“Oh yeah, if you’re into old ladies.”
“She’s not that old.” Tessa laughs.
“A woman in uniform is handsome, I’ll give you that.”
“She winked at me.”
“Oooh, I’m gonna be jealous.”
Tessa smiles broadly.
“God, you’re beautiful.” Dina looks at her with that open love look. “I promise. I will do my best to meet up with you in Canada.”
“You better.”
“Okay, hon, it’s the waitress job for me. Kisses. Keep sending pics. I love it.”
“K.” Tessa hesitates. “Love you!”
“Love you too.”
A message had popped in while they were talking. Billy.
Can we FaceTime now?
Lord. She’s going to have to let him down.
Bad signal.
She shuts the phone off. She stows it in her backpack. Just as she reaches for a bottle of water, a shadow crosses in front of her. The woman in uniform is standing there, petting Murphy.
“Love your dog.”
“Murphy.”
“Well, hi, Murphy, nice to meet you.” Murphy is wagging his tail and the woman reaches in her pocket.
“I think I have something for you.” She looks at Tessa to see if it’s okay.
Tessa nods. She wishes she could control the flushing she feels rushing to her cheeks. Up close the woman is even more striking, with her curly topped hair and trim figure. Murphy salivates as he senses the biscuit, drool hitting the deck before he gobbles it from the woman’s open palm.
“Hey.” Tessa laughs. “That’s not nice. Be gentle, Murphy.”
“Oh, not many can resist my homemade treats.” The woman’s eyes are a greenish brown and the smile reaches all the way up to her crinkles. “I’m first mate Schwab. Schwabbie to my friends.”
Tessa stands and shakes her hand. ”Tessa.”
“First time on the SS Badger?”
“First time on a ferry.”
“If you have any concerns at all, please find me.” She rubs Murphy’s head again. “I’ll be back.”
Only when the first mate moves away, does Tessa see that more than a few people noticed their exchange. A couple with a young son, waiting to meet First Mate Schwab, follow after her.
An older couple trail after them.
A woman, sitting on the bench across from Tessa, smiles. She has to be at least seventy years old. “She sure took a shine to you.”
“I think it was my dog.” Tessa feels herself blush again. People walk between them, so the old woman stands unsteadily and treads carefully to her, her hands out from her sides a little. She is quite tall.
“Still getting my sea legs.”
Murphy’s head is instantly in the woman’s lap as she sits.
“Oh, my.” The woman’s white pants now have doggie drool on them.
“I’m so sorry!”
“Oh, don’t worry. I just lost my Jasper, so this is good. He must smell him on me. What’s your dog’s name?” The woman is whispering to him, her face down by his.
Tessa is astonished. Murphy never lets anyone put their face close to him, except for Tessa.
“Murphy.”
“He’s so soft.” The woman continues petting Murphy while looking at Tessa.
“Traveling far?”
“A little bit,” Tessa admits. “I have a camper down below.”
“Oh! So do I. I think I live more on the road than I do off it these days.”
“Do you like it?”
“Oh, yes. I never tire of traveling. I have lots of friends all over the US and Canada. I quit going to Mexico when they started targeting the AARP crowd.” The woman grins. “I’m sorry. My name is Madeline Sweet. Maddy for short.”
They shake hands.
”Tessa Williams. It’s kind of pricey isn’t it? The ferry ride.”
“Yes, but it saves so much on driving, and gas. These sorts of shortcuts I don’t mind. Are you on vacation?”
“Sort of.” Tessa doesn’t want to go into detail. “It’s sort of a family thing.”
“Very nice.”
“You both have campers?” A man next to Madeline pokes his head around. His eyes are magnified behind his glasses. He wears a tan cowboy hat that seems to dwarf him. He has a nice smile and handsome moustache. A woman in glasses with curly long hair leans over from beside him and waves. She’s too far out of hearing.
“Chris,” he points to himself, “and Cindy. We’re the Hoopers. We travel all over the US and Canada in our fifth wheel.”
Madeline seems to know what that is and proceeds to ask Chris all about it. In the course of about three minutes they’ve exchanged details like who’s going where and what’s on their agenda. All Tessa gets out of it is one’s going north and the other is going south and they’re both heading west eventually. Then she notices Chris is in a small electric wheelchair.
“We’re all road hoboes,” he says.
“That’s a nice hat.” Madeline gestures.
“It’s a Stetson.” He offers it for Madeline to try.
“You look good in it.” He grins. “Better than me.”
Madeline turns to Tessa and she nods in agreement.
“Hats are wasted on me.” Madeline laughs and offers it to Tessa who shakes her head no.
“We’re going to case the place inside, if you two care to join us.” Chris winks and expertly wheels his ride through the constant weaving of crowd before and aft the ship.
“Coming?”
Tessa nods. “In a bit. I’d like to stay outside for a while. Nice meeting you.” She shakes Madeline’s hand and only then realizes how strong she is. For not being super large, Madeline’s hands are blocky and worker like.
“Nice meeting you. See you down the road.”
EVEN THOUGH IT’S dark when the vehicles disembark the Badger, Tessa is wide awake and decides to make miles. The Hoopers and Madeline are hitting a county campground nearby, but eager to see the Mississippi, Tessa elects to drive further.
She makes it as far as Kettle Moraine State Forest. Since it’s still spring and kids are in school, she finds her pick of places in an all but deserted campground. One or two sites occupied, Tessa moves as far away as she can from neighbors and noses into a site that promises a lakeside view in the morning.
It’s already Wednesday. Time for the Mommy Call. Tessa knows that’s probably not a nice way to refer to it, but it’s not meant to be derogatory. It just is. She and Murphy finish running around the quiet campground and down to the doggie swim area bordering Ottawa Lake.
He’s under the picnic table, licking his fur softly. She has a cup of warm cocoa and takes a deep breath. Eight a.m. Wisconsin time, nine a.m. Michigan. Mom doesn’t go to work till ten.
Her mom picks up as if she’s been sitting on the iPad.
“Oh my God, I can see you. Oh, it looks beautiful there.”
“Hi, Mom, everything’s good. Great even.”
“It is? No flats or anything?”
“No. Nothing.”
“No bad characters?”
Sure, if you want to count the relatives.
“Smooth sailing.”
“How’s Murphy?”
Tessa moves the phone below the picnic table, cocky enough to hit the reverse photo button.
“Oh that’s a neat trick. I thought you were going to show me your belly button.”
“Funny.”
Tessa brings the phone back to her. Her mom’s eyes are bagged up, like she hasn’t been sleeping, and they have the dark circle raccoon look.
“Mom. You need more iron. And more sleep. Maybe you’d better eat some liver and onions.”
“Ewww. You’re right about the iron though. Oh my, this iPad rats me out.”
“Your hair looks nice,” Tessa offers.
Her mom is playing with the screen.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh, Mr. Forsythe told me if I put my finger on my own
picture I could move it around. He’s right. There, now I can see you better.”
“You’re gonna become a techno junkie.”
“I’ve been playing with it. Did you know there’s a crocheting chat group online? You can even all sit around and crochet together, but most of the time it’s like a support group, I swear.”
Tessa shakes her head. “And you’re worried about me and bad characters? Some of those chat crotchetier could be Farley and his other brother Farley, waiting to meet up with you at a Java Juice and take you for a shrimp ride.”
“We can hear each other’s voices if not see each other. Unless they have really high voices I don’t believe any Farleys are going to find me. Let’s get back to you. Did you see Eli?”
“I did, and he’s excited about the new lawyer.”
“Won’t that be wonderful if he is out once you’re back?”
Tessa nods.
“Who else have you heard from?”
“Billy.”
“Is that all?”
Tessa hesitates. “Dina.”
“You’re enamored with her, aren’t you?”
No! I’m fucking in love with her.
Tessa lets out a lot of wind as she sighs this time.
“Oh, I know what that means.”
“What’s what mean?”
“That gassy sound you make, like a balloon losing all its air at once.”
“That’s so not funny, Mom. Is that what these little Wednesday chats are going to be like? Because not enough states let me drink in them to do this for the entire time.”
“I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Dina’s not going to hurt me. She’s busy. She has jobs, and school and . . .”
“Xander.”
“Exactly.”
Even her mom is attracted to Xander. All the older ladies are. He can charm the pants off most anyone. Except Tessa. And he’s tried. Tessa told Dina who just laughed it off with, “If he hadn’t tried with you, I’d worry he was sick.”
“So once you’re past Indiana which road do you take, 65? Or 75 to Florida?”
Her mother has said a whole paragraph and Tessa has to catch up with her.
“Uh, I dunno.” She realizes she’s twisting the hair by her ear. She drops her hand. “Sorry.”
”Oh, I know, it’s boring talking to your mother, but will you do me a favor?”
“Maybe.”
“Will you call me tonight? I have to get ready for work.”
“There’s not much to tell.”
“I know, honey. I just want to hear your voice. I’ll keep it short. Let’s try for eight, okay?”
Tessa nods because she can’t seem to find it in her right now to say no.
Chapter 8
IN PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wisconsin the Mississippi is wide and slow. Tessa stands on the banks as she contemplates where to spread ashes.
“Are you kayaking the river?” a voice behind her asks.
She turns to see a young man, about her height, a bit robust, hair on his chest, in kayak shorts and shoes, finely muscled legs, carrying a single kayak over his shoulders.
“Uhm, I’ve never actually kayaked a river. I wouldn’t know how to get back.” Tessa points to the truck and camper.
“Nice rig.” He looks her over as if making a decision. “I already posted my car downstream and rode my bike back.” He indicates a bike locked up at the park. “You could just leave your rig at the Villa Louis Museum and tell them we’re kayaking downstream and will be back this afternoon.” He sticks his hand out. “My name is J Prince. Not like the singer. I just don’t like my first name, so call me Jay or Prince.”
“Tessa.”
Murphy lets Prince pet him.
“Okay,” Tessa agrees. “But I’ve only kayaked a lake. Not a river.”
“Well, the Mississippi is basically a lake at this point. A series of large basins divided by the locks and dams.”
Tessa has no clue what Prince is talking about, but she nods along.
Once the museum folks, who know Prince, okay Tessa leaving her rig, Prince carries her kayak for her down to the river. He stands in the cool waters of the Mississippi, holding the bow, and Murphy readily jumps in and lies down, then Tessa steps in the middle, like Paul had shown her.
She sits and Prince hands her the paddle and shoves her out. She drifts toward midstream, panic rising in her, but he quickly joins her.
“Let’s just float a little,” Prince suggests. “Let the river carry us.”
As they float, Tessa’s fast beating heart returns to normal. They talk about nothing and everything. Pretty soon they are casually paddling, and then they are really moving downstream.
“This is fun!” Tessa exclaims. “And easy. Easier than in the lake.”
“That’s because the river is helping you.” Prince smiles, then points his paddle up. “Look there.” A giant thunderbird is painted onto the limestone cliffs.
“Is that real?” Tessa asks.
“Mmmm, not really. Some hippies in the seventies painted it. That’s what my folks say. Then every year some historical group keeps up on it, near where the original was.”
“But how do they get there?”
“These days they rappel, and use harnesses, maybe? I don’t really know.”
“So why are you kayaking?”
“I’m training for a triathlon, but it’s still too cold to swim, so I run and bike and kayak.”
“You’re ambitious.”
“I just like to be outside.” Prince smiles. “What’s your story?”
Tessa pulls out a little zip lock bag of ashes.
“Great Aunt Sadie. Took a trip with Uncle Percy around the states and now I’m spreading her for the family.”
“Are you serious? That’s sort of awesome.”
“Yeah, actually I have to do ceremony.”
Prince looks at her blankly.
“It’s a family thing.”
“That’s cool, but you might want to wait till we get down to the Piasa bird.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s another painted bird on the limestone. The big one is further down the river in Alton. That one has a lot of imitators. The original was mined out a long time ago, so they put one down by Alton, and there’s one up here. Some locals insist the Piasa belongs up here anyway. And, it’s really not supposed to be a bird. It’s supposed to be supernatural dwarves; little people with super powers.”
“Like aliens?”
Prince chuckles. “Yeah, maybe.”
“Well, I’d better not tell Mom. She’s into that stuff. She’d be here in a heartbeat. Great Aunt Sadie was little and she definitely had power,” Tessa muses as they paddled away from the thunderbird.
And definitely revered.
“When we break for lunch we should be close. There’s a nice wide sandy beach there too. Do you need fire for your ceremony?”
Tessa shakes her head. “I have a candle and a feather and some sage.”
After lunch, out of respect, Prince stays back as Tessa walks the beach and looks at the painted creature. Prince said the one in Alton had wings, but this one looks more like a dragon, with a tail flipped around almost to its head.
Its eyes are shiny and its mouth is open. It reminds Tessa of Maori warriors in New Zealand. Prince is right. This is the perfect place.
Tessa closes her eyes and gets real quiet. Murphy sits beside her. She calls in her guides and all the people that have gone before her. She calls in the four directions. Most of this she does silently, then she calls in the elements. Sometimes she’ll find a feather on the way, or a rock, like a heart-shape rock or quartz. Today she is just with Murphy and Prince, so she uses Josh’s feather. She lights the sage and cleanses herself with it, and Murphy. And the ashes. Then she walks into the water and blesses her Great Aunt once more, and releases the ashes. Then she takes a picture of the ashes and the water as she has every time. And sends it in a message to Mr. Forsythe.
>
“I didn’t know iPhones were part of ceremony,” Prince calls out.
Tessa grins and walks toward him. “Ahhh yes, the sacred iPhone family ceremony.”
“That’s pretty cool. I respect you for taking the time to care for your Aunt that way.”
“I’m doing it for Aunt Sadie and the family.”
“Murphy seems to take it pretty seriously too.”
“He does, doesn’t he?”
Prince points to the purple bird foot birthmark on her left thigh. “That’s a cool mark.”
“Yeah, my twin has one just like it.” Tessa wishes she hadn’t said that.
“Well, why isn’t your twin here?”
“He’s got a job. Couldn’t take time off.” Tessa hates lying so she wills herself to believe it’s true, in a way.
Prince doesn’t dwell on it. “Let’s scoot. We have a few miles to cover yet.”
Chapter 9
WHEN JOSH FIRST found Tessa and Eli, he saw Eli crying and trying to hold Tessa’s intestines in. Josh snapped his knife in the bloodied snow and commenced to treat her like he would any animal on the farm; a cow with a prolapsed uterus, a calf with fescue and half a hoof gone. He opened his kit and, thankful that Tessa had passed out, proceeded to field stitch her.
He ordered Eli to grab the travois in the back of the truck so Eli could trek Tessa out. He did not want to chance the jumbling of the truck with his fragile stitching. They bundled her tightly in a blanket wrap so as Eli pulled the travois, she wouldn’t be jostled. And he directed Eli to the shorter route, only five hundred feet to where an ambulance siren was already approaching.
“Go! Now. Meet them over the hill. Straight to Traverse City. Tell them she fell on her knife.”
He handed Eli his.
“Now!” Eli, still in shock, nodded dumbly as he gazed at the other figure in the snow.
“I’ll take care of everything else. The less you know, the better. Go!”
Josh knelt next to Gabe and turned him over. Grimacing, he gently lifted the part of the scalp that had been almost cut clean through. He wrapped tight the head wound before heaving Gabe’s lifeless body over his shoulder.
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