Discovery

by Douglas E Roff

  Edward steadfastly believed he was correct in his judgement this time. Eventually the family would come to understand that the decision he was making wasn’t just about him, or, for that matter, even the family. It was larger than that and significantly more consequential. The magnitude of getting this decision wrong far outweighed the magnitude of any hurt family feelings.

  Edward knew in his heart that the Gens did, in fact, exist as a species and that the time might be growing short for keeping a lid on that reality. If it came to light uncontrolled and too quickly, the consequences might be both catastrophic and irreversible. He needed time to work through what he could learn, what it meant and all its unalterable ramifications.

  Edward wasn’t worried about hurt feelings or even ostracism from his close-knit family. He was worried about a conflagration so huge, so fundamental to existence on planet Earth that he could not even begin to imagine all its consequences. And he feared, like Beneviste, that, if it came to war, neither side would want to make peace early. It could degenerate into an all-out holocaust, if that was even the correct term to use. Humans, he was aware, didn’t like to share power. Especially with other “lesser” species. It usually ended badly for the other species.

  He sat in his office, took a deep breath and dialed the number for the nice condo on Mercer Island in the great City of Seattle.

  The phone rang once, and Hannah answered, her caller ID lit up with “Dr. Edward St. James”. “Edward, you’re calling awfully late. What’s wrong?”

  “Hi Hannah. Do you have a minute? I need to talk to you. And I need your help. Urgently.”

  Chapter 33

  Adam had just finished a week long business trip to Washington, DC a day early and contemplated his long journey back home to Barrows Bay. Hannah was still in the forefront of his mental state but after long months of unanswered phone calls, emails and her goodbye email, even he had to accept that it was over. He had even tried indirect communication through Hannah’s girlfriends to find out what and how she was doing; he had netted exactly nothing. Hannah had told him it was over and to please honor her wish to stay away. Adam had hoped and wished, much more than he believed, that there was still something left between them. But in that tiny place where we go to confront ourselves with the truth, his truth was clear: it was way past time for him to let go and move on.

  It had been a little over four months since he had been jettisoned by Hannah and he had turned to both his Mom and Cindy for girl advice. They were kind and sensitive to his misery but painfully blunt with him when they needed to be. And, while coming from the ladies, it was still not any easier to hear although it would be significantly easier to accept. He had begun the cold process of thinking about his life with a large piece of what had been “settled” now missing.

  Adam loved his family and rarely got himself into a funk to the point he felt the need to reach out and beg for support. All macho, most of the time, he felt it unmanly to admit a woman could cause him this much pain. But it did, and he was now unsure just how “tough guy” Adam should share his feelings and emotions with his family. The thought of a long flight back to Barrows Bay, followed by sad eyes and questions about “how things were going” would probably drive him mad. He wanted some comfort but not the pity he perceived he would be getting back home. He just wanted the warm comfort of being around the people he loved and away from work for a few days. Adam needed time and space to reflect and gain a new outlook on a new life without Hannah.

  He called Maria, whose advice was to do what his father always did in stressful times – head down to Seattle and spend time with his aunts, uncles and cousins in the Eight Families. Stay a few days, talk to Rafi and stay with tia Aurelia and the girls. They would take care of him and his tias would be working day and night finding him a new girlfriend, whether he wanted one or not. But this time one who they liked and had their seal of approval. Not some rubia from Mercer Island.

  They would cook all his favorite foods and feed him lavishly, spoil him as rotten as permitted by family law and custom, then ask all sorts of nosey personal questions. The tias would listen carefully and with humor and understanding as he responded to their interrogation, then remark about how Hannah could not possibly have been the right one for him. For a broken-hearted Adam, the tias of the Eight Families would be loving and reassuring: it would be all Adam, all the time.

  Adam would then go to Mass with just about everyone in the family on Sunday, so he could see, greet and chat with anyone who had advice for a lovelorn relative. And, when he decided he could leave the warm embrace of his extended family, he would head home to Barrows Bay more healed and feeling better and with things in their proper perspective. Eight Families “therapy” was reputed to be the best in the world, at least according to his Mom and Auntie Aurelia.

  So, he decided to stop in Seattle and spend some time with his extended family: the people he loved most. He told Maria of his plans and she told him that she would arrange all the details; all he had to do was get himself to Seattle and call Aunt Aurelia when he arrived. Maria would take care of everything else while he was wheels up.

  He boarded his plane at Dulles and settled in for a long five-hour flight to Seattle, his other home.

  ***

  Maria’s first call was to Edward, letting him know what had transpired.

  “I assume this is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for, you detestable old man.”

  Edward said, “I have to fulfill a promise I made many years ago and we may now finally be ready to do just that. I think you should call Aurelia and make sure she understands what she and Enrique need to do.”

  “Which is what exactly?”

  “He cannot stay at their place. And everyone else in the Eight Families needs to be busy, out of town or simply no room at the inn. Except for one place and one person.”

  “Are you calling them then?” Maria asked. This was Edward’s long-term project and he finally saw his opening.

  Edward replied, “No, you are. And then Aurelia needs to make all the local calls with the same message. Make sure Rafi understands he is busy and preferably out on a date with his cellphone off. Aurelia cannot take no for an answer and she needs to be firm with family about how important this is to me, to you and Agustin, and especially to Carlos. Will you do that for me?”

  “This is all on you, Edward, and that old felon Carlos. Leave Agustin and me out of the ‘we’. After all your years of scheming, Edward, it finally comes down to this. I hope you know what you’re doing; we love these two kids a lot. At least Adam, anyway. I think I liked it better all those years ago when it was just a ridiculous, implausible future with zero chance of ever being born into the real world.”

  Edward was silent. Then he said, “I know you were never thrilled with this idea and I know you think there must be a better way. But I love them both very deeply and I believe they must be together for all the bad reasons we don’t care to admit. I could never make this happen and I can only do what we have done for the past fifteen years and then step back and see what develops. If nothing, then nothing. If something, it’ll be the biggest wedding the Eight Families have ever seen.”

  “He’s going to find out. You know that don’t you?” Maria constantly worried about the “Edward factor” in her older son’s life. She wasn’t his birth mother but she had been everything to him since he was a toddler of two. It was a constant battle with Edward to keep him from screwing up their son any more than was necessary, given Adam being Adam. Maria believed Adam had experienced a great many challenges in his past and would have many more ahead; he didn’t need Edward’s machinations making things any worse.

  Edward continued, “Of course he will. And I still say it doesn’t matter one way or the other. It really can’t get any worse than it is now between us, Adam and I, and with her it could get a lot better. Time is on our side with both of them. The older they become, the more their more exotic tendencies diminish with
age and time. That’s what the doctors said anyway. So please, let’s just give this little plot a chance and hope for the best.”

  “Risky, risky, risky Edward. This has very little chance of success, at least in the way you want it to turn out.”

  “It has both a zero percent chance and one hundred percent chance of being a miserable failure. Same odds on immeasurable success. All we can do is put them together and let God decide.”

  “So now you’re religious?”

  “If God is listening, then yes I am.”

  ***

  Maria called Aurelia and told her of Edward’s plan, the one he had been baking for so many years. She told her old friend what Edward specifically requested and how he wanted it handled. Aurelia agreed immediately and got right to work.

  “Are you calling Carlos?” Aurelia asked.

  “Edward will call him if he hasn’t already done so. Carlos is aware of what Edward is up to and has gone along with this little scheme for the better part of her entire life. Carlos will be happy, as should we all, I suppose. At least that’s what Edward thinks. I hate to say it, to admit it, but in this case, Edward may be correct. I truly hope this works.”

  ***

  The phone rang, and Enrique Garcia answered it before his wife, Aurelia, could even get into the living room. She had prepped Enrique on his lines and Enrique delivered a warm and sympathetic tone when he spoke to Adam.

  “Tio, I’m glad you’re home. I spoke to Mom and she said you guys could put me up for a few days? Is tia there?”

  “Adam, it’s so good to hear your voice. We’ve missed you and I hear there’s been some mala suerte with your girl.”

  “Yeah, a little, but nuthin’ I can’t handle.” He lied. “I thought if it was OK with you guys, I could spend a few days with you and the girls. Maybe go see Rafi and hang out. Eat some real food and maybe catch a game.”

  “Yes, yes everything is already arranged, and we’ll explain everything when you get here. So, grab your stuff and take a cab here. We’re expecting you, but we have a few things we need to get settled first.”

  “We good?” Adam was always a little suspicious when it came to his Seattle family. They plotted, always with his best interests at heart but not always with his permission. To the tias, permission for them to meddle in his love life was implied from the word “family”.

  “Of course, of course. Just get in a cab and we’ll have everything in order by the time you arrive. The girls are so excited.”

  “Me too.”

  ***

  Adam arrived at the home of his aunt and uncle thirty minutes after his phone call with Enrique. Enrique and Aurelia lived in a nice part of town, along with most of their extended family, leading lives centered on family, the Church and work. Most of the extended family still worked in the family business which had become one of the leading food and dry goods wholesalers to the Mexican-American community in King County and all along the I-5 from Vancouver, Washington to the south to Blaine in the north. The business had been difficult to start, grow and hold on to but they had done so and now led comfortable albeit hectic and busy lives. No member of the Eight Families that needed employment ever went without work.

  Adam walked up the winding sidewalk through the manicured grounds to the front door. An aunt, uncle and two beautiful little girls, both giggling, opened the door, welcoming him inside. Hugs abounded and Adam spent time with each of his little “cousins” telling them how gorgeous they were and had they really grown up so fast without him?

  Enrique said, “Leave your bags at the door, sobrino. Someone is coming over a little later to pick you up.”

  Two little girls giggled in unison, obviously in on the plan. They said nothing, just as they had been instructed.

  “I’m not staying here with you?” Adam was a little disappointed; he loved staying with Aurelia and Enrique. The girls were like his little sisters, staying with Aurelia and Enrique while their parents were traveling and out of town. Adam was always happy around his “little ladies”, never tiring of their company.

  “Sorry, but for this one time only, no. The girls are having their friends over tonight and for the entire weekend. Every inch of this house is or will be occupied by ten little ladies, aged six to nine. So, we had to go to plan B.”

  “Which is?”

  “Which is a big surprise, so ask no more questions. Aurelia has arranged everything with your Mom. And this time the news is good. Very good in fact. So, no worries nephew, you will be very happy with our little surprise.”

  “Which should probably make me really, really nervous.” Adam was suspicious but happy with whatever they had planned for him. Whatever it was, it was all good. It was family.

  “It should, I agree. But when it comes to the women in our family, what choice do we have?”

  “Little. I just expect my favorite uncle to watch out for me. No blind dates or any of that locura, right?”

  “I promise. No nonsense, just family.” Enrique smiled to himself. This was no “blind date”. It was something way better.

  ***

  Adam sat down with his aunt and uncle and the girls as the other ‘little ladies” began to arrive, all family members. His aunts and uncles and a couple of his cousins stopped by while he was waiting but either they knew nothing about his surprise, or more likely, they knew everything and kept totally silent. In either case, mum was the word, and, in his family, secrets were de rigeur. In his extended family, the Eight Families, open secrets may have been bountiful, but confidences were always kept. It both comforted and annoyed him, just as it did back in Barrows Bay. Somehow it was different down here though; it seldom involved his father. Or so he thought.

  What Adam either did not or could not understand was that everything in the Eight Families was connected to his father, for good or for ill. Behind his back, Edward was often called el patron, a term meant to suggest his elevated status among the Eight Families. What it really meant was more like the “Godfather” without the hit men. There was an element of respect, an element of fear and a whole lot of “be careful what you say”. Nobody in the family was ever on Edward’s shit list for long, if ever at all. Edward had what he had always wanted in life: a big, diverse family with lots of children running around everywhere and a bright future ahead for each one of them.

  Edward was intimately involved in the lives of all the kids in the greater family and made sure that whatever future they wished to have would be a future they could have if they worked hard enough and kept to the family guidelines. And he was deeply involved, from the schools they attended to the sports they played, from the grades they earned to the clubs they joined, and he never, ever missed a birthday or a quinceanera. He attended every graduation, high school or college.

  Edward loved everyone in his big family and they mostly loved him. But it wasn’t all happiness and joy, and it could honestly be admitted that there were a few in the family who truly detested Edward and everything he stood for. And, in the Eight Families, these things were voiced out loud and without recrimination. Some had good reason to be careful with Edward and some had good reason to fear him. In the end, it was just family: big, raucous and filled with juicy secrets and even juicier gossip. Some of the gossip might even be true.

  There wasn’t a part of any of family life that Edward didn’t thoroughly enjoy, even when he knew he had caused pain. He made amends and tried to do good things. Beyond that, Edward was simply not emotionally capable. Like his son, Edward trained his rational mind to recognize the emotions and feelings that were common to most of humanity. He didn’t know why he was cursed this way; it was simply a condition of his life he had come to accept.

  ***

  Two hours later, Adam heard a car honking in the driveway. He looked out the window and spotted a young attractive woman in the drivers’ seat of what appeared to be a 1965 Ford Mustang soft top convertible. As she got out of the car and walked toward the front
door, Adam could see she was quite short, maybe 5’1”, with long black hair in a ponytail, held in place with an old Seahawks football cap. She wore red stilettos, making him think she must be even shorter than he thought. But she was smiling. And at him.

  She wore skinny jeans the way they should be worn, and her entire physical presence was complemented by a low-cut crème color silk blouse revealing her more than ample assets and cleavage that was immediately distracting. Her fashionable attire was accented by tasteful gold and diamond jewelry he couldn’t help but notice.

  As she moved closer, he could just begin to see her facial features hidden behind a pair of aviator sunglasses, topped off by the ruby red lipstick she had chosen for the encounter. Her makeup was light and immaculate.

  Adam didn’t immediately recognize the young woman but he was keenly interested in meeting her right away.

  Enrique was now standing beside him, watching this vision of beauty as she slowly approached where they were standing. Tio whispered, “Just remember Adam that when one door closes another one opens up. If you are ready.”

  “Who is this woman, tio? Is she family?”

  “Hard to believe, I know. But that young woman is your little cousin Misti. Misti Alarcon.”

  Chapter 34

  The girl stopped about ten yards from where Adam was standing and said, somewhat indignantly, “You just gonna to stand there and forget your manners, Mister? You don’t remember me, do you? I’m hurt. Very … very … hurt.” But her radiant smile betrayed her. She was far from hurt; she was, instead, delighted.

  “If you mean do I remember the cute little wisp of a girl I used to adore as a child, then no, I don’t see that girl anywhere. And if you mean do I remember a beautiful young lady I last saw when she was about fourteen and so sweet and innocent that I was warned by her Dad not to get any ideas, then no I don’t see that young lady here either. But if you mean do I remember my cousin Misti, who has grown up to be the most stunning and beautiful young woman I have ever met in my entire life, then yes, I do remember her. Is that really you, little girl?”