At the airport they said goodbye to Jameson. He stood looking at them, his eyes went from one to the other and back again, “I will miss you all.” “And we’ll miss you, you were part of our family,” Joy said smiling and tearful. He hugged Autumn, hugged her a long time, “I was there when you were born,” he told her touching the tip of her nose, “I was never so happy to see your father and the midwife come in to help your mother,” and they all laughed, “You are a sweet precious little girl and I will miss you,” he hugged her again. Then he went to Christopher, “You have eyes like your mother and a good heart like her too. Always stay that way and I will always remember the little boy you were,” he hugged him tight, tight, tight. He then went to Justin and tapped his nose, “You are a lady killer,” and they laughed again, “Be safe. And I will miss you, keep playing soccer you’re very good, and watch out for the girls,” he said hugging him tight, tight, “Both of you,” he said looking at Christopher, “Don’t think I didn’t see what was happening in France,” and Christopher blushed red, and Royce and Joy mouths opened.
He turned to Joy and pulled her in his arms holding her tight with his full body pressed against hers, “You are a beautiful, spectacular, extraordinary, wonderful woman and you held us all together. Your strength was our glue and I will miss you, miss you more than you know,” and he hugged her to him, “I care deeply, deeply for you and your family, please have a happy life. That is very important to me after all we went through that you have a happy life,” and Joy was struck by his words. She had no idea he felt so much for them.
“I will miss you too Jameson, more than you know too, and you too be happy. You saved us and your work here is done, you did what you promised,” and she knew she would miss him terribly. He was the presence in her life that kept her safe, she knew that. Jameson was the watcher over them and she knew she would feel his absence. He released her and gave her one last look and turned to Royce.
They grabbed hands in an exuberant brotherly fashion and then hugged, happily hugged, patting each other on the back and smiling jovially. “And you! You were the younger brother I never had and you made me want to pull my hair out a lot!” They all laughed, “You scolded me, you praised me and held me accountable and I love you with all my heart and I’m going to miss you,” and they both had to wipe tears, “I’m glad it’s over, your family deserves that,” he whispered in Royce’s ear, and when they released, “Call me, call the office when you get new cell phones,” he said and gave them his card. It was the same card Royce had in his rolodex so many years ago. “Call me with your new numbers,” he reminded them. “We will,” and he headed down the terminal to catch his flight and Joy and Royce thought that was the most they’d ever heard him speak at one time.
They claimed their luggage and went outside and looked to the left a ways and saw her father’s RV waiting with its caution blinkers on. “Oh no he didn’t bring that,” Joy said chuckling. “Oh yes he did,” Royce laughed, and the door opened and her mother came running out. “Joy! Oh my god!” They headed to meet her. “That’s your grandma kids, none of them, not even Justin remembered her, but her mother ran up to them yelling her excitement and hugged Joy so hard, “Oh Joy I’m so glad this day has finally come!” “Me too momma,” and everyone was all smiles, and when she released Joy and looked at the family. “Oh my god,” she cried, “Oh Joy they’re all so grown up and beautiful,” she looked from one to the other, “Justin, I can’t believe how big you are, you’re as tall as your daddy now,” she said looking at him with awe, "And Christopher you were just a baby last time I saw you, look at you now,” her mother was so overcome, “And Joy you have a little one. Who is this precious little girl?” “This is Autumn momma." “Oh my god Joy,” her mother was crying, and she looked at Royce, “Oh Royce, thank god for you Royce,” then she went around and hugged them all, “I know you don’t know grandma, but that’s okay we’ll get to know each other now,” she said hugging and kissing them. Her father popped his head out, “Ernestine let them get in the RV, I’m already double parked too long!” “Come on ya’ll, come on,” her mother hooked her arm in Justin’s and Christopher’s and led them to the waiting RV.
And when they got to her parent’s house Joy finally felt like she was home. Royce wasn’t so comfortable just yet and he couldn’t wait to put on his gun and holster under his shirt and Joy shook her head, “Royce it's done baby.” “I know but I want to be aware, that’s all and be prepared if something pops up,” she shook her head, “Well I’m not going to stress out about that anymore, Jameson wouldn’t have left otherwise.” “I know,” but he wanted to say, Jameson is only human he makes mistakes too, and the image of her with bullets bouncing at her feet appeared. He hadn’t thought of that often, but when he did it sent shivers down his spine.
Joy dressed in comfortable clothes and went downstairs to see her mother and father. She’d placed the kids in her sister’s old rooms, she and Royce had hers, Justin and Christopher had Sylvie’s and Autumn had Lanie’s where they must have dropped their suitcases and left because she could hear them downstairs talking to their grandmother, “Tell me what’s been going on. I can hear the accents you all have, it sounds beautiful”, she heard her mother saying when she walked into the kitchen, “Hey baby girl,” her mother said when she saw her, “I’m going to make a big dinner for you all and love on all of you I’m so happy to see you.” Joy smiled and helped her mother in the kitchen.
It was later after they’d run the kids off to bed that the grownups finally had a chance to talk. They sat in the family room with glasses of iced tea, “Joy it was scary around here for a moment wasn’t it Cecil,” her father nodded and her mother told them about the visits from the private investigator and the beating her father took, “Oh my god daddy no!” Joy said shocked and Royce was just as shocked and wide eyed. “Oh yeah, but I was so glad I didn’t know anything, you were right not to tell us,” her father said. “But were you hurt daddy?” “My pride mostly,” he laughed, “But they did rough me up pretty good,” he said, “But I’m alright, you were safe and I’ll take it again.” Joy wiped a tear and went to him, “I’m sorry daddy”, she said hugging him. “It’s wasn’t no fault of yours baby girl, I didn’t blame you,” and Royce’s insides knotted, no it was my fault, my side of the family is responsible for this, he thought, and he was thankful her mother changed the subject.
They’d already told them about their lives abroad at dinner and they’d marveled them with all the languages they could speak and the places they’d lived, but now they wanted to know what was happening here. “Lanie’s off and married in Texas. Yep she married that man you all introduced her too, John, got three kids now,” and both Royce and Joy looked at each other in shock, “No! When did that happen?” “About nine or ten years now when he came to get her,” her mother chuckled, “Told her he wasn’t leaving until she married him,” Joy and Royce laughed and were shocked again, “So she married him and got three kids momma? Now that is a shock!”
“What about Sylvie?” “Oh Sylvie is doing great, still in Baltimore, still practicing. She got three locations now though,” her mother said. “I’ll call her tomorrow and let her know I’m here.” “Please do, she’s been worried sick about you, about all of you, constantly asking if we’d heard anything.” “Okay I’ll call her,” Joy had asked her mother not to let anyone know she was coming home, mainly for Royce’s sake he was still so nervous. “Let’s just get there first Joy. We need to tell as few people as possible, just in case,” and Jameson agreed, but now she was ready to see her family, her mother and father had aged, she could see that and she was glad to be home before they were too old to enjoy her kids.
The next day Royce borrowed his father-in-law’s car, if he was going to feel comfortable he needed a few things. His father-in-law wanted to go with him, but he’d declined, “I’ll be fine, just tell me where’s the nearest place I can get a cell phone.” “Well the best thing is to put the address in the GPS,” and hi
s father-in-law brought in his GPS from the RV and showed him what he was talking about and then explained how he was to listen and follow along with this thing, and he didn’t know how he was going to drive, look at a little computerized map and follow along with the thing talking to him. The world had changed and was in cyberspace and overdrive and they’d been left behind.
Being on the run they couldn’t use the latest technology for fear of someone tracking them or getting wind of their whereabouts; they only used cell phones as a necessary means of communicating, not for idle chit-chat and he felt they were behind the times. His father-in-law said, “Just go up South Twenty-second until you see Vine Street Expressway, make a right, and go to…, let’s see…, Eighth Street, or Chinatown, turn right and go to Market and it’s off Market and Ninth. The Gallery, it’s a huge mall, I’m sure you’re find a phone store there.”
Once he pulled away from the quiet neighborhood and made a right on Vine Street Expressway and drove in the midst of traffic he felt as if he’d entered into another world. It had only been ten years since they’d left, but it looked like there had been a fast food and retail explosion, he saw so many franchises. He knew Americans liked big cars, but after ten years of seeing small compacts or vespers he felt like he was in the land of the dinosaurs. Everything was huge, big and shiny, rims sparkling, music blasting and when he found the mall he felt like he’d been living in an ancient world and now had time traveled to the modern world.
They’d grown accustomed to a slower pace and here everyone seemed in a hurry, moving fast and he’d thought someone was speaking to him a hundred times, only to look at them and they were talking on their cell phones through a head piece in their ear. People weren’t paying attention to anything going on around them they were so into their phones and he didn’t know what to make of that. He had a cell phone, he’d carried one in his pocket for years, but he used it when he needed it, but now everyone had one and people were having everyday conversations like they were sitting at home and he couldn’t believe it, letting everyone in on your private conversation.
Finally he found the store and after the clerk went through everything a phone could do and had his mind reeling from the different cell phone options and what they could do and blue tooth and the iPhone and he thought his mind was going to explode, “You want the family plan that’ll be cheaper?” He just wanted a phone to make calls, to check on Joy and to let Jameson know of their whereabouts. He didn’t want internet access and what were all these apps he was talking about, he had no idea. “And with the family plan you can add as many people as you want, you got kids?” Kids! What do they need cell phones for? And he would find out a few months later once the kids were in school he’d ask that question again when both Justin and Christopher came home from school saying they needed a cell phone and his first response would be, “For what? What do kids need a cell phone for?”
“Look all I want is a phone to call my wife from time to time, okay.” “Okay you want basic, we can do basic but I’m telling you, you’re missing out.” “Okay, but right now give me basic,” he didn’t need touch screen and texting. He got the cell phones and the salesperson told him the number was national and that it would work no matter where he lived and there would be no long distance fees. “Okay, that’s the first thing you’ve said I liked,” and the guy laughed. As he walked to the car he felt so disconnected from this world and wondered how people lived liked this? They seemed so disengaged to the outside world while engaged to their small world. He was use to small villages and the people in them and he’d never once walked passed a person and not acknowledged them. They saw you, you made eye contact and you spoke, this was new to him.
From the yellow pages he’d found a place that sold guns and he called on his new cell phone and got directions. This was the real reason he didn’t want his father-in-law along, he didn’t want him to see him purchase guns. He’d been so happy last night when they spoke alone, “You kept your promise you kept her safe and I appreciate that,” her father said teary eyed, and he didn’t want to give him pause if he saw him buying a gun because he knew his first question would be, “Is she really safe, what are you buying a gun for?” He drove looking around at the newness against the old world charm of Philadelphia until he found the gun shop, and he bought a new gun, a gun he could register. The one he had now he had no idea where Jameson got it or if it was legal and now he felt comfortable enough to let people know he was home.
That Friday he caught an early flight to Texas.
Joy called Michael he deserved to know about Deon and Lindsey. “Michael, its Joy.” “Oh my god Joy, are you alright! Is it safe?” She could hear how anxious and concerned he was, “Yes, it’s over.” “Oh thank god, thank god! It was rough around here for a minute and I prayed to god you were safe, prayed to god they didn’t get to you!” He said and she knew he might have had visitors too. “Did some men come after you?”, she asked. “Yeah, they roughed me up a bit. I hope they didn’t get to you all, please tell me they didn’t”, he said concerned. “They tried, but we managed to escape.” “No, they found you?” “Yeah, a few times, but each time we got away, it’s been a fight but we managed to get away,” and she could hear his relief but also his pain at the news, “Well how are you everything good?”, she asked. “Oh yeah, they might have roughed me up, but one good thing came out of it…that’s how I met my wife. I’m married now, got two kids, can you believe it?”, he said happy. “Oh Michael that’s wonderful, I’m so happy to hear that!” And she was happy for him, “I’ve got one more myself, I had a little girl, she’s seven now.” “Oh Joy that’s good to hear.” “I wanted to let you know about Deon and Lindsey and give you their numbers, I know they’ll be glad to hear from you,” and she heard him sob, “Yes Joy, how are my babies?”
Michael had missed his children more than he’d ever let on and after they’d beat him raw he worried and wondered and had no way of knowing if they’d been found and he only prayed they were safe and nothing had happened to them.
“They’re wonderful, smart like their father, both of them,” she said hearing the tears in his voice, “Like their mother too,” he tried to tease a little. “Both are in England, Deon went to Oxford, graduated a few months ago. Now he’s living and working in London. Lindsey is at Cambridge and doing wonderful, smart as a whip both of them.” “Oh Joy, Oxford and Cambridge, that is…unreal… Oxford and Cambridge, wow!” He said and she gave him their numbers. “I’m glad you’re happy Michael,” she said and they hung up and she had to cry, he’d been hurt behind this too.
Still being cautious Royce dressed in a suit. His suits fit him now that he was back to his old weight and he decided on his black suit with a white shirt and black thin tie and he shined his shoes to gleaming. He had only planned to stay the weekend so he had a carryon bag with an extra set of clothes. Now that he was home he had no idea what he was going to do with his life, he didn’t know if Bobby could use him at the office anymore since he seemed to have done wonderful without him, as he’d promised there was always money in the Cayman account and without it he didn’t know if they would have fared so well.
His plane landed and he took a taxi downtown to Harrington-Rhodes Inc. and when the taxi dropped him off he glanced up at the tall obsidian sleek glass building with modern architectural angles. This had been his life for years, his life blood but not now. He walked into the foyer of gleaming marble and headed to the fourteenth floor. The company was large and used the entire floor and they often teased they could predict the weather better than the weather men with the wide panoramic views they had from north, south, east and west and often they spotted dark thunderous clouds heading their way. He walked into the elevator and smiled. Now he felt like he was home, this was so familiar, his steps were sure and on familiar territory. His body seemed to remember what to do, everything seemed automatic, walk to the elevator, press fourteen, he barely had to look to know where fourteen was. He waited while others got on an
d off on other floors, and then the doors opened to fourteen and he saw the gold letters in the Harrington-Rhodes script on the glass doors. He walked calmly and casually in.
The receptionist desk was still there, but not the receptionist he remembered. “Hello sir, may I help you,” she asked in her pleasant receptionist voice. “No, I’m Royce Harrington, the Harrington of Harrington-Rhodes,” he said with a smile and he saw her mouth drop in surprise. “Don’t worry just do me a favor don’t let Mr. Rhodes know I’m here I’d like to surprise him,” she nodded and let him walk back through familiar territory. He walked through the office and he saw the cubicles of desks with employees busy at work, the office hum all around, some looked at him as he passed and he didn’t recognize a one, but a few must have recognized him because he heard a few gasp as he walked by and then he heard the room start to buzz and he went straight to Bobby’s office.
His door was closed and he knocked and opened the door and Bobby showed his surprise and paused in his conversation, “I have to call you back something’s come up,” and before Royce could get to him Bobby was crying. Royce put his garment bag down on a chair and Bobby came weeping to him, both of them emotional and embraced and let the tears flow and two grown men held each other and cried and cried. They cried for a long time without saying a word before they were able to get a hold of themselves and talk.
“Oh god man, you’re home, you’re here,” Bobby said wiping his eyes. “Yeah, so far the news is good, it’s over,” Royce didn’t know when he’d really believe that, but for now he wasn’t going to stop looking over his shoulder. “Oh man, I’m so glad you’re safe, so glad, so tell me what’s been going on, where were you, all of it,” Bobby said.
And they sat down and Royce told him of their life, told him of the attempts too and he saw Bobby look shocked, and from time to time Bobby would smile and say, “I don’t understand you, this accent you have it sure ain’t from Texas,” and they laughed and he had his secretary bring in some drinks, “It’s nice to see you Mr. Harrington,” she said with a tear in her eye. Bobby still had the same secretary, “Thanks Gretchen, it’s good to be home,” she was smiling from ear to ear. Royce noted she had gotten older and plumper and Bobby had gotten older too, the lines on his face showed and he knew he’d gotten older too, but he didn’t know to Bobby he was beautiful. He didn’t see his age, to him he was that same eighteen year old boy who rescued him from the hallway, and he felt the same about him now, Royce was here to rescue him, “So what about you? What’s been happening since I’ve been gone?” Royce asked.
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