Full Circle

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

I woke up this morning to my cell phone ringing a distinct sound. A song that I’m sure nobody else had. Just 2 words repeated over and over again.

“Yo Mama.”

Picking up the phone, she started singing before I had a chance to say “Hello”.

“16 tons and what do you get.”

She never wished anyone a happy birthday. She only wanted them to acknowledge that they were a year older.

It was my 50th birthday. I have dreaded this day for a long, long time. 20 years, 7 months, and 5 days. Now, it has come upon me. A mistake I made over 20 years ago has finally caught up with me. Now, I had no idea what to do. I had no idea how to stop the events that this day will lead to. I have secrets I’ve been keeping in the dark for a long time. These events are about to expose them to the light. Yes. I’ve been dreading this day for a long time. Over 20 years. In reality, these events have already happened. Can you actually change or undo what has happened. I had to try.

If my memory is correct, it all happened at my house around 12 noon. So, I figured that my best bet was to head to Mike’s Coffee shop. The coffee shop wasn’t there in 2006. I seemed to me that he wouldn’t know to look for me there. So that’s where I decided to go. The funny thing is that just as I walked into the building, my memory changed. While I still remembered meeting him at the house, I also remembered meeting him here. I’m sure that none of this makes sense to you. So, let me just tell you what happened.

While waiting for nothing to happen, everything happened. A young man walked into the coffee shop with a large smile on his face. He came in and sat right next to me. How he knew I’d be here, I do not know. He just stared at me, smiling for about 3 minutes. I didn’t speak. I knew exactly who he was. I knew exactly what he wanted.

“Do you know who I am”, he asked?

I cleared my throat twice before speaking.

“I know who you are”, I said. “You’re Levar Tilmon. 30 years old.”

In case I didn’t mention. My name is Levar Tilmon. When I was 26 years old, a young girl at my job was flirting with me. When I called her a little girl (She was only 16) she asked me my age. Her response was, “Oh my God. You’re almost 30.”

In the eyes of a 16-year-old, 30 was considered old. I still had another 4 years be for I was “old”, and I didn’t see anything wrong with 30. 50, on the other hand, that was old.

From that day on, I wondered what my life would be like at 50. That’s when I started Project TDC or Temporal Displacement Chamber. It took just over 4 years to get it working. Technical details are not important. Let’s just say that that guy that made the car time machine was wrong. It didn’t take a bolt of lightning. All that was needed was the right size electromagnetic pulse and a way to redirect the flux. But I’ve talked too much about this. Let me get back to the young man at the table.

“You’re me”, I said. “20 years ago.”

“You remember. So, do you remember what happens next?”

“Yes. You’re going to try to convince me to travel back.”

“Are you coming?”

This is where my dilemma comes in. What young Levar did not know was that time travel wreaked havoc on my life. I remember so very well being that young me sitting there, smiling, asking the question, and offering a chance to travel back. I remember looking at the older me as he was reluctant to accept the offer. I also remember the older me going back.

But now I’m smarter. I’m wiser. I know things that that young man doesn’t know. I’m aware of the chain of events that follow messing with time. I’m aware of the fact that because I went back the first time, people that were in my life are no longer there. Things I had no longer existed. I thought, “If I don’t go back, they will still be here.”

Then came the realization. If I don’t go back, I would never have gotten that first date with my wife. I wouldn’t get that job. I wouldn’t get the money. Then again, what if why wife found out that the only reason we got together is because my future self told me what to say. She would take the kids and leave.

I’m sure you can see the dilemma that I was in. I’m positive you can understand why I dreaded this day for such a long time.

“Are you coming?”

“I already did. I can’t change it now.”

--

Saturday, December 31, 2005

Walking down the streets of New Years Eve 2005 was exciting to me. It’s amazing to see how much things can change in 20 years. For example, Jimmy’s Bar was still there. It closed in 2010 when it was discovered that Jimmy was serving minors. Jimmy was arrested and the bar closed. Duffy’s Ice cream shop took over the bar in 2012.

Brandy’s Florist was on 79th street. They burned down in 2006. Wow. In just 10 days. January 10th. Brandy will open up her new and larger shop on 85th street in a few months. It will be right next to Stone’s Throw Grocery. That’s where Colleen worked in 2005.

The Candy Store was across the street from Brandy’s Florist. The pandemic hit them hard. I hated seeing them go.

Of course, all of this went over 30-year-old Levar’s head. Jimmy going to jail! Brandy’s burning down! Pandemic shutting down The Candy Store! He was trying to take it all in. Then I thought of something. Everything was still open.

“Why don’t you go talk to Colleen?”

“Oh! No! I don’t even know what to say to her.”

“Just say hello. Then invite her to the movies.”

“You want me to ask her out on a date!”

“Trust me. I can tell you what she likes.”

I convinced my younger self to buy her some flowers. Purple was her favorite color. She liked chocolate caramels. And she loved animated films.

I knew that he would listen. I remembered when I was him. His first date with Colleen was set. I told him to buy a mixture of real flowers and silk flowers for the second date.

“Never refer to them as fake flowers. They are not fake. They are silk. The so-called “real” flowers will soon die. The silk flowers will last forever.”

I remember when I used that line on Colleen. It worked. There was a 3rd date. There was a 4th and a 5th. Then, in 2007, we were married. It would have never happened if I didn’t come back.

I also suggested that a few stocks to invest in and a few sports games to bet on. And for him to accept that job at Ndepth Inc. All of these suggestions changed my life. I would have been a manager at Walburg’s Drug Store if it wasn’t for what I told myself. While I do enjoy my much higher paying job, I kind of miss the guys at the drug store. I would have been married to Susan Munk if I hadn’t talked myself out of it. I may have hung myself by now if that had been the case. Susan was beautiful in appearance. But her soul was as dark as tar. Yes, she walked like an angel but she’s the.. Well, you know how the song goes.

I have to admit, my life is great. But I had help making it great. Knowledge of the future can make anyone great. In the end, the only right thing to do was to tell my wife everything. I was ready for her to leave me.

“Sweetheart”, I said, “I need to tell you something.”

I took a deep breath and told her the same story that I just told you.

While I put my head down in shame, all she did was laugh.

“Wow”, she said! “Everything has come full circle.”

“What?”

“I’ve known all about this for years. You told me on our wedding day.”

“I don’t remember saying anything.”

“It wasn’t you, you. It was 80 year old you.”