Return of the Clonsayee

by Elaine Bassett

  Carson turned to Bev and requested, “Please call Joyce and make sure Caroline can go with us tonight.” Bev left to place the call at the house and Carson handed the book back to Caroline.

  Peter’s dad drove up the driveway and waved to Carson. Carson walked over to say hello. The men stood and talked for a moment, while the boys finished their practice. Once they were finished shooting baskets, Pete jogged over to his father’s car. Before he left, the two young men made plans to practice again.

  After Pete’s father drove away, Bev joined Carson, Charles and Caroline on the lawn. She said, “Joyce said it would be fine if Caroline comes with us.”

  Charles looked confused. “Did I miss something?”

  Carson asked Charles to run inside and take a quick shower. They had to go somewhere important and they needed to be going soon.

  Charles did as he was asked. Caroline went to get her things from the office. Bev hurried to her bedroom to put something on her wrist that was very special to her. Then she walked out to wait with Carson and Caroline. It didn’t take Charles long before he came back outside.

  Carson motioned for them to follow as he walked toward the garage. “Let’s go. We will explain on the way. Everyone in Nana’s car.” They followed Carson and waited for him to pull the car out of the garage.

  Once they were on their way, Charles asked, “Where are we going?” Carson explained that they were going downtown to a bookstore. Charles continued, “Aren’t the shops closed by now?”

  Carson said, “I’d say most shops are closed, but we need Caroline to show us where a particular bookstore is located. We need to know where she purchased the book that she is reading for an assignment.”

  Charles smiled at Caroline and reached over to hold her hand. He asked Caroline about the book.

  “So far I’m enjoying it. I think Bev was interested in the cover of the book.”

  Charles thought about that for a moment. Then he asked, “May I see it?” She unzipped her backpack, took the book out and handed it to him.

  Bev glanced over at Carson. Carson kept driving. Bev looked out the window and began to have hope.

  Chapter 27

  As they walked, the two women talked about whatever came to mind. Nothing was off limits. They laughed like schoolgirls and whispered as they received anxious looks from the workers, who scampered off once they saw Maureen. When the two ladies reached the bar, Maureen sat down on a barstool and ordered a soft drink for them. She pulled out a barstool for Nxy. The bartender brought them both a soda then went to the other side of the bar to work.

  Maureen slowly ran her finger over the lip of the glass and said, “Now that I’ve seen you, I know whom you are. Just because I haven’t been here in years, doesn’t mean I don’t know what is going on in this forsaken fortress. I think you’re genuinely talented and I like you.” She looked at Nxy and raised an eyebrow. “I know, that you know, Joseph is married. Tell me, why did you choose him? Why a married man?”

  Nxy looked at Maureen when she said, “I love him.”

  “I see. His wife doesn’t.”

  Nxy looked down at her soda. “That’s what he says too.”

  “He’s asked me to help him get a divorce. Before you get excited, I told him no.”

  Nxy bit her lip. “I see.”

  Maureen chose her words carefully. “It’s not possible. If he obtains a divorce, he loses everything.” Maureen took a sip of her soda from the straw. “If he divorces that woman, when I die, his son Sterling will inherit everything. I can’t do it. That little brat and his goody mama aren’t going to get their hands on what’s mine. On the other hand…” She sighed. “Joseph says he detests money, but he’s never been without it either.” Maureen shrugged. “It would ruin him. You both would lose everything. My guess is, once he realizes what it’s like to be penniless, he’ll end up hating you and himself. There really is no happy ending in store for either of you. Such is life. I was in the same boat too at one time. It happens.”

  Nxy didn’t dare pry. She was smart enough to know she was on dangerous ground.

  Maureen asked, “Where will you have the baby?”

  “Here.”

  Maureen sat up straight. “Here? The baby won’t have a way to travel through the Passageway.”

  “He won’t need to travel. This will be his home.”

  Maureen’s eyes grew wide and a shadow of worry appeared over her face as Nxy continued, “I hope it is a boy. Then the possibilities will be endless.”

  She asked Nxy, “Aren’t you curious about what I revealed to you earlier?” Nxy shook her head that she wasn’t. Maureen’s look revealed she didn’t believe her. She whispered, “It’s hard to keep a secret all these years, and harder now as we speak.” She swallowed a drink of soda. “I’d tell you, but it would get us all killed.” She drifted off in thought for a brief moment. “I thought at one point in time, it might be worth it, even though I was warned it would be forbidden.” Maureen looked Nxy in her eyes. “I couldn’t do it. I would have ended up hating us both; I was certain of it. So was he. Because he loved me, he promised to never leave, and he hasn’t.”

  Non’s deep voice gave a warning. “Maureen Teraza, stop this instant and come with me.”

  Nxy tried not to look shocked, as he reached out his hand for Maureen. She took it. He put his arm around her and the two of them walked away.

  The bartender hurried over to Nxy and warned her, “If you’re smart, you’ll forget about what she told you. Others have turned up dead, Nxy, for knowing the truth.”

  She looked down at her drink and asked, “Who else knows this secret?”

  The bartender zipped his lips. “No one. I’m the last, until she told you.” Nxy touched her necklace. When he turned around and began washing the glasses, she pulled her necklace from her neck and let it gently slip to the ground. She hurriedly walked in the opposite direction from the two who just left. Nxy headed back to her living quarters. She put her hand on her stomach and thought: No one will ever know the truth, I promise you that.

  Chapter 28

  Todd gave Charles’ earlier words about racing the clonsayee creatures a lot of consideration. If he was going to be racing the creatures, then he needed to find out more about them. He decided to start with his dad.

  That night Todd went over to his parents’ house to visit. When he walked up the driveway, he made eye contact with his father. Mr. Schluter waved to him. Todd waved back as he jogged to where his father was watering the landscape.

  His dad said, “Glad you could come over to visit tonight. How have you been?”

  “Never better. Everything is going great.”

  His father informed him that his mother was inside. Todd went to see her next. After a short conversation with his mom, he returned to visit some more with his dad.

  “Dad, what do you know about clonsayee creatures?”

  “Well, a little I suppose. I know they come from outside the eternal border and they are ridiculously fast. I know the wealthy secretly race them. From what I understand, there aren’t many of the creatures still in the wild. Why do you want to know about clonsayees?”

  “Well, it’s a long story. I’m just trying to find out more about them.”

  His dad walked to the faucet, turned off the water and began winding up the hose. After a moment he said, “Well, if you are interested, I might be able to help you. I don’t personally know that much about them, but I might be able to introduce you to someone I am acquainted with, who has a lot of experience working with the creatures. We met years ago when I was on assignment. I might be able to take you to him; that is if he’s still alive. It’s been a while since I last saw him.”

  “How long do you believe it has it been?”

  Mr. Schluter smiled. “Oh, I’d say about twenty years.”

  Todd gave him a look of astonishment. “Twenty years? He’s probably dead by now.”

  His dad laughed and shook his head. “You’d be surprised. Let
me clean up and we’ll see if we can find him.”

  Todd questioned, “Now?”

  “Oh well, we can go another time if you want.”

  “No, now’s perfect. Let’s go.”

  Chapter 29

  Once Carson drove close to the shop, Caroline guided him to a nearby parking lot. He pulled into the lot and parked. Everyone got out of the car and followed him over to a large sign. Underneath the sign were tiny numbered boxes. Carson took a couple of dollars from his pocket then put the cash in the box that corresponded with the parking space.

  Carson asked, “Caroline, can you see the bookstore from where we are standing?”

  She pointed over his shoulder and said, “It’s at the end of the street.”

  Bev stood up straight and smoothed her hair.

  Carson smiled and said, “You look fine Bev.” He took her hand and they walked down the street. No one said a word as they looked in the windows of the shops.

  Caroline stopped in front of a shop. “I’m positive this is the one.”

  Bev sighed when she looked at the sign over the door and read Charmed Cove. The shop lived up to its name; it was very charming and looked out of place where it was located. Carson rang the old shiny brass bell beside the door. They stood at the window of the shop and peered inside. A light was turned on in the back of the shop from behind a door. The door opened and the slender figure of a woman appeared as a silhouette in the doorway.

  Carson said, “She sees us, but I’m sure she can’t tell who we are from that distance.”

  The woman walked toward them slowly at first, but then all of the sudden she moved very quickly to the window of the shop. The lady turned on the outside light and stared at each of them, until she came to Bev. Her eyes then looked down at Bev’s wrist. The woman rolled up her sleeve and touched the charm bracelet she was wearing. It was identical to Bev’s.

  She hurriedly opened the door. “Beverly, could it actually be you after all these years? I’d almost given up hope that my eyes would see you again.” Tears were falling from their eyes as they stared at one another. They hugged each other and the lady invited them inside.

  Charles noticed that the two ladies had a striking resemblance to one another. The woman turned on the lights inside the shop. “Follow me to the back of the store. That is where the stairs to my apartment are located. I live above the bookstore.” They followed her through the shop.

  The store was set up to welcome readers of all ages. On the walls were gold letters that read, “Hope, Dream, Believe, Imagine Possibilities and Wish” in script. Along the corner of the store, was an ornate puppet theater that had a wall of neatly hung puppets and an ornate costume hanging from a hook. Shelves of books were arranged in groupings according to genre.

  Once they reached the top of the stairs, Charles looked around. Her home was absolutely beautiful. The décor was very tasteful as if a designer might have decorated it. It wasn’t cluttered with everyday items; as a matter of fact Charles didn’t see any sign of anything being out of place. The lady and Bev hugged again.

  Bev said quietly, “I never gave up hope of finding you.”

  “And here you are today. How did you find me?”

  “First, let me introduce my wonderful husband, Carson Jones.” He and the lady hugged one another. Then Bev introduced Charles and Caroline.

  The lady commented, “What a handsome young grandson and a splendidly charming young lady.”

  “Caroline recently bought a book from your store. As she was reading it tonight, I noticed the cover and asked her if I could look at it. Once I did, I knew instantly that you were near.”

  The lady looked at Caroline. “My dear, you have given me the greatest gift I could ever have. I thank you.”

  Charles was staring at a picture on an end table. He walked over to pick it up. Bev followed him and looked at the picture.

  She pointed to the individuals in the picture and said, “That’s my family.”

  Charles looked at her. “Your sister… She’s your sister.” It made sense now. Charles had heard Bev talk about her lost sister before, but just in passing. “You found her?”

  “With Caroline’s help, I’ve finally found her. This is my sister, Abigail.”

  Her sister spoke up and said, “It’s Abby. Bev always called me Abby.”

  Charles looked at the two ladies then rubbed his eyes. He knew Abby was Nana’s twin. When he looked at them, he saw the resemblance of their features.

  Abby coughed and said, “I’m sorry, I’m choked up right now. I just had a thought about the last time I saw you. Do you remember the night you went over to Dianna’s? I never saw you or Dianna again after that. I’ve always tried to imagine what happened to you. Our father never said, never. You just vanished into the universe, poof!” Bev looked down at her charm bracelet.

  Charles had the feeling Nana knew the answers but wasn’t going to tell her secrets either. A thought suddenly crossed his mind: I don’t really know that much about Nana’s life. Why is that? He’d heard Nana mention her twin sister to Margaret in conversations over the years, but now that he was thinking about it, the conversation always changed to another topic when he entered the room.

  Charles knew that Nana and Margaret grew up together. They were best friends and had slumber parties. He knew that Paw Paw and Al were best friends. He also knew that Paw Paw and Nana introduced Margaret and Al to each other. Charles turned his attention back to the family photograph, while everyone else went to sit down and talk. He placed the picture back on the table.

  He noticed the pictures that hung on the wall. He walked over to the photographs on the end. Charles walked along studying each picture, looking for clues. He wasn’t sure what he was searching for exactly, but figured he’d know it once it caught his eye. Charles walked along the wall and memorized each photograph. One in particular drew his attention. When he looked at it one way, the figure of a lady appeared. When he looked at it from a different angle, the figure of the lady disappeared. Charles thought as he kept trying to see a better image: That's an odd photograph. Finally he moved on and looked at the other pictures. Where is a picture of their mother?

  Abby said, “I remember the last time we were together, as if it was yesterday. For years I thought about every detail, hoping I would remember something that could help me locate you.”

  Abby noticed Charles looking at the pictures on the wall. She understood what he was doing because she’d for years studied the images too. She thought: I recognize what that young man is doing. He’s searching for clues hidden within the photographs and answers to his own questions. He’s very wise. I want so badly to tell him, ‘I know how you feel. I too searched just like you’re doing. I also looked for even the minutest clue that would help me solve our family’s conundrum.’ It seems to me, as I’m watching him, that Bev hasn’t told her secret to her family. Why not Bev? What are you afraid of? I’m beginning to wonder, do you even know it yourself? Did Dianna tell you the truth, or did they keep secrets from you too?

  Abby turned her attention back to Bev. “Do you remember the last time we saw each other?” Bev slowly nodded as Carson took her hand. “I do too.”

  Charles walked over and sat down on the floor beside Caroline. Abby looked at Carson. “The last time I saw my sister, we had just had our tenth birthday party.” She held up her arm and showed her charm bracelet. She continued, “After the party, we were told that Bev would be going with Dianna on a journey. We were asked by Father to go upstairs and pack Bev’s things for the night. So we did. As she packed her things, I sat on her bed and watched. I complained that she was going and I had to stay. Bev told me, ‘It’s only a journey. You’ll have a turn to go with Dianna another time.’ I started crying because we’d never been separated before. It seemed scary to me to be without her.

  “Bev picked up her precious teddy bear from her bed. We took her suitcase and teddy bear to the front porch. She hugged it and kissed it on its forehead. She w
hispered in its ear and handed it to me saying, ‘Here keep her safe for me. You can tell her everything you would tell me while I’m gone.’ I took the bear because in my mind I knew Bev would be back for her bear. That was her favorite lovey in the whole world. It was the one thing that she received that I didn’t. I never knew where she acquired it. I suspected Father gave it to Bev at some point because she didn’t sleep well and would wake up at night crying. We gave each other a hug. Dianna and Bev walked down the porch steps together, got into her car and drove away. That was the last I ever saw of Dianna or Bev.

  “Lovey and I sat on the porch steps every day for months waiting for you to return. Oh, that reminds me, I have something that belongs to you.”

  Abby stood, then walked to her bedroom. When she came back, she held a child’s teddy bear in her arms. A tear slid down Bev’s face. She wiped it away as Abby handed her the teddy bear. “Here, I’ve talked to your lovey every day, just as I promised. I’ve cherished her since that day. Now that you’re back, I want to return her to you. I wish this day had come a lot sooner, but I guess we still have as much precious sand as what is left in the hourglass.”

  Bev bit her bottom lip and took the bear. She stood and hugged her sister. “We’ll make the most of every day from now on.” The two of them exchanged information. When Abby handed Bev the paper, she saw Abby’s last name. It seemed to Charles, they shared an inside joke; that Abby had married a guy they both knew from elementary school.

  Before they left the shop, Carson, Bev and Charles all hugged Abby and received a hug in return. Abby asked Caroline to hold out her hand. Abby took a small trinket from her pocket and placed it in Caroline’s hand. She wrapped Caroline’s fingers around it and smiled.

  Once they walked out the door, Charles asked Caroline, “What did she give you?” Caroline opened her hand and together they looked at the tiny silver charm on her palm. Bev peeked at the charm. Charles could tell she recognized it by the look on her face, but she kept silent.