Archie of Outlandish

by Lynnette Kraft

  When he was finished typing, he put the article in a folder labeled Articles To Be Submitted, and because he felt a little wiped out from the mental effort and still had a couple of hours before he was supposed to meet Tallie, he, too, decided to take a nap.

  Archie was prone to strange dreams, but the one he had while taking his nap left him feeling troubled.

  In his dream, he was standing on the beach near the water, and his feet were just beginning to get wet. He could see an enormous wave coming and knew it was going to cover him entirely, but he couldn’t move away. It was as though the sand had turned to putty and his feet were firmly stuck. He tried to yell for help, but his voice was only a whisper, and no one could hear him.

  The wave was growing to an enormous size, but it was moving toward him in slow motion, and somehow it gave him a feeling of hope for being rescued. He tried his voice again, but it was still quiet. He tried to free his feet from the thick sand, but they were still stuck. His heart began to race, and he looked down and watched his chest move to the rhythm of his heartbeat.

  He looked up and saw Tallie on the stairs of the beach waving to him. She was laughing, but he could tell it wasn’t at his predicament. It was as if she didn’t realize what was about to hit him, and she seemed to be happy about leaving him there. He tried to yell to her, but his voice barely reached his own ears.

  “Tallie! Don’t leave! I neeeeed yoooou!” was his whispered cry.

  The fear subsided for a moment as the grief of Tallie leaving penetrated his heart. It was broken in a way it had never been broken before. His chest felt heavy. He pressed his hands against it trying to relieve the pain.

  The wave suddenly crashed against him and pulled him into the water. Archie’s umbrella went flying, so he instinctively covered his head with his arms. His body was thrown around in the water. The panic that struck was a familiar feeling to him and because of that, he told himself to breathe through it, but with the element of water added to the panic, he found it impossible to recover. Every time he attempted to breathe in a pattern, he was pulled back underneath the water.

  With the water covering him, he tried to swim underneath it, but everything was black, and he didn’t know which direction he swam. He continued to fight, making no headway, but then he heard a loud, commanding voice say, “Have courage,” and without any effort at all he was instantly standing away from the water with his umbrella above him. He was dry, no longer struggling. Tallie was no longer waving, but he could still see her, and she was walking away from him. Somehow he knew she was smiling, and it hurt him.

  He reached toward her with one arm, and it stretched all the way across the beach and to the stairs, but she was still beyond his reach.

  Archie yelled, “Tallie!” and it was the first time his voice worked, but then he awoke, realizing he’d said it out loud. His hand was stretched out, pushing against the canopy of his bed.

  He was left with a version of the panic he felt in his dream and also with a deep sadness over Tallie leaving him. He lay still, trying to recall the dream, but when he glanced the direction of the clock, he remembered his dinner with Tallie.

  He hurried out of bed, quickly changed his clothes, and rushed out the door at five minutes till seven.

  Archie was a little late and still working on his mood after his dream, but when he arrived at The Lupine, Tallie wasn’t there. He considered going in to see if she was waiting inside, but then she came through the door in a hurry.

  She was still pulling on her sweater when she said, “I’m so sorry, Archibald! I didn’t realize how exhausted I was. I slept way too long!”

  Archie laughed, realizing their time together must have done them both in. “That’s all right. I actually just arrived myself.”

  “Are you as hungry as I am?” she asked.

  “At least. Where would you like to go?”

  “Your mother’s food sounds delicious. And I’m sure it’s the best anyway.”

  “Well, of course. She’s not working tonight, but she’s trained her cooks well.”

  “Great. I’ll try other places while I’m here, I promise, but as tired as I still am, your cozy little table back in the corner of the restaurant sounds perfect.”

  They didn’t talk much as they walked up the short cliff to Flavors of the Earth, and after seating themselves and ordering, they seemed to be having trouble striking up a conversation.

  Tallie finally asked, “Are you all right?”

  Archie perked up as much as he could. “Yes. I’m fine.”

  “You just seem a little unlike yourself tonight.”

  “I am a little out of sorts, but I’m sure I’ll snap out of it.”

  “Are you sure? Did something happen?”

  Archie hesitated and Tallie persisted. “If you need to talk . . . ?”

  Archie sighed. “Your mention of a nap earlier must have predisposed me to one, because when I was finished writing my article, I went to sleep. I slept much too long and had to rush to meet you. I don’t think I’ve quite perked up. That’s all.”

  Tallie laughed. “How funny. We must have worn each other out today!”

  “Though I’m not sure why,” Archie said with a chuckle. “All we did was eat and walk.”

  “We walked for a long time,” said Tallie. “But you forgot to mention all the talking. Talking that much is exhausting.”

  Taft, who was waiting tables that night, brought Archie and Tallie their salads and topped them with freshly ground black pepper. Before walking away he said, “The rest will be out soon, dudes. Enjoy!”

  Tallie laughed. “Did he just call me ‘dude’?”

  Archie was staring out the window and didn’t respond.

  Tallie looked at him seriously. “Okay. You’re not just tired. Something is wrong. What is it?”

  Archie raised his eyebrows and shook his head a little.

  “I mean, unless it’s too personal to talk about.”

  Archie was surprised how at ease he felt around Tallie. He felt like he’d known her forever. “It was just a dream,” he said. “I’m having a little trouble shaking it off. It was so strange.”

  “How? What was it about?” she asked.

  “I was on the beach with my umbrella, and I couldn’t move from the spot I was standing in. I tried to get away when I saw a huge wave coming, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t move. It eventually smothered me and I lost my umbrella, which sent me into a panic, even in my dream.”

  “Oh, wow,” Tallie interjected. “That sounds terrifying.”

  “It was.”

  “Was that it?” Tallie asked.

  Archie tried to figure out how he could either avoid the question or give her an answer without it being the whole answer. He didn’t want to lie, but the thought did cross his mind. He sat quietly trying to decide what to do.

  “You don’t have to tell me,” Tallie said. “I’m not trying to pry or bring it all back. I just wanted to see if I could help.”

  “Thank you,” he said. “May I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Why do you work with Ms. Perrelli? Is it just to learn photography or is it something else?”

  Tallie looked thoughtful but didn’t answer immediately.

  Suddenly feeling insecure about his question, Archie added, “Is that too nosy to ask? I don’t mean to pry either.”

  “No,” said Tallie. “I’m just trying to come up with an honest answer. I haven’t ever really thought much about it.”

  Archie surprised himself by asking, “Does she not drive you crazy?”

  Tallie knew how Archie felt about Gemma, but she was a little surprised to hear him say it so plainly.

  “No, not exactly crazy,” she said. “I mean, she is a little domineering.”

  Archie seemed agitated. “A little? What is
it like when you’re working together? Does she treat you with respect and let you do things your own way, or do you feel obligated to do everything she says?”

  “Well, if I’m being completely honest, she does actually drive me a little crazy. That’s why I’m here. I really needed to get away so I could think for myself. I do think she’s only trying to be helpful, well . . . mostly, but sometimes she tries to get involved in my personal life and even mocks me for some of the decisions I make. I really do want her help with photography, but . . . well, she’s even trying to keep me away from . . .”

  Tallie stopped, and Archie said, “From me?”

  Tallie hesitated, and Archie said, “It’s true, isn’t it?”

  She nodded, and Archie asked, “Does she tell you why?”

  “No,” said Tallie. “That’s what I don’t understand. When I ask her why, she won’t give me an answer. She just keeps telling me I need to stay focused and if I really want to be a photographer, I need to find success before I . . . well, you know.”

  “Do you agree with her?” asked Archie.

  “I don’t know,” said Tallie. “Her success is a little intimidating. I don’t want to screw things up. I guess I feel like I have to do what she recommends or she might dump me. With my mom gone, I don’t want this opportunity to go away. I don’t want to end up back in Kansas City working as a waitress. I can’t live like that forever, Archibald.”

  Archie looked at Tallie sympathetically. “You’re a little scared about your future, aren’t you?”

  Tallie felt her eyes well up so she quickly looked away.

  “I’m sorry,” said Archie. “Should we talk about something else?”

  Tallie was trying to hold back tears when she said, “No, you’re right. I am afraid. I’m afraid I’ll end up alone, and that I’ll have nothing. I don’t have anyone, Archibald. You’re so blessed to have your parents. To have Gemma take an interest in me gives me a boost of confidence and gives me hope that I might at least find a way to be by myself without needing to depend on anyone else.”

  Archie nodded. “That makes perfect sense.”

  Tallie wiped her eyes.

  “You’re not alone, Tallie. I do have wonderful and supportive parents, but I want the same thing as you do. I’m trying to find my own way, to have something of my own. I’m still trying to figure out what that is. I do have my family to lean on, and maybe that makes my situation a little less upsetting, but I know there is more for me and honestly, I’m on my own search to find it. I suppose we just take one day at a time and see where it leads us?”

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  Archie shifted in his chair. “I do want to ask you something though.”

  “What?” asked Tallie.

  “What do you know about Gemma Perrelli’s past?”

  “Not much,” said Tallie. “I haven’t really asked her anything about it.”

  “You didn’t know she went to college to study horticulture?”

  Tallie was surprised. “No! Really? How do you know that?”

  “She told me,” Archie answered. “It’s very interesting she told me and she hasn’t mentioned it at all to you.”

  “Weird,” said Tallie. “Why didn’t she keep studying horticulture?”

  “She met a guy during that time who taught her photography. She didn’t say it was romantic, but I’m guessing it was. She won a prestigious competition, which led to her accidental success, and she dropped out of college to follow that success. I imagine she’s advising you against getting to know me better because she’s hoping to keep you from making the same mistake.”

  Before Tallie could respond, Taft brought their meals to the table. “Clam chowder for the lady,” he said putting the bowl in front of Tallie, “and shrimp and scallops for Arch, my man.”

  They both thanked Taft and went back to their conversation.

  “But why? She doesn’t care about me. Why would my life matter to her?”

  “It may not so much,” said Archie. “She might be doing it for her own satisfaction. I didn’t mention it before, but she wanted to do, as she put it, a little experiment with me.”

  “What do you mean? What kind of experiment?” asked Tallie.

  “One that would hopefully cure me of my need for an umbrella. I told her I wasn’t interested, but she was unrelenting. Eventually I just had to walk away.”

  “Weird,” said Tallie.

  “It is,” Archie said. “I think her dissatisfaction with her own life has put her on a search for fulfillment, and since she hasn’t found it personally, she might be hoping to get it another way.”

  “I remember you mentioning that last time I was here. Did she tell you she wasn’t satisfied?”

  “In a roundabout way she did. She said she’d grown up watching everyone around her reach a place of discontentment, as though they’d lost something. She admitted she’d lost it as well. She said she liked the enthusiasm of young people and that was why she was working with you.”

  “That kind of makes me feel sorry for her, but it kind of freaks me out a little bit, too.”

  “Just be careful,” said Archie. “Please don’t let her control your life. Make your own decisions. All right?”

  Tallie nodded. “Yeah, I will.”

  14

  Archie intended to work while Tallie was in Outlandish, but the reality was, while Tallie was with him, he wanted nothing more than to be with her.

  She only had two more days in Outlandish, and they’d done just about everything Archie could think of. They’d watched the Pindabrooks perform their spectacular magic show twice, and enjoyed coffee with Luke. They had also visited all of the shops in Outlandish so Tallie could buy a few souvenirs before she went home. They watched a musical called Margaret and the Enchanted Lipstick at the dinner theater, as well as ate all the best (or at least most interesting) food in Outlandish. They spent their evenings on the beach so Tallie could photograph the sunsets and even toured Outlandish on a carriage pulled behind a black, hairy-footed Shire horse.

  Other than walking under Archie’s umbrella together, neither Archie nor Tallie had shown any physical attention to one another, except for subtle nuances of growing affection. They were getting along marvelously, and they were also both pretty certain the other wouldn’t have minded holding hands or something of that nature, but because Archie was cautious and Tallie wasn’t willing to put their friendship on the line, they both exercised impressive self-control.

  Tallie had just had lunch with Archie’s family out on the same porch that held his mother’s herbs. They’d eaten pasta salad and lemon poppy-seed bread, and Archie’s mother had just served them tea.

  As they sat around the table, Tallie asked Annella, “How many different varieties of herbs do you have? I can’t believe how good it smells out here.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” she answered, “I’ve lost count by now. I just keep adding more and more.”

  “What herb do you use the most?”

  “Parsley. Definitely. Although I do use more than one variety.”

  “I didn’t know there was more than one variety. What types of food do you use it on?” asked Tallie.

  “Almost everything. It goes well with fish, steak, chicken, lamb, vegetables . . .”

  “I wish I could cook,” admitted Tallie. “I only know how to make very basic things.”

  “I would love to spend some time with you in the kitchen,” said Annella. “If you ever want to learn, you just let me know. I’ll take you to the restaurant and let you observe for a while and when you’re ready to try your hand at it, I’ll give you some pointers.”

  “Would you? That is so sweet! My mom wasn’t much of a cook and since it was just the two of us, we ate out a lot.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear about your mother, Tallie. It must be so hard for you. If you e
ver need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

  Tallie nodded with a hint of sadness in her expression. Annella reached her hand across the table and took hold of Tallie’s hand with both of hers. “Those aren’t empty words, Tallie. I know I could never even begin to fill that place in your heart, nor would I want to, but if I can ease the pain or be useful in any way, just know I would be happy to try.”

  The lump in Tallie’s throat was too large to speak through, so she just smiled at Annella and let her eyes fill up with tears. It had been a while since anyone had consoled Tallie in her loss, and it felt good to be able to express her sadness over it in front of someone who seemed to sympathize and who wanted to help.

  Archie was quiet but he listened to every word that passed between his mother and Tallie and was emotionally stirred by Tallie’s sorrow. He didn’t know what sort of response would be appropriate. He thought about saying, “I’m sorry,” but wondered if it would be too conventional, especially since he’d already said it. He even contemplated joining one of his hands together with theirs, but quickly decided it would feel strange, even if it were a kind gesture. So he didn’t do anything and later felt sorry for it.

  That evening as Archie and Tallie sat together on the beach waiting for the sun to set, Tallie said, “Archibald, I know you struggled as a child, but were you always happy?”

  “Unquestionably.”

  “Really? You never got bitter or angry at your circumstances?”

  Archie shook his head. “I might have under different circumstances, but my parents never presented it as a viable option. Every single time I complained, they reassured me God didn’t make any mistakes when He offered me life on this earth.”

  “So you accepted it because you felt God allowed it in your life for a reason?”

  “Yes,” he answered. “I was presented to my parents in a somewhat peculiar fashion and nothing could be done to change it, so my resolve was there must be some very good reason for it.”