Tempus

by Tyra Lynn

  The bell on the front door jangled. “Can you get that, Steve?” My dad called after a few seconds.

  “Yes, sir!” Said Steve, he brushed my hand lightly as he walked by me, approaching the customer. “How can I help you today, Mr. Shelton?”

  Julie and I turned back to the room while Steve followed Mr. Shelton outside. I was dying to go in, but didn’t want to draw any attention to myself. It sounded like my dad and the new guy were all the way in the back where some of the bigger, recently restored items waited for space on the showroom.

  I heard my dad ask, “And what type of wood?”

  “Flame mahogany.” The voice was deep, and smooth. It sounded familiar, but I knew I had never heard it before.

  “And this?” My dad’s slightly higher voice.

  “Tiger oak.” The smooth, deep voice again.

  Julie and I tried to sneak in the room. We made it to my work area. I stood on my tiptoes, and I peeked through the shelves. I could see my dad on the left—to the right was a male, about the same height as my dad, with coal black hair. It fell slightly over the top of a crisp, white collar.

  I ducked down a little, then up, trying to get a look at his build. The best I could tell, he was muscular, but not as bulked as Steve was. One dip gave me a view of a very nice butt. Julie was copying me, trying to get a look as well. “Did you see the butt?” She whispered.

  I nodded, trying not to laugh. When I looked back, they were heading to the side of the shelves, and our direction. I grabbed Julie and said loudly, “Okay, just let me wash my hands real quick and say bye to Dad.” We both went to the sink, Julie was watching, I turned my back and ‘washed’ my hands.

  “Jessie!” I heard my dad call. “I didn’t know you were still here. I want you to meet someone.”

  I glanced at Julie; her expression was hard to read, as if she were purposely trying to keep her face blank. I could hear footsteps behind me, so I quickly dried my hands and turned to face them with a smile.

  All I managed to say was, “Oh, my god!”

  CHAPTER X

  The day is of infinite length for him who knows how to appreciate and use it.

  —Goethe

  The next thing I was aware of was being placed in a chair. Julie was asking if she should call an ambulance, Steve was having a fit and asking my dad if I was okay, Dad was telling Steve I was fine and to go take care of Mr. Shelton, and a not-quite unfamiliar voice was near my ear saying that I would be fine, and for everyone to give me some air.

  I had no idea what had happened. I tried to open my eyes, but I felt dizzy, as if the room were spinning. For some reason, I was afraid to open my eyes.

  “Miss, are you all right?” That voice. I had heard it somewhere. Not here, somewhere else, but I didn’t know who it belonged to.

  “I’m okay, I think.” I answered. “I don’t know what happened. I think I turned around too fast.”

  I still didn’t want to open my eyes, but I knew I had to or Dad would panic. I opened them just enough to peek through, then opened them wider. When they focused, I was looking into the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen, and I knew I had seen them. I knew who they belonged to. A fresh bout of vertigo overtook me, and I grabbed the edges of the chair.

  Pictures of people, decorations, like a party, hit me in waves. I could hear music, and people were dancing all in front of me. The view was from a chair, from someone seated in a chair, and I was watching what he or she saw. The music was so loud! I let go to grab my head—and it stopped.

  “Are you all right, Miss?” I knew that voice. I remembered where I had heard it before, but it couldn’t be. “Miss, you fainted. You will be fine, just breathe slowly and deeply.” My eyes had closed again, and I felt a cool hand touch my forehead, my skin tingled where it rested. It reminded me a little of the sensation of sticking your tongue to a battery, but it wasn’t unpleasant. To someone in the room, probably my dad, the voice said, “Fetch her a cool glass of water. She’ll come right around momentarily.”

  She’ll come right around momentarily. What was that? Why was he talking so weird? He had an accent, but it didn’t sound foreign. It sounded too proper. Like someone in one of those British movies, but without the British sound.

  “Here, miss, sip slowly, and not too much.” My eyes opened enough to see the glass, and I sipped very slowly. His hand was behind my head now, and it tingled there. Why wasn’t Dad the one taking care of me, or Julie? “Much better?”

  I wasn’t sure how cold water could help, but it seemed to have made a difference. I concentrated on breathing slowing, in through my nose, out through my mouth. I opened my eyes, and he was still there, with an anxious look on his face. I looked around the room and saw Dad and Julie, standing back a little. I could hear Steve's voice in the front of the store. I had an overwhelming urge to call out, “Auntie Em?”

  “Are you better now, Miss?” He asked again.

  “Jessie,” I corrected. My eyes opened and focused on his.

  “Miss Jessie?”

  “Jessie. Just plain Jessie.” My brain wouldn’t function.

  “Jessie, perhaps, but not plain.” He smiled, and those blue eyes sparkled, as if there were light shining from the inside out.

  That was the moment Steve walked in. I heard him, but I couldn’t turn my eyes away, as if they were held by a magnetic pull. I closed them, turned them in the general direction of Steve, and then opened them again. He had stopped at the door.

  The moment our eyes met, he rushed over to me. “Your dad made me go out there. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay, Steve, I’m fine. What happened?” I asked. Steve looked at my dad.

  “I’m not sure Jessie, you turned around, your face turned white, and you fell forward. Gabriel here caught you.” He gestured toward Gabriel, who had quietly stepped back when Steve came in. Gabriel smiled, and then looked down. I’m glad he looked down; I might not have been able to turn my head otherwise. Dad finished with, “He said you fainted.”

  “Fainted?” I exclaimed.

  Steve did not seem pleased with the revelation, but if it was worry for me, or something else, I couldn’t tell. He glanced at Gabriel with a look that could not have been described as happy. Then he seemed to regain composure. “Thank you,” he said to Gabriel.

  “My pleasure.” Gabriel replied. I’m sure he meant to be polite. Steve didn’t appear to take it that way

  I started to stand, but my knees felt weak. Steve put an arm around me and assisted me to my feet. He kept his arm firmly there. I felt so odd, and unsteady.

  “Julie, can you take her home?” My dad asked.

  “Sure Mr. McLeod.” Julie came to stand by me.

  “Do you want me to go too, Roger?” Asked Steve. He still had not released me.

  “No, Steve, I need you here. Thank you, though. I know you’re worried.” He looked at Steve, almost in apology. I thought he might have said yes, if not for the house. “Julie can go in and stay with her until I get home, if that’s okay.” He looked at Julie.

  “Yes, I’ll stay. No problem at all.”

  Everyone began to move with those words. Steve helped me to Julie’s car, with Julie, Dad, and Gabriel close behind. Steve kissed me on the check after he got me seated, and asked me to call him later. Dad kissed me bye, and told Julie to call if I didn’t feel better. Gabriel approached and leaned down.

  “It was nice to meet you.” I said, for lack of a better thing to say.

  He took my hand, kissed the back of it, and said, “The pleasure was all mine, mis- Jessie.” His eyes did not release mine until my dad cleared his throat. Gabriel closed the door and Julie started the car.

  As we backed out, Julie said, “What was that?”

  “Which thing?” I asked, still feeling somewhat dazed.

  “All if it! You have never fainted in your life! You looked like you saw a ghost!” Her voice sounded on the verge of hysterics, though she had seemed mostly calm after she found out I didn’t n
eed an ambulance.

  I thought to myself maybe I had, maybe I had seen a ghost. But which was the ghost? The first one obviously, because the second was real and everyone else saw him too. No, that wouldn’t make sense. I couldn’t see the ghost of someone who is still alive.

  “Jessie! Are you with me?” It was Julie, sounding concerned.

  “I’m here. Just confused about something.” I mumbled.

  “Well, that makes of two of us.” She sounded annoyed.

  “I have something to show you, and something to tell you, when we get to my house. You’ll understand more. Maybe you can help me figure it out.” I had to tell her something. If I ever told her later, she wouldn’t believe me. This way, at least I could prove I wasn’t crazy.

  When we got to my house, she followed me upstairs. She didn’t say a word about the house, but the first thing she noticed in my room was the new mirror. She gushed over it, and then remembered what I said in the car. “So, what is this ‘thing’ you have to show me?”

  I reached under my pillow, found the portrait with my fingers, pulled it out, and handed it to her. Her face went pale and she sat on the floor, staring at it. I had no idea what she would say when she snapped out of the shock.

  In true Julie style she simply said, “Tell me everything!”

  I told her mostly the truth. I told her I had a dream, and he was in it, under the trees at the park. Suddenly I realized what the other letter was! G! J+G! It was only a dream, so I told her about it, too. I told her about drawing the portrait, I just didn’t tell her why, other than the obvious. He was gorgeous.

  “No wonder you fainted!” She said when I was done. “Hey, remember how his dad was staring at you at the café?” I nodded. “When did he start staring?”

  “Right after Jennifer said my name.” That was odd, not just the staring, but all of it.

  “There is something weird going on. We have to get to the bottom of it!” Julie seemed excited. I didn’t know what I had expected her reaction to be, but for some reason, this was not it. She had stood up, pacing with the portrait in her hand, and then she suddenly stopped. “He kissed your hand!”

  “I know.” I touched the back of my hand. I could still feel the exact spot his lips had touched. It still tingled.

  We had at least six hours before Dad got home. Julie suggested we drive out by the house my dad said they had bought. I didn’t like that idea, because I didn’t want to get caught, and he, and his Dad, knew who I was.

  We tossed around ideas for over an hour, but in the end, none of them seemed possible. We tried the internet, some of those genealogy sites, but we didn’t have enough information to find anything worthwhile. We didn’t know anybody who would be of help, unless we had more information. We tried to figure out a way to talk to him, today, or tomorrow, to ask questions. General stuff, like ‘Where are you from? What’s your middle name? When’s your birthday? Are you a ghost?’

  Back in my room, something suddenly occurred to me. “My dad had him fill out an application, I think. It will have his social security number and drivers license. Maybe even his middle name.”

  “True, true!” Said Julie, “There will have to be something there we can use.”

  I yawned unexpectedly. I felt totally drained, and wanted a nap so bad I hurt. I told Julie I needed to lay down for just a little while. At first she seemed worried, and asked if she should call my dad. I reassured her, told her I was fine, but just felt exhausted. I told her she didn’t have to stay, but she insisted.

  “Hey, you take a nap, and I’ll get on the computer, see if I can come up with anything.”

  “Yeah, sure. Go ahead.” I lay down on my bed, pulled one pillow over to hug, and promptly fell asleep.

  “Sweetheart.” It was Dad’s voice. “Sweetheart, wake up.”

  I opened my eyes and blinked. My dad was standing in my room, and it was nearing dark. “Am I awake?” I asked.

  Dad laughed. “You are now, a little. How do you feel?”

  I yawned, “Sleepy.”

  “Before you go back to sleep, there’s a couple of things. I got you a hamburger if you’re hungry.” I shook my head no, emphatically. “You should give Steve a call, he is worried to death.”

  “I can do that. Soon as I wake up.” I yawned again, deeply, filling my lungs.

  “There’s one other thing.” Said Dad.

  Since he didn’t continue, I prompted him. “What other thing?”

  He reached down beside the bed and pulled up a small vase of flowers. Amaryllis, anemone, and hyacinth with sprigs of heather. “Oh, thank you, they’re beautiful!” I exclaimed as I took them.

  “They’re not from me.” He said.

  “Oh. Oh! I have to call...”

  “They’re not from Steve, either.” Dad interrupted. I drew my eyebrows together. “They’re from Gabriel. He brought them by the store when I was closing and asked me to give them to you. He said he was sorry you were ill. There’s a card. I didn’t read it.” He stood up.

  “Okay, well, tell him thank you next time you see him. It was thoughtful.” I sniffed the flowers, eyebrows still drawn together.

  “If you need anything, let me know. I’ll let you sleep. I love you sweetheart.”

  “Love you too, Dad.” I was still sniffing the flowers, wondering what was going on.

  After Dad left, I found the little envelope and pulled out the card. It was handwritten, and there was something familiar about the writing.

  Dearest Jessie,

  You are in my thoughts, Recover quickly,

  Your Servant,

  Gabriel

  The writing was beautiful, and I knew I recognized it! I jerked the notebook from under my pillow, flipped quickly to the list, and looked at the words that had been erased. It was the same writing! I wanted to show it to Julie, but I couldn’t. Oh yes I could! I ripped the page out, stuffing the notebook back under the pillow.

  My portrait! Where had Julie put it? I dialed her number and tried not to shout when she answered, “Julie! Where is my portrait and I have to send you something!”

  “Hey Jessie. Um, the portrait is in the roll-top. What are you sending where?”

  “Go to your computer and keep checking your email. I’m not sure if you’ll be able to see it. Call me when you get it, bye!” I hung up without waiting for an answer.

  I ran to my library, placed the card on the scanner and the list on top of it, trying to position the card near the place with the erased words. I hoped they would show up.

  I pressed the scan button. When it finished, I saved the file and opened it. You could barely see it, but enough to see the similarities. I opened my email, attached the file, sent it to Julie, and waited.

  Less than a minute later, my phone rang. It was Julie. “Well?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure what you were trying to show me.”

  “Look at it right now and zoom up on the bottom area of the list on the right.” When she said she had, I continued, “Can you see two words? They’ve been erased.” She said she could. “What do they say?”

  “Too old?”

  “Yes! Look at the writing on the card.”

  “I see that. It looks the same.” She said. “So what am I looking for?”

  “Julie, that list was in a notebook in my bedroom. I wrote it two days ago, and it’s never left my house!” I exclaimed.

  “Then how...” She stopped.

  “Exactly!”

  We both sat in silence. I suddenly got a feeling I should not be telling Julie all of this. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust her, but I was worried. I wasn’t anyone important, there couldn’t be some bizarre conspiracy to kidnap me for money or anything, but I had the strangest feeling I was getting her involved in something she didn’t need to be involved in.

  “I have to call Steve.” I told her.

  “Are you going to tell him?”

  “NO! No, I’m not going to say a word, and neither are you! I have to let him know I’m
okay. Dad said I scared him to death today.” I was feeling bad for not calling him before I called Julie.

  “That’s a good idea. He looked so worried. It was sweet. I think he was more worried about Gabriel, though, kinda.” Julie said.

  “Why?”

  “Oh come on, Jessie. First, you have got to admit that Gabriel is gorgeous.” I agreed. “Guess Jennifer got one right.” We both laughed a little. “And, you fainted when you saw him. Of course, now I know why, but I didn’t at the time. It’s a good thing Steve wasn’t there when that happened. The look on your face!”

  “Yeah, like I’d seen a ghost. Well, what would you have thought?” I demanded.

  “I would have probably reacted the same way. I almost did anyway, and I’d never seen him before! Well, you know what I mean.”

  We talked a little while longer, and she described Steve’s reaction to Gabriel kissing my hand. We wondered if Steve knew about the flowers. We wondered again about Gabriel’s dad’s reaction in the diner. She laughed about Steve’s ‘He’s normal’ text message.

  “There is nothing normal about Gabriel Knight!” Julie said.

  “I agree.”

  CHAPTER XI

  For yesterday, and for all tomorrows, we dance the best we know.

  —Kate Seredy

  We hung up, and I grabbed the list and the card off the scanner. I also retrieved the portrait from the roll-top desk. I carried everything to my room and placed them on my bed. I scanned through my short list of contacts, found Steve's number, and pushed the button. It never rang, but Steve’s voice was on the line in less than two seconds.

  “It didn’t even ring!” I said, after he said hello.

  “It rang on my end.” He replied. “Are you okay? I was so worried I haven’t even been able to eat! I talked to your dad a few minutes ago, and he said you were fine and would call. What took so long? I was really worried about you.” He was rambling.