A MEETING WITH THE ENIGMATIC MR. DOVE

4 min readApr 15, 2024

That’s the way the story goes. When I was only 17, my dad requested I take charge of the bar in his upscale restaurant, for only a day. His Bartender had to be absent for a family errand. I gladly obliged since I enjoy interacting with people. As customers arrived for lunch, I observed a solitary person sitting at the far end of the long bar. I was so busy attending to customers’ orders as the restaurant got crowded; that I could not keep him company but attended to his drinks whenever he ordered one.

As customers left after the rush hour, I was concerned whether he wanted lunch, since the kitchen was closing soon. The thought hardly crossed my mind when he politely beckoned me over and asked me for my name. I told him. He asked me to write it down on a piece of paper which he retained. As I was closing the accounts, again he asked me to provide him with the hour, day, and date of my birth. This was getting stranger, but as the proprietor’s son I had to be polite, and once again obliged him. He insisted I write them down on the same paper. I suggested he write them down, but he insisted on my handwriting. I found it strange and relented.

As the closing hour approached, he politely asked me to give him my attention for a few minutes. It is half a century later, and I cannot forget his narration as though he were reading a book. I looked at his paper dense with scribbles which I could not decipher. What surprised me most was not the flow in his consistent narration, but also the insight into my personality — though we had hardly exchanged a few words. Divinations and the like go against my grain. He confirmed that he was not a fortuneteller explaining that he merely made calculations with the information I provided.

He was certainly a character-reader or graphologist. His observations were precise and he made no errors. Consequently, I was very attentive not to interrupt him, lest I be self-revelatory. Indeed, I was impressed. By the time he finished, I had asked for a few details regarding what he said, but he merely replied that he could only provide what he saw and could neither add nor subtract. He thanked me for my attention, while I was still digesting this enigmatic encounter. The best part is that he was so self-confident, that he sought no confirmation from me. He advised me regarding certain dispositions to take in my life to feel fulfilled and wholesome, adding who and what to surround myself with, and protecting my person. He certainly did not narrate things that will happen to me, or what others may do to me. I was most amazed by his precision.

Upon entering into life in my twenties and starting my profession, I would occasionally reminisce over this exceptional encounter and attempt to evaluate his words. Suddenly, I would realize that much of what he said was true. Every decade or so thereafter, I would recollect his words through certain dispositions I would take or through certain spontaneous reactions, I would have. Unknowingly, he had helped me by raising my self-awareness before the trials of life began testing my mettle. I am ever so grateful to Mr. Dove. (He wrote it as such, but pronounced it as Doveh, according to his local dialect.)

He was a quiet, unassuming, soft-spoken, and modest elderly person. Very gentle and polite. I was so impressed and grateful for his time; I asked him if I could express my gratitude in any way. Through his modesty, he just told me, “Whenever you come across some French baguettes anywhere, I shall appreciate 2 only.” Only? I wasted no time to get him the Baguettes, hoping he would pass the following day, or the day after. I never saw him again! That was back in the early 1970s when there were no smartphones, and he had no telephone.

I kept passing by the restaurant to ask about him, but he never returned. What a shame! After the privilege of other enigmatic encounters in my lifetime, I am persuaded that this exceptional gentleman must have been an angel and not a human being.

If it were not that we were brought up at the time to respect our elders and not disturb them, I would have asked him where he lived and taken my father with me to visit him, or taken him some Baguettes with French cheese and wine to show my appreciation.

You may be curious to read about similar strange encounters and circumstances I have had the privilege of experiencing. They are published on MEDIUM. Below is a selection for your entertainment and enlightenment.

https://medium.com/@srn.abuj/an-original-encounter-f82ec8ffb087

https://medium.com/@srn.abuj/a-mystic-episode-1-227025916046

https://medium.com/@srn.abuj/a-mystic-episode-2-ccab6d9bab19

https://medium.com/@srn.abuj/more-than-a-miracle-1-443b69a05fec

https://medium.com/@srn.abuj/more-than-a-miracle-2-f371b835e11c

https://medium.com/@srn.abuj/a-strange-conversation-and-unexpected-outcome-3e7af9e69a63

https://medium.com/@srn.abuj/a-haunting-conversation-c947abb2059a

Sammy RNAJ

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