by JR Wirth
Jade looked at Lee with anticipation, and smiled. “You’re not married, are you?” she asked.
Lee looked at me again and then back at Jade. “Why no, I’m not honey. But how did you know that.”
“I don’t know, I just see things.”
“And what do you see?”
“I see you wearing a long white gown when you’re getting married to my Pa.”
Everyone in the room sighed and gave an amazed, collective giggle. Lee, on the other hand, remained silent, and didn’t appear affected by the comment, nor surprised. She touched Jade’s face and said, “I would like that. And I would love for you to be a bridesmaid.”
Jade’s smile widened. “I would like that too, but I’m already the flower girl.”
“Whoa,” Bree said and shared an exasperated glance with her cousin, Brandy.
Macho Jim, I’m sure feeling as choked up as the rest of us, interrupted the surrealistic scene and shouted, “I think it’s time for a beer and some barbeque!”
“Good idea, Dad,” Dylan added, as he seemed eager to end his own teary-eyed gaze.
Lee stood and grabbed hold of Jade’s hand. “I think that’s a great idea.”
“Me too,” Jade added. “Happy Fourth of July, everyone.”
“Happy Fourth of July!” we all cheered.
While I watched Lee and Jade, hand-in-hand, smiling, I noticed that they stood, with their kind-spirits, between burned crosses. It was at that moment that I knew Jade and Lee were, indeed, kindred spirits; and the true ‘Seers’ of good and evil. I also realized I was just the conduit to bring them together, and the verifier to which all could believe and understand. We were brought together for a reason, and though I had no idea what that reason was, I did know that it was for something very special.
Chapter Eleven
There were so many questions and everyone wanted an answer. So, as the pre-fireworks party continued, Lee, Jade and I shared our experiences. Everyone wanted Jade to look into their eyes to find good things about to happen. I’m not sure what she saw, or if she wasn’t just making things up to make the others feel good, but it was inspiring nonetheless.
Not too long after the merriment started, someone knocked on the door. We were all in the living room watching a movie with the sound muted. We shared stories and laughter, while Jim came in and out, adjusting and glazing the searing meat.
Dylan, sitting on the edge of the couch, closest to the door, was telling a story of his job at a nearby casino. He turned his head and yelled, “Come in!” He obviously did not want to interrupt his story before the punchline. He turned to the crowd. “It’s just Daniel; we’re going to buy some fireworks for later. Anyway…”
Another knock on the door.
Dylan sighed, and shouted, “Come in Daniel!”
“Just come in already,” Bree added.
Again, a knock on the door.
Jim looked at Dylan, “It’s your friend, let him in.”
“I’ll get it,” Dylan moaned, obviously upset that he had to leave the conversation. When he returned he was followed by two large, suited men with guns at their sides. “Uncle Jess, these guys want to talk to you.”
“Me? What did I do?” I looked at Lee and winked. “Ex-boyfriends?”
Lee shrugged and then accompanied me to the kitchen, adjacent to the living room area.
“I’m Uncle Jess,” I said. “Just Jess to you, I’m sure.”
“Cleaver,” the head detective said. Dressed in a black suit with an all-black tie and slicked back hair, he looked right out of a Men in Black movie.
“You’re not all that clever though, Mr. Jess,” his partner quickly added. Dressed in a tight-fitting blue suit, and much younger, he seemed like an avid GQ reader, but with very little gentleman in him.
“Huh? What’s this about?” I suddenly realized it was probably about the accident. “Oh, you guys are following up about the accident, aren’t you?”
“That was on the California side of the border, Jess,” the lead detective said.
“How did you know that?” I shrugged. I was beginning to get a little nervous. Lee must have noticed, because she laid her hand on my back, and gently caressed it.
“It seems like you’ve been into a lot since the accident,” the head detective continued.
“How so?” I asked with a queasy stomach.
“Well, a boy who survived a local accident said the driver of a car, he saw earlier, knew something about the accident that took most of his family. He called him, The Seer.”
“Okay.”
“And he got part of your license number. It didn’t take long to figure out who you were, and that you own a gray sedan. We’re connected at the hip with the CHP. To make it easier, your brother lives just blocks away from all the chaos you’ve created.”
“I see.” I was now at a complete loss for words or coherent thought. The caressing, however, kept me in the moment.
“Then there’s the 7/11 store clerk who described a jogger that told him to be compliant with a robbery. You’re on the video surveillance.”
“Okay, but that was only to save him from getting shot.”
The partner smirked. “Or it was to make sure he’d comply when you came back? That way you’d have a quick getaway.”
“Pretty clever,” the head detective said.
As I looked into his eyes, I blacked out. When I came to, I turned to Lee. “Do you see it too?” I asked.
“I did. We need to tell him quick.”
“Tell who, what?” the partner asked me.
“Your wife,” I said to the head detective. “I believe her name is Melissa…” I paused to get confirmation from Lee.
“That’s what I saw too,” she said with a cracked voice.
The head detective puffed out his chest and barked, “What about her?”
“She’s in danger,” I cautioned, to the dismay of the partner.
“Nice try, not-so-clever, Jess.”
The head detective leaned back against the kitchen counter, just in front of the coffee-maker. “What kind of danger?” he questioned me.
Impatient to save the detective’s wife, Lee spoke before I could. “She’s on her way to Lake Mead, correct? And then you’re supposed to meet them later, is that right?”
The head detective gulped and his expression blunted. “Yeah.”
“Your two young daughters are with her, correct?”
“Yeah,” he said, with obvious nervousness.
I turned to the kitchen clock, “There’s no time. Call her now! Tell her to get off of the road.”
“Huh? Wait a minute.”
“Just do it!” Lee yelled. “Now!”
The detective reached into his pocket and cautiously pulled out his cell phone. He speed-dialed his wife. “Hi babe,” he said and then turned toward Lee and me. “Listen, don’t question me, just pull to the side of the road.” He nodded while he waited for an answer.
We nodded convincingly.
“I know, just do it though. Please.” He waited, then covered the phone and whispered, “She’s on the side of the road, now what?” Then the head detective covered his free ear and walked outside, while we anxiously awaited a happy end to the story.
When he returned, he was in tears.
“Oh no.” Lee teared up. “We were too late.” She laid her head on my shoulder. “Or what if the intervention is what put her in danger?”
I wrapped her in my arms.
The detective looked at us with despair in his eyes. “A tanker that was driving next to my wife just overturned.” He shook his head. “And exploded.”
“Oh God.” Lee buried her head further.
“She missed it by a matter of seconds!” he cried, and
then burst into tears. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” The tough detective wiped his tears and shook his head in disbelief.
Jade came up and shoved her way between Lee and me. She smiled and said, “You have three girls don’t you, Mr. Policeman?”
The head detective sniffed and then smiled. “No honey. But thanks to your parents here, I still have two.”
“Oh, she’s just pregnant then. You’ll have three pretty soon.”
The head detective’s mouth opened wide. And he again speed-dialed his wife. “Are you pregnant?” he rushed out. “I know that’s abrupt, I’m sorry, babe. But?” He smiled. “Well it’s going to be another girl! This time I’m going to name her.” He looked at Jade and Lee. “What are your names?”
“I’m Jade.” She pointed with her thumb. She then grabbed Lee’s hand and began to swing it. “And this is my new Ma. Her name is Lee.”
Talking into the phone, the head detective excitedly said, “Her name will be Jaylee.”
More to celebrate, I thought. There were smiles all around.
The head detective held up his index finger, and motioned for us to wait while he stepped outside and continued his conversation in private. When he returned, he shouted, “Who wants a ride in a cop car? Fireworks are on me!”
Brandy yelled, “I do!”
“Me too!” Dylan shouted.
Then Jade looked up and smiled. “Can I get a snow cone, please?”
“You can have anything you want, young lady.”
Chapter Twelve
The rest of the vacation went off without a hitch. Fireworks had never been so enjoyable, or plentiful. Coming home, we caravanned with Lee and Jade in the front car, and Brandy and me in the trailing car, just in case.
We’ve been inseparable since that day. Within two months, Lauralee leased her condo in Rancho Cucamonga, stored some of her stuff and moved in. And life has been an electric ride ever since. We try to avoid as much eye contact as possible, and have trained ourselves to break it within two seconds. Occasionally, however, we miss our mark and are forced to intervene in the lives of unsuspecting friends, family and strangers. Sometimes we have no choice in the matter, as if a higher power forces our stare. Jade, on the other hand, passes on good news to whomever she can, and loves passing on the joy.
And that’s how our amazing little family started.
‘The End.’
****
“Hey honey, I finished the book.”
“Good, now you can help me with the packing,” Lee said. “What do brides-to-be wear in Vegas for a bachelorette party?”
“T-shirts,” Brandy yelled from her room. “We can get matching tees.”
Lee nodded. “Good idea.”
“No partying for you, young lady,” I shouted.
“Of course not, Daddy.”
“Why don’t you call Bree and Kristen and ask them? I’m sure they’ll have everything all set up already anyway.”
Lee nodded with a faraway look. “I’ll suggest that we make T-shirts, and then ask for their input on the design.”
“Okay. But remember, hands off the strippers.”
“The boys or the girls?”
“Both.”
Lee joined me at the computer’s high-backed leather chair. She sat on my lap, and we gazed into each other’s eyes. “I love Lauralee, Mrs. wife-to-be.”
“How poetic, my clever, Mr. Jess. But we’re not going to Vegas.”
My eyes opened wide. “You saw it too.”
“I did, and we’re not going for the Fourth this year. Call your brother and see if they can come here.”
“But why do you think we saw catastrophe in each other’s eyes?” I asked with confusion.
“Perhaps, because it involves us all?” Lee shrugged. She gave me a gentle kiss and we embraced. “I don’t know for sure why, I can only hope.”
“What about Jaylee’s baptism?” I whispered. “We are the godparents after all.”
“That will have to wait too.” Still in my embrace, Lee shrugged again. “Sorry.”
Suddenly, Jade joined us, and we uncoupled.
Jade took an extended look at both of us. It was a look of darkness; a morbid glance deprived of the usual sunshine or good news. Lee and I exchanged concerned glances, and wrapped ourselves around each other.
I was about to inquire about her morose presentation, when suddenly she shouted, “Just kidding!” and broke out in laughter. When the laughter subsided, the usual smile reappeared. “You’re going to love your Hawaiian honeymoon,” she said, excitedly. “You don’t even need your bathing suits.” Then Jade covered her mouth, giggled, and skipped away.
“Oh my,” I said, slightly pink with embarrassment. “What did our little Seer, see?”
Destiny’s Lot
A Halloween Love Story
JR Wirth
Chapter 1
Long before there were texts, tweets, friend requests, or, for that matter, unlimited social networks, there was good old fashion “hanging-out.” We had no need for such things as instant messaging, or elaborate check-ins to let others know where we were. Nope, if we wanted to let others know what mayhem we were experiencing, or conjuring, we had to use the dial-up landline to tell our story. A proven method for generations, it was how we common folk reached out to family and friends.
Parties, furthermore, were of the paper invitation kind, or word-of-mouth; or, perhaps, the occasional flier. Flyers were a virtual guarantee that your party would become known as legendary. They were, however, used sparingly and only if you were sure your party could handle hundreds of wanted and unwanted guests. And, of course, we had more than a few of those over the years. In general, people got together, listened to music, told tales, and had a few laughs, with or without spiked punch.
Flyer or not, the most legendary of these parties seemed to happen on, or near, Halloween. And this one promised to be the most legendary of all. All I had to do was take my younger siblings trick-or-treating and then I was free to party with Destiny.
Destiny was a Cuban immigrant who ended up in California, from Cuba, via Florida. I first laid eyes on her in my Intro to Spanish class. Why she had to take beginning Spanish, I never did figure out. But she could speak better Spanish than anyone at the school, including the teachers, and with much more eloquence. She sat two seats up and across the aisle, so I could easily keep an eye on her at all times, particularly when she wore short skirts. And though she didn’t seem too freaked out, I’m pretty sure she knew I was always checking her out. At least she never let on.
For obvious reasons, Destiny was the teacher’s pet. She was often called upon to share her Spanish stories, as she could write entire paragraphs before the rest of us figured out a sentence. As I look back, I’m not sure I learned very much from my Spanish lessons, but, for some reason, it was the only class I never missed. I treasured the moments when Destiny would read her stories. I could get away with gawking at her without seeming super-creepy. It gave me plenty of opportunity to carefully inspect her curves, which, in my opinion, were, by far, the best in the school. Destiny had olive skin, and a beautiful face that was highlighted by dark, bedroom-eyes—set above full cheeks. Topping off the exotic ensemble were dark-red, very kissable lips. Her beautiful face, sitting atop her curvy body, was framed by long, thick, curly-black hair. And when she read her stories, I was mesmerized, though I had no idea what the heck she was saying. But who cared, it always sounded great to me. And I’m pretty sure I didn’t hear very much of it anyway, since I was too busy answering the whispered question, “What more could one ask for?”
Chapter Two
Why did Destiny even agree to a date with me, I considered, that fateful Halloween morning. I then forced myself to a sitting position on the side of bed.
�
�Don’t even try to explain it, JR,” I whispered. I slowly shook my slightly foggy head and smiled. “But, within hours, all that’s going to be mine!”
I smiled again.
To clear my mind and focus, I, again, shook my head. “Thank God Halloween is on a Saturday,” I whispered to the cold uncaring floor. “It’ll give me time to make my preparations.”
I smiled once again. Though I couldn’t see my face, I’m pretty sure the new smile was much more heinous than the previous; and was conspicuously accompanied by the raising and lowering of my brows in rapid succession. Three times they went up and down, as I considered whom else the Saturday Halloween might motivate. The girls will have plenty of time to get into character, was my first thought. That consideration was quickly overcome by dozens of other blood-pumping visuals. My heart raced, my breath shallowed, and my grin widened, as I pictured the thigh-high costumes, and the alternate personalities they created, as well as the lewd behavior they inspired.
“Nice,” I whispered. I slowly nodded my head. “Hedonism awaits. I wonder what Destiny will be wearing.”
When I fully recovered from my lewd, mental moment, I tried to refocus. “It’s a long day, JR,” I said and, with newfound energy, jumped to my feet. “Keep it together.”
By landing on a Saturday, it also allowed time for some of us less-fortunate souls to make a few bucks. The money helped with last minute necessities and, of course, our dates.
In my case, I decided to mow a few lawns around the neighborhood. The price was right and I always had at least two takers. But before I made my mowing excursion, I thought I’d try to get a real job. So I jumped on my ten-speed bicycle and headed up to the local Pup & Taco. It was the finest fast food establishment within walking distance; and they were hiring. I could get a burrito and an application for employment, killing two monsters with a single, silver-bullet.