Entanglement

by Drue M Scott

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  Much of the day progressed like any of the other two thousand or so before it: dazed, allowing memories to consume his thoughts, or hyper-sensitive to every life-force that passed him. Breakfast had satisfied the physical hunger within Mikale, as well as his need to get a Roadhouse full breakfast in one more time, but his thoughts had yet to catch up with the day. Sitting solitaire around a make-shift smoking area just outside K2 Aviation, the flight-tour operators for his Denali excursion, Mikale intently watched the smoke he exhaled looking for shapes in its fading cloud. His heart ached for Jason and Brennan, but his gut was filled full with flutters of anticipation for the coming flight. How does THIS, shifting his stare onto one of the planes taking off, make me nervous?

  “Excuse me,” a friendly voice strikingly similar to Jason’s interrupted his musings. “You wouldn’t happen to have another one of those.” The man pointed to the cigarette Mikale had begun to let burn between his fingers absent-mindedly.

  Quickly shifting his attention to wishful thinking, Mikale saw the kind man smiling a few feet in front of him; he nearly gasped audibly. His chest quivered as his own breath threatened to flee from him in shock. “Uh…” Fumbling for the half pack he had in his jean’s pocket, the words he wished to speak stumbled at his lips. “S-Sure.” Settling on a single word response as his best option, he smiled.

  “Thanks. I left mine back in the hotel.” The man smiled reaching out to accept the Marlboro Light Mikale was offering. “I’m Oliver, by the way.”

  Simply hearing his name sucked the life away from any hope Mikale had that the man was Brennan or Jason. He looked almost exactly like the two most important men in his life had had a son. Dressed as a casual hiker, he had a Sport-tek blue shirt that fit his physique extremely well and a small, green and grey backpack swung over his shoulders. The khaki trail shorts and Merrell boots he wore plainly showed the amount of trekking he had recently done. Mikale’s heart pounded so speedily at the sight of Oliver, he was certain it had to be visible to the world. Quickly raising his left hand to cover the drumming in his chest and his right to shake Oliver’s hand, he smiled. “Mikale. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, too,” Oliver plainly stated while he nodded politely at the seat next to Mikale. “Are you with one of the tours?” He quizzed as he took the old tree stump turned stool next to his cigarette-dealer.

  “Yes, the 1:30 flight.” Mikale answered unaware that he was staring at Oliver. “Today is my last day in town, and I thought I’d finish off my stay with something,” he paused hesitant but unsure why, “I’ve never done before.” Shaking his head as if to free himself of the self-induced trance that had befallen him, Mikale let the nervousness of the coming flight slip back in. “I’m headed back into Anchorage for a bit before I hit the road again.”

  “Cool. Where’s home? If you don’t mind me asking,” the smallest hint of a long draw on Oliver’s vowels piqued Mikale’s interest as Oliver spoke. It wasn’t a southern draw as much as it sounded like a hesitation on the expression of vowels. It was almost exactly how Jason spoke. “I just got here today, but I’m planning on staying for at least…” He paused turning his sight upward as if the words he sought to speak were printed in the sky. Exhaling the smoke heavily from his impossibly hard draw on the cigarette, Oliver turned away to keep the smoke from blowing into Mikale’s face. “Well, actually I don’t know how long.” Turning back to face his new acquaintance, “I guess you could say I am playing it all by ear.” Realizing he hadn’t let Mikale answer his question, Oliver quickly reverted his attention back to the other man and smiled. “I’m sorry; sometimes, I rattle on.”

  “No worries.” Mikale quickly responded hoping to assuage the friendly gentleman’s concerns. “It’s funny you ask, though.” He giggled at the coincidence. “I’ve not really a home per se; I’ve been traveling for the past five years with no real direction or destination in mind.” He took his eyes off Oliver for a moment peering up and down the runway busy with planes revving up to start various tours. “Except here. This was the one place I had to make sure I came to.”

  “Me too!” Excitement filled his voice as Oliver sat up more sternly and gazed at their surroundings. Though, they were still close to town, the beauty around them was more than either could find the right words to describe. Full, green trees and soft grass was visible in every direction. They knew the mountains were there in the distance, but the height of trees obscured them from sight. Unable to curb his wandering gaze, Oliver surveyed the small runway, railway tracks just past the dirt road he had walked up on, and bright-leafed trees surrounding them. It all felt surreal. “Sorry.” He quickly returned his attention to Mikale upon realizing he had faded off. “I know this might sound odd and maybe way too much information, but…” he paused under the pressure of the words he wanted to say and the fear they might drive away his recently acquired cigarette supplier. Deep within the core of who he was, though, Oliver knew that meeting Mikale was something more than a happenstance, and he would regret not saying what he felt needed to be said. Suddenly, the fear of holding back, let go. “A little over five years ago, I woke up in a hospital just outside of Denver.” The memory furrowed his brow as if it carried the same pain as the incident itself. “I’ve no memory of my life before that day.” Cocking his head to one side with an equally off kilter smile, he giggled. “So, I got to make up everything: my name, birthday, even my age.” His smile widened. “So, scenery like this,” he stretched his arm out to encompass all the beauty around them, “really has an effect on me.”

  Befuddlement crossed Mikale’s face forcing him to shake his head. The confusion of what he felt, the coincidence of what the man before him had just admitted, and the hope he had been holding onto for over five years collided in a fiery crash to rival any junkyard derby. Though he thought—hoped—the confusion wasn’t readily apparent, it was, to his disappointment, easily seen by Oliver.

  “I know, I know, crazy, right?” Letting out a hearty laugh, he lifted both hands and placed them on his head. With the cigarette dangly from his lips and his arms raised, he appeared even more like Jason to Mikale. It was a soft gesture Mikale remembered fondly from when Jason got out of bed. He would regularly run both hands through his hair. “So, after all their tests and fingerprints and DNA swabs and god only knows what else, the doctors could only give me an age range.” His hands visibly shook for a brief moment just before he quickly returned them to his lap; the cigarette still dangled precariously as he spoke. The skill of it was amazing. “The nurse said I looked more like I was 25, so I went with that.”

  “And you chose Oliver as your name?” Still in a state of mild disbelief Mikale questioned. Unable to take his committed stare from the cigarette, with its growing ash about to fall free, dangling from Oliver’s beautiful lips, he contemplated the possibility of their meeting.

  “Oliver Kenneth Duffy.” His smile, softening his features exactly how Jason’s smile always had, brought an energetic sparkle to Oliver’s eyes. “And today is my chosen birthday. July 23rd.”

  Powerless to hold his shock and sorrow beneath the surface any longer, Mikale began to visibly shake. Remembering the calm he had felt a few hours earlier, he refocused himself on the peace he knew was out there, somewhere. The image of Oliver quickly took advantage of his searching mind and burned itself into his brain. Oliver had blue eyes that reminded him of glacier ice, and his dirty blonde hair sparked shades of red in the natural light of the day. His unshaven appearance was scruffy, but well taken care of, and he smelled of patchouli and sandalwood. His pale skin rebelled against the sun preferring to redden under its rays rather than tan... All of it reminded Mikale of Brennan. But, he also had a posture and way he spoke that was uniquely distinct compared to others. His broad shoulders and defined chest were perfect eye leaders bringing attention to his flat stomach and strong legs; he was Jason-like. It was neither of them and both at the same time. Oliver Kenneth Duffy. The name re
peated over and over in his thoughts. Why would he choose Kenneth… he paused …and Duffy. The understanding that Brennan’s last name was Duffy, and that Jason’s middle name was Kenneth, stirred within him. I must be going crazy. The similarities were so striking, and yet the differences almost perfect. Each quality of character seemed to be a variation of Brennan if his soul was Jason’s or vice versa. Oliver was less confident and softer spoken, but he had a distinct aura about him that was vastly unique compared to most others, and yet, extraordinarily similar to the two men Mikale so desperately missed. Mikale couldn’t get the attractive hiker out of his mind. Days had turned to years, and the surveying of people and sensing their life-force had become boringly routine. Even when he ran across those that reminded him of his loves, rarely did Mikale experience anything other than a muddled energy congested by the stresses of life. Oliver’s, though, was strong and warmly welcoming. It glowed of green and shades of purple.

  Kyna’s gift to him suddenly made sense. For years, he had felt jealous about Mathieu’s gift, but he understood with clarity what she had done. With her gentle touch, she had imparted enough knowledge to him that he could sense other’s energy. It was a simple gift that had helped him over the years to avoid certain people and draw closer to others. But now, he was recognizing it was so much more than just that. The love and tenderness she had shown in transferring knowledge to him was distinct. It was an energy unlike anything he had ever known or anything he had ever encountered since; Kyna was watching him, and maybe, that was her way of comforting him when he felt the most vulnerable.

  Somewhere between his thoughts and lighting up another smoke, the kindly, handsome pilot, who would be taking them up, stepped up to them and began to speak. Oliver has been so patient just politely waiting for my reactions and words to catch up with my actions. Momentary amazement tugged at Mikale’s mind.

  “Good afternoon, gentleman. Looks like it’s just us today.” The pilot blurted out shaking both men’s hands. “I’ll need you to put on the headphones in your seat as soon as you board the plane.” Motioning to their small red plane set not far away, the pilot nodded.

  Mikale was half paying attention to the pilot but more caught up in staring at Oliver. Each word the friendly tour guide spoke seemed to enthrall his new friend. There was an excitement for the coming excursion Oliver couldn’t contain. Brief flashes of childlike innocence and joy washed across his face, reminding Mikale even more of Jason. Stepping up to the plane, Oliver instantly paused motioning for Mikale to enter first.

  “Thank you.”

  “Don’t mention it,” Oliver shot back quickly as he patted Mikale softly on his right shoulder.

  Quickly taking his seat Mikale set his gaze upon Oliver as he entered the plane. Too much was similar. Catching a solid look at the other man’s eyes, Mikale swore they held a green haze that twinkled for the briefest moment before returning to their icy blue hue. Is he? The question he wanted to ask refused to fully form. How are we connected? Feeling Oliver’s energy as the other man took his seat next to him, Mikale further pondered Kyna’s gift to him. There’s more. The lights of a million bulbs flickered behind his smile. I can sense energy. The sudden empathetic awareness that his new smoking partner, co-passenger, and friend, Oliver, shared the same energy signature as Brennan and Jason flooded him. He realized Kyna had given him the ability to recognize his lost loves by energy not by sight.

  “Are we ready, boys?” The friendly pilot blurted back tapping his headphones to be certain his passengers had theirs on as well.

  When did I put these on? Lifting his hands to touch the black headphones and adjustable mic on his head, Mikale grimaced at the thought his lack of attentiveness to the situation might be noticeable.

  “My name is Levi, and I’ll be taking you up this afternoon.” Smiling the pilot half looked back to Oliver and Mikale. “It should take us about two-and-half hours or so, and I just got an update that the clouds have cleared away from the summit.” Turning back to the front he tapped some random gauge and began humming.

  In stunned silence, Mikale just gazed at Oliver. Clearly his co-passenger was speaking to him, and something funny by the way he laughed, but Mikale couldn’t fully bring his attention to the present. He understood what his friend said, but he didn’t hear the words. He knew that he was there, but his body felt like it was swimming in some other plane of existence.

  “You guys make a really nice couple.” Interrupting politely, Levi flatly stated without looking back. The vibration of the plane revving up rattled the windows and seats.

  “Oh, we’re not a couple,” Oliver chuckled smacking his hand down on Mikale’s left knee. Grinning, he rubbed gently before removing his hand and returning it to his lap. “We just met today.” Turning to face down the runway the plane sped up in time with Mikale’s heart at Oliver’s touch.

  “Sorry about the assumption, you look like you’ve known each other for a very long time.” Levi set his focus to the instruments and horizon before him as the Cessna’s nose lifted, and they smoothly left the ground behind. “Perhaps in a past life, I suppose.” He chuckled banking the plane hard to the right in order to line up with the destination to come.

  “Perhaps?” Mikale breaking free of his flushed state pondered the word. If only they knew how many lives… His own thoughts interrupted him. How many lives have I…?

  “This is kind of a second life for me, anyway.” Oliver cracked a boyish grin and gazed hard into Mikale’s eyes hoping his words would conjure a light-hearted response from his fellow passenger. “If there’s one thing I know for sure,” he paused as the plane shuddered momentarily under a little turbulence. “The universe has a way of working things out if we just give it chance to do so.” Reserved, Oliver gently placed his hand back over to Mikale’s knee.

  Mikale peered kindly at Oliver as he nodded his agreement. The certainty of what he felt, the truth behind what he knew, and the hope that had suddenly turned into satisfaction, shivered through his body. Unable to remove his eyes from Oliver’s, the two men sat motionless.

  “You know, I knew a couple, looked just like you two.” Half gazing back to see his two passengers silently gazing at each other, Levi tightened his lips holding back a grin. “I guess it would have been a little over six years ago now.” The recollection clearly brought him pleasure. “They were truly meant to be together.” Giving in to his need to fully smile, he jerked the plane to one side causing Mikale to fall into Oliver’s shoulder. “Yeah, I think it was fate that brought them together and some kind of twisted fate that sadly tore them apart.” Shrugging his shoulders slightly as the plane resituated aligning with the south side of Denali in the horizon, Levi continued. “But you know, chance and fate are silly little creatures, and I think sometimes a finger needs to be placed on the scales to keep them in line.” Tilting the plane, less aggressively, he noticed neither man could take their eyes off the other, despite the inspiring beauty outside their windows. Both were making physical contact in some way: Oliver with his hand on Mikale’s knee and Mikale with his hand on Oliver’s thigh. “Just because the world needs balance, doesn’t mean the good guys don’t deserve a little happiness in the end.” He paused briefly to absorb the beauty he was witnessing inside the plane. “Wouldn’t you agree?” His questioned barely broke past the deep hum of the small plane’s engine as he turned his gaze to the co-pilots seat.

  Unobserved by Mikale or Oliver, who were still entranced by each other’s eyes and quickened by the other’s touch, Malachi softly faded into focus. Sitting motionless beside Levi, he smiled. His favorite blue scrubs appeared pressed and perfectly fit to his physique. His eyes sparkled with hints of blue and green. “I think I would agree.” With amusement at the question and his answer, he inhaled deeply. The two men, pilot and co-pilot, briefly gazed at Mikale and Oliver before setting their eyes to the mountains ahead and smiling. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

  -The End.

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  Drue M Scott, Entanglement