tv, looking out the back door, checking the clock, turning off the tv, checking my cell phone, looking at my inbox, and otherwise, doing some really weird stuff and wondering somehow or another, if I'd missed their call. Regardless of how many times I attempted to send some kind of a subliminal message to them to let them know I was ready, I fell asleep on the sofa.

Sometime around midnight, I heard that "Ping" sound again. I shook the cobwebs out of my head and a couple of minutes later, with both feet on the floor, I heard that voice. It was Benjamin Franklin this time. He said: "Mr. Speaker, I call for the report from the Geographic and Population Committee".

Almost immediately, I heard a loud "Seconded" and that was followed by another, somewhat louder exclamation of: "Bully, I say again, Bully". I knew that was Teddy Roosevelt.

Whoever was acting as Speaker last night, loudly announced the call and ordered:

"The report from the Committee of Geographic and Population data has been called and seconded. Would the following members please step forward and take your seats at the main conference table: Boone, Crockett, Pershing, both Roosevelt's, Theodore and Franklin D, George Patton, MacArthur, Napoleon Bonaparte, Sam Houston and, of course, the Honorable George Washington."

I thought that was the end of it as I heard chairs sliding backward as the men left their positions and began to take their place at the main conference table. At that time, the Speaker gave an additional order. He said:

"Would the Sargent at Arms please go to the stockade, unlock Santa Anna, cuff him and bring him to this chamber".

By that time, I hadn't been addressed nor did I make any comments. I just sat there listening to the sounds of all the chairs being moved about and the footsteps from many of the men who were scurrying about as they followed the dictates of the Speaker. Shortly thereafter, with the sound of movements disappearing, The Speaker said:

"Having assembled a majority of the members from the Geographic and Population Committee, I will now invite the Honorable Sam Houston to address this body". With that, Sam Houston took the podium and began to speak. He said:

"Gentlemen, for the purpose of this report we have established certain rules of conduct. I wish to reiterate that it is totally permissible for General Patton to reach across the table to Santa Anna and deliver another of his famous, uh, what's the phrase, uh, in any event, be advised that it's perfectly okay for General Patton to address Santa Anna and Bitch Slap him at any time he deems appropriate".

After much cheering, applause and several replies of "here here", Sam Houston began to speak. He said:

"On February 2, 1848, a sum of fifteen million dollars was paid to the Mexican Government. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed and the Neuches River Border was changed to the Rio Grand. This included California and all of the territorial claims that were north of the Rio Grand. In conclusion, I would like to add that this amount was identical to the cost of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 that also went for fifteen million dollars".

At that point in time I heard someone slap Santa Anna and immediately thereafter, back hand Napoleon Bonaparte. I'm not sure why that was included as I am just reporting what I heard. Almost immediately after the comment about the Louisiana Purchase was made, Sam Houston thanked the men for their uninterrupted attention to his report and then he introduced the next speaker.

"Gentlemen, I will now transfer the podium to General Black Jack Pershing, Commander of the Population portion of our committee". With no small amount of applause, Black Jack Pershing took the podium and delivered his report.

"Respected Members, friends and Former Chief Warrant Officer Butler, this report, in view of our upcoming work load, will be very short and to the point. We will speak of its relevance shortly but for now, here are the numbers":

"The population of the United States of America, from 1790 till now, are as follows: In 1790 we had 3.9 million people here. In 1900, which was only 110 years later, we had 76.2 million people. In 1950, we had grown to 152.2 million. By the year 2,000, we hit 281.4 million and by the year 2011, we had reached a total population of 311.5 million people. I must add at this time, especially in view of the problems we are having across our southern border, the following information will track the increases in population from then until now".   

With that, General Pershing said:

"The population of New Mexico has grown by a factor of 106 times. Arizona has grown by a factor of 52 times. California is 35 times larger, Texas is 9 times larger but Louisiana is only 4 times as large as it was when we began tracking all of that. The critical point I wish to make surrounds the closeness of the Mexican Border to those States with the highest increase in population. I would also like to say that I intentionally do not use the word "illegal" when I report the millions of people who are living in the above named States. Thank you very much. I will now return the podium to our next speaker".

With that, the first words addressed to me were delivered. It was a quiet voice and I couldn't make out who was saying them. It simply said: "Mr. Butler, we'll get back to you shortly but in the interim, please pass along this information".

That was it. It was over as instantly as it began. I guess I'll take a nap and then start looking at the clock and wondering when the next communication will begin.











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