by R D Hathaway
“I’m sorry,” Rennie whispered.
“I was repulsed by it all, and he knew it. He became even more determined to form me into that ugly sort of manhood. My mother objected mightily, and he answered her reproaches in his usual, hurtful manner. She did her best to protect me from his influence as well as guide me to another path. In my teen years, he was finished with me. He said I had enough education and it was time to get out and make my way like a man.”
“How old were you then?” Rennie asked.
“I was fourteen. My mother and I had secretly and almost desperately spent years in special studies in the arts, history, and basic curricula. So, I was years ahead of others in my school. It wasn’t the education that bothered him.”
“It was the competition,” Angie said.
“Exactly, my dear. But I later learned from my mother it was far more than me.”
Rennie impatiently tapped her knee. “You referred to Lady Jane as Jane.”
“Yes, we did. Unknown to everyone, she and my mother were secret friends. I later learned why. But this is where it may be interesting for you ladies. I had been away at a marvelous school on scholarship for about a year when I learned of Reggie’s death. I came home to console my mother and my sister, but there was little need for that. As Mary may have said, Reggie had been very abusive to them. In fact, he died after an episode in which he terrorized them.”
The old man took a deep breath. “As my mother finally told me, Reggie was found one evening mistreating my sister. My mother became enraged, and he laughed at her. That was the night she told him that I was not his son.”
Both women gasped.
“Yes, quite a surprise for him as well. He taunted her and insulted her, denying what he had heard. Then she told him the truth. I am the son of Matthias Justus.”
Rennie was so stunned she felt weak.
“That is why, when my father, Matthias, was murdered, my mother needed to be sheltered in marriage. If her pregnancy had become known to those at the museum and she was not married, she would have been immediately discharged. We would have had a future more bleak than one with Reggie.”
“As it turned out, once she knew her condition, it was at a time when Reggie pursued her. They were quickly married to his delight and he believed that I was the product of their matrimony; until that night.”
Matthew’s expression became intense. He looked down at the comforter on the bed. “When she was here, she said Reggie became enraged when she told him the truth. He beat her. Then he went to a local pub and arrogantly told those around him what he had done to her. Mort, my mother’s old friend from the museum stood nearby. The man had always loved her and knew he could never have her. Hearing what Reggie had done, Mort followed him from the pub and ran a blade into each of his kidneys. Neighbors told my mother that Reggie crawled for nearly a block as people he had treated badly laughed at him. It is quite sad, really.”
Matthew closed his eyes, resting. Rennie felt exhausted.
Slowly, a smile came to his face. “So, the man you see before you is the son of the man you have studied with such profound attention. Mother revealed all this to Jane in an incidental meeting when I was a young lad. Jane had a genuine fondness for my father, so that connection bonded her with mother as secret friends until Reggie died. Jane gave me the scholarship when Reggie tossed me from the house.”
Matthew’s eyes sparkled. “Jane knew that my mother and Matthias were a perfect match. Jane was a special person in many ways. It was her generosity that enabled me to attend college. She often attended my special events with my mother, as if we were family. She hired my mother to serve in a position in her foundation, allowing my mother to blossom and finally achieve the life she hoped for.”
Angie rubbed her temples and squinted. “Who were the women that came to Iowa?”
“Jane attended the funeral and made the arrangements. After Reggie died, she provided the funds for mother and me to visit Iowa to see my father’s college and his grave.”
Matthew swallowed hard. “I believe that trip inspired me to travel and investigate. I have wanted to return to Iowa, but I do not see that now.”
Angie replied, “If you can make it to Beirut, you can get to Iowa.”
“Maybe so. I’ll forever be grateful to Jane for the trip to Iowa. The death of her husband was sad and bizarre. She became fearful after that, surrounding herself with protective people. She even had someone watch after my mother until she came to live with me.”
Rennie stood and stretched. “I’m sorry, I need to move. This story is simply amazing. I just cannot take it all in.”
Matthew rubbed his face. “I understand. Frankly, I’m also weary. There is one key event that you want to know and need to know. Mother told me in her last weeks how my father Matthias died.”
His shoulders slumped forward, and he stroked his beard. “Mother said that on the night she and Reggie had their big, last argument, he told her he had run into Matthias on the street near her house. My father had gone to see Jane about some urgent matter and was on his way to mother’s place. In his typical way, Reggie and his fellow toughs accosted Matthias and told him to stay away from my mother. He didn’t have a chance. Reggie put a knife into him and threw him into the river. I’m sorry. I believe it is the true and final account.”
Rennie glared at him. “Reggie,” she hissed.
Matthew stood. “Will you both be available tomorrow? It would be most pleasing if we could meet again for brunch and continue. I feel I’ve found long lost family from America.”
“That’s a good idea,” Angie suggested. “We could get the rest we need, process all of this, and get a fresh start tomorrow. How soon could we meet, professor?”
“I am a bit weary from my recent trip. If we could meet tomorrow morning at nine thirty, we can continue to share some stories. I would dearly appreciate hearing more from you.”
“Okay, deal,” Rennie said. “You let us know where, then we need to get back to our hotel.”
Matthew wrote a restaurant’s name and address on a slip of paper and gave it to Rennie. As he called for a cab, she opened the front door and peered into the night. She remembered the threats she had faced in pursuing this story of Professor Justus. Out there in the darkness, she imagined another Reggie, waiting to kill. Anger and determination moved her out the door to another day.
London, UK
VIII - 2
The lobby of the hotel was calm and felt empty. Rennie sat in a floral upholstered chair near the windows opening to a courtyard in the rear of the property. Her arms were loosely draped over the wide, stuffed arms of the chair. The morning sun poured onto her as a warm embrace. She looked at her watch. It read 8:32. She turned her head to see Angie come down the last steps.
Angie collapsed into a similar chair nearby. “I feel drained, and yet, I am so eager to see Matthew again.”
“I feel the same way, I wish we had a few more days here. I have so much affection for that old man. Somehow, we need to get him to Iowa for a visit.” She imagined Professor MacDonald walking across campus at Simpson College, honoring his father’s memory.
“Rennie, what you have done is amazing. Our visit with Professor MacDonald has given him a chance for real peace with his past. It has also cleared the record of the life of Professor Justus. You and I are changed, too. That’s a big result for some little assignment you took on.”
“Thanks. I know those things are probably true. There remains the unfinished business with the letters. Professor MacDonald didn’t say anything about them. I don’t know how to bring them up.”
“I know.” Angie sat up straight. “Either they ended up in Reggie’s filthy hands or went floating down the river. Either way, they’re gone. It’s an unbelievable loss.”
“It’s too hard to accept. They’ve been safeguarded through history for a purpose. I�
��ve tried to consider all the options, and I can’t come up with anything. It’s the classic struggle between good and evil, and evil is winning.”
Angie blushed. “I think not. We must put the good versus evil thing into some perspective. You know I’m a procedure type of person. The whole universe is very orderly, but people are the wild card in the system.”
Rennie gave a thumbs-up sign.
“I’m not exactly a faith driven person,” Angie added, “but I know the world is a temporary place. So, what happens here and with the letters, isn’t the whole ball game. On balance, we have a massive amount of good prevailing.”
Angie got up and walked to the windows. She folded her arms and stared outside.
“They say we shouldn’t hide the light of our spirit under a basket. Sometimes though, I’d like to take that light, whack a few people in the head, and drag them out of the dark.”
Rennie eased out of her chair and joined Angie at the window.
“I don’t know. People of peace are a distinct minority. I’m not sure that hitting the bad guys with anything will make a difference. Besides, the hitting thing may not be in the procedure manual.”
Angie leaned against the window frame and gazed at the flowers and manicured hedges.
Rennie poked her in the shoulder. “Listen, crazy librarian, humanity can’t get beyond a 51 to 49 good to evil ratio, if it’s that good. In fact, it’s probably 80-20, bad to good. Finding and revealing the letters from Jesus might have helped those odds by enlightening a few more people.”
Angie pointed her finger at Rennie’s nose. “Are you done with all this rambling metaphor stuff? Those letters are important, and we need to find out what happened to them.”
Angie took a breath and stepped back. “Maybe I’m speaking as a professional in library and archival science. Being orderly, doing the right thing, is big for me. I like the whole idea of grace, but I’m a technical, practical person.”
“We are different Angie, and your fixation on procedures sometimes makes me crazy. But I also look for some sense of justice. At least I used to. It was part of the energy I put into every article I wrote. I don’t know where I’m at with that, now.”
They stood awkwardly looking into the garden area. Rennie had felt good about what they accomplished in London, but she wondered if her responsibility for the story was bigger than she knew.
Finally, she said, “We’d better get on our toes. We have our meeting with Matthew.”
“Yeah, I’m not clear on what else we need to ask him. He really laid out the whole story last night. I still can’t believe it. I think it’s a miracle how he grew up in that bizarre household, saw what he saw, was treated like dirt, and he became such a teddy bear. He’s a brilliant guy and is so gentle and positive. Sure, he’s got great genes, but even they can be wounded.”
Rennie grabbed her bag and swung it over her shoulder. “Let’s go.”
Angie caught up with her in a few steps. “Let’s be sure to talk to Matthew about Mary. He should go see her. If that relationship could be healed, that would be a blessing for both of them.”
“You’re right. He’s probably the only family she has. I got the impression last night that he sees her more as a distant relative.”
Rennie stopped and grabbed Angie’s arm.
“Before we go out, we have to remember there might be someone out there, tracking us. We don’t know what they want, but it’s connected with Professor Justus and with what he found. I’ve been thinking about this. They must think we have an idea where the letters are and they are after them, too. This is about the letters.”
They cautiously left the hotel and proceeded down the sidewalk. They looked in the windows of stores and observed what people were wearing and how they wore their hair. All the while alert to everyone in the area. Soon, they relaxed and were giggling and whispering as schoolgirls.
Angie pointed at a cab. They waved and yelled together at it, and then laughed even more as they ran down the street to get in.
London, UK
VIII - 3
They arrived at the restaurant on Euston Road and realized they were ten minutes early for their meeting with Matthew. Enjoying the new day, they strolled down the block to enjoy a closer view of the classic, elegant St. Pancras Station.
“It looks more like a palace than a train station,” exclaimed Angie.
“People sure know how to do things right over here.”
Continuing down the street toward the new British Library, they forgot the possible danger around them. Angie noticed the professor. “Hey, Professor MacDonald!” she shouted and hurried to meet him. She put her arm through his and clung to him. He displayed a toothy smile.
Inside the restaurant, Matthew greeted the manager warmly. She said she was happy to see him and asked about his trip as the party was ushered to a table near the front window. The ambiance was friendly and quiet.
Slipping onto her chair, Rennie beamed, “I’m so happy to see you. It was only last night when we were together, but everything feels so different now.”
Angie agreed. “Not only that, I’ve decided to adopt you. I never knew my grandparents because they were gone when I was little, and you’re too old to marry.”
“I must say, I am at once humbled with compliment and wounded with disappointment,” he replied laughing.
The server took their orders and returned with a teapot and cups with saucers as the party chatted about the day. They poured their tea, stirred, and tasted it while enjoying the comfort of their fellowship.
“Dear ladies, when you left my home last evening, I rested better than I can remember. You have helped me begin to find a deeper peace than I already enjoyed. For that, I thank you.” Matthew raised his cup as a toast to the two young women.
Rennie tapped her cup against his. “We need to thank you. You’ve enabled us to bring closure on most of this beautiful but sad story that we’ve struggled with for the past two weeks. Without you, we would’ve been left with uncertainty and no ending. You’re the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of Matthias and Priscilla’s love, the new hope. That reminds me of something he wrote in his journal. He mentioned that his deceased wife’s name was Hope.”
Matthew sighed. “Tell me please, more about him, his wife, and his family.”
“The simple story is that Matthias was an Iowa farm boy. We can only guess at the deeper, complex story. He came from a small town. He had a good mind and a great heart. From what he put in his journals, and that is all I have, he was proud of his parents. His father was an inventive fellow, worked at farming and in construction, and died in a mining accident. His mother died in the flu pandemic.”
Rennie related what she knew and was surprised with her comfortable and complete awareness of the man’s life.
“He was gifted in old languages and wrote articles about ancient times in the Middle East and Bible related matters. He knew Latin, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. He came here for a temporary assignment at the British Museum to get away, to see something different. Of course, as we all know, he found new love.”
“And,” Matthew added, “he did something about it! Oh, sorry.”
The women teased him.
“There is one other thing,” Rennie added. “A big thing. Matthias found something while he was working in the collection.”
“What was that?” Matthew asked.
Angie and Rennie glanced at each other. Rennie continued, “Well, he found some documents that relate to an early Christian period. I think they were letters. Could that have happened, professor? I hate to be terribly ignorant, but did they write letters back then?”
“Of course. I don’t know what era you speak of, but the record is replete with documents going back two millennia before Christ. It was common for people throughout ancient times to write on ostraka, or pot sherds, on clay and
wooden tablets, on animal skins, and of course on papyrus. Correspondence included personal letters, business transactions, and everyday issues as we have now. Among the Jews, boys were expected to read the Torah to grow into adulthood.”
Matthew looked thoughtful for a moment. “What Matthias came across may have struck his fancy, given his language skills and appreciation for history. We’ve hardly scratched the surface in examining what we already hold in our institutions. Was he a man of faith? Did he speak of that?”
“Oh, yes.” Rennie again glanced at Angie. “I think his faith shifted from intellectual to personal while he was here.”
“I imagine that could happen, especially if he found new love.” Matthew was interrupted when the server brought their food. “Ladies, I’d like to know more about each of you. Tell me about yourself, Angie. I think of Angel when I see you.”
“Well, that would be accurate, but everyone says ‘Angie.’ I’m not that interesting. I’m a librarian, after all. I’ve lived a fairly normal life. I’m not married. I was in a relationship that was just going along. It’s on hold right now. The only outside interests I have are digital photography.”
Matthew grinned. “So, you’re a creative technician.”
“I don’t know how creative my work is. I play with setting up Web sites for students and friends. I find the Internet and the wealth of information on it to be extraordinary. The fact that it’s 99 percent free, except for the service provider, is a gift beyond measure to people with inquiring minds. I only wish it could be accessible to more people.”
Angie paused, “Okay, Rennie, your turn.”
Rennie feigned surprise. “Sorry, I’ve been a little distracted by something.” Rennie stared at the large window exposing the street.
Matthew and Angie turned to see what caught her attention.