Amid my search for evidence, I scoured the internet to learn more about how spy services were founded in the United Kingdom, and I discovered that they first used military personnel before establishing a formal organization. With excitement, I investigated if the new intelligence agencies were active during World War I in the territory of modern-day Thailand and what their aims were. I soon received this confirmation that it matched up with my memories. I was surprised to learn of the American involvement in Cuba between the two world wars, as well as the presence of American armed forces in El Cobre, Cuba, where an American businessman exploited a copper mine.
Next, I looked into Trinidad, Cuba, where I’d spent most of our lives together. I was familiar with the location of the house and the road Don Carlos or Richard often used. I was curious if the place and nature was like how I remembered it. I looked at photos from the Trinidad area, the Caribbean Sea shore, and the greenery particularly struck me as familiar. Near Trinidad, there is also the country’s most prominent Santeria centre, where the priests practise magic as it was in the past. It’s probable that this or one of the nearby locations was where Ama took Ana to the priestess.
There were other details I was looking for. The model of Richard’s car, the watch he was wearing on the wrist, and Ana’s father’s pocket-watch. This is how I became aware that wrist watches had become something novel in that era. They were extremely rare and expensive. Richard’s predilection for rarities and technology was just as I had imagined. Another surprise was Richard’s revolver: the specifics I observed about the pistol with which he killed himself, and the fact that I was able to identify the model as the Colt Single Action Army.
There were many details I was frantically trying to prove to myself. But I was trying to prove myself wrong, and I kept wanting more confirmation.
However, none of these discoveries left as much of an impression on me as the torture museum in Toledo. In 2022, I went to Madrid and spent one day exploring Toledo, Avila, and Segovia. I was in a rush, and only had an hour free, and wanted to get as many things done as possible. I visited the museum. Although I am against firearms and violence of any type, I convinced myself that history must be known. The place was incredibly small. I paid and walked a few meters when, all of a sudden, an exhibit behind a glass window caught my eye.
I must have spent at least ten minutes in front of the exhibit. It was a striking confirmation. I saw the equipment Richard had talked about, which was used on him when he was deployed in Thailand. It was remarkably identical to his description. The shock stayed with me for a few days until I recovered. In 2022, I considered the chapter closed, while other past lives remained open and raising questions. But the past followed me.
