Chapter 15
She quickly applied gloss to her lips and ran downstairs to answer the door. Tyler stood before her with a dozen red roses. She didn’t know whether to smile or slap him so she chose neither. Instead she gestured nonchalantly for him to come inside. At that time, Lisa stumbled down the stairs. Her hair looked as if it hadn’t been brushed in days. Dark circles and deep lines on her face aged her by twenty years or more. Embarrassed by her mother’s actions and appearance, Presley quickly moved into the living room where she sat on the couch, hoping her mother wouldn’t follow. Tyler sat beside her , the flowers still in his hands.
“Before you say anything let me talk first. Presley, I am so sorry. I wasn’t sure if I was a one woman type of guy, until now. I’ll admit that even when we were dating, I played the field. I did. I snuck around and partied a lot, and I did like all of the attention from the other girls. But the thought of losing you is driving me crazy. I’ve changed now. I think that you will like the new me a lot better. You have to forgive me. I’ll do anything. I was wrong. I’m so sorry,” he pleaded.
“You’ve changed?” she skeptically asked.
“Yes,” he answered confidently.
“In a matter of days, you’ve changed?” she asked again. “Is that even possible?”
“I have changed. I swear,” he said desperately.
Presley studied him for a moment. “That’s a hard thing to measure isn’t it, almost impossible,” she said hatefully.
“What do you mean . . . measure?”
“What I mean is that you say you’ve changed. Those are your words, and you’ve never been true to your word which makes you a liar. So, are you lying?" she asked with piercing eyes.
“No, I’m not lying. I love you. I’ve changed. You can trust me,” he pleaded.
“So, you don’t lie anymore?” she asked.
“No, I won’t lie, not anymore,” he promised.
“How many girls?” Presley asked in a hateful tone.
“What?” he asked anxiously.
“I can tell that you are a little uneasy by the question. Let me ask it again, and this time I expect a fast response,” she demanded. “How many girls did you date when you were dating me?”
“You want a number? Okay, how about . . . a few,” he said cautiously.
Presley was unsatisfied with his answer. “So, let me get this straight,” she snipped, “While you were dating me, you also were dating ‘a few’ other girls . . . but you kept this a secret from me so that I wouldn’t date anyone else?”
“Yeah . . . but - ”
“Yeah . . . but - what? You don’t have to explain. I understand quite well. You led me to believe you were in love with me and that we were exclusive. You lied. Is that how you want to be known, as a liar and a cheater?” she asked firmly, as she tried to refrain from screaming.
“Look, I’ve had a few days to think this over,” he said confidently. “I don’t want to lose you. I mean maybe it takes something like this to make us stronger as a couple.”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right. I can see how you cheating on me would make our relationship stronger,” she said disgusted. “You cheat on me then bring me flowers because I found out and then- what? I’m supposed to forgive you. Is this how it works? Do you honestly believe that this is love?”
“Look, all I can do is apologize and hope that you will accept it,” he handed her the flowers. She let them drop to the floor.
“Please, just think about it. You don’t have to decide now. Will you?” he asked.
“Will I what?” she questioned harshly.
“Think about it. Will you just think about it,” he begged.
“Okay, I’ll think about it,” she said doubtful of his apology. She wanted to tell him that it was over and that she never wanted to see him again. She was confused by her mixed emotions that she was feeling for both Tyler and Jesse. She now knew that Jesse was her one true love, her soulmate, but it was impossible to ever have him. In her confused state she didn’t realize that being alone was also an option.
Lisa staggered into the room. “Oh, hey Tyler,” she said as, she seductively ran her fingers through her hair trying to, unsuccessfully, make her appearance more pleasing.
“I’m good, Mrs. Dae. How are you?” he replied being overly polite, which repulsed Presley.
“I’ve been better, Tyler,” she sulked. “My boyfriend, Bob, and I got into a fight." She lit up a cigarette that she had been holding between her fingers. She began to cough violently. “I just told him that I ain’t gonna put up with his crap anymore,” she laughed and coughed simultaneously then took another drag off the cigarette.
Embarrassed by her mother, Presley stood up and began to walk out of the room. Tyler followed her.
“I think that you need to go now,” she said firmly.
“Okay. Nice to see you again, Mrs. Dae,” he said as he walked to the door. His focus returned to Presley, “Can I call you tomorrow?” he asked.
“Okay,” she said reluctantly. She watched him leave through the window.
“Isn’t he a sweet boy?” Lisa said as kindly as she could with her rough voice. “He’s better than Bob,” she said as if she were a teenager herself. Presley started to go upstairs, ignoring her mother.
“So, you don’t even care that Bob and I are fighting?” Lisa said loudly.
“Hey, Mom, I’ve been gone for days and you didn’t even notice. When you start caring about me, maybe I’ll start to care for you and . . . what’s his name,” she said.
“Bob,” Lisa said abruptly.
“Ah, yes, Bob,” Presley mumbled to herself. Paulette began to rouse and she slowly opened her eyes. She smiled at Presley.
Presley smiled back. “I brought you up a sandwich,” she said. “And chips,” she added.
“Thank you, I’m starving,” she said gratefully.
“Sorry, it isn’t much. I haven’t been to the store in a while,” Presley said.
“Doesn’t your mother go to the store?” Paulette asked puzzled.
“Not really. I mean . . . sometimes, but mostly I go. My mom is, uh, I don’t know, irresponsible and neglectful. I fend for myself most of the time.” Despair came over Paulette’s face.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
Presley quickly changed the subject. She thought that if she could deflect the conversation, Paulette wouldn’t realize how much her mother’s actions, and lack of concern, had hurt her.
“How are we going to find your mom?” Presley asked.
“I don’t know,” answered Paulette. Presley sat on the edge of the bed, pondering multiple solutions.
“The phone book,” Presley said as she leaped from her bed.
Paulette followed her downstairs and into the kitchen. Presley took the phone book out of one of the kitchen drawers.
“What are your brothers’ names?” she asked hurriedly.
“Jamal Shepard and Gerald Shepard,” she answered. Presley thumbed through the phone book.
“Jamal still lives here!” she repeated with excitement. Paulette stood silently as tears of joy ran down her face.
“Here, I’ll dial." Presley handed the phone to Paulette. Her hands were trembling uncontrollably as she grasped the phone tightly.
“Hello,” Paulette said quietly. She cleared her throat. “Is this Jamal Shepard? Yes? Oh, um . . . ,” she covered her face with her hands; her controlled tears quickly became unrestrained sobbing. “Yes, I’m sorry. Jamal, it’s Paulette. Your sister,” she sobbed harder.
Although Presley couldn’t make out exactly what he was saying, she inferred his side of the conversation by weighing Paulette’s responses.
“I can’t get into all of that right now. We’ll talk about it, I promise. I just really need to see mother. I ne
ed to know if she’s alright.”
Paulette’s shoulders dropped and she smiled through her tears. She looked at Presley and nodded her head.
“My mother is okay.”
She gave Jamal directions on how to get to Presley’s house. She hung up the phone promptly without even saying goodbye.
“Well?” Presley said impatiently.
“Jamal is picking me up in a few minutes. He’s taking me to see my mother. Fiend had lied, she isn’t sick,” she muddled through the sentence with a look of disbelief.
Lisa walked in through the kitchen door with the same look of disbelief as Paulette.
“Presley, did you see those flowers in the back yard? she slurred.
“No. What are you talking about?” she lied.
“They’re changing colors. They were, like, purple and then as soon as I touched one it turned like, gray . . . and then I pulled away and it went back to purple,” she said slowly perplexed at her own words.
“Mom, I think you need to get back to bed,” Presley suggested.
Lisa nodded and walked past Paulette. Paulette noticed the smell of stale smoke and alcohol that filled the small room.
“Who are you?” Lisa asked confused as her mind was still focused on the flowers.
“I’m Paulette,” she said.
“Oh,” she mumbled. Lisa stumbled to the stairs.
“What flowers?” Paulette said sternly, as she flew out the kitchen door to the back yard. She noticed the flowers Presley had planted up against the old white farm house.
“You mean those flowers?” Presley said nervously.
“Presley! You can’t plant those! You shouldn’t even have them!” Paulette walked briskly over to the patch of flowers.
“Okay. I’ll move them,” she negotiated.
“Move them? Presley, this is too dangerous. If anyone finds these flowers there is a chance that they could find Porha. Get rid of them,” she insisted.
“I can’t,” Presley looked down shamefully. “Jesse gave them to me. It’s really all I have to remember him, except for a few pictures,” she explained.
“Then you must move them where nobody will ever find them,” Paulette demanded.
“Okay,” she said.
Presley picked up the shovel and quickly dug up the vibrant flowers. She wrapped them in two kitchen towels and hid them in a bucket.
≈≈≈≈≈
They heard a car drive up the gravel road and into the driveway.
“Oh, my gosh Presley! Jamal is here!” Paulette took off towards the front of the house, running faster than Presley had ever seen her run before. By the time Presley caught up with her, Paulette and Jamal were already embraced, both of them weeping.
Presley went into the kitchen and tore a piece of paper off an unpaid billing statement. She jotted down both her cell and home phone numbers and she went back outside. She noticed that Paulette was doing most of the talking while Jamal listened intently.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I want you to take my numbers and call me as soon as you talk to your parents. I want to hear all about your reunion,” Presley smiled. “And if you need a place to stay, you are always welcome here.”
“Thanks,” Paulette said as she took the paper and then hugged her tightly.
“I’m sorry. How do you two know each other?” Jamal asked.
“It’s a long story,” Paulette simply stated.
“Well, Presley, it’s so nice to meet you,” he smiled.
“You too,” she smiled back.
Presley watched as Paulette sat in the passenger seat of his maroon car. She waved goodbye to them as they backed out of her driveway. Paulette put her hand to the window and smiled. Presley stood in her driveway until all she could see was the thick dust from the gravel road.
≈≈≈≈≈
She walked to the back of her house contemplating what she was going to do with the flowers from Porha. She lifted the bucket and uncovered the bulbs. The flowers were limp and looked dry as if they were about to shrivel up and die. A crow flew above her and perched himself on the guttering of the house. They locked eyes and he cawed loudly as he flapped his wings. He flew off into the woods behind the house. In a paranoid manner Presley took the bulbs and ran, following after the crow. Although, she had never ventured very far into the forest before she knew that it would be the only place that would protect the flowers, and the secret of Porha.
She knew that her only other option would be to destroy the flowers, but in a symbolic way, in her mind, it would be like destroying Jesse’s memory. She didn’t entertain the idea for long. She decided that she would plant the flowers deep into the forest where nobody would ever find them.
Presley ran further into the woods desperately searching for the perfect location to plant them and soon she came to a clearing. The crow landed in a huge beautiful tree and cawed once more. She stopped and studied the land. It was familiar to her. It was strangely mystical. The tree was standing in the middle of the clearing alone. Intrigued, Presley walked over to it. The tree appeared to be a large old oak. It was so massive and striking; it looked like a painting. As she got closer she noticed a carving in the trunk of the tree, when she made out the writing, she gasped.
J.P.
+
E.R.
“Jesse Pike plus Emily Rose,” she whispered to herself. Shivers ran up her spine. She traced the carving with her finger. “This tree must be Sacred.”
As she rested her hand on the tree she began to feel lightheaded.
“I’ve been here,” she said.
≈≈≈≈≈
Suddenly, a blurred vision of Jesse and Emily lying together under the giant oak entered her mind. Then the vision skipped to Jesse standing alone with a ring in his hand.
“I remember being her. I remember being Emily,” she said.
In that moment her feelings for Jesse greatly intensified, as if another part of her was desperate to come out. With her hands shaking she gently unwrapped the flowers from the paper towels, frightened that they would be dead. They were lifeless, black and wilted beyond recognition. She quickly dug several holes by hand into the dirt and placed the bulbs of the flowers into the opening in the ground. She refilled in the holes with the dark black dirt and waited, hopeful that they would return to their radiant colors. The vision of her past life had completely unnerved her.
She watched, trying to be optimistic, and she silently encouraged the flowers to come back to life. Slowly they began to recover. Within a few minutes they rejuvenated into the same stunning blossoms as they were in Porha. Presley stood back and examined the landscape.
Another vision, like a flash, entered her mind. Jesse stood beside the tree, Sacred, admiring the gold band that he was about to give her. On the inside of the ring was an engraving of a key. He turned and knelt down on one knee sliding the simple gold band onto her slender finger.
“The key to his heart. I remember . . . Emily was the key to his heart.” She felt a knot in her throat and her eyes began to fill with tears.
“This is where Jesse and Emily were going to live and build their life. I’ve found Tranquility Hill,” she said sadly.
She held her hand to her chest unaware that Jesse had made the same gesture when she left him back in Porha. She felt sick, as if she had lost the only person who really knew her at all. She regretted leaving him.
Tears slowly ran down Presley’s cheek as she came to realize how much Jesse did love her. She knew that kind of passion doesn’t just happen - and most people never get to experience true love. Selfless love. Agape love.
She began walking back to her home, wondering if there was any way to reunite with Jesse. But every thought ended with the same perplexing obvious dilemma; he couldn’t be with her on Earth a
nd she faced great danger in Porha.
It was hopeless.
≈≈≈≈≈
The sun was going down and a chill came over her. She felt as if she wasn’t alone. Presley noticed a movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head in that direction, but all was still. Cautiously, she began walking. Another movement flickered. She questioned if she was having another vision. She peered into the forest and concentrated, straining her eyes, until she saw a man. He was walking through the woods. She walked closer to him, careful not to make too much noise. She recognized the man as her father. She shut her eyes tight as she tried to suppress the dull nagging feeling that welled up inside of her body. She opened her eyes slowly. Her heart began to race, her head spun with a rush of thoughts, as she stood frozen staring at him.
“It can’t be. My father’s dead. That can’t be him,” she whispered to herself. He walked through a tree, and Presley knew then that she was seeing his spirit.
Startled and confused she ran back to her house never looking back. Her heart was pounding rapidly as she went up to her bedroom. She collapsed on her bed as her mind was, once again, flooded with invasive thoughts.
What has happened to me? That was my dead father wandering around in the woods. What is he doing here? How is it that I am able to see him now? How is this possible? Something must have happened to me in Porha. I am able to see things that I’m definitely not supposed to see.
≈≈≈≈≈
She tried to calm herself by clearing her mind. She thought of Jesse and how he made her feel and how she would never see him again. She began to cry, unable to sort out her thoughts.
A crow perched himself on her window ledge. As she went to the window the crow flew away. The moon was full and bright. Presley found comfort confiding in the moon about her old life with Jesse. She realized that Emily and Jesse must have, at one time, been under the same moon so long ago.
She had just returned to bed, when Lisa opened her door and sat down softly on the edge of the bed. She uncharacteristically stroked Presley’s hair.
“Are you okay? Can you tell me what is wrong?” she asked.
Presley could smell the stale smoke and alcohol on her breath.
“Nothing. You couldn’t possibly understand,” Presley replied.
“It’s Tyler isn’t it? He broke your heart,” Lisa asked in a soothing yet annoying voice.
“Yeah, something like that."
Presley did have a broken heart, over Jesse not Tyler, however she couldn’t begin to tell her mother about her experiences in Porha.
“Ya know . . . how does that saying go?
‘It’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all,’” she said, trying to be clever.
Presley gathered her blanket up close to her face, she turned her head away from Lisa, and closed her eyes as she whispered,
“If you believe that . . . then you’ve never lost a love.”
To be continued . . .
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