Photographs in Time

by Terry Segan

  Trying to calculate the years in my head, I realized he was thirty years old when the treaty had been signed. “Did you live in Hong Kong?”

  “Briefly. When the British took over it was hard to find employment beyond servant positions. I worked as a guide to the British families that poured in and wanted adventure beyond the city limits.

  “Having grown up in the provinces, I was quite familiar with many of the ancient ruins long abandoned by my people. The foreigners were fascinated with them.”

  “So, you worked for the British?” I asked, sipping my tea.

  “I worked for myself,” he stated proudly, almost annoyed at the question.

  “Grandfather,” Jimmy interjected, “she meant no disrespect. It was simply a question. You’ve got to admit, this is quite a fantastic tale to believe. Hearing it told a second time, it still throws me off balance.”

  I looked at Jimmy with an appreciative smile. Reaching across the table I placed my hand over his and left it there. Ever my hero, defending me to the last.

  “You are right. I am sorry, Miss Manchester. Much of my life has been spent receiving disdain from those that do not try to understand other cultures. You did not deserve to be categorized with them.”

  “It’s all right, Mr. Chang. No offense taken. Please continue. I want to know the rest.”

  The old man nodded his head, took a long draw from his tea cup, then gently placed it back on the table. Jimmy had refilled it for him while he talked.

  “As I said, I worked as a guide. The day it all began, I was leading a small group of men that wanted to venture further into the wilds of China than most. The leader was from a wealthy British family that had hired my services before. I led him, his wife and two small boys to see some of the surrounding area. Not too far as the boys were quite young and did not settle down for long journeys. The family name was Manchester,” he said, directing his gaze at me.

  A small gasp escaped my lips, realizing how close to home this immediately became. Obviously, the man was my ancestor.

  “Yes, you are his descendant,” he smiled, as he knew what was going through my mind without my saying it aloud.

  “So, one of his sons was my…”

  “Please, Miss Manchester, let me tell it. This time I am sure your questions will be answered. Patience for now.”

  With a nod and a smile, I remained silent.

  “Accompanying Winston Manchester were two European friends—Antonio Fortuno and Francois.”

  Looking at the man sitting beside me, his expression showed concern. Squinting my eyes and tilting my head, I wasn’t sure why he suddenly became serious.

  As Francois looked my direction, he understood my concern, “Ah, you see this part disturbs me. I was not, how would you say…as enlightened as I am now. Chang is my oldest and most cherished friend. At the time, I was young and arrogant. I did not believe someone of Asian descent could be as sophisticated as those of us from Europe. How misguided we can be in our youth.”

  He and Chang exchanged a look of understanding. “There has been much water under the bridge, my good friend,” Chang said. “We have all made misguided assumptions at times in our lives. How else could we evolve if we did not continue to learn and appreciate the world around us.”

  “Well put, my friend. Please continue with the history,” said Francois.

  He nodded and went on with his tale. “As I said, we were four. The fourth member, Antonio, is not the Fortuno you have come to know. He has long left this earth, but was an important part, as we all were.

  “I knew of a tomb not often visited, and a half day’s travel from Hong Kong. We had arranged to set up camp nearby and spend three days exploring the place. Once inside, the men were fascinated with the writings on the walls. They were ancient writings, not decipherable by even me. The language was unknown. Having seen it many times, I chose to rest off in a corner, so they could explore. As I slide down the wall to the floor and leaned back, the strangest thing happened.”

  He stopped to sip his tea. Then set the cup down. I wasn’t sure he was going to continue, as he simply stared off into space.

  “Grandfather,” Jimmy said. There was no response. He tried again, “Grandfather?” Still nothing.

  “Chang, my friend,” Francois gently shook Chang’s arm. This brought him out of his trance. As his eyes focused on his old pal, he looked unsure for a moment

  “I am sorry. It was so long ago yet seems like yesterday. The decades have come and gone, but it will always remain fresh in my mind.”

  I removed my hand from Jimmy’s and reached out to the older man. He didn’t flinch from my touch this time. As my hand covered his, he gave the briefest of smiles, then rescinded his hand and dropped both into his lap.

  There was no insult in the gesture. I could tell by his expression that his thoughts were elsewhere, not on the present.

  “Tell us what happened,” I prompted him.

  “The wall opened,” was all he said.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “I must have triggered a latch as I leaned back. The wall slid out from behind me. As it did, I fell backwards hitting my head on the floor. Immediately jumping to my feet and whipping around, there now revealed a small chamber. It was smaller than the one we were in and contained four pedestals. Atop each one rested what we now call the Family Slides. Of course, at the time, we had no clue what these strange fixtures meant.”

  “What did your companions think? What did you think?” I couldn’t begin to imagine what it must have been like to make such a discovery. Especially in that era, when cameras were in their infancy.

  “My friend, Chang, was in awe,” Francois stepped in. “I had seen a camera and was familiar with the slides used. In this I was able to identify the objects. Though not why they would be in this ancient tomb.”

  The other man picked up the story. “We all ventured into the chamber. It was odd that none of us thought to be afraid. The fascination of such modern items being here, must have put us at ease. We examined the devices but did not pick them up. Noticing the lights began to activate slowly around the frame should have scared us yet didn’t. Scouring the walls, there were writings, but nothing any of us could translate.

  “We spent about an hour exploring the chamber, before returning to the pedestals. Each of us gravitated toward one and stood before it. I noticed the lights on my frame were all illuminated. That was when the flash went off.”

  I sat there a moment trying to visual the scene. All I could focus on was the flash, that I knew all too well. Trying to think back to the first time I travelled with the slides, I still couldn’t fathom their shock. When I journeyed, I knew full well what was happening. They didn’t. “Where or when did it take you?”

  Mr. Chang looked at me and said, “It took me here. To the Jade Pagoda. The proprietor knew I was coming. It turns out he was the man I purchased this store from when we arrived decades later.”

  “You went forward in time then?” I couldn’t stop from asking the question.

  “Yes, all of us did.”

  “All four of you arrived here?” I was bursting with questions but restrained myself to ask just the one.

  “No, only me. We each went to a different location. Francois and Fortuno went to the Golden Dragon and the Purple Lotus in New York City. The very same ones that Carney and you were sent to,” he added, looking at Jimmy.

  “Manchester was the only one that did not end up in the United States. He found himself in the Lotus Petal on Charing Cross in London.

  “The proprietor in each shop was prepared for our arrival. As you can imagine, the shock of being propelled a century into the future had been overwhelming. Most of the twenty-four hours was spent calming us each down. They immediately tried to explain how we arrived at their shops, and the task set out, if we chose to participate. The process was laid out in detail, and we were each given a box of slides to begin matches.”

  “So, all of you began as
Collectors?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Mr. Chang said. “We were first told how to use the Family Slides, so if we needed guidance, we could travel to our respective proprietors. Many mysteries remain as they would not reveal who created these slides or where they originated. Perhaps it was so old nobody truly knew how they came into existence. Like most ancient information, it had been lost.”

  There remained much to ask before returning to our current time. Of course, I would journey back without a problem, but Jimmy and I needed to be together for him to return with me. Even though I knew I could come back again, something told me this would be one of our last trips here.

  Jimmy saw me glance at the time and I mouthed, “Twenty-two minutes.” He nodded and instinctively checked the clock on the wall.

  Chapter 47

  “That is how it began,” Mr. Chang spoke as if he had reached the end of his tale.

  “This is where you finished telling me, Grandfather,” Jimmy said, “but there’s more, isn’t there?”

  Once again, Francois and Mr. Chang seemed to be in a mental conversation by their facial expressions between each other. It was frustrating for me to watch and wonder if they would complete the story or leave us hungry for more.

  “What else is it you would like to know?” Francois took over.

  “Well, for one thing,” I jumped right in, “my lineage. Am I a direct descendent of one of those young Manchester boys?”

  “You could not be. They were born before Winston Manchester became an Elder in the process. Until he travelled by the slide, he had nothing to pass on. After his journey, he fathered another son. It is that offspring that passed on the family bloodline through the generations.”

  “His wife became a Photographer?”

  “No,” Francois said. “When Manchester explained what had occurred, she believed it was the work of the devil and wanted nothing to do with it. Sara, his wife, was a devout Christian, and refused to go along with the process. Her husband, on the other hand, could not resist the adventure the process offered. He soon divorced Sara and she returned to England with the two boys. The third son was from his second marriage with the woman that did become his Photographer.”

  I checked my watch again. Time was nearly done. As much as I wanted to know everything, it also frightened me. What if this made it too intriguing to let go after the thirtieth match? The wheels in my head began to turn. With my Family Slide, perhaps I could travel to one of the original proprietors and ask questions. How receptive would they be to my queries?

  “How were you able to live so long?” was the next thing on my mind.

  “Ahhh, I wondered when you would get around to that, Mademoiselle. It is the effect of using the Family Slide for the first time, and never to be repeated. That is what we were told.”

  “It obviously didn’t make you invincible since Manchester and Fortuno are dead. Paolo told me the last of the Manchester clan except my mother died in a fire. I’m assuming it was really Winston that died in the fire, along with his descendants.”

  “You are correct. As for Antonio Fortuno, he died by his own hand. Right after Paolo, Sr., was born, he could not bear the thought of watching another generation grow old and die before him.”

  “Then how have you two survived all these years?” I continued to prod.

  “Sami, honey, it’s time,” Jimmy interrupted as he pointed at the clock on the wall. “We have two minutes left.”

  “We always seem to run out of time, Miss Manchester,” Chang said.

  “Please, Francois,” I pleaded, “tell me how you’ve survived all these years.”

  The Frenchman smiled, as if he wasn’t going to answer.

  “It’s okay, honey, it won’t change anything for us,” Jimmy said as he stood up and walked to my side of the table. “Come, my love.” He extended his hand to me.

  If I didn’t take hold of his hands, I would return alone. A second trip would be required. We could have more time to get the full story from the two men calling themselves Elders.

  Instead I stood up. The chair scraped against the linoleum as I pushed it away from the table and took Jimmy’s hand. He took hold of my other.

  “We won’t be seeing you again, will we?” I asked.

  Chang remained seated and shrugged.

  Francois stood up with a big grin. “It has been a pleasure, Mademoiselle. You truly are a special lady. Young Jimmy is a lucky man. And in answer to your question, it is the result of many journeys through time. As I told you upon our first meeting, it erases years. With the benefit of being the first to use our Family Slide, the effects are multiplied ten-fold. As Moderators of the matches we were kept quite busy leaping.”

  “Moderators? What do you mean Moderators? Did you witness all the matches?”

  “You miss nothing, Mademoiselle. As Moderators we…”

  Jimmy and I stood holding hands in my studio. We didn’t get to hear Francois’ explanation of what function a Moderator performed.

  “Did your Grandfather happen to mention anything about being a Moderator?”

  “Not a peep. That old man has more secrets than you or I could ever imagine. And now that’s what they must remain.”

  “But, Jimmy, we could go back. They can finish the story. Let’s power up the Family Slide,” I said starting to pull my hands free from his.

  “Sweetie,” Jimmy said, keeping a firm grip on me.

  I stopped.

  “It’s finished—for you and me anyway.”

  “But, honey, we could…” My voice drifted off, as I saw a broad grin spread across his face. His eyes sparkled as he began to laugh.

  I joined him. “Always the voice of reason. That’s why I love you,” I told him, placing a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. “We place Cecily with Doug Pendry in New York and it is completed.”

  “For us, yes. Are you okay with that?” He asked as he tilted his head sideways to accentuate the question.

  I didn’t answer right away. Was I okay with finishing our quota and moving on to living only for ourselves? “Time will tell,” I said with a smirk.

  “Then it will have to be good enough. Have you met Cecily yet?” He released my hands.

  “No, she comes next week. I didn’t want to set her first journey too close to my going back to retrieving you, since I didn’t know what to expect.”

  While being tempted, I chose not to activate the Family Slide once more. I was torn between wanting to know everything and being satisfied with the thought of a life for only Jimmy and me. Cecily would be the last. The traveling would be finished.

  Jimmy took the following week off from work to continue healing from his wounds. We did go visit Paolo, since we knew he would be racked with guilt over Jimmy being trapped in time also.

  Approaching his home in Laguna Beach, we wondered how the old man would receive us. Perhaps he too was ready to be done with everything. Pulling up to the gates Jimmy pushed the button. This time our ring was answered by a stranger.

  “Who is it,” a female voice demanded.

  “Jimmy and Sami here to see Paolo. Is he in?” Jimmy asked.

  “No. Was he expecting you?” asked the disembodied voice.

  “No, but we were hoping to talk with him. When will he be home?”

  “Sorry, he did not say. I will tell him you stopped by. Good day.”

  We were being dismissed by the help. Perhaps he would contact us once he heard it was both of us visiting. Jimmy backed the car out of the entryway and took us north towards home in the South Bay.

  That evening after dinner we sat on the porch enjoying a glass of Merlot. Not a surprise, we saw a black town car pull up to the curb of my house. Paolo got out and approached.

  “Hello, Paolo,” I said. “Good to see you.”

  “And you as well,” he said, “both of you actually. So, your retrieval worked?”

  “Not exactly,” I said. “We had some help, but both of us have returned. Would you like to join us in a glass of
Merlot?”

  “It would be a pleasure,” Paolo replied. “Thank you.” As he spoke, he came up onto the porch and seated himself in the first available wicker chair. The branches whispered around him as they took his weight.

  Going into the house to retrieve another glass, I heard a conversation begin, as Paolo said, “Jimmy Chang, I am sorry for what happened. You see...” was all I heard as I went into the kitchen.

  When I returned with the additional glass, they were already talking about the Mediators.

  “No,” Paolo said, “while I did know that my ancestor was an Elder and how he began, I did not know he was a Mediator, as you say. He took his life when I was a teenager.”

  “Did he tell you anything more about the process?” I asked.

  “He did tell me how it all began. But he did not say anything about being a Mediator. This is the first I have heard of that term. Perhaps he felt there was no value in my knowing, so he chose to keep it to himself. Did your Grandfather enlighten you about that, Jimmy?”

  “Unfortunately, we ran out of time. Like we always do,” Jimmy said as he turned and winked at me.

  “Perhaps,” said Paolo, “some things are best left unsaid. You are close to finishing your quota, are you not?” He asked, then took a sip of wine.

  “Yes,” I said. “We can then be done with this whole mess.”

  “While the loss of my Paolo was hard, I still regret his not fulfilling his quota. His death meant the unhappiness of all his Suitors. It is so unfair that they should suffer for his rash actions. But here we are. With the lack of any additional offspring, yours will be the last quota to be fulfilled.”

  We all sat sipping our wine and watching the sun sink into the ocean. As many times as I’d witnessed this scene, it still left me in awe. There was always a higher power greater than our meager lives.

  His glass drained, Paolo gently set it on the table beside him and stood. Like everything else in this past day, it seemed very final.

  “Well then,” Paolo said, “I guess this is good-bye. I wish you every happiness in your upcoming marriage. It is time to focus on yourselves.”