Bee Happy

by Marcia C Brandt

  Chapter 22 The Newspaper Brent knew that this wasn’t going to be his easiest interview of his career, but he also knew it was going to be his best, one that would probably win him an award if he was careful and didn’t spook Jim. Learning how to work with reluctant people had been a trial by fire in his first few years, but now he had enough compassion and understanding to not be pushy like he had been before. He knew that what he wrote changed peoples’ lives and he understood that most people were very content with the status quo. But this story was different, it was going to change everyone’s’ lives, not just Jim and his friends but everyone on the entire planet. He had to create a relationship with Jim, and build his trust so that he could write this from the human angle. Not the scientific angle. There were already plenty of stories and fake movies about contact with aliens, but here was a guy who actually found a way to do that. It was unfortunate that he’d been abused by his peers. That was going to be part of the exposé and he knew just how to make it pop. First things first, get to know Jim and his friends, become trustworthy and then he’d get all that he wanted. There was something special about this little town, he hadn’t just been saying that to get them to like him, he truly did like Evergreen, even the name was appropriate. People were very friendly, they spoke to him when he walked around, and smiled, waved when he was driving his car. The clerk at the motel had given him some discount coupons for the local movie theatre, nothing like Baltimore, nothing at all. There were some days that he longed for a simpler life, but that would have to wait until he had his story, the one that was going to make him famous. He hoped it was enough so he could relax and maybe find a small town like this and start his own newspaper just like his grandfather had done so many years ago.

  Jim had invited him out to his farm; this was a good start, getting to know him on his home turf. He hoped that this would help him write the story with the right perspective, noted scientist loses his position, family and escapes to rural America where he grows apples and vegetables. Seems like a slam dunk. When Brent arrived at the farm, he was amazed at how beautiful the setting was. Everything was well groomed and the buildings and house were freshly painted, nothing seemed out of place. Here’s a man who knows how to make everything work together and look good. He found Jim in his garden destroying some weeds with a vengeance. “Hi, hope you don’t mind me coming out here.” Jim stood up from his hoeing and leaned on the hoe to rest. “Nope, this is a back breaking job but there’s no one else to get rid of these pesky weeds, they think they can have all the moisture when my vegetables need it more. Would you like to have a seat on the porch, we can talk there and I could use the rest? I do need to harvest some vegetables for the farmers market tomorrow, so we can talk for a little while and then I have to get back to work.” “Farmers market? That sounds like something I’d like to see. Would you mind telling me about it and how you make a living growing vegetables?” Jim was surprised at this, he expected him to dig right into his story, and instead it felt like he wanted to get to know him. That was a twist he hadn’t planned upon. Jim was hoping to make this whole event be short and sweet and over this afternoon; then he could get back to his life, the one here that he loved. Brent had other ideas, and he wanted to know Jim on a personal level before he tapped into his scientific mind. Jim proceeded to tell him how he found this small acreage for sale, the apple orchard had been neglected for years, the couple he bought it from had moved into assisted living and none too soon. The house and buildings were in disrepair and needed a lot of paint and fixing. He spent the first couple years rebuilding the house and buildings and nurturing the orchard. His apples were doing well now and he had plenty to sell to the local grocery store and keep for himself. Only a couple years ago did he have the time to begin to grow vegetables. And this seemed to be his passion. Planting and nurturing and harvesting and watching people be so excited to buy what he had grown. Somehow he felt that they knew how much love he put into growing them. It was like a partnership he had with nature and this kept him grounded, far away from the stars and the scientific community.

  The time slipped away from Jim, he was actually enjoying telling Brent how he came here and all the improvements he had made to the farm. Looking at the sun, he realized it was time to harvest his vegetables, “Looks like I’d better get back to my garden. I can give you directions to the farmers market. It starts at 6 am.” Brent was taken aback, 6 am? You really have to want vegetables to get up that early, he thought. “Can I help you pick the vegetables? I’ve always wanted to see how it is done. I promise I won’t ask you any more questions and I won’t get in your way.” Jim thought this was unusual, a city guy wanting to get his hands dirty. “Hey, I can use the help; if we get done quickly we could go into town and grab a burger. If that works for you.” Again he wasn’t sure why he was being so friendly, but there was something that he liked about this guy, he couldn’t put his finger on it just yet, but he’d figure it out eventually.

  With all the vegetables ready for the morning, the two of them headed for town, on the way he called Calli and Sally inviting them to meet at the Burger Barn. Hopefully that would keep the conversation away from the codes and the story; maybe he’d get discouraged and go back to where he came from. “I called the girls to come and join us. It’s always nice to have female company. You’ve already met Calli. Sally works at the court house in town and is Calli’s best friend from forever. I’m just getting to know them both better. Both of them are single in case you’re interested; except I’ve got my eye on Calli if you know what I mean.” Jim wanted to make sure he understood that Calli was spoken for, at least in Jim’s mind. Calli arrived first and slipped into the booth beside Jim. “I see you’re still here. You haven’t pumped Jim dry and headed back to the city?” Calli wanted him to know that she was anxious for him to leave. “Nope, we’ve just been hanging out picking vegetables for the market tomorrow.” “Really, you put him to work? That’s great. Now maybe one city guy will understand where the tomatoes come from.” Calli had no intention to be as polite as Jim was; she was behaving like a she lioness, protecting her mate. “I’ve learned plenty from Jim this afternoon; I’m amazed at all the work he’s done on his farm in such a short time. I never would have had the patience to fix everything up like he did. I have a great respect for anyone who can build something with their hands and even more for people who grow our food. You might be surprised that I do know where vegetables come from and also that you get milk from a cow and not a cardboard box.” He had a twinkle in his eye; she wasn’t going to run him away that easily.

  Sally arrived and had to sit by Brent, even though she would have preferred to sit somewhere else. The waitress took their order and they began talking about the farmers market in the morning. Brent was full of questions, just like a reporter, Calli surmised. But as the evening continued, she started to look at him in a different light. He was funny, sincere and very interested in small town life. There had to be a reason. And she was going to discover it. That was something that she was good at; at least she thought she was. “So, why all the questions about small town life? Are you thinking about leaving the city behind and getting some dirt on your hands?” Brent decided it was safe to share his dream with them, after all he was going to get very personal with Jim if not the rest of the group. “My grandfather ran a small town newspaper in upstate New York. A very small town, the newspaper was published weekly. He was an upstanding guy, always looking for the good news, instead of the crime reports. I admired him as a kid and now as an adult have a great deal of respect for how he ran his business. It’s always been kind of a child hood fantasy to live in a small town and write for my own paper. That way I’d be in control of what stories were published and which ones were ignored. I have a theory that the more good news people read, the better the community will become. Do you have a local paper here in Evergreen?”

  “Interesting that you would ask,” Sally was privy to inside information working at the court house, “the present
owner of the local weekly is looking to sell his paper and retire. He’s been writing the paper for over 60 years now. Great guy, but he’s ready to move near his grandkids and enjoy what he calls the good life. Spoiling grandchildren and frustrating their parents is his intention.” Everyone laughed and thought that was a great story, but Brent was listening with his heart and felt a pull that completely surprised him. “Really, he’s selling it? Do you know if he’s had any offers? Or when he’d like to retire?” Now this surprised the rest of them at the table, why would this city reporter, who’s looking for a big story, want to know about the weekly paper in this small town? “I just heard about it this afternoon, so I’m sure no one has bought it yet. And I also know that he’s ready to leave as soon as he can get everything handled. I don’t think he has his suitcases packed just yet, but I imagine there’ll be a garage sale notice in the paper soon. He doesn’t want to take everything with him. Said it was time for a new home and new furniture. The furniture was worn out and full of memories, his wife passed on last year, so I think that’s what is motivating him to be close to family now.” Sally was the fountain of information, and Brent was drinking in every last drop. Sally noticed his aura shift and watched as it started to glow with excitement. There was definitely something happening here that no one was paying any attention to except her. And the other thing she was watching was how Calli’s aura was responding to Brent, instead of Jim. She knew from experience, that when people are attracted to each other, their energy fields become active and it looks from a psychic view that they are communicating energetically. People would call it attraction; she called it fate and Divine Intervention. Life was going to get very interesting she was certain. And the other piece of the puzzle included her, she had been unwilling to say anything to Calli, but she had seen a new vision, one that involved Jim but not Calli. Better let that one rest until she saw how this interaction was going to evolve. They all walked to the Dairy Barn and ordered hot fudge sundaes. Calli made sure she had several cherries on top of hers. 6 am was going to come very early for Brent, but he was going to set his alarm and see what else this small town had to offer.

  Chapter 23 The Match The alarm was going off and Brent was hitting snooze over and over. Did he really want to be the first one at the farmers market or did he want to sleep a little more? Finally after the fifth time of hitting the snooze he got up and headed for the shower, maybe that would wake him up. Last night had been pivotal for him. His dream of owning a small town newspaper had been offered to him on a silver platter. There was something about this town and these people that made him feel at home, the East Coast had always been his home but he could feel the heart energy here in the Midwest. He’d never considered moving away from his roots, but there was an energy pull that he couldn’t ignore. Maybe it was the land, maybe the people and maybe Calli. She was a little spit fire, very direct and beautiful. He knew that Jim was dating her. So he’d better leave the attraction alone for now. His priority was getting his story, not looking for a date or a newspaper. As he argued about all of this in his mind, he finished his shower and got ready to experience a small town farmers market.

  The parking lot was almost full and it was only 6:30. Brent hadn’t been the first one to arrive, but he still was up earlier than usual. His stomach was growling, time for food. There had to be some awesome baked goodies around here with all these booths. He spotted Jim and Calli; they were the first vendors as you entered the market. Their booths were right beside each other and they were very busy with customers. He’d just stroll down the aisles and let his nose lead him to breakfast. He’d never heard of a kolache but they seemed to be selling like hotcakes, by the dozen even. Choosing one of each flavor, he began eating as he continued walking. These little treats were amazing! After the fifth one he was finally feeling full. Turning around he headed back to the kolache booth, wanting a supply for later. He bumped into Calli because he wasn’t paying attention to where he was walking. “Oops, sorry. Oh, hi, Calli. I wasn’t watching where I was going. I see you are getting some of these amazing treats too. My favorite is the poppy seed. Which one do you like best?” Calli was surprised to hear that his favorite was the same as hers. “Poppy seed. You have great taste! I’m also partial to the lemon ones but Mildred is sold out of them. You must have gotten up early. What do you think of our little market?” Calli was even beginning to like this guy, despite her fear that he would expose Jim to the world and he would leave Evergreen forever. “I’m impressed with the variety of produce, plus the baked goods are out of this world delicious. Is that one of your skills? Baking I mean.” Laughing Calli replied, “I’m great making salads and lasagna but I buy all my baked goods at our local bakery, it’s safer that way. See you later, I’d better get back to my booth, Jim is watching it for me but I had to get some kolaches before they were all gone.”

  As Calli hurried back to her booth, she wondered why she had this brief feeling of ‘thrill’ in her heart when Brent bumped into her. Granted he was good looking, not arrogant like she expected, and he even seemed interested in getting to know her and Jim. This feeling was unlike anything she’d felt before, almost like a spark of recognition. Returning to her booth, the rest of the morning was so busy she didn’t have time to think about it again until Brent walked past her right before lunch time. He didn’t stop because she was waiting on customers, but she could have sworn that he winked at her because her heart did that little jump, sparkle thing again. Ignore it, that was her mantra, she was happy being with Jim, at least that’s what her mind was telling her. Being happy was important, especially when you’re dating someone new. Now her mind had a new situation to consider, why was Brent affecting her when she was happy with Jim? Her thoughts continued to swirl around this all afternoon. Roger arrived around 4 pm and proceeded to take his traditional walk around the market; stopping to chat with his friends and buying his favorite jam. He loved to bake bread, and the best jam was made by his friend Mildred, putting the two together made the best toast in the world. Calli had sold out of everything she’d brought today. The jingle of coins and the wad of bills in her pocket felt absolutely wonderful. She was going to celebrate tonight; hopefully Jim would join them at the Burger Barn for their successful market celebration. Bacon cheeseburgers all around!!

  Jim helped Calli load her van with the empty buckets. Smiling she asked, “Will you be able to join Roger and me at the Burger Barn for our weekly celebration?” Jim hesitated, “I wish I could, but I have to get home for an important phone call. Can I have a rain check for next week?” He seemed secretive about the call, so even though Calli was disappointed she tried not to let him know. “Oh, that’s okay. Of course next week will be great.” Just then Brent appeared by their vans in the parking lot, “Did I hear that there’s a celebration at the Burger Barn tonight? May I join you? I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting your grandfather yet.” There it was again, that little flutter. Calli took a deep breath to calm her heart, “That will work for me. I’m sure Roger would like to meet you. He’s a great fan of newspapers and would be interested in your work. He reads the Washington Post everyday to keep current with the world.” Jim felt like something was ‘off’ but couldn’t decide what it was. He gave Calli a quick kiss on the cheek and headed home. “I need to stop at the bank for the deposit and I’ll meet you there in about half an hour.” Calli felt weird knowing that Jim was going home and Brent was joining them instead. Looking up at the sky she decided it was time to start asking questions. Sally had told her she had a spirit guide; maybe it was time to figure out how to communicate with him or her. Her fantasy life with Jim and the happily ever after scene wasn’t as strong and vivid in her imagination as it had been just last week. Exactly what is happening here? Must be time to check in with Sally and see if she could shed some light on this.

  Jim knew that it wasn’t good for him to be keeping secrets from his friends, especially Calli, but he had to get to the bottom of this before he could tell anyone. The
phone was ringing as he walked into his house. Grabbing it quickly, “Ya, this is Jim.” The voice on the other end was hard to hear, like their connection hadn’t gone through properly. “You’ll have to call back; it’s too static for me to understand you.” With that the line went dead. This had been happening for the past week, getting a message on his answering machine that told him to be expecting an important call at a certain time, and then when he answered the phone, he couldn’t hear the person or the connection went dead before they could talk. The area code was foreign, and he hadn’t taken the time to find out what country the call was coming from. His intuition told him that he should keep trying to connect with whomever was calling, not that he wanted to but there was some sort of force driving him to find out who, what, and why they were calling. Looking at the clock, he decided that he’d go to the Burger Barn and join everyone. He liked Brent but had a feeling that Calli did too, his male ego was in full swing and he wasn’t going to have this reporter steal his girl. He called Sally on the way into town, maybe Brent would get interested in her. As Jim thought about Sally he realized that he hadn’t taken time to get to know her very well, he’d been so focused on Calli. Maybe if he paid attention to Sally, then Calli might get a little jealous and focus on him instead of Brent. He knew that was a game, but couldn’t help himself.

  Sally answered on the first ring and agreed to join him and everyone else. As she hung up the phone she felt certain that her latest vision was starting to manifest. Not a word, she couldn’t speak a word of this to anyone. When people saw the future, the vision was only one possibility out of many. With people having free will and being able to change their minds, it was very difficult to be accurate. She secretly hoped that this vision would become her reality, because it was exciting, involved world travel and adventure. Plus there was romance and a lasting love for her. Being single was her choice, she was waiting for her ideal mate, she knew better than to ask for her soul mate, those relationships most of the time were filled with turmoil. She was waiting for a guy who would be psychic enough to travel the spiritual path with her and explore the universe and all the secrets out there in the ethers. Pulling into the parking lot, she put this wish and vision inside a box so no one else could access it psychically. She didn’t want anyone’s opinion or wishes to influence the outcome.