“Thanks for helping, hon’,” Liz hung out the back door. She winked and put her forefinger to her lips. “And remember…Shhh. Nobody has to know about this.”
Jack gave her an exaggerated nod, then tapped his temple.
“Got it.”
He continued his new-age gardening, holding the O/A at knee level, hovering over his mother’s backyard garden inch by inch. The seemingly withered, dried up carcasses of sad, neglected flowers and plants burst with vitality.
He stood next to a weathered oak barrel strawberry planter and held the device over the scraggly, weed infested bush. The machine whirred and sang without any prompting. He’d stopped being surprised by its antics, yet what it did next gave him tingles. The tangle of unwanted growth receded, leaving broad, healthy leaves. The dead stems and stalks, crispy from months of inattention, began to take on color. Brown and gray turned off-white at first, then light green, then sparkling rich emerald, so deep it seemed unreal.
He continued converting what had been overgrown and dead into an instant oasis. The apple trees responded by pushing out fragrant, pinkish blossoms where only a few, haggard ones managed to hold on for dear life. The fuchsias regained vigor, teeming with rich, velvety flower after flower. All of the once emaciated and weather-worn plants, shrubs and grasses came alive in a symphony of vibrancy and abundance.
When finished, he stopped and surveyed the O/A’s handiwork. Botanical artistry. Trimmed bluegrass, framed by clean cobblestones, followed the flower garden to a plentiful vegetable patch. The hanging baskets hummed with bees, searching from bloom to bloom for precious pollen.
The backyard green and lush with life, he slipped the O/A in his pocket and went indoors. He stopped to take off his shoes when he overheard his parents in the kitchen.
“I still can’t believe this, Ben. I mean, did this all really just happen? Did the town really raise the money to buy our house out of foreclosure for us? I mean, I know it’s real, but…but pinch me!”
“It’s real. Thanks to our son and his amazing imagination. Without him, we never would’ve been able to harness the power of the O/A. Our boy’s a genius, Liz. He’s gonna do some great things with that machine.”
“Yeah, but aren’t you worried? I mean, that’s a powerful device.”
“Are you concerned Jack might abuse it somehow?”
“No, it’s not that at all. I trust our son. It’s other people I don’t trust so much. What if someone gets their hands on it, someone who doesn’t have the same true soul?”
Ben chuckled. “Didn’t you see what Takota did at North Point? That little creature was sent here, Liz. It’s fate. They were meant to be together. He’s not a teddy bear, he’s a protector. And as long as Jack has his protector, I’m not worried one bit.”
Liz cleared her throat. “Listen. I have to say I’m sorry for doubting you,” her voice grew quiet. “How can I ever make it up to you?”
Ben lowered his tone. “I think I can come up with a few ideas.”
Liz giggled. Ben chuckled. Jack heard lips smacking and stuck out his tongue.
“Bluck!”
He hurried upstairs, his dad’s words echoing in his mind, “…as long as Jack has his protector, I’m not worried one bit.” It made him think about Takota, who’d gone with the other Tanakee to Wind Whisper Woods. Jack wondered how long it would be until they saw each other again. His stomach wrenched with worry, thinking something might happen out there, and Takota might never come back.
In his room, he found nothing but unpacked boxes and a whole lot of work to be done. He dropped his shoulders. Emptying the contents of the closest cardboard container, he placed the holoversarium on his bed.
He kept thinking about his little friend.
“Takota,” he said aloud. “Takota, you’re coming back, right?” he searched, not knowing where to direct his comments. “You wouldn’t leave me for good, would you?”
The glass in his windowpane rattled. His bedroom set shook. The boxes stacked on the nightstand traveled to the other side, and a ceramic mug full of ballpoint pens toppled and scattered. A brilliant light appeared over his bed, bursting with deafening sound. Jack peered into the brightness. It faded and left Takota in its distorted wake. He stood on the mattress, wearing a stunned expression.
“What happened?”
Jack shrugged. “Don’t know. I was just thinking about you and Bam! here you are!”
“Jack, we need to talk. You have to be extra careful with that machine.”
“But I wasn’t using it. Honest. The O/A isn’t even on right now.”
Takota’s pupils widened. His eyes darted left to right, then again to Jack. “If you didn’t do it, who did?”
“Maybe Eteea just wants us to be together,” Jack grinned.
Takota softened. He hopped to the dresser and put his furry hand on Jack’s shoulder. “You know what? I think so, too.”
Coming Soon
Book 2 in the Tribe of the Teddy Bear Series: Call of the Tanakee
Book 3 in the Tribe of the Teddy Bear Series: Children of the Blue Crystal
Jack James and the Tribe of the Teddy Bear Page 43