Golden Glories

by Gerald Lopez

  Chip giggled in response, and I playfully messed up his dark hair.

  As we walked in the trailer I talked to Chip. “Did you have plenty of ice cream on that big boat?”

  “I had two scoops of vanilla with choc-late… chokaa…. Choclate stuff on top, whipped cream, and sprinkles.”

  “What, no cherry?” Alex said.

  “Yeah—I mean no!” Chip said. “I had two cherries on top.”

  “That’s remarkable,” Alex said.

  Chip giggled some more, then reached out to Alex, who took him from me. As the two hugged, I looked around the very cramped and full trailer. There were boxes everywhere.

  Jorri walked into the room and greeted us. “Please excuse this mess. It’s all the things that survived from the shop. Would you believe I can’t even find a storage unit to rent on the key? I’m waiting for the store to deliver and put up a storage shed I ordered. My boyfriend, the model, would have a fit if he saw this place the way it is now.”

  “I’m sure you’d find a way to distract him,” I said.

  “Guys, come on back,” Charity said from a room to the right.

  We went down a narrow hallway to a large room. There were dresses hanging from every available knob or surface, even the fan and the metal railing between the four posts of the bed. Charity was holding out one dress and looking at it, while she wore a blue, sequined minidress and heels.

  “No way,” I said. “You’re not going out in those heels.”

  “Don’t worry macho man, boss,” Charity said. “Uncle Jorri just wanted to see how I Looked in this getup. I already told him it wouldn’t be practical.”

  “Charity, isn’t it dangerous for the babies if you get too… umm… scared or tossed around?” I said, trying to be considerate, delicate, and not too pushy.

  “New daddies-to-be are so cute, aren’t they, Sassy?” Charity said.

  “I don’t know about all that,” Sassy said. “I’d have words for Layton if he weren’t at least a little bit right. God only knows if a ghost can affect a fetus.”

  “I don’t intend to find out,” Charity said. “I’m planning to stay far away from any of that sort of action.”

  “Even I’m relieved to hear that,” Alex said.

  “I’m planning to let Sassy be the glamour girl tonight,” Charity said. “I’ve already picked out a simple slip dress with sequined flat shoes.”

  “Save the heels for your uncle,” I said, then chuckled.

  “Shit, what do you think I am—crazy?” Jorri said. “I’ll be wearing my gold, sequined high top sneakers. I’m too old for heels, I’d break my neck.”

  “Your model boyfriend wouldn’t like that,” I said, having spotted a large poster of a handsome dark-haired male in his underwear.

  “That’s my man you’re staring at,“ Jorri said. “Don’t go getting any ideas.”

  “No, Sir,” I said. “I’m just looking on in appreciation of God’s handiwork.”

  We spoke some more, then went our separate ways. Sassy and Charity stayed with Jorri in his trailer, while Bean showed us to a big hammock under the trees right by the beach.

  “Now this is a piece of Heaven,” Alex said.

  “What is it?” Chip said.

  “It’s a hammock,” Alex said, then slipped off his flip-flops and got in the hammock.

  “Next,” I said, then picked up Chip and put him in the hammock next to Alex before getting in beside him.

  “I’ll be going then,” Bean said.

  “Wait,” Chip said. “Show me another trick.”

  “OK, but just one more,” Bean said.

  Bean sat on the sand, raised his legs, then put them over his head. He then began walking on his hands back toward the pavilion, but first he waved bye. Chip giggled and Alex and I applauded.

  “This hammock is neat,” Chip said. “It’s swinging!”

  “That’s what hammocks do,” Alex said. “This is so nice.”

  I couldn’t help but feel the same way. It was a beautiful day, in an ideal setting, and I actually was getting sleepy again—must’ve been all the food I ate.

  My eyes had just closed when a gentle breeze woke me.

  Chapter 27

  Bliss

  “THAT WAS JUST a normal breeze,” Alex said. “No ghosts.”

  “I’m relieved to hear that,” I said.

  “So am I,” Chip said.

  “Are you gonna be staying here with us now, buddy?” I said to Chip.

  “No,” Chip said, and scratched his knee. “Me and the other kids are gonna be staying in the chapel.”

  “The chapel?” I said, then turned to Alex, who shrugged.

  “Daddy says that us kids will be safe there while he hunts for treasure with you,” Chip said.

  “OK,” I said.

  “You three are finally awake,” Charity said, as she walked over to us. “Don’t you look comfy.”

  She had changed into a lightweight, semi-sheer caftan in shades of blue and green with small, scattered sequins.

  “We’re not the only ones who look more comfortable,” Alex said.

  “I’ve opted for ease and comfort for the rest of the day and night,” Charity said. “And I can wear my bathing suit underneath.”

  “Why would you want to?” I said. “Are you planning on going swimming tonight?”

  “We are going to be on the water at some point,” Charity said, “at least I’ll be ready with my swimsuit.”

  I was about to say something, but thought better of it. “Do you know anything about the kids going to a chapel as a safe place?”

  “Forrest has arranged for the schoolkids and their parents to stay at the chapel downtown, come sundown,” Charity said.

  “When Forrest takes the lil guy here, I want to see the place,” I said. “I don’t remember seeing a chapel.”

  “Neither do I,” Alex said.

  “It’s little like me,” Chip said.

  We all chuckled.

  “The chapel is not on the main street, it’s a block to the left of it,” Charity said. “It’s beginning to get late. Do you guys need to change clothes or anything?”

  “You tell us,” Alex said. “How do we need to dress for Poppy’s chicken place?”

  “It’s a very casual eating establishment,” Charity said. “What you’re wearing is fine if you don’t want to change. Oh, I didn’t tell you something. Lily May has agreed to stay at the hotel with her mother.”

  “Thank God for that,” I said. “She can’t be giving birth on top of a bench or some other crazy place.”

  “How close is she to having the baby?” Alex said. “I thought women could be in labor for several hours. And she’s not actually in labor yet, is she?”

  “She’s very close,” Charity said. “Her water broke, and that’s not a small thing. Her mother is concerned that anything could trigger labor.”

  “Like I said, thank God Lily May will be staying at the hotel,” I said.

  “But she did insist that Diesel go to Poppy’s tonight,” Charity said.

  “That shouldn’t be a problem,” I said, then tickled a squirmy Chip.

  “I wanna go on the treasure hunt,” Chip said, in between giggles.

  “What did Daddy Forrest say about that?” Alex said.

  “He said ‘no way’,” Chip said, then laughed. “But you could say yes.”

  “Oh no,” Alex said. “You’re not getting me or Daddy Layton in trouble.”

  “You’re big,” Chip said. “You can’t get in trouble.”

  “Yes we can,” Alex said. “Daddy Forrest is bigger than me, he might tackle me down.”

  That last comment made Chip laugh his head off.

  “Uh-oh,” Chip said.

  “What’s wrong?” I said.

  “I laughed so much I have to go piddle,” Chip said.

  “I’ll take him,” Alex said, then got up.

  Charity got in the hammock next to me once Alex and Chip had gone.

  �
�How’s it going?” Charity said. “Having fun yet?”

  “Tons,” I said. “I’m overdoing it on the nervous dad-to-be front, aren’t I?”

  “Not really,” Charity said. “Especially when compared to some.”

  “Is Linus bad about it?” I said.

  “He watched me like a hawk when I was a surrogate for a couple we knew,” Charity said.

  “Was he right to?” I said. “Did you give him a reason to keep an eye on you?”

  She laid her head against my chest before replying.

  “I might’ve been overdoing it a bit.”

  “Well, if it was just a bit,” I said, then smiled.

  “It may have been slightly more,” Charity said. “I suppose I shouldn’t have been cleaning the house when I was seven months pregnant.”

  “Probably not,” I said, then changed the subject. “What’s your opinion on The Organization?”

  “My parents do more work with them than I ever have,” Charity said. “That’s why Miss Lucy didn’t know whether or not to trust me at first.” She chuckled. “It wasn’t very nice of me to feed her such nutritious food that her tummy got upset.”

  We both laughed before Charity continued. “Uncle Jorri told me what Granny said about The Organization.”

  “And?” I said.

  “And she merely repeated what The Organization wanted her to believe,” Charity said. “Some of her story is true—the part of her daughter and husband. The flea bug creatures are also unfortunately very real.”

  “What about the rest of Granny’s account? More importantly, the fact she’s not allowed to see her daughter, or even know where she is currently located.”

  “Granny had bad timing,” Charity said. “A doctor I know was working with the team seeing to Granny’s daughter. They’d already determined that the daughter and medics working with her had to be quarantined.”

  “Quarantined? Why? Did the fleas get on the nurses and doctors?”

  “No, thank God. There’s another reason for the quarantine. The Organization can’t figure out how to kill the fleas, or even halt them long enough to help Granny’s daughter.”

  “They’re trying to make sure those fleas don’t get loose,” I said.

  “Exactly, and they’re prepared to let Granny believe they’re the bad guys.”

  “All of that makes sense,” I said, “but not allowing Granny see her daughter—actually I don’t know what to think. But if the facility where they’re holding Granny’s daughter is secure, then why not let Granny see her.”

  “I’ve been told they plan to let Granny know where her daughter is, once they’re completely settled in, which should be soon.”

  “They must know about the so-called traitors and bribes. Or have they arranged for all of that to happen?”

  Charity smiled. “Having Granny pay bribes keeps her at bay until they’re ready for her to reunite with her daughter.”

  “Clever. Will she get her money back?”

  “It’s being held in a special account for her,” Charity said. “An account under her or rather ‘his’ real name. And no, I don’t know his name.”

  “So, The Organization really is a good group. Their reason for holding Granny’s daughter makes sense. It’s yet another way of them keeping the world safe. I’ll have to tell Alex, Forrest, and the others when I get a chance.”

  “It would probably be good if you do,” Charity said. “We don’t want them getting the wrong impression of The Organization.”

  “No, we can’t have that,” I said.

  “Layton, I don’t want you to worry about The Organization and Chip, Bogie, and Antoinette. It’s routine for them to keep an eye on anyone—child or adult whose been exposed to supernatural energies. For their own safety as well as the world’s.”

  “That makes sense too, I guess. Can’t have power mad six-year-olds or nine-year-olds with supernatural powers hurting themselves while trying to take over the world.” I chuckled, then changed the topic to a more pleasant one. “I really like this key, we’ll have to come back soon for a more leisurely visit.”

  “Won’t you miss the excitement of dealing with ghosts and giant chickens?”

  “In a word, no.”

  When Alex and Chip returned, Forrest was with them.

  “Lying down on the job?” Forrest said, then smiled and got into the hammock next to me. “What a day.”

  “I should think,” I said. “And the night is yet to come.”

  “We’ve got to get Chipper to the chapel before that,” Forrest said, “and Alex tells me that you two want to tag along.”

  “We do,” I said. “It’s still early, though. Time to make sure our ‘soldiers’ are ready to get into position.”

  “Remember they’re just college kids and retirees,” Forrest said. “Take it easy on them, boss.”

  “No way,” I said. “Charity, do me a favor and fill Forrest and Alex in on The Organization and Granny situation.”

  “OK,” Charity said.

  “Don’t take too long,” Forrest said. “We leave to take Chip to the chapel in fifteen minutes.”

  “No problem, Dad,” I said.

  Chip laughed then spoke. “He’s not your daddy.”

  “Maybe not but he acts like he is sometimes,” I said.

  Getting up from the hammock, I left to check on the boy nuns and the others. I didn’t have far to go as they were all waiting in the pavilion.

  “Don’t worry,” Sister Joe said. “We’re all ready to get into position.”

  “Sister Joe, you even manage to make that sound dirty,” Sister Mack said.

  “I’ll swing by and visit all of you after I’ve seen the chapel, and before I go to Poppy’s,” I said. “Keep your guards up, things will probably get sticky.”

  “Just the way I like it,” Sister Joe said.

  “Somebody needs to get laid,” Bean said.

  “He needed it badly as in three days before yesterday—or whatever,” Randall said.

  “Oh yeah,” I said. “Let me fill you in on some news I heard that absolutely cannot be shared with Granny or the kids.”

  They all listened while I shared what Charity had told me about The Organization and Granny.

  “It’s kind of a relief to hear all of that,” Sister Mack said.

  “Yeah,” Sister Joe said. “It sounds like they really are the good guys.”“

  “Yes it does,” Nikki said. “But enough talking, we’ve got a schedule to keep to. Julio already left to pick up Antoinette and Bogie. I just have to change and freshen my face before leaving for Poppy’s. I’ll be sure to secure a table or two for us.”

  “Thanks,” I said.

  After a few minutes, I left them and walked back toward the hammock. Hearing what Charity said earlier about The Organization made me feel better. Surprisingly enough I wasn’t really on edge about anything. There was no predicting what would happen tonight. We’d just have to roll with it, and pray for the best outcome no matter what monsters we might face.”

  Chapter 28

  Holy Moly

  “WHERE HAVE ALL the people gone?” I said, as Forrest drove me, Alex, and Chip to the chapel in Jorri’s golf cart.

  “A lot of the downtown restaurants are having early bird dinner specials starting about now,” Forrest said.

  “But, it’s still fairly early,” I said.

  “It’s supposed to get dark between six thirty and seven,” Alex said. “And some people may be having a late lunch, or they could be taking naps somewhere. We’ve certainly been napping a lot. Dealing with those ghosts wore me out.”

  “And I have a bad feeling that so far we’ve just been toyed with, and haven’t seen just how bad things can get,” I said.

  I leaned back in my seat and put my bare foot on the dashboard for a minute.

  “Layton, you certainly look laid back,” Forrest said.

  “I’ve got no worries,” I said. “Chip will protect me.”

  Everyone ch
uckled. Chip told us about his time on the yacht and gave us details about the incredible ice cream bar, as we headed to our destination.

  “It’s not very big,” Alex said when Forrest parked in front of the small chapel.

  “Haven’t you heard by now that it’s not all about size?” Forrest said, then smiled.

  “Ha, ha,” Alex said, then began snapping pictures.

  There was a tiny cemetery in front with raised crypts. but only two trees in the mostly cement front yard. The building was a tiny, stand alone chapel with a stucco exterior. It wasn’t quite two-stories tall—more like one and a half with a flat roof.

  “This place looks scary,” Chip said.

  “Nah,” I said. “It looks cool I think, so does Daddy Alex—look at all the pictures he’s taking.”

  “OK,” Chip said. “But what if the ghosts come here?”

  “You’ve got your phone,” Forrest said. “Call me, and one of us will come running.”

  “I wanna go with you, Daddy,” Chip said, then leaned over from the back seat and hugged Forrest’s neck.

  It was sweet and a little heartbreaking… poor kid.

  We got out of the golf cart, and walked through an old, squeaky, metal gate into the cemetery. The cement on the crypts was broken off in places and looked old. The dates on them confirmed that they were indeed old.

  “I think only the Shiloh Key’s founders or high-ups from the old days are buried here,” Alex said. “There’s not enough room for anyone else.”

  Chip was holding Forrest’s hand, and he reached over and held mine.

  “Can’t you stay with me, Daddy Layton?” Chip said.

  “Aw, I would, buddy,” I said, “but Daddy Forrest needs my help, and Daddy Alex’s too.”

  “OK,” Chip said. “I’ll be brave.”

  “I know you will,” I said, then picked him up and hugged him.

  When we walked into the chapel, I was still holding Chip in my arms. He had his small arms around my neck.

  The chapel was dark, its stone walls stained by years of incense and candles. Lit candles were all over the inside, and the heavy scent of incense filled the space. Sitting in the front pews were several children Chip’s age, along with their parents. A smiling middle-aged priest walked up to us and said hello.