“Oh… and, Amanda?” Max’s voice had a teasing quality to it.
Amanda turned back and saw his beaming smile. “Yes?”
“It’s okay, you know…you can hug me if you’d like.”
“Oh, no…” Amanda sighed with slumped shoulders. “You can read minds, too!”
* * * *
Kris had slept soundly until one o’clock that afternoon when she heard the mailman dropping her mail into the metal box outside the front door. She roused herself slowly, splashed some cold water on her face, put on another pot of coffee, and padded to the front door to collect the mail.
It felt strange, after so many weeks of not noticing whether the sun rose or set, but the first thing that grabbed Kris’ attention when she opened the door was the sound of birds singing and dogs barking playfully in the distance. It suddenly dawned on her that her mind must have temporarily shut down to the daily sounds of routine life.
Something felt different for her now. Since she had been attending Dean’s church and reading Amanda’s Bible, she had begun to experience a slow, gradual loosening of the overwhelming tightness within her chest. That was the only way she could describe the feeling; that tight, constriction of her heart seemed to be dissipating slowly.
Kris smiled as she watched two neighboring pups chase each other along their adjoining fence line. The smiling sensation felt strange upon her lips, but she liked it. She sighed deeply, took one last look at the pups, and reached inside the mailbox to collect the day’s mail.
She tossed the mail onto the kitchen table, pulled out a frying pan, and gathered the ingredients to make a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich to go along with her coffee. Her appetite was slowly returning along with a distant, but still dull, sense of hope. She wasn’t quite sure from where that sense of hope generated, but she assumed that her daily prayers had a lot to do with her newly-found sense of optimism.
She cut her sandwich into quarters and sat down at the table. She took several sips of coffee while she sorted through the mail. “Bills, junk mail, more bills…” she muttered, until she picked up the last envelope in the stack.
She couldn’t explain it, but something about the envelope caused the hairs to stand up on her arms. It did not appear to be junk mail. There was no return address, and her own name and address had been typed in large, bold, black lettering. She started to open it, and then decided it must be junk mail. She was about to toss it, unopened, with the other junk mail, but a sudden shiver coursed through her. She suddenly knew that this letter was not junk mail.
Kris turned the letter over and over, unable to explain her quickening heartbeat. Her hands began to tremble as she slid her finger under the sealed seam. Her heart rate increased and she could feel it pounding against her chest wall as she slowly opened the letter. She closed her eyes briefly before looking inside and removing a single, typewritten page; a Polaroid picture was wrapped inside that single, typewritten page. Kris turned the picture over; it was a picture of a smiling baby with curly red locks, her hands reaching upward.
It was a picture of her baby… a picture of Charlotte Grace.
Kris didn’t know how long she sat at the table looking at the picture as tears rolled freely down her face. It felt like hours, but it was only a couple of minutes before Kris placed a call to Dean and read him the letter from the kidnappers.
Her next call was to Amanda at the Heavenly Grille.
“Who the Hell still uses a Polaroid camera?” she marveled out loud, while she waited for her reinforcement team to arrive.
Amanda hung up her cell phone and stared at Max, Bertie, and Doug.
“What?” Bertie asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Amanda! What’s wrong, Princess?”
Amanda quickly relayed the news about the letter and picture Kris had received.
“Well, what the Hell are you two waiting for?” Bertie demanded.
Max and Bertie shooed Doug and Amanda out the café door. “Don’t y’all worry about the café; we’ve got it covered. You just be sure to keep us posted on what’s going on!” Bertie yelled after them.
Bertie looked over at Max and sighed. “Well, I wonder what possessed the kidnappers to send a letter like that?” She shook her head and looked up at the gentle giant standing beside her. “From what I hear, it’s been quite a day, big fella, hasn’t it?”
Max knew that Bertie was referring to more than just the letter and picture Kris had received from the kidnappers. He nodded and tried to ignore Bertie’s implication of his transformation before Amanda. “There’s a reason that letter was mailed, Bertie, and it just might be the break that everyone has been praying for…one way or another, I have a feeling that things are coming to a head pretty soon. Yes, indeed, it has been quite a day.” He turned to go back into the kitchen area. “But, it’s not over yet, and we still have a room full of customers to take care of, so just keep all those opinions to yourself…at least until we get a break.”
Bertie grinned and punched him on the shoulder when he turned away from her. “Humph! Don’t you go thinking that you’re getting off that easy, either. You have a lot of explaining to do, Maximus – maybe not to me, necessarily, although I’ll be glad to lend an ear if you feel like talking about it. You know how much I love a good story. Yessirree, you can be sure I’ve got one or two opinions to discuss with you, alright!”
Amanda pushed open the front door and rushed inside the duplex.
Doug was right behind her, trying to keep up.
Dean had already arrived and was sitting beside Kris, looking very professional in his crisp, dark uniform.
Two other officers, one male and one female, were also in the room. They appeared to be discussing the contents of the evidence which was now secured in separate, plastic bags.
Dean had used Amanda’s printer to make copy of the letter, and the other officers were going to rush it, and the picture, to the Tallahassee crime lab for further testing.
The two officers nodded to Amanda and Doug as they passed them on their way out the door.
Amanda waited for the officers to close the door. “I can’t believe it!” she gushed as she ran over and put her arms around Kris. “They actually sent you a letter? Can I see it, or did those other cops take it with them?”
Dean motioned to the single piece of paper lying on the coffee table. “They took the original for testing, but we made a copy of it.” He looked over at Kris. “Is it okay for them to read it?”
“Of course it is…” Kris said, blowing out a giant breath she hadn’t been aware she’d been holding inside. She squeezed her fingers tightly around Amanda’s hand.
“Just checking,” Dean grinned awkwardly as he handed the paper to Amanda.
Doug moved to stand behind Amanda and Kris, who sat close together on the sofa.
Amanda turned the paper over and began to read the kidnappers’ letter. She positioned it to where Doug could also read it from his position behind her. They both read the letter, in stunned silence, to themselves.
Kris Devone,
We have watched and listened to your constant pleas on television for the safe return of your baby girl, and our hearts go out to you for the suffering you must be going through. However, we believe with all our hearts that we can offer your baby a much better life than she would have with you. We know your story. We know your baby is illegitimate, and we think she deserves so much more. She deserves a mother AND a father who will love her and raise her in the eyes and glory of our Lord. As you can see from her picture, she is very happy in her new home. We are taking extremely good care of her and will continue to love her as our own. We do not desire to cause you any more pain by sending this letter; rather, it is simply our way of reassuring you that your daughter is happy, healthy, and safe. We know we may have taken a stupid risk in mailing this letter, but we are good Christians, and felt that we needed to give your heart some peace in knowing that your baby is in good hands. We hope that you will be able to move on with
your life, maybe even have other children one day. For your sake, and the baby’s, we pray that you will be able to do this.
Amanda turned the letter over and looked at the coffee table. “They sent a picture? Where? Where is it?”
Kris shrugged and pushed her face together between her open palms. “The other officers took it with them to the crime lab.”
“Oh, Kris,” Amanda almost cried. “How did she look? It was really Charlotte Grace, right? I mean, of course it must have been Charlotte Grace…”
The tears began flowing down Kris’ cheeks. “Oh, Amanda… she was so, so beautiful. She looked a little bigger, and her hair is starting to curl some…” Kris gulped in air and tried to catch her breath.
Amanda moved even closer and rocked back and forth with Kris in her arms. “This is a good sign. They’re going to find her, Kris,” she smiled as tears rolled down her own face. “I have such a good feeling about this.” Amanda looked over at Dean and asked, “Right, Dean?”
Dean didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely,” he nodded, trying hard to retain a professional composure. “Absolutely… as a matter of fact, we’re now fairly certain that Charlotte Grace might still be in Florida.”
“Really? What makes you think that?” Doug asked calmly.
Dean looked at Kris who smiled back at him. “Well… because of the post mark on the letter. The idiots mailed it from Tampa. We’ll be focusing all our resources in that area now.”
Doug shook his head in disbelief. “That’s wonderful news.”
“Tampa?” Amanda asked, a hoarseness creeping into her voice. She looked over at Kris, wondering if she was thinking the same thing that had just crossed her mind. “We were just there a month or so ago…”
Kris nodded as fresh tears moved down her drenched cheeks. “We were in the same city as my baby girl, Amanda. We were so close…”
CHAPTER 33
–Heaven–
Doug Returns Home
It was Sunday, February 5, 2012 and the souls in Heaven were rejoicing with gleeful gusto. Max and Bertie listened to the singing and laughter along with Martin and Doug. They smiled at each other, content in the weekly fellowship that renewed their Heavenly spirits.
It was Doug’s first trip back Home since he had taken the assignment at the Heavenly Grille. As much as he had wanted to make the trip Home today, his first thought was that he should remain behind to keep a close eye on Amanda and Kris. He still had no clue how things would unfold, but something in his gut told him that things were coming to a head soon and he wanted to be there to support them whenever that happened.
Bertie and Max had been quick to reassure him that the trip Home would do him good and give him the strength he would need to help the two young women who had become like sisters to him.
Martin placed an arm around Doug’s shoulder. “I’m really glad you decided to come Home today, Doug. It’s been a while…”
Doug nodded and looked around him, listening again to the wonderful, happy sounds of all the reunited souls. “Too long, I think… with everything going on down on earth, it’s easy to forget sometimes how good it feels to be here.”
Martin raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “Only six months and you’ve forgotten us!”
“I suppose that was a bad choice of words,” Doug grinned. “No, I could never forget all this,” he added as his eyes took in the white serenity that enveloped them. “I think I understand now why Bertie and Max come Home every Sunday. The feeling is amazing. I’m already feeling… how do I describe it… recharged!”
Max made his way over to the two men and joined in the group hug. “Oh, it definitely does that, my boy. Bertie and I feel like we can conquer anything back on earth after spending just a few hours back Home.”
Bertie’s eyes had been closed as she listened to the joyous reunions taking place throughout Heaven. There were fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, sisters and brothers…all being reunited once again. She knew that before she left here today that she would spend some time with her own family; they were all there now - her mother, father, siblings, husband, her two precious children and even a couple of her grandchildren. Oh how she loved these reunions! She opened her eyes and smiled, took a deep breath, and slowly made her way across the space to join her friends. She punched each of them on the shoulder. “So, Martin, you old geezer…have you told our Dougie why it was so important that he come Home with us today?”
Martin rubbed his shoulder. Oh, how he wished he could cure Bertie of that nasty habit. If pain was possible in Heaven, he was sure he would be black and blue by now from Bertie’s constant punching. “Not yet, but since you’ve gone and spoiled the surprise, why don’t you tell him?”
“Don’t mind if I do!” Bertie laughed loudly. She took Doug by the elbow and guided him to the far right edge of the area they were occupied. Gold trails extended in all directions as far as the eye could see. “Do you hear them, Dougie? Listen to how happy everyone is.”
Doug nodded. “It’s good to hear it again, Bertie. Something about their laughter just calms the soul, doesn’t it? I really hadn’t realized how much I missed it all… until now. I promise I won’t stay away so long from now on; I will definitely have to make more trips Home with you and Max. That’s a promise.”
Bertie punched him as Max and Martin moved in behind them. “Yeah, yeah, everyone’s happy, that’s a given,” Bertie moved her head in exaggerated nods from side to side. “But listen more closely… what do you hear?”
Doug shrugged. “I’m not sure what you’re getting at, Bertie. I hear… pure joy and happiness from every direction.”
“No, no, no! Oh, for goodness sake… close your eyes for just a minute,” Bertie instructed impatiently, “And don’t open them until I tell you to.”
Doug knew better than to argue with Bertie, or to question her intentions, so he did as he was instructed.
Max and Martin shook their heads but remained silent. Leave it to Bertie to insist on theatrics, even in Heaven.
Bertie moved in closer, squinted her eyes and wrinkled her nose, to ensure Doug’s eyes were really closed. She then looked behind her and motioned for the two figures in the distance to come forward.
The two women – sisters - had died together several weeks ago from carbon monoxide poisoning, at the ages of eighty-nine and ninety-one. However, their Heavenly bodies projected the healthy bodies of two women in the prime of their life, certainly no more than forty-five.
The sisters held hands as they glided toward Bertie and the young man.
When the women got within a few feet of her, Bertie whispered to Doug. “Okay, open your eyes, handsome…”
Doug’s half-smile froze upon his face as he stared at the two women before him.
No! It couldn’t be! Even though they were older than the last time he had seen them, he would have recognized them anywhere. He rushed forward and grabbed both his sisters in a fierce hug. His broad, masculine shoulders shook as tears of joy flowed freely down his cheeks. His chest heaved as giant sobs escaped from somewhere deep inside him. It had been so long… sixty years since he last saw his sisters waving good-bye to him in 1952 as his train pulled out to take him to basic training.
Doug had only been nineteen at the time. His older sisters, Sarah and Hannah, had been thirty-one and twenty-nine then, respectively.
Martin glanced at Max and nodded toward Bertie, who was wiping away her own tears.
Bertie reached over and punched them both. “Oh, shoosh! Both of you, don’t even say it!”
Doug finally composed himself and, still hugging both his sisters against him, said, “How long have you been here?”
Sarah, the oldest of the three siblings, smiled and said, “Oh, not very long, just a couple of months now.” She reached up and cupped Doug’s face. She couldn’t take her eyes off the handsome brother that she had said good-bye to so many years ago.
Doug wiped away tears and looked back at Max and Bertie, “Why didn’t you
tell me? I would’ve come Home sooner.”
Hannah laughed and moved in closer to hug her brother tightly. “Well, it seems like we’ve only been here a few hours, but we know that you’re doing important work back on earth. We didn’t want to interfere with that in any way.”
“Not to mention the fact that we’ve been just a little bit pre-occupied ourselves,” Sarah added. “From what I understand, this whole transitioning phase can be…how I should say…a bit overwhelming, at best!”
Doug couldn’t stop staring at the two women on each side of him. He hugged them tight again. “We have so much to catch up on. Have you seen mama and papa yet?”
Sarah and Hannah shook their heads.
“No, Dougie… just you. You’re the first family member that we’ve seen,” Hannah answered back. “I was afraid to ask about anyone, afraid that maybe… well… that they might not be here…if you know what I mean. You remember how papa used to love his drinking and cursing.”
“As if cursing is enough to keep anyone out of Heaven,” Martin mumbled beneath his breath so that only Max and Bertie could hear.
Bertie glared at him and gave him a good punch.
“Oh, they’re here!” Doug laughed. “Truth be told, papa would probably still love to have a cold beer, but mama keeps him pretty busy.” Doug wiped the tears from his eyes and grinned widely. “Oh, I’ve been waiting a long time for this reunion! I can’t wait to see their faces when they see the two of you.”
Martin stepped forward and addressed the trio. “Well, there’s no time like the present, I say. Go on now! What are you waiting for? Don’t keep your parents waiting one minute more.”
Sarah and Hannah looked at each other.
“Go where?” Sarah mumbled.
Doug laughed out loud and hugged his sisters to him once again. “Oh, this is the easy part. One of the best things about Heaven is that all you have to do is close your eyes, think about the person you want to see, and… in an instant… you will be reunited with that person.”
The Heavenly Grille Café Page 20