by Jerry Cole
“Do you need me to send you any money?”
“Patos… Dr. Kaliki is arranging everything for the burial. Maybe when you get here, but for now, we’re okay. Do you think you’ll be able to come?”
“I’ll make sure I can. Don’t worry. I’ve got a concert commitment here in Sydney tomorrow night, then I’ll come straight home.” Then Ness asked, “Where is he now?”
“Here at the house. Tanis and Rhea are preparing the body. We’re planning the burial for three days from now. Will that give you enough time?”
“It should. And how are you holding up?”
Kori laughed slightly, “Oh, you know me. Stalwart, I believe it’s called. Someone has to hold everything together and get done what needs to be done.”
“Well, know my thoughts and love are with you all. Please tell the sisters I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
“Oh, I have to—the casket maker’s here for measurements.”
“I’ll stay at the hotel again, no need to worry about me. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Bye.” Ness immediately called Philippe. “Philippe, it’s Ness.”
“Oh hi, sorry for the mix up with the schedule, but must be nice to have a day off.”
“Philippe, listen, please. I have to let you know my father’s just died, and I need to go home directly after the concert tomorrow night. Could you please arrange the travel?” There was silence at Philippe’s end. “Philippe, did you hear me?”
“I’m sorry, Ness, you caught me completely off guard.”
“Can you please arrange the travel?” Ness asked again.
Philippe seemed to hesitate. “Ness, the tour… this is a terrible time.”
“Yes, and it’s a terrible time for me too.”
“I don’t see how…”
“Philippe, this is not a request. I am not going to miss my father’s funeral.” Ness began pacing the room.
“I understand. Of course. When do you expect to be back?”
“Probably three or four days after I get there,” Ness said. “Now, will you please make the arrangements?”
“Yes.”
“Text me when you have the details.”
“But you are going to play the concert tomorrow?”
“I said I would. And make the earliest reservation possible after the concert. I don’t mind a red eye flight.”
“Sorry about your dad, Ness, truly. I’ll text you the details.”
Ness sat on the edge of the bed and put his head in his hands and breathed deeply for a few moments. Then he picked up the phone again and called Darren.
“Ness, didn’t expect to hear from you again today. Thank you for the message about the song you’re working on. How’s it going?”
“Darren, I just got a call from Kori. Papa died,” he said, as evenly as he could, as the reality was only now beginning to sink in.
“Oh babe, I am so sorry. Truly sorry. Your father was such a sweet man. I liked him a lot.”
“And he liked you.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Is there any chance you could come to the funeral? It would mean a lot to all of us.”
“When it is?”
“Monday. I’m staying at the Idris Hotel, and you could stay with me.”
“Of course, I’ll come. Let me make some reservations and I’ll get back to you right away.”
“Thank you, Darren. I so look forward to seeing you. I just wish it was under different circumstances.”
“Me too, babe. I’ll be in touch.”
***
Darren stood holding his phone. He wasn’t quite sure what to do next. He needed to make travel reservations but he wanted to speak to his mother first.
It was almost time for Thanksgiving dinner. Not the best time to be dealing with this, but he found his mother in the kitchen talking to Cook. He went over to her.
“Mom…”
She turned to him. “Yes, dear?”
“I just had a call from Ness. His father has just died, and I’m going to the funeral.”
Loretta put her hand on Darren’s chest and rubbed in circles. “Oh, I am so sorry to hear that.”
“I’ve got to make reservations immediately. I may be a little late for dinner.”
“That’s okay. Why don’t you call Margarete? She arranges all my travel, and it will make it a lot easier.”
“I can’t call her on Thanksgiving. That wouldn’t be very nice.”
“Don’t you worry about that. She’s accustomed to all sorts of strange and inconvenient requests, and she will be happy to do it for you. She works from home, so it’s not that much of an inconvenience.”
Darren put his hand on his mom’s cheek. “Thanks, Mom.”
“You’ll find her number in the rolodex on my desk. It’s under Elite Travel.”
Capable Margarete was able to make all the reservations first class and called Darren back with the details just before the pumpkin pie.
Darren called Ness, sitting at his mother’s desk with the printed flight details before him. “I’m all set. I arrive on Crete Sunday afternoon just after four. Where shall I meet you?”
“I’ll meet you at the airport. Text me your fight information.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to take you from your family.”
“It’s fine. I’ll be ready for a break from them by then.” He chuckled slightly.
“I’ll see you then.”
***
The family home began to empty of funeral guests the evening after the burial. Kori and the sisters were busy winding down the funeral dinner. There had been too many mourners to sit at the table, so the food had been served buffet style, with the guests wandering around the compound.
Both Ness and Darren were exhausted by jetlag and the pressures of the funeral activities. Ness took Kori aside. “We’re beat, and we have early flights in the morning.”
“You should go. We can handle everything now,” Kori said as she gave Ness a kiss on the cheek. “You won’t forget us now, will you?”
“Of course not, but I will be tied up with the tour for a while. It may be some time before I can come back.”
“We understand,” Kori said wistfully.
Ness leaned closer. “How are things going with the doctor? Will I be coming back for a wedding soon?”
Kori smiled shyly, “Perhaps. But if it will get you back here any sooner, I can hurry things along.”
Ness laughed. “You know I’ll come whenever I can. And just so you know, Darren beats me up too because we don’t see each other enough. So it’s not just you.”
He gave her a hug. Then he fetched Darren and they said their good-byes to the other sisters. Ness took out his phone and called his driver.
“We’re ready to go to the hotel now, please.”
Darren looked haggard. Ness took his arm and led him outside to the courtyard to wait for the car. A biting breeze was coming off the sea. Darren pulled the collar of his jacket up around his neck.
“Aren’t you cold?” Darren asked Ness.
“Nah, I’m used to this. We’re tough old birds, we Greeks.”
When the car arrived, Ness took a last fond look at his family home. He realized things were changing, and his old life would be gone for forever. With his father deceased, Kori would move on and perhaps the other sisters too. There were bound to be boyfriends out there who would soon be proposing marriage. But surely someone would want to use the family home.
Back at the hotel, Ness and Darren silently changed for bed. Each was lost in his own thoughts. Before falling asleep, they lay in bed facing each other. Darren put his arm over Ness and drew him closer. “We come. We go. So little time.”
At first, Ness didn’t respond, then he asked, “Would you like to hear what I’ve written of your song?” Ness asked.
Darren nodded.
Ness sang softly, “You kiss my eyes and empty me of fear. / In my arms, you are everything that’s dear. / There is the light of su
n and the light of moon. / But in your light, my light is brighter than the brightest noon.” He smiled. “That’s all for now. I’m still working out the chords. More lyrics to follow.”
Darren leaned in and kissed Ness on the cheek. “Thank you, it’s lovely. I can’t wait for the rest.”
“I probably won’t see you for a while again,” Ness said. “Time is moving fast toward the tour. We’ve lost a number of days with the funeral, and once we launch in London, it’s going to be non-stop for the next eight months.”
Darren shifted and pulled his arms back, crossing them on his chest. “I’ve been thinking a lot about my life lately. I’ve got to make changes. I’m stagnant. I want to shake things up. Tyler, you, me, my teaching, the water project—everything. It’s not working.”
“What are you thinking of doing?”
“I’m thinking of moving to New York City. It can be easier for us to meet, or for me to travel. I’ll be closer to Tyler. I can focus on the water project. It just makes sense.”
Ness asked, “And your teaching?”
“Gone. Done. Over with.”
“That’s a radical change, Darren. And what if things don’t work out the way you want?”
“Then I’ll think again. But one can’t hesitate out of fear. I’ve got to try and reach for what I want. And what I want is for you to be a part of my new life.”
“I know. Me too. But you know my situation.”
“Yeah.” But Darren acknowledged that without welcoming it.
Ness hummed the new song. “We’d better sleep. More travel tomorrow. Life leads us on.”
“Sleep well.”
Chapter Sixteen
Some time after the funeral, Darren broke the news to Reggie over beers in the faculty lounge.
“Really? You’re really doing this?” Reggie asked, wiping away a nonexistent tear. “What am I going to do without you? My very best friend.”
“I know, Reggie, I’m sorry. But you know why.”
Reggie looked down at his craft beer. “You’re a beast, abandoning me.”
“You know you can visit me in New York any time. I’ve found a wonderful penthouse on CPW.”
“And that is?”
“Sorry. Central Park West. I forgot you don’t speak New York.”
“Ha, ha.”
“And you are welcome to accompany me on one of my trips to Africa. Need to keep up with the teams in the field.”
“Oh, charming. Clomping around in the mud, fighting mosquitos, and contracting dengue fever. Bwana don’t think so.”
“Be nice, Reggie.”
“And what about your position at the college? You are about to be made department head. You mean to tell me you’re giving all that up?”
“My life is leading me elsewhere.”
“It’s that boy, isn’t it? That Greek.”
“Yes, partly. But that’s not all.”
“But you know once you leave, you’ll never come back.”
“But Mai and Tyler are still here,” Darren reminded him.
“But Tyler’s in school in Connecticut, and Mai is certain to be marrying her new fella, no?”
“Perhaps. And then there’s you. I’m not going to forget my good friend.”
Reggie smiled shyly. “Sure. We’ll see. I know how it is. Promises, promises. And then time marches on and one gets involved in new projects, new people, and before long all the past is forgotten.”
“Like I said, I will be back to visit my family, and you can certainly visit me.”
“Have you put your house on the market?”
“I have.”
“Are you sure you want to do that? What if you change your mind, or things don’t work out?”
“Reg…” Darren said, with some finality.
He sighed. “I know.”
***
“Where are you today, sweetie?” Darren asked Ness on the phone.
“Buenos Aires.”
“That’s not a bad place to be.”
“If I ever got a chance to see it. Darren, you have no idea. It’s in the plane—out of the plane. Pack—unpack. Sleep when you can. Set up—tear down. Travel in the dark. Push your way through thousands of screaming fans. No peace. No quiet. How I long to just be held by you on some wonderful beach under palm trees, fronds rustling in the breeze.”
“Sounds like heaven.”
“And you? Are you settled in the condo yet?”
“Almost. Tyler’s on spring break, and he’s helping me unpack. But he keeps getting distracted by some gadget, and he ends up on the floor studying it.”
“I can’t wait to see it.”
“What do you think, anytime soon?”
“No way. And we’ve still got three and a half months to go.”
“Where next?”
“Santiago. But we’ve got one free day before, and I’m thinking of going to the beach for the day. Plates of seafood, a line of beers, and a lounge chair. How does that sound?”
“You deserve it.”
“Gotta go. Limo to the concert hall just arrived.”
“Take care, my love.” Darren hung up. He looked over from his desk to watch Tyler as he began unpacking another box. “Thanks for your help. Really appreciate it, Ty.”
“It’s okay. It’s fun to be in New York. Now that you’re here, I’ll be able to go to all sorts of places I’ve wanted to visit. Hey, maybe we can go to the Natural History museum? It’s within walking distance, isn’t it?”
“It is. And yes, we can.”
“This afternoon?”
“Don’t see why not.”
Tyler was unpacking books. He picked one up and studied it. “Can I borrow this?”
“What is it?”
“It’s about building the pyramids.”
“Sure. Tyler?”
“Yes?”
“How was school this term? Are your grades up?”
Tyler looked up at his father. “Of course. Why wouldn’t they be?”
“Well, you had that little problem, and I wanted to see if you were applying yourself again.”
“Dad… you know I can do whatever I set my mind to. I took your advice and now I’m heading the science club, applying for a grant for the math club, and going to have my first match on the fencing team in my division.”
“Okay, sounds like you’re got everything in hand.”
They worked together putting books on the shelves, then Tyler asked, “How long are you going to be in Africa?”
“Not long. I’ll be back in time for you to go back to school in the fall. Will take you myself.”
“Be careful, okay? I’ve only got one dad.”
“Nothing to worry about, sport. We’re going to have satellite phones so I’ll be able to call you and Mom regularly. Okay?”
“If you say so.”
***
The Water Unlimited teams were just about ready to deploy to the field in Africa. Darren and Melissa were going over the final arrangements including considerable fine tuning to the program. The water agreement had to be translated into French, the official language of Mali, their first assignment. Equipment had to be checked and rechecked. It was amazing how complex deploying twelve people each could be.
Darren was going along as overseer with the six teams in case something unexpected came up. As this was the first rotation for the teams, he decided to stay in Africa for the whole three months tour. It would give him a greater understanding of the entire process and enable him to gain hands-on experience with the teams.
The first rotation would end just about the same time Ness’ tour ended, and Darren and Ness planned to meet in New York and spend a whole month together. They even planned a brief getaway to a Caribbean island to frolic on the beach as they’d often fantasized.
And then, sometime after they’d begun, it was launch day. The six teams, Darren, Melissa, and Loretta were, strangely enough, at the same JFK terminal where Darren had gone to pick up Ness for the fundraising conc
ert. Mai and Tyler had come along to say good-bye. Tyler stood wide-eyed at the terminal window when he saw the large plane that would take them to Africa.
There was a small cabin on the plane, but it would be a long slow trip, so comfort was a relative concept. There would be no flight attendants and no peanuts.
Loretta patted her son’s chest. He could see she was struggling to hold back tears. “You have a satellite phone, so keeping in touch should be no problem. And please don’t hesitate to call if there are any problems,” she said.
“Can I call just to chat, as well?” he asked with a slight smile.
“Of course you can.” Her voice waivered slightly.
Darren pulled her to him. “Mom, there’s nothing to worry about. Everything’s going to be just fine.”
“But there’s so much unrest everywhere these days—especially in poor countries.”
“I promise we’ll be careful.”
Melissa came over. “I’ve checked everyone’s passport, and here are all the necessary permits and entry documents. Just make sure each team member has what they need to go through immigration when you land.”
“Are you sorry not to be going?” Darren asked.
“Not at all. You need a solid anchor at home, and I’m your gal.”
“Good.”
Melissa took Darren aside. “You mother seems a bit worried, so I’ll do what I can my end, but be sure and call her when you can.”
“I’ve already discussed that with her,” Darren assured her.
An attendant dressed in a jumpsuit came from the plane through the terminal door. He approached Melissa and Darren.
“We’re ready to go. All the cargo is loaded and secured, and we have provisional clearance from the tower. We need to have your people board so we can get underway. It’s going to be a long flight.”
Melissa called out to the waiting teams. “Okay. Boarding now. Make sure you have all your luggage and start heading out.”
Darren went over to Mai and Tyler.
“Okay, this is it. Time to say good-bye.”
Tyler reached over and put his arms around Darren and buried his head in Darren’s jacket.
“Hey, sport. It’s just a few months. You’ve got your summer vacation ahead of you, and you’ve got that new science camp coming up end of June. You’ll see—the time will just fly by. And I’ll be back before you know it.”