Airabelle responded, “I’ll remember that too.”
“Most of the time she is delightful company.”
“Did you say most of the time?” Airabelle asked.
Charles leaned over and whispered in Carson’s ear, “May I open the door and free her?”
“Yes you may. She’d like you to be the one to open the door for her.” Charles went over to the cage and opened the door.
Airabelle said, “What a gentleman. Thank you Charles.”
“You’re welcome.”
She flew from the cage around the room. Finally she landed on the cuckoo clock. The light was dim enough where she was perched to see light radiate from her feathers. Charles looked at her and thought how beautiful she was lit up.
He then turned his attention back to Carson, who said, “Airabelle has said she can’t remember anything prior to the tailor.”
Charles turned to Airabelle and asked her, “When you were in the tailor’s shop what happened?”
“I’m not really sure. I was kind of in and out of sleep. I could sense what was going on around me. Until Vivion told me about my past, everything before was a dream-like impression.”
The cuckoo chimed. Charles didn’t even notice it any more. He was focused on Airabelle.
He made a comment, “It was miraculous that Vivion could sense your presence and then ended up acquiring you as a companion.”
Airabelle made an observation, “Who uses that word, miraculous?”
Carson replied, “Charles is an avid reader. He has a very large vocabulary.” Charles asked, “If Vivion could sense her, why couldn’t I? How come I…” Airabelle finished his thought for him, “Why didn’t you know I was real?”
“Exactly.”
“You did. Remember you were at the window the other night and you saw me take flight.”
“Yes, but I thought I was dreaming.”
“You probably didn’t look too closely at me at first because you were so overwhelmed with everything else. Why would you give me a second thought? However, you did notice Carson open the cage door. You haven’t learned to trust your instincts yet. It will come in time.”
“How did you know that I was watching Paw Paw?”
Airabelle ignored his question and replied, “You eventually will come to trust your instincts. When you do you will be surprised at what you will learn. In the world of Sojourning, things aren’t always what they seem to the human eye.”
Charles thought about her reply. “Things are definitely different.”
Airabelle stated, “It feels good to be free.” She flew around the room for a while.
Carson said to Charles, “She’s the fastest bird I have ever seen.”
Charles observed, “She doesn’t have any food or water in her cage.”
“That’s because she doesn’t eat or drink.”
“How is that possible?”
“She just doesn’t. As far as we know she will live indefinitely.”
“Was Airabelle who Nana asked if I had met?”
“Yes.”
Charles watched her until Carson asked, “You are almost finished with James’ first journal. Would you like to read something from a more experienced journalist when you are done?” Charles said he would. Carson walked over to the journals and pulled a couple from the shelves. “Start with this one. I think you will find the entries exciting. From this book you will learn what Sojourning is like from an experienced Sojourner’s perspective. His other journals are just plain interesting to read. I will put these on the shelf together and whenever you want to read them you can. It is a lot of information. I’m sure you will have a lot of questions as you are reading them. My guess is that they will keep you busy for quite some time.”
“Do I have to finish all of them before I start Sojourning?”
“No. As soon as you finish reading James’ journal we can begin at any time. We will go over a few basic items first. You’ll be under my supervision until you’ve completely read the rules manual.” Carson walked over to pick up a clipboard with paper and a pencil. He handed it to Charles and said, “You can use this to make notes and write down any questions you might have.”
Charles thanked him and said, “I should get back to reading. I am anxious to finish reading the journal so we can get started. As soon as I have a chance though, I will read those from cover to cover.”
“He’s not only an avid reader but a good student as well.” Airabelle made the observation. When she said that, it startled Charles who had momentarily forgotten about her presence.
Charles asked Airabelle, “Did you travel with Vivion when she went to the Hub?”
Airabelle looked at Carson as he said, “Go ahead Airabelle. It’s okay to talk about your experiences.”
“Yes, we were inseparable.” She sighed. “All of our travels are in the journal except the last one.”
Charles asked, “Why leave out the last one?”
“She died. It never was documented.”
“Oh, I’m sorry Airabelle.”
“I never wanted to travel to the Hub much after that.”
“I can understand.”
“As time went on Vivion and I noticed the Hub becoming more and more traveled. It became more of a risk for me to travel around in the Hub. I am documented but it never seemed as safe without her. There was an incident when another Sojourner tried to snatch me.”
Carson changed the subject and said, “Airabelle has been approved to travel to the Hub. I have her papers in the vault. The Council wouldn’t do it for any other, she’s the one and only. The Sojourners’ Council grandfathered her in because we could prove she was documented in other Sojourners’ journals.”
“How did you prove that?”
“Vivion worked with the Prime Minister.”
“Oh, he’s like the president of the Hub right?”
“Yes, something similar to that. The Hub is a little different than a country.”
Charles nodded.
Carson continued, “So, because of that she could be approved and documented. The only reason she doesn’t go now is because the Sojourners’ Council has said it cannot guarantee her protection if she were to be caught and taken by another Sojourner.”
Charles said, “Oh. I can understand why you don’t want to go.
“I’m going to continue reading James’ journal and try to get through it.”
“Okay, if you have any questions let me know.”
Charles walked to the chair and sat down. He adjusted his glasses and began reading. Carson put his glasses away and began working at his desk. Airabelle flew over and sat on the lectern as he worked. Charles could hear they were having a conversation but he couldn’t understand what they were saying.
Some time went by before Bev knocked on the office door. Charles looked up from the journal he was reading. She opened the door and came into the office holding a picnic basket. Carson stood up from the desk and walked over. He took the basket and thanked her before he kissed her cheek. Charles put his glasses on top of his head and marked his place in the journal. He set the journal down, along with the glasses.
“Margaret is up at the house. She called earlier and asked if I wanted to play cards. I thought it would be fun to see if a few of our friends wanted to play with us. Margaret informed me that Linda and Eileen had mentioned they want to play sometime. We called them and asked if they wanted to come over. They said they were available to play Bridge and are on their way.”
Carson replied, “Okay have fun. Be sure to pick Eileen as your partner.”
Bev smiled at that remark because it was an inside joke between the two of them.
She asked Charles, “Would you like to tend to the bees with me in the morning?”
Charles loved watching Bev work with the bees on the farm. Growing up in a small town Charles had heard many stories that she was a bee charmer. It always fascinated him to watch her when she collected the honey. “Yes!” Charles said almost to
o eagerly.
Carson and Bev looked at each other. She smiled, looked back at Charles and said, “Okay, I’m glad you want to accompany me in the morning. Enjoy your dinner.”
“Thank you Honey,” Carson said. She made her way to the door and left. Carson was already digging in the basket. “What do we have here…?”
Charles walked over beside Carson, who had already started placing food on the plates. Charles took the drinking glasses to the garage for ice. When he returned Carson was waiting for him sitting on one of the chairs. Charles set the glasses down on the table. Then he went to get his plate that was setting on the desk. Bev had packed fried chicken, along with potato salad, a fresh vegetables salad from the garden and ripe peaches from the orchard. Carson poured their drinks and they ate dinner. Airabelle flew over and perched on the back of Charles’ chair.
As Charles ate his meal he thought about the Jones’ farm. Carson Jones had the best, most efficient workers around. They were all honest employees and they enjoyed working for the Jones. Several years ago another farmer that owned many acres of land on the other side of town had tried to hire them out from under Carson. Walter just politely thanked him for his offer and turned him down. Carson had informed him that: “It was a very competitive offer and do what your conscious thinks is best.” Walter knew the workers were well taken care of on the Jones’ farm and wanted to stay.
Carson and Bev Jones were very generous to the people they employed. They offered a share of the profits to anyone who worked on the farm, and allowed them to take the food needed for their families. Everyone was expected to do their fair share of the work by planting and harvesting the crops, taking care of the livestock, tending to the bees and chickens. A portion of what they harvested was to be taken and donated to the food shelter in town. Walter, the overseeing manager, took the majority of the food produced by the farm to the local grocery store in town. Occasionally he had his family run a roadside stand.
The story around town was that when the farmer came back around he talked to Walter in private and made a substantial raise to his offer. Walter kept it to himself; but it had gone around town that Farmer Watkins had made Walter an offer he couldn’t refuse. Carson once again heard about it through the grapevine and encouraged him to do what was best for his family. Walter reassured him that there was no place he would rather be, than working on the Jones’ farm. He said, “If it is all right with you Carson, I would just as soon stay right where I am until I can’t work any more, or I die, whichever comes first.” They laughed, shook hands and that was the end of the matter.
Carson asked Charles what he was thinking about. Charles told him about the story he’d heard in town earlier. Carson replied, “Yes it’s true. Bev and I are glad Walter stayed. He’s the best there is. We’ve made sure Walter and his family are taken care of.”
“Were you worried he’d leave the farm?”
“The thought crossed my mind that he might leave, but I was going to let him make the decision that was right for his family.”
Charles thought about that and said, “I can’t imagine the farm without Walter.” “Me either.” They finished the meal and talked about the issues around the farm for a while.
Carson said, “Your mom and dad agreed you can stay on over the summer and help out on the farm. I believe that you’ll be a quick learner around here. Someday it’s all going to be yours to take care of.”
“Did you say someday it’s all going to be mine?”
“Yes, someday.”
“Well, what about Mom and…?”
“They are all going to be taken care of, no need to worry…” Carson got up and walked to his desk. As he walked away he said, “…but all of this is yours.”
He sat down at his desk and turned to face Charles. “I see you are just pages from finishing the journal.”
Charles looked at the book. “I am very close. I do have a couple of questions.”
“Okay, what are your questions?”
“When we travel in time, how do we blend in? Do the other people see us?”
“Now would be as good a time as any to show you the clothes library.”
“What is a clothes library?” Charles asked. Carson walked toward the door that was beside the vault. Charles followed him. Carson opened the door and all that Charles could see was a small coat closet. It looked like every other coat closet. It had a few trench coats, a sweater, a lightweight jacket and a shelf up above that had a few of Carson’s hats and accessories. At the bottom of the closet were several pairs of shoes and a pair of rainproof boots.
“This is a clothes library?” Charles asked.
Airabelle snickered. Carson was also amused at Charles’ comment. “No, not exactly. This is not the clothes library. What else do you see? Look closer…”
Charles cocked his head to the side for a moment. They just stood there looking into the closet. Charles looked closely at the items in the closet. He looked really hard for something that was out of place, but he just wasn’t seeing anything out of the ordinary. He wondered what he was supposed to be looking for? Then, he thought of it. The answer popped into his head. Why did it take so long for him to figure it out? He dropped to his knees in the closet doorway. There on the wall to the left, just above the baseboard of the closet floor was a switch. He flipped the switch to the on position and a light in the closet turned on. The back wall of the closet slid to the right side and revealed a lit staircase.
“Well, that was very cunning. Most people would have grabbed the cord to the light to turn it on,” Carson said pointing to the cord dangling from the ceiling.
“Good instincts,” Airabelle said.
“Indeed,” Carson said as he moved the coats toward the wall. “Are you coming Airabelle?”
“I am.” She made it to the end of the steps before Carson and Charles, disappearing around the corner. The basement smelled strongly of cedar. Once they turned the corner Charles could see the labeled closets with dates on them that lined the outer walls. On the closet doors were old photographs of people dressed in the clothes from that time period.
“Oh, was this the reason Vivion was in a tailor’s shop?” Charles asked.
“Yes, it was one of the reasons she was there,” Airabelle said flying by them. “She was very good at creating and taking care of the clothes library. She lovingly organized this room.”
“It has been a gift for all who have followed her,” Carson said.
“Amazing,” Charles replied. He walked around the outer walls of the room just opening the doors and peeking in to see what was inside each closet. The interior of each cedar closet contained a wardrobe for each particular time period. At the bottom of each closet were two neatly stacked shelves of shoes for men and women that were polished. Charles closed a closet door. He turned around to look at what else was available. Just like a library the middle of the room contained shelving that was closed on the back. The labeled shelves held hats and women’s purses. The four shelves created a dressing room in the middle. On one of the units of shelving was a red door. When Charles opened the door, he saw a lighted room with mirrors. The entire basement consisted of three rooms. They all looked identical. The rooms were so large that there was ample room to continue adding clothes for years to come. Charles looked at Carson and said, “This is almost like a museum.” Airabelle was flying around from room to room.
“In a way it is. Bev insists it’s every woman’s dream come true,” Carson replied.
Airabelle heard his comment. “I’d say so, considering one designed it.”
After Charles was finished looking around they headed back to the office. Carson got down on his knees to flip the switch in the closet. Everything went back to the way it was. He adjusted the coats and closed the door.
“It is time to head back to the farmhouse Charles.”
Airabelle was already in her cage. Charles gathered a couple of journals, and put his Sojourner glasses in his shirt pocket. Carson walked over
and latched the door to Airabelle’s cage. He secured everything in the office. Then he picked up the picnic basket as they walked out. They said goodnight to Airabelle as Carson closed the door behind him.
It was twilight and they could hear birds chirping in the distance. The crickets were also singing quite loudly. It was a pleasant evening walk. The lights were welcoming inside the house. Carson opened the back door and walked into the kitchen with the picnic basket. Bev and Margaret greeted them as they entered.
Charles hugged Bev and went to the library. He set his things down on the coffee table. Then, he went to join the others in the kitchen. “Mmm, it smells good in here.”
Bev set dessert out on the countertop and said, “Help yourselves to dessert, everything you need is on the counter.” Margaret filled the glasses for everyone and set them on the table.
Al appeared at the back door and knocked as he entered. He greeted the ladies who were playing cards and placed his flashlight on the counter.
Bev took his jacket into another room. “Grab a plate, and join us for dessert.”
After they ate dessert, the men decided to play a game of checkers. Charles went to the library.
Bev came into the library. “There is room for you to play Charles. Would you like to learn to play Bridge?”
“No thank you. I’d rather read.”
“Okay.”
Charles could hear bits and pieces of the conversation going on in the kitchen. He curled up on the couch, put on his glasses and began reading. He didn’t get far before he realized he had the wrong journal. So he reached over and traded them out. He opened the book and began reading again. Colorful images sprang from the page. It made reading so much more enjoyable. At the end of James’ journal, Charles discovered James’ father was his mentor. Charles thought about James’ experiences. In some ways their experiences were alike and in some they were different. James learned everything about being a Sojourner very similarly to the way Charles was learning. It was interesting to Charles that James was thinking and feeling exactly as he was. Charles quickly reread through the section of James’ journal where he first went through to the Hub. He imagined what was happening to James in his mind.
The Xidoran Prophecy Page 5