by Carl Alves
Kenna felt the air lighten around her. Mia’s presence continued to grow stronger. It was as if she was standing next to them.
“Thank you for telling us,” Kenna said. “He’ll have to believe us now. Is there anything you want us to tell him?”
There was a long pause before the planchette moved to No. Then it moved to Good Bye.
For a while, nobody spoke. Carlos broke the silence. “That went better than I thought it would.”
Kenna nodded. “Did it feel like, I don’t know, like Mia was happier?”
Ben smiled. “Yeah, it was like a nice summer breeze.”
Cordy pressed her index finger against her cheek. “It was more like the smell of lilac on a spring day.”
“No, no,” Carlos said. “It was like when you get to the final level in Mortal Kombat and you kill off the last bad guy.”
Kenna shrugged. “Maybe it’s different for each of us. But did you guys feel something? It wasn’t just me?”
“I definitely felt something,” Carlos said.
Ben and Cordy nodded.
After her friends left, Kenna couldn’t get the feeling out of her head. Mia’s physical manifestation was significant. She just couldn’t figure out why.
Chapter XII
Carlos ran across the school yard with a piece of paper in hand. Ben ran behind him, having a hard time keeping up. Ben had short legs and a wide frame, so running fast was not something he did. Carlos had a look of wild-eyed excitement. “Hey, guys, check this out!”
Cordy and Kenna had been jumping rope. They broke away from the other girls.
“What is it?” Kenna asked.
Cordy frowned. “Yeah, you’re gonna wake up the dead.”
Carlos stopped to catch his breath. “I got an email from Mark Saleski.”
Last night, they had emailed Mark, detailing what Mia had revealed the last time they talked to her, private information only Mia would know. Kenna had no idea how Mark would react to it. She had crossed her fingers when they sent the email and had been mentally crossing them ever since.
Nearby, a group of kids were playing four square. They were too close to the other kids for her liking. This was their own private business. Nobody else needed to know about it.
“Let’s go to the gazebo,” Kenna said. Kids hardly ever congregated there. When they reached it, she asked in a high-pitched voice, “What did he say?”
Carlos waved the sheet of paper in front of them. “I have it right here.”
Cordy snatched it from him, and Kenna looked over her shoulder.
The email read: How the hell can you possibly know that? I was devastated when Mia died. Part of me died with her. But that was so long ago, a lifetime really. Now you’re stirring old memories that should be left alone. I have to find out how you learned this and if the impossible is true. Can you really communicate with Mia? I won’t be able to sleep at night without knowing. I'd like to meet you. From your letters, I assume I’m dealing with more than one person. Let me know where and when, and I’ll be there.
Kenna took the paper away from Cordy and read it again, focusing on each word. She could hardly believe Mark Saleski wanted to meet them. Then reality bit her. What would he think when he saw they were just kids?
Cordy snatched the paper from Kenna. “This is awesome. It’s just what we wanted.”
Kenna folded her hands, deep in thought. “Okay, how about we meet him after school? Somewhere nearby so we can walk there.”
After some haggling, they settled on a diner between school and their homes.
***
During the week leading up to their encounter with Mark Saleski, Kenna kept wondering whether or not this was a good idea. She hoped this would help Mia feel better about being dead. Maybe they could pass along a message from Mark.
She was certain Mia would welcome it. She had asked about Mark the last time they communicated with her. Kenna had been purposely vague with her answers, not wanting to get Mia's hopes up.
Hopefully, they could convince Mark they were telling the truth. Of course, he might just tell them they were nuts and walk out.
Kenna felt so jittery. The only one who seemed relaxed was Cordy. She couldn’t stop talking about it in between classes, at recess, after school, or on the phone. She fashioned herself as this matchmaker who was going to get Mia and Mark back together again. The only problem was that Mia was dead. Anything short of bringing her back to this world would make that impossible.
After their final class, they gathered together by the flagpole in front of school. Carlos wore shades and a backwards hat. Ben’s face was pale. At least she could count on him being more afraid than her. Cordy was chatting up a storm. She had planned out exactly what they were going to say to Mark.
They arrived at the diner five minutes before the scheduled meeting time. They ordered two Cokes and a root beer. Kenna didn’t want anything because she felt queasy.
“This is so cool.” Carlos sipped his soda. “You know, it’s like we’re undercover agents in some secret meeting.”
Cordy smacked Carlos’ shoulder, causing his drink to spill. “This isn’t a comic book. This is real life. Be serious.”
Carlos smirked. “Well, I think it’s cool. It beats soccer practice.”
Kenna glanced at her watch every few moments. Five minutes after their scheduled meeting time, she started to get worried. “Maybe he’s not going to show and we’re wasting our time. What were we thinking?”
Ben slid across the booth. “Maybe we should just leave.”
Cordy yanked him back to his seat. “You’re not going anywhere. Just chill.”
Kenna’s eyes lit up when a man wearing black dress shoes, pleated pants, a Tommy Hilfiger button down shirt and a striped tie entered the diner. His thick hair was beginning to get gray. He had a neatly trimmed mustache and beard, also growing grey. In his hand, he held a briefcase.
Kenna nudged Carlos. “That must be him.”
“Yeah, I think so,” Carlos said.
Cordy and Ben turned and stared at the man.
Kenna put her hands on the table and leaned in, speaking in a low tone. “All right, let’s play this cool. Let’s make sure it’s him. Don’t all stare at once.”
Carlos disregarded her advice and ogled the guy.
The man scanned the diner, a heavy frown forming on his face.
A hostess walked up to him. “Will there be anyone else joining you today?”
He continued to look around. “I’m meeting people.”
The hostess smiled. “If you like, you can wait here, or I can get you a table.”
The man ignored her and continued looking.
“This has to be him.” Kenna rose from the table amid anxious looks from her friends and walked over to him. “Excuse me. Are you Mr. Saleski?”
His face tightened. “Yes, that’s me.”
She extended her hand. “I’m Kenna.”
Mark Saleski frowned. “Is this some kind of joke?”
Kenna shook her head. “No, it’s not.”
“You’re just a kid.”
“I realize that.”
“And I suppose those are your friends at that table?”
Kenna nodded.
Mr. Saleski sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “I can’t believe I’ve been talking to a bunch of kids. This is nuts. Why didn’t you tell me you guys were like eight years old?”
“I just turned ten. We figured you wouldn’t show if you knew we were kids, so we didn’t mention that.”
“All right. I’m leaving.”
“Please, Mr. Saleski, don’t leave. We may not have told you how old we are, but we never lied about it. You just never asked. And we haven’t lied about Mia. We really do talk to her. That’s why you’re here. If you didn’t think there was at least a chance, no matter how small, that it might be true, you’d have blown us off a long time ago.”
Mark pursed his lips.
“I swear to you we’re telling
the truth. Hear us out. You’re already here, so you don’t have anything to lose.”
Mark grinned. “Except my dignity. Well, you’ve made a persuasive argument, young lady. You just might have a future as a lawyer.” He shook her extended hand. “I’ll listen to what you have to say.”
“Awesome.”
Kenna led him to their table. “Mr. Saleski, this is Ben, Carlos, and Cordy.”
He shook each of their hands, pulled up a chair, and sat at their table. He folded his hands. “So, how do you communicate with Mia?”
Cordy smile brightly. “We use an Ouija board.”
Mr. Saleski’s brows rose. “An Ouija board? But those are phony.”
Ben shook his head, his face grave. “It isn’t, sir. I thought so, too, but it’s real, very real.”
“Well, how did it happen? Did you try to talk to Mia?”
Cordy shook her head. “No, it was like a total accident. I mean, we were just goofing with it, and then the planchette started moving, and it was Mia talking to us.”
Mr. Saleski’s eyes narrowed. “So, what do you talk about with Mia?”
Ben shrugged. “Different things. We’ve asked her about all sorts of stuff that happened in her past.”
Kenna nodded. “Yeah, that’s how we found out about you.”
“How did that come about? Did she randomly start talking about me?”
Kenna shook her head. “We asked if she had any old boyfriends before she died, and she spelled out your name with the planchette.”
Mr. Saleski folded his hands. “Tell me about the physical act of communicating with her. How does that work?”
Ben replied, “Me and Kenna hold the planchette, and we just kind of move it around. Then when she starts speaking, it moves on its own, and you just go with it. It spells out words and stuff. We ask her questions, and she responds. We’ve never been able to communicate with any other spirits other than Mia. Believe me, I didn’t think any of this stuff was real until we actually started doing it.”
Kenna was surprised that Ben was so talkative. He was usually timid around grown-ups.
“So, what did Mia say about me?”
Cordy’s face lit up. “She still loves you. You can tell that. Not just by her words, but there’s this whole vibe you can feel. It’s hard to explain, but it’s like the atmosphere in the room totally changes.”
“Yeah,” Carlos added. “It’s like she’s there with you.”
“She told us about her accident,” Kenna said
Mr. Saleski’s face sagged as he lowered his eyes to the table. “That was really tough. I’ve beaten myself up so often over the years about that. I wasn’t with her that day.”
Kenna didn’t want to pry, but she felt compelled. She took a deep breath. “She mentioned you had gotten into an argument.”
Mr. Saleski’s eyes went wide. He leaned in close to them. It was like he finally believed they spoke to Mia. “We did. It was a stupid argument in retrospect, although at the time it seemed important. We hadn’t spoken to each other for a few days. I thought I would make her feel bad, and she would cave in. You see, my uncle worked at a law firm in Connecticut and he had offered me a summer internship. Mia wanted me to go. She said it would be a good opportunity. I…well I didn’t want to go. I thought if I spent the entire summer away from her, we would drift apart, and she would find someone else. I didn’t want to lose her, and then…” Tears formed in Mr. Saleski’s eyes. “I lost her anyway.”
“You really loved her, didn’t you?” Kenna asked.
Mr. Saleski wiped away tears. “I sure did.”
Kenna stared into his eyes. “But she’s not gone. She’s dead, but her spirit is with us.”
Mr. Saleski sighed. “I don’t know if that’s comforting or not.”
“She seems happy most of the time,” Cordy said. “But she does have issues.”
Kenna glared at her.
“What do you mean?” Mr. Saleski asked.
Ben looked around the table, and when nobody volunteered to answer, he said, “There’s this bad spirit named Cotter, who’s causing Mia problems. We’re not sure what the deal is since she doesn’t like to talk about him, but it can’t be good.”
Mr. Saleski’s face tightened. “Is she in danger?”
Kenna felt a sudden urge to change the direction of the conversation. “We’re not sure. I’m really glad you decided to come today, because Mia still cares about you.”
Mr. Saleski took a deep breath. “I must be crazy for talking about this with a bunch of kids. Hell, the whole situation is crazy, but I’ve never forgotten about her. My marriage is a disaster. Right now, I’m in the middle of an ugly divorce. Hopefully, your parents will stay together. Divorce is bad business. I have a son just entering high school and a daughter a few years older than you. They’re not taking it well. My son was just recently arrested for drug possession, and based on the crowd my daughter runs with, she probably isn’t far behind.” He closed his eyes. “God, I miss Mia. I think my problem is that I’ve measured everyone else against her, and nobody can meet her standards. Maybe it was because I was young and didn’t know any better. Everything that happens when you’re young seems so much better and more important as you get older. It was devastating to lose her.”
Kenna sniffled as tears welled in her eyes.
Cordy clutched Mr. Saleski’s arm. “That’s so sad.”
“Hey, it ain’t all bad,” Carlos said. “Mia’s still out there, even if she ain’t with us.”
Kenna nodded. “That’s right. If you’d like, we could pass on a message to her, or maybe you want to talk to her yourself.”
Mr. Saleski paused for a moment. “I’m not ready to talk to her, but what the hell, maybe there is something you can tell her. Tell Mia the cup is still full.”
Kenna’s brow furrowed. “What does that mean?”
“It was just a saying we had. We were silly kids. If you truly communicate with Mia, she’ll tell you.”
Kenna smiled. “We’ll tell her that the next time we speak to her.”
Chapter XIII
Jake knelt on the mat, calling out instructions. “All right, Robin, buck out of there. Thrust your hips and roll right. Good job. Now get to your feet.”
Robin and June were grappling on the mat. June was on top of her, and Robin was trying to get out from underneath. She was making a valiant attempt, but Robin lacked physical strength. Meanwhile, June was doing an excellent job of maintaining top position.
A few of the other students stood watching them grapple. Lawrence shouted encouragement, and Robin finally got to a standing position.
Jake patted Robin’s back. “Not bad. Take a break and switch positions.”
Lawrence grabbed his arm. He had the excited look of a kid who had just tied his shoes for the first time. “Hey, Jake, I finally figured out how to put on a triangle choke. I was practicing with Pete. Let me show you.”
“Sure thing.” Jake smiled. He had thought of teaching mixed martial arts as a way to make money and keep himself sharp while training for his next opponent. Little did he know that he would actually enjoy it.
The tenor and attitude of his class had changed after his students had gone to see his fight in Atlantic City. At the beginning of the next class, he had brought a digital copy of the fight provided by the event promotor and analyzed it with them, showing step by step what he had done and why he had done it.
Watching his fight and attending the after-party had been a bonding experience for the class. Ever since then he had noticed a change in their attitudes. His students were more receptive to what he was telling them, and the intensity increased in class. Many students sported noticeable bumps and bruises at the end of the sessions. They also exhibited a greater sense of cooperation. Even Lawrence, who used to dominate his time, waited patiently while he worked with others.
Jake did his best not to show June preferential treatment at the dojo. So far, she did not seem to mind.
He went across the room where Lawrence hit the mats with another student. They grappled for a minute before Lawrence applied a triangle choke to his sparring partner.
Lawrence pumped his fist. “That was so awesome.”
“That’s the result of you working hard at improving your craft. Keep at it. You have to keep practicing, or you’ll lose it.”
Lawrence put his hands on his hips. “I love this stuff. It’s the only thing I look forward to when I’m at work. I was at a meeting today, and my CFO was pissing me off. I wanted to go across the table and choke the son of a bitch out. Either that or fire him.”
Jake chuckled. “Take your aggression out at the dojo, where it belongs.”
“Well yeah, I’m not going to actually do it. I just had this urge. You know what I’m saying? I still might fire him, except he is good at his job.”
Jake thought back to his encounter with Chad Garrett at the Starbucks, wishing it had never happened. Maybe he could have tried harder to talk himself out of the situation.
The rest of the session flew by. He finished by showing the entire class the proper technique to use when trying to get out from underneath a bigger and stronger opponent.
He said good-bye to his students as they filed out. June lingered. After everyone left, he clutched her arm. “Hey, you’re getting good. Your ground game is coming along. Now we need to work on your striking.”
June folded her arms. “So, the other night, were you trying to blow me off?”
Jake felt his face blushing. “No.” That was the last thing he wanted her to think. “I really had to go to work early. In fact, I’d like to get together with you. Soon.”
“Yeah? I’m not doing anything tomorrow night. However, I can be persuaded into going out if someone were to ask,” June said.
“In that case, I’d like to take you somewhere.”
Before he could think of where he might take June, Joe Renken walked up from behind and slapped his back. “Hi, June. Jake, good news.”
Jake turned around. “Oh yeah?”
“I just lined up a fight for you at the end of the month.”