The Return of Father Juan

The Return of Father Juan

happyhugo

Romance/Paranormal/Religion

96,148 words

Copyright (c) 09/22/10

Readers score  8.01

This is a little different story than my usual fare. I have made comments on many different things. Religion and tolerance. The Paranormal and the psychic. Coal mining and energy. A story about a man whose life begins to open up into areas he never dreamed of, he being doubtful at times and of finding rewards at the end. He is given the chore of returning the 450 year old remains of a Spanish monk to Spain.

                          
                              Chapter  One

Hi, I’m Jim Ryan. I work for an energy company that my grandparents started more than forty years ago. He passed away a few years back. Gram now holds the company in her hands. She is grooming me to take over when I have learned enough and she feels I am capable. She has had me starting at the bottom. I’ve been in sales, procurement, personnel and transportation. For the last month I have been troubleshooting. Next month I am going to be working with equipment. That scares me a little. Gram says when I learn the inner workings of the company, it is then time to learn how to hire managers to oversee the actual work.

What worries me is the selecting of the perfect person for a particular job. Case in point: I’ve not been too successful in the women I have been interested in. Pat, the first woman I was engaged to, one I felt I could spend my life with, turned out to be a gold digger. Then, while attending college, I found Kate. She now works for a small company here in town as a finance officer. She is smart and reasonably attractive. I thought when I married her that she would be the ideal mate in helping me run the company that was coming to me.

I’ve been reluctant to tell Kate what my job is, the reverse of how I handled Pat, with whom I had been very open. I also have neglected to lay out how much time I’ve had to give to the company. This has led to a contentious relationship.

The fight this time was a doozy! I called Kate about 3 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon and told her I had made dinner reservations for us and a guest I very much wanted her to meet. I also said I had to go out of town on business Friday morning, but would be back to get ready for our vacation trip to the mountains.

“No! I am not going to dinner with you and I definitely am not going to the mountains! I’m going to the Red Lion for drinks after work and I’ll just stay for dinner and dancing. I’m sure I can find someone to entertain me better than some stuffy old guest of yours.”

“But Kate, remember you made the vacation reservations last year and you agreed that we would not go to the beach again until I had a chance to show you the mountains. I have booked us into a nice log cabin in West Virginia near my home town. You’ll love it. Gram is my only living relative and she wants to meet you. She still can’t understand why I haven’t brought you to see her. We’ve been married for two years, and I can’t make anymore excuses about why you haven’t met her.”

Kate and I were having some problems in our marriage. A lot of it was my fault for I was working long hours and was out of town on business often due to my job as troubleshooter. The energy company had interests all over the United States. It seemed that Kate and I never talked anymore without fighting. I was fast getting fed up with her being, in my mind, so unreasonable. I hadn’t been totally open about my life and prospects, but I felt justified in keeping a few facts from her. She did not know what my grandmother did or how I was tied in with her.

My wife, for some reason, had a real dislike for anything she thought was connected to, or considered “hillbilly.” She stereotyped the people, the music, and even their cuisine from the different parts of the country that she felt were hillbilly. This was one of the reasons I never pushed having Kate and Gram meet. Gram and I met and talked all of the time, but I always did this during working hours.

Anyway, this unleashed a firestorm from Kate. She told me that no way was she going to spend time with a pipe smoking, tobacco spitting old lady named Maudie, while sitting in a rocking chair on some dilapidated old porch, even if she was my grandmother. Kate had always denigrated the name “Maudie,” and I never knew why.

This pulled my chain as this was the most unlikely description of my grandmother you could imagine. My grandfather, as a young man, was a wheeler-dealer and astute enough to grab up thousands of acres of land in West Virginia. When the coal barons began prowling through the hills, he signed his first lease, took his money and went to Philly a-courting.

Gram, the only daughter of a dry goods store owner, fell in love when Gramp first came to the city. She was twenty-five and pretty much resigned to a life of spinsterhood. Her father wanted a free manager to manage his store and various other endeavors. All of her friends were married before they were twenty so she felt life had passed her by and she would never marry.

The story goes that Gramp could be a joker, especially when he was in unfamiliar situations. After buying a suit off the rack in the store, Gram asked him where he was going in his new duds. “Well, I’m in town a-courtin’. Do you know of any likely lookin’ gals that want to get hitched up? I’m from the hills, and I own a bit of land, I’m honest, and anyone who knows me would say my prospects are pretty good.”

Gram, whose day with her father hadn't gone well, answered with a gleam in her eye. “I’m twenty-five, I’m honest, and I would like to own a bit of land. If you want to see what you would be getting if you married me, just follow me.” Gramp followed her into the office and watched as Gram took off her work smock, unbuttoned her dress far enough so she could pull her chemise up and bared her breasts. “If you like what you see, we’ll be married in two weeks. If you don’t like it, get out and never set foot in the store again.” Then Gram blushed red and near tears of shame at what she had just done, proceeded to cover herself.

Gramp stood there with his mouth open, turning red himself. Two weeks later, Gramp made the trip back to the hills with his bride at his side. He and Gram lived and loved each other and never stopped courting as long as they were together.

There is more of my family history. I’ll tell you that my dad, Ted, was born less than ten months after Gramp returned to the hills. He was the only child to bless Gram and Gramp. Dad married my Mom when he was twenty and Mom was eighteen. Mom came to the hills to teach school in our village, and met my father. They were married before her first year as a teacher was completed. Before her third year was out, tragedy struck. There were seven adults and eleven little ones swept away in a flash flood. There would have been more children dead if my Mom and Dad hadn’t died saving the ones they could before they were swept away themselves. This left me, Jim, an orphan before I was a year old.

Gram and Gramp raised me and saw to my education, with Gramp passing away the year I entered college. The company I worked for was wholly owned now by Gram and privately held in her hands. As her only living relative, I was being groomed to take over in a few years. Gram, far from the stereotype that Kate had of residents of the West Virginia hills, was a beautiful, elegant and intelligent lady. She had what people would describe as “presence.” You know, when you enter a crowded room full of people, your eyes just naturally are drawn to certain ones that stand out. That is “presence” and Gram had a full measure of it.

---

In the second year of college I met Pat and fell in love. I was open about my future, maybe bragging some. The sex was good and she was a beauty. I asked her to marry me. She agreed. I was happy until I overheard her and her roommates laughing about how she had snagged a good one. She told them that what was between her legs was what caught me. Who needed love if the sex was good and “dumb Jim” was going to have all of that money. I had been made a fool of, but not for long.

After college my attention centered on Kate, whom I ran into at a reunion. She had been behind me in college and had been in a few of my classes. She was lighthearted and upbeat most of the time. Kate, tall and statuesque, had long auburn hair. Also she was proportioned to give any red-blooded male night dreams. You just naturally were drawn to her. I could have kissed the moon when Kate agreed to a date with me, I was that high off the ground. After a period of a few months, we started dating each other exclusively.

The first year that Kate and I were married, we were as blissful as could be. We had a simple ceremony in front of a justice, with a few friends. Kate has claimed to have no family, and Gram wasn’t present as she was at an energy conference in Washington. Gram sent me the title to a fairly large house for a wedding present. She thought I should tell everyone I was renting, because she knew about my former fiancée. I couldn’t have been happier.

We had some trouble that started at a party that was thrown when I got my first promotion at work. Some of my co-workers had grown up with me. Gram always made sure that any of my friends with promise would have a good education and offers of jobs after school. This party where things started going downhill had a theme, a Sadie Hawkins dance. Everyone came dressed as hillbillies and brought costumes for Kate and me. We were supposed to dress as Li’l Abner and Daisy Mae.

Kate would not participate at all and soon left the dance. She did say she was sorry when I got home, but the whole thing was a downer for me. I tried not to resent her actions and said I forgave her, but I suppose I didn’t really. She had spoiled what should have been a happy time for me.

I pressed her for an explanation for what I considered an unreasonable hang-up. She would not discuss it at all. After several arguments I avoided the subject altogether. Bigotry and racism were things not in my make up. Kate seemed to have more than a smidgen of both. I felt if I confronted her with my feelings, I might soon be without a wife, so I let it pass. My friends at work resented her non-participation at the party, and delighted in calling me Li’l Abner where she could hear them. Needless to say, it made for strained relations, and I soon learned to avoid situations where Kate and my friends would come together.

I did not see Kate that Thursday night until much later. My guest for dinner was my grandmother. Gram expressed disappointment that Kate wasn’t to dine with us. I had now reached the point where I didn’t think my marriage would or could continue. I told Gram all about my home life when asked.

I confessed that I still loved Kate dearly. I was in a quandary as to how to repair the rift in our marriage. As far as I knew Kate had been a faithful wife, and I had been faithful to her. “Gram, would you come home with me, stay over and talk to Kate in the morning? You need to meet her. If I can’t bring her to you, you will have to come to her. In many ways she seems a lot like you. That is what attracted me to her. She is smart and attractive much like you and carries herself well. I just can’t understand this hate she has for the mountains and the people who live there.” I even told Gram what Kate imagined she (Gram) was like.

“Jim, how much do you know about your wife?”

“Not much really. I know that she is an orphan like me, adopted out when she was twelve and had a pretty lonely upbringing with her adoptive parents being quite elderly. They paid for her schooling and she really worked hard to be a credit to them. Kate blossomed in college and I guess that’s what made me notice her. Her adoptive mother now lives in a nursing home. She has Alzheimer’s and her father has passed away. There is not much in their estate but Kate manages it. She sees that her mother has what she needs to be comfortable.”

“Jim, take me home now and we’ll have coffee. I probably know more about your wife than you do. When you were talking about getting married, I had Kate checked out. I think I can explain what some of Kate’s problems are. As long as you two were doing okay and happy, I wasn’t going to interfere. Maybe I should have interfered sooner. I guess it is time to tell you what I know.”

Kate wasn’t home when Gram and I got there. I took her bags up to one of the guest bedrooms. I came down and made coffee. While it was brewing she sat back in a recliner in the living room. I was shocked at how much she was showing her age. “Gram, I never asked, but how old are you?”

“Well, Jim, I’ll be sixty-eight in a couple of months. I’ll admit I am getting tired of running this business. If I didn’t have you to take over before I’m seventy, I would sell out and retire now. That is why I have you in such intensive training programs. Maybe it hasn’t been such a smart move. After talking to you tonight, it looks as if it has caused a lot of your problems. I hadn’t intended this to happen and I do want you to be happy.

“As I told you, I had someone run a check on Kate before you married. Catherine O’Toole is not the name Kate was born with. The person I had check, said her name was Hattie Mae Gruber before she had it legally changed the day she came of age. You have heard Jeff Foxworthy make jokes about red-necks. I was told that could be a description of her parents. They are still alive. Her father’s name is Billy Bob Gruber and her mother’s name is Daisy Mae. She has two brothers and two sisters, she being the youngest of the family. She often was made to stay with an old lady named Maudie. Whether she is a relative or not, I don’t know.

“Kate was a problem child, running away from home as she got older. Child services finally stepped in, made her a ward of the state and had her put up for adoption. So you see she grew up in a cracker family with all of the typical connotations. When she imagined what I was like up in the mountains, she was just describing her own family who are still living. What a shock it must have been to find out you had someone named Maude for her grandmother.”

I guess both Kate and I had kept secrets from each other. I had never told Kate about the future that was planned for me. Theoretically I was worth millions, or would be when Gram retired and I took over. I wanted Kate to love me for myself, not for money. I just never found the way to tell her what my future held. Finding out about Kate’s family seemed to answer some questions about her hang-ups on hillbillies.

With the decision to level with Kate and what I had learned about her, I felt we would somehow work things out and become the loving couple we were when we first married. Gram went up to bed and I curled up on the couch to wait for Kate to come home.

The phone woke me up. I glanced at my watch. It was after midnight and I heard, “Jim, this is Alice. I’m at the Red Lion with Kate. Can you come and get her? She is passed out in the ladies room. The management was going to dump her out on the street because she has caused some problems here. I told them I would take care of her until someone came for her. Please hurry!”

Alice, I knew, is a friend of Kate’s from work. She hung up before I could question her. I left as soon as I got my jacket on. It was only a fifteen minute drive to the Red Lion. I was puzzled as Kate never drank enough to lose her senses. It seemed so out of character. Maybe she was sick.

The Red Lion is quite a large establishment, with live music Thursday night through the weekend. It catered to a loud, fun-loving clientele. It had a decent restaurant, but its accent was the bar, having tables near the small stage and booths along one wall in the back.

I was able to park near the front door and was directed to the ladies room. After informing the hostess what I was there for, she escorted me toward the restroom at a fast walk. She said over her shoulder that she didn’t want that woman in here again. The Red Lion would not stand for the disturbances that had happened here tonight. I was totally mystified as to what she was talking about.

Alice was standing by the door when we got there. The hostess said again that Kate was never to come in again and left. Alice said to me, “Good, you have your jacket. Let me have it. Hold her bag while I see if I can get her.”

I could hear Alice trying to get Kate to stand, finally shouting through the door for me to come in and help. Pushing the door open, Alice was trying to put my jacket on Kate, who was totally passed out. The first thing I noticed was that Kate was half-naked and her dress was torn. From her undressed state I could see that she didn't have a bra on. She definitely needed my jacket! “What happened?” I said to Alice.

“Let’s get her out of here and I’ll tell you later.” I finally got Kate covered up. I also noticed that she had a nosebleed and had an eye that was fast closing up. She was going to have a beautiful shiner. Immediately I was concerned.

“Is she all right? Does she need a doctor?”

“No, she is just drunk. She was really putting them down tonight. Too bad she didn’t pass out earlier. Or maybe not. You might have had more than a black eye to worry about.”

I grabbed some wet paper towels and soaked her head for a few minutes. The cold roused her enough so she could stay on her feet with Alice and I both holding her. Being as inconspicuous as possible we finally made it to the car. I asked Alice if she had a ride home. She didn’t as she had come with Kate. I asked her if she was able to follow me home with Kate’s car. She said she would.

Wouldn’t you know, Kate got sick and barfed all over my car as soon as we started moving. This wife of mine sure had some explaining to do! Alice helped me get Kate out of the car and up the stairs into our bedroom. Gram heard the commotion and stuck her head out of her room. I just said Kate had got sick and her friend brought her home. I didn’t clean Kate up at all, I just dumped her in bed. I did make sure she was breathing okay before I drove Alice home in Kate’s car.

I asked for and got a rundown on what Kate’s evening was like. Kate and Alice and two of their friends went to dinner at the Red Lion. They were all at the bar waiting to be seated, when John and Tim from work stopped by. Drinks were bought and refills were at hand. More drinks were consumed at dinner. John, whom Alice thinks is a sleazeball, started to do some heavy flirting with Kate. She knows he is married, but for some reason tonight she seemed more receptive to his advances.

After dinner when John suggested that they all move to a booth, Alice said no. John was not with his wife and Kate wasn’t with her husband. Alice said it wouldn't look right. Kate told Alice to mind her own business, if she wanted to sit in a booth with a friend, she would. Tim left shortly after that, and the two others left an hour later.

Alice loved to dance and was on the floor most of the night with different partners. As the evening progressed Kate was getting bombed and too drunk to dance. John and Kate continued necking and petting. Alice saw Kate put her panties in her bag and knew what was going to happen if things continued. Alice said she went and looked up John’s phone number and called his wife.

“When John’s wife answered, I just told her that John had some bimbo he was making out with in the Red Lion. Fifteen minutes later, John’s wife showed up swinging. She pulled John out of the booth and clobbered him with her handbag. Then she reached in the booth where Kate was cowering in the corner. Grabbing Kate by her dress she pulled her out and socked her in the face. Kate, being pretty drunk, flopped on the floor. John’s wife didn’t let go, she tried to kick Kate and to rip her dress off.

“By this time there were Red Lion people all over, trying to contain the fight. I asked them to put Kate in the ladies room until I could get someone to come for her. That is when I called you. Did you guys have a fight or something? I’m not Kate’s confidant or anything, but she was really mad at you. It seemed like she had given up on you and didn’t care what happened to her. You know if I hadn’t stepped in, Kate probably would have been screwed tonight---and not by you either. As it is, she got pretty well fingered up.”

“Thank you for helping, Alice. I guess I have been insensitive to Kate lately. But she has been pretty damned unreasonable herself. Thank God things stopped when they did. I don’t know if I could handle it if that sleazeball had got any further.”

I dropped Alice at her apartment and headed home. Gram apparently was still sleeping. I decided since the night was most gone, I’d just clean Kate up a little and leave early. I went up to our bedroom and found Kate still out of it. Stripping the torn dress off, I could see where that sleazeball had marked Kate. She had hickeys all over her neck and breasts. Her eye had already turned black from his wife’s punch. She also had a huge red mark on her thigh. John’s wife must have landed at least one good kick.

Kate didn’t have any panties on. Alice had told me Kate had taken them off. It still made me mad. My resolve to be forgiving was gone when I saw how red and puffy her privates were.

I left Kate a note on the night table for her to find when she woke up. I was still pretty pissed, so didn’t show her much kindness.

Kate,
I borrowed your car. You puked in mine on the way home last night. When you get up, look in the mirror. You had better put some ice on your eye, it is still swollen. Your privates looked well used when I undressed you. Your panties are in your handbag. I never found your bra. Needless to say I am pretty upset. Oh yes, you may not believe it right now, but you have a friend that really took good care of you. I wish I didn’t have to leave, but we will talk when I get home tonight.
Love, Jim

I hoped the note didn’t drive Kate away from me. The more I thought about it, I wished I had just said I would see her tonight and not put in the crack about her physical condition. Oh well, I didn’t see much I could show her respect for.

Gram met me at the door when I arrived home. “You better talk to your wife, and I mean now! She may have deserved it, but that was a pretty nasty note you left. Why didn’t you tell her I was here? If you love that woman, you better start thinking of her instead of yourself all of the time.”

I looked at Gram. She looked disgusted with me. “Where is she?” Gram pointed upstairs.

I went along up. I guess somehow Kate and Gram had bonded and that left me as the bad guy. I opened the door to our bedroom, finding Kate sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for me. Kate had on slacks and a turtleneck sweater. Except for the black eye which was disguised somewhat with makeup, Kate appeared quite normal. I was speechless. I figured I would find my wife in tears begging for my forgiveness, instead of appearing defiant.

“Kate, you’re looking better than you did this morning.” I let the statement hang there.

After a few seconds of silence, Kate, contrite now, burst out, “Jim, I’ve been stupid, really stupid! Yesterday when you told me you had vacation plans for the mountains, I lost it. I’ll admit now that I was being unreasonable and I think that can be explained. However, last night I didn’t care what happened and it looks as if things have happened that I can’t take back.

“God, I wanted to die this morning when I woke up. I was hung over and then I read your note. I threw up before I got to the bathroom and then I looked in the mirror and barfed again. You saw me and you know what a mess I am. I so regret being unfaithful. Believe it or not our marriage vows mean a lot to me. Why I fight with you and put myself in a position to possibly lose you, I’ll never know. I would like for you to forgive me, but I will not beg. I’ve lost respect for myself and I don’t even know what I did last night. Not knowing---that hurts me almost as much as I have hurt you. I do love you, please believe that.”

We kept our distance and looked at each other. I guess I was almost ready to forgive her, but not yet. I could make it easier for her to accept by having her call Alice. I was dying to find out about her and Gram. “I guess you finally met my grandmother.”

“Of course. I wish my grandmother was like her.” Kate looked shocked to have admitted she had a grandmother, maybe hoping I wouldn’t pick up on it. I let it slide for now.

“She scared me out of my wits. I was in the bathroom trying to pull myself together, when I smelled coffee. The door was open. I turned and here was this elegant lady standing there holding a cup of coffee.

“She said, ‘Would you like your coffee now or after you put on your face? Actually you better have coffee, because it’s going to take awhile to fix your face. Don’t look so shocked. I came in earlier to see what you looked like. You definitely are a mess and it’s going to take some major work to make you presentable before my grandson gets home.’

“She is a dear! To think I have lost two years in knowing her. All because of my stubbornness. I can’t understand why you didn’t make me meet her.”

“Kate! Come on! You have been so obtuse when I have mentioned my grandmother. Lately I have had to avoid talking about her altogether. Yesterday I was going to take you to dinner and surprise you. I knew you would like her when you did meet. I’m sorry you aren’t at your best, but don’t lay the blame on me.”

“Oh, I’ve made such a damned mess of my life. I could kill myself. I can’t go back to work after messing around with John. I went and told my best friend Alice off. She’ll never speak to me again. I’ve been unfaithful to my husband. To top it all off, I’ve ridiculed your grandmother to you and she is such a dear. This all in twenty-four hours.”

“You might want to include the fact that you can never go to your favorite club again either. You’ve been banned.” I said this last with a smile, trying to ease her pain a little. “Why don’t you go give Alice a call? I’m sure she’ll talk to you. She will fill in what you can’t recall about last night. Remember I said in that note that you had a friend who took care of you. Also don’t forget how that note was signed. Now go call Alice.”

I went downstairs to Gram who was getting a meal on the table. “I didn’t hear you screaming at her.”

“No, I didn’t, I love her too much. She is calling her friend now to find out what she did last night. Myself, I know how far she strayed. She has a friend that saved her from doing some things that I couldn’t live with. Maybe with you here we can get our life straightened out. I realized today that I should have trusted her more. I just was never open about a lot of things. I was open with one girl I thought the world of, until I found out she was out to take me. I realize now that Kate isn’t like that.”

“No, she isn’t like that. This morning while I was getting her to eat a slice of toast, I told her I was rich. I offered her twenty-five thousand dollars to get a divorce. She turned me down. She said she had messed up but still loved you. She hoped you would forgive her, but if you didn’t, she would go on with her life much wiser. If she ever found someone to love her again she wouldn’t make the same mistake, but hoped it wouldn’t come to that. By the time I raised the amount to a half million and was still turned down, I believed her.

“I have found out a lot about your wife today. I’m impressed with her intelligence. She is basically taking care of her ill adoptive mother. She has worked her way up in her job, rising to assistant financial officer. She would have been chief in a couple of years if she hadn’t screwed up last night. Now she says she would be too humiliated to return to her job. She knows the company she works for wouldn’t trust the books to a person that goes out, gets drunk and runs around on her husband. As I say, she is smart enough to realize that.

“I admitted to her that I know a little about her birth family. Kate is shocked that someone knows of her past. I think some of what is bothering her is guilt. Escaping the ‘red-neck’ tag and feeling that she has abandoned her family, she wonders if she has done the right thing in disowning them. How she is going to resolve that, I don’t know.”

I could hear Kate coming down the stairs. “Gram, I know how much you are interested in our lives. Thank God you were here to see Kate today. I am especially glad you were because it has kept me from venting my feelings about Kate’s actions last night. There was a short time I felt like throwing her out. I’m glad I didn’t and it’s all because you were here. I do think though, it is something we have to settle ourselves.”

I didn’t want to tell Gram to leave. I didn’t have to.

“Kate, I’m going upstairs and lie down for awhile. Jim and you must have a lot to say to each other. I’ll get a slice of toast and a cup of tea later.” Gram walked over and gave Kate a brief hug before going upstairs.

Kate turned to me saying, “She’s so wonderful. I love her already.” Then she came and put her arms around me. “I have hurt you terribly, haven’t I?”

“Yes you have. I can’t understand why you set out last night to let someone else play with you. Have I treated you that poorly?”

“How you treat me is a matter of perception. If you had asked me that yesterday, I would have said I was being treated badly. Today---well after last night, I think I’m being treated very reasonably. You haven’t thrown me out. You are still talking to me without calling names, like tease or slut or even whore, which I guess you have a right to do. I’m sure those people who saw me at the Red Lion think that’s what I am.

“I overheard at lunch yesterday that you were going to be rich and I was just a trophy wife. You only brought me out when you went to dinner with someone you were trying to impress. You have to admit we don’t go out much and when we do, your business is the topic of conversation. You are always going somewhere on business and saying you can’t get out of it.

“Then you called in the afternoon. Same o! Same o! I lost it, and here we are today. I don’t want to lose you and I really do love you. I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am.” Kate paused, “So where are we? Please tell me.”

“Kate, I’ll admit that I haven’t trusted you with a lot of things going on in my life. However, I never ever thought of you as being unfaithful. I was confident in that and I guess that is why it has hurt so much.” I paused before continuing. “You just talked to Alice. What did she say?”

“She said I was acting like a slut last night. I was really out to hurt myself and Alice wasn’t going to let it happen. She wished she had called John’s wife sooner to stop what I was doing. She’s sorry I got a black eye, but maybe I should realize that there are consequences to every action. Alice also wanted to know how you were taking it. I said you and I haven’t talked yet, but I would let her know.”

“Please call her tomorrow. Let’s see if she will come for dinner Sunday. You and I should have everything settled by then. If you don’t decide to go back to work, Alice can be the center of attention at the water cooler.”

The meal that Gram had prepared had cooled. Neither Kate nor I were hungry. “Don’t you think you should tell me about your job and why you have kept me out of the loop? This is what has been bothering me. At first I thought maybe you had something illegal going on. I prided myself that I knew you better than that, but I didn’t know what. So please tell me.”

“Okay, I mentioned Pat, the girl I was engaged to before you. She wanted me for my money. When I found that out from an overheard conversation, I dumped her. I swore that I wouldn’t tell any girl I fell in love with how bright my future is. I swore every girl would think I was making it on my own. Then I met you. I wanted to tell you but kept putting it off.

“The situation I am in is this: Gram wants me to take over her company. I have been training desperately to fill the shoes that Gram has set out for me. I am getting to the point that I don’t think I can handle it. This is why. When Gramp and Gram started their company, they dealt with one person that was looking to lease land to develop a coal mine.

"It turns out that a major portion of land they owned was coal bearing. They reinvested the money as the mines were developed and now the company employs hundreds of workers. The holdings are spread out over several states in different parts of the country. Just the paper work for the government regulations is mind-boggling.

“Gram is a master at finding and delegating personnel to run her company. Many are near her age and when Gram gets out of direct management, these people are naturally going to leave. I’ve met all of them. I know that as young as I am, I can’t command their respect in running the company as efficiently as it is now.

“I have come to realize that I have been neglecting you too, or we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now. I do love you so much. I feel I am going to disappoint either you or Gram. What I would really like to do is start or buy a small company and make it grow into a decent living for you and me. I’ve had good training and you know finances. We have talked about starting a family. We could make it all happen and be happy.”

“Oh Jim, if we only could. What about last night though? What I did is inexcusable.”

“I feel that Alice saved you by putting a stop to what you were going to do. That saved our marriage. I don’t want to dwell on it or even think about it. Let’s say it was a mistake and put it behind us.”

“You’re wonderful!” Kate’s words were happy, but she didn’t look that way.

“What’s the matter?”

“I think it is time I tell you a little more about me and how I grew up. I’ve kept it a secret since I was twelve. I didn’t dare tell you. I married you under false pretenses. It was all totally legal, but you should know. Especially since you are being so good to me.

“My name wasn’t Catherine O’Toole when I was born. It was Hattie Mae Gruber. I had it legally changed. My birth family live in Kentucky and if you ever saw a family of red-necks, that is a perfect description of them. From what I can remember about my family, Mama and Papa are first cousins. Bethanne is a whore. Papa grows weed. He used to make ’shine but there is more money in weed now.

My two brothers are old enough to work, but said they guessed they would grow weed too. They are probably all in jail now. Papa used to take me to see an old lady that he called Gram. Her name was Maudie and she smoked a pipe and chewed tobacco. Also she smelled. I don’t think she ever took a bath.

“I was lucky. Somehow the state took me and I was adopted by the O’Tooles. The only one I really miss is my sister, Katie. She is the reason I took the name Catherine. Every time someone calls me Kate, I think of her. We used to plan how we would go and live in a big city and meet a handsome prince. I got my prince, but I often wonder about Katie. Was there something in my genes that let me go off like I did last night? I worry about it. It will never happen again, make no mistake about that.”

“I believe you.” I looked at the clock. It was too early to go to bed, but I was beat. “Let’s go out on the porch and sit where we can watch the sunset. I need to think about you, my life, and our life together. Gram has to be considered also, as she is a big part of our lives now that you have got to meet and like her.”

“Okay, you go out. I’m going to pick up and then I’ll be out and sit with you.”

I left Kate in the kitchen and settled down on the porch swing. My mind was in a turmoil. I wanted things to work out for Kate and me, but in the present situation, it didn’t seem possible. I wondered to myself how Gram would feel if I left the company and went off on my own.

What would Gram do? I knew she had several lucrative offers for the company, but she turned them all down. She just gave the reason that she was saving it for her grandson. Also she feared if she sold to a major corporation a lot of the people that had supported her after Gramp died would lose their employment. I sat there swinging and thinking. It wasn’t long before I drifted off to sleep.

I finally became aware that it was dark and it was quiet except for the murmur of voices coming from the kitchen. I stood in the doorway observing my two loved ones sitting close together at the kitchen table. Gram looked rested and Kate’s eye was blacker than ever. I smiled at her saying, “Boy that’s a beaut’.”

Tears welled up in Kate’s eyes. I realized that my attempt at humor fell flat. I walked over and pulled my wife to her feet giving her a hug. “Come on Hon, you are going to be wearing that for awhile. You might as well get used to people staring at you and making comments. Just use the standard answer that you ran into a door. That works every time. Ten to one, people will think you’re married to an abusive husband, so the less said about it the better.”

“Oh Jim, I’m so sorry. I didn’t consider that people might blame you. I have so much to make up to you. Can you ever forgive me?” Kate looked into my eyes searching for a sign that I would do what she so desperately wanted.

She found it as I hugged her tight. “Of course I forgive you,” I said as I kissed her.

Gram broke in with, “It’s getting late and we have been under a lot of stress. Why don’t we go to bed now and we’ll get up late. Things will look different tomorrow.”

“All except somebody’s eye, I’ll bet!” Kate was smiling again.

We went up to our room. I went in and took a shower letting the hot water slowly calm me down. I didn’t realize how tense I was. My mind drifted to thoughts of Kate. I forgave her, but it would take awhile for me to forget. When I came out with a towel around me, Kate was sitting at her vanity brushing her hair. I couldn’t believe that she had on pajamas. She hadn’t worn pajamas since the electricity had gone out last winter. It wasn’t winter now.

She turned and with a red face said, “Jim don’t say anything, please. I’ve got marks all over me and I’m so ashamed. I don’t want you to look at me. I wish I didn’t have this black eye. The next time I want you to look at me is when the black has faded. The other marks on me should fade faster than the eye, so then I will be all yours again. Please?”

“Kate I want to hold you. I’ve seen the hickeys and the other marks. They are in my mind’s eye. How on earth do you think having pajamas on is going to make me forget? If it bothers you that much, tonight, and only tonight, I will turn my back while you get under the covers. We’ll see about tomorrow night then.”

I turned out the light and got into bed next to Kate. She was extremely tense. I heard what sounded like a sniffle. Running my hand over her face, I could tell that she was crying. I pushed her over onto her side facing away from me. Putting my arms around her, I reached up and cupped both breasts. Then I drew her just as close to me as I could. I whispered, “I love you.”

“Oh Jim, I feared so much that I never would hear you say that again.” She wiggled as close to me as she could. It had been a week or more since we had time for sex. I thought both of us would avoid sex given what had transpired, but when Kate said, “Is that what I think it is poking me?” I realized that being this close was definitely having an effect.

“Kate would you like me to make love to you?”

“Oh, yes! Please! In another time a husband would beat his wife if she acted like I did. I’m surprised that you haven’t.”

“Well I felt like beating you last night when I first saw you with your dress most off and your breast hanging out. I wasn’t too happy when you barfed in my car either. Then when Alice explained what happened, I began to wonder if maybe I wasn’t partly to blame. I think we better talk this through when we start our vacation a week from today. Tonight let’s just make love.”

Kate didn’t answer. She just reached between her legs and guided me into her. Passion took over and I thrust into her hard and fast. Maybe I was even a little brutal, but Kate seemed to like it that way. I was soon bathed in sweat and Kate was too. She started to shudder as her orgasm started to build which worked like a catalyst on my own.

Kate, never vocal, was uttering, “Oh God, Oh God, Oh God.” After we climaxed I wanted to go take a shower but Kate insisted I stay in her. It wasn’t long before I felt the urge to begin moving again. I was soon partially erect. This time we didn’t act like animals, but like lovers showing their love for each other. Entwined, we fell asleep.

I lay in bed in the morning while waiting for Kate to finish her shower. I lay there thinking how I, or we, could make our life better. Gram was going to be a major player in our plans. I just hoped that any decisions I made wouldn’t hurt her too much. I had no definite plans, but a general idea of what I wanted to do. It involved Kate as a partner and wife, not just as a wife. Gram, whom I revered, I wanted as a mentor and advisor. I was going to broach the subject at breakfast. I knew that it wasn’t going to be easy. Kate, I could count on, but Gram was the unknown.

It was after eight in the morning before Kate and I went down to breakfast. Gram, sitting at the table, got up and poured our coffee. “I guess God answered your prayers last night. You both look pretty happy on this bright Saturday morning.”

Kate looked puzzled. “What do you mean, Gram?”

“Well I heard you praying and you look happy so I assume they were answered.”

I burst out laughing, catching on to what Gram was referring to. I whispered to Kate, “She heard you saying, Oh God, Oh God, Oh God, while we were making love last night.”

Kate’s face turned bright red while she remembered. “Oh, He answered all right. He certainly did!”

Gram laughed as she slid plates of bacon, toast and scrambled eggs onto the table. She also put a big bowl of grits next to my plate. “You don’t care for grits, Kate?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t had any, or wanted any, since I was adopted. Where I grew up, that is often all we had to eat. I swore that I would never eat them again. Maybe I will try just a little bowl of them this morning.” Kate ate most of what Gram had prepared.

Kate cleared the table while Gram and I had another cup of coffee. “Gram, I have something on my mind and it involves you and my future. I know that you have always had plans for me to take over your company when you retire. You have taught me everything I know and up until a few months ago I was highly motivated to do just that.

"However I’ve come to the conclusion that might not be the best thing for me---or you for that matter. It certainly wouldn’t be best for me and Kate. The last couple of days have only solidified my feelings. I almost lost Kate because I wasn’t here to pay attention to her. Kate isn’t blameless by a long shot, but we haven’t had a fair chance of working through any difficulties that arise.”

“Well Jimmy, tell me what’s on your mind. We have always been able to talk. I’d like to hear what you are thinking.”

“First I would like to know if some rumors I have heard about the business are true? I have heard that you have received many lucrative offers for your holdings.”

“Yes there are several corporations that have evinced an interest in owning the company. Some offers have been for more than I imagined in my wildest dreams. If I ever decide to sell and with the right negotiator, even those offers could be topped.” She paused here and looked at me. “Are you thinking of leaving the company? If so, why?”

“There are several reasons. One thing I think you will agree on. You and Gramp started this company with land he owned. You were lucky when coal was found underneath most of it. Was it luck when you wanted to put your profits back into land out west? You invested in wheat land and damned if there wasn’t coal under that land too. I’ll bet the fun you have had was not what you owned, but in building and managing a profitable company.

“Well I would like to build something too. I would lose the fun if I had a big company to manage. I feel also that I am too young and inexperienced to ever take over and keep a handle on everything. Haven’t you had a few doubts about my ability?”

“Well, it is going to be difficult for you.”

“Gram, another thing. Kate and I want to have some kids. I want them to know their father and especially their great-grandmother. To do this I can’t be running all over the country seeing to problems. I want a small company which will grow. One that Kate and I can build up to be as well run as your company. By starting small I can use the knowledge you have taught me and put it to use. Does this make sense to you?

“You lost the joy of being a grandmother when Dad and Mom died. You had to revert to being a mother again when you chose to raise me. Won’t it be nice to be able to do grandmother things and let Kate and I do the parenting?”

“You can definitely earn a living as a salesman. Everything you have said makes sense. You almost have me sold on your ideas. I do see a lot of complications in acting on them. However, let’s say I will give it some very serious thought. Nothing needs to be decided today.”

Saturday was a relaxing day after our conversation of the morning. Kate and I took Gram out to our favorite nightspot. We had both been too busy to frequent it as often as we liked in the past few months. Kate’s eye was very noticeable, but we only had to use the excuse of running into a door once when asked. I danced most of the dances with Kate, but I managed to get Gram on the floor for a couple of slow ones.

Gram asked while we were dancing, “Can you persuade Kate to start her vacation early next week and go to the mountains with me? You can follow in a week. I really want more time with her. Getting to know her well will give me a little insight on how I am going to follow up on your ideas.”

I answered, “I think Kate is planning on leaving her job anyway, using her accumulated vacation time in lieu of notice. She is just too uncomfortable being around her co-workers after Thursday night’s debacle. I think she will go with you by Monday afternoon. I’ll talk to her later.”

Later that night Kate and I talked for a long time. We discussed her coming off the pill and us starting a family. I ended up talking about my childhood and what it was like having parents who were twice as old as my playmates’ parents. I think this is why I am of a more serious bent. Of course there were no money worries growing up, as Gram and Gramp were well-to-do by the time I came along.

Kate then opened up about her own childhood. Her father did own quite a bit of land, she thought. She couldn’t remember how much, but a lot. A lot of it was hilly and even the flat land was unproductive, being mostly a heavy clay soil. She said she adored her father until she started going to school. She and her brothers and sisters were all looked down on. Outside of growing marijuana to pay the taxes, she thought the family was honest, but certainly very poor.

Her sister Katie was the nearest to her in age and she still missed her. Bethanne, her older sister by six years, liked boys and flaunted her body. This caused many fights between Bethanne and her father. Her mother was very quiet and definitely under the father’s thumb.

As far as her two brothers, they never paid much attention to her and she hardly remembered them, they being the oldest kids in the family. It has been fourteen or fifteen years since she had seen any of them. She said it had been so long and she was so young when she left, her memory probably was distorted.

We hugged and snuggled together until Kate said, “I'm still on the pill, but how about practicing making a baby?” That’s what we did, as I was more than willing, and believing that practice makes perfect, we practiced at it until the wee hours. It was a joy!

Gram had us go to church in the morning. We enjoyed being in Gram’s company as now we both seemed to enjoy ourselves with her. Believe it or not, the sermon was “Be true to those who love you, and they will be true to you.” I wondered, was the sermon a coincidence or was it a sign?

Monday I was off to work. Kate planned to go to her job and give her notice. She hoped to be home by noon. Gram had business most all day and then she and Kate were heading north to the mountains. I was working all week, but planned on leaving Friday night to join them. I had three weeks’ vacation and I planned on doing nothing but think and maybe practice more of that baby making.

---

I was surprised to see Kate in my office at one o’clock. This was the start of my lunch break. She had to tell me what happened when she went into work. “I was going to try and cover my black eye, but then I figured everyone would know about it anyway, so I let it all show. I drove in and parked in the lot. A really mad woman came up to my car and told me to get my ass out where she could talk to me. She wasn’t very big and I really didn’t know her, I thought. Then it came to me that this had to be John’s wife and she was still pissed from Thursday night.

“When she saw my black eye, she asked if she had done that. I nodded and pulled up my skirt and showed her that big softball sized black mark where she had kicked me. She suddenly wasn’t so mad anymore. She started crying and told me that John had been fired Friday. They had two kids and she didn’t know how they were going to survive. The only income they had now was some part time work that she did in a grocery store. She couldn’t work full time because of the kids. Then she said she was sorry and went to her car and left the lot.

“I hated to enter the building. Apparently all of those on the parking lot side of the office had seen John’s wife confront me. They were curious as to what had been said. I just put my head up and went into the office I shared with Herb, my boss. He had always treated me nice and with respect, but I wondered what he thought of me now. I’m sure the rumors made things a lot worse than they were. He asked me to sit and if I wanted coffee. I didn’t.”

“Well Kate, I’m a little surprised to see you,” Herb said.

“Herb, I guess you have heard all about Thursday night. John’s wife tells me that you fired him. Why was that?”

“I can’t have the things I have heard about going on in my office. John admitted to coming on to you when I confronted him with it, but only because you seemed so willing. He said that you were more than willing and egged him on. That I didn’t believe. You have always been the soul of discretion as long as you have worked here. I just didn’t believe him at all.”

“Why didn’t you wait and have us into your office together? Sometimes things are different than they appear. Tim was there. What did he say?”

“I didn’t ask Tim. Anyway he would have lied for John because they are buddies. Doesn’t matter. You are my assistant, and I can’t have office gossip interfering with our job.”

“Herb, I hate to disillusion you, but a lot of this was mostly my fault. John does have a wandering eye, but never would have made any advances toward me if I hadn’t given him some kind of opening. You really fired the wrong person. Truth is, I was having some difficulties at home with my husband. Right now I seem to have them resolved.

“The thing is, my husband has asked me to resign my position here. He has forgiven me any indiscretions I may have been a party to, and we are moving forward together. Herb, I’m resigning as of right now. I was going on vacation next week anyway, and I want to use my accrued vacation time as notice.”

“God Kate, you can’t leave me this short-handed! With John gone, it leaves too big a hole in the office. I was going to persuade you to put off your vacation until I could train someone to fill his job. You just can’t leave now.” I sat there shaking my head. “Call John. He didn’t deserve to be fired over what he did, especially because it was mostly my fault. I feel so bad for his family, so please call him.”

Herb rang his secretary and asked her to contact John to come in about some paperwork that needed doing, and urge him to come as soon as possible. When she left he turned to me and asked what my plans were.

“I don’t know really what we are going to do. Jim has had things buzzing around in his mind for awhile. I am just so thankful that he wants to include me in them. He is making a major readjustment in his life, so things really are up in the air. I just know that I am going to be at his side.

"When I left Herb’s office I stopped by Alice’s cubicle, and told her I was going on vacation as of now. She commented on my eye and I just said I deserved it, so I might as well show it. She asked how Jim and I were. I told her that “thanks to her,” things were fine, and I would fill her in at a later time.

The house was empty when I got home, as Gram and Kate had gone north as planned. Kate called me in the evening. My phone rang again shortly after we hung up. It was Alice and she wanted to talk to Kate about what had transpired at the office that afternoon. Herb had made an announcement to his staff. He told them that Kate had left the company and that because he was so short-handed he had rehired John. I gave her Kate’s cell number.

Almost immediately the phone rang again. It was John’s wife, wanting to speak to Kate. I informed her that Kate was unavailable, but that I would take a message. She, I guess, didn’t know how much I knew about the previous week. When I mentioned that Alice had cleared everything up, she wanted to talk. She then apologized for marking Kate up so badly. I told her that Kate felt any marks she had were well deserved.

She went on to tell me that John had his old job back---and with a raise too. She also said that even though Kate had taken the blame for Thursday, she knew John. He was at least partly at fault and had used up his one free “Get Out of Jail” card with other women. She would be watching him from now on. She closed out the call with wishing Kate and I the best in the future.

I had to tell Kate about both Alice and John’s wife’s call, so I rang her. She was so pleased to hear from me again this evening. We talked until I reminded her I had to work tomorrow.

I didn’t get to call Kate until very late every night the rest of the week. I was going to be leaving for vacation, and wanted to make sure that the people covering for me were up to date on my duties. It was a long week, but I survived. I would be seeing Kate at the end of the week so I didn’t mind too much.

Gram was so glad to be home. She liked to travel and did a lot, but she was only really happy when she got home to her mountains. Kate was the most relaxed that I had seen her in a long time. I was glad to be here as it had been my home while growing up. After high school and going off to college, my visits had been rare. Two days later Gram, Kate and I had our talk.

Before I tell you of our conversation, let me describe the home that Gram and Gramp built. It was a massive log cabin high up overlooking the valley where the nearest village was. This was the same little town where my father and mother were killed in the flood that made me an orphan. It also brought a lot of sadness to the other people who lost loved ones at the same time.

Since that time several dams and floodgates had been built to tame the rushing waters. Gramp had seen to this, by buying various strategic parcels of land, then donating them so all of these projects could go forward.

Gramp’s memory was revered for not only making the town safer, but because the mines that he opened up over the years had the highest safety work records in the state. The townspeople even tried to officially name the town after him. He wouldn’t hear of it!

The people, however, circumvented him by having all the businesses in town have the name “Ryan” in them. There was Ryan’s Drug Store, Ryan’s Diner, Ryan’s Hotel, etc.---you get the picture. The town’s name was “The Gap,” but soon it became unofficially known locally as Ryan’s Town, and that is what everyone knows it as today.

When Gram, Kate and I sat down to talk, Gram asked me to explain further why I wanted to leave the business.

“First I think I am reasonably intelligent. Having said that, I know what I am capable of. There is no way I can get a handle on all aspects of the company and its far-flung interests. If you had a corporate structure, it might be possible for one person to manage it. That is what will have to happen eventually, if only for tax purposes.

"Right now you have a whole bunch of companies under your direct control. All have been profitable for you, and you have avoided too high a tax on the profits by astutely making acquisitions and putting the assets back into the company. Now when you sell, you are going to have a real nightmare avoiding giving the government most of what you have in capital gains.”

“Jim, my money managers have been warning me about this since Gramp died. I just carried on as he did. You know how he was, if he owned something, he wanted it under his direct control. He wasn’t about to give up any control to people that owned a bunch of shares in his company. I know it was shortsighted of him, but that is the way he was. Do you have any suggestions on how to deal with this?”

“Not really, but why don’t you pull in the best tax lawyers you know. Have them solve your problem, even if it costs you a lot. I do have a couple of ideas. One, when and if you sell, give bonuses to all of your employees. Base it on length of service, not just on positions in the company. Two, put all that you won’t ever need into a nonprofit trust. It works for Bill Gates and it can work for you.

“You could be the titular head. Inevitably whoever buys you out will let many of your managers go. Take the best of these and install them in running the trust. That way some of your oldest and best employees won’t have to go job hunting at their advanced age. These are just some thoughts I’ve had while worrying about taking over from you as you wanted. I must warn you that Uncle Sam is going to take a big bite, whether in payroll taxes on the bonuses, or in capital gains.

“But I wouldn’t worry about that, as I suspect you have had a good run in building this company and enjoyed it a lot. You have also given a lot of people a good and fair living and they are loving you for it. There probably never will be such a successful well-run energy company in the United States ever again.”

“Jim, you make a lot of sense. I can understand your reluctance in taking over from me. I was worried that I was putting an undue burden on you. Kate, too, for that matter. I knew that Kate would have to be an exceptional person to let you give what you had to give in taking over and still love you. I think tomorrow I will start pulling this together. It is going to take a long time before this is all settled and I might as well get started.

“While I am doing that, what are you two going to do? You are on vacation and should be doing something fun.”

Kate spoke up finally after being silent while Gram and I talked. “Jim has made me realize that family is something to be cherished. We are heading to Kentucky to see if I can find my family. He has felt that I should at least reconnect with them. Maybe they won’t be anyone we want to know, but maybe they aren’t as bad as I remember. I do remember that my papa loved me and I surely do wonder how my sister Katie is. I wonder if she ever made it to New York and became a singer as she dreamed.

“We are leaving shortly so by tomorrow night I should know something. I really am awfully excited. Who knows, maybe it was my attitude and not theirs that tore me from them. Remembering more, I guess I was a little brat when I was twelve. That sure changed when I was placed with the O’Tooles. They were nice and really loved me, and brought me up to be nice. It was beautiful being the center of attention with them, but I missed the camaraderie of a big family for a long time.

“I guess I still must have an attitude, or I would have tried to see my family before this. Jim and I are leaving before daylight, so we won’t see you in the morning.”

I had never seen Kate this excited, so I said, “Why don’t we leave after lunch today? Gram has some calls to make, and I can see she is anxious to get started.” Gram laughed as Kate flew up to our room to pack. “Is that all right with you Gram, us leaving early, I mean?”

“Sure, go ahead. You are doing the right thing. I suspect that you might find her family to your liking. If they are anything like Kate has turned out, there must be a lot of good in them. So go on and have fun. Keep me posted, though, for you and Kate are all the family that I have.”

                            Chapter Two

Kate and I headed out and by nightfall we were over the border and into Kentucky. Gram had given us directions and most of the travel was by interstate, so we made good time. I asked Kate if she wanted a motel, but she wanted to keep going for awhile. She then proceeded to curl up and go to sleep. I kept driving, thinking about Gram and the way things had changed for the better between Kate and me. Also, if Gram sold the company, I would have to find some other employment. I counted up our net worth in my head. Although Kate and I have done well and were living comfortably, we weren’t rich.

Gram would back me in anything I would try, but I didn’t think I would avail myself of her largess. Thoughts and ideas played around in my head and before I realized it, I was only twenty miles from our destination. “Kate wake up. I’m tired and we are almost there. Why don’t I find a motel and sack out for a few hours, so we will be fresh when we get to where your folks live?”

“Okay, I could use a shower. Oh, I’m so excited. Do you think any of my family will remember me?”

“I’m sure they will.” I pulled into a fair-sized motel with a sign that said Open All Night. It was nearly five a.m., and I could hardly keep my eyes open.

While I went to the desk to register, Kate walked around the lobby. She got a newspaper out of a machine by the door, folding it under her arm and was waiting for me to finish at the desk. An old black man was sweeping the floor, I suppose ending his night’s work. He stopped and stood staring at Kate. I heard him say to Kate, “Oh my! If it isn’t Miss Katie, I saw you down to meeting just last week. I never expected to see you in this place. Is everything all right with you?” He seemed concerned and truly mystified seeing Kate in the motel.

Kate was as mystified as I was, but not wanting to seem ignorant or asking for an explanation, passed it off feeling that he had made a mistake somehow. Thinking quickly, she smiled and said, “We have been traveling all night and are too tired to go on. I’m going to catch a few winks here so I will be fresh later.”

Still being inquisitive he asked her if I was her new fella’. “Yes he is, and not only that he is my husband, and I love him very much.”

The old guy ran behind the desk and got a small camera and asked us to pose for him. He wanted it to show his wife. Wanting to get to our room as soon as possible, we humored him. I crashed as soon as I got in the door. Kate was hardly in the shower before I zonked out.

It was a little after nine when I woke up. Kate was out of the room, so immediately I headed to the bathroom to relieve myself and freshen up. While taking my shower, I heard Kate come back. When I came out, she was bubbling over with joy. “I went to the coffee shop for coffee. People stared at me and I know why!” Pointing at the newspaper she had purchased last night, she said, “Look at that. I’m famous.”

There was a full page likeness in color of Kate staring at me from the centerfold. The lady had on a long floor length gown of green satin. Standing in the background were four men in light-colored tuxedoes. In the lower left corner, text stated:

Tune in this coming Saturday. Miss Katie is a local celebrity who is becoming more and more known. Miss Katie and her Gospel Quartet has been chosen to headline a charity event in Biloxi. She is famous for her attention to pure gospel and folk music. The haunting quality of her voice has touched her fans as none ever before.


The quartet, famous in their own right, with their harmonious and melodic voices gives anyone that hears them a wondrous experience. This newspaper and your local Channel Nine have collaborated to bring it to you on their program, “Live On Saturday.” Tune in at 9 p.m. for a truly great performance.

“That has to be my sister!” Kate was unable to contain herself. “Hurry and get dressed, I want to get to Papa and Mama’s to see if I am related to anyone else famous.” Then she looked troubled. “I hope the family will speak to me. I’ve been gone almost fourteen years. They will have to know who I am, though. I look enough like Katie to be her twin.”

I calmed her down and went to the front desk to check out. The clerk seemed to fidget as if he had something to say. Finally, as he was clearing my credit card, he asked, “Is Miss Katie really married?”

I smiled and answered, “I don’t really know. The lady with me is my wife, the former Catherine O’Toole. However we believe that she is a close relative to Miss Katie. We are on our way to find out now. We saw the picture in the paper this morning. There is a startling likeness, isn’t there?” He agreed, but seemed disappointed that someone famous hadn’t stayed the night.

Wanting to get on the road, Kate got me a coffee while I was checking out. “It is only twenty miles to Dinky’s Diner in town. It is a greasy spoon and he always serves bigger portions than you want. You can eat while I ask someone if they know Billy Bob and Daisy Mae Gruber. Oh, I hope they are still alive. They should be. Papa would be about sixty and Mama is a couple of years younger.”

An hour later we slowly drove down Main Street in Kate’s hometown. She pointed out different places that she remembered. She said to me, “One more block to Dinky’s Diner.” When we got near, she saw that the name had been changed to Daisy’s Diner. “Oh it’s much bigger and a lot neater than I remember,” she said.

I pulled off Main Street and parked in back. Kate was shaking. “If they have booths, let’s get one. I have to sit down and want to see if I remember anyone. I can look around without people looking at me. I’ll ask the waitress if she knows Mama and Papa.”

Kate had on a gray traveling suit, knee length with a short jacket and yellow blouse. Also calf-high black suede boots. With her carriage, she looked the elegant lady. I smiled to give her confidence and held the door open as she entered before me.

A gentleman seated at the table with others nearest the door looked up and said, “Hi Miss Katie.” He paused, then apologized saying, “I’m sorry, I thought you were someone I knew.” We left him with a puzzled expression on his face. The diner was more than half full and we had to travel the length of the room before there was an empty booth. The chatter from the patrons silenced as we proceeded. People, I guess, thought at first that this was a person they all knew, but realized that it wasn’t. Who could it be? Whispers replaced the chatter.

A gray-haired waitress came out of the kitchen entrance near us bearing a loaded tray. She went by us, not looking, just acknowledging that she had another customer. Halfway down the diner she set the heavy tray down and distributed the orders. It took her until she passed out the last order to realize that the silence in the room was deafening. “What? Am I naked? What?”

Kate had whispered to me, “That’s Mama. Help me. What am I going to do? All of the people are looking at us. I don’t want to make a scene.” She kind of cowered in the corner of the booth.

Kate’s mom slowly looked at her customers and saw that their attention was centered on our booth. Coming hesitantly toward where we sat, she approached us. I stood and very formally said, “My name is Jim Ryan. I would like to have you meet my wife, Catherine O’Toole Ryan. Would you sit with us a minute?” I placed her facing across the booth from Kate.

Kate was facing away until her mother sat. I rarely used Kate’s name, but I did now. “Catherine, look at Miss Daisy!”

“Mama.”

Miss Daisy hadn’t got the mix-up in name change yet, but she knew her child. “Hattie Mae? Is it you? Oh, the Lord be praised!”

“Mama, I didn’t expect to see you so soon. I didn’t know you worked in Dinky’s. We stopped to eat before looking for you. Oh, Mama, it is so good to see you!” Kate was rambling on.

“Oh child, I can’t believe it’s really you! Where have you been? Why haven’t you come sooner?” Finally Miss Daisy took Kate’s hands and held them while looking into her eyes.

Neither Kate nor her mother really knew what to say to each other. The diner was filling with the lunch crowd and most of the patrons were curious as to what was going on in the corner booth.

Collecting herself, Miss Daisy said, “Come with me. We can be private in my office.” Taking us into the kitchen, she pointed to a small room. She then went back out and we could hear her tell the other help that her long missing daughter was home. I also heard a few people clapping. Miss Daisy came back to us with tears in her eyes. “Oh Hattie,” and she hugged Kate as if she would never let her go.

I sat down and watched ... and was ignored. The food smell was driving me crazy, so I went into the kitchen after closing the door, and asked if I could have a sandwich. The kitchen help were busy and unaware of what was going on. The cook came over and asked who I was and I told him I guessed that I was Miss Daisy’s son-in-law. “Bullshit,” he said, “I know all of Miss Daisy’s kin, and you ain’t one of ’em.”

I shrugged and said, “Ask her.”

He looked in the office and never said a word to them in there. Looking at me he said, “I didn’t know that Miss Katie had a twin, but it could just be. She surely looks like her.” The cook was much more gracious then and rapidly had a bowl of stew in front of me while he put a hamburger steak on the grill. Everyone in the kitchen was rushing around so I just enjoyed my meal, waiting for the door of the office to open.

It took an hour or so. I finally saw Kate standing there, motioning to me. Kate hugged me as I entered the room. Both her and her mom looked so happy. “How are you doing Kate?” was all I could think of to say. I turned to her mother and asked, “How should I address you? Miss Daisy, Mom, or Mama? I never had a Mom that I knew.”

Miss Daisy said, “All my children call me Mama and everyone else calls me Miss Daisy. If you don’t have a Mom and would like one, why don’t you call me Mom, and I’ll call you Son or Jim. Hattie tells me that it was at your insistence that she is here with me now. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for that.”

“Okay, then I guess until I know you better I’ll call you Miss Daisy. Did Kate explain about her name change? How she came to have a name different than her birth name?”

“No, not really.”

“It took awhile for me to find out about it all. A lot of it was revealed in the last month or so. Some of it may be hurtful to you and Kate can correct me if I’m wrong. She and I have bared our souls to each other to save our marriage. To start with, Kate told me that she was a nasty little kid the year before she left. Social Services took her away and had her adopted out to the O’Tooles. She waited for her family to come looking for her, but she never saw you again. I don’t understand that, myself, but over the years, Kate has built up a lot of resentment for being abandoned.

“The O’Tooles gave her a good home, but not much affection. She did come to love them and still cares for her adopted mother, Winona, who at present is in a nursing home. When Kate reached adulthood, the resentment of being abandoned decided her to make the name O’Toole permanent. So she had her name legally changed from Hattie Mae Gruber to Catherine O’Toole and asked to be called Kate. She tells me that every time someone addresses her as Kate, it lets her connect to the one she remembers most fondly. This because she feels closest to Katie, her next oldest sister.”

Miss Daisy looked at Kate. “Why did you wait this long to come home? Didn’t you know we loved you? I don’t understand how you could wait almost fifteen years.”

Kate’s attitude started to show. “You let those people take me and never, ever came after me. I thought you felt well rid of me. You didn’t even show up before that old judge sent me to an orphanage. I spent seven months before the O’Tooles met and liked me and took me out of there. If that isn’t being abandoned, I don’t know what is.”

“But Hattie, it wasn’t like that at all.” Miss Daisy was crying now. “I don’t know what happened. Someone has made a horrible mistake. Papa couldn’t come and I didn’t drive then. We sent an old lawyer named Bannock to represent us. He told us you didn’t want to come home because your daddy kept touching you and you were afraid of him. That is what he said you told the judge. He said the judge ruled that we had an unfit household and he was making sure you wouldn’t have to live in that situation. The judge sealed your records, he said, to protect you. Did you ever say anything like that?”

“Mama, I never said that. I love Papa!”

“Well we were in a terrible situation at home at that time. Papa was in trouble with the law over some stuff up on the mountain growing on his land. It wasn’t his, but he got sent to jail for it. Maybe that judge knew something about it. Damn the law here. Most of them are a bunch of crooks, or were. A lot of the old ones have died recently. That old lawyer died two years ago, so I don’t suppose we will ever know what was said at that hearing.

“You will see Papa tonight. I’ll call your brother Tom and you can meet his family. Bethanne and The Preacher will come over. Katie won’t be here as she has a show in Biloxi this weekend. Joe, your other brother, is doing a tour in Germany with the air force.

“I must tell you that your Papa is a changed man. Three days after Social Services came for you Papa was charged with growing marijuana. He had a one-day trial and was sentenced to three to seven years. Going to jail just took the fire out of him. He felt that he had failed his family. You may remember that I let Papa do everything and I stood back and watched. When he went away I had myself and Katie to take care of. We were all broken up over losing you to the state. Everyone thought we were trash.

“Bethanne was running wild with fellas and drinking. I couldn’t control her. Joe told me he was getting away so he enlisted in the air force. Tom just wanted to work on old junk cars and dream of driving in Nascar. Me, well I had to go to work to survive. Old Dinky Jones was the only one that would give me a job. Dinky was a distant cousin on my mama’s side of the family. I came in and he showed me how to wait table. Then he had me in the kitchen, so I learned the diner business.”

Miss Daisy seemed to want to tell Kate how difficult her life had been and to get it all out to her wayward child. “Two years after I came here and about the time Papa got out of jail, Dinky died suddenly of a heart attack. So suddenly I’m not trash anymore but owner of a diner. That is why the place is Daisy’s Diner and not Dinky’s.”

She went on telling us more about what had transpired in the years that her Hattie Mae had been gone. “Katie has never given me any trouble. She has always wanted to sing. At first she sang at church gatherings, then she won a few local singing contests. Luckily the music teacher took an interest in her and suggested she meet some folk musicians he knew. She plays most of the string instruments, but when she sings a cappella, she really shines.

“Katie even helped straighten out Bethanne. Katie was singing at a tent revival meeting when Bethanne showed up drunk and made a spectacle of herself. Katie asked a young preacher to bring Bethanne home. As his turn in the pulpit was finished, he was glad to oblige. Neither The Preacher nor Bethanne has ever said what he said to her before he dropped her off.

“Bethanne changed overnight. We all realized some momentous thing had happened when Bethanne said to me that she had invited a friend for dinner on Sunday, two days later. She had never wanted us to meet her friends before---and most of them we wouldn’t have wanted to meet.

“The Preacher kept coming around and finally got a calling here in town. The church isn’t big enough to support a family so he teaches second grade in school. Bethanne shaped up and got a teacher’s certificate and teaches kindergarten. They have presented me with two glorious grandchildren.”

Miss Daisy had talked non-stop for hours it seemed. Finally she said, “Let me call Papa to come into town from the farm. He usually stays out at the old place while I live in town. He doesn’t socialize with people much.” A frown crossed her face as she said this. We had an indication that as her kids had done fairly well, maybe all was not right with her and her husband. She also called her son, Tom and then Bethanne. She just said she wanted them to meet someone that night.

Miss Daisy asked if Kate remembered any of the streets in town. She didn’t, so we got directions to 119 Oak Street where Mama lived. She said to go right in and at the head of the stairs was a room we could have as long as we were in town. We found it easily enough. The house was a large, well kept Colonial. I thought to myself that the diner business must be paying pretty well to be able to support a home like this.

We didn’t explore while waiting for Miss Daisy to arrive. It would take awhile for her to finish up at the diner and come home. After Kate and I freshened up a little, we sat and stared at each other. Kate would start to say something. Maybe she would finish her thought or go onto a different thought altogether. She was confused and overwhelmed. Finally she asked, “Do you think I was abandoned or do you think something else happened?”

“I don’t know, but it would seem as though other forces were at work that ripped your family apart. Maybe it will always be a mystery, or maybe we can find out what really happened.”

“You know Jim, I can’t believe how Mama has changed. She used to be always in the background. Papa used to be in charge and now I think Mama definitely is.”

“Well, she certainly has been through some hard times. She seems strong enough now. It sounds like maybe your daddy hasn’t made out as well.” Kate thought she might lie down and rest a bit before the family showed up. I went downstairs to meet my mother-in-law when I heard her drive up. I helped her bring in a lot of food she had brought from the diner.

My new mom gave me a tour of the house. She told me that Dinky had lived quite simply over the diner and had left quite an estate. She was not rich, but had enough to afford a house that her kids and grandkids could stay over in and not cramp anyone for room. We did look into one room which was obviously occupied by a musician. Miss Daisy said that it was Katie’s room. She lives here when she isn’t off touring.

Soon Bethanne and The Preacher arrived with their two kids. The Preacher appeared a little older than his wife. They were obviously in love because I saw her hand steal into his when they sat on the couch. Tom and his wife came in. They had three kids who were as loud and boisterous as Bethanne and The Preacher’s were quiet. I never did learn The Preacher’s name at first because he was introduced as The Preacher and that’s how he was addressed. When I was introduced, Miss Daisy just said she would like to have them meet Jim Ryan. She gave no other explanation.

I started a conversation with Tom about the weather and had progressed to conditions on the thruway which I had traveled last night. He wanted to know where I had come from. I just said I came down from West Virginia. I didn’t realize at first, but another person had entered the room while I was talking to Tom. An older man sat down in the corner of the room out of the way. I knew this must be Kate’s daddy. No one made a move to introduce us and I didn’t push it.

Miss Daisy interrupted us and asked, “Jim, would you go up and see if your wife is awake? I think she would like to meet the family.”

I went upstairs. Kate had put on a nice skirt and blouse. She appeared nervous, but excited too. “I’m ready.”

I’m sure they could hear us slowly descending the stairs. I let her enter ahead of me. There was a gasp from Bethanne, and then Kate’s Mama asked, “Do any of you remember Hattie Mae?”

Babble reigned! The five kids were amazed that they had an aunt that they didn’t know about. Miss Daisy told them how we had appeared in the restaurant this morning and Hattie Mae had been filling her in on what had happened in the last fourteen years.

Miss Daisy was used to feeding a large crowd. It was obvious as we sat down to a simple meal of meat and potatoes. I couldn’t believe how much noise was generated, mostly from the five kids. However it was an easy family gathering. Well it was until I addressed my wife as “Kate.” Miss Daisy then had to find out why I called her that. They all couldn’t believe that she had legally changed her name to Catherine O’Toole before getting married. When she went on to explain about feeling lost and abandoned by her family, they could understand a little, but denied that is what happened.

This put a damper on the meal. Kate couldn’t convince them that is what she felt. The Grubers couldn’t understand why anyone would want to get rid of the name, Gruber. It was a very respectable name and they were all proud of it. Kate finally exclaimed, “Remember, I was just an institution kid and some very nice people were willing to take me into their home and raise me and educate me and in their own way love me! Why wouldn’t I want to take their name?” The pain was there for all the family to see written on her face.

Papa Gruber hadn’t said two words all through the meal. He quietly got up and left the table. I could see that he must have felt her pain. He did choose a chair in the next room where he could gaze on his youngest daughter.

To change the subject I said, “Is anyone interested in how Kate and I met?” I then went on to tell them that I had known her slightly in college and how we had hooked up at a reunion. I told them how well she was doing in her job as a financial officer, but we had decided it might be time to start a family. I didn’t tell them how or why she became unemployed.

"As far as my job, I just said that I worked in a company that my grandmother owned. We filled them in on where we lived, what our home was like and what cars we drove. Tom was overly impressed when he found out I drove a BMW and that Kate drove a Mercedes.

Kate, Bethanne and Tom’s wife, Mary, wanted to get together tomorrow. I said I thought that was a good idea as I wanted to look around town. Tom made me promise to come by his shop. I asked him what he did for a living and he said he had a trash collection business. He would have his truck back to the garage by eleven as he only had enough work for three and a half days. He was free Thursday afternoon until Monday of the next week. Maybe we could grab a beer later. It sounded like fun. I possibly would find out more about the family. I was intrigued about Kate’s daddy and apparently how he had changed since Kate knew him.

We retired to our room and discussed the family. It was a beautiful large room with a king-sized bed. We lay down fully-clothed to discuss what went on today. Kate was happy, although she couldn’t figure the change in her father. “I don’t know him! Did you notice that he didn’t speak to me? I used to be his favorite little girl! What happened?”

“Kate, your father loves you. I was watching him. He never took his eyes off you all evening. Even when he went in the other room, he was sitting where he could see you.” I paused and then went on, “I don’t think your mama and daddy are living as man and wife anymore. When I took a tour of the house, your mama pointed out her room. I saw another room that had men's clothing in it. The shirt he had on tonight was hanging there on the door of the dresser.”

I heard a soft knock on the door. I gave Kate a puzzled look while getting up to open the door. Kate’s daddy was standing there with an uncertain expression on his face. “May I come in for a few moments?” I swung the door open.

“Of course.”

Looking at Kate, he said. “Can I talk with you a bit, Hattie?”

I asked, “Do you want me to step out?”

“No, no, stay. This concerns you also now that you are family.” Taking a chair, he pulled it in front of Kate and sat facing her. “Hattie, please answer me one question. Did you tell the judge that I abused you?”

“No, Papa, I loved you! Why do you ask that? I didn’t talk to the judge. He only spoke to me to tell me that I couldn’t come home. He said you all weren’t good people and I was better off where I was going to live.” Tears were flowing from her eyes. “When you didn’t come and get me from that horrible place, I guess I came to believe him.”

“Well, why were you so ornery to everyone the year before all this happened? We couldn’t do anything with you. You were always running away and skipping school. You even started swearing and you know Mama wouldn’t allow that. The only one you would talk to was Katie and she said she didn’t know what your problem was. Can you tell me now?”

I didn’t think Kate was going to answer him, but then she burst out with, “You always made me go see Gram Maudie. She smelled and smoked a pipe and was always telling me I had a great future. Then she started taking me up the mountain to the cave. Sometimes she was too feeble to go very far. She wanted me to go in all by myself and I was just too scared. You never made any of the other kids go to see her. Bethanne used to tell me she was a witch and my name should be Gretel.

“Mama wouldn’t listen to me. I thought you loved me but you kept making me go and one time I had to stay overnight with her. I was so afraid of her. Why did you do that to me?”

“Oh my God! Is that what was troubling you? I didn’t realize.” He bowed his head, then said. “I did tell her you were too young to know her secrets. I was not aware of how scared you might have been. I wish I had known.” Then he smiled and asked, “Would you be afraid to see her now?”

“You mean she is still alive?” Kate asked incredulously.

“Yes she is. In fact she told me that you would be coming home soon, and she wanted to see you as soon as possible. At times Maudie is credited with second sight. For some reason I believed her, and I wasn’t at all surprised to see you walk in the room this afternoon.”

“Well I won’t see her alone.” Kate glanced at me and then smiled, “If Jim is with me, I might consider it.”

“Good. That’s settled. How about Friday morning? She will be ninety-three next month and is awful frail. As to your being the one that has to meet with her, she just says that you were one of the Chosen Ones whatever that means. She probably will explain when you see her.”

As Kate’s daddy turned toward the door, he said that we would have to sit down and he would tell us how he came to end up in jail and how it had affected his life. “It looks as though there was more crookedness that went on way back then that I wasn’t aware of. Oh well, it should sort itself out.” He smiled and wished us a good night.

Kate and I hashed and rehashed all we had learned about the family in just a few short hours. We both were intrigued by Papa’s talk about Gram Maudie. Finally we fell asleep---or I did.

                             Chapter Three

Kate and I freshened up and went over to the diner for breakfast. I guess Kate’s daddy had gone back to the farm and of course Miss Daisy was at the diner. She hugged us when we came in and introduced us to all of the wait staff and those in the kitchen. She was so-o-o-o-o happy. I found out why the diner was so successful. The food was pure ambrosia. Kate was off to see Bethanne and I had directions to Tom’s place of business.

The town seemed a real nice small town. I hadn’t seen any figures, but I would guess it was a town of ten thousand residents or so. The streets were paved, but with many potholes and the sidewalks were all cracked and uneven. To me this meant that the town fathers were not on top of the upkeep in town.

Kate had our car so I just ambled around by foot, generally heading to where the town equipment sheds were. Tom had told me he had rented space from the town to garage his truck. When I got there Tom was just pulling in. His truck was a few years old, but he kept it looking like new.

He asked me if I knew anything about that type of equipment. I said I didn’t, but I had been a fleet dispatcher for one of the smaller companies my grandmother was involved in. I said I knew that if equipment wasn’t kept tip top that it was a dispatcher’s nightmare. In a fleet, the loads were time sensitive so when there were breakdowns, another truck had to be dispersed immediately. Tom agreed with my assessment, saying that with only one truck, a breakdown was a deal breaker. Nobody wanted their trash out on the street longer than necessary to be picked up.

“Let me show you something. This is my answer to that kind of trouble,” he said as he opened up the shed next door. In it was parked a 1946 two-and-a-half ton army vehicle. He said it was an ammo carrier that hadn’t made it to the Korean conflict. He bought it a few years ago when the army was scrapping a lot of stuff at a nearby armory. It had been used mostly for parades and he was tickled to get it. “I only use it when I have to, but she’s ready to go.”

Tom was easy to talk to. He went down the street to a hero shop and got us a couple long ones and a six pack. We sat around his desk and I asked him about him and his family. He admitted that his wife got on his case sometimes, especially about his kids. He said he had never been into sports. Guess he never wanted to make the effort. His wife Mary had excelled in basketball in high school. She couldn’t see why he couldn’t take more interest in sports as it was a major part of the kids’ development.

I asked him if he was happy in what he was doing. Well no, not really. He said he made enough for necessities but any luxuries were beyond him. “What would you want to do if you had your choice?” He said that he really wanted to head up the maintenance at the town yard. He knew he could do better than what was being done and save a lot of money too. It never would happen though, as the old boy network had somebody in line for years to come.

I finally asked him what I really wanted to know. “What’s with your mama and papa? Things looked pretty strained between them last night. Kate, I mean Hattie Mae, is really hurt by that.”

Tom didn’t want to answer me at first. Then he started to tell me about what went on so many years ago as he remembered it. “I remember that Papa and Mama were fighting all the time. She blamed Papa for Hattie being taken away. Papa was being charged with growing drugs on the farm. He said he had it all under control and wouldn’t serve any jail time. Mama warned him that he was too trusting.

“I know that he was meeting with the banker and the county sheriff. The old lawyer was involved too. Papa trusted them all to do something for him. At that time they wanted him to cover for something their kids were up to. They convinced him to plead guilty to growing marijuana, and get probation. It didn’t work out that way. We had a hot shot county prosecutor that wanted to be state’s attorney.

"He wanted a significant drug bust to further his political ambitions. By the time the trial came up, most of the evidence pointing to everyone but Papa had been destroyed. Papa was left holding the bag. He finally accepted a plea of three to seven years. Fighting it was a possible seven to ten.

“The trial and the Hattie Mae hearing were the same week. I don’t know why, but he still had some faith in that old lawyer because he asked him to go to Hattie Mae’s hearing. When he came back and told Papa that Hattie Mae was going to be institutionalized, Papa gave up fighting and took the plea deal.

“Mama lost her youngest and her husband all in the same week. She called a family meeting and said she was going to work out to keep the family together. All this didn’t bother me too much. I just wanted to work on fixing junk cars to sell. Joe, he looked around and not seeing any future here, bailed out and joined the air force.

“This left Mama with Katie, who didn’t care what went on as long as she could sing, and Bethanne. Bethanne was wild before Papa left, but now she really went bad. Out of control totally. Dinky Jones finally gave Mama a job as a waitress after she had been turned down by almost everyone else in town. Dinky was a distant relative of Mama’s.

“Mama really worked at learning the diner business. Dinky was getting old and was going to make her his manager when he retired. Instead he died and left the business and his estate to her. Mama always worried about being considered trash, but right now she is one of the town’s most upstanding citizens.

“My folks still love each other I think. Papa stays out at the farm and out of her life here in town. He says he doesn’t want to taint her for being married to a felon.

“Mama had serious problems with Bethanne and her running around. That is until The Preacher came on the scene. One day we had a tent revival meeting here in town. Katie Mae was going to sing, all excited and all that. I guess Bethanne showed up there and was making the usual nuisance of herself. Katie asked The Preacher to see if he could get Bethanne to leave.

The next day Bethanne asked Mama if she could have a young man to Sunday dinner. That had never happened before, but Mama agreed and we met The Preacher. Bethanne changed overnight. The Preacher stayed around and finally got a calling here in a little church and married Bethanne. It doesn’t pay enough, so he teaches school. Bethanne got her teaching certificate and she teaches kindergarten.”

“What is the preacher’s name? You all refer to him as The Preacher.”

Tom thought a minute and then laughed. “Well I have heard his name. It is Claude or maybe Clyde. No one in town calls him anything but The Preacher. Even the kids in school call him The Preacher. Funny isn’t it?” The more we thought about it the harder we laughed.

I thought I would find out as much as I could about all the family, so I continued to question Tom. “What does your daddy do on the farm you speak about?”

“He breeds, raises, and trains hunting dogs. Coon, possum, bear, pointers, and setters. He is good at it too. The only trouble he has is when it is time to shoot over them.” I looked puzzled at this.

He saw my expression. “You know when a dog is out in the field, they have to be familiar with guns going off. If a dog is gun shy they are no damned good. Papa has to find out when they are pups so he doesn’t spend too much time with them. Papa being a felon isn’t allowed to handle guns, so he has to hire someone to do the shooting. I help a lot and it is kind of fun. The only thing is that I’m not always available, then he has to find somebody else.

“I guess his one love in life is going hunting. He didn’t realize what a drawback it was going to be after he had spent his time in jail. He’d give almost anything to handle a shotgun or rifle on the hunt again.”

“Tell me about an old woman named Maudie. Kate has mentioned remembering her. Not with any affection either. How is she connected with the family? A relative or something?”

“No she isn’t a relative. However, she and Papa have an arrangement. He leases the farm from her, as she holds the land. The farm doesn’t cost him anything, but he is obligated to see to her wants and needs. She actually holds hundreds of acres. I don’t know what the deal is, but we call it Glebe land. It isn’t really like what they have up in New England but it is tied into an Indian grant somehow. She doesn’t even have to pay taxes.

“The land isn’t worth too much. It has been leased out to some timber companies over the years. They pay her a stipend, enough to keep body and soul together. A company will come in and reforest a few hundred acres and then after fifty years or so, about the time they get ready to cut, there will be a lightning strike up on the mountain and pouf, it is all gone. It then grows up to brush. It does make for all kinds of fabulous hunting though. That’s why Papa has his kennels out there.”

“Kate and I will see it tomorrow,” I said. “He invited us out before he went home last night. I think he is anxious to have his little girl with him again. I know she was very fond of him. She spoke to me about him and your sister Katie more than any of the rest of the family.”

“Yeah, I can understand that. We were all older and didn’t pay much attention to her. We did miss her for awhile after she was gone. I always wondered what happened to her. Guess she had it pretty rough. Lucky it didn’t scramble her head.”

“Well I can tell you that it did leave some scars. That’s why I tried to get her here, back to her family. It has caused some problems in our marriage, but I think she’ll be all right now.”

---

That evening I asked Miss Daisy if I could make a phone call to my grandmother. “Sure, fine, call anyone you want and talk as long as you want,” was her answer.

I called Gram about eight that evening. After the usual platitudes and answering questions about Kate’s family, I asked for a favor. “Gram, could I have the use of the company plane on Saturday? I want to have Kate see Miss Katie in her natural element. I hear she is something. She is performing in Biloxi at a benefit. I thought that I would use the plane to take Katie and her parents to see her.

“I’d like to convince Miss Daisy and Billy Bob to go out for dinner in the city. There is a county airport only six miles from here. I would get them on the plane, and head for Biloxi. Hopefully it would be a treat.” Gram assured me she would take care of everything. I gave her all the information I had collected about the airport and our destination. She said the pilot would meet us.

“One other question, do you know anyone on the Kentucky Governor’s staff? What I want is a full pardon for my father-in-law. He needs to be able to handle guns while training hunting dogs. I know he is a felon but he got out of jail early on good behavior. That was twelve years ago. He has been a model citizen ever since. It would be nice if his whole record could be expunged. Can you do anything?”

“Jim, I not only know somebody on his staff, but I know him personally. He has had me at the Governor’s mansion several times to socialize and meet with his advisers on energy issues. I’ll see what I can do. It sounds as though you are sucking up to Kate’s family. You’re not coming on too strong are you?”

“No I don’t think so. Kate is so pleased that I like her family. She thought for so long that I would look down on them. Actually I really do like them. They have a lot of problems and are pretty mixed up in some ways. Looking from the outside in, I think I can make their life a little smoother. That will make me look good in Kate’s eyes and that is my ultimate goal. Of course they don’t know much about me except that I love Kate and that makes me shine in their eyes.”

Miss Daisy has to rise early. She was the only one but us in the house, so Kate and I went up to our room early. She and I swapped stories about what we had done and learned about her family. She took right away to Mary, Tom’s wife. Also she was amazed by the change in Bethanne. Admittedly, Bethanne was one of the major reasons that she originally didn’t want me to know about her family.

She remembered her sister as acting like a slut so long ago. Now she came across as such a sweet person. Kate giggled and then said, “Us Grubers can sure act sluttish can’t we? You do remember how you dragged me out of The Red Lion only three weeks ago, don’t you?”

She knew I had forgiven her, so she felt that she could joke about it. I laughed and proceeded to kiss her.

Miss Daisy was again gone in the morning, but we were up early as we wanted to go out to Billy Bob’s farm. Actually it was where Kate grew up as “Hattie Mae,” so again we had a breakfast at Daisy’s Diner. Kate approached Mama about maybe going out to dinner tomorrow night. Miss Daisy said she’d think about it. “Can I ask Papa to go with us?”

Miss Daisy said we could ask him but doubted he would consider it. He is kind of antisocial she said with a sad look on her face.

We left town and were soon on a dirt road. I guess we went about five miles when Kate said that we were now on Papa’s farm. We topped a little rise in the terrain and before us a mile or so in the distance was a ramshackle old house. Kate watched me to see what my reaction was to the house where she grew up.

I had seen hundreds of places like this while traveling around on business for my grandmother. I came from a small mining town. The people that lived there were typical of small towns everywhere, some neat and kept up repairs on their property. I had discovered early on that it was the people who lived inside that counted. I knew that Kate’s daddy lived here alone, so the condition didn’t surprise me at all.

We drove up. I expected that there would be dogs all over the place because of what Tom had told me. There wasn’t a dog in sight, but you could hear them. Behind the house there was a large, neat cement block building. Radiating out from that were fenced dog runs. I was pleased to see a large AC mounted on top of the building. Evidently the dogs were well cared for with all the comforts of home.

Papa Gruber came out to meet us. He hesitantly hugged Kate and shook my hand. He kept looking at his daughter and you could tell that he felt love for her. “I’m so glad you came out. I’ve let the house kind of go down as I have been putting all of my time in building up my dog breeding and training business.” He led us around the house and into the new building.

I was impressed by the operation he had built up. I could see where he could make some improvements though. His breed journal was all in long hand. If he had a computer and someone to enter that and other records, he could save a lot of time. It was not for me to make that suggestion at this time---maybe later after I got to know him better.

After showing us the dogs, he took us into the house. He was very interested in what had happened to Hattie Mae in the last fourteen years. Kate gave him an abbreviated version of her life. He then asked me about my life and work. I gave him a rundown on my life. I told him that I became an orphan when I was an infant and was raised by my grandmother. I was still very close to Gram and worked for her in the company she owns.

I assured him that although I wasn’t rich, I felt that I could provide very well for his daughter.

I asked how long he had been training hunting dogs. He said that when he got out of jail he had to find something to do to keep him from remembering how life had treated him. Dogs were a joy to be around and he needed something to forget the previous two years. “When I got home, the world had changed as I knew it. My youngest daughter was gone---God knew where. My wife had grown into a person I didn’t know. She became a strong, competent person that didn’t need me anymore to survive.

“I was saddled with the stink of prison. Even the daughter that I had thought there was no hope for was a settled happily married person. Here I am alone most of the time with my dogs. I know I brought a lot of this down on myself by thinking I knew it all. There were rumors about some of the people I thought I could trust. More fool me for believing in their promises. They were out to not only hide their misdeeds, but to escape their crimes altogether.” Billy Bob sat there totally dejected while telling us this.

I said, “So tell us exactly what did happen.”

“Okay, but it isn’t going to change anything. It started along about April, fourteen years ago. I was out with a couple of dogs, just looking for tracks to see what game had made it through the winter. It was three miles up on that ridge.” Billy Bob pointed to the nearby hills. “I spotted three of the town kids planting some plants. It was quite a sizable garden. I didn’t make myself known. That was my first mistake. I decided that I would keep track of it through the summer. I kept watch and finally identified the kids.

“One was the son of John Barber, the banker, another the son of Will Green, the sheriff, and the last one was grandson to old Timothy Bannock. He was my lawyer. He was the one I trusted the most. He’s dead now, thank God! The boys were all eighteen or nineteen. It looked to me that they were planning on going into business. Well I watched them for a couple of months. God how that stuff grew. Those boys really worked at it, cultivating and watering, etc.

“I didn’t know what to do. This land belongs to Miss Maudie and I watch over it for her. Christ, they were going to have a crop worth thousands of dollars. Then one night I saw Bethanne out on the town with the three of them. I knew that I didn’t want her mixed up in anything like that. The next day I went to see Tim Bannock. I told him what I knew. He said he would take care of it and for me not to say anything. As I say, I trusted him and I kept on trusting him.

“Two days later he came to me and asked if I would go up and destroy the marijuana plants. He said he spoke to his grandson and reamed him out right good. His grandson said his two buddies were out of town. Tim wanted all the plants gone before the three boys got together again. I told Tim I guessed I could do that.

“The next morning I took a grub hoe and headed up the mountain. I got up there and started to cut down those plants. There were a lot of them. I figured I better burn them to get rid of them. I was making a pile and was about half done cutting, when someone said, Put your hands in the air and turn around. When I turned around there was Sheriff Green and three deputies and someone with a video camera. I knew then that I had been set up and was in deep trouble.

“Well they cuffed me and took me into town. I called Lawyer Bannock and he told me not to worry. He knew it looked bad for me, but he would get me off. I might have to plead guilty to a misdemeanor, but he would see that I would not have to go to jail---and I believed him.

“The next day Miss Daisy came to me while I was in jail and said that the Social Services came and took Hattie Mae away. I sent Tim Bannock to the hearing.” Billy Bob looked at Kate and said, “He came back and told me you said that I touched you and did bad things to you. The judge said he was taking you away so you couldn’t be hurt anymore.” With tears in his eyes Billy Bob asked Kate again, “You never said that, did you? Please say you didn’t?

“I guess Bannock was straight with me on only having probation. Then things went wrong when the prosecutor got papers on me. He wanted to move into politics. He figured to make a high profile case against me and moved the date for my trial right along. By this time I think my lawyer was working more for himself than for me. He came to me and said that I probably would get seven to ten years if the trial went forward as scheduled. If I would plead guilty I would be sentenced to three to seven.

“I took it and spent two years in jail before I was released. It changed my whole world and my outlook on life. Now I just want to live without trouble. I spend just about all of my time here with my dogs. I do look after Miss Maudie, but she isn’t much company. She won’t be alive much longer, anyway. She will soon be ninety-three and her life is just about over.

“It is kind of curious though, she keeps asking if Hattie Mae has come home yet. When I ask her what she means, she just says soon. This was only in the last few weeks she’s been asking. That was why when I saw you at Mama’s I wasn’t too surprised that you were there. She has made me promise to bring you for a visit. She tells me that your visit is very important to many people. I try to humor her and I am of a mind that she is insightful sometimes.”

Kate looked at me and said, “I guess I could go and see her if Jim will go with me. I don’t really want to though.”

“Sure I’ll go with you. I can’t wait to see her. I am intrigued.”

Kate looked at her daddy and spoke. “Papa, will you go out to dinner tomorrow with Mama and us? We really would love to have you.”

Billy Bob answered emphatically, “No! I don’t appear in public with your mother.”

“But Papa, Jim and I want you to so much. We aren’t going to stay here in town. We are going to the city. It’ll be just the four of us. Please?”

“I don’t think your mama would want me to.”

“Mama already said to ask you. Please don’t turn us down. Jim has big plans and has made some of them already. We’ll have a great time. Please?”

“What about my dogs? I can’t go off and leave them.”

I spoke up and said I had already asked Tom. He said he’d bring the kids and camp out overnight. So there is nothing to worry about.

“I wouldn’t know how to act. I have never been out with your mama to eat. I’ve shamed her enough in this lifetime. She doesn’t need more.”

“Papa, Jim has traveled a lot. He will take care of you and Mama. Won’t you say to yourself, I’m going out and do something I have never done before. I’m going with the woman I love and I’m going to have fun. I’m going with my little girl who has missed me. Please, can’t you do this for us?”

“Yes, by God I will do it!”

“Good, come into town after your chores are done in the morning. Jim has great plans to make a day for you and Mama that will bring us all together again.” We spent the rest of the day getting Kate and her daddy reacquainted. When we got back to the house in town, I called Tom to make sure that he would do chores for his father. He said his whole family was going out to the farm and spend the day and night there. I said good, because I didn’t think that Billy Bob would be back to take over before Sunday noon. He couldn’t believe that Kate and I had talked his parents into going out and making a day of it.

I heard Kate ask her mama if she had called Miss Katie and told her that Hattie Mae had come home. Miss Daisy said she wanted to surprise her and as she would return home late Sunday she put off calling. A little while later I heard Kate ask if she could have Miss Katie’s cell phone number to put in her address book.

After she got it, Kate passed it to me. I went for a walk down the street and called the number. No answer. It wasn’t until I nearly despaired of getting an answer that she said hello.

“Hi, is this Miss Katie?”

“Yes. Who is this please?”

“My name is Jim Ryan and I am a friend of your mama and papa. Why I am calling you is that I am planning a special day for them tomorrow. I thought it would be a treat if they could come and hear you sing. Would you receive them either before or after your show?”

There was silence on the phone. Then she said, “How are they going to get here?”

“I have the use of an airplane.”

“I don’t know if I believe you. Papa and Mama never go anywhere together, much less travel.”

“I can tell you it took a lot of begging on my wife’s part. She is very close to your mama and daddy and she finally prevailed in convincing them to accept our invitation. Miss Daisy was easily persuaded but it took some major begging to get your daddy to agree.”

“What did you say your name is again?”

“My name is Jim Ryan and my wife’s name is Catherine, but I call her Kate.”

“I never heard of you or your wife. Is this some kind of scam? I have lived at home all my life, and never knew anyone by that name.”

“You may never have heard of us, but many, many years ago, Kate was as close to your folks as anyone could get. You were very young at the time Kate went out of your lives. I do think you may remember her when you see her. Even Miss Maudie has spoken about her recently and we are going to see her on Monday.” This last finally convinced her that I wasn’t trying to pull something.

I then asked Miss Katie if there was a restaurant near the theater that her folks would be comfortable eating in. She said that there was one across the street. Then she offered to make reservations for an early dinner. I said that I would have her family there at six. She said that would work. She had to be on site at eight in the theater, although she didn’t go on stage until nine.

I got street addresses and directions. I said I would get a taxi from the airport. She asked me if I was rich and I just said that Kate and I were on vacation and were looking up people my wife used to know. We both worked in Virginia and decided to travel this year. I told her we were staying at her mama’s house and had spent all day with her papa.

Miss Katie finally came to the conclusion that I was on the level. I left it that I would see her at six tomorrow and I assured her that her mama and papa would be with me.

When I returned to the house, Kate whispered, “How did it go?”

I said, “Perfect. Everything is all set. Tomorrow is going to be full of surprises for a lot of people.”

Miss Daisy had her hair done in the morning. When Billy Bob got to the house, he asked his wife if she really wanted to do this. Yes, definitely, was her answer.

Then Billy Bob started to worry about how he looked. He decided he would have his hair trimmed and bought a new pair of shoes. He had a decent pair of whipcord pants to wear. They were out of style, but he looked very nice in them. I was in his room when he got dressed. He had a nearly new vest and I suggested he might want to take that along to put over his white shirt when we were at dinner. You definitely knew he was from the back country but would fit in fine where we were going.

We had a light lunch and at twelve-thirty I suggested that we get started. When Billy Bob questioned why so early, I said that Kate wanted to take her mama shopping. I said we could walk around and see the sights in the city. We might even stop in and buy a beer if we got tired of waiting for the ladies.

All of this time I had given Miss Daisy and Billy Bob the idea that we were going to the nearest city which was about thirty miles away. I drove into the county airport and parked the car next to the fence overlooking the runways. I spotted Gram’s little seven passenger jet parked close to the embarking entrance.

Billy Bob right away asked what was going on. I said, “In two hours and a half we are going to be flying into Biloxi. That little blue plane is going to be our transportation.” I pointed it out. “My grandmother has graciously let us use it to get there. Her pilot, Todd, flies her all over the country on business so there is nothing to worry about.

“Kate and I thought it would be nice if you could see Miss Katie perform this evening. I have talked to her and she knows you are going to be in the audience. Also she has promised to get dinner reservations at the restaurant across from the theater for us all. I told her that Kate and I were old friends of yours. We wanted to do this to renew an old friendship. I did not tell her that Jim Ryan and wife Catherine were actually her long forgotten sister and brother-in-law. Are you game for this little adventure?”

Miss Daisy was. Billy Bob had reservations, but as the plans were already started he couldn’t object too much. He saw how excited Miss Daisy was so finally he grinned and said, “Let’s go.”

We were airborne shortly after my introductions to Todd. I asked after my grandmother. He assured me that she was fine. Billy Bob sat where he could talk to Todd and asked a million questions about the plane, how Todd became a pilot and where he flew to, etc.

Miss Daisy and Kate were sitting there talking about how Miss Katie was going to react to having her parents in the audience. They couldn’t even surmise her reaction when she found out that Catherine Ryan was really her sister Hattie Mae.

When we got to Biloxi, I asked Todd if he wanted to go into the city with us and he said no. He said he thought he would check out the stewardesses. There are always a few coming off the incoming flights, so not to worry about him. I said we should be back to the airport by midnight. I asked Miss Daisy if she could put Todd up after we got home. She said she could so Todd was to layover with us before heading back to Virginia.

It took a long time to travel to the theater from the airport by taxi (small limousine). Traffic was heavy and I asked the driver to go slow so we could see some of the damage that a tornado spawned by George had wrought. We couldn’t believe the devastation. Whole neighborhoods were gone. Some areas had started to rebuild, other areas had been cleared, and some were the same as when the storm passed over. I hoped Miss Katie’s charity benefit would help in some small way.

We made it to the restaurant with moments to spare. As Miss Daisy and Billy Bob exited the limousine, Miss Katie came sprinting across the avenue and into her mama’s arms. She showed a little hesitation with her daddy’s hug, more like that was something she had never done before. Kate and I got out and I paid the driver and turned to introduce myself. Kate was standing partially behind me as I said, “I’m Jim. I talked to you on the phone. I said you might remember my wife, although it has been a long time.”

The sisters stared at each other. Miss Katie knew, but didn’t want to verbalize it. Kate finally nodded yes, and they fell into each others arms.

Miss Daisy was laughing, Billy Bob was all smiles, the same as I was. Miss Katie fixed me with a stare. “You said your wife was close to the family. You were right and she couldn’t be closer.”

Believe it or not, none of us knew what to say. It was actually awkward. I suggested maybe we should go in and find our table. After we were seated, the ladies did their thing as women do, by going to the ladies room all together. Billy Bob waited for them to return. He said to me. “You sure know how to set up surprises, don’t you? Do you realize that almost my whole family is together? It hasn’t been this good for me for fifteen years, and maybe before that.

“You know I think maybe I am wrong about my actions with Miss Daisy. I’ve kind of pushed her away. I’ve always loved her, but thought it right for me to keep my distance after I got out of jail. When we get time, I’m going to sit down and find out how each of us feels about the other.”

I looked at Billy Bob. “I have found out that a couple needs to talk. Kate and I were in some serious trouble a month ago. We were working hard and not communicating at all. Each of us had our his or her agenda and didn’t know how it was affecting the other. I shudder to think that I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you if we hadn’t woken up. No, and Kate wouldn’t be reunited with her family. Some of it was my grandmother telling me I was wrong to let my ego get ahead of my feelings.”

“Some time I would like to meet and thank your grandmother.”

As the ladies returned, I said. “I’m sure she would be pleased to meet you, too.”

Dinner was good and it was a fun time. It was up to Kate to get reacquainted with her sister and mother. Tears came to Miss Katie’s eyes when Kate told her why she had picked the name Catherine and wanted to be called Kate to remind her of her sister, Katie.

Miss Katie had made sure that her family had very good seats in the theater for her performance. We went backstage and met her group before the curtain went up. They were thrilled to meet another person that looked like their star. I asked Miss Katie what her plans were after the show. I said that we had room and she could fly home with us. Her group said to go for it. They would see to picking up their props and instruments.

The crowd that night was exuberant. All of the artists received a standing ovation. Miss Katie’s group said she was in rare form and sang the best ever.

Todd was wide awake when we got back to the airport. He wasn’t surprised that he had another passenger for the flight back to Kentucky. Kate and Miss Katie huddled in the rear of the plane telling each other about the last few years. Miss Daisy and Billy Bob sat together and were actually holding hands.

I was dozing in the forward seat when Miss Daisy sat down beside me. “You know you are making this family awful happy. Hattie told me a little about what a stupid jerk she had become a few weeks ago. Even though you said that you were at fault by not talking things out with her, I know what her attitude can be. I just thank you for loving her and staying with her.

“You also seem to know just what this family needs to bring it together. Billy Bob is so happy to have Hattie Mae home. Tom likes you. I must tell you that Tom never has been too ambitious, but he jumped at the chance to do Billy Bob’s chores so Billy would be free to go with us today.

“My husband is a good man, but he got it into his head that he wasn’t good enough for me. I’ve despaired of ever having a full time husband through my golden years. There is some hope now. I was kind of sneaky when I said that Todd could lay over at our house. I told Billy Bob that he would be sleeping in my room tonight so Todd could have his bed. Billy Bob has agreed.

“I really am curious as to why you are doing these nice things for us. You brought Hattie Mae home. Billy Bob doted on Hattie Mae and losing her has been his cross to bear. You have closed that wound. You show a great deal of interest in all of us. You arranged for this fabulous time today. If you look behind you at Hattie and Katie you will see how happy they are. Hattie Mae said you were the white knight that she needed. My heart could just burst, I’m so happy!”

I laughed, “God, you make me out to be more than I am. You can give my Gram credit for some of the way I am. My parents died when I was just a babe, so Gram had to raise me. I guess experience counts for a lot. I was a do-over. What I mean is, any mistakes she thought she had made with my dad she could correct in my upbringing. She was always fair and always let me know that she loved me even when I was wrong. You should have heard her when Kate and I were having troubles.

“The other thing is that I never had a father, mother, or siblings. I thought that Kate, being adopted, was like me. I didn’t know about you-all until a few weeks ago. Kate was actually afraid to come home because she didn’t think she was wanted. The first night that we were at your home I could see that there was love everywhere. Tom and Mary, The Preacher and Bethanne, and yes, you and Billy Bob, however much you both try to hide from it. Miss Katie, well everybody loves her. I mean, she shines!

“So you see I want that for Kate and me, and I’m willing to work for it.”

Miss Daisy leaned over and kissed me on the cheek, saying, “Bless you,” before going back to where Billy Bob was sleeping.

When we arrived at the airport, it looked like my car would be too crowded for all of us so I said that I would take the family home and come back for Todd. It was only a half-hour round trip and Todd said he didn’t mind waiting.

Miss Daisy was still up so she could show Todd where he was to sleep. She also said that Kate was bunking with her sister. Miss Katie and she still felt they had a lot of catching up to do that couldn’t wait. Okay, I guess I could stand sleeping alone for one night. I wasn’t going to make a habit of it though.

Miss Daisy made Todd and me a big breakfast. I then took him out to the airport as he wanted to be airborne by nine. He joshed me some telling me that I had collected quite a family. I said that I hoped that I would fit in with them. At this point in life I needed more than Gram could give me.

I didn’t see Kate or Miss Katie that morning, but I could hear them behind the door when I went down to tell them that I was going out to the farm with Billy Bob. I assumed they woke up and took up where they left off last night.

Tom met us when we got out of the car. His kids were running all over the property. Tom said they were pretty loud, but he let them go as there was no reason to be quiet as in town. The kids had fun exploring the old house last night until Tom decided that it was bedtime. He said that if they didn’t go to sleep he was going to take them up to stay with Miss Maudie. He told them that is how he used to scare their Aunt Hattie.

When he said that, I wondered if maybe that was some of Kate’s problem with Miss Maudie. She always said she disliked her whenever the name Maudie was mentioned. Tom was ten years older than his youngest sister and was inclined to pick on her. He might have scared her more than he realized.

I guess I had gained some points with Billy Bob. He told Tom all about what we had done yesterday, all the time glancing at me with fondness. He sounded as though his daughter had picked a winner. Myself, I think we both were winners, as I was becoming more and more fond of this family of hers.

When the evening chores were finished Billy Bob returned to town. Miss Daisy had a dinner planned for this Sunday evening with all of the family present. The Preacher said Grace and then he asked if anyone would like to say a few words. Kate said, “I am so glad to be home with my family.” Tears started in her eyes.

Bethanne’s oldest, a girl, raised her hand, “I like my new Ant (aunt) Hattie Mae. She is pretty. Are you very rich?”

Bethanne looked shocked and looked like she could slap her daughter. Kate smiled and said, “I’m glad you asked. In many ways I am rich. I have a wonderful husband who loves and understands me. I have a mama and papa who love me and a whole lot of brothers and sisters who love me. I was able to go to school and get a good job to earn money for the things I need. Sometimes I haven’t been happy, but now I am. I would say I am very rich.”

The meal commenced with subdued “Amen’s” all around. Billy Bob, who hadn’t contributed much to the family dialogue for years, always keeping in the background, had to tell all about his trip in an airplane. Then he told of the surprise we had for Miss Katie. He finished with a glowing account of Miss Katie’s prowess as a singer.

Miss Daisy watched her husband and you could see how amazed she was in the change in him. She also caught me watching the by-play. I smiled and she mouthed “thank you” to me.

Monday morning came. I had heard Billy Bob leave for the farm before sunrise. Miss Daisy departed shortly after to open her diner. I guess Miss Katie was sleeping in. We had breakfast at the diner. It was busy and Miss Daisy only had time to smile at us.

Kate and I had promised Billy Bob that we would meet with Miss Maudie. Kate was extremely reluctant. I told her about hearing Tom tell his kids how he used to scare her about Miss Maudie. “Is it possible that is the reason you don’t like her?”

“Maybe, but I don’t think that is it. She used to ask Papa to bring me up there. Sometimes he would leave me for awhile. She talked to me all the time about a place she wanted me to go to up the mountain. She even tried to go up there, but I ran away. She just wasn’t strong enough to make it up to the top and I wouldn’t go where she wanted me to alone. I was only eleven and it wasn’t fair.”

“Well, she is fifteen years older now and in her nineties, so I guess she can’t make you do anything now.” I paused and then changed the subject. “Do you think you should bring her a present? You said she smoked.”

“Let’s get some rum flavored tobacco. That’ll smell better than that stuff she normally smokes. Maybe we should get a bottle of rum. I remember that she said she liked a little nip at bedtime.”

Billy Bob had taken care of his dogs and was waiting for us. We were going in his jeep. “I’m going to drop you off after you meet Maudie. I have a customer I sold a dog to. He is wanting to see how I have worked him, and practice some of the commands and gestures I use. It will be three or after before I can get back up to get you. Is that okay?”

Kate looked unhappy and asked why she had to go at all. Billy Bob convinced her that Miss Maudie really wanted to see her. I laughed and said that I would protect her from that old scary witch.

We started into the upcountry. We could see the cabin we were heading for after we had gone a mile. Billy Bob said that he maintained the road and always had to do a lot of work if there were any heavy storms. It looked like the road could use some care right now, as the jeep had trouble navigating around some of the rocks that had tumbled down into it since Billy Bob had last been here. That was three days ago.

Low gear and four wheel drive got us into the area behind a little cabin. The cabin itself was perched right on the edge of a cliff overlooking the road winding up. Billy Bob walked over and opened the door without knocking. He explained that Maudie knew we were here and had probably watched us since we left his place.

“Miss Maudie, here is Hattie Mae come home like you said she would. She brought her husband, Jim, with her. I hope you don’t mind.”

Standing before us was a bit of a woman. “Mind, why should I mind? I’ve been waiting years for this.” The voice emanating from this frail little old lady was surprisingly rich and full. A slight Scottish burr was recognizable. Looking at Kate, Maudie said, “Laws’ girl, you turned into a beauty didn’t ye?”

She turned to Billy Bob and told him she knew he wasn’t staying. He should leave so she could visit with us. He nodded and said he would be back for us later.

She saw me holding a bag and with a twinkle in her eye asked if it was a present for her. She loved presents and was ecstatic when she saw the bottle. When she came near I remembered that Kate told me she smelled. It was more like a wild animal odor, or maybe just unwashed. It was not pleasant anyway. I passed the tobacco to her and right away she fired up her pipe. I’m glad it was flavored because it helped the atmosphere in the close quarters of the cabin. A question and answer period followed between Kate and Miss Maudie.

“Married, huh?”

“Yes.”

“Happy?”

“Yes, very.”

“Good man?”

“Wonderful.”

“Smart man?”

“I think so, yes.”

“Trustworthy?”

“Very!”

“Well child, I am in need and your husband may be the one to help me.”

Of course I was standing right there being ignored.

“I am going to tell you of my life’s work. I was chosen many years ago to fulfill a covenant. I must lay it on someone soon to be carried out. Many years ago I chose you, Hattie Mae, to be the one. Then one day you were gone. I gave up hope until the day I had the dream that I was still wise to have chosen you. You still were the one that would come through for me. Today I found the person to carry on when you brought your husband through the door.”

Both Kate and I were thinking she was crazy. Miss Maudie continued, “Please, both of you sit and I will tell you a little of what I am talking about. This is a history that goes back about five hundred years. It is about a Spanish priest who was abducted from Florida and carried north and left here on this mountain. It is the story of his life after reaching here. Maybe the greater story is that I can tell it to you now. More importantly how it comes to you with evidence that what I say is true.”

I was getting interested now. I could see that Kate was intrigued, too.

Miss Maudie said to Kate, “Go to my sleeping pallet and get me that leather covered cedar box. In it are things that will make you believe what I say is true. It is called a Story Box.”

                            Chapter Four

Kate brought the box to Miss Maudie. It was about two feet long, sixteen inches wide and seven inches deep. The leather was cracked and dry. It was easily carried by Kate, so I knew it wasn’t heavy. Slowly Miss Maudie undid the straps that held it fastened.

Laying it open on the table, Miss Maudie gently started removing papers from the box. As she laid the top paper face down on the table she said, “This paper is my story. It tells you the important facts of my life. Also things that have occurred affecting this property. Your name, Hattie Mae and your name, Jim Ryan, will be added to a blank page when I put this page back in the box. When I return everything here to the box, that page on top will say, Jim Ryan and wife, Hattie Mae, were chosen by Maudie Ferguson to continue as has been done in the previous centuries.”

I stared at Kate, mystified as to what all of this meant.

Miss Maudie continued peeling pages down through the box. She picked up each page, reading off the date and the person whose page it was. She then laid it face down on the pile that was progressively growing thicker.

Why I did it I don’t know, but I started counting the pages as she put them down. When she reached thirteen, she paused and said as she picked up seven pages together, “This is the first of the written records. They were started by a man named Andrew McPhereson. He had a huge land grant that he received from the English Crown for services rendered.

“He built a plantation where the town is now located. Loving the mountains, he explored extensively. On one of his expeditions he came upon an old Indian who spoke Spanish, however broken. Recognizing the language and surprised that an Indian could speak more than his own, he looked for a translator. These seven pages tell of what he learned. They also tell of him making these hundreds of acres that surround us into a Grant that couldn’t be taken away for three hundred years.

“The reason I am so intent on choosing someone to carry on is that next year the Grant reverts to the state of Kentucky. Someone must decide what to do. Should this bit of history end and the Grant lost, or should some way be found to preserve it. Through my dreams it was indicated to choose you two to make these decisions. It will shortly be out of my hands as I have not many weeks to live.”

I could see that the box was not empty. Nestled in a neat row were eleven Indian dolls in a tray. They had their own little partition so they couldn’t be mixed up. Wondering what the significance was, but not wanting to ask questions, I waited to see if there was more to come. Miss Maudie took the tray out and put it by the papers. Fitted into the bottom of the box I could see what looked like a sword hilt. The sword blade was almost all gone, maybe four inches remaining. This took up two thirds of the space. She removed it.

The other third showed something flat wrapped in fine leather chamois. Sliding her fingers under the leather, Miss Maudie gently lifted out and unwrapped a white UN-glazed tile. Very uniformly across the face you could see lettering. I looked closely and could make out a name and a date. The writing was in Latin. I couldn’t do more than recognize it and I could not decipher it.

“Miss Maudie, what does all of this mean?”

Miss Maudie smiled and said, “You are looking at a diary of sorts. It was started by a captured Spanish prisoner when Florida was a holding of Spain. He was transported here where he spent the rest of his life. The tile says that this is his tombstone, waiting to be sent back to Spain so he can be laid to rest with his family.

"The sword hilt is actually a key to a crypt that is located in a cave further up the mountain. The little dolls each represent those that have been chosen to carry the story forward. Not being able to write, they learned the story and passed it on--word of mouth. The first doll there is the one chosen by the priest. The second doll is the one that she chose, and so on down to Andrew McPhereson.

“Andrew McPhereson was smart, literate, and well-to-do. He found someone who could understand what the Indian was saying and what the eleventh doll represented. That is what is written in his pages. Each one chosen has learned this story by rote just as I am passing it on to you whom I have chosen.”

She looked at me when she said this. The thought crossed my mind unbidden, that Kate’s only chore was to bring me to Miss Maudie and I was to be the Chosen One.

“How long did it take you to learn the story?” I asked. I only had the rest of this week and next to give to this new duty. I wasn’t going to reject it out of hand, but my vacation would soon be over. If I took it on, I wanted to give it my all, the same as I did everything. That is just the way I am.

Miss Maudie realized I was reluctant. “Oh, you must do this for me. I really do not have much longer to live. I must fulfill what I have been charged with before I die. You are the only one that can do this and do it right. Please believe me that although I am the one who chose you, you have been identified by a Higher Being to carry on.”

Well, I thought, was this fate or predestined, or what? Somehow I believed Miss Maudie when she said that I really was meant to carry out her wishes.

To add more weight to her entreaty she said, “I have shown you the Story Box and told you what it is all about. Now I must have you see the crypt. Hattie Mae knows where the entrance to the cave is. I never could get her to enter it, so I guess it was never meant for me to show her what is inside. I will give you directions to enter the crypt.”

She bustled about, well, as much as a ninety-two-year-old could, handing me the sword hilt and two powerful flashlights. “I had Billy Bob get me these two weeks ago, for I knew they would soon be used. When you get in the cave you will find it darker than anything you could ever imagine.”

I had been down into many of my grandmother’s mines so I knew how dark she meant.

“Hattie Mae, you will have to go with him to hold the light while he opens the door to the crypt.”

Kate had been afraid to enter the cave years ago with whom she thought was an old witch. I guess she trusted me to do this so she nodded agreement.

Miss Maudie handed me a paper detailing how to enter the cave and then how to find the door into where we were supposed to go. Also how to use the sword hilt to unlock the door. She cackled when she handed it to me and said this was somebody’s idea of a joke because any old piece of iron of similar shape would unlock the door.

Miss Maudie urged us to go now. Kate and I did pause long enough to admire the view. Right behind the cabin was a steep ravine going up. Twisting and turning, we ascended to a nearly level small landing. Kate pointed to a bunch of brush. There was a hole behind a boulder on the inner edge of the plateau. Going over and looking in we could see it rising sharply. “I hope there are no animals in here.” It would be dangerous to meet a bear or a cat, I thought to myself.

I took a light and crawled up the incline about fifty feet. Kate was right behind me as we entered the cave. When we stood up I was amazed at the size. It had to be three hundred feet to where I could see it ended. I showed the light around. The floor, although nearly flat, looked like molten glass. I then realized the ceiling and walls were round and looked like glass too. Apparently when the earth was hot this had to have been a sand pit and the heat had turned the sand into glass. Then the hot air had poured out and left a glass shell. We now were inside a glass bauble not unlike a Christmas ornament. Strange! More than strange! Weird!

The interior was very dry. There was no air movement and there was no dust. Kate spoke as I took my first step. The sound reverberated throughout the cave loud enough to hurt our eardrums. I figured the sound was what kept any animals out of here. We conversed in whispers from that time on and even then it was almost too loud to bear.

With Kate holding the light, I read the directions again. I was supposed to put my hand on the wall to my right, and take twenty paces following the wall around. There was a vertical break in the wall that couldn’t be seen before you came to it. Shining the light into the crevasse, we could see a narrow hallway about eighteen inches wide. With Kate hanging onto my shirt, I inched forward, around a bend, finding a narrow oak door before me.

The walls of the hall had become increasingly rough and by the time we reached the door, we had left the glass behind us. We were now in solid rock. Also the noise out of the bubble let us talk in normal tones. Not having room to stand by my side, Kate peering around me as best she could, said, “Open it.”

Taking the sword hilt, I fitted it into a slot in the left side of the door. The shortened blade just fit. The directions given us by Miss Maudie were to pry up and down until the blade went in a little further. I had to do this four times, then I was to pull the handle to the left. It worked! The door swung open.

The crypt was roomy, again having been formed by unknown hands. The ceiling was about seven feet high and the room about eight feet by ten feet. More than enough space for what it was used for. Kate shrieked when she entered. Lying on a stone shelf about six feet from the door was a mummy. Or rather some mummified remains. There were some beads on a chain in the hands that were clasped together. A gold chain with a cross hung from his neck.

There was no evidence of clothes other than what appeared to be a tanned deer hide covering his lower half. I assumed he was just the same as he had been when placed here. In a row along the base of the floor were a matching set of eleven dolls just like Miss Maudie showed us in her Story Box. Engraved on a brass medallion was the name of Andrew McPhereson.

After this came fifteen names on separate markers. Some wood painted, some of etched metal and a couple were done in ceramic. The last one in line was Maudie Ferguson, cast in pewter. There was room for one more and I knew that my name was going to be placed in that empty space.

Kate and I were silent as we studied what was before us. “Kate,” I said, “I must do what Miss Maudie has asked of me. Will you help me learn the story of this priest and pass it on?”

She nodded yes. We took a little while inspecting and talking about how things must have happened. We knew that Miss Maudie had not been in here for the fourteen years that Kate had been gone because she was too weak even then to make the trip. Evidently the markers probably had been placed shortly after a subject had been chosen.

I noticed a pile of tiles similar to the one that Miss Maudie had shown us earlier. Taking up the one on the left, I made out a name in Latin, Juan Carlos Domingo and the year 1549 AD. This then was his diary written on clay and fired to preserve it. I counted fifty-three tiles. This was going to be interesting! Here were his words coming down through time for more than four hundred and fifty years. Not only that, it was a direct chronological detailed account albeit by word of mouth. Unbelievable!!

We finally realized that we were having trouble breathing. Not suffocating, but the air was very stale. We decided to exit immediately. Pulling the door closed by the sword hilt which was still at an angle, it slammed shut. When it did the hilt popped right out into my hands. We reversed the way we had entered. Again Kate said something when we reached the cave and again we were treated to an ear busting cacophony of noise. I was positive we would be aware of this the next time we came.

When we reached the cabin Miss Maudie asked us if we had met anyone on our journey. I said, “Just Juan Carlos Domingo.”

Sneaky old lady. This was her way of finding out if we had entered the crypt. Was it a test? We passed anyway, for she was very happy. She asked us when we would have time to start learning the story. She said that it had taken her months, but we had to hurry as her time was short. I didn’t dispute her assertion because she certainly looked frail.

The way she and those before her had been able to get the story down correctly and without mistakes was to listen and repeat it back until perfect. Sometimes, depending on how adept at remembering, it took the Chosen One hundreds of times to get it perfect and that was what the teacher was striving for--perfection.

I knew that I didn’t want to spend days and weeks here on the mountain with this old lady. In two weeks I had to return to work after my vacation. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to do this and do it right. On the return from the crypt I had thought of a way to satisfy Miss Maudie and take care of the short time element that I was working with.

I asked, “What was the Indian’s name who was the first Chosen One? How long will it take you to start with her until you finish with yourself? Can you give me the history of Juan Carlos, first word to last word just as you learned it?”

“The first Chosen One was named Ooh Ne Nah. I can’t rush the telling and I may have to pause and look at the dolls to remind me which Indian is represented. Andrew McPhereson had written it out in his pages as did all of those following him. I have done so as you will see. The whole point of this is to follow the priest’s wishes that there be a verbal tale down through the ages.

“My dreams tell me that you will be the last Chosen One. I see in my dreams you returning his remains to Spain and laying him in the family tomb. Do you think this is possible?”

Without hesitation I said, “Yes, it is possible. So, time-wise, how long is this narrative?”

Miss Maudie thought a few minutes and then answered, “About twelve hours the first time through. How long it takes you to repeat word for word is up to you.”

Kate looked askance at me. I said, “Tomorrow we will start. I will be here late in the morning because I have to purchase some things.” We could hear Billy Bob coming to fetch us so we wished Miss Maudie a good evening and were waiting outside when he arrived.

---

I asked Billy Bob before we got into our car if there was a Radio Shack store in town. He said no, but there was an electronics store that was as good or better. On the way into town Kate asked me how I was going to do all of this in the time I had left on vacation. She said she wanted to spend more time with me and not with Miss Maudie.

“Two days. Can you sacrifice two days? With what I have planned that is all it will take.”

When we got to town I rushed down to the store and bought a video camera and three long-term batteries for it. I also bought a battery powered tape recorder. When I was browsing around I found a couple of heavy duty powerful lights with stands. Kate had a really nice digital camera, but I knew I needed more space so purchased a couple more discs for it. The clerk was sure one happy person. I had purchased more of his inventory then he had sold in the previous three weeks. I was now all set for tomorrow I hoped.

Kate had made some buys also. When I questioned what she had in the packages, she said if we were going to put Miss Maudie in front of a camera, she might like to look more presentable. Having seen the old lady, I wondered if she really would care how she looked. Kate said, “She’s a woman. She won’t want her picture taken without looking her best. You wait and see if I’m not right.”

The next morning we again used Billy Bob’s jeep to reach the cabin.

Kate was right! Miss Maudie was ecstatic with her new clothes. When we got to the cabin Kate showed her what she had brought and Miss Maudie wanted to put them on right then. Kate convinced her that she should wash up and shampoo her hair. The only bath facility was a metal wash tub. The bath water had to be heated on the wood stove. I knew this was no place for me. I took the camera, one of the lights and a stand and headed for the cave and crypt. I didn’t expect to get much done, but would get set up anyway.

It was pretty awkward trying to carry everything, but I managed. I did have to make two trips because I just couldn’t hang onto the sword hilt with the other stuff. It took me a lot longer just getting in there. You might think I would be nervous being in a crypt alone with the remains of Juan Carlos Domingo. I wasn’t. When I went in and had the light set up on the stand, I said, “Hello, Father Juan Carlos, you will be seeing a lot of me in the next few days. I have been chosen to serve you and eventually see that you get home.”

It seemed natural to carry on a one-sided conversation. I didn’t stay long. I did take some pictures and arranged the light to give me the best angles. I came to the conclusion that I definitely needed the second light. One thing I found was that I couldn’t get far enough away to take in the whole row of dolls in one shot. I needed a panoramic picture to get the best effect. I would have to think on that.

I had been to many services in the Catholic Church including weddings, funerals, etc. I was the godfather to the son of a friend of mine. I was familiar with some of the ceremony. I was not a Catholic but it seemed natural to genuflect and give the sign of the cross when I was ready to leave. Did I hear, “Bless you my son?” Not out loud, but it was there.

Kate had been busy while I was up on the mountain. Miss Maudie was a changed person. Kate had shampooed her hair. I had assumed that her hair color was a natural dirty gray, but it wasn’t. Washing it made it a beautiful snow white. Kate had arranged it flowing down her back and tied with a maroon ribbon. Dressing her in a yellow flowered dress and some maroon brocaded slippers to match the ribbon, it took twenty years off her appearance, even with the white hair.

I guess Kate and Miss Maudie had made their peace over Kate’s disaffection fourteen years ago. Kate was acting like a dutiful granddaughter, and Miss Maudie was treating her as such. After deciding that it was too late for Miss Maudie to start in teaching the story of the priest, we sat around and socialized over tea. She told us of her life and even said that she had been in love one time. She seemed to want to talk about it so we listened.

Miss Maudie had been chosen when she was just twenty-six. When she was thirty she had signed a contract to lease a lot of the timberland to a paper company. They had come in and reforested hundreds of acres in pine seedlings. She was thirty-two before she fell in love. Her love was the foreman of the crew who did the planting.

The week before she was to be married she decided to tell him about Juan Carlos and how she was a Chosen One. He didn’t believe her. She hesitated for some reason to show him the crypt to convince him. Then she heard a rumor that he was just going to marry that crazy woman to get control of the land. She faced him with the rumors.

He denied it, but the seed was planted in her mind. Finally she decided that being an old maid wasn’t so bad. He went on to become the manager of the paper company. He had to pay the yearly lease fee while the trees were growing and would bring it to her himself. The year the trees were mature enough to cut, a lightning strike started a forest fire and the major portion of the paper company holdings went up in flames.

She went on to say that even though the lease ran out years ago, he still paid her the same amount every year. When he died he had set up an annuity for her in the same amount that the lease fee was. That was what she had been living on all of these years. The only trouble was the yearly amount she received sixty years ago didn’t buy much today. “He was a good man and maybe I should have married him. Still we had a long and satisfactory friendship and I think well of him.”

Billy Bob questioned me as to why I was paying so much attention to Miss Maudie. I said I might be interested in buying her cabin. Then Kate spoke up and said that she always felt guilty about running from the old lady years ago, so was trying to make it up to her.

“Wait until you see her in the new dress I bought for her. I even gave her a bath. That was a chore. We thought that she was dirty because she wanted to be. The thing is, she isn’t strong enough to get water, put it on the stove to heat and then fill the tub. Then she had to empty the tub. It just is beyond her capabilities.”

Billy Bob was defensive. “I have done everything she has asked of me. After all, when we made the deal for me to use the farm, nothing ever was said about her needing any personal care.” He looked at Kate and said, “Hattie Mae, maybe that is what she wanted from you when she kept having me bring you up there years ago.”

Kate said, “Maybe,” and dropped the subject.

We made arrangements to use Billy Bob’s jeep tomorrow. He had full use of my car so he was amenable. On the way into town Kate and I discussed how unaware Billy Bob was about the cave and its contents. Apparently he knew about the cave but not the crypt.

Miss Maudie had said she didn’t sleep much, so we planned on being at her cabin very early the next morning. I made another trip to the electronics store when I reached town. I bought a throw-away camera that would give me the panoramic views I needed. Next I bought a printer with a plug for my digital camera. I also ordered a wide-angle lens for the camera so I could replace the temporary throw-away camera.

The whole family was at dinner that night. They wanted to know what Kate and I had been up to. When Kate told about giving Miss Maudie a bath and how nearly helpless she had become, they showed indignation at Billy Bob. Miss Daisy had met her, but because she and Billy Bob had been estranged somewhat, she never gave Miss Maudie a thought. She knew that he did her heavy chores and shopping for her. She also knew that is how he paid for the lease on the farm. Beyond that she never gave her a thought.

The next morning Kate and I were at the cabin before seven. Miss Maudie was up and waiting for us. Before we started the old lady wanted Kate to wash her up a little and comb her hair. After Kate had dressed her, I started setting up the video camera and tape recorder. When I had the lights the way I wanted, I explained about how I was going to learn the story of Juan Carlos.

“Miss Maudie, you start your story and I will show you how I am going to learn it.”

“Okay, this is the story in his words. In the year 1547 I traveled on a great Galleon here to the new world from my beloved Spain. In the year 1549 while teaching the Indians about God, the village was under attack by a different tribe. I was overcome and soon carried north to this valley you see before you. Knowing I was far from my countrymen and with no hope of being rescued, I decided to carry on God’s work with these infidels.”

I signaled Miss Maudie to stop her narrative as I paused the tape recorder. Rewinding it back and starting it, I said, “Listen now Miss Maudie, this is you speaking. I can start and stop your voice anytime I want and what you have said will be you repeating. I can work on this in the evening after work or when I am driving in the car. If I can’t sleep some night, I can just lay in bed and listen to you. Then I can rewind and see if I have the story correct.

“So I will play this again and when you hear your last words, start speaking and continue the story.” I will say that Miss Maudie was dedicated in wanting to get this done. She went right back to her narrative as I directed and we continued until lunch.

Kate had packed sandwiches and some fruit for our meal. Miss Maudie made tea to go with our repast and then we took a half hour to rest before continuing. At two-thirty she reached the point where Andrew McPhereson entered the picture with the account written in English. Her spoken words matched perfectly with his written text. If all of the previous Chosen Ones had not deviated in the recitation, then what we heard from her were actually the words spoken by Juan Carlos Domingo.

By four p.m. Miss Maudie was tired and I was having trouble concentrating. The only respite we had was when I had to take time to change tapes and batteries in the machines. Miss Maudie said we were mostly done and would finish early tomorrow. She asked me to contact the law firm that handled the paperwork about the Grant that McPhereson had received from the English King. She wanted to see them as soon as possible to finalize her affairs.

I was lucky, I was able to find a law partner in his office shortly after eight in the morning. I had to explain who I was and that I was Miss Daisy’s son-in-law, letting him know I was legitimate. I gave him a note that Miss Maudie gave me to give to him telling what was required. I asked if I transported him up the mountain, would he see her this afternoon? I said I was only going to be in town another week and she wanted me to help her get everything settled. He said that he would meet me at Billy Bob’s farm at one-thirty on the morrow.

We finished up the narrative about eleven a.m. I was amazed at some of the natural phenomena that had been mentioned in the tales told by the various Chosen Ones. There had been wars, earthquakes, pestilence, hurricanes and tornadoes. Miss Maudie had mentioned the Spanish flu that had swept the country in the early 1900’s, and of course the fire that had burned over the mountains sweeping away the paper company’s efforts just a few years ago.

Notable to me at least, was an account of a meteor shower where one Chosen One had actually seen meteors falling to earth. The tribe of one Chosen One had nearly been wiped out with smallpox. Luckily that Chosen One survived to carry on. He found another survivor to pass it onto before he succumbed.

Totally amazing! Here we had by word of mouth, monumental events that had happened down through the last four and a half centuries. Most could be cross-matched for accuracy from accounts by other observers elsewhere.

Stowing all of our equipment out of sight, I went down to the farm to get the lawyer whose name was Dale Evens. He had been to the cabin before to see Miss Maudie years ago. He was looking forward to seeing the view overlooking the valley again. Not being sure of what Miss Maudie had in mind and what his visit would entail, Dale thoughtfully brought one of his clerks to be a witness, if he was needed.

Kate had been busy these last few days cleaning and straightening up the cabin. The place looked pretty neat and Miss Maudie had on her new dress. It was a lot different than the dirty old lady and unkempt hovel that we had met just a few short days ago.

Kate and I stayed outside the cabin while Miss Maudie and Lawyer Dale conducted her business. About an hour later Kate and I were called inside. Miss Maudie asked me to get my video recorder out and tape what went on next.

Puzzled I complied. Then the lawyer spoke to me. “Miss Maudie Ferguson has made her last will and testament. She has directed me to do several things.

“First, she wants me to draw up a deed for land made out to Billy Bob Gruber, who has been her friend and employee. The deed is to be for the 170 acres that he has leased for the last forty years.

“Second, after many hours of consultations, Miss Maudie wants a deed made out to James Ryan and his wife Catherine O’Toole Ryan, the former Hattie Mae Gruber. The land is to include a 150 foot right-of-way beginning at the east boundary of the aforementioned property of Billy Bob Gruber and continuing north to this cabin. Then beginning at the cabin and being the center point continuing north up the mountain. This is to be 400 yards wide and for a one-half mile distance. This plot is acreage of approximately 100 acres.

“Third, the remainder of the property known as “the Grant” shall be deeded to the state of Kentucky to be used as they see fit. This Grant was originally deeded to Andrew McPhereson in the year 1706. Records can be found dating from that year. Attorney Dale Evens of this town will have charge of carrying this out. He has agreed to this.

“Fourth, Personal Property. James Ryan will receive and dispose of all personal property known and unknown and he has agreed to this. He has become the Chosen One to do this and has promised to carry out her wishes. In the event of his early death Catherine, his wife, will be the Chosen One to complete her wishes.

“Fifth, Billy Bob Gruber has graciously offered to have her remains laid to rest with his family. She thanks him for this.”

I returned to the cabin after taking the lawyer down to his vehicle. On the way down, Dale was pretty curious as to where I had come from. He had never heard of Hattie Mae Gruber, much less Catherine O’Toole Ryan. I told him to talk to any of the Gruber family for confirmation of who we really were. He adamantly said that he would not start the final paper work until he had a copy of the videotape that we had made with Miss Maudie. I promised to have it in his office as quickly as I could get a copy made.

I concluded that Miss Maudie evidently did not trust lawyers. That is why the tape. When I asked her about it later, she said that Billy Bob had a bad experience with one attorney and it cost him two years of his life. This that she wanted done was too important to get messed up. Besides she wanted it settled to her satisfaction before she died. I concluded Miss Maudie had learned a thing or two in her ninety plus years.

Before we left, Miss Maudie told us to take the next day off because she was tired and needed to rest. She shocked us with the remark, “You young people need to be together if Hattie Mae is going to get pregnant this month.”

When we returned the jeep I asked Billy Bob if he knew about the cave up behind Miss Maudie’s cabin. Yes, he did. Once years ago he had looked inside with her, but just the noise of his footsteps had been enough to keep him out forever.

Kate and I went to the diner to eat dinner. We told Miss Daisy that we were driving twenty miles into the city to catch a show in one of the theaters. We probably would see her at breakfast. If she didn’t see us we might have grabbed a room at a motel instead of driving back. She smiled when I said this. Then she asked me if I knew whether Billy Bob was spending the night in town at the house. I said I didn’t know, but you could call and find out.

“That’s right, the house is going to be empty. We will be gone and Katie is out of town. You really should call him so you won’t be lonely.” It was my time to smile.

We never made it to the theater. We just went and signed into the first good motel we came to. I was being cute when I asked the clerk if they had a honeymoon suite. They said of course. I thought, “What the hell,” and took it. The first thing I did when I got to the room was to place an order with room service for champagne and a bowl of strawberries. Hey, love was in the air in that room. We proved it!

Later as we relaxed, we lay there talking over the events of the last two or three weeks. Kate had no job now, which was unusual as she always had a place of employment. Kate had a loving family at an earlier time. Then disappointed in them she gave them up until two or three weeks ago.

Me, well I knew my life was changing. It looked like I wouldn’t be working for my grandmother after a bit. That was amazing for me, because up until now that was what had been set out for me and what I thought I wanted. Now I knew it wasn’t for me. I believed Gram would be okay with the change too.

I was now feeling that I belonged with Kate’s family almost as much as she did. One other thing--the Juan Carlos Domingo saga. I had promised to return his remains to Spain and it really was history in the making. I wanted to do it and to do it right. I didn’t even know if there were any Domingo family left after four hundred and fifty years. It would be nice if one of Juan Carlos’ descendants could come and see him just as he was placed when he died. Just think how they would feel if they could see him and read the words that he had written himself?

Could I keep this from becoming a sideshow on CNN? I certainly was going to do my best to control the story when it came out. And I knew it would!

Back to the present. Miss Maudie said this day was important for Kate and me. We were going to prove her right. It was easy. We were in love. Room service brought us eggs and bacon at three a.m. I had to keep my strength up. Still in love!

Kate and I went shopping in the city. We didn’t check out of the motel. We decided to keep the room one more night.

We drove leisurely back to town on Sunday morning. When we went by the airport I saw a small blue plane that looked like my grandmother’s coming in for a landing. I gave it no thought as she had no reason to fly down here while I was on vacation. Kate and I went up to our room and unpacked what we had bought in the city. I could hear Miss Daisy in the kitchen preparing Sunday dinner.

Kate being busy, I stood in the doorway watching my mother-in-law. She spoke when she noticed me. “Hi Jim, would you do me a favor?”

“Sure, anything.”

“Would you drive out to the farm and bring Billy Bob in? The whole family is coming to dinner and there isn’t room for his jeep to park here. Tom can take him home, or if he stays you can run him out in the morning.”

“I’m on my way.”

Billy Bob had a dog out giving it some field training. He used hand gestures to send the dog on ahead of us. The dog would cast back and forth over the field until it knew where a quail was sitting. The dog would freeze on point until Billy Bob would signal the dog to go in and put the bird into the air. It wasn’t hunting season, so it was all just training. I never had hunted but I could see why some people took such an interest in it.

We reached town about noon. Billy Bob told me that Miss Katie had got in about midnight so everyone was here except Joe, the other son, whom I had never met. I went upstairs and freshened up before going down to the dining room. When I walked in everybody yelled, “Surprise!” Then, “Happy Birthday!”

I had completely forgotten that I was having my 28th birthday this coming Wednesday. Gram was here as was Todd, who had flown her down. Kate was smirking about how she had set all of this up. Gram seemed to fit right in. She said these were her kind of people. You never would have known that she was worth millions. Bethanne’s two kids seemed taken with her and if she needed anything they would get it.

Gram helped the ladies pick up after dinner. The kids took turns bringing me presents. Kate’s papa, Billy Bob had bought me a shotgun. He said maybe he would take me out if I was around during hunting season. I told him I would make sure I was. The kids all gave me something they had picked out. A flashlight and a screwdriver set and an air freshener to hang in my car were some things I could use, or said I definitely needed.

Gram didn’t have anything for me at that time, but said she had some things to discuss when I had a few moments. Later she joined me in our room upstairs, leaving Kate with her family. “Jim, I have something that was supposed to have been your father’s when he reached 28. Unfortunately, he died before then. Your great-grandfather, who was my father, left his estate to Ted, your father, when he reached that age. He never wanted me to benefit from it because he never forgave me for marrying and leaving him all alone.

“He thought that at age 28 Ted would be mature enough so I couldn’t get control of it--as if I would ever want to. What he left when he died wasn’t such a great amount, but it has been earning and accruing interest for 35 years.” Gram handed me a statement sheet before continuing. “Actually you have owned this since you were seven-years-old. It just was never distributed to you. All the taxes have been paid out every year, so what you see is the total amount that you have in this account.”

I read the amount. It was for 3.2 million dollars. My God, and I was worrying about how I was going to finance getting Father Juan Carlos back to Spain. I had always had enough money, but that would have stretched my financial capabilities. My life was now simplified in many ways.

Gram watched me as I tried to comprehend what had just happened and what it meant to me. I stepped to her and gave her a big hug. “Gram you are a princess and I love you for it. You know I can’t be mad at your father. Maybe this wasn’t what he intended but it is working out for me.”

Gram was satisfied with that. “Jim, I have the ball rolling on those other things we discussed before you went on vacation. Things are progressing nicely. I have had several offers for the company and its businesses. This country has to have energy and some are willing to pay for it. So there are no problems on that end. Just a whole lot of paper work.

“Your other suggestion about a Charitable Trust is not so easy. I want to do it but it is more complicated than I imagined. Non-profits have a whole set of guidelines and I’m not familiar with them. This has to be done right or I don’t want it done. I think right now, you and Kate should come in and help me set it up. Kate’s not working and you might as well quit and be immersed in the set-up from the beginning. Both of you are going to be directors. I’m going to be the chairperson, or at least I am in the beginning.

“You’ve had some experience in personnel and Kate has some in accounting. I think you are both a good fit to begin this. When help is needed we’ll find it, but ultimately this is our project.”

“Let me call Kate and run this by her. I think that she will be happy. It has bothered her to be without a job. She was going hunting for one just as soon as our vacation is over.”

When Kate arrived, I had Gram tell her what she had proposed. Kate was excited to think that she would be involved with Gram and me. “I just know that I can help,” was her comment.

I then brought up the subject of what Kate and I had been up to the last couple of weeks. “Gram, we do have to talk to you about some things that went on since we came down here. I have taken on something that is both weird and strange. It is something that was started centuries ago and I have been chosen to complete it. Kate, or Hattie Mae was closely linked to Miss Maudie Ferguson before she was taken away.

“When Kate returned last week and reestablished the connection, we decided that it was I and not she who is to be the principal in this. Kate was predestined to marry me and make the connection to Miss Maudie. Other than giving support to me she isn’t directly involved now. I know this sounds crazy, but it is something I was to be chosen for and it is something I want to do. To really get the whole picture, can you stay over and visit with Miss Maudie tomorrow?”

“Yes I can if it is that important to you.”

“Great! If I told you about it you would think I was off my rocker. Hearing it from Miss Maudie, I think you will see it the same way I do.”

I asked Kate if anyone in the family had a computer capable of downloading from my camera. Kate thought that Miss Katie did so I left to find her. Before I went there, I asked Gram to fill Kate in on what my great-grandfather did and how it affected me.

Miss Katie said I could use her computer anytime and showed me where the print paper was so I could print some pictures out. I wanted to show Miss Maudie the interior of the crypt so she could see that Father Juan was still intact.

Kate was ecstatic over the change in our financial situation. I was tickled to hear her making plans for how to spend it. She listed college for any kids that we hoped were forthcoming, and maybe a new stove for our house.

“What no diamonds and clothes? I thought you might want to take a shopping trip to Paris.”

“No I don’t. It is nice to know I could, but why change the way we live. Just being with you like we have been in the last few weeks is all the change I needed.”

Billy Bob, Gram, Todd, Kate and I went out to the farm in the morning. Todd wanted to watch Billy Bob work his dogs and of course the rest of us were headed up to see Miss Maudie. When we got there Kate saw to Miss Maudie’s toilette. She had come to expect it whenever Kate was there. Today it only consisted of brushing her hair and washing her face.

Gram, whose strong suit has always been making people relaxed in her company, started right in giving Miss Maudie a synopsis of my childhood. Before we exited, I asked Miss Maudie to tell Gram the tale of Father Juan Carlos.

Miss Maudie had kept this almost secret for many years. She hesitated over my request.

“Please, we are all family here and none of us wants to have news of what is up the hill get out yet. I think the knowledge should come from you so Gram can see how passionate I am about this. When I start to resolve this, I will need some of Gram’s contacts to control and complete my mission--if you want to call it that.”

Miss Maudie understood and said, “Okay.”

Kate and I, as soon as we could break away, took the second light we had bought and headed for the cave. This was Kate’s second time in the cave and my third. No fear of the unknown present, we zipped right in and opened the crypt door. Again, I spoke to Father Juan Carlos, genuflected and made the sign of the cross.

Kate who never had been around Catholics much, had me show her what I did so she could do it too.

It was easier with someone to help hold the flashlights while I arranged both light stands. What I wanted to do today was to take a picture with the throw-away camera with all of the dolls and the tiles in one frame. I kept the body of Father Juan out of the viewfinder. I was going to have these pictures developed in a one-hour processing shop. What would they say if they saw a skeleton in one of the prints? I didn’t want to be confronted with that.

When we got ready to leave it seemed natural to bow our heads and make the sign of the cross. Kate smiled at me and said she felt warm and fulfilled somehow. I knew just what she meant.

We returned to the cabin just as Miss Maudie was having Gram get the Story Box out. Miss Maudie gave Gram an abbreviated version of the saga. Gram was as enthused as I had been when Miss Maudie told me. Then I asked if it was okay to show Gram a picture of what was in the crypt.

I retrieved the folder I had left in the jeep. I had printed out several pictures on Katie’s computer. I started with a couple of views of the cave. It was too massive and there was not enough light to get any idea of what it was like. Then I had taken a picture of the door, both closed and open.

The pictures that I had taken of the crypt itself had a lot of shadows in there and I used these to full advantage. I did not take an image of Father Juan directly and used the silhouette to indicate his presence. “I will have some better pictures because today we set two lights and we used the two flashlights.” I said this as I handed them first to Miss Maudie and then to Gram.

Miss Maudie said it had been 20 years since she had viewed the crypt and Father Juan Carlos. Nothing had changed. Gram was intrigued, especially with the row of dolls. Her only comment was that they looked the same as those in the Story Box. Gram shivered a little when the silhouette of the remains was handed to her.

“Gram, Miss Maudie, Kate and I are the only people alive that have been there in the past 450 years to see the crypt and what it holds. You are the only one to see a picture of the crypt and what is in it. I want to contain this until I have Father Juan’s remains interred in his family plot in Spain. I am hoping to find an ancestor of his that can work from the Spanish end. I am going to go slow and think out every move I make.

“Father Juan Carlos deserves respect. If I mess up, think of the media storm it would cause. It would be right up there when the ossuary of Jesus Christ was found in the Holy Land.”

“Jim, I will help in any way that I can. You know that.”

Kate and I promised to come back and see Miss Maudie a few more times before our vacation ended. I wanted to show her how dedicated I was in carrying out her wishes. On the way down to the farm, I asked Gram if she had a chance to talk to anyone about getting a pardon for Billy Bob. She had, and it looked promising. A petition was required and it had to be presented by someone in the family. Kate and I both qualified, so we should be getting some paperwork in the mail to sign.

We picked up Todd and returned to town so he could take my grandmother back to West Virginia. At the airport she and I talked while Todd did his pre-flight checks on the plane. Gram challenged me to take care of Kate. Miss Maudie told my grandmother while Kate and I were in the cave that she (Kate) was already pregnant. I questioned this because it was only possible in hours, not days or weeks. Gram just said, “I think you better believe her. She is one who knows these things.”

That evening I got out the tape recorder and tried to repeat word for word what Andrew McPhereson had written and what Miss Maudie had recited. It was slower going than I thought. I guess I would have to read his words. It would be easier to follow and easier to remember that way. I soon gave up and paid some attention to my wife.

Kate and I were cuddled close together when she asked, “Jim would you mind awful much if I spent another couple of weeks here with my family after you go back to work? Miss Katie is going on a three-day tour of one-night stands next week. I would like to see her on the stage and watch her and her quartet perform. She still is like a stranger to me--so tied up in her music, I don’t know her anymore.

“You know, I’m closer and more comfortable with Mary, Tom’s wife, than I am with my two sisters. She is just so happy and in love with Tom. Sure she pushes him around and makes him toe the line, but you can see how much love and respect she has for him. The kids are loud and boisterous, but they are happy and know how far they can push their parents.

“Bethanne is too serious and she has brought up her kids to be just like her. It is as if she were repenting the way she was as I remember her. She acts as if she is guilty of something. Maybe she was years ago but it seems like she should be able to put that behind her. It is almost unnatural. I know everyone likes The Preacher and thinks he has done wonders, but how can he have such a tight hold on her? He should loosen the bonds a little.”

“Kate, I noticed that too and it makes a person wonder, but that’s their business and we shouldn’t interfere. Besides for someone who just became pregnant, that someone should think about herself and not worry about others.”

It took a minute for what I had said to sink in. “What do you mean?”

I laughed. “Miss Maudie told Gram that you are already pregnant. What do you think of that?”

“Oh, I hope so.” Kate giggled, “Should I shut you off now or can we keep on working at it to make sure?”

“Let me look at you to see if I’m turned on by a big-bellied woman with big titties.” I looked. “Hmm, I think I’m turned on by my tall, auburn-haired, skinny wife. We’ll find out in a few months about the other.”

I agreed to go back to work unaccompanied by my wife. I told her I was taking the car, but when she wanted to come home I would call Todd and she could fly to Gram’s. I would be in and out of Ryansville working on getting the business ready for sale. If that didn’t work, I would see her at home in Virginia.

During one of the remaining days of the week, I spent one morning with Tom collecting trash. That was kind of fun. He introduced me to all the people that were setting out their trash as we came by. I guess he was well liked by everyone, especially the ladies. They flirted outrageously with him. He laughed when I asked him about it. “Hey, it’s just a bit of fun. Can you imagine what Mary would do if I took any of these women seriously? They act no different if Mary is riding with me, which she does sometimes.”

I went and tried out my new shotgun under the tutelage of Billy Bob. He laughed at my first attempts at hitting anything. By morning’s end when I said “pull,” I was hitting one or two clay pigeons out of five. Pretty good I thought.

The rest of my time was divided between Kate and Miss Maudie. There again I felt that I was progressing nicely. I could quote all that Andrew McPhereson had written. This contained all of the history before 1706 that he had translated and his own story. Miss Maudie could see that she had chosen the right person to follow her. She said she could die with a clear conscience.

One thing she said to me was, “You know over time you are going to be able to see what happens in the future. The first time it happens to you, it will scare the Be’ Jesus out of you. Don’t fight it. Take it as the gift it was meant to be. Usually good things come from this, although sometimes sadness and heartache are involved. You can’t fight it, you just have to deal with it.”

I hoped that I would never have to “deal” with anything of this nature!

Kate was as loving as she could be. She didn’t in one way want me to go back to work and leave her. Other ways, she wanted to get to know more of her family.

Gram called me on Saturday to tell me that I had been made “Personal Assistant” to her. I was to meet her at my home in Virginia on Tuesday. She had already informed my boss of the change in my status. He, of course, knew of my relationship with the owner of the company. Most of the other people didn’t, so I was to be in for some razzing when I showed up to empty out my office.

Gram joined me at home Tuesday morning. She said she was well on the way to organizing the sale of her holdings. The Charitable Trust was a different thing. She wanted the board of directors in place before she started setting it up. Well, maybe not in place, but she wanted a good idea of who would be suitable to carry out the mantra.

She didn’t want “yes” people, but directors that would give serious input. My job right now was to go out into the companies and pick personnel to fill the remaining five positions and a staff that we could all work with. I asked where Kate was going to fit in this. Gram said, “Kate will be a full director. At present she might not have much input. I do feel she will grow into the position and be a real asset.” I felt the same way.

When I went into the office to get my belongings, I was met with disbelief that my grandmother owned the company and I had never traded on that relationship. Of course there was the rumor that the business was to be sold.

I was questioned about that, but denied knowing anything. I did say that if the owner decided to sell, a notice would be posted immediately. I also said that knowing the owner as I did, she would sell to another entity that would look after the workers as well as she had.

                            Chapter Five

I started my quest to fill the different jobs Gram and I felt were needed. Actually, I was out in the different companies looking for staff prospects. I used the cover that I was evaluating the different company structures and would be putting together a portfolio to present to prospective buyers. This was to indicate just how strong the total company was.

In reality I was mining for suitable people for our new venture. I was spending about a week in each location, of which there were seven, including the headquarters in Virginia. I played golf, I wined and dined and did everything to give each and everyone a fair shot at what I was looking for. None of these people knew they were being interviewed, but that is what it boiled down to.

I asked questions on how they ran their company and I asked for thoughts on a vision for the company that they were connected to. It took me well into the third company before I found just the one person I was hunting for to serve as director. He was the CEO of that particular company. I also thought I would bring along his secretary because they seemed to work so well together.

I was quite impressed with the CEO at the next mine I came to. That is until I took him out to dinner. I don’t mind how much people drink because this is the norm when you are entertaining. However, after imbibing excessively he started slandering his wife, a woman I had never met. He didn’t know, but I knew then that he had missed his chance.

My next stop was in Ohio. It was the smallest of Gram’s holdings and all reports had been good on how well it was managed. I introduced myself to the receptionist and said I had an appointment with the CEO. She told me he was busy on the phone. I was led in and seated to wait for him to conclude his call. His nameplate was positioned on the desk. William Green, Jr. The name was familiar, I just couldn’t place it. I was concentrating trying to think.

Suddenly I was to have my first vision! It was as if I was standing in a doorway looking into a hotel room. This man whom I was facing was sitting on a bed and with him was Bethanne, The Preacher’s wife, who, of course, is my sister-in-law. What the hell. I must be going crazy. She was dressed in clothes that were meant to show off her body. He had on a suit and they just sat there conversing.

The CEO’s voice brought me back to reality. “Jim Ryan, I’m glad to meet you. Sorry about the wait, but I had a detail that needed tending to. What can I do for you?” He came around his desk and shook my hand. He appeared to be a few years older than me. A little gray at the temples, otherwise, decidedly neat and trim.

I explained that I was here on the owner’s behalf. He asked if the rumor about her selling was true. I confirmed that it was. I said that Gram wanted a concise couple of paragraphs about each major executive, including himself, to pass on to whoever purchased the company. He was to keep it as near the truth as possible so it wouldn’t come back to haunt the subject. It didn’t faze him one bit--just asking what details Gram wanted included. I took a liking to him right away.

Will, as he wanted to be called, took me on a tour of the company. It appeared to be the best organized and the friendliest. All of the employees we met on the tour were addressed by their first names and showed genuine pleasure in seeing him and meeting me. Before we finished I was wishing I owned this company and had Will for my CEO. I was that impressed!

Instead of my taking him out to dinner, he insisted that I meet his wife and children at home. He said his wife liked to entertain and this would give her a good excuse. Never averse to a home-cooked meal, I quickly agreed.

We arrived at his home in a nice section of town. The house was nicely appointed, but not ostentatious. His wife greeted me at the door and his two kids introduced themselves while shaking my hand. Sarah, the oldest at eight, was destined to be a beauty like her mother. Jim, at six, would look like his father. We adjoined to his den for a drink. I was curious as to where he grew up and how he came to have the job he now held. As I suspected after my vision, he came from the same town as the Grubers. He passed on that his father was indeed a retired sheriff, and he himself, had been pretty wild as a youth.

That is where I had heard the name, Will Green. Billy Bob had mentioned it in telling me about his troubles. Will’s wife, her name was Barbara, called us to dinner. The kids were well-behaved, not reserved really, because they participated in the conversation around the table. Sarah was into gymnastics and showed us a couple of cartwheels.

We had coffee in the living room after dessert. Jim said, “I have a question for you. When you came into my office this afternoon you appeared to be lost in space. It was nearly five minutes after I got off the phone before I could get your attention. Are you all right?”

I couldn’t believe the vision had lasted that long. I was quiet for awhile considering how to answer his question. Then I responded, “Do you know Bethanne Gruber?”

“Of course. We grew up together. What has that got to do with my question?” Barbara, who was standing next to Will, looked more startled than he did.

“She is my sister-in-law. I just remembered your name connected with hers. I haven’t known her long. Only long enough to know that there is something strange about her transformation from a so-called ‘wild one’ to a person who doesn’t blink without her husband’s okay. Then again I haven’t known the family but a few weeks. You probably know them all better than I do.”

“Who did you marry? Miss Katie?”

“No, I married Hattie Mae.”

There was silence as he pondered what I had said. Then, “Oh, I remember her a little bit. She was the youngest girl and was taken by the state.”

“That’s right. She was adopted and renamed. She lost sight of her birth family until a few weeks ago. We returned and she has rejoined the family. To me Bethanne is the only one that doesn’t seem normal. Can you tell me anything about her that I should know?”

“I could tell you much. I don’t know if I should, you being in her family. She was, and still is, one mixed-up woman. I told you that I was pretty wild growing up. I continued until I met Barbara.” He glanced up to his wife. “After I met her I straightened up. I knew if I didn’t I couldn’t keep her love. I never want to lose her.

“It is hard to believe, but Bethanne was the ringleader in everything a bunch of us kids were involved in. She would do anything, try anything, or drink anything. She was the one behind the fiasco that eventually sent her old man to prison. He never knew it because she was never caught. Old man Gruber didn’t know, but the lawyer he had was as crooked as they come. He screwed Gruber over big time. Even I felt sorry for him.

“Bethanne didn’t care as long as she could go out and have a good time. A bunch of us thought we were going to be big time drug dealers. She and I and a couple of others planted a plantation of marijuana. After it got growing we spent a lot of time up there.” He glanced again at his wife before he spoke again. “We had the time of our lives. Bethanne, of course, led us in the bacchanals we performed. Sometimes we never had our clothes on all day. We took a Polaroid camera with us. Bethanne was the main attraction and could outlast us all.”

I made the comment that all of this was hard to believe.

“I know, but that’s the way it was. I was out of town when everything hit the fan with old man Gruber. My old man sent me away until after Gruber got sent up. Bannock, the lawyer, ratted Gruber out because his grandson was almost as bad as Bethanne and he didn’t want the light to shine on his kin. Nice, huh?

“My old man sent me off to school and I found that I liked it. Oh, I would let loose on weekends, but I generally kept my nose clean. Out of school I hooked up here in this company and have moved steadily up to where I am now. But that isn’t the end of what I know about Bethanne. Before I met Barb, I used to go somewhere and get me a woman and have a few drinks.

“I was in a hotel relaxing and having a few drinks one time, when I spotted Bethanne and The Preacher eating in the dining room. I was about half loaded and kind of lonely, so I sauntered over and started a conversation. Now I had met The Preacher and had known of the so-called change in Bethanne. She was dressed kind of sexy like. He wasn’t in his preacher get-up either. They looked like a couple out on the town for a good time.

“Well, I started flirting with her right in front of The Preacher. It never fazed him a bit. I got bolder and bolder with my comments, after all, at one time I had this woman every which way you could imagine. Then I mentioned the Polaroids. It did embarrass Bethanne. The Preacher wanted to know all about them and I, being the ass-hole I was, told him that I hadn’t saved but a few of them. I wouldn’t give them up for anything either.

“The Preacher then made me a proposition. ‘If I let Bethanne go to a room with you to get reacquainted, will you give them to me?’ I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I’m bad but I never took anyone’s wife, so I told him I didn’t have them with me. That was all right, I could send them. The guy was prostituting his wife.” He paused.

I looked at Will and Barbara in disbelief. She nodded confirming that he was telling me the truth. “So, did you take Bethanne?”

“Yes I took her to my room. I wanted to find out what was going on. When we got there Bethanne said that The Preacher had a fetish. He controlled it except for one three-day period every year. At that time they would go to some city, have a nice meal and then go separately into a bar where she was to pick up a stranger. She then went and spent the night with the stranger. The Preacher would go back to their room and wait for her to return. In the meantime he would sit and drink imagining what was happening to her, and what she was doing. God, how sick can a person get?

“Bethanne pleaded with me saying that The Preacher really was a wonderful man and she loved him. She told me that this was the fifth time that they had done this. She said that only once had she really had to have sex. The other times she had talked the stranger out of it. She always stayed away all night. When she got back to their room she made up stories to tell him about what the stranger made her do.”

Will went on with what Bethanne told him. “She said when she got back to the room he was a wild man, wanting hot and heavy sex. She had to show him all the nasty things that he imagined her doing with me. This was easy because she had actually done all of these things before meeting The Preacher. This orgy continued for two days and stopped only when they got in their car to go home. By the time they settled at home again they were back to infrequent vanilla sex for a year.

“I couldn’t touch Bethanne that night after what she told me. We did do some reminiscing and in the morning she returned to her husband. I don’t know what she told him, but it must have been good. It was almost a year later that I got an unsigned note informing me where they would be staying on their three-day vacation. I didn’t know if he sent it or she did.

“During that year I met Barb. I had been married only two months when the note arrived. After explaining everything to Barb, we booked a room at the same hotel. Barb stayed in my room while I went searching for The Preacher and Bethanne. I found them in the dining room again. He was surprised to see me, so I guess it was Bethanne who had sent the note.

“I complimented him on having such a beautiful wife, while letting my eyes roam over her body. Soon he was suggesting that maybe we would like to get reacquainted again. On the way to my room I told Bethanne that my new wife Barbara was with me and in the room. She asked if I was going to be in trouble. I said no, and that Barb would like to meet her. It has been a yearly event since that second meeting.”

Barbara smiled fondly at Will. Then she spoke herself. “As far as we know The Preacher doesn’t know that I know what’s going on. He knows Will is married, of course, but thinks he is running out on me to keep the yearly tryst with Bethanne. We all have decided to keep him in the dark, for Bethanne claims that it enhances his fantasy.”

At some later date I would have to decide whether to tell Kate what I had found out. Will and Barbara convinced me to stay over with them and continue my inspection of the mine and plant facilities in the morning. I made the decision before I went to sleep that I would recommend Will Green for a director’s job.

Kate and I had been talking every night. She was ready to resume some of her duties with Gram. She wondered if when I left Ohio I would go by the Grubers and pick her up. Besides she missed me. She loved being with her family, but they had their own life to live and her life was with me. I wanted to spend a couple of days visiting before we headed to Virginia. While I was out looking for people to fill positions in the new trust, I used my spare time in learning the saga of Father Juan Carlos. I think I had the whole story down pat from listening to the tape of Miss Maudie speaking.

Kate had been giving a lot of care and attention to Miss Maudie. I also wanted to spend some hours with her. When I reached the cabin and saw Miss Maudie, I was struck by the change in her appearance. She was so frail, I wondered that she was out of bed at all. Her voice, which had been deep and strong in the past, was barely audible. I wanted her to know that I had been diligent in learning the story so that I could recite it from memory.

I gave her a picture of the dolls and how they were lined up. When she pointed to one I gave the name and repeated what that Chosen One had contributed to the story. Miss Maudie was pleased--very pleased. As I was leaving that day she said, “I probably will not be speaking to you again, for my time is near. I am so glad to have known you. You have done in a short time what took me months and years to accomplish.

“The only thing left to be done is to protect the crypt and its contents until Father Juan Carlos is returned to his homeland. After that your duty is done. You will feel a sense of loss when that happens, but the gift of insight that has been laid upon you will benefit you always. When you have a vision, examine it closely because sometimes it will have a meaning that is not clear and the wrong course could lead you astray. This is a caution only and not to be worried about.”

Miss Maudie pressed me to take possession of the Story Box, which I did. I didn’t want to have it floating around during my travels, so when I got down to the farm I asked Billy Bob if he had a safe place to store it. He had a spare gun safe with a combination lock he wasn’t using. It should be safe enough there among the other safes he owned. The last thing I did before leaving was to go over what to do when Miss Maudie passed away. Billy Bob said he had cared for her so long, he knew her last wishes.

When we were alone, Kate informed me that she had missed her period and the doctor only that day had indeed confirmed that she was pregnant. Miss Daisy was happy that she was going to be a grandmother one more time. Miss Katie was the only one of her children who had not produced offspring so far. Joe, who was stationed in England, had two kids. Miss Daisy hadn’t seen them yet, but she kept a large photo album of all her grandchildren.

Kate and I were on the road early after extended good-byes. It seemed so good to be together again after three weeks apart. Kate told me all about going on the road with Miss Katie. She said Miss Katie was changing booking agents, because the one she had wasn’t getting her into the long road trips with other performers. Kate said, “I never would make it on the road like my sister. You have these long boring trips between dates and then it is Rush! Rush! Rush! to get set up. You have to find and rehearse new material. She also has to deal with friction within her group. No way! Not for me!”

I asked how she got along with Tom and Mary. She replied that they were a lot of fun, and she enjoyed being around them. When I asked about The Preacher and Bethanne, Kate just said that they didn’t act like anyone she ever knew.

“How do you mean?”

“I don’t know. They are very quiet around the family. You just can’t get close to either one. I understand that he gets fired up when he preaches. He also teaches, and everyone says he is great at that. Mama says that Bethanne is great with the kids in her class. It seems as though it is her home life that is screwed up, but they apparently love each other.

"She acts like she has done something wrong and wants him to forgive her. He acts like he has been caught screwing the baby-sitter and wants her to forgive him. It is weird because there isn’t the hint of any impropriety attached to either one. I can’t figure it out. Anyway, I couldn’t live like that.

“I’ll tell you one thing, Papa and Mama think you’re the best. I’ve spent a lot of time with both. Papa spends most every night in town now. He has moved out of his bedroom and into bed with Mama. It is like they just got married. Katie makes a big joke of it, but I think it’s wonderful. Anyway you get the credit for that, and also, bringing me back to them.”

Kate leaned over and kissed me. “I think the man who gave me a baby is pretty wonderful too.”

---

Gram met us at our home in Virginia. She wanted to know what my impressions were of the different people I had interviewed. I gave her the full run down of those I thought were acceptable. I had also made a list of those who were marginally qualified. Kate came in while Gram and I were discussing these different prospects. Kate spoke, “I have a statement to make. I am resigning my position as director, even before beginning.”

I looked at her and then at Gram before asking, “Why?”

“Well I’m going to have a baby. I want that as a full-time job. I don’t mean to shirk any help I can give Jim. There will be some grunt work I can do. I will do that. I’ve thought that if Jim is a director and I’m a director, there can be a conflict. What happens if I come down on a different side of a proposal and feel strongly one way and he another way. I know boards of directors can be contentious. To avoid something like that carrying over into our home life, I think it better if I’m out of it.”

“You’re sure about this?” Kate nodded. “Well Gram it’s back to the drawing board.” I stood and hugged my sensible wife.

Before Gram and I got back to work, I asked Kate to do some things for me. “Kate would you sit down and make a list of how to find the descendants of Father Juan. Also eventually we are going to have to make this public. We need a list of whom to contact. We need safeguards to keep this as small and respectable as possible. We’ll get together and work on it this afternoon after Gram and I finish. I want to get started because very soon I am going to have to fly out to North Dakota for Gram.”

Gram and I went back to work. “You know we never have set forth the mission that our trust is going to do. I know this was my idea to start with, but we still haven’t come up with what we want to accomplish. We can make it complicated or simple. To keep it simple we could make scholastic grants to qualified students to further their education. A more complicated agenda would be to provide seed money to fund some projects, or we could do both. What are your thoughts?”

“I think to start with let’s keep it simple. I have been rethinking who and how many directors we need. When Kate said that a board could be contentious and bailed out, it started me thinking. Why do we need more than me, you, the one you’ve put forward, and two more. I have two retired managers that I think would be ideal. We could put our money toward hiring staff with the expertise to set this up. When that is done, we can figure out how to find the applicants for the grants.”

“Jim, let’s go with that. It sounds sensible to me. This definitely is a work in progress.”

I invited Gram to sit down with Kate and me after lunch to discuss Father Juan Carlos. Gram was fully aware of what was going on. I thought that maybe she would have some ideas. Kate had a short list. It wasn’t much more than thoughts because she hadn’t had too much time. It did give us a good starting point.

We came to the consensus that we would have to start with the church archives to find out anything about Father Juan Carlos Domingo. Also the government and the church in Spain always kept meticulous records of those people that traveled to the New World. Both should be a good source of what we were looking for. The problem would be to find a descendant that would be interested in bringing Father Juan home to rest. I had no doubt the church would, but that seemed so cold and uncaring. I had developed a fondness for Father Juan and wanted to see him home with love and dignity. Only family could do that.

Records and Statistics. I would look there. Father Juan’s home town was written on a tile held by Miss Maudie. This had been the only tile that she kept in her cabin and had shown me to convince me to become a Chosen One. I had placed it with the other items in the gun safe at Billy Bob’s. Kate and I “Googled” the town office in that Spanish town and sent off an e-mail to the records section. Gram asked me how I knew if there was anyone there that could read English. I said the e-mail would arrive automatically in the language of destination.

To Records and Statistics
from J&K@Virg.org
Inquiry
Re: Father Juan Carlos Domingo

Found recently: Document pertaining to a Father Juan Carlos Domingo. Have reason to believe it authentic. Subject purported to be born 1520-1521. Sailed for New World 1545-47. Domingo surname prolific in Spain. Need to contact direct descendant of Juan Carlos Domingo. Any charges pertaining to this records search will be prepaid by James Ryan via Visa card. E-mail estimate.


Thank You, James Ryan
J&K@Virg.org

Kate was excited to think we were actually moving this quest forward. “How soon do you think we will get an answer?”

“I guess it depends on the records clerk and if they even want to bother in that office. We may have to travel directly there and look ourselves. I was hoping not since that would involve a translator. I don’t want this story to get out before we even begin.”

Kate kept checking the computer for a return e-mail before we went to bed. Nothing, it was too soon. We were having a late breakfast in the morning when Miss Daisy called to tell us that Miss Maudie passed away during the night. Billy Bob had been there in the evening and had gone up to the cabin early this morning and found her.

Billy Bob cared for her in life and he cared for her in death by arranging for her transportation to the funeral home. He took care of the various things that have to be seen to when a person dies. Miss Daisy would inform us as to her funeral and interment in the Gruber family plot. It was not necessary for us to be present. I felt otherwise.

Again I borrowed Gram’s plane and flew in on Friday, the day of the funeral. Miss Maudie had lived every day of her 93 years in this same town. The various people she knew growing up had preceded her in death. She had practically been a recluse for many years, so wasn’t known by anyone but Billy Bob and family.

The Preacher presided at the ceremony. There were no townspeople present, just Billy Bob’s family. I guess that would include me as I was married to the former Hattie Mae. The will was read by lawyer Dale Evens. It contained nothing that I didn’t know about. Both deeds, one to Billy Bob and one to me, had been recorded. The lawyer would be working on getting the Grant deeded to the Kentucky Forest and Parks service. The only thing that was a surprise was that I was named executor. I knew I wouldn’t be around much and the duties would be light, so I engaged the lawyer to do all of the work. He could mail me anything that needed my signature, before and after probate.

The Preacher and Bethanne had been casting several uneasy glances my way during and after the ceremony. Standing at the graveside while Miss Maudie was being lowered and prayers were being intoned, I had the second vision of my life. In my mind I saw a preteen boy crouching in a corner of a bedroom. A woman, an obvious prostitute, was having sex on a near-by bed with a brute of a man. This, then, was The Preacher’s mother, and the boy had suffered all of his young years.

It was clear to me that this was the home life of a boy who was to grow up and become “The Preacher.” It was evident that it had scarred him for normal relationships. Obviously Will Green had in some way let Bethanne know that he was associated with me. They must be worried that I knew something that would cause them grief. This would be one more burden on top of the others for which they felt they had to do penance.

Fear traveled across their faces when I complimented The Preacher on his fine sermon. “Would you and Bethanne be my guests at dinner tonight? I would like to thank you for such a fine ceremony.”

“Don’t you have to return to Virginia tonight?”

“No, I have decided to stay over and take you both out.” I looked them in the eye and said, “Ease your minds. I would never cause anyone grief. Let’s go out and have a nice dinner. Kate will stay at her Mama’s to look after your children. Please do say you will come.”

Bethanne sensed that I wanted to talk with them. “I wouldn’t be comfortable going out. It is something we never do.”

“Okay, how about getting some take-out and we could go out to the farm or up to the cabin of Miss Maudie, or we could sit at your home.”

“Let’s make it our home.”

I talked to Kate and asked her to take Bethanne’s children to Miss Daisy’s for the night. I was going to talk to The Preacher and Bethanne. Kate had been applying pressure for me to find out what was wrong with her sister and brother-in-law. She thought that I was taking her wishes to heart, so quickly agreed.

They went home with Kate and transferred the two kids into her care. I stopped at the pizza parlor and waited for a large combination pizza to be made. Arriving at Bethanne’s, she met me at the door with a concerned look on her face. While eating I told them a little about what Gram and I had planned and had been working on. I purposely kept the conversation light until we were having coffee.

Looking at The Preacher I asked, “You belong to a church and are near God, do you ever have visions? Before you answer that, have you ever heard Billy Bob say that Miss Maudie had ‘Insight?’ To clarify a little more, this has been said about her and I never believed it. I’ve changed my mind. After Kate and I made love a short time ago, within 15 hours Miss Maudie told my grandmother that Kate was pregnant. It turned out to be true.

“In my last conversation with Miss Maudie she told me that I was going to have ‘Insight.’ It is a gift and wanted or not, I seem to have acquired it. Bethanne, I have had one that involved you. Preacher, this afternoon I had one about your early childhood while you were praying at the grave-site.”

The Preacher and Bethanne stared at me. I went on, “You both act like you have committed some horrible crime and are doing penance for it. Am I right? I think if you could talk to each other and listen to me, or someone else, your burden could eventually go away. Am I making sense?

“Before you answer any of those questions, let me tell you that Kate and I were near a divorce less than four months ago. We woke up due to the intervention of a friend. We talked our problems out and now that rough spot is way behind us. Would you like to talk to me?”

Bethanne spoke. “I would like to be happy again. I’m not now. Can you help us?” She looked at her husband.

He said, “Please, it can’t get much worse than it has been lately. I don’t know my own self anymore. I’m even losing my faith in God.”

“Bethanne, I’m assuming that Will Green has been in touch with you recently.” She nodded. “I am guessing that he told you that he and I were associated in my grandmother’s business. We did discuss you when he found out that I was married to a sister of his childhood friend. He felt that you were still doing penance for your lifestyle 13 or 14 years ago. He spoke with the utmost respect about you. He said that knowing you in the last few years has even helped him.” I didn’t go into as much detail as I could have, feeling it not necessary.

“You have become a most respected member of the community. It is time you started respecting yourself as others see you. Put your past behind you. Others have.”

I turned to The Preacher. “I guess I should spell out my vision that I had this afternoon. I think you are going to have more of a hard time resolving your past. The vision I had was of a little boy watching his mother having sex. Sometimes she was loving it and sometimes she hated it. It is bad enough to accidentally see the sex act at a young age, but to have it always happen where you can’t get away from it, has to be traumatic.”

Bethanne looked at The Preacher. “Is that what happened? You never told me. Oh, dear, my poor love.” She rushed over and hugged him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Again I directed my attention to The Preacher. “I know how you have kept your desires somewhat in check. However, you are slowly destroying the one thing that you love most--Bethanne. I’d like to tell you how far she has gone to keep that love. I know all about your little vacations that you take to satisfy your desires. The ones that you keep hidden from all the world except your wife.

“Three facts will make this impossible to continue much longer. One: You are prostituting your wife and she is losing her respect for you. Two: She is losing her respect for herself by letting this continue. Three: You can’t help but lose respect for yourself. I’m not judging. That is the way I see it.”

They both cast their eyes down without saying anything. Still speaking to The Preacher I said, “I believe that people can heal themselves. Bethanne has been more true to you than you know. Every time you have sent her off to another man, she has been able to talk each and everyone out of defiling her.”

Bethanne looked at me knowing I lied. I looked her in the face without expression and continued, “She would come to you in the morning telling of her lust and passion. Anything like this may have happened before you were married. She put this behind her thirteen years ago.”

The Preacher looked at me and asked, “Is there any hope for me?”

“Of course there is. The first thing is to talk, talk, talk to Bethanne. Remember everything. What your mother was doing wasn’t wrong. She was doing it for the wrong reasons maybe, and she was doing it with the wrong persons. You can do the same thing with Bethanne, she is your wife, the right person, and for love, the right reason. Think about that.”

Getting up and going to the door, I said, “Kate is keeping the kids at their Grammy’s tonight. We are leaving early so if I don’t see you again this time, Kate and I will be dropping in off and on. Bye for now.”

I didn’t want to wait and see what developed. I hadn’t told them what to do. I was hoping they could figure something out for themselves. Only time would tell.

Kate questioned me about what went on with The Preacher and Bethanne. I said that I was sorry but any information had to come from them. Kate was put out with me when I wouldn’t say anything. I did relent and say, “Remember a few months ago when we were losing respect for each other? Well they are in the same situation. Talking it out solved our problem. I’m hoping I started them talking to each other like we did.” She was mollified somewhat.

Two days away from home. There was an e-mail message on my computer when I opened my mail. An estimate for hours to look up the information I required  about Father Juan. Included was a phone number where I could call and give my Visa card number if I wanted them to proceed. I called and it took three weeks before any records showed up in my message box.

When the records came, it showed that Juan Carlos had two brothers, Jose and Jesus. Both of these brothers had several children. Down through the ages many descendants moved out of the area and the records of them became unknown. The end result was three descendants that could prove that Juan Carlos Domingo was their ancestor. Two were from one (Jose) and one from (Jesus).

A personal note from the clerk that had done the searching was attached:

A certain Maria Cortez, a graduate of university and known personally by this clerk, was presently working as an interpreter for the UN. in New York.  To contact her, reach the Spanish Ambassador at the UN. Ms. Cortez was aware of her ancestor Father Juan and would be thrilled to learn any facts about him.

I felt I was really hitting it lucky in my quest for someone that might help move the remains back to Spain. I was on a roll and I wanted it to continue. “Kate, let’s go to New York and find this Maria Cortez. What do I have here that I can take to convince Ms. Cortez that I am not some kind of weirdo? If we can get to see her I want a presentation well thought out so she will believe me.”

“Well we have a complete set of photographs that you have snapped the three different times you have been to the crypt. We have the one tile that was made by Father Juan Carlos giving his birth date that Miss Maudie gave you. We have a copy of all the papers that started with Andrew McPhereson in 1706. Also, we have the videotape of Miss Maudie reciting the full story. We have the videotape designating you to be the last Chosen One. Also we have the videotape charging you as the Chosen One to complete the task of returning Father Juan to Spain to be laid to rest. That should be enough to convince anyone.”

I know I wasn’t giving Gram my full attention. She understood and wanted me to get this chore I had taken on completed. So she sent us off with a briefcase full of documents to New York. Good old Gram and her lifetime of contacts put us in touch with a person employed at the UN.

We checked into a small first class hotel and called the number Gram had given us. The answering machine had a recorded message: If you are calling during working hours, leave your name after the beep---or call back after five p.m.

We had time to go sight-seeing. Neither of us had ever been in New York before so we hired a cab. We told him to drive us around to places we had heard about. We drove down Broadway and Wall Street. Then we had him take us through Little Italy and Chinatown. We didn’t have time to go to Central Park, but we hoped to before we left the city. When he returned us to our hotel, he asked if we needed a taxi again, would we call for him. We assured him we would.

I called the contact that Gram had given me. He evidently knew her well and asked after her health, etc. After all the pleasantries were out of the way, I asked him how to find a certain person whom we knew worked at the UN. I thought a certain Ms. Cortez was on the staff of the Spanish Ambassador. She translated from Spanish to English.

We had some information and documents about one of her ancestors in which she might be interested. When I told him she was an interpreter, he said that he would contact one of ours that worked as a counterpart. Did I want him to try and find out this evening, or wait until tomorrow? He would be willing to try now as he had nothing to do at present. If he found a way to contact her he would call back, otherwise I could call tomorrow after five.

We told him we were staying in and would wait for his call. Kate and I took showers and laid around in our robes. I loved looking at my wife. She was getting a little round in the tummy area. She really got turned on when I was rubbing her belly, and I just had to continue north and then south. Being pregnant was the most fun she said--and for me too. At 7:45 the phone rang and it was the person I had talked to.

“I found the person whom I was looking for and he gave me the number of Ms. Cortez. Do you wish me to contact her on your behalf? I ask because we are kind of a closed community here at the UN and it might be better for me to speak to her as a way of introduction. I can impress on her that your grandmother has been a friend for many years and that I have known of you for that many.”

“Yes, please. You can tell her that I have some documents and a really weird story to tell that goes along with them. Just mention a name as an ancestor of hers, Father Juan Carlos Domingo. Also tell her that the clerk of Records and Statistics in her home town was the person who gave me her name. That should be enough to get my wife and I to at least have her listen to my story.”

I wished him to call Ms .Maria Cortez and have her contact me. I would be at this hotel untilI heard from her. If I didn't hear within two days, I would start my search for other distant cousins who I knew were distant descendants of Jose Domingo, her being of the line from Jesus Domingo.

Twenty minutes later our phone rang again. I answered, “James Ryan speaking.”

A haughty male voice questioned, “Are you the person who is trying to run a scam on my niece? You claim to have documents of a person who has been dead 450 years. I don’t believe it!” This was a person who needed a lot of convincing, I could see that.

“Sir, these documents are very important. They are important, not only to your Ms. Cortez’ family, but to the Catholic church as well. It would please me if you would be present when I talk to Ms. Cortez and if you know of a member of the clergy that you trust, I would wish him there as well.”

Whoever was speaking was used to making quick decisions. “Where are you staying?” I gave him the address of the hotel. I think that the name of the hotel surprised him, because although small, it was upscale. “A limousine will be at the door in 25 minutes. Be ready!”

Kate was looking at me as I hung up. “Who was that?”

“I think I just spoke to the Spanish Ambassador. We are to be at the front entrance in 25 minutes. A limousine is taking us to where I assume we will be telling our story. You better get dressed. I don’t want my wife to meet an ambassador in her robe.” We made it downstairs just as a limousine pulled in front.

The doorman escorted Kate to the limousine as the driver opened the door. We settled in and the driver eased into traffic. Twelve minutes later we were in front of a beautiful apartment complex. Again our door was opened for us, and we were escorted into the building and to the elevators. The doorman said as he punched Number 12, “You are expected and will be met as you leave the lift.”

When the elevator opened we were met by a butler and a uniformed guard. I was told to lay my briefcase on a table and open it. I did as directed. I had to unwrap and explain what the tile was. The papers and photos were self-explanatory. The videotape was shaken and inspected. A wand was passed over us, and the briefcase returned with its contents. We passed through a wide entrance and the butler who preceded us announced, “James Ryan and his wife Catherine of Virginia.”

There were six people seated. The ambassador, an elderly clergyman, and a young man who looked much like the ambassador, all rose to their feet as we were announced. The ambassador made introductions, naming his wife, his son and his wife, and Father John. “This lovely little lady is Maria Cortez whom we are going to find out if you are trying to scam.” With that we were seated.

No dinner had been mentioned, and I was puzzled how these people knew Kate’s name. We were seated on the near side of the table between Father John and Maria, facing the ambassador and his son and their wives. Both Kate and I were nervous. We did creditably well with the meal by not making any faux pas. Through the meal we just talked small talk. Where are you from, what is your business, etc. We adjoined to a study for coffee. “Now tell us, or rather tell Maria, why you wanted to meet with her.” The ambassador sounded curious.

“Okay then, I must warn you that this is nearly unbelievable. I thought so when I first heard it three or four months ago. I will give you some facts that Maria knows. The only facts that I have gleaned from outside is that a priest, Juan Carlos Domingo, sailed to the New World in 1547. He had two brothers, Jose and Jesus.

“I asked the Department of Records and Statistics in his home town if a descendant of Juan could be found. The clerk in Maria’s home town gave me three names. One who was descended from Jesus is Maria Cortez. There are two others, they were descended from Jose. The clerk knows Maria personally so he suggested I reach her here at the UN. That was two days ago.

“Now, to Father Juan Carlos. The documents that I have say he reached Florida in 1547. These are his own words. After reaching here, he went about teaching the natives about God and his word. Two years after starting his work, the settlement in which he was teaching was attacked. He was taken prisoner and transported north to what is now the state of Kentucky. Losing all hope of ever being rescued, he made the best of everything and continued teaching God’s word.”

I had everyone’s attention. “Longing to return to his home land and knowing it wasn’t possible in his lifetime, he set in motion a way to make it happen. He was a man of vision and I have concluded, touched by God. First he figured out how to tell his story. Looking and finding some very light colored clay, he made some square tablets or tiles. Writing on them while still wet with what I assume is blackberry juice, he then fired them in some kind of kiln.” I glanced at Kate who had opened my briefcase. She handed me the tile, which I unwrapped.

“This was written on and fired about 1559 by Father Juan Carlos.” I handed it to Maria. “He wanted this to act as his tombstone until he was placed with his family in Spain.”

Everyone gathered around Maria while she inspected the tablet. “I think the dates on it are his birth, which he knew, and his death which he could have predicted with some accuracy.

“There is more that Father Juan did to make going home to Spain a possibility. He was dealing with people that had no written language. They were however used to keeping history down through the ages by storytelling. He chose one to carry his words down through time until someone would be able to have his remains returned to Spain. Each Chosen One would choose one to carry on as their days ran out. Number 24 Chosen One passed the message on to me three months ago. I am the 25th Chosen One. I have set out to do what he wished.”

“Bunk!” This exploded from the throat of the ambassador’s son. Father John looked like he thought it possible or wanted to believe it was. The ambassador was skeptical, but would listen to more. Maria believed. Somehow I knew she would. The other two ladies were waiting with no opinion.

“Why are you doing this? It must be a lot of trouble?” Maybe the ambassador was still thinking this was a scam or con. He knew that most con-artists only did things for material gain.

“It is hard to explain. I have the resources, which may be why I was chosen. Let me tell you more of what Father Juan did. He taught the one he chose to repeat the words in a language foreign to the natives. That was Spanish. He worked until that native got it right. The first Chosen One was a native named Ooh Ne Nah. He impressed on that person that she had to pick her successor and teach that Chosen One the words and pass it on.

“Eleven Indian natives did as he wished down through time until the first big change. Would you like to see these Indians represented by a doll they constructed themselves, named and placed in sequence as they were chosen?” Again I turned to Kate and indicated the photos of the Indian dolls. I passed them around, naming each as I did so.

I continued, “The really big change came in the year 1706. A Scotsman received a land grant from the Crown of England. It happened to include the land where Father Juan taught. He, hearing the Spanish language from a native and being curious, wanted to know what was being said. He sought out a Spanish speaking gentleman who interpreted for him. Thus the story of Father Juan became the written word and changed from Spanish to English. I have a copy of those seven pages.” Again I indicated to Kate to show copies.

“The one thing charged by Father Juan was to learn and repeat verbally the story. This has become incredibly long, because not only were the words of Father Juan repeated, but any momentous happening has been added to by each and every Chosen One. As repeated now, it is a history in itself of the area and its people in that little town in Kentucky. Number 24 Chosen One took twelve hours just to repeat it to me.”

Again I motioned to Kate who pulled the video of Miss Maudie telling the story to me. “Number 24 was an old lady named Maudie Ferguson. She knew she would not live long enough to teach me the story so that I could repeat it. We taped with a video camera and I learned from that. My version will be longer than hers, because I will add finding a descendant and the removal of Father Juan Carlos Domingo to his family plot in Spain.”

Everyone in the room was starting to believe. The priest, Father John, spoke first, “You mentioned remains? What are they? A bunch of bones?”

“No, they are more than that. It is a body laid out in a crypt. He is still there. His cross and his beads are on him just as he was placed 450 years ago. There are no clothes on him, but he has what appears to be a tanned deer hide covering his lower body. The crypt is quite large, big enough to move around in. I have been there three times taking pictures. My wife has been twice to help with the lighting.” I nodded to Kate.

We passed around the pictures we had taken.

The ambassador said. “I don’t see any pictures of a skeleton.”

“No, there isn’t one. I did not know if taking photos would show disrespect, so I didn’t. My wife and I are both Methodist. When I went into the crypt the second time, I felt the urge to genuflect and make the sign of the cross. I have never done that before. I did the same when I was ready to leave. As I was closing the door, I could hear in my mind ‘Bless you my son.’ The same happened the last time I entered with Kate and she felt the same.

“However, something I didn’t discover until some time after I printed the pictures, I noticed a shadow. If you will look closely in this print you can see it clearly.” I handed that particular print to the ambassador. “That is Father Juan Carlos.”

Everyone inspected the photograph. I restored all of the items to my briefcase, as this was all the evidence I had with me. I was waiting to see if I was going to be believed or not. The subject was changed and I didn’t know if it would help. The ambassador stated, “You didn’t seem surprised to arrive here and meet me, the Spanish Ambassador. How come?”

“Let me just say that when you called, you were sitting at a big desk. On that desk you have a very large replica of a Napoleon cannon. Your phone is usually kept in the top drawer of the desk to the left of where you sit. Your rolodex is to your right hand. You have a large appointment calendar placed before you with a clear place-mat over it for you to take notes on. Behind you on the wall is a print of Don Quixote. At the front of your desk is a name placard with your name and title on it. Why would I be surprised?”

He looked shocked as I described his office.

I continued, “I guess I neglected to tell you that along with becoming a Chosen One, comes something called second sight. Evidently I have it, because this is the third time that it has happened to me. I have no control over when it is going to work and when it doesn’t. One thing that puzzled me is how the butler knew my wife’s name when he announced us.”

“That is easy to answer. I called the front desk at your hotel to confirm that you were staying there. They gave me the information you gave when you checked in. Simple, no?”

From that point on I was belted with questions, mostly about Father Juan and what I knew about him. I got out one photograph and showed them the tiles neatly stacked in the crypt. “These are tablets that have been written in Father Juan’s own hand. I have not inspected them, because I don’t know Latin, what is inscribed on the tiles.” I looked at Maria Cortez, who had little to say while I was talking with the ambassador. “My search for a relative of Father Juan has been twofold. I wanted someone who could decipher the language and someone whose interest is personal. I’m hoping you are that person.”

The conversation turned a little more general as the hands on the clock passed midnight. I found out that the ambassador was an uncle of Maria’s on her mother’s side. The whole family was fairly well-to-do and the ambassadorship was a political appointment. Kate and I shared a little about our families.

They looked on Kate a little strangely when she explained her early connection with Miss Maudie and the estrangement for the fourteen years that followed. I told them we surmised that her only role in this was to get me to the point of my meeting up with Miss Maudie and my becoming a Chosen One.

Maria, wanting this to all be true, asked Father John what his thoughts were.

“Down through the ages there have been a lot of unexplained happenings. This may be one of them. Your family is descended from Saint Dominic who was beatified in the 1200’s. That is where your family name comes from.”

Kate was having a hard time staying awake as 2 a.m. came and went. Finally the ambassador said that it had been an interesting and intriguing evening, but he had a meeting before noon. He called for the limousine to come around. Maria Cortez asked if she could come to our hotel in the afternoon for more information and discussion. Of course she could. I was hoping to be able to talk to her without her being overshadowed by her uncle.

I really wanted Maria to come forward and participate in the practical side of having her ancestor moved to Spain. Knowing the priest that we met last night should be an asset with the Catholic church, I knew that entity would want to be involved. Having an ambassador working with us should ease us through some of the international entanglements that were bound to develop. I knew a person didn’t find a body, disinter it and move it out of the country without a whole lot of legal ramifications.

Kate was having a bout of morning sickness shortly after we woke up. Juice and toast with tea finally settled her uneasiness. Then we sat and waited for Maria to call. At one-thirty she rang and said she was in the lobby and could she come up. Yes, of course.

When she entered I noticed how beautiful she was. She was a couple of years junior to Kate. Where Kate was tall, auburn haired with a light complexion, Maria was petite, dark haired and with a creamy olive tone to her skin. I was going to have to watch myself if I was going to be working closely with Maria. Today she was vivacious and outgoing, the opposite of the previous evening.

The afternoon started with each of us going into a little more detail about ourselves. Maria grew up in a small town near Madrid never lacking for anything. She went to the university to study law, but found it too confining in its theory. Politics were interesting, but she didn’t really like public speaking. Her uncle induced her to become an interpreter. Maria liked the work, but it wasn’t too steady. She spoke several languages other than her own, and was proficient in interpreting French and of course English. She hadn’t really decided what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.

Kate gave a short version of her growing up with her family, glossing over the problems and her being taken from home. Then she told of how we met and how much we were in love. She told of her meeting with my grandmother and the return to the arms of her family.

“This is just like a confessional. My story is quite simple. I grew up an orphan after the death of my parents when an infant. I was raised by my grandmother and went to work in her company as soon as I completed my studies. Things began to change four months ago when some personal problems surfaced. Solving them and moving on to meet Kate’s family, I have felt myself becoming more and more attached to all of them.

“Meeting and becoming involved with Miss Maudie and ultimately Father Juan Carlos is waiting to play out and I’m hoping that it is going to be a satisfying experience. I have promised myself that I am going to go slow and not make any mistakes. It feels as if it is speeding up. When I make a move now a new development is presented almost immediately.”

“What do you mean?” Maria asked.

“I mean, like a couple weeks ago I sent an inquiry by e-mail to Spain asking for information about Juan Carlos. Almost in an eye blink I had an answer that what I wanted was possible to find. Soon I had the information I was looking for. More information actually, because the person I was corresponding with knew who I was looking for and passed your name to me without being asked.”

“You demonstrated last night that you have had visions and that is how you knew Uncle was calling. You said you have had others. Can you tell me about them?”

Kate interrupted Maria. “Jim, you never said you had a vision. Are you keeping something from me?” Kate looked really put out.

I looked first at Kate. “I never told you, because it didn’t involve you in any way. I am just getting used to having them, so I really don’t want to share them. When I act on one it is going to take time to read the results. Time for me to evaluate and see if I acted in the best interests of those involved.”

I had a faint “okay” from Kate and a “fair enough” from Maria.

I said to Maria, “Let’s discuss how we can go about removing Father Juan from Kentucky and home to Spain. Is this Father John anyone who can help us in notifying the church that the remains of a long lost priest have been uncovered? I want this handled in a discreet and respectful manner. Think what would happen if I was looking for publicity. I could call up the sheriff and say ‘Hey I found a body. I think it is 450 years old.’ It would be all over the world on the news within a couple of days.

“There is another problem in keeping this under wraps. This is in a small town. Kate’s papa knows of the cave the remains are in, but he doesn’t know of them. Nobody else even knows of the existence of the cave. Would your uncle and his office be willing to make discreet inquiries as to how we should proceed? My grandmother has many official contacts throughout our government. She is the only one besides you and those we met last night who knows about this. She will help in any way she can.

“I don't know how long this will take. I may be tied up because Gram and I are heavily involved in selling her companies and starting a new project. If I can’t make a meeting, I will designate Kate to stand in for me.”

Kate was feeling better so I called room service and had lunch sent up. Maria and Kate got along very well. They started sharing experiences that had happened to them in college. Some of them were hilarious. They made a date on the morrow to go shopping. Maria knew New York.

As we lay in bed that night Kate commented on how beautiful Maria was. I said she sure was attractive. Kate didn’t want to hear that, especially when shortly she was going to be waddling around with a big tummy. It didn’t matter as I loved her, big belly or not.

Maria told us when she came to go shopping with Kate that she had talked to her uncle. He called and asked me to meet with him at my convenience. This was a different person with a different attitude than when he called me the first time. He asked if I wanted to have him send the limousine, but I said I would be glad to call a cab. I called the cabby that had driven us around the city the day of our arrival. This time I was ushered into the ambassador’s office. It was just as I had described it in my vision.

The elderly clergyman was present also. The ambassador stood up and shook my hand as I entered with a “Welcome Senor Ryan.” He commented on his niece’s visit which she had reported to him. He started the conversation with, “I have come to the conclusion that you are what and who you say you are. That being said, I think it is time to investigate the authenticity of Father Juan Carlos. What would you suggest to be the best way to go about this?”

I wanted to make sure he knew I was sincere, so I said, “The right technician could retrieve some DNA from the skeleton. Enough of the soft tissue is available as his organs are still there. That is where a sample is taken from. Then you would have DNA from Maria that descends from Jesus Domingo, a brother of Juan. That should be a positive match. If it isn’t then there would be two or three reasons why not. One, the remains are not Father Juan. Two, a Domingo at some time was a cuckold and, three, at some time there was an adoption into the Domingo lineage.

“I think the odds would be that the bloodline holds true and we would have a match. Another way to prove that this is what we claim is to go back into the church records and see if a sample of any writings of Father Juan can be found. He had to be a very literate person to think of preserving his records here in the New World. I’m betting that he wrote many letters at first to his colleagues, relating life in the new world. I know the church kept voluminous records and some may be found even today.

“Those clay tablets I have are covered with script. I assume that it is Latin. The seven pages that Andrew McPhereson left as the twelfth Chosen One claims to be a translation. How accurate it might be I can’t say, but the tablets should be inspected as soon as possible.”

The two gentlemen before me agreed. The next question before us was how to go about this. I was very concerned about what would happen if the news got out about a find of this magnitude and it reached the press. The ambassador inadvertently solved the problem of how to keep the process quiet. “Who owns the land where the cave and the crypt are located?”

“I do. I have a title to the land and the only reasonable access. Also my father-in-law owns the land leading to the access. He trains dogs for hunting and he has a lot of strangers stopping by. We could use him for an excuse for strangers being around. He knows of the cave, but doesn’t know about the crypt.”

I asked the ambassador if Maria would be free to go back to Virginia with us. He couldn’t see any reason why not. I also invited Father John to join us in Virginia and then go on to Kentucky. He, more than anyone, wanted to view the remains of Father Juan Carlos.

The next morning we flew south, arriving home before noon. Gram had been making my home her headquarters, but was occupied elsewhere that day. Kate sent me out for groceries and then put together a lunch. My beverage of choice was beer and Father John joined me. The girls had a small glass of wine.

Maria and Kate had become bosom buddies. I hoped no one would become aware of how attracted I was to this petite little beauty. Me, well I was keeping my distance from her, but being around her was distracting.

The next day Kate wanted to show Maria around town and visit the place she had been working when we had our troubles. This was the first time she had seen Alice since being banned from the Red Lion. Gram, I, and the priest had a little strategy session after the girls were off.

I related my conversation with the Spanish Ambassador and how we really wanted to verify that the remains were Father Juan. All of the parties involved wanted to keep this as quiet as possible. Gram suggested we talk to someone who was involved in forensic medicine to take the samples.

Then, believe it or not, she came up with a person who was qualified. There was a pathologist living in Ryansville that Gram had contributed funds to for his education. His name was George Corbin. He owed Gram a favor and she was sure he could do whatever we needed. Gram, never to put anything off, called him at the hospital where he was employed.

We listened to her side of the conversation. She explained that her grandson, Jim, had recently acquired a piece of property in Kentucky. Records he received showed a grave on the property. It was in a cave that was used as a burial place for a person believed to be a priest. The church had sent a representative and a person believed to be a relative was available for a DNA match. Could he do the work?

“The body has never been buried and was at hand.--It is more than a skeleton.--More of a mummy.--Believed not to have any embalming done to it.--Many, many years old.--Would you try anyway?--Okay I will have Todd pick you up in the morning.--You will be flying here to the airport in Virginia and joining a priest, my grandson Jim, and a young lady who is the relative.--Thank you so much.”

Gram hung up and turned to me. “You better get in touch with Billy Bob and have him meet you at the airport. I’ll call Todd and have him get his passenger about seven tomorrow morning, he can be here about ten and in Kentucky a little after lunch. Getting the specimen won’t take long so you all should be back here for dinner, say about eight p.m. Okay?”

Father John was looking at Gram with amazement. I laughed as I had been seeing how Gram operated all my life. “You should see her when she is really busy,” I stated. I called Billy Bob and made arrangements for him to pick us up at the county airport. He asked what I was up to when I said I would have some people with me. I just said that there were some things about the cave these people wanted to inspect.

Maria was excited at the prospect of seeing her 450-year-old ancestor. I thought, she sure is pretty when she is excited. Kate caught me watching Maria. She didn’t appear to be jealous, but I felt guilty anyway. I asked Kate if she wanted to go along with us and spend a few short hours with her Papa. She said she would stay here with Gram.

Kate drove Father John, Maria and myself out to the airport and arrived just as Todd, with George the pathologist on board, were landing. He never shut his jet engine down, and we soon were in the air. It was a glorious flight with the sun behind us lighting the ground below us. Billy Bob was waiting in a van as we landed and we were soon on the road to his farm. I asked my father-in-law to stop so I could get something out of the gun safe at the farm. I programmed the key pad on the safe, opened the parcel and took out the sword hilt, the key to open the crypt door.

The van would not make it up the steep road to Miss Maudie’s, which was now my cabin. I borrowed Billy Bob’s jeep, Father John in front, the pathologist and Maria in back and me driving. When we reached the cabin, I opened the door so we could walk out onto the porch and view the valley. It was nearly as good as seeing the sights from the plane. I picked up all of the flashlights I had left there. There were enough to go around.

I told my companions that we had a rough and steep journey ahead up to the cave. Fortunately it wasn’t too far, but we would have to crawl a short distance on our hands and knees after we reached the entrance. Father John was elderly but quite agile, so I didn’t anticipate any problems. Before we entered the cave I cautioned everyone about the acoustics when we actually got inside. We eased into the cave and shone our lights around us. As I described to them earlier, they could see how it was like being on the inside of a glass bottle. Maria not thinking, said in an above normal voice, “Beautiful!” The sound nearly deafened us, reverberating before finally dying out.

I motioned for them to follow me until I turned the corner into the final passage. We were talking normally while George held the light for me. I worked the sword hilt into the slot and the door came slightly open. “There is room enough for all of us in here. The air is close so we won’t want to stay too long. I think we should observe and then Maria, Father John and I will step out into this passage and wait while the pathologist goes about getting the DNA.”

I stepped in and turned on the lights that I had left there. The others crowded in after me. We stood there silently. I don’t know about anyone else, but I felt a presence the same as I did every time I was here. Father John spoke, “Let us pray.” We all held hands until he said, “Amen.”

Father John and Maria retreated back down the passage. I stood in the doorway in case George needed a hand. He knew where to go to get a sample. He had a small case with him and took out a very small hollow probe. It was the size of a darning needle. Father Juan Carlos was laid out on his back. He had to be turned so the probe could be inserted into the kidney area. Next he went into an area looking for the position of the liver. Finally he took a small hand-held drill and bored into the upper thigh bone. Again he inserted the probe and rotated it a little.

“All done. If there is any DNA available I am sure I have it.” The incisions were hardly discernible. “Not much to a person is there? The cadaver probably weighs about 30 pounds if he weighed 140 fleshed out. Well I’m all finished. Is there anything else you want?” I didn’t.

We exited. Before I closed the door Father John and Maria returned and were alone with the remains for a few minutes. I shut out the lights and closed the door. Tears were flowing from Maria’s eyes as we made our way back to the cave. Our trip up, in, and out of the cave took just over one hour. George took the DNA sample from Maria before we left the cabin.

When we got back to the farm with the jeep, Billy Bob was looking a little upset. “Jim, I can’t understand why you can’t come into town and visit with the family. You know you are one of us now, and we love having you around.”

“I’d love to, but I’m really awful busy. Kate and I promise we will be back soon for a visit. She’s pregnant and wants to find out more about the joys of having a baby. She is having a bit of the morning sickness now and is wanting to know how long that’s going to last. She will be needing her mama more and more, I’m sure.” He was disappointed but accepted my explanation.

We retraced our journey and were soon back in Virginia. Todd dropped us off and continued on his way. Maria went off with Kate and told her all about the trip. Father John joined me in the living room where we discussed today’s events. “I’m inclined to believe that everything is as you said it was. How long before we find out if there is a match between Juan Carlos and Maria?”

“George said it would be a couple of weeks. He will put a rush in to the laboratory, but it still will take awhile. You know it seems like a long time, but in the scheme of things, it isn’t. This was started 450 years ago and I’ve only been working on it a few short months. Everything is relative, I guess.”

“You know son, I think you are an exceptional individual. I can’t think of another person who would be doing this. No other person would have the time, resources or dedication to follow up on this. Not only that, but you are doing it with feeling. You still have some challenges ahead of you. How are you ever going to get permission to remove the body from its resting place?”

“I’m not sure. I’ve given it a lot of thought. First I think that everything except the body should be removed. I wish that there was an archaeologist who could come in and treat this as they would a ‘Dig.’ You know, map everything. Record the tablets, the writings, the dolls and the position of the remains. How I am going to do that and keep a lid on the whole situation is beyond me.”

“Why don’t you contact the Department of Anthropology at the University of Kentucky? They do work all over the world. This would be a good teaching exercise. This is close to home. If you went to them with a description of the site to be excavated and took some of the information with you, I would think they would jump at the chance. You would have some measure of control and could negotiate the release of any published papers or information. You have stated that you don't want to make money off this project. I am right in thinking that, aren’t I?”

“Yes, I definitely do not want any money. I just want Father Juan to get home to Spain with all the respect due him.”

“Well, I think you should wait until you find out if Maria and Juan Carlos are of the same bloodline. That would add some weight to your request to investigate the site. I would be more than willing to join you when you approach the university. I have been drawn into this and find I am extremely interested. That is, of course, if you can bear to have an old priest tag along.”

Father John was good company, and I informed him that he could be part of any action I took. Knowing that it would be many days and perhaps weeks, he decided to go back to New York. I promised to give him a call when I had some information.

Maria wanted to stay with Kate so she called her uncle and resigned her job. The position she had as interpreter was just something to do ...  she was independently wealthy. Well I was going to go crazy with two beautiful women around. Kate had seen me looking at Maria but for some reason didn’t appear jealous. I went back to giving all my attention to Gram, as I had severely neglected her. She had received several offers for the mines and was down to figuring which one she wanted to accept.

The employees at the Ohio mine Will Green managed had made an offer for that mine only. Gram asked me what I thought. Could the employees make a go of running the mine themselves? I said they could if Will Green remained at the helm. It is the best managed of all your holdings, yet it is too small to detract much if it is kept out of your sale.

                            Chapter Six

Gram sent me off to talk to Will. I sat down with him and some of the employees who would be investing if the purchase went through. They were excited. This was a small town and the mine was the major industry. Everyone in town had been associated with the mine at some time in their lives. Gram had given me a ballpark figure that she would accept for the mine and equipment.

When we got down to talking price, Will and his fellow investors were a little more than $500,000 short. They were terribly disappointed. They and I knew the value was there in the asking price. The Ryans had been exceptional employers. The group of investors were caught in a “catch 22”--wanting to treat Gram right and yet knowing if they borrowed the extra half million, they would be strapped for working capital.

Will and Barbara invited me to stay over as they had the last time I was in town. Will didn’t say too much about not being able to own part of the company of which he was manager. In the back of his mind was the knowledge that as soon as the mine was sold, he most likely would be replaced.

I said to Will, “Don’t give up hope of buying the mine. Keep thinking of ways to come up with the financing. I’ll talk to my grandmother, and maybe she can think of some other way for you to finance it.”

Will asked me about Bethanne and The Preacher. I told him I had talked to both of them. I had kept Will and Barbara out of the conversation. I was hoping that maybe life would ease off a little for my sister-in-law and The Preacher. I promised my wife that I would take her to visit her family shortly, anyway. Barbara asked me to at least say “hi” to Bethanne. She thought that The Preacher was being cruel in the way he treated his wife.

I arrived home the next day in the early evening. Gram had gone back to Ryansville so I was left to cope with my wife and Maria. They were acting more like teenagers than 20 something’s. I guess they had wine for dinner and were pretty happy. “Kate you’ve got to remember you are pregnant. We want a healthy baby. That won’t happen if you drink.” I was upset and showed it. What was she thinking?

Tears started in Kate’s eyes. “Oh Jim, I’m so sorry. Tonight is the first wine I’ve had since I got pregnant. I was having such a good time laughing with Maria, I forgot. I won’t have anymore until the baby comes, I promise.” My wife looked so contrite, I forgave her.

“Kate, can we talk a little business?” I looked at Maria. I wanted her to leave, and she did. I gave my attention again to Kate. “I told you that the manager of Gram’s mine in Ohio is Will Green. He was originally from your home town. He and the people that work there want to buy the mine. They are about a half million short. You’re my financial person and adviser. Let’s run the figures and see if there is anyway they can purchase the property and still make a sound investment.”

I had the figures and Kate and I sat there and figured for an hour or more. Kate ended up shaking her head no. It was just not plausible to go forward with the business plan with the money the miners could scrape up.

I sensed that Kate might have a problem with Will, because she remembered that he was one of the boys that hung out with her sister. When I could see that she was about ready to say something about it, I forestalled her. “You know I’ve met Will and his wife Barbara. They are a really nice couple and they have two great kids. Barbara has met Bethanne several times with Will and they have done her some favors. What Will and Bethanne were when they were kids is way behind them.”

I then got to the point I wanted to make. “What if they had another investor that would put the half million they need into the business at a reasonable rate of interest? Would that make the figures work?”

Kate thought for a minute, checked through the figures again and said she thought it would. “Would you be averse to my taking some of the money my great-grandpa left and investing with them? I really know the value is there.”

“Well it’s your money. Do what you want.”

“No, Kate, it’s our money. Just the same as what you are carrying in your body is our baby. We have to work together to make it safe. That is why I asked you about investing. I want it safe.” There was a little dig in there about her imbibing this evening while she is pregnant. It didn't go unnoticed.

Maria came back and I had a drink with her while Kate said it wasn’t fair. I knew, though, that until she had our child she wouldn’t do any drinking.

I called Gram before it got too late and ran what was going on by her. She said that she wondered how I was going to put her father’s money that he had left me to good use. She had always been impressed with Will Green's management of that particular mine so she was glad that he had come up with a plan to own it. Anyway the money was mine to use or lose. Then she asked, “Have you done anything about asking Will to come into our other project?”

“No, we don’t even have a mission yet. How can I ask someone if they want to be a part of something when we, ourselves, don’t know what it is going to look like?”

“You are right. I just wondered if that was why you wanted to invest money with him.”

“No. I have been able to keep everything separate that is going on in my life. Life does seem to be more complicated though. My wife is having a baby. My wife has rejoined her family and has me integrated into it. This Father Juan Carlos thing is taking a lot of time. You are selling off your holdings and I hope I’m not neglecting you in that. I’ve inherited a considerable amount of money and want it to work for me. Then finally there is this trust project to be dealt with. All this has happened in the last few months. Complicated, I guess it is and then some.”

“Do you regret it?”

“No, not at all. I’m actually having the time of my life.”

“That’s good. That is the way your Grandpa and I felt when we were building our energy company. You feel you just can’t wait for the new day to begin. And I must say, Jim, I think you are doing great at it.” Gram said she wasn’t going to need me for a few days, so if I had any catching up to do, I had better do it now.

I knew that Will wouldn’t be in bed yet, so I called him. “Hey Will. I’ve been looking around and I think I’ve corralled an investor for you. The only catch is, you’re going to have to pay him and give him some crazy-assed job. That way you will have a totally owned employee business. What do you think?”

He didn’t shoot me down. Far from it. I said we’d get together and discuss it soon. I’d keep in touch and in the meantime he should see how the other investors felt about it.

I went up to bed. My timing was way off because I met Maria coming from the bathroom. She had on a long nightgown and the light was on behind her. I blocked the image of Maria from my mind as I cuddled up to Kate.

In the morning Kate went over the figures again and they still looked as good. On the spur of the moment I said, “Let’s go visit your family. Your papa was really put out when I wouldn’t stay last time.”

“What about Maria? We can’t just go off and leave her.”

“Ask her to go with us. Your mama always has room for one more. Maybe she would like to go and visit her ancestor again.”

“Okay, but can you stand being around her for a few days? I can see how attracted you are to her. I’m not jealous, but she is such a sweet person.”

“Hey babe, I love you, you know that. I’ll admit that my eyes and, yes other parts, are drawn to her. I would not trade the rest of my life with you and the baby for one sweet night of unrivaled passion.” (I said this, now I had to live up to it.)

Kate teased me now. “What if she comes on to you?”

“What would a mother lion do to protect her mate from another female lion?”

“I get the point. I’ll have to scratch her eyes out if she looks at you.”

We were joking, but there was an underlying current flowing here. Kate went off to find Maria and invite her to go with us.

Kate, Maria and I arrived and I immediately headed for the farm. I was hoping that Billy Bob would give me some more instruction on shooting. Kate went down to Miss Daisy’s diner with Maria. After that she was going to take her around and meet Mary. Bethanne would still be in school but she was due for a visit when the school day ended.

When I got to the farm, Billy Bob was out in the field with his dogs. I didn’t go blundering out there as I could hear some shooting. I found a beer in his ’fridge and sat down to relax. I could hear Billy Bob out in the yard talking to someone about a dog that was being considered for purchase. The customer soon left.

Billy Bob came in looking for me. In his hand was a shotgun. He walked over to a gun safe and placed it inside. Motioning me over before closing the door he said as he pointed to several firearms, “Did you ever see anything prettier?”

“I thought you couldn’t own guns.”

“I couldn’t as a felon. I’m not a felon anymore. It seems as though someone petitioned the governor to pardon me. My conviction was scrubbed from the record. It is like the mess fourteen years ago never happened.” Tears were in his eyes. “You wouldn’t know anything about this, would you? I can’t think of anybody else that I know who would even think to do this for me.”

“Billy Bob I didn’t do anything. I wouldn’t know how to go about it. However, I did ask Gram if she knew anybody in the governor’s administration. When she asked me why, I told her that I thought you had received a raw deal. My wife spent years away from her family because you were railroaded. Gram loves my wife. When I posed the question, she said she knew the governor personally. She took it from there.”

“God son, if there is anything I can do for you, just ask. You’ve given me back my life and respect.” I knew that Billy Bob wasn’t demonstrative, but I could see he wanted to give me a hug, so I let him.

When he settled down, he could see I wanted to tell him something. I started with, “Billy Bob, you knew Miss Maudie most of your life. What you didn’t know is that she had a secret she kept from the world until she found someone who she could pass it on to. Hattie Mae was involved a little. She was chosen to bring a person to Miss Maudie who could carry out her wishes. I don’t understand it myself, but I am also a part of it.

“At one time there were only three people alive that knew the secret. They were Miss Maudie, Kate or Hattie Mae, chosen to find the Chosen One. That would be me. Since that time I have had to tell several people and as time progresses, I’ll have to tell more. It is time for me to tell you. Those people that were here last week were here for a purpose and they knew.

“There is going to be a lot of people from the university showing up here to work in the cave where the secret lays. I’ll need you to transport them and generally be of service to them. Also this is going to be big, very big, and I want it contained from the local people and the news people. Before I give you the whole story, listen to this: We think Maria, whom you met the other day, has an ancestor in that cave who is 450 years old.” I paused. “Are you interested in the whole story?” Billy Bob was!

So I told Billy Bob everything I had learned the first time I met Miss Maudie. All of it. My travels. Who knew what and when. I finished the tale with the waiting on confirmation that Maria was really the descendant of the body up in the cave.

When I finished, Billy Bob said, “I can’t believe that Miss Maudie kept a secret from me. Why do you suppose she didn’t tell me? I took care of her for years and years.”

“You, yourself, said that she had insight. I think she knew that I was going to appear at the right time. She didn’t seem worried that she would not be able to pass the information on before she died. She was ninety-three and could have died anytime at that age. When she had everything arranged to her satisfaction, and her work being done, she let herself go. That is the way I see it.

“I’ve wondered a lot about why I was chosen. I guess it must be I have the capabilities and the financial wherewithal to see it through. I think she is up there helping, not only me, but if you think of it, others are being helped too. Take yourself for instance. You are back with a loving wife. Your daughter is back in your arms. I see a gun case full of your guns and you are taking joy having them to use.

“There are a lot of good instances that have happened that I don’t have any apparent control over. This thing that Miss Maudie has me doing has been so smooth it is beyond comprehension. When a problem arises that needs solving, suddenly the answer pops up. Really, I have stopped worrying about the outcome, because someone is showing me the way. I think it is just up to me to take all of these pieces, align them and put them in place as they appear.”

Billy Bob sat and contemplated what I had just said. “Well whatever it is, I’ll take it. I’m happier now than I have ever been. Happier than I was even before I got sent to jail. As far as what you want when these strangers show up, you have my full cooperation.”

I didn’t get any shooting in that day, but we did get some beer drunk. I wondered what my father would have been like if he had lived. I would never know, but I did like my father-in-law a whole lot.

Again we had a family gathering at Miss Daisy’s. I was curious to see Bethanne and The Preacher. I wondered if I had overstepped my bounds in dealing with them. I had been pretty forward in talking to them. If they acted cold toward me, this would be the first schism in the Gruber family that I had caused. I needn’t have worried. When The Preacher’s family came, they were much different than before. The two kids came bouncing in laughing and running around, followed by Bethanne and The Preacher.

The oldest, a girl announced, “Daddy doesn’t want to be called ‘The Preacher’ anymore. He wants to be Daddy to us, Claude to his friends and Mr. Ames to everyone else. You can only call him The Preacher when he is in church.”

The Preacher, I mean Mr. Ames, had shed his dark gray suit and was wearing a pair of dungarees and a peach colored turtleneck. Bethanne was out of her buttoned up granny dress and had on a plaid skirt and a white blouse. I was standing talking to Billy Bob on the far side of the room when they entered. Bethanne went around the room hugging her sisters and her mother and was introduced to Maria.

Approaching her father she hugged him too. That surprised him no end, I could see, but he beamed and held her an extra minute. I received the same and a whispered “Thank you, Jim” as she bussed my cheek with her lips. I wondered how The Preacher, I mean Claude, was going to take this. I didn’t have to worry as he came over and shook my hand saying, “So good to see you again, Jim. Bethanne wants to have you and Hattie Mae over for lunch sometime soon. Bring your friend Maria with you. Now don’t you dare leave town before you do.”

It seemed as though the family became more and more boisterous every time we came to visit. Miss Daisy had an announcement that Joe was coming from England for a visit. He was bringing his British wife and two kids. This was the first time that Miss Daisy was to see these two grandchildren. Miss Katie said she had some news too. Since she had changed booking agents she was busier than ever. She was to tour with a major country singer and band in the summer. She and her group had second billing and she knew soon she would be a headliner.

After Kate and I went to bed, I was hit with, “What’s this with you and Bethanne? She had on lipstick and you have some on your cheek. I wanted to come wipe it off, but her husband didn’t seem to mind, so I guess I shouldn’t either. Come on, tell me what it is all about. Besides I never saw such a change in anyone as I have in my sister and her family. What did you do to them? I know you talked to them the last time we were here, ’cause I took care of the kids. Tell me.”

“Kate I don’t want to go into details, but I can tell you this. You know I am friends with Will Green, Jr. He and Bethanne go way back. Will told me some things and The Preacher and Bethanne knew that he did. When we talked they were afraid I was going to make trouble for them. Instead they told me what some of the issues were. Basically Bethanne was feeling guilty about her past and felt she had to do penance.

“He was feeling guilty about his home life when he was growing up. It was something that was out of his control, but it was a burden preying on his mind. He felt he had to atone for the way he was dealing with it. They were at the point where they couldn’t go on much longer without their whole family unraveling. I think getting their problems out in the open with a third party was enough for them to see how to resolve their conflict. Seeing them tonight, my listening to them helped.”

Kate wasn’t satisfied and pressured me for details. “Kate let me ask you a question? Would you like anyone to know about your past missteps in the Red Lion awhile back?”

“No!”

“Okay, I don’t think I should tell you about any mistakes they might have made. They haven’t asked me not to tell, but I’m sure they trusted me not to. Besides aren’t you happy for the change in them?”

“Oh, I guess so.” We left it at that. I felt conflicted over not sharing, but I think I was right in this case.

Kate had plans for the cabin that we had inherited from Miss Maudie. Along with Maria she talked to Mary, Bethanne and Miss Katie into helping her straighten it up, clean it and refurnish it with a new king-sized bed. I guess we would be spending some time there. The women went shopping for the bed, but didn’t stop there. I had to recruit Billy Bob to help move the furniture up the hill in his jeep. Kate, had purchased along with the bed, a new wardrobe, two chairs and a small kitchen table and provisions to stock the cupboards. All of this just about filled the little cabin. The women did make it shine though.

Kate told me that night that Bethanne was having a ball, amazing both Mary and Katie with how outgoing she was becoming. Kate forgave me for not telling her about what went on the day I talked with her and Claude. With a gleam in her eye she suggested we try out the new furnishing in the cabin. We could spend the night. Early in the morning it was planned for me to take Kate and Maria up to hang new curtains, they were going to spend most of the day there while I did some shooting with Billy Bob. Then I was to get Maria and bring her down so she could go into town with Kate’s papa.

Things went as planned until late in the afternoon when a storm blew up suddenly. I headed for the cabin. I only got halfway up the mountain when a big boulder slid down in front of the jeep. I hoofed it the rest of the way. When I arrived both girls were glad to see me as they were afraid of the thunder and lightning. I told them there was no way that Maria could get to town tonight.

We were pretty cozy. Kate laid a fire in the stove to cook on. We had some wine and Kate cooked the two large steaks, put some potatoes wrapped in tin foil in the coals and opened a can of beans and a can of corn for succotash. After the fire went down we snuggled down on the bed with Kate in the middle. Things got weird after that.

I was nearly asleep and the girls were laying there whispering. I was not paying any attention to what they were saying. “Jim, wake up. Maria wants to tell you something.” I had no idea what was coming, but just the way Kate spoke it was something serious. Kate and Maria changed places, putting this cute little Spanish senorita next to me. Kate spoke again, “Maria and I planned for us three to be here in the cabin alone tonight. The storm just makes it more believable that Maria had to stay up here with us.”

Maria spoke softly, “Jim, I have a problem and Kate has come up with a way to solve it--she thinks. The only way for us to know is to tell you about my life. No decisions have to be made tonight. We can talk about that later. To start with, let me tell you that I am the last of the line of Jesus Domingo. Well anyway, the last that would be able to produce an heir. That has been drummed into me all of my life by my family.

“You know that I have been making a lot of calls home to Spain to someone named Terri. I know you do because you have been within hearing distance when I have been talking. You are assuming that it is my lover and someone I am going to spend my life with. You are right! What you don’t know is that Terri is a woman. Her name is Theresa Gonzalas. I am a lesbian. I’ve known it all my life. I’ve tried to change for my family’s sake. It just doesn’t work.

“Let me demonstrate how hard I have tried to change. When I first went to the university, I decided to lose my virginity. I did and it was a disaster! I thought that maybe I chose the wrong person because he was young and nearly as inexperienced as I. I tried again with an older more experienced man. He was the father of a friend and had the reputation of being able to please a woman. That was worse. I hated myself afterward.

“I know that I have been blessed with a sexy body, but I am not a physical person--with man or woman. One day while reading in the university library I sat next to an older student. We struck up a conversation. She was majoring in psychology. Continuing our discussion over coffee later, we disclosed our preference in lifestyle to each other. We’ve been together for four years now.

“My parents are resigned to the fact that I am gay. Theresa and I decided we wanted children so she was inseminated artificially a year ago and we have a cute little girl. This really pissed my folks off, and as I work as an interpreter, they shipped me off to New York with my uncle. Theresa is reasonably well-to-do and I will be coming into some money in another year when I’m 25. Our long range plans are for me to have a child, if possible, and be two women living together, both of us with children.

“This situation with my ancestor has come up at a perfect time and has me more determined than ever to carry on the family bloodline. With DNA the line can be checked from either the woman’s side or the father’s side. In the past there have been matriarchal societies as well as patriarchal.”

Maria paused and the silence lengthened. There was nothing I wanted to say. Kate finally spoke. “Go on Maria, ask Jim. You know it is all right with me.”

“Jim I have come to respect you more than anyone that I have ever met. I have gone into more detail with Kate. My family has put extreme pressure on me. I feel like a pawn sometimes. They can’t have what they want in me marrying a man, because it is abhorrent to me. However if I can give them an heir who is created with respect, if not love, they will have to be satisfied with that. What I’m asking is, will you help me by being my partner in this?”

I sat up and looked across Maria at Kate. Kate returned my look while saying, “It was my idea.” I hesitated. I couldn’t believe my wife.

“So I suppose you already have an appointment made with a gynecologist to do the procedure?”

This surprised both women. Kate knew that I lusted after Maria and if I know women Maria was aware of that lust. They supposed, I’m sure, that I would want to rip off my clothes and get to it.

Maria and Kate exchanged looks and then went into gales of laughter. It took them five minutes to calm down enough to tell me what was so funny. It seems as though Kate said that this would be my reaction. “No, Jim I agreed to have this happen the natural way.”

I contemplated that for a minute. It was one thing to fantasize about making love to the sexy looking Maria and then to find out that she was gay and wanted me just for breeding purposes. They could see my doubts and set out to relieve me of them. Kate had to convince me that it wouldn’t change our lives that much. She was put out a little when she thought she was giving me a way to get Maria in the sack and here I was cool to her proposal. Maria saw my point before Kate got it.

I went out on the porch and watched the storm down over the valley. I could still hear them discussing it. Finally I heard Maria exclaim, “He just loves you so much he doesn’t want to spoil it. You are so lucky. He couldn’t demonstrate his love more.”

They went into whisper mode until Kate said for me to come inside. She was naked and came to me and hugged me. “Maria is fertile now. If this doesn’t happen this couple of days she will have to wait a month. If you don’t do it she will have to hunt for someone else. She is convinced that you are the one. I am convinced too. I was the Chosen One to find you for Miss Maudie and I’m saying I’m the Chosen One to find the father of her baby.”

I couldn’t argue with that logic with all that had happened up until now. Besides you couldn’t argue much with my beautiful naked wife hugging me and planting kisses between every word. She disrobed me and led me to the bed. Maria came slowly from behind the door. I’m sure Kate had coached Maria in the next moves. Maria came and stood by the bed. Revealing her charms with those seductive gestures that women find natural, I wondered why I had ever hesitated.

Knowing that Maria had problems with her previous two lovers, I was as considerate as I could be. She was so finely proportioned and delectable to look at, it was hard to keep passion from overwhelming me. A man wants to feel that he is giving his lover pleasure. Maria tried but it wasn’t until the final moment of truth that I felt what I was looking for. Well she had warned me.

I stood and put some underwear on and when I came back to bed, Kate had moved to the middle again. Maria was laying on her back with pillows propping her legs up. This was an indication of how serious she was about getting pregnant. Either that or maybe she didn’t want to go through it again. I crawled into bed and put my arms around my wife.

“C’mon sleepyhead. Time to get up.” The sun was shining and the two girls were up and dressed. Kate was putting eggs in the skillet. Another indication of how well she had planned this. I made a beeline outdoors to the outhouse. I came in and washed in the sink. Kate smiled at me so I knew everything was okay between us. Maria glanced at me to see what my reaction to her in the light of this new day would be. I smiled and just said that she was lovely this morning. To myself I thought, “What a waste.”

Breakfast was over. Kate informed me that she was going down to inspect the road. When she left, Maria started disrobing with the comment, “Kate thinks we should come together one more time to increase the chances of my becoming pregnant.”

This beautiful little thing was offering herself to me again ... her own agenda, yes, but knowing that I wouldn’t refuse. It was different than last night. This time she was trying to give me more pleasure, by responding aggressively to my every movement. Maria succeeded in that goal. It was wonderful. Me, well I knew that I failed to give her an orgasm, but under the circumstances I wasn’t surprised.

Maria and I were ready to face Kate when she came back up the hill. Nothing was said about my time alone with her. How do you discuss something with your wife like this, even with her tacit agreement?

---

We walked down to the jeep and with the guidance of the women, I slowly backed at least a mile to where I could turn the vehicle around. We met Billy Bob coming to see if we needed help as we headed for the farm. Feeling restless, I declared that our little hiatus in Kentucky was over. We should be hearing the result from the laboratory. The DNA test on Maria and Father Juan Carlos should be at home when we arrived, I hoped.

Reaching home in Virginia, I called Gram who had spent several days in Ryansville. She had an offer for her business that she was inclined to accept, and wanted to discuss it with me. We met in the conference room of my former employer. I met with our people and the corporation that was buying Gram out. A few minor details had to be worked out which we turned over to the lawyers and their minions. The sale would be finalized on the last day of February.

As Gram and I walked in the door from our meeting Kate handed me a Fed Ex letter from the laboratory where the samples had been sent for the DNA test. Printed out were the profile markers and a brief explanation. It stated that Maria’s sample and the sample presented of marrow residue were a definite match. It went on to state that samples of kidney and liver tissue had degraded beyond the point where a profile could be retrieved.

So now we knew! I had worked so hard to fulfill the wishes of Miss Maudie to find a descendant of Juan Carlos. I had done it! I was ecstatic! I had to tell somebody. Father John came to mind immediately. I placed a call to New York. He wasn’t available, but would return my call.

I looked at Maria. “Why don’t you see if you can reach your uncle? I would like him to know. He said he believed me, but he still had some doubt. Coming from you this information should convince him.”

The major hurdle now was to get Father Juan removed to Spain. Placing a call to the University of Kentucky, I asked to be connected to the professor at the head of the Anthropology Department. He came on the phone. “Yes, what can I do for you?”

I felt I had to get his attention--and fast! “My name is Jim Ryan. I came into possession of some land a few months ago. There is a cave on the land. In that cave there is at present a male mummified body. There are some legible records with dates. I can recite the story of when and why he was placed there. Is this something your department would be interested in?”

“It sounds like a job for the police authorities.”

“The body is 450 years old. The records are in his handwriting.” There was silence on the other end of the line.

“The body is of a Spanish priest, who died about 1559 and placed here by a local Indian tribe.”

“What do you want of me?” At least he was showing some interest. I told him what I had done and some of the problems facing me.

"I have tracked down and verified a 16th generation descendant of the priest. This was done through Records and Statistics in a little Spanish town. She wants to move the remains back to Spain for burial. The Spanish Ambassador is her uncle here at the U. N. and is behind me on this. What I want is someone knowledgeable to record the contents in the cave for posterity."

"Well it takes time and money to do what you want done. If I lead an archaeological research project like this, I can only do it after classes close in the spring. June 15th  would be the earliest.  Would that be soon enough?"

"No it would not. I have the lady here with me and she wants to return to Spain with the remains of he ancestor before the first of the year. That is in a couple of weeks."

"Oh, my, that won't work at all."

"Would you at least meet me and the people most interested in this? I'll bring some supporting evidence with me.  The only things removed from the cadaver are some DNA samples.This is to verify the succession between the lady and her ancestor. When you see what I have, maybe we can work something out."

"I guess I can meet with you."  Then he added, "You know Christmas break starts next week."

“I know and I can meet you the day after tomorrow. I have to contact the priest who is representing the church in this (this was stretching the truth a little as he is only an interested party) and he resides in New York City. I live in Virginia. That is where I am calling from now.”

“I’ll be waiting on your arrival then.”
 

After I hung up I was feeling pretty good. Maria was concerned that she wouldn’t be able to escort Father Juan home with her. She could not stay until summer. She had been in this country about four months. “I have some loved ones I must see. I’ve been away too long.”

I said, “I think I can convince the professor to come in and take measurements, take pictures and leave the bulk of the work until later. The only thing that we want removed are the remains. If he inspects Father Juan first and then goes on to inspect the crypt in that order, a few months or a few minutes between inspections can’t make that much difference. My thinking is that he and a couple of his undergrads could do this the week following Christmas. We’ll find out soon.”

 

I called Father John again. He was in and about ready to return my call. He agreed to meet us at Teterboro Airport. Gram could see that this was winding down, so was more than willing to have Todd taxi us around in the jet.

Gram sat down with me to go over the paperwork on buying the Ohio mine.  “You know Jim, if this is going to be something you are involved in financially, you should be in a position to keep track of your investment.  That is how your Grandpa and I were so successful. We were directly involved. I mean we made a habit of dropping in and discussing the operation with those who were managing that particular mine.

“This is the first time you are owning something. I know the money you are investing came to you pretty easily. But in real life there is no ‘easy-come-easy-go.’ If you lose it, you’ll feel the loss just the same as if you worked for every penny. It might even behoove you to relocate to that area.”

I could see her point. I would have to approach Kate with the idea of moving. I realized that I was thinking beyond the settlement of Father Juan Carlos that had taken up so much time lately. I would miss the priest when he finally set sail for his homeland, but I would be relieved at the same time.The only thing left to do was to organize my presentation to the professor at the University of Kentucky. I would do that tomorrow. Time tonight to relax.

It was cold enough so that I laid a fire in the fireplace and we all had hot toddies. Kate had planned to do this for awhile and had found a supply of hard cider somewhere, but found it had too much bite to it. Kate tried some sparkling cider, but that didn’t work too well, so I broke out some brandy for Maria and I.

Talking about different things we landed on the subject of DNA testing. By this time we were pretty happy. I said, “Wouldn’t it be a ‘hoot’ if we all had a test done and I found out that I was already related to Kate before I married her?” That sent us into gales of laughter. Then we were onto different personalities we would like to be matched with.

We even made an imaginary list of whom we wouldn’t like to be matched with. This all ended with Kate and I wanting a profile of our DNA. Maria showed us how George had taken a sample from her a couple of weeks ago.
 

The next morning I took our samples to my doctor and asked him if he would send them to a laboratory to be checked for DNA. I was questioned why. I said that I thought it would be nice to have our DNA in a national database so we could get to it if the need ever arose. I also asked if a check could be made to see if there were any close matches already in the national database. I was informed insurance would not pay for this. Okay, then I would.

Maria and I met Todd at the airport and picked up Father John in New Jersey at Teterboro. We got to Kentucky and arranged transportation to the university. We entered the grounds and following the signs found the Anthropology Department. It was more of a problem finding a space to park our rental. Entering, we were escorted to meet the professor.

Within five minutes of entering I knew that I had made a big mistake.  Thank God I had not divulged the location of Father Juan Carlos Domingo.  I didn't like the attitude of the professor at all. He immediately started talking about tests he was going to have performed on the remains. Then he mentioned that he would be doing two media interviews. One before starting the project about what he expected to find, and two, one interview after completing the “dig.”

This would all be done before he would release the remains to be sent home to Spain. Maria was horrified! Her ancestor treated like this! Father John was shaking his head as he interjected, “This is a Priest of the Catholic Church. You are making a media circus of this. I can’t condone it" He was speaking to me as well as the professor.

Without saying anything, I started collecting the items I had laid out in preparation of showing the professor what I had. I replaced them in my briefcase. The professor started babbling about how much of an endowment  he could garner if we would let him continue on with him as head of the project. He was still chasing after us as we drove off.

 Maybe I didn’t give him a fair chance, but he just didn’t seem as though he was someone I could work with. It was me ultimately, that had to see that Father Juan was treated with respect and to see that he got home.

So we boarded the plane still nowhere near getting this problem solved. We did know what we didn’t want done. I suspected that no matter who we contacted they would have a different agenda than ours. Five minutes into our flight home I said to our pilot, “Todd would you detour to the county airport in Kate’s hometown? I want to see my lawyer.”

Calling ahead to Miss Daisy’s diner, I asked if any of the family could pick up three people at the airport. There were three of us and no, Kate wasn’t with us. No problem, someone would meet us. It happened to be Mary, Tom’s wife.  

 

Dale Evens, my lawyer, was in and glad to see me. I had come to trust him for he had handled Miss Maudie’s affairs with dispatch, and carried through on getting my duties done as executor in the same manner. He was one more person to know about Miss Maudie’s secret in the cave. Anyway this knowledge was safe under attorney client privilege.

I told him the whole story. It took more than an hour. The solution was simple.  He would go with me to a funeral director with what documents we had.  This would mainly be the stone tile that Father Juan wrote with his dates and wishes that he be returned to Spain. 

The funeral director would probably go to the Medical Examiner to certify who what and when. The medical examiner most likely would have to view the body in its original setting.

"There also would be a form to be filled out and sworn to in front of a judge. This was regarding the shipping of the casket to a foreign country. With Maria here as a related party, this shouldn’t be a problem.

It was too late to do anything about it today. I had to do some organizing on what to do with Maria, Father John and of course I couldn’t forget Todd, my pilot. I rented a car and drove Father John around to the Catholic rectory. He said he was sure that the priest there would provide a bed for the night. He did. I drove by Miss Daisy’s diner to see if she had a bed for Maria and one for me. I could always go up to Miss Maudie’s cabin, but again there would be a transportation problem because of the road.

Miss Daisy said that Miss Katie’s room was available as she was on a gig tonight. The room that Kate and I had stayed in was being used by Joe and his family. They had arrived in town yesterday. Miss Daisy wanted me to come for dinner tonight to meet him. This was the only member of Kate’s family I had never met. I asked if Todd could eat with us and then I’d get a motel room for the two of us. They said of course he could. It would be fun having Todd there and reminiscing about the past trip when they flew with him to Biloxi.

Miss Daisy always amazed me. No matter how many showed up there for dinner, she always put on a superb spread. You could tell that Tom and Joe were brothers for they looked a lot alike. Joe was a lot neater in his appearance than Tom, due to his being in the military. Joe’s wife Helen was a little thing. Too scrawny for my taste. Mousy colored hair with no style and no shape to her at all. They had a daughter who looked just like her.

Billy Bob wanted Todd and me to bunk out at the farm with him. I said I had to be in town on business in the morning. Bethanne said that I must stay with them. I asked Billy Bob about the condition of the road up to Miss Maudie’s cabin. He said it was fine now that he had removed the boulder from the road. I told him that I probably would have to go up sometime tomorrow and could I borrow his jeep? No problem.

I followed Claude and Bethanne home. Their youngest, a boy, wanted to ride with me, his Uncle Jim. Soon after we got in the car the boy said to me, “Are you a saint? My sister says you are. She said only a saint could make Mom and Daddy happy like they are now. They were so sad and they made my sister and me wear Sunday clothes all the time and we couldn’t laugh and be happy and now we are. She said that if you are a saint like Saint Nick, she bets I could ask you for a puppy for Christmas and I would get one.”

How should I answer that? “Well I’m afraid I’m not a saint, but tonight when you say your prayers I think it would be all right to pray to Saint Nick as well as Jesus. Tonight when I say my prayers I will pray for a puppy for you. I think maybe he will hear us. Would that be okay?”

“Super! A puppy is a whole lot better than the baby carriage that my sister wants for her doll.”

I would pray tonight. Definitely!

After the kids were down and asleep, I did broach the subject of Christmas with their parents. It was no problem. The presents for the kids were all taken care of. I then asked if there was anything they wanted for themselves.

Claude answered, “No, we have it all. I feel like I have been led out of the darkness into the light. I thought I was so close to God and yet I was miserable. Not only that, I was making others miserable too. Everyone thought I was such a righteous person, but I knew what I was and I hated it. Talking to us like you did made me realize that in my twisted mind I was making sex into something bad and losing all of my energy doing that.”

Bethanne was smiling as Claude explained his thinking. “Now we are channeling our energy toward each other and our family. I can’t believe that I was so wrong-minded before. Bethanne and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

I answered, “Please don’t attribute too much of your change to me. If you think back to our first conversation you might remember that I didn’t really give you much advice. I brought the subject up and listened. I think the healing you feel came from your own hearts and hopefully, God.

“Some day when I don’t have so much on my mind, I think it would be enjoyable if Kate and I came and had a discussion with you. I’d like to tell you about some things that I have done and ask you what you think about them. I wake up at night and have my doubts about something I did that seemed so right at the time.” (Of course I was thinking about my being asked to impregnate Maria and the attempt to do so.)

                             Chapter Seven

Dale and I were at the funeral director’s office at eight a.m. I let Dale speak for me. He asked the question, “Have you ever had occasion to move a body after it has been interred?”

The funeral director’s name was Peter Higgins and he weighed about 350 pounds. He was huge! “Yes, of course. It’s not common, but it has to be done for one reason or another sometimes. Why, do you need one moved?”

“Yes. You remember Miss Maudie Ferguson? Before she died she sold part of her land to Jim Ryan and told him there was a burial crypt on the property. She gave him the key and asked that he enter. Jim did as she asked. She also wanted him to find a descendant of the person buried there which he has done. That descendant, one Maria Cortez, is here in town to see about getting her ancestor moved.”

The sticky question came next. “How long has this body been in the crypt and do you have any records to substantiate any of this?”

I opened my briefcase and passed the tablet to him. He inspected it very carefully. “This is in a foreign language. It looks like either Spanish or Latin.” He studied it some more. “I make out the Roman numerals as 1559.” Like everyone else who we told, Peter Higgins thought this must be some kind of hoax. He glared at Dale and then at me.

Dale continued, “You know the Andrew McPhereson monument out in the cemetery? He found the crypt when he took title to the Land Grant this town is built on. The crypt had several tiles or tablets with writing on them in it. Being curious as to what they said, he found someone to decipher them. Those tiles are still in the crypt.”

Dale waited for me to hand Peter Higgins the sheets with translation on them. “These were translated by Andrew from Spanish to English in 1607.” Peter Higgins took his time and read what the tablets had to offer.

“Jesus Christ, you mean Miss Maudie was sitting on this all these years? Do you have anything else that is more of a surprise?”

I spoke for the first time. “Every time someone was picked for processing and couldn’t carry out the wishes of the priest, that person picked someone else to hand the information on to until the wishes were complied with. Miss Maudie was the 24th to receive and she passed this on to me. I am the 25th and I think I can carry everything to completion.”

Peter Higgins was trying to comprehend all of this. “How many people know about this now?”

“Originally there were only three. Miss Maudie, myself, and my wife. Now there are several. Billy Bob Gruber, my grandmother, Maria Cortez and Father John. Father John is a priest traveling with Ms. Cortez. Also we had a pathologist come in to take some DNA tests. Beyond that there is the Spanish Ambassador and his family. There is one other that we wish didn’t and he knows some of it. That is a professor at the University of Kentucky. All he could see was fame and fortune, so he didn’t get all the details. That’s about it.”

“Where’s this Maria and the priest now? You say they are in town?”

“I think they are having breakfast at Miss Daisy’s Diner. Can I buy you a cup of coffee?”

“No, I guess not. Why don’t you go get them and meet me back here? I’ll look these items over and decide what I want to do.”

Dale and I went over to the diner and found Maria and Father John. I told them we had to go back to the funeral parlor. I couldn’t tell them yet how this was all going to come out.

Returning to the funeral home, we found the door locked, so we waited. It was 15 minutes later that Peter Higgins came around the corner and unlocked the door to let us in.

“Sorry I wasn’t here. I went over to the library. We have some papers that are in the archives about Andrew McPhereson. The writing looks to match McPhereson’s and the paper at the library appears to match too. I’m inclined to go ahead and start the paper work. Outside of the time line, everything is as it should be. I have no problem processing this.”

Shaking his head in some disbelief, he continued, “This has got to be about the most amazing thing ever!”

Peter Higgins had to send an associate undertaker to help retrieve Father Juan Carlos’ remains. I had informed the funeral director that he just wouldn’t fit into the entrance of the cave and more importantly the passage into the crypt.

We went through the details of how and what we would need. I described the body and how little the pathologist said it would weigh. We settled that Father John, who wanted to be present, would wind the mummified body in cloth covering. This would be placed in a body bag and we would carry it out. I suggested that we take along a board and include this in the cloth winding.

Father John, Maria, the undertaker and myself drove out in a small utility cargo van used around the cemeteries. We stopped at the farm so I could get the key and the jeep. Maria said she didn’t want to go farther. There wouldn’t be room in the jeep anyway coming off the mountain with the three of us and Father Juan.

The weather had turned cold as the day progressed. The ground was frozen. We would be lucky to get this done today. Tomorrow might be too late. It looked like snow which would prohibit this project until possibly spring. I’d have to ask sometime of Billy Bob how Miss Maudie survived so many years up here.

We parked the jeep behind the cabin. I went in and got three flashlights and we started up the mountain. It was pretty tough hiking. The undertaker was getting more and more nervous. I could see that he was out of his element. Father John was a trouper, aged as he was.

When we reached the entrance to the cave I stopped and said to the undertaker, “Okay we are going to have to crawl a little way uphill. Then we are going to enter into a cave where we can stand upright. The only problem with the cave is if you speak or make any sound the noise will be magnified and deafen you. We have to go around the edge of the cave until I lead you into a passage. It is very narrow but there is no danger. When I reach a door I will stop and unlock it. Then we will be inside the crypt where Father Juan lies.

“There are already some battery operated lights that I have placed in the crypt. We will use them to work by. This will only take a few minutes I hope. Then the only thing I have to do is turn out the lights and lock the door, bringing Father Juan with us. Are you ready?”

“I guess so. Caves aren’t my thing. Are you sure you need me to go with you?”

“Well, two people could probably do it, but this is your job and it is going to be much easier with three.”

“Okay I’ll give it a shot.”

Father John started into the tunnel with the undertaker dragging the body bag behind him. I brought up the rear. We reached the cave with no problem. I had cautioned the undertaker about making any noise. He was so startled when he stood upright in the cave that he dropped his flashlight. The sound was there! It reverberated and the undertaker dove for the exit, disappearing where he had entered a minute before. It looked like Father John and I had this to do alone.

Picking up the supplies we eased into the passage. It was difficult to maneuver the empty bag. It was going to be even more difficult bringing it out filled. As we reached the door and could speak out loud, Father John, thinking of the undertaker, commented, “Fear is one of life’s most powerful emotions.” I agreed as I unlocked the door.

We didn’t lose any time in preparing Father Juan for transport. After a short prayer, I slid the board we had brought with us under him. I lifted one end and Father John wound the muslin round and round until we reached the middle. Then we started at the other end. When we finished, we found our package too small and the bag way too big. Folding the bag lengthwise we tied it with the straps made to hold it to a gurney. Easing our bagged priestly remains out the door, I returned to turn off the lights.

Where the crypt had been warm and close, it now felt stark and cold with the absence of Father Juan. The only items left were the tablets with Father Juan’s writings and the lined up dolls that represented the first eleven Chosen Ones. I locked the door wondering if this was my last trip here. I would decide later when and if I would to return to remove these items.

It was awkward edging through the passage to the cave. We not only had to be careful of damaging Father Juan, but we had to juggle our lights to see by. The exit of the cave presented its own problem. Where we had to carry the bag upright in the passage, here we had to have it horizontal. We managed by my going backward down the burrow. I would reach up, lift and bring Father Juan to me. Father John was lifting and pushing forward as I was going backward. We ended up dousing our lights and doing it in the dark with me guiding my partner verbally.

I just hoped that when we reached the opening, the undertaker had not gone off and left us. Father John was about worn out from his exertions. We were on time, but just barely. The undertaker was headed down the mountain as we came out. I managed to get his attention and he returned to relieve Father John of his burden. He said, “I thought something happened to you. I was going to get help. You were gone a lot longer than you said you would be.”

All I said was, “We had to do a lot of it blind because there was no one to hold the light.” He knew I meant him and said nothing of his fearful exit.

By the time we reached the cabin and the jeep, there were snowflakes in the air and the wind was blowing a gale. I had to drive very carefully down the mountain. The undertaker was balancing the wrapped body on his knees in the back. Father John had turned and was holding our precious cargo from the front seat. I was afraid that the wind would flip Father Juan from the grasp of the hands holding him.

Maria had been waiting anxiously for our return from the mountain. We went in and got warm in Billy Bob’s quarters. I gave him a brief description of the trouble we had encountered. I asked Maria if she wanted to ride into town with us and her ancestor. She did. Father John decided to ride in comfort with Billy Bob and Todd who had been at the farm all day.

I wanted to ride in the back with Father Juan Carlos. This would be the last time I would be this close to him and I kind of wanted to say my good-bye. Maria chose to ride there with me. The undertaker moved some of the fake green-grass rugs around for us to sit on and placed Father Juan between us on a casket cradle. The undertaker drove slowly so as to not rough us up.

I spoke to Maria sitting across from me. “You know you will be going home to Spain soon. You will be meeting your love and your family. I am glad that Father Juan is going with you. This may be strange, but I feel he has been watching over me. I have the feeling he is going to be watching over you now. That makes me happy. I know that your way of life isn’t mine and I know you couldn’t choose otherwise. I hope you are happy and with Father Juan watching over you, I’m sure you will be. I truly will miss you.”

Maria looked into my eyes. We both knew that the carnal knowledge we had shared had been replaced by a more solid friendship. We clasped hand to hand with the other resting on the parcel between us. That is the way we finished our journey to town.

The funeral director was all business when we arrived. He had in stock a three-quarter size casket that would contain the remains for shipment. He had been busy on the phone to Spain. He contacted the funeral director in the town where Father Juan was to be buried. He was surprised to find that Father Juan already had a monument. This had been erected in his memory in 1575 when the church and family had finally given up hope of his return from the New World.

I said something to Father John about how it seemed that everybody in foreign countries could converse in English while here in the US, not one in twenty could speak a second language.

“Yes I know. That is one of the things that may bring about your downfall. It is a perfect example of America’s arrogance. You can go into a coffee shop in Europe and the patrons are all discussing ideas about this and that and maybe the world situation. You go into one here and all you hear is someone bragging what they have or how much money they make or how far up the corporate ladder they’ve reached--and all while they are being served by someone that is not being paid a living wage. It is sad really.”

Peter Higgins asked me who was going to pay for his services and the expense to fly the casket to Spain. I said I was responsible for everything up to the time it reached foreign soil. Maria Cortez and her family would be making arrangements and shouldering the expenses at that time.

Peter couldn’t give us any exact times when Father Juan Carlos Domingo would begin his journey home. It was in the hands of others now. I had said my good-bye to him in the van coming here from the farm with Maria. As I left the funeral home I felt a weight lifted from me. I felt good also that I had borne that burden without hesitation and completed the task that had been given me. At times I had felt lifted up when I was near Father Juan. I was going to miss him!

---

We reached Miss Daisy’s house about six p.m. Father John was exhausted and I was pretty tired myself. Todd was anxious to get into the air. I made calls to Kate asking if she would pick me up at the airport. Maria and Father John would stay over with us until they could decide how to go their separate ways. At the last minute I asked Joe, my brother-in-law, if he would like to go visit his sister.

He jumped at the chance to be reacquainted with the sibling he hadn’t seen for nearly fifteen years. We said our hurried good-byes to the Grubers. Kate and I were driving back here for Christmas in less than a week. Joe’s family was used to being without him and often away on a military tour. They would cope easily without him until Christmas.

After we got into the air, Joe asked me if he would recognize Kate (Hattie Mae) when they met. I assured him he would as she looked enough like Miss Katie to be her twin.

“So this is my baby sister I haven’t seen for so long--and pregnant too.” Kate was surprised when Joe grabbed her and gave her a big hug. We all fitted into the car and were home shortly. Father John was too tired to eat so I soon had him settled in one of our spare rooms. Gram and Kate had started a late lunch which we demolished in short order. Kate and Joe made for the living room to catch up on their lives.

Maria, Gram and I cleaned up from the meal and then Gram wanted to know how successful I was getting Father Juan taken care of. I told her about going to the university and the problems I had with the professor. She agreed with me that I had followed the right course with him.

“Maria, what are your plans now?” Gram asked.

“I was going to have Christmas with my uncle. However he may have left for Spain already. I suppose I will follow him home and be with family when I get there. I just hope I can get a flight. I promised Father John that I would stay with him until he got back to New York. He looked pretty tired tonight. Maybe a good night’s rest will rejuvenate him and we can leave tomorrow.”

Gram looked at me, “I understand you are planning on going back to Kentucky to be with Kate’s family for Christmas?”

“Yes, and we are including you.”

“Well, I’m not going. Do you realize how many kids are in that family now? I think I will stay here where it is quiet. You will be back before New Years. We can celebrate then.” I argued with Gram but I couldn’t change her mind. I would make it up to her somehow.

Snow blanketed the whole eastern half of the country that night. Father John was too sick to travel. Maria and Kate were acting more like sisters than sisters could. Joe was puzzled about Maria and Father John and why they were included so much in Kate’s and my life. I said, “If you can wait until Christmas, after dinner I will tell you the whole story. Billy Bob knows it all and has been a part of it. It is quite an inspiring tale and it is time to tell the family.”

When the roads cleared we all went Christmas shopping. Joe was buying presents for his wife and kids. I bought Gram a diamond brooch and Kate a pair of diamond earrings. I decided that I better get Miss Daisy and Billy Bob something. I was pretty much out of ideas so I settled on a brooch for my mother-in-law. Joe said she would never wear it, but she would love to have it to show off.

Billy Bob was easy. I went into a gun shop and found an engraved twelve gauge over/under shotgun, manufactured by one of the country’s most famous gunsmiths. The engraver was renowned too. I knew Billy Bob would recognize both.

I wanted to get Maria something unique. Something to remember me by. I finally bought a diamond pendant solitaire on a very, very finely wrought gold chain. So fine you could barely see it. I was assured that it was as strong as the ones with larger links. Behind the diamond was an eyelet to attach an object to hang just below the pendant. I bought a beautiful blue sapphire birthstone and had it enclosed in a separate little heart-shaped box. It had a hook to affix the sapphire to the diamond. Doing my math, I had come up with a September date if my coupling with Maria bore fruit.

Joe and Kate were watching television in another room. Father John had a light supper in his room and was resting. Gram, Maria and I were sitting around the dining room table. I was working on some paper work pertaining to the mine in Ohio. Gram was doing the same with the final sale of her business. Maria had just got off the phone to her companion in Spain, and said she couldn’t wait to see her and their little girl. Later that evening I had another vision.

I was drowsy. I had to lie my head down for just a minute. Then I was awake and standing with Maria by the cabin of Miss Maudie. We were facing overlooking the valley in the bright sunshine. There was an elderly priest I knew had to be Father Juan sitting on a boulder near us. He was speaking which I took to be a greeting. I could not understand what he said until Maria took my hand in hers.

“The son of this, your union, will become the Chosen One to tell my story. To prepare him for this, you, the father, will safeguard all of the artifacts that pertain to my journey to this New World. You, the mother, I ask that you immerse your son in the teachings and records of the church. There is a clear record of me written in the church archives. Someday you, the father, will know your son. He will come to your door and ask if you are his father. It will be possible to recognize him as your son at this time.

“To complete his university degree, the son will be doing a thesis on those of the church who went to the New World to teach the aborigines the word of God. You, his mother, will tell him of the records kept safe by his father.

“The lineage of Jesus Domingo, my brother and through him, me, has diverged and been diluted over time. It has now converged and strengthened in your union as you are both of my blood. Thus it makes possible your issue is able to tell the saga of Juan Carlos Domingo.”

“Come on Jim. Wake up and go to bed. You too Maria.” It was Gram shaking me. A minute ago I was in Kentucky in the bright sun. Now I was here at home. Maria was just waking too.

I said, “I guess I was dreaming. I dreamed I was at Miss Maudie’s cabin.” The dream was so clear to me. I looked at Maria. I had a feeling that she might have been dreaming too.

“Was the sun shining?” she asked. I nodded. I guess we had the same dream. I would like to think so anyway.

We all retired. Kate dropped off to sleep, but I was restless. I was thinking about what had occurred this evening. I nudged Kate and told her I was going down and brew a cup of tea. Maria was evidently unable to sleep as she was sitting quietly in the living room in the dark. I asked if she would like tea too. She joined me in the kitchen while it was steeping. Over our cups we compared notes on the dream we both experienced. We discussed what it meant.

We came to the conclusion that Father Juan Carlos was a favored person in the eyes of God. We realized that we must be distant cousins--really distant. Then we started laughing realizing that from all indications we didn’t have any choice in cohabiting and producing a child. It was predestined.

I asked, “Do you have any indication if you are pregnant?”

“I will know in a day or two I think.”

“I think you must be. Father Juan as much as said so.” I felt sad as I said, “You know you are heading back to Spain and your homeland. This may be the last time we talk. I would like to tell you now that when I first met you I knew that you were someone I was terribly attracted to. I thought it must be lust. I was disappointed in myself, for I really love Kate, and the new baby. Kate solved that problem by inducing me to take you to bed. Now I just feel that you are a wonderful person and will be a good mother to our child.”

Kate must have heard the murmur of our voices as she sleepily appeared in her nightgown and robe. I poured tea for her and Maria related our dream and what we had been talking about. Discussing this, I impressed upon Kate that she had a major involvement in all of this. First, it was her connection to Miss Maudie and second, the insistence of my coupling with Maria.

I interjected, “And never a jealous moment!”

Kate looked puzzled as she thought about it. “You’re right. It just seemed that it was something you should do. I can tell you this though, it better not happen again with Maria or any other woman. I didn’t feel as though you were unfaithful that one time, but I couldn’t bear the thought of it happening again.”

I decided that I would give these two women who were closest to me their Christmas presents now. I gave Kate her earrings and the promise that for New Years, we would go dancing to show them off. Kate was curious to see what I had purchased for Maria. I first handed her the box with the diamond pendant in it. Maria was thrilled.

“Oh thank you so much. It is beautiful! I shall treasure it always.”

“There is more,” I said as I handed her the little heart-shaped box. “The feeling has persisted and I believe Father Juan confirmed that you are going to have a baby. My baby. This is for you to wear after the baby is born.”

Maria, with shaking hands, undid the wrapping to the sapphire birthstone nestled in the box.

Tears were in Maria’s eyes as she thanked me again. Kate was acting so proud of me for being so thoughtful. She put the two stones together and then helped Maria off with her robe so we could see how they looked being worn with her rose-colored nightdress. The chain was the right length for the smaller stone twinkled in her cleavage set off by the larger brilliant stone above it.

Kate had to have a picture, so went looking for our camera. The final result was stupefying. Maria had the shiny black mane, the creamy olive skin, the two stones above the lacy-rose covered breast and the love of motherhood showing in her eyes. She was astonishingly beautiful. Her slightly tousled hair only added to the down-earth quality that was Maria. Mona Lisa had nothing on this fetching lady.

Kate and I were both speechless and in awe of this beautiful Madonna standing before us. “Oh come on you two. I can’t look that bad.” Little did she know why her vision had us in her spell. Finally after promising that we would remain friends forever, we went back to bed.

Gram was preparing breakfast in the morning as Joe, Kate and I were getting ready to go to Kentucky. Father John remained in bed and Maria was still sleeping when we got ready to leave. I made Gram promise to see that Father John got his Christmas present on that day. I said that Kate and I would be back in a day or so and would see everyone then.

We made good time as Joe did a lot of the driving. He was a little hesitant at first because he had been driving on the left side of the road for months and months in England. The weather was cooperating with no new snow before Christmas. Kentucky had about one in four years with snow at Christmas time. This year they had snow on the ground. The kids were all excited as they would be able to go sliding.

Miss Daisy finally gave up trying to prepare meals at home so she ordered everyone to take them at the diner. All except the Christmas meal, of course, and some of that was prepared at the diner. The house was bedlam. Billy Bob, Joe, Claude and I escaped to Tom’s house and downed a few brews. Miss Daisy called and told us to get our butts back to the house. After all this was Christmas Eve.

We sat around watching the kids open their presents by the tree. Afterwards, Billy Bob got kind of maudlin and said he wanted to recount all the good things that had happened to him this year. “Last year at Christmas I was a bitter old man. Now Miss Daisy and I have opened our eyes and renewed our love for each other. My youngest, Hattie Mae, is here with us at home. I thought I had lost her. Miss Katie has come into her own and is well on the road to fame with her music. Joe is here with his family. He tells me he is going to be in the states for awhile so I can get to know my grandkids.

“I see my Bethanne. She is married to The Preacher, a man we all have looked up to. We looked up to him, but have had reservations about him. He was just too good and too uptight. The change in him is a near miracle. He is someone you can be comfortable with, and,” Papa paused here for two heartbeats and continued, “and is a great beer drinking buddy.” This brought a huge laugh from us all for we knew The Preacher couldn’t hold much liquor.

“And last, but not least, I’m a free man with my self-respect back. Through the intervention of the nicest old lady I know, Mrs. Maude Ryan, I’ve had my prison record taken off the books. This made me brave and I went to the last commissioners’ meeting and asked why my son Tom was being passed over for road commissioner. I pointed out that he knew the roads because he traveled them every week collecting trash. I said to look at his equipment.

“Look at his financial books. Look at the damned road conditions you have now. They told me that they couldn’t have a road commissioner whose father was a felon. Otherwise Tom was perfect for the job. I showed them my pardon. At least you are going to be considered when the position is open next. I couldn’t have done this a year ago.”

Billy Bob sat down. Miss Daisy looked at him and asked, “Didn’t you forget one thing?”

“I don’t think so. What?”

“Not what. Who? Who has eased into our life and touched us all? Who came to my diner and brought my baby home? After fourteen dreary years who has made life bright and shining again?”

Bethanne’s oldest child was waving her hand and shouting, “I know, I know.”

Miss Daisy pointed to her to speak. “Uncle Jim, Uncle Jim.” The rest of the kids all took up the chorus. “Uncle Jim, Uncle Jim.”

I was embarrassed! Kate was looking at me with pride. That made me the happiest. I had to say something. I spoke to the kids. “I was orphaned when I was a baby. I didn’t have a Papa or a Mama. I only had a grandmother. I didn’t have any brothers or sisters. You have given me all of these and you have welcomed me as one of your own. I am the one who is grateful. To show you how grateful, I’m going to take all you kids swimming during school vacation in February. Who wants to go?”

All the kids were shouting, “I do.”

“Okay then that’s settled. Everybody wants to go. Now the next thing is, where? I know where there is a nice pool in Florida and guess what? It is right next to a place called Disney World. Does everyone want to go to Disney World?” The kids were all jumping around except for Tom’s youngest.

He came over to me with tears in his eyes and climbed into my lap. “I can’t go. I don’t want to leave my Mommy.”

“Yes you can, ’cause your Mommy and Daddy can go with you. Now you go tell all of your aunts and uncles that they can go too.”

Billy Bob came over to me and asked quietly if I could afford this. He said that there were nearly twenty in the family now. That was going to cost a bundle. I said I could as my great-granddaddy had left my father some money and on his death it came to me when I was twenty-eight. I wanted to splurge one time on something that would bring some joy. I thought this would be a very good way to do it.

“Well, okay, but it’s going to take an awful lot of money.”

I called Gram right after Christmas dinner. She had been waiting for my call with news. “I had to call 911 yesterday morning for Father John. He was getting no better. We talked while we were waiting for the rescue squad. He wanted to thank you for the whiskey. He did take one drink. I think that trip up to the cave was too much for him. He made me promise that I wouldn’t spoil your Christmas.” I could hear her crying as she sobbed out, “The hospital called a few minutes ago and said he had passed away.”

When she calmed down a little she wanted to talk to Kate. I moved over to Billy Bob and told him that the priest who had been with me recently had died during the night. I was going to miss the old fellow, for he had helped me a lot and was a true friend.

After talking to Gram, Kate came over to where I was standing with her Papa. “I think we should go to Gram. She is all alone and pretty sad.”

“Isn’t Maria there with her?”

“No. She is in Spain by now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Before we were out of sight leaving for here, her uncle had made connections to fly her to Atlanta and then she was to go on to the Azores. By the time she got that far he would have a flight to Madrid for her. As I say, she must be in Spain by now.” Kate stood looking at me, reading my mind. “I miss her too.”

Kate started packing up to leave. I thought that maybe the priest that Father John stayed with here in town would like to know of his demise, so I called him. He thanked me for letting him know. A short time later after a few tearful good-byes, we were on the road back to Virginia.

It was a long sad trip home. Kate cried off and on all the way. Father John had been more than just a person I knew. He had supported me and guided me.

Maria, well I think it was best that she left the way she did. I couldn’t imagine having to say good-bye to her. I thought about her for hours on end. In one way I was glad that she had taken herself away from me. If I didn’t have Kate I would have loved Maria with all my soul. I was sensible enough to know that way would have led to heartbreak for me. She just could not love a man, me or any other. I finally resigned myself to love her as the mother of my child and not as a woman. This is when I didn’t even know for sure that she was with child. With this resolve I put these feelings away in the deepest recesses of my mind.

Kate and I drove straight through and reached home in the early hours the next morning. Gram wasn’t up so we were quiet and went to bed. It was nearly three in the afternoon when we awoke. We showered and went down and listened while Gram related what had transpired in our absence. Gram had called the Catholic retirement home where Father John had been residing. They took over and promised to see that his remains were taken care of.

Kate asked about Maria’s leaving. Gram said that a member from the Ambassador’s entourage appeared at the door almost immediately following our disappearing from view. Gram had just about time to gather her belongings, give her a hug and send her on her way. Gram felt that it was lucky Maria had someone that would be traveling with her.

We sat at the dining table as Gram finished. All of a sudden we realized that this was where we were five months ago when Kate and Gram had first met. “No black eye now though. God, that was a long time ago!” Kate started the rehashing of all that had happened. We all added something as we remembered it. We all felt we had accomplished everything that had been set before us. What more could you ask than to meet life’s challenges head-on and resolve them to the satisfaction of family and friends.

E-mail to Maria from Kate:
Hi Maria. Hope you arrived home safely! We miss you terribly. We do understand how and why you had to leave as you did.

We have some sad news for you. Father John passed away before we got back from Christmas with my folks. He was a great friend to us all. He just never recovered from the chore of retrieving Father Juan from the crypt. He had a few words with Gram the night before he died. He knew he was sick and wanted Gram to tell Jim and you that these last few months were the high point of his life. I think he passed away happy

Jim received some news today that he is overjoyed with. There was confirmation from the laboratory that you and he are indeed distant cousins, with Father Juan a common ancestor. No way of telling how far apart you cousins are, but you both are equally distant from Father Juan Carlos Domingo with the same lineage. He doesn’t say if his joy comes from being a distant cousin to you or knowing his ancestor was Father Juan.

You must be happy to be home after being here in the States for so long and away from your loved ones. Jim sends regards to your uncle, the Ambassador.

I’m waiting on news from you about the things that took place in Miss Maudie’s cabin. Do tell ASAP. 

Missing you! Love, Kate (Jim sends his love too!)

Kate sent this off to Maria. I thought about Maria a lot. We had the common bond in Father Juan that bound us together. Only time would tell if there was another bond as well.

E-mail from Maria to Kate:
Hi Kate and Jim. I do have news that somehow I became pregnant while journeying in the States (surprise, surprise). I think about September 7th you can call me Mommy Maria.

It has raised a few complications for me though. First, Terri, my love interest here, hasn’t been able to cope with me becoming (that way) the natural way, so things are strained between us to some extent. Second, my mother is shocked that I am pregnant at all. 

Your e-mail telling me that Father Juan is mine and Jim’s ancestor helped a little. I did relate the dream that I had to mother about Father Juan. My uncle surprisingly has taken up for me with my mother. Uncle told her all the difficulties Jim went through to make sure that my ancestor was returned to Spain

Jim will be getting a commendation letter from the church officials for his efforts. Uncle is making sure Jim gets all the credit. This helped even more with mother.

I haven’t said who the father of my baby is, not even to Terri, and I will continue to keep it a secret. I just want you both to know how happy I am. Somehow I have the feeling that Father Juan is looking out for me and that I am under his protection.

Miss you both! Love, Maria

Now I knew. Two women pregnant by me and I loved them both, maybe even equally. I took my marriage vows to Kate seriously. I do not feel as if I had done anything wrong, and as unusual as it may seem, I have the feeling that Kate feels the same way. Both are happy and I don’t see any complications arising in the future. The thought passed through my mind fleetingly, that if anything happened to me, both would survive. Kate has her family here and Maria has her own family. I’m sure the ambassador would not let harm come to Maria.

---

Kate received a call from the nursing home in Atlanta GA that her foster mother was near death’s door. We made a hurried trip to be with her. Her mother lived two days after our arrival, but was not lucid at any time. Kate did have a chance to visit with some of the neighbors she grew up near.

And we did go out to a club where she knew that some of her former high school classmates used to hang out. She found a couple of her friends there and was able to catch up on what the old gang was doing now. It was mostly gossip and didn’t interest me much.

However, we were just about to leave when this big pig of a person sidled up to Kate and started to make lewd remarks. Kate’s face got pretty red and I knew she was uncomfortable being near him. She introduced me to him as her husband and named him as Brian Stivak, saying that he was the football captain when she went to school. She quickly explained that she had one date with him, and one only.

“So, Baby, you’re married, huh? What does your loser husband do? I’ll bet you wished that you had stuck with me. I’m going to be owning the Ford/Mercury car dealership in a couple of years. Too bad you didn’t play your cards right, and you could’ve been part of it.”

I could tell Kate wanted to get away from this obnoxious piece of humanity. He was taller than me by about four inches and probably outweighed me by seventy-five pounds, mostly in the gut. “Excuse me Brian, we have to leave. My mother died this morning and I don’t feel like talking over old times.” She pushed me toward the exit. Several people had heard this exchange and went out with us.

Brian followed us out, bragging on what a success he had become. “Hey Baby, remember that hand job you gave me in the back of my father’s car prom night? If you hadn’t run off you could have had some real loving.” He was getting to me now!

I turned to some of the crowd that had overheard his remarks and asked, “Do you think he has insulted my wife enough? Would any of you object if I gave him a lesson in manners?” Several bystanders shook their heads okay.

A grin came on Brian’s face and he came for me. He may have been a football star years ago, but he definitely was out of shape now. I dodged his first punch and landed a good right fairly low in his belly. I followed it with a left to the solar plexus. The next one landed right on the point of his jaw. It didn’t put him down and it changed his mind about mixing it up any further.

The crowd was clapping now. Brian started to jabber about being attacked and was going to sue my ass off. Kate took over then. Pointing to another of her former classmates she said, “Tell Brian if we hear anymore about this, we will be the ones to do the suing. We can, you know. We flew in here in Jim’s jet. We probably have more lawyers than Brian has men working at his little piss-ant dealership. Right now they are working on how to distribute $33,000,000 in bonuses to Jim’s employees.”

Kate walked up and slapped Brian in the face. “So sue me for that. You tried to force me into having sex. I couldn’t do much about it then, but I can now.” Tears started in her eyes, as we turned and went to our car.

“What was that all about?”

“I was kind of star struck during high school. I thought it must be neat to have a date with a football star. I’ll admit I may have led him on before the prom, but you saw how he was tonight. He was worse--much worse that night. We went parking. I was afraid I was going to be raped. I finally agreed to give him a hand job. That wasn’t enough. He was insisting on more. I escaped to a friend’s nearby car while he was cleaning up. Needless to say he was pissed. The next day he totally destroyed my reputation. Luckily school was most over, so I was able to keep out of his way.”

“You kind of laid on my accomplishments pretty heavy to the crowd, didn’t you?”

“Maybe, but who’s to know? We are leaving town right after the funeral tomorrow. It couldn’t do any harm and it made me feel good.”

We felt good, me for defending my wife’s honor, and Kate felt good for getting back some of her lost reputation.

We put Mrs. O’Toole in the family plot next to her husband Clarence. Kate pointed out that there was room for her in the cemetery lot, but she never would be buried there because of being reunited with her birth family. On the flight back to Virginia, Kate told me about living with the O’Toole’s. I surmised that they did whatever they could for Kate, but it wasn’t a particularly happy time growing up with them. I was hoping I was making her happy now. She assured me that I was.

---

Gram and I were busy through January and February getting ready to turn the business over to the new owners. This was to be finalized on the last day of February. I found that there was no way I could leave Gram for the vacation that I had promised the Grubers the second week of February.

Joe and Miss Katie were used to traveling. I sent Claude all of the reservations I had made with the airplane charter, the motel and a credit card to cover all the expenses at Disney World. I told him what the maximum was on the card and I expected him to use it all. I did convince Kate to go, although she felt she was running out on me. Billy Bob was the only one who begged off.

Kate said it was nerve-wracking with the kids and all and flew home in two days. She did say that the family was having a great time. Miss Daisy was trying to get Claude to spend everything on the card I had given him so she could step in with some extra money.

It was fortuitous as Kate helped me where she could, taking notes as our lawyers threw different facts at us to be taken care of. We actually had two sales going. Gram’s major mine operations going to one corporation and the small one that Will Green and the employees were buying, the other. This is the one that I was investing in.

The day was here! Gram was sad as she scripted her final signature for both sales. She was worried that the corporation wouldn’t take care of all of her former employees, but knew it was out of her hands now. I told her that she had been one of the best employers in the country, and I had seen no resentment that she was selling. “When you give out the bonuses next week, people will think you are God.”

Will and Barbara, Kate and I, the employee representative and his wife, and the company lawyer, all went out to celebrate as the new mine owners. We invited Gram to go along with us. She said that she didn’t feel it was her place to intrude, but when pressed by all of us, she went with us.

I have said in the past that Gram has “presence.” She showed it that night. She was the benevolent Queen Mother to all of her subjects--us. She was happy to be with us and we were happy that she was. Later in the evening after getting our undivided attention, Gram made the announcement to our little group about what she intended. “You all know that at present I am an embarrassingly rich lady. I’d like to tell you some of my plans. Kate and Jim have come up with a plan to start a trust fund to further the education of eligible students who want to study in fields related to energy.

“Jim has toured the various companies that I owned looking for people to work with us. On his recommendation, I would like to ask Will Greene to be one of those involved. Don’t answer tonight Will, but please consider it. The preliminary figures indicate that we will have about a million dollars to give out the first year. As our income from investments increases, it should be more. This is non-profit, so we will be giving out most of the income each year. It will be known as the ‘Ryan Trust’.”

Gram sat back and waited for the reactions from Will and the rest of the group. Will thought that he would definitely be on board for this, as long as it didn’t interfere with the running of our mine operation. He wanted to know with whom he would be associated. Gram said me, for sure, and a couple more that Will knew in the mining business.

“One more thing. I am giving out a bonus to all of my former employees. The checks have been cut and everyone will get them next week. Knowing Will and Arthur (the representative) would be here tonight, I pulled them and brought them along to give to you.” Gram passed them to the two involved.

“My God,” Will exclaimed, “this is almost a year’s salary.”

“I know. It took a long while to figure out what everyone should get. The bonus is all based on your position with the company and the length of employment. Nobody gets the same, but all will get something. I tried to be fair to all and I think I have been.”

Kate and Barbara were fast becoming friends and knowing that Will and I would be working together, she asked the two to stay over. Will declined because he didn’t want Arthur to feel left out. I understood as the employees were what made the business run and he didn’t want their representative slighted in the least.

The Federal government and five different states were due taxes from the sell-out of Gram’s mines and related businesses. When I saw the figures, I hadn’t imagined it would be so much. The amount for the start-up of the Ryan Trust was less because of the taxes and less than I had first envisioned. Still it was a substantial amount and would help a lot of students.

The bonus checks, which amounted to $33,000,000, went out as promised and the trust money was assigned. The company jet had been sold with the company. I asked Gram how she felt. “Actually I feel better than I thought I would. Sixty-nine years doesn’t seem awfully old but it will seem good not to have to come into an office as often. Besides I still have the Ryan Trust to think about and work with.”

“Gram, did you save any money for yourself?”

“Well, not much compared to what I was worth a short time ago. I still own the home place in West Virginia and I kept out of the sale a few likely looking pieces of land that might show some promise if they were developed.” She grinned as she said this. I knew then that Gram hadn’t changed that much. My grandfather had taught her well! “Oh, and I have the salary as board chairman from the trust.”

---

I had asked Will to look around for a suitable abode in Ohio for Kate and I. I couldn’t decide for sure if we wanted to move there. I would be out there a lot and I didn’t want to leave Kate alone too much. Will called and said he had found a house just down the street from him that would be on the market in a few weeks. Life for me has changed. Getting about now was a little more inconvenient, as I couldn’t rely on Gram’s airplane for transportation. I did fly out, but the airport was an hour drive to the mine. This was going to take some getting used to.

I loved the house and decided that I would buy it if Kate approved. I took several photos and had Barbara write Kate a description of the good and bad points that she saw in the house. Kate was almost paranoid in having me away from her with the baby coming and all. I suggested she go to her family to stay if I was out of town. No, she didn’t want to do that. Barbara came up with a solution by inviting us to stay with her and Will until we were settled.

The middle of April Kate and I packed our bags and headed for Ohio, knowing we probably wouldn’t ever stay in our house in Virginia again. We moved into the spare room at Will’s house. It was only temporary since I was looking for a furnished apartment until we could purchase our own home. Two days later I found one near the mine and so we put our clothes in the closet. It wasn’t home but hopefully we would buy the house before the three-month lease on the apartment was up.

                             Chapter Eight

Kate and I were nowhere near settled into our apartment. I had been spending most every day in the mine and getting acquainted with both management and those who burrowed under the surface. Will, my CEO and technically my boss, said he wanted to create an expanded position in mine safety. I was the only person available to take on these duties without hiring someone specifically. I was, of course, familiar with mine safety having grown up in the mining business. Will had several ideas that would address any worst case scenarios and he wanted them instituted as soon as possible.

Government regulations have had coal mines jump through hoops after the mine disasters that have occurred in the last few years. No one doubted that it was for the best, but some mines had been dragging their feet; i.e., doing the paperwork, but not putting the safety measures in place. I toured the mine every day and felt we were in full compliance. Will’s idea was to double the warning systems and back them up adequately. This mine produced anthracite coal with three levels working simultaneously.

I enjoyed being down below ground--always have! However, I noticed that I was uncomfortable when I was down to the third level near the face of the vein. Will said that this was the smallest vein of coal that we were following and it probably would pinch out to nothing soon. By nothing, he meant not profitable, as there would still be some coal there. As I say, I was uneasy and checked with the crew captain every day when the shift was over.

Will was observing me, because he thought I was obsessing over safety down there on the third level. I was new and he felt I didn’t have the experience to determine what was safe and what was not. I backed off, not saying too much for the next couple of days, but I was still feeling impending disaster. That night I had another one of my infrequent visions.

It was of miners running down a mine passageway which I recognized as the one at the third level. I could see and feel their palpable fear. Behind them I could see water rushing along the shaft floor. I then saw them turning into a nearby stope and climbing to an abandoned drift at the second level. I did not see where any were trapped, but it was a possibility. I awoke covered with sweat.

I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I got up and drove over to the mine. Going into the office, I pulled a map of the mine shafts, drifts and stopes. The third level did have three stopes branching off from it. The nearest was only about two hundred feet back from where the machine was grinding the face of the vein. Tracing with my finger on the map, I followed the stope upwards until it reached an abandoned drift near where the second level crew was working.

I was concerned enough that I called Will at home. The previous year I had a vision in his office, so I knew he would give some credence to this one. I told him my fears over the phone.

“When is this supposed to happen?”

“I haven’t the slightest idea. Soon I would think. I just don’t want to have it happen without warning the miners that something might occur.”

Will was silent and then said, “I think I will come down to the mine, and we will discuss this.”

My first question was, “How often does a mine run into trouble with water?”

“Not often in this area. We have never had any at this mine. It is mostly small veins of water that we easily control by putting in sumps and pumping it to the surface. You say this was a huge amount of water?”

“Yes, the men were in water up to their knees and it was climbing fast by the time they reached the stope.”

“Christ, this could flood the whole mine!” Will sat there thinking. “But I can’t stop work because of a vision, not when we have a mining engineer. I have confidence in him, but I know how powerful your vision was the last time.” Will had a decision to make.

“You’re sure that this is the shaft that you saw? We have three other shafts on that level.”

“Yes, I recognized the stope and that is the only one I have uneasy feelings about.”

Will took the map and pored over it some more. “Okay, here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to hold the shift here in the morning and send Manny down to take a look at the face of the vein. Do you want to go down with him?”

“Of course.”

Then Will exclaimed, “That drift on the second level is filled with rubble. Damn! We were going to bring it to the surface sometime when work slacked off.”

“How much time will it take to punch a hole in the rubble large enough to get a man through?”

“Two-three days, maybe. You have no idea whether this is imminent or down the road a spell?”

“No I don’t, but I think sooner rather than later.”

Will sat there pondering his options. “Jim, I’m going to put this up to the men. After all they own this mine. I think I will tell it like it is. That you are uneasy about the work in this shaft. That you don’t have these feelings on the other work faces, just this one. Our own mining engineer, Manny, has inspected the area closely and can’t see anything wrong. However, I’ll say that you have been around mines all of your life and although you have heard of men having these feelings, this is the first time for you.

“You know, if nothing happens, you’re going to be thought a little off. Are you willing to take that chance? Of course if you are correct, God forbid, and no one gets hurt, you are going to look pretty damned good.”

“Will, lay it out anyway you want, I’d rather be labeled a fool than have anyone injured.” Having said this, I was beginning to have doubts in myself.

I went home and got some breakfast, returning to the mine before the first miners arrived. I was confident now. I had debated phoning Gram, but as I passed the computer to reach the phone a message said, “You’ve got mail.”

It was from Maria to Kate, short and terse and it said:
Kate, tell Jim I dreamed about Father Juan last night. He didn’t say anything but he was smiling. I felt that Jim should know. Love to all, Maria

Will motioned to me from the office as I drove in. Manny and the crew chief were seated with Will and he had already repeated our earlier discussion. “You three go down and inspect that work-face and area with a fine-tooth comb. Imagine a worst case scenario and see what you can set up for a reasonable escape plan. I’m going to put the rest of the crew making another exit through that drift that the stope connects to on the second level.

Going down in the lift, neither Manny nor the other worker said anything. I could read their minds, though, and it wasn’t pleasant. I couldn’t blame them, my being on site and on the job only days. I’m sure I would feel the same if the roles were reversed. We were at the work-site and looking at the machine that tore the coal off the face of the vein. Everything seemed to be stable and harmless. Moving this giant machine away from where it sat ready to start ripping at the vein, Manny inspected every inch of the face. The crew chief did the same with the ceiling and walls.

“We’ve come nearly a half mile from the lift through rock and coal just like what you see here. We can probably go another half mile forward and it still would be the same. It’s solid! The only difference is that the coal vein is pinching out. We most likely will be shutting down here in a month or so if the vein narrows at the same rate, but there is a lot of coal still that we can get out. There is nothing here to worry about. I’d stake my reputation on it.”

“Okay, you know your job, I’ll give you that. It’s just that I feel something is wrong here. Question--Is there any indication of a large amount of water anywhere? That seems to be the only thing that I can think of. We have no indication of a volatile gas and the shaft is solid so we can rule out a cave-in. What happens if we should bore into a river or something like that?”

“Unlikely. We have never run into any underground streams in this section of the mine. We do have a few seeps in various places, but nothing to worry about.”

“I guess that you can tell Will that the miners can resume their work here. I’ll back you up. Let’s inspect that stope that is back of us while we are here. If an accident should happen, that would be the best way to evacuate the miners.”

Manny was pleased that I came around to his assurance that it was perfectly safe to put the miners back to work. We back-tracked to the entrance of the chamber to the upper level via the stope. We moved along the drift until we were within a few hundred feet of the lift to the surface. Rubble blocked the shaft from floor to ceiling. Manny spoke, “At one time we were going to take all of this rubble to the surface, but that ties up a lot of manpower. We decided that when we closed off this portion of the mine when the coal played out, we could just dump it down one of the stopes.”

I could see the sense of the thinking behind that. We returned the way we had come and went down to the third level and headed for the lift. Manny had called to the surface having the mining crew sent down to go to work.

The crew chief that had been with Manny and me, left us when we met the men. I had a short conversation with the crew chief as he joined the other workers. “If anything looks unusual down here, don’t wait around, head for the lift. If you don’t think you can make it, start climbing the nearest stope and we’ll get you out from above.” I know he thought I was crazy for harping on there still being a danger. I didn’t know what else to say so I left him and the other fifteen men while I returned to the surface.

Will and I got together when I reached the surface. “Everything looked okay, I take it?” Will questioned.

“Yes. I may be wrong but I don’t think so. Let’s go on the assumption that I am right. How about putting a small crew to punching a hole through the rubble? Just large enough to get the men out if we have to. I think we ought to have a standard policy that none of the shafts and drifts are to be filled solid.” I wasn’t suggesting this as the new kid on the block wanting to throw my weight around, but as a bonafide safety measure.

“Okay, I’ll go with that. I can sell this to all the men as a safety measure. I’ll use overtime and give the miners two hours after their respective shifts are over to work in these areas. I will start clearing the blockage on this particular drift immediately.”

I went home fatigued more than I had ever been. Kate was up and I had a question for her. “How often have you exchanged e-mails with Maria?”

“Oh, quite often. Every two or three days. After all we have one thing in common.”

I knew she was referring to the fact that both Kate and Maria were pregnant by me. “Has she ever mentioned Father Juan before?”

“No and she never mentions having dreams, either. Is there something you aren’t telling me that I should know about?”

I didn’t want to alarm her, but I didn’t want to keep her in the dark about this either. “Well, I had another vision last night. It was about a disaster in one of the mine shafts. There is one place I have been very uneasy about when I toured that section for safety. I’ve just come from there and have taken all the precautions that both me and the mining engineer could think of. Will is on board with me on this. He knows firsthand that occasionally I have visions.

“The e-mail from Maria about Father Juan seems to reinforce that I am on top of the problem.” I was tired beyond belief, so I went to lie down. It was eleven a.m. when I glanced at my watch.

I was brought upright by the klaxon at the mine sounding off. It had come! The sound that everyone feared at every mine-site in existence meaning a disaster at the mine! I was up and out the door and on my way. When I reached the mine, miners were being raised from the bowels of the earth as fast as the lift could travel up, deposit its burden and go back for another complement of miners.

Will was at the mine head and I circled towards him, making my way through the miners and the families who were arriving by the carload. Will acknowledged my presence by saying, “It happened just as you said it might, with the machine breaking through all of a sudden and water everywhere. The men dropped their tools and ran for their lives.

"We have all the crews up from the third level, other than those that were working where the problem occurred. We are still in contact with the crew and should continue to be for awhile at least. Your directive to head for the nearest mine stope was right on. The crew has made it to the second level drift by now.

“No one has been injured yet and it is going to take a long time for water to fill all of the cavities that have been excavated on the third level. I am keeping rescue crews at work trying to reach those trapped behind the rubble on level two. I warn you, it is going to take time though.”

I had never been on-site when miners had been trapped before. It was a sickening feeling. You could see fear and anxiety on the faces of everyone. Then hope took a downturn. We lost contact with the trapped miners! The water had risen and shorted out our line of communication. I traveled down to where the crews were working feverishly to gain access. I couldn’t really help and soon saw that I was in the way.

Instead of going back up to the surface, I went down in the lift to see how fast the lower level was filling with water. I was surprised that the chamber, although it had four or five feet on the floor, wasn’t rising too fast. It still had several feet to go to reach the average eleven foot ceiling. One other thing I discovered, the water smelled stagnant. To me, this was good, meaning we had not tapped into an underground stream. Time was on our side to effect the rescue.

Again returning to where the rescue crew was operating, I asked how things were progressing. The foreman said he was advancing toward the trapped men at the rate of twelve to twenty feet an hour through the rubble. He also told me that most likely the trapped men were not sitting still and were digging themselves toward us as well. Still he thought that it would take thirty hours more to get the men out. This meant that another day would go by before the miners could rejoin their families on the surface.

I took Will aside and filled him in on my conjectures about the water coming into the mine. We came to the conclusion that maybe, hopefully, the mine could be pumped out, especially if the water didn’t rise above the third level. We put all thought of that behind us until we had everyone above ground and safe.

Work progressed slowly. The media soon started arriving, wanting interviews from anybody that would talk to them. Will made a short, abrupt statement and then said that he was too busy for more questions. The reporters started badgering some of the families whose loved ones were still trapped below with questions. I phoned the local police and asked for crowd control. They segregated the media away from the mine head. We let it be known that they were welcome to talk to anyone, but it had to be voluntary. There are always some who wanted their moment on camera so the media didn’t lack for interviewees.

The first night wore on. Will was a master of organization, rotating the rescue crew with new members as soon as those below started to tire. So far we weren’t too terribly concerned about the trapped men running out of oxygen, starving or becoming overly dehydrated. It was just that we had to provide an exit for the miners. The worst mine disasters were usually caused by explosive gas and/or cave-ins. So far there were no indications that this could happen in this situation.

The job at hand presented its own problems. There was no way that a tunnel could be driven through the rubble, as it was too loosely compacted and would cave in on itself. The crew was working along the top near the ceiling of the drift. The rubble consisted of chunks of rock that were all sizes and irregular shapes. Where the stone was small in character, it could be hauled back and disposed of easily. Every once in a while, a large piece of several hundred pounds would be encountered and had to be worked out of the way.

The work did go forward at a healthy pace--even faster than Will had predicted. There was one rescue crew member who was injured. He was excavating a bed to roll a large stone into and out of the way, when it moved before he was ready and pinned his leg, breaking it we feared. He was more concerned about holding up the forward progress than the injury to his limb. “Pry the damned thing off of me and get me out of here.”

The men working with him were afraid of causing more damage to his leg and said so. “I don’t care. Get me out and get on with it!” That’s what they did and another miner took his place immediately.

Twenty-seven hours and nineteen minutes after the klaxon sounded, the crowd cheered as the first of the trapped miners stepped off the lift at the mine head. They all were tired, hungry and thirsty, but in excellent health otherwise. Ambulances were there to transport them all to the hospital for evaluation. Mine safety officials were on hand--both State and Federal. News bulletins went out to the various news organizations.

Most of the media put it on their wires and started leaving for some disaster somewhere else in the world. No deaths and the suspense was over. Why hang around?

The men all slept in the arms of their loved ones that night. Me, did I have anything to be thankful for? Maybe! At least I had given the crew chief a course of action to take immediately if something happened. He was competent so more than likely would have done it anyway. If nothing else, I realized that Father Juan was still in my life.

The mine was shut down for two days while we assessed what damage the flood had caused. We pretty much figured, and all the experts agreed, that we had broken into an underground water cistern created there eons ago. We couldn’t tell for sure. We would find out when we had pumped the lower levels dry. We ended up with about eight feet of water, more or less, in all of the third level. It had flowed into all of the drifts and everyone of the working sites were flooded out on that section. However, when the water reached a certain level it stopped rising.

We had a few small pumps owned by the mine, but knew this wouldn’t make a dent in reducing the capacity of water involved. A lot depended on whether we had fully drained the cistern, or whether there was more that would wash in as we pumped the mine. We even discussed shutting down the lower section of the mine. A full forty percent of our known reserves were at that level. We had to at least make an effort that would still keep the mine an economic proposition. A lot of miners would lose their jobs if we couldn’t.

Another problem that we were fully aware of was how the water we pumped would be taken care of. We had the state resources board looking over our shoulder and we wouldn’t want to dump this water back into the environment without treatment. We just didn’t know if the facility we had was large enough to handle it. Back in the time when Gram had owned this mine she had a treatment plant installed with lagoons constructed to what she thought would take care of any contingency. It wouldn’t be enough. The machinery was in place and large enough. It was the lagoon capacity we were short on.

The rumors started, as they are bound to, that the mine was going to be shut down because it had flooded. Will and the rest of the mine management became aware of this when the town fathers showed up asking questions. We explained our situation and promised we would keep the mine open if at all possible. They promised assistance if and when needed.

The engineers we hired were able to figure out approximately how many million gallons of water we had in the mine. They concluded that we would need at least two more lagoons of the size we had.

Permitting processes are usually slow but with the town, the county and the state not wanting the mine closed, emergency meetings were held at every juncture. Almost before our leased pumps arrived, we had our construction permits for two more lagoons in hand. We were able to use all of our idled miners on the construction. Of course the work never stopped on both level one and level two, as they weren’t affected in any way. Busy place! We never really figured out the finances of all this. We just knew that it would be bad for everyone if the mine closed.

We watched the water level closely as the huge pumps started sucking water from the lowest level. It took several hours of pumping before there was any indication that the level would lower at all. When the indicator showed that the water was down the first eighth inch, we knew we were going to save the mine.

The treatment plant was well constructed and worked to perfection. It was just a matter of keeping the solids in the water suspended until it went through the machinery that injected the alum as it passed into the lagoon. There the solids would bind together and settle to the bottom as they became heavier.

If there was too much bacteria, that would be treated at the same time. When one lagoon was full, the water was diverted to the next. It took a long time for the solids to settle out of a filled lagoon. Eventually the water cleared and could be pumped into a nearby river or creek. The solids were then scooped out and disposed of, leaving an empty lagoon. Then the lagoon could be reused until filled with the settled solids again.

This water was nasty stuff and there was going to be a mess on the mine floor when the water was removed. Water and coal dust, along with stone dust from the rock, made a mucky mess. It was going to have to be cleared before the miners could resume work.

All of us were concentrating on the area where the water flooded us out. Finally after days we were down to just slop on the chamber floor. We jury-rigged some giant squeegees to the front of some bobcats and were in business again. The machine motor that drove the apparatus against working face was of course useless, but still there were some salvageable parts.

Hauling the machine away from the face, several chunks of coal and rocks dropped to the floor, leaving a gaping hole. Shining light through the aperture we could see a large cavern. The machine had just nicked the bottom and tore through the edge. It looked bigger than the amount of water that had poured into our mine so it couldn’t have been full. The floor of the cavern appeared to be free of the sludge that was plaguing the mine. It was rough and uneven though.

Manny, our mining engineer, crawled through the hole and stood upright in the cavern. Taking a hammer, he knocked chips off the walls near where he entered. Inspecting them with his light he declared, “This is coal.” Circling the cavern, he stopped every little while and inspected some samples. We watched from the opening and we were curious to what he was finding.

Returning, he looked down at us and stated, “If this coal has any depth to it we’ve hit a pretty good reserve here. I’m going to have to do some core sampling. Time will tell what we have.”

I called Gram that night relating all of the happenings in the last few days. She started chuckling when I reached the point about what we may have found. This might turn out to be a major coal deposit. “Jim, your grampa could buy a piece of property and invariably it seems, it would have coal under it. You invested in this mine and within weeks the possibility exists that ‘Ryan’s Luck’ is inherent in you. Live with it! I did, and enjoyed it to the fullest.”

Gram was coming out to meet Will and me to tell me she and her staff had settled on who and where our first grant and scholarships would go. They were to be ready for the graduations coming up. Gram said that she had almost $973,000 to present among the various recipients. She was meeting us here because Will was too busy to travel and I didn’t want to leave Kate for any length of time. Kate was late into her eighth month of pregnancy.

It was a busy month before the baby was due. We finally were able to sign the papers on the new house. Things at the mine were changing all the time. The core samples in and off the cavern were unbelievably good. It was going to create some special problems to get the coal to the surface. There was so much coal to be extracted, we had to be sure we didn’t weaken the interior and have it cave in on us. Well, that was what we hired engineers for.

The movers were unloading the furniture from our home in Virginia and placing it under the direction of Kate. It was a fairly simple job as we had never taken time to get into collecting “stuff.” Kate had become friendly with some of the miners’ wives and they were glad to come over and unpack the boxes of linen, bed items, silver, etc. This house wasn’t as large as the “painted lady” we moved out of, so we still had to have some items in storage. After two days, Kate asked me to do a walk through. I could call this home. It looked comfortable and all I had to do now is to fill it up with kids.

Gram promised to stay with Kate while I tended to some business that had concerned me. I couldn’t get away from the fear that the tablets in the Father Juan crypt were in jeopardy. I wanted to get them into a more safe environment. To do this I had to go to Kentucky. I know I had given the professor at the university only a bare bones outline of Father Juan, but he sensed how big this could be if the media was informed.

I informed Billy Bob and Miss Daisy that I would be arriving and asked if they would put me up for a couple of days. Certainly, but they were very disappointed that Kate wouldn’t be with me. We sat down for dinner that night and I fully explained to my hosts about Miss Maudie and Father Juan. They sat enthralled as I related all that had occurred.

My explanation started with this statement. “You all know better than me that Miss Maudie was reputed to have the ability to see things in the future. Well, that is a fact. However, that was only part of her ability. Most of her life she was a guardian of a secret hidden in a cave above her cabin. Miss Maudie was waiting for me to come on the scene by marrying Hattie Mae. From that point on it was just a matter of time after I was chosen to complete what had been set in motion, God knows how many years ago.”

I went on to relate the whole story of Father Juan Carlos Domingo. “Miss Maudie has passed on the power to me. I believe that it comes directly through Father Juan now that Miss Maudie is gone.”

“You mean,” Billy Bob asked, “if you had gone to the Kentucky Derby last week, you could have picked the winner?”

“No, I don’t think so. It is a power to show you the way, by planting in your mind the correct option to solve a problem. I wouldn’t attempt to use it for personal gain. It just wouldn’t be right. Sometimes if you are in doubt, Father Juan will indicate in some way that you are on the right track.” I went on to tell about the mine disaster and the e-mail from Maria and her dream about Father Juan smiling.

The next day, with Billy Bob’s help, I started to remove the clay tablets from the crypt. It took several trips getting them out the narrow passage a few at a time. The crypt was so cold and lifeless--not like when Father Juan’s remains were there. The last items to come out were the little representative dolls of the first Chosen Ones. It was a relief to finally finish cleaning out the crypt!

I stored them in the locked gun safe at Billy Bob’s farm and dog kennels. Billy Bob asked me if I thought these sacred items would be safe enough there. “The safest place for something you are going to hide is out where everyone can see it. Amongst the other safes, I’m sure they will be. Besides, they are fireproof, airtight and burglar proof.”

Tom, Mary, Bethanne, and Claude were at Miss Daisy’s for the evening. Billy Bob explained why I was in town and what we had been doing. He was overly impressed with what I had told him about having insight and how I had some visions. I could see that a light dawned in the eyes of Bethanne and Claude. They realized that I had some possible divine help when I listened to their problems about their life. Again The Preacher’s faith was reinforced in God.

Kate and I were counting off the days until our baby was due. “Two weeks ’til splashdown!” brought me a thrown pillow. Under Gram’s name and direction, I e-mailed Alice about the baby shower. Alice had become a staunch friend when Kate realized how she had been saved from making a fool of herself months ago at the Red Lion. Instead of sending a gift from Virginia, Alice took time off from her job and surprised Kate at the shower with her presence. Not only that, John and his wife sent a gift with thanks for having his job reinstated.

Gram also made sure that Maria knew that a shower was planned. UPS delivered a package on the day of the event to Gram from Maria. Barbara, Will’s wife, was the official hostess and the shower was held at her home. Miss Daisy, Mary and Bethanne came up from Kentucky. Barbara and Bethanne knew each other, both through Bethanne’s connection with Will while growing up and of course with the deception of The Preacher before they had straightened their life out.

The traditional Memorial Day was hot and muggy. Kate was out of sorts with me and even short of temper with Gram. Being a weekday I’m sure Kate didn’t suspect what was going on when Barbara invited her over to relax by the pool. She tried to beg off but I insisted that she go. After all Barbara had done so much for us--how could she not go. I escorted Kate into Barbara’s house. Barbara said, “I have a couple of friends here out by the pool. You’ll be quite comfortable out there with us. I even had Will move a recliner out for you to sit in.”

There were two of the miners’ wives that Kate knew sitting by the pool. When I had Kate situated in the chair, “I’m leaving now. I’ll pick you up before dinner. Have a good time.”

I waited in the house to see how the surprise developed. Miss Daisy was the first to make herself known, followed by Mary, Bethanne, and Alice. Squeals of delight echoed. It was time for me to leave.

Family and friends went all out with supplying us with everything we would need for the baby. Even the nursery had been furnished. Kate showed me all of the baby things when we finally were alone that night. One shower gift stood out above all others. It was the one from Maria. Kate handled the box with reverence. She peeled back the cover bringing to light a beautiful white brocaded robe nestled in tissue. Two long slim boxes were also included. One was blue and had the word “Boy” in Spanish on the cover. The other was light rose and said “Girl.”

A short note from Maria explained that this was an “Heirloom” robe. The blue box held blue and gold piping to be applied down the front and around the sleeves if the child was male. The rose box held pink and gold lace to attach to the collar and the sleeves if female. It was meant to be worn by the toddler at two years and a photograph placed in the child’s baby book to become a part of the child’s heritage.

“I get all choked up when I look at this. It’s so beautiful! We will never be able to match this when it comes time for Maria to have her baby. What are we going to do?”

“We will come up with something, I’m sure.”

Kate looked like she wanted to say something. I waited for it. “Jim, do you think our baby will be old enough to travel at three months? Travel to Spain? I want to be with Maria when her baby is born. Actually I feel her baby is our baby too. I want her to feel the same way with ours.”

I never said too much about Maria to Kate. I didn’t want Kate to get jealous and my first loyalty was to her, but I often thought about Maria. I knew that they were all the time on the Internet together. They shared feelings and thoughts about everything. Sometimes Kate neglected to tell me what they talked about, thinking I was not interested. That was false--I wanted to know everything. If we traveled to Spain when Maria gave birth, would I be able to keep hidden the intense love I had for her? I fervently wanted to see her again, but I was afraid of the consequences. I wished Father John was still alive. I needed someone to talk to.

Kate was waiting for an answer. “If you want to put yourself through the hassle of making the trip and our doctor okays it, we will go. I would like to see my sons together.”

“What do you mean, sons? I don’t know what gender I am having and Maria doesn’t either.”

“Father Juan Carlos told me last December while we were sitting at home in Virginia. Maria knows too.  She had the same dream. This was even before she confirmed her pregnancy.”

Kate realized finally how close I was bound to Maria. I was the father of Maria’s unborn child, I was of the same lineage (distant cousin as it were), and now I confessed that we shared dreams and visions.

A look of fear crossed Kate’s face. I moved quickly to dispel that fear. “Kate, look at me and into my heart. I love you! Do not doubt me or the love I have for you. Think back to what the last year has been. I’m happy, you’re happy and we have made your family happy.

“This thing with Father Juan has been pushed onto me--to us. I can’t help that Maria is a part of that. I have thought about this a lot. It is like a fabric that is all woven together. At no time has there ever been a hint of evil or unhappiness. I don’t know what the purpose of this is and it may not play out in our lifetime, but I don’t think we will be hurt by any of it. Just think, you have been a major player in all of this.

“It took years to see that your connection with Miss Maudie was preordained and that it was me Miss Maudie was waiting for. Maria came on the scene later and, yes I found her attractive. I never would have approached her because I love you and I couldn’t destroy that. Then you worked to make sure Maria had the baby and it was her decision that it was what she needed. You looked to me to provide.

“With very little hesitation, I admit, I complied and accomplished what was asked of me. You still love her and I still have a lot of affection for her (I couldn’t admit more). You say her baby is ours--and so it is--hers, mine and yours. We have both missed Maria, so I guess we better plan on traveling so we can all be together for awhile.”

“Okay, but in the meantime, would you help me get into bed? Junior is kicking up a storm and is telling me to shut up. He wants to sleep.”

Six days later I drove Kate to the hospital to deliver our firstborn. I saw Kate a happy, smiling mother with a boy child at her breast after an easy delivery. Gram, who wanted to stay with us until the baby was born, declared that he looked just like me when I first came into the world. Kate called her mother from the hospital to pass on the good news.

I was a bystander to the conversation as Miss Daisy was given the details. Kate and I had never really settled on a name for the 7 lb. 3 oz. baby laying satiated at his mother’s side. Kate wanted to name him after the baby’s grandfathers. This then, was to be Theodore Billy Bob Ryan. Billy Bob objected strongly! No way was a kid going to have to carry a name like that through life. Billy Bob hated his name.

It would have been a horrible moniker. I listened to the argument for awhile and as I really wanted Kate’s family to be represented in my son’s name, I said, “The boy’s name will be ‘James Gruber Ryan’ and we will call him JG. That will take care of the Ryans and the Grubers.” That was the end of the discussion. Everyone was happy.

Two weeks later after school was out, the Grubers descended on the new Ryan family. Miss Daisy, Bethanne and Mary were driven up by Claude to see the newest addition to the Gruber clan. Gram had decided to return to her home in West Virginia. She had been with us over a month and wanted to go home. She promised to visit frequently. Claude and I thought we would leave the women to themselves, so we checked into a motel.

Later that evening we ended up in a booth at a quiet bar not far from the motel. Claude was all excited about the way his life had turned around and how happy he and Bethanne were. Three brews later he was still thanking me. “Claude, I really didn’t do much but listen to your problem. I’ll admit that I had some inside information, but you and your wife have solved this pretty much by yourselves.” Then I said, “I wish I had someone to talk to.”

“You got problems? Not serious, I hope.”

“No, not really. I have made sure that the only person that could be unhappy is not aware.”

“You want to tell me about it? I do counseling you know. I think I am pretty good--well except for myself. I needed you for that.”

I decided to take a chance with this slightly older man of the cloth and unburden myself to him. “I’m going to shock you at first by saying that I have another woman pregnant with my child. Let me tell you all about it before you say too much.” A look of disbelief twisted Claude’s features. “I have come to the conclusion that it was preordained and I didn’t have any control over what has happened. My problem lies in the question, what if I am wrong in my supposition?”

“You better tell me everything. Especially about why you could possibly think that you aren’t responsible for your actions.”

I started in by laying my life of the past several months before him. I filled in the blanks about Father Juan Carlos that he wasn’t aware of. I told him about meeting Maria and how Kate and Maria set me up to make Maria pregnant. I know he didn’t believe that the Kate he knew could possibly condone such a thing, much less set it up.

I told him of all of the dreams and visions I have had. How if I had a problem, the way to solve it opened up before me. How Kate and Maria were ecstatic over them both being pregnant by me at the same time. How Kate wanted to go to Spain to be with Maria when her child was born. “It is like I have two wives. Kate and Maria and two sons--and yes, Maria is going to have a son too. Father Juan revealed that to me. Can you understand why I am confused?”

“What makes you think that you don’t have control? Has it just been lately that you have come to feel like this?”

“I guess it was the situation in the mine last month that really made me think. I had a vision about a mine disaster. I knew in what part of the mine it was going to happen. I took what I thought was appropriate action to make sure everyone would be safe even though those involved thought I was half off my rocker. Hours before the disaster, Kate had an e-mail from Spain about a dream Maria had. It was of Father Juan and he was smiling. I took this to mean I was handling things the way they should be.

“It is scary! It is like this is Father Juan’s agenda and I am just his tool. This is the way I have looked at it. Then there are the rewards I have reaped on the other side of the coin. Dozens of things have happened and dozens of people are happier now then they were a year ago. Even the mine disaster turned out to be a bonanza. I can put Father Juan in the background in every single instance. It makes me so confused!”

Claude zeroed in on the Kate/Maria situation again. “You are sure that Kate helped set this up with Maria?” I nodded. “And Kate isn’t jealous at all?” I shook my head no. “And Kate wants you both to go to Spain to be with Maria?” Again I nodded. “How do you feel about Maria?”

“Guilty, but not much. It just seems so right. I do feel love for Maria, but I know that I am strong enough to resist hurting Kate by doing anything foolish to damage our marriage. My mind has been so full of these thoughts lately that I just want a little respite from the turmoil.”

We left the bar shortly and returned to the motel. I will say that Claude didn’t give me a whole lot of platitudes to try to make me feel better. I was thankful for his silence on the subject. I lay in bed thinking. Thinking the same as I always did about my life and what we talked about tonight. From across the room Claude said softly, “Jim, ordinarily I would tell you to pray to God for guidance. Why don’t you pray to Father Juan? From what you told me tonight, he is guiding you. He was a man of God and this would be in his realm of expertise.”

I didn’t answer Claude, but concentrated on bringing the vision of Father Juan into my mind. A feeling of peace came over me and I slept!

Claude was interested in touring the mine and its depths. He wanted to see where the mine disaster had occurred. I pointed out where I had the intense feelings and where I had planned to have the miners retreat up the stope where they were safe. A lot of work had been done in and around the cavern since then. He watched as a core sample was being taken and Manny explained about it as the core was inspected.

We were waiting for the lift to come down so we could return to the surface when Will stepped off as it reached the bottom. I didn’t know how the two would react, meeting like this. There had been such a complicated relationship between Will, Bethanne and The Preacher. This was back as far as Will and Bethanne’s teen years. Will greeted Claude as an acquaintance with hand out. We talked for a few minutes in generalities ending with Will inviting him and Bethanne to visit him and his wife Barbara before they returned to Kentucky.

Kate and I settled in as parents with the newborn baby, JG. Anyone who has a new baby knows how demanding it can be. I tried to relieve Kate as much as I could and wondered if I would ever get a full night’s sleep again. Kate had decided to nurse our son, so she had to be up if JG awoke. We finally worked out a system where when he awoke at night, I would change him and then place him with Kate to nurse. It became routine and I actually enjoyed seeing the two together.

                             Chapter Nine

July 1st, Billy Bob called. “We have some strangers sniffing around town. I get the feeling they are looking for you. The town clerk told me they were in looking for records in your name. Would it be possible for you to come down and see what they want?”

“How many are there?”

“There are four altogether. One older guy and three college-age kids. Two girls and a boy. They ate in Daisy’s diner yesterday and she saw they had a topographical map laid out on the table. Daisy overheard them mention the name ‘Gruber,’ so they have pinpointed the area without doubt. How do you want me to handle them if they approach me about the Ryan (Miss Maudie) property?”

“This is most likely the professor from the University of Kentucky. The one that I talked to late last fall. If he finds you, tell him you will contact me. I will leave here and be down sometime tomorrow. I think I can handle him without trouble.”

I decided to drive down the next morning because trying to make connections by plane was time consuming. About ten-thirty my cell phone rang and I could see that it was from Billy Bob. I pulled over beside the road in order to concentrate on what he had to say. “Jim, those people showed up at the farm this morning wanting to cross my land. I asked ‘what for’ and they said they wanted to look for a cave they had heard about on the mountain.

“You got permission from Mister Ryan, I asked. They said they didn’t, but was sure that he wouldn’t mind. I didn’t like that professor’s attitude. He wanted to know where you could be found. I told him that you worked in a mine in Ohio, and I would call you. I took his cell number and said you would call him. What do you want me to do?”

“Nothing for now. They probably are taking their food at Miss Daisy’s diner. I’ll see them there for the evening meal. Thanks a lot for keeping me posted. I’ll be talking to you tonight.”

I was sitting in the diner talking to Miss Daisy and telling how smart her new grandson was, when the four came in for supper. The professor was strutting before his three students. One of the girls, a petite flashy blonde, was hanging onto his every word. The other girl, tall, with brown curly hair and somewhat irregular features, looked like she had more intelligence in her little finger than the blonde. The boy, small and a black, carried a notepad. As soon as he sat down, he started sketching Miss Daisy as she was talking to me.

I was tired after my long drive so I dawdled over my coffee while waiting for Miss Daisy to finish up at the diner. The boy had completed his sketch and gave it to Miss Daisy before he finished his meal. While he was drinking his coffee, I realized that he was drawing me as I sat at the counter. It was lying on the table as the group were getting ready to pay their tab. Suddenly the professor stared at the sketch and exclaimed, “That’s Jim Ryan, the man we are looking for!” He turned and spotted me. “We’re hunting you. How long have you been here?”

“Since you came in. I was waiting for you to finish your meal. I was just about to introduce myself. What can I do for you?”

“I wanted to see the cave where you claim to have the remains of an old, old priest. I tried to get up to the property you own this morning, but an old man named Gruber wouldn’t let me cross his land.”

Miss Daisy, who had been standing there with change for their bill said, “That would be my husband, Billy Bob.”

I said, “And Billy Bob is my father-in-law. This is my mother-in-law, Miss Daisy.”

The curly headed student acted excited. She interjected, “You’re the Jim Ryan from the Water Bubble mine in Ohio, aren’t you? You saved my cousin’s life. He said if Jim Ryan hadn’t planned out an escape route before the disaster, some or all of the miners would have been killed. He talks of you all the time. He also owns some shares in the mine just the same as you. And you made it possible for the miners to buy the property by investing in it with them. He built a new house when your grandmother gave out the huge bonuses when she sold the mine.”

The professor wasn’t happy as the conversation moved away from the reason he was here. “Whatever. Are you going to show us what you came to me about? My time is valuable. If I’m going to be of use to you this year, I have to get started soon.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but there is nothing to be done. What I wanted was for the priest’s remains to be sent back to Spain. This has been done and I had it done in a respectful manner. I approached you and you told me how you would be doing it. I decided that you were not going to proceed in a manner that I could be comfortable with. I thought this was understood when I terminated our discussion.”

“You mean you are going to keep this discovery hidden?”

“No, it isn’t hidden. The project has just been completed, that’s all. The remains have been removed to Spain and I am happy to say he is lying with his ancestors where it was directed in the last tablet inscription.”

“I don’t believe you. There has been nothing in the papers about it.”

“That’s the point. I wanted it kept out of the media. They would have made a circus out of it. I couldn’t let that happen.”

“What about breaking the law? You just can’t move a body and ship it anywhere you want. I’m going to call for an investigation.”

He was making me angry now, “Go ahead. I found out if someone related to the deceased and is verified as such, he or she can have the remains removed and disposed of anyway it is seen fit. All of those requirements were met. The remains were removed and sent to Spain with all of the documents that made it legal. You don’t have a leg to stand on.” I could see that he still was unconvinced.

“Do you remember that dark haired girl, Maria, that I introduced you to at the university?” He nodded. “She is a direct descendant of the priest, Father Juan Carlos Domingo. He also had a famous ancestor--one Saint Dominic. He was one who was beatified in the twelve hundreds. Maria was confirmed by a DNA sample taken from both she and Father Juan. There are records in Spain that travel down through the ages in a direct line to substantiate all of this along with the DNA.

“The major requirement to have a body exhumed and transported is to have a relative fill and sign the order. Maria fulfilled that requirement, although there was another present that could have legally done so (no one picked up on this). The records are here in town if you feel the need to see them.”

The professor was pissed. He whirled and headed for the diner’s door with the blonde trailing behind. I walked out with the curly haired girl and the black boy. “What is your name and what is your cousin’s name?”

She said, “Sandy Takazuk. My cousin is Herman Takazuk. I live in the next town over from the mine. I do visit my aunt and uncle quite often. Maybe I will see you sometime.” She left to speak with the professor. Immediately I could see that there were angry words exchanged between them.

The professor stomped away from her and got in his van. He started the engine and shouted, “Come on, now! Get in or I’m leaving you here to find your own way home.”

Sandy ran up to me. “Are you traveling by car?”

“Yes.”

“Can Burt and I go with you?”

“Of course, if you want to. You can help drive.”

Sandy went back over to the van. There was an animated conversation and then the professor drove off. “So what now?” she said.

“I’m going to call my wife Kate and tell her that I will be home by evening tomorrow. Do you have a place to stay tonight?”

“No not really. I hate to spend another night in the motel. Burt and the professor bunked in the same room last night and BB and I shared another room. I don’t think that Burt and I should share a room and we are on a tight budget.”

“Who is BB?”

“BB is short for Blonde Bimbo. The professor has one every year. Her name is actually Sarah.”

“Look, I have a cabin I’m staying in. If you want to stay there it would be all right. Besides it is too bad for you both to come here and not find what you are looking for. I can show you the cave and I don’t see why I can’t tell you the story about Father Juan.”

They both were enthusiastic over the turn of events. We stopped at a convenience store and purchased snacks and some eggs for breakfast. We went by the motel and picked up Sandy and Burt’s effects which the professor had taken to the motel office when he checked out.

I met Billy Bob coming in from the farm. He stopped with his SUV when he recognized my BMW. I told him that we were staying in Miss Maudie’s cabin. We talked long enough for me to ask to borrow his jeep from the farm and to show him the latest pictures of his new grandson. I said I was leaving right after I went up to the cave in the morning.

He laughed when I told him about the professor. He was sorry that I wasn’t staying longer to be with the family, but understood my reluctance to be away from Kate and JG. I went into the farmhouse when we got there and found the keys for the jeep. I glanced into the room where the gun safes were located and saw that my two were dust covered, so I knew they had not been tampered with. Loading the jeep with our belongings we set out across the farm to the trail up to the cabin.

On the way up I asked, “How brave are you two?”

“Why?”

“I thought maybe we could go up to the cave tonight. It will be dark when we come out, but not as dark as we will find it inside.”

Sandy, who was sitting in the front seat, turned and looked at Burt. I suspected that this might not be to his liking, but he would be ashamed to admit it in front of Sandy. “I’m game,” Sandy said.

“I’m up for it,” replied Burt.

We quick-like unloaded the jeep and took a few minutes to admire the view from the piazza. With the sun setting at that moment it was awesome! Finding the flashlights where I had left them, and checking the batteries, we started up the incline to the entrance of the cave. I pulled aside the bushes disguising the opening, we crawled up and into the cave. Again, as I cautioned everyone that had to enter the cave, they shouldn’t speak or make any unnecessary noise.

And again, no one took the warning to heart. Burt stood and ran his flash around the interior. “Awesome,” he shouted. Even I, expecting some stupid exclamation, was shocked as the sound reverberated around and around, nearly deafening us. When it was quiet again, he whispered, “You could have given me more warning.”

Motioning them to follow me, I eased around the side of the cavern, and angled into the passage leading to the crypt. Approaching the door and able to talk out loud again, I explained that there was a key that had been made for the entrance. “I consider the original key to be an artifact so I brought this large file that should work just as well.”

Burt and Sandy inspected the door before I opened it and how it was fitted into the solid rock wall. They made no comment and watched with interest as I opened the portal into the crypt. “Not much air in here is there?” I commented on entrance.

We were all inside. The feeling was, well I guess the best way to describe it, was no feeling. Some different than when I was here with the remains of Father Juan Carlos. I said as much to the two college kids with me, but I’m sure there was no way to get across to them what I meant.

“When I entered here the first time, there was a mummy lying on this shelf. Stacked neatly were some clay tablets with writing on them right here.” I pointed to where they had been. “And right here were some dolls standing in a row. They were all named and each represented a person living at one time. Their purpose was to carry the tale of this priest down through time until someone was capable of granting his wish to return to his homeland and be buried with his family. That person was me.”

Sandy, I could see her mulling something over in her mind, came out with, “You told the professor that a person named Maria was entirely qualified through blood to sign the papers. You also said that there was one other there that could have done it.” She smiled, “That person was you wasn’t it?”

“Yes, but truthfully I didn’t know until a later date when I had my DNA checked. The results of the test showed that I indeed was a very distant cousin to Maria and of course a descendant of Father Juan Carlos. I was the happiest person alive when I found that out. When we get back to the cabin, I’ll give you some background on how and why I was picked. You’ll find it interesting, I’m sure.”

Sandy thanked me for showing them the crypt when we returned to the cabin. She felt that they were one up on the professor. “Why did you show us and not him?”

“I just don’t trust him. Somehow I felt he was in this for his own gain. I wonder if the university would have had their share of the notoriety that this story would have generated if I had gone with him. What is he like, anyway?”

“Okay, well he knows his subject, and when he first joined the university he was well credited. When he became tenured, he started looking out for number one. He did some digs and was brilliant, but now he is resting on his laurels. The way a dig works as far as we students are concerned, is the professors find some place in the world to work on while school is out. We have to pay our own way, because we are really only volunteers looking for experience.

“When he approached us this year he said he had a project that was close to home and didn’t entail too much physical labor. It had a lot of record checking and some interpretation of the Spanish language. He said that the person who brought this to his attention would be a pushover and he could control the operation.” She paused, “Somehow, I don’t think you are a pushover. I think the professor met his match in you.”

I laughed. “I guess I read him right. So where does that leave you two? Does he have anything else to replace this?”

Burt spoke, “No, and it puts a crimp in my education, because it is too late in the season. I was planning on this to get on with someone else next year. My expertise is sketching during the dig, the people involved and of course the artifacts that are found, if any. I do a lot of measuring, schematics and boundary work, sketching in where something is found, etc. Much more effective than mere photographs. I’ll probably have to take next semester off and make some money before I return to school.”

Sandy was waiting for him to finish and then said, “It looks as though I will be flipping burgers for the rest of the summer. It would be nice to have a real job that pays above minimum. My job here was to take notes and put the project down on paper for the professor to report on to the university. Actually the professor is the one that is getting screwed.”

As Sandy said this she and Burt went into gales of laughter. “What’s funny?” I asked.

“Actually I think BB is the one getting screwed and I bet it’s right about now. BB, that would be Sarah. The professor always finds someone at the start of the semester and lets them know that their grades will be much higher if they are particularly friendly. This year it happens to be Sarah. It doesn’t matter though, her daddy is rich and she is here just to get away from home.”

I had snagged some beer when I picked up the snacks, which went well as I told these kids about Father Juan and how I became involved. In my briefcase I had some pictures of the dolls that were in the crypt. Picking up the number-one doll, I related her story as it had been passed down through the ages. I gave them the full treatment. “My name is Ooo Neh Na. Father Juan has named me a Chosen One. This is his story.”

I repeated it word-for-word through the third Chosen One as I had learned it from Miss Maudie. I went on to tell how it had come down by the Indians word of mouth, until it had been translated and written down in English by Andrew McPhereson. Sandy and Burt were impressed with my ability. I explained that I had tapes relating the story from start to finish. I was the last Chosen One and had fulfilled Father Juan’s wish to be returned to his homeland.

Even after we retired for the night, I was bombarded by questions about Father Juan. When I reflected sometimes, it did seem to be an impossible chain of events happening over centuries. How could a person, alone and cut off from all his known world and culture, make a plan to return to his homeland and family so many years in the future? I didn’t have the answer to that question. I guess it remained in the hands of a higher being.

I was up early. If the sun was going to shine that day, I wanted Sandy and Burt to see the sun slowly bathe the valley in the beautiful morning light. It was. I said that Miss Maudie saw this sight most every day for ninety plus years. Maybe that kept her alive until I was able to come on the scene. Who knows? We had a quick breakfast and were shortly on our way down the mountain. We met Billy Bob on his way in to feed his dogs. I didn’t stop, I just waved.

We traveled right along as I wanted to get home to Kate and JG. About fifty miles into our trip we passed a sleazy motel with the professor’s van parked before unit number nine. I don’t guess that Sandy and Burt had much respect for him and even less with the BB that was with him. The two that were with me seemed pretty dedicated. I was sorry for them because I had thrown a wrench in the works by not letting the professor work on the Father Juan saga.

I let Sandy drive my car for awhile. I laid down in the back seat. I was trying to think of some way I could make up to Sandy and Burt for losing the summer work they had saved and planned for. As scant as the benefits would have been for them, they needed the experience. “Sandy,” I asked as I leaned over the seat, “what would have happened if this dig had gone through and been completed? What would you have done with the material and Burt’s sketches you gathered?”

“Probably make it into an article and have it printed in the university print shop. I try to do interviews on how the site was discovered and what was expected to be found. That is where Burt would come in. He sketches the interviewee. We would follow a step-by-step process through the summer with text and sketches as much as we had time for.

“After it is printed, the paper would be used for teaching in the classroom. The professor would use it to critique our work and how it was conducted. We laugh at the professor, but he does know how to get his point across. Then the paper is put on file so that the next class can take up where we left off. Again, it is very seldom that a project is completed in one season. It is on-going.”

“I’ve been thinking I could give you a job. It would be on a different subject, but it would use the same skills. It would entail doing some interviews and doing some background work. Actually I would like it to be like a promo for the mine. I would like it to stress the energy angle and how coal plays a big part in fueling the country’s needs. Also, I would want one chapter on my grandmother from the time she married my grandfather. They together were heavily involved in mining in various parts of the country. I will make sure she is available to be interviewed for you when the time comes.

“Something should be said about Will Greene and his management of the mine. It was his expert management that decided Gram to sell it to the employees. Gram always referred to this mine as the ‘Ohio’ mine. Now even she refers to it as the ‘Water Bubble’ mine. You could put that in. Burt could sketch everyone you talk to and sketch different pieces of machinery that are used in mining. We could go into more of what I want when we put everything together.

“Would you two be interested in something like that? It would pay considerably more than flipping burgers.”

Burt and Sandy thought this would be something to do for the summer and wouldn’t be that much different than what they were going to do with the professor. The rest of the trip we bounced around what should and shouldn’t be in the script. I even thought that I might get our non-profit to finance the project with a grant. By the time I dropped Sandy off at her cousin’s house and found a place for Burt to stay, they were really fired up.

Two long days I had been gone from my wife and son. JG had grown I swear. Kate was waiting for me with the information that the doctor said it was okay to resume our lovemaking. We did just that. I knew I should be gentle, but pent-up passion finally took over and I really had to work to restrain myself. Kate kept urging me on until we both were satiated. We were just a loving, normal family doing normal things.

---

The summer flew by. Kate spent part time at the mine as a financial policy maker. We needed more money to open up the new vein in the water bubble. Kate asked why I didn’t invest more money in the mine, but I felt that I was too close to the operation. I didn’t want the new employee owners to get used to me putting up cash every time the mine required some. I did go to the bank we dealt with and said that I would guarantee the amount needed if my name never appeared in any of the mine papers. The bank was glad to oblige.

Sandy and Burt dug into the job I had given them. They had some great ideas. I had a few that I wanted included. The plans came together and now all they had to do was implement them. Sandy was perfect at this because her cousin was well-liked at the mine which gave her an “in.” Many of the miners were of Polish descent like she was. Some of the retired miners were interviewed in their native tongue.

She tracked down three of the original crew that had opened the mine many years ago. Instead of going for one-on-one, she brought them together and started them reminiscing. Then she sat back and listened to their anecdotes and stories, taking notes all the while. It was an effective method and it produced a true picture of not only the people but a factual history of the mine.

With the sketches that Burt was producing of the miners and the mine, this was going beyond what I had envisioned--and better. Gram was interviewed. Originally, the mine was too small and near failing. The original mine owners sold and Gramp invested, using the profits of his other mine holdings. From that point on the mine was a success. In the later years, with Gram as owner and under Will Greene’s management, the mine had continued to turn a profit even with the peaks and lows of the energy market.

                                   ________________________

The third week of August, Kate, JG and I started an extended vacation. We spent five days with Kate’s family in Kentucky. Gram, always welcome, joined us there. JG was spoiled rotten. He had a sunny disposition and still less than three months old, he was fawned on by all of his aunts, uncles and cousins. Traveling with Gram, we went to West Virginia, leaving her three days later.

Kate was keeping Maria posted on our journey by e-mail. Maria was begging us to speed up. She wanted us with her when our baby was born. I had been a lot less troubled over my feeling for Maria since my talk with The Preacher. Now though, as the days counted down until we met again, I was getting nervous. Nervous because I couldn’t catalog my feelings. Kate, who was in daily contact by e-mail, never said if Maria mentioned me except to say she missed us both.

One other thing. I couldn’t figure out our relationships to each other. Mine and Maria. Kate and Maria. Then you turn it around--Maria and me and also Maria and Kate. It almost made you wonder about Kate and me, especially when you threw Maria into the triangle. I tried to sort it out in my mind and defined one certainty--I loved Kate. Nothing was going to change that.

When I thought about it, I came to the conclusion that I really didn’t know Maria that well. Sure I had a very short intimate interlude with her, but other than that, my contact could be counted in days. Maria was sweet to think about though. Everyone has a “Fantasy” person. Maria was destined to be mine I guess.

Kate knew Maria better than I did, being often in e-mail contact with her for the last many months. Was there any physical attraction between the two women? I doubted that--positively! At least on Kate’s part. All of us would be together in a couple of days. Maybe the situation would play itself out.

Madrid, Spain, the last of August. It was hot. I had never been in the country before and was very curious to see the different style of homes and villas as we traveled to Maria’s village. Maria had us picked up at the airport by car and we soon arrived at her mother’s compound. The house was of stone, set in the rear of a tree shaded lawn. Maria lived in her own private wing. She was so excited to see us! She waited at the stone flagged entrance for us to approach.

Kate got the first hug as I held JG. Kate then took JG and proudly presented our son to Maria. “He’s so beautiful. I hope my son is going to look just like him. I think he will, too. He will have to as he has the same father.” She said this as she hugged me. Then she took my face in both hands and gave me a lover’s gentle kiss on the lips. “Oh how many times I have thought of this meeting.”

I glanced over her head at Kate. No sign of jealousy. Maria was as pretty as Kate had been in her pregnancy. Being much more petite, Maria was obviously the more pronounced pregnant. Her breasts were beautifully full and her stomach looked like she was carrying a big round ball.

Kate, more robust, had not been quite so obvious in carrying JG. Maria sparkled even as she navigated around with her burden. She soon had us sitting, one on each side of her, on the couch. A maid brought us refreshments, a cool iced lemonade and a chilled cucumber salad and crackers. It made the fatigue from our journey retreat into the background.

“Tonight I have invited my mama, my uncle and aunt to dine with us. Also Terri Gonzalas will be here. Remember she was my companion and lover before I became pregnant. She still is a close friend and I include her in most of my activities. Please overlook any disparaging remarks my mother is sure to make. I am a big disappointment to her and she lets everyone know it. I am hoping that when little Juan is born he will melt her heart.”

“Is this uncle the ambassador to the UN whom I met and liked so much?”

“Yes. He made me promise that if you ever came to visit, I would have you meet.” Maria turned to Kate. “Can I tell Jim now?”

“No time like the present. You do have to have his okay before tonight. Go ahead and tell him. I know he will be pleased.”

Maria took my hand in hers and looked into my eyes. “Jim, I want our son to grow up with your name. Kate knows about this and approves. A few months ago I petitioned our courts for a name change--my name. My last name will be Cortez-Ryan and the change will be granted before our baby is born. That is if there are no objections. When our son is born your name, James Ryan, will be listed as father. To all intents and purposes the records will indicate that I am your wife.”

Kate said, “Maria wants to announce to her family tonight that you have agreed to have your name listed as father on the baby’s birth certificate. They do not need to know that you really are the father and this is just a gesture of friendship by us both to Maria. Her mother has been highly upset thinking that the father was unknown and listed as such on the certificate. This will make things better between Maria and her mother. You will do this won’t you? Please?”

How could I refuse? God save me from devious women! Actually I couldn’t have thought of a better solution to naming my son and it made me proud. I did have to find out sometime how much of this was Kate’s doing. I bet it was a lot.

Terri Gonzalas was the first of the guests to arrive. She was a little shy around Kate and me at first. She brought her little girl with her. She was just walking and toddled over to Maria and clung to her leg. I engaged Terri in conversation, hearing about how much Maria thought of her two friends from the States. Terri announced to me, as she watched her little girl and Maria, “Maria is a remarkable person. I am glad she is my friend.”

I had to say something. “She is our friend too.” Terri came across as very intelligent and open. “I understand that you were more than friends at one time.” It felt like the thing to say to this person I had just met.

“Yes we were lovers. I thought for awhile that we would be together forever. When Maria came home so excited over finding her ancestor, she also announced that she had found someone to impregnate her. Earlier, our plan was to each have a child. The difference is, I became pregnant artificially. When I found out that she went natural, I guess I lost it. I was so jealous, especially when she said how beautiful the experience was for her.”

I took Terri’s hand and gave it a little squeeze. Terri continued, “Maria told me that she could never marry the father of her child, as he was taken. Still, she said that she was going to remain faithful to his memory and concentrate on having friends. So, theoretically, she and I are in the same situation. She is now my dearest friend and I see her almost as often as I would like, but it isn’t the same.”

“Life tosses us a curve sometimes. I think our strength comes from how we handle it and then we are able to move on. Look forward with hope for happiness. It may just be lurking in the shadows somewhere.” I paused and asked, “To change the subject, Maria’s mom. What is she like?”

“You know, don’t you, that she isn’t very fond of me? She feels that I led Maria down the wrong path when we became lovers. I won’t say anything against her. She is a beautiful person and I could be her friend under other circumstances. It is just that she is so disappointed in life. Her husband, Maria’s father, died when Maria was in her teens. Then Maria didn’t choose the lifestyle that her mom wanted, and when she found out that she is going to be grandmother to a bastard, it just about destroyed her.

“She isn’t a recluse, but she might as well be. I am surprised that she will be dining with us tonight. I think the reason she is willing to meet you is due to pressure from her brother, the ambassador. He was so impressed in how you dealt with the problem of getting Father Juan home, he would do anything to show his pleasure. Part of that is making sure you are welcomed by the whole family.”

“Does Senora Cortez speak English?”

“No, I’m afraid not. She understands some but not enough to carry on a conversation. This will make it hard for you won’t it? I mean to try to become her friend.”

“Would you be so kind as to translate if I get into a dialogue with her?”

“Of course.”

Terri and I rejoined Maria and Kate. Kate had made friends with Terri’s little girl and was holding her. JG was being cuddled by Maria knowing that her own baby probably would look exactly like him. “Let me hold JG. He must be heavy for you,” I said as Theresa and Kate moved away to talk and let me get reacquainted with Maria.

I glanced at the other two ladies as Maria said, “Would you like to feel your son?” She took my hand and rubbed it gently over her tummy. I guess he was aware that his father was near. He became very active and I could feel him bouncing and kicking under my hand. Maria laughed with pleasure and I did too. JG must have thought he was included in the fun because he kicked and laughed out loud. God I was happy!

Maria’s mom, the ambassador and his wife all arrived together. “Mama, I want you to meet my good friends. Jim and Kate Ryan, this is my mother Beatrice de Cortez.” Where my manners came from I don’t know. I took Senora Cortez’ hand and raised it to my lips while bowing slightly. “I am so pleased to meet Maria’s mama. I can see from where her beauty springs.” She may not have understood the words but knew instinctively my intent to show my respect.

The ambassador and his wife expressed their pleasure in Kate and I being able to travel to Spain to meet with them again. I inquired after the ambassador’s son. He had been in New York at the first meeting when I was tracking down the descendants of Father Juan. We had small talk and by the time dinner was announced, Senora Cortez had lost most of the tension that was with her when she was first introduced to us.

We had a very leisurely meal, with Kate entertaining the ambassador by telling them what our life was like. Maria sat across the table where I could feast my eyes on her. Senora Cortez sat next to me on the right and Theresa was placed on her right. I used Terri as translator by talking across Senora Cortez to her. I did this to show that Terri was considered my equal and that Senora Cortez had to converse with her if she wanted to carry on a conversation with me.

To break the ice and start the evening, I asked Senora Cortez if Father Juan was her ancestor or that of her husband. Terri repeated my question in Spanish. “He was an ancestor of my husband. When my husband was alive, he often looked at the monument and wondered what really happened to the priest lost in that far-off land. If only he could be here tonight.”

I asked if she would take me to see where Father Juan was buried and to see the monument that had been placed there back in the fifteen hundreds. We settled on the next morning to view where the remains of Father Juan Carlos Domingo were buried. Senora Cortez, Terri Gonzalas and I soon reached a rhythm in our conversation. Terri even made some comments on her own.

Senora Cortez at one time was explaining how disappointed in her daughter she was, the way Maria had managed her life. Then she laid her hand on Terri and said to her, “Dear, nothing against you. It just wasn’t what I envisioned for my daughter. I apologize for blaming you. I think Maria was wise to choose a friend like you. As strong-minded as she is, she will need a lot of friends.” (Terri did not translate the apology at this time, but later.) Maria was watching from across the table and heard her mother say this to Terri. It brought glad tears to her eyes.

We sat waiting for the table to be cleared before coffee was poured and sweet cakes handed around for dessert. “Jim! Jim! Pay attention!” Kate was whispering to me. I realized I had mentally drifted away from those people around me.

“Sorry, I guess I’m a little tired,” I explained. That covered things I hoped.

Maria, speaking in Spanish, indicated that she had something to say. “Mama, I know that you are disappointed in some of the things I have done. I have done two things in the past few weeks that I hope will take away some of the shame you feel I have burdened myself and you with. First, Jim, with his wife Kate’s endorsement, has graciously agreed to his name being placed on my son’s birth certificate as the father.

“Second, to confuse the matter of my son’s parentage a little more, I have had my name legally changed to Cortez-Ryan. I should receive the papers verifying this tomorrow or the next day. Surely this will happen before my baby is born. I am hoping that when you think this through, you will agree it is a wise move. This way my son shouldn’t have to defend his ignoble birth and appear to have a legitimately married father and mother.” Maria was waiting for reaction to her announcement. Kate and I knew what she was saying because of our earlier conversation. All eyes were on me.

I rose to my feet. “Sometimes things are presented to a person that have no reasonable explanation. Father Juan, the remains that all of us have worked so hard to bring home, is the thread that is woven into fabric of this agenda. Many have been touched by his agenda. Kate and her family. Kate and I. The ambassador and Father John, who became a mentor of mine before his demise. Maria and her ancestor, Father Juan. Maria and I and last of all Father Juan and myself, his last Chosen One.

“Father Juan is not through with Maria and I yet. Maria’s and my DNA more than suggest that we are cousins, many times removed. We both have had the same dream at the same time. The dream revealed a son born of Maria would bear my name. After much thought it appears to me that all of us are only necessary characters leading to the birth of this boy.

“According to the dream, when the boy is near the age of majority, he will write a book with the blessing of the Catholic Church. This book will be as big as the Da Vinci Code in the literary world. I have kept all of the artifacts found in the crypt safe to be of use to him. Researched, the book will be a non-fiction account of Father Juan’s ordeal and the resolving of his travel to the New World and his return. This is why I have lent my name for Maria to use.”

Terri quickly translated my remarks to Senora Cortez. Turning back to me after the translation, Senora Cortez said, “You must spend some time with me and tell me the whole story of how all of the people you mentioned are involved. I have heard all my life about this priest lost so long ago. You talk about him as if he were present here and now, just not in the room with us. Do you really feel that strongly about him?”

After the translation, I answered her. “I have lived with being aware of his presence for the past year now. He is as alive to me as if he was standing on my right hand here today. I don’t have all the answers to his intent in using me and all others connected. He has been very generous with his help in my life. All of the people that helped me bring him home, even those that I came into contact peripherally, have benefited. You may have noticed, Senora, that a little earlier I was somewhat distracted. Kate had to speak abruptly to get my attention.

“Senora, sometimes I get a feeling that a person’s life is about to change. It usually comes after a person has done a kindness. Tonight, you came to this dinner with a preconceived dislike in your heart toward Theresa Gonzalas. You apologized to Terri and almost immediately I saw that happiness was going to flow into your sphere from Father Juan. It is so mystifying to comprehend I never try to analyze it anymore. I just receive it with joy and when I have a quiet time, I send a prayerful ‘thank you’ to Father Juan.”

Maria took up the translation of my speech, realizing that Terri might not want to repeat verbatim what I had said. Kate was watching me and whispered to me a little later, “You are becoming so eloquent explaining Father Juan. It almost scares me.”

“I know, and it makes me wonder too. Where are these words coming from? It is as if Father Juan wants to make a point and is channeling his wishes through me. I hope I can live up to the task. I used to worry about the close connection I have with Maria, but he seems okay with that.” We broke off our conversation and resumed talking with the others.

The dinner party broke up early. Kate and I were exhausted and Maria was tired from carrying her precious burden around. JG had been put to bed while the last guests were saying good-bye. We had adjoining rooms next to Maria. We could hear Maria come into her room. This was after we had showered and got into bed. We talked and Kate admitted to me that it was she that had suggested the solution to how the new baby would end up with my surname. She said that Maria latched onto it immediately when it was put forth as a possible option.

I was dozing and almost asleep when Kate said to me, “Maria is just getting into bed. Why don’t you go in and see if she is comfortable? Stay as long as it takes.”

“Kate, you don’t know what you are doing to me. You know that I am almost as much in love with her as I am with you. I fight it and you make it more difficult for me. I can’t do it and keep my sanity.”

“Yes you can. I have talked to her most everyday by e-mail. I know how lonely and lost she has been sometimes. Being pregnant and having a baby growing inside of you all the while when your friends and relatives have censured you, would be more than I would want to contend with. She is more lonely and at her lowest right now with you here in the next room. Go to her. Tell her you love her and the baby. We can talk tomorrow. I love you.”

I quietly opened Maria’s door, half hoping that she was asleep. She wasn’t--she was struggling to find a comfortable position in the bed. I will say, I knew what to do to help. Kate had me often relieve the kinks in her legs and muscles a few months prior. There was a moisturizing and softening agent in a bottle by the bed. “Hi, feeling bad?” Maria nodded. “I think I can help.” I had her rise up and pulled the nightgown over her head. Maria lay before me. She was so beautiful, and her beauty was beyond description.

I started with the massage of her feet. I knew how much they ached from standing on them compounded by the extra weight of the baby. I was gentle, but firm enough so that I wouldn’t tickle. Working first on one foot then the other, I went on up to her swollen ankles. I massaged her calves and her thighs working the tension out of her tired muscles.

Maria kept quiet with her black sparkling eyes full on my face. Reaching her tummy, I kissed around it before beginning the smoothing out of the prevalent stretch marks. “Have you named our baby yet?”

“Yes, his name will be Juan James Cortez-Ryan. Is that okay with you?”

“Of course! And I’m sure he will make us both proud.”

Juan James, I guess was asleep, as Maria’s tummy lay placidly unmoving under my hands. Her breasts were full and just waiting for her infant to be born. I did not dare touch or caress them. I felt that if I would, Kate would lose me forever. Gently I brushed my hand over Maria’s brow and kissing her lightly, said, “Roll over onto your side so I can rub your back.” She did and the mood that was building in both her and I retreated into the background.

I administered to both the left and right side of her back. She moaned with pleasure as the aches in her muscles were relieved. When she decided that she was as comfortable as I could make her, Maria asked, “Would you sleep beside me for a little while?” I removed my robe, crawled in and spooned against her. Maria gave a contented sigh and was almost immediately asleep. Later in the night, I heard Kate get up with JG, and then she came in. I knew she saw me lying naked with the mother of my future child.

Daylight brought Kate to my side whispering, “Come, join me in the shower.” I eased out of bed away from the slumbering Maria. Climbing into the shower with Kate, she noticed that I was with my usual morning condition. “I didn’t want Maria to see that and get too inventive. I am reserving that for myself, friend or no.”

Kate and I had always been morning people so after begging coffee from the maid, we toured the villa. This must have been part of a grand estate at one time for there were gardens with flowers and shrubs everywhere. There even was a stable that contained many horse boxes--two that were still occupied. Moving slowly hand in hand, observing the different flora, we came to the edge of the kept grounds.

We came upon a path that wound down a small valley and up to a hillside graveyard in the distance. Having obtained the promise from Senora Cortez that she would take us to visit Father Juan’s final resting place, we decided to return to the villa.

Smelling bacon and fresh bread wafting from the kitchen, we entered into a small intimate dining area, not the formal one we were in the night before. I was surprised to see that Terri was there with her little girl. The child came running over to us before we were seated. Picking her up and raising her to the ceiling, the child shouted with laughter. I commented to Terri, “You stayed the night?”

“Yes, I was invited to stay over by Senora Cortez. This is a first for me in this part of the villa. On occasion I have stayed with Maria in her wing. Seldom though, as I never was made to feel welcome by anyone but Maria. The last thing Senora said to me last night was that my daughter and I were welcome anytime. I think she sees that Maria and I are not lovers anymore, which she couldn’t condone. She has put that out of her mind and is focusing on our present friendship. You know, I am focusing on the same thing.”

Maria entered slowly as we were finishing our second cup of coffee. “Oh I slept the best ever.” She looked at Kate when saying this. I felt that she didn’t want Terri to know our true sleeping arrangements and also to thank Kate for allowing me to go to her. “I hope I can sleep as well tonight.” (I took this to mean that she wanted me to come to her again.)

We all stood as Senora Cortez looked in on us. Saying good morning, she asked if Kate and I were ready to walk up to the cemetery. Maria was too unwieldy to make the journey, she asked Terri to accompany us so we could hold a conversation. The Senora was a lovely lady in her own right. I did a mental calculation and figured she was still shy of fifty. This gave me an indication on what Maria would appear like in a few years.

Leaving the immediate grounds, we leisurely started along the well-groomed path. I was close enough behind the three ladies to overhear and take part in the conversation. I carried JG. Terri’s little girl scampered ahead, as little girls of her few years were wont to do.

The Cortez family monuments were set in an orderly fashion--the oldest at the top of the hill and the most recent progressing down the hill to the path. The most recent was that of Senor Hermando Cortez, Senora’s husband. There were scattered stone seats for mourners to sit and commune with their departed ones.

“I used to come and sit here by my husband, but now I find I spend nearly as much time at the grave of Father Juan.” The Senora pointed up to near the top of the hill. I could see where there was a new path that was being worn into the ground. We made our way up to sit before the monument. “It is like going back through the centuries as you follow this path. When we reach his monument, you feel like your troubles are melting away. I always say a prayer and start down feeling renewed and ready to face the world again.”

I guess it was confession time for Senora Cortez. She paused before continuing, “I lost Hermando in an accident during the happiest time in my life. Maria and I became very close for awhile, consoling each other until she went to the university. Things started to change when Maria came to me and confessed she had lost her virginity. It was a very bad experience for her. Then she said that she had a new friend and I was happy for her.” The Senora took Terri’s hand in hers.

“Her studies over, I was crushed when she confessed that she had become lovers with Terri, feeling that she hadn’t given herself a chance at a normal lifestyle.” Kate and I could see how hurt Terri was at this revelation as she translated for us.

The Senora knew how hurtful her words were to Maria’s former lover. “Shh, child, I’m telling how I felt at the time. Then Maria told me of the pact of the two to each have a baby and live a quiet invisible life.”

The Senora put her arm around Terri and continued. “Terri was artificially inseminated and bore the lovely little girl with us today. My brother secured a job for Maria at the UN as an interpreter. I thought this was a chance for Maria to find herself and get on with a normal life. Then she started writing about a couple that had approached her with a weird story of one of my husband’s ancestors. I called the ambassador and he confirmed everything she said.

“He and she kept me posted about her traveling with some new friends in some unlikely quest. Finally about Christmas time she came home. I didn’t have much chance to find out what she had been up to as the world looked in on us and Father Juan’s return.

“The church made a big to-do over the return of Father Juan’s remains and the subsequent interment. We had a ceremony here for many officials with prayers and speeches. It seemed they all were trying to outdo each other. It made you wonder who they were trying to impress. I think that Father Juan probably was just glad to be home.

“A day after the final official left, Maria called Terri and I together. I think this was a very painful day for Terri. Maria first started by telling us that she was pregnant.”

Terri was crying as she tried to continue the translation for the Senora. Terri said to the Senora, “Let me tell about that day.” She gathered her thoughts by looking for her child who had been hiding in and among the stones.

I went and picked her up and placed her up on Father Juan’s monument. Tired out, she curled into a nook made by the stone angel’s arms. “Maria tried to spare me by saying she still loved me, but could not continue as we had been. She told us that she had met and been impregnated by a wonderful man. At first I didn’t believe her. We had sworn our love to each other. How could she throw me away like that? I was bitter and hurt and said a lot of things.

“I asked why this wonderful man of hers wasn’t by her side. She replied that he was married to another and she wouldn’t think of interfering in their happiness. I was confused as well as hurt. I asked her why she and I couldn’t continue as we had before. Because she replied, I have taken a vow of celibacy, and I can only love you as a friend. I left that day and didn’t see her for a month. So as unhappy about this as I am, I have to be satisfied with that.”

The Senora took up telling us about the last few months and Terri went back to the role of translator. “Maria had a very rough month after the meeting. She was pregnant. I, her mother, thought that she was being very foolish by getting pregnant and was unfaithful to Terri, the lover who she had promised undying love. Not only that, this little girl’s affection had a hold on her heart. I finally convinced her that she should repair some of the damage she had unthinkingly caused.

“I did this by asking Terri to let the little girl come visit me. I said that if things had turned out differently, this little one was almost my granddaughter. It took a couple of months but Maria and Terri have resumed being friends. I think that Terri is wonderful to overlook how shabbily she was treated in all of this. A year ago I wouldn’t have said that. I can change my mind if I want to, I guess.”

Our little party broke up at this confession, with Kate saying that it was time to feed JG. We made our way down the hill through the dated stones. As the Senora said, going one way was like a trip back in time and the other way was traveling toward the present. We left the Senora and Terri kneeling before the monument of Father Juan.

On the way back to the villa I made a comment, “You know Kate, this is the first instance where I realize Father Juan can cause unhappiness to people with his agenda. I hope there is none in store for us.”

Maria was waiting for us when we reached the villa. She said that she was sad that she was unable to visit Father Juan with us. I promised that after she had the baby and before we returned home to the States, we would all visit him together.

We spent a day just talking about what was going on in each of our lives. Terri, who had her license to practice psychology, was happy in her work. Maria said she hadn’t really decided what she wanted to do for her life’s work, and it was on hold until the baby was born. When he was old enough to be left with a caregiver, she would decide. She looked to me with the question, “Jim, what do you think I should do?”

I answered cautiously, “Well you are financially well-off so you don’t have to do anything. However, being rich and doing nothing is a sure road to unhappiness. The world abhors a vacuum. You are intelligent. There must be something out there to interest you. Whatever it is, just give it your all and be the best you can be. That is where the real satisfaction is. That can come to anyone rich or poor.

“Look at me and Kate. I started out to be the recipient of my grandmother’s millions by managing her mining empire. I didn’t think I could do justice to the mines or to her. I figured out how to make her happy through giving her money to others. Kate is in this with me and because of her financial expertise, it works for us. And we are benefiting mankind, I hope. In the meantime I have a job that takes a lot of time and I am enjoying myself. There are also those opportunities that pop up.”

I went on to tell Maria and Terri about how Sandy and Burt were euchred out of their summer work. I had thought about their strengths and how it could be applied to a different situation. In a few hours I had them employed and working on a project. I have seen the proofs of what they developed. I think it is going to be a hit for those of us directly involved in our mine and town. It will be completed and coming from the printers by the time I get home.

“Right now they are exploring a contact in transportation that I gave them. This is a company I worked with when I was with Ryan Energy. I was impressed with the way it was managed. Sandy had some concerns on how to pick a company with integrity. I said just go in and interview a few employees that are doing the work before you agree to sign on. They are the ones that will tell you the pros and cons about a company. I’m confident that Burt and Sandy will have a new project to work on when ours is wrapped up.”

Was I preaching? Maybe a little. I was just saying what I felt as long as I had been asked. Senora joined us for a glass of wine before bedtime. Kate teased Maria about not being able to take alcohol. I was outnumbered with these beautiful females around me, but I didn’t feel a bit intimidated. Maria retired early. She said she was tired and stated she hoped she slept as well tonight as she did last night.

Terri knew that Maria’s back and muscles were aching. I think she figured that Kate had taken care of her last night. A look of surprise and then pleasure crossed Maria’s face when the Senora was the one who offered to rub her daughter’s back. Terri thought she was bypassed--that is until the Senora said to her, “Terri would you show me the best way to make her easy?”

Terri, with alacrity, was on her feet to comply. Kate said after they left the room, “It looks as if you have to sleep with your wife tonight. Oh well, she does come with benefits. No little Spanish senoritas for you.”

Kate went to bed and I promised I would join her after another glass of wine. The Senora sat down across from me and motioned for me to pour her a small glass. We sat there unable to converse. At first I was uncomfortable, then the Senora stretched her hand and clasped it. Then standing and pointing toward Maria’s door, pantomimed Maria’s shape, “Baby.” I didn’t know where this was going when she pointed at me. “Papa.”

It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. I didn’t feel threatened so I nodded my agreement. Senora Cortez smiled broadly and kissed me on both cheeks. Then blushing she hurried out of the room. I went to be with my sleeping wife. It was a long time before I was able to join her in slumber.

It was hardly light when Kate woke me with what she thought was new gossip. “Jim, wake up. Guess what?”

I one upped her when I said, “I know, Terri is in bed with Maria and they are probably naked too.”

“Damn you, did you peek at them?”

“No, I didn’t peek. The Senora told me.”

“She didn’t. She can’t speak English.”

“Well she did and she made me admit that I am the father of Maria’s baby.” Kate was shocked. I could tell by the expression on her face. “She’s happy about it too. She was even so pleased, she kissed me.” I got serious then, “Kate we all have to talk. Maria, her mom and you and I. Today as soon as possible. I lay awake a long time after I came to bed. I think that Father Juan is manipulating us from behind the scenes. So far it has caused no real trouble, but it might. I want to be prepared.”

Terri made it easy for us four to get together by having to return to her practice. She left happy. Last night assuaged her grief at being denied as Maria’s lover. I hope she wasn’t going to expect too much and be hurt--again.

What I told Kate was borne out when the Senora arrived as we were having breakfast. Maria was especially surprised when her mother kissed me on the cheek after greeting the others in the same way. I turned to Maria, “Your mama knows that I am the father of your child. Please tell your mama how you came to be pregnant by me. Tell her your intent on coming to the States. How you and Kate decided to be cute and set up our tryst.

"Insist that I feel Father Juan is behind all of this from the beginning and for his own ends. Tell her none of us feel guilty and that none of us feel we have done anything wrong. I want her to respect Kate and me and I especially want you to have her respect.”

It took more than an hour for Maria to tell her mother what I asked her to. Then the Senora started asking questions to clarify her thinking. Kate came in for some very pointed questions about how she could allow her husband to do this. Again we came up with the same implausible reason; i.e., it just seemed right and the thing to do.

Maria excused herself to go to the bathroom. She didn’t return immediately so Kate went to see if she was in trouble. Kate came out. “Call the doctor. Maria’s water just broke.” I guess I was the most nervous. I couldn’t understand how everybody could be so calm getting Maria ready for the hospital. I was in worse shape than I was when Kate had JG. What did they expect of a man? He shouldn’t have to go through this twice in a three month period.

That wasn’t the end of it either. Maria, being a small framed woman, was having a rough time birthing the baby. Her agony seemed to go on forever. Terri had been informed that Maria was in the hospital. She promised to come in when she finished office hours. I was getting worried as the hours went by. Senora and Kate were with Maria. I was in the waiting area thinking the worst. Finally I called Terri at her office. We were both intimates of Maria. I needed someone to hold my hand so I turned to Terri.

Terri came rushing in. “How is she? What’s wrong? Why is it taking so long?” I couldn’t answer. I didn’t know and no one was telling me anything.

Kate finally came out and said that the doctors had made it possible for Maria to rest a little before resuming her ordeal. Kate went to take care of JG who had been left in the care of Maria’s maid.

Terri couldn’t understand why I didn’t keep Kate at the hospital with Maria. I was up and pacing, glancing often at the room where Maria was. I guess watching me pace, Terri was putting it together. “Jim, why are you so nervous? She is going to be okay. She will just have a C-section if there is any danger.” Then a knowing look appeared on her features. “You’re the father aren’t you? It isn’t just Maria, is it? It’s the baby too, isn’t it? Why you’re so nervous, I mean?”

I stared at Terri, not admitting anything. I was saved from answering by Senora Cortez coming to the door and beckoning me to her side. I followed her into the delivery room where Maria lay dozing under sedation. Maria was still in position to have our child, feet in stirrups and covered with a light blanket. I went to Maria’s side and held her hand.

“Hi Jim, I am just resting a minute. I guess I started trying a little too early and have tired myself out. Little Juan is getting ready to meet you. I can tell. I just need your strength to make it happen.”

I could tell that the sedation was fast wearing off. Soon the contractions returned in full force and frequency. Maria’s mom stepped out to give the doctor and nurse room. This left me to urge Maria on in giving birth to our son. Doctor and nurse were conversing in Spanish, of course, but were speaking in unexcited voices. Maria’s face was mirroring the painful effort she was making. When her countenance broke into a smile, I knew Juan had made his appearance.

I gave all of my attention to Maria as the doctor completed what had to be done under the blanket. The nurse left with the baby to make him presentable. The doctor spoke, telling Maria she had a very big perfect boy. Maria was awake, bright eyed and laughing as they moved her to her room. I rejoined Senora Cortez and Terri in the waiting room. Terri asked if I had seen the baby yet. I said no, but we would be able to see him shortly. Kate came in all excited and sorry she had missed the actual birth.

The nurse came and said we could see the mother and new baby. Only two were allowed to see them at a time. We were all anxious to go in. Kate, Terri and Maria’s mother were waiting for me to go in. I indicated that the Senora and Terri should go first.

As they disappeared through the door, Kate asked why I didn’t want to see my son. “Kate, you must remember that Maria is a single mom. She is going to need all of the support those two can give her. Before the world we are just friends and won’t be around. Terri being Maria’s former lover and still friend, would surely come before you and me.”

Fifteen minutes later they came out and said Kate and I could go in. Terri was smiling as she said, “He looks just like a little version of JG.” The question she asked of me before and I hadn’t answered didn’t need to be asked now. The baby and his likeness to JG was answer enough.

Maria and Juan James were home in two days. Kate and I had a short three weeks before we had to return to the States. We had planned on doing some sightseeing but never got around to leaving Maria and J J long enough to go anywhere. Terri joined us nearly every evening and the ambassador visited a few times.

The paternity of Juan James never entered into the conversation, but all were aware that I was the father in more than name. When the copy of the birth certificate was returned from the clerk’s office, it showed that I was indeed recorded as the father. Not only that he was also recorded as legitimate. Maria was ecstatic, and I was pleased. There were no problems now like there might have been later on in J J’s life. I know, this was based on a subterfuge, but we could live with it. J J, himself, might never question his parentage.

The day grew closer for us to leave, and it was harder to keep the sadness at bay. Three days before leaving I asked Maria, “Do you feel able to walk up to where Father Juan is buried? I feel he must have a message for us, and that would be where it will be given.” Sunrise found us winding up the hill past the ancestors of Maria to Father Juan’s monument. Kate and Terri had walked with us, but paused before we reached our goal.

Kate said, “We’ll wait here for you. Maybe Father Juan will contact you as you hope.”

As we drew nearer to the grave that housed Father Juan, I could feel the same presence that enveloped me back in the crypt the year before. Maria felt it too, as she gripped my hand tightly. Tension made us both very short of breath. We expected we might go into a trance or start to dream. We sat down on a nearby stone bench with slightly bowed heads.

Suddenly I felt a hand laid gently on my head and a voice full and rich saying, “Bless you my children. Fear not and let your minds be at peace, for I must speak with you.”

I looked up meeting the eyes of a man in priestly robes, standing before us. The cowl of his raiment was pushed back so we could see him plainly. This was no apparition. This was a solid, physical person. His stature didn’t rise above 5 feet 7 inches and he was not overly robust. He had a friendly countenance and his eyes twinkled. You could see a likely rendition of him in many 14th and 15th century paintings. Many artists of the time did the traditional tonsured pate, hide-bound sandals and brown robe.

He sat on the other bench near us and started to speak. “First, Jim I must thank you for following the way I opened for you to bring my remains here to my homeland. I set about the task to align people down through time to accomplish this. Sometimes my plans went astray. For example, I intended that your father, Theodore, would finish the process in bringing me home.

“A more pressing deed saw him dying while carrying out an act of charity towards others. This set my plans back a generation. However, he had sired you to carry on the plan I had set out for him. I must say that you have been most effective. I know my machinations of the Gruber family caused a lot of pain and heartbreak, for a time, but it was unavoidable. That I left for you to set straight--and you have with wonderful results.

“The future. We are reaching a period in time when there are some very dark days ahead. Soon a man will come to power in your country with promises on his tongue about compassion and charity. He is a Megalomaniac and will cause the death of many, many thousands. It is so unnecessary, but because he is a stupid, greedy, easily influenced man, his stubbornness will lead to his country’s downfall. He listens to his greedy friends and interests and allows those that put him in power to subtly sell out your country.

“This man wears God on his sleeve and on his tongue. The people who support him believe in the sanctity of God’s union by marriage, but then turn around and want their women to be subservient to their husbands. This is wrong. Many of the world’s religions treat women as chattels. Even the religion that I am a part of is wrong-minded in this regard. That will change over time, but it will happen oh, so slowly.”

What Maria heard before reaching a trance state:

“You, Maria, are wondering what is in the future for you. I set out for you to conceive a child that had the lineage descended from my brother, Jesus Domingo. Jim provided that for you. Soon another will appear in your life that will sweep you off your feet. He will be your love and mate for life. He is another distant cousin like Jim and descended from my brother Jose Domingo. You will be blessed with more children. It is up to you Maria, to nurture and educate these children as they may well follow in the footsteps of my ancestor, Saint Dominic.

“Your family will support you in this. Your friend Theresa will love you always and will eventually find one of her own to love. Treasure her while she is with you.”

What Jim heard:

“Jim, you have been right in your feeling that I have been manipulating you and other people’s lives. It was necessary for my bones to be returned to my homeland. The return has strengthened my ability to move people into juxtaposition to do God’s work and change the direction mankind is slipping into. A reminder that God is the father of all religions. All religions have many good qualities in their teachings, but are not always adhered to.

“Other than Christianity, Islam, the other major religion, has a radical element. It sends its warriors to heaven for rewards after routinely blowing up women and children of their own faith. In another religion, cows are more sacred than the people preaching its faith. The world is sinking into a morass of death and destruction. The saying goes that we shouldn’t foul our own nest. If earth is a nest, look what pollution from its inhabitants is doing to foul it.

“A lot of this is history repeating itself. The Mongols, the Chinese, the Japanese, the Czars of Russia, the Byzantines, the Romans, the Vizigoths, the English, the French and so many more, have been all powerful in their time. That’s just in the old hemispheres. The new continents of North and South America have seen the rise and fall of various groups. Eventually they all seem to rot from within, due to greed and corruption.

“I and many like me under the guidance of God are working to right the wrongs of the world. We don’t always have the basic material to work with so we have to create it. This I have done by manipulating you into fathering a child with Maria. She is perfect for this and her work isn’t done yet, but you will not be involved with her in such a way again.

“Your strong and righteous soul is the seed that makes the plans for the future possible. It is a joy to point you in the way necessary to weave the beginnings of a tapestry for the next generations of mankind. The work you did with the family ‘Gruber’ was an experiment. This was a family that was torn apart by some of the same sins that beset the universe. The insight into their problems were mine. The solutions that you implemented were yours, alone. Another case in point was Sandy and Burt. There you saw they had a problem and came up with a solution to make not only them, but many people happy.”

I needed clarification on what he was saying, so I asked, “What is this that you are talking about? I don’t understand at all.”

“Let me start again. Many of the souls that have done God’s work in the past have decided that more has to be done to save this world. We have some powers, but have never been strong enough to begin a movement that would correct this slide into a hell on earth.

“Things have reached cataclysmic proportions. There are the unstable relations in North and South America. There are the unstable relations in all of the Mid-East countries and they are ready to explode. Russia is coming into play again and getting stronger. The Far East is dominated by China, with its huge populations. Japan is a power, though not belligerent and being a small island nation, it will slowly diminish. Then there are the nuclear powers of Pakistan and India. Australia is not a threat to anyone, situated as it is. You have Africa. Its warring countries and tribes will hold them back from dominating any world powers, but will continue to be courted for their resources.”

                             Chapter Ten

                             The Golden Rule

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

I still didn’t know where this was going, but a picture of a plaque with the Golden Rule emblazoned on it flashed before me.

“Jim, whether you realize it or not, you have been adhering to the golden rule. This rule is embedded in the hearts of man. God could have said it more succinctly if he had only five commandments. The first four commandments would pertain to him, and then replace numbers five through ten with the Golden Rule. We, who sit near Him, have asked to try and save mankind from His wrath before He unleashes His fury.

“He has allowed us (those who have asked) some leeway in implementing this effort. We are influencing people in all countries and cultures. These cells are populated by men and women who have demonstrated their belief in the Golden Rule such as you have. This is revealed to you so you can see how effective it is by those you have touched.

Some have been looked on as sinners in the past but now follow the Rule. Those close to you like Will Greene, Jr. did sin mightily in his youth. Now he follows the Rule in those he manages and with his friends. The Preacher sinned and now teaches the Rule which he has come to believe deeply in.

“The list goes on, Miss Katie in her singing and charitable works. Miss Daisy follows the rule in her diner by treating with respect those that she serves and those that serve with her. Tom, who is gaining the gratitude of the whole town in his fair and honest management of his employees. Yes, and Joe’s wife in England, working with the wives and families of the servicemen. Billy Bob realizes the difference between the Old and New Testaments. The credo of the Old Testament was (an eye for an eye). The New Testament is to follow the ten commandments and to (forgive).

“The family Gruber and those connected with you are just one little cell. It is radiating its good works and deeds outward. I have another cell that is doing the same work in a different context. It is pay it forward, a concept established by a 12-year-old boy with the name of Ben Vail. As these created circles expand, eventually they will converge and merge and move on stronger than ever. When they do they will become more effective in saving the world. People will be doing more than paying lip service to God, as they will actually be living under the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule.

“One day in a few years Juan James will come to your door and ask, ‘Are you my father?’ You will then know the answer as I have revealed it to you. A leader is ready to begin his life’s work.”

I remembered the dream that Maria and I had shared the previous Christmas while sitting at the table in my home in Virginia.

Father Juan continued with his projecting of my future. “Juan James will be researching my life in the New World and my lengthy sojourn there. He will author a book starting with my early years in the church. You have all the clay tablets that I made and wrote on. Also you have the verbal record passed down by the Chosen Ones before you became chosen yourself. You will recite to this son, by Maria, just as you learned it. You will lead him to all of the written documents and the substantiating records in the office of the town. He will publish all of these facts in the book of my life.

“This first book he writes will establish him as a credible author. When he is finished with this book he will immediately start another one. His writings here will concentrate on cross-referencing the Golden Rule in all religions. The laws of all of the governments, past and present, that uphold the Golden Rule, will also be cross-referenced.

“Democracy, Communism, Fascism, Islam and Nationalism all have some good points. Juan James will be studying these forms of governments. Democracy with its majority ruling over the minority can leave 49% of its people without recourse to a fair life. The majority mean the haves, so all the poor and have-nots are left with the leavings of the rich and those in power.

"Those governments that are ruled by religion are just as bad or worse. Man interprets God’s will influenced by each of the interpreter’s own thoughts--not God’s. Can you understand how mankind has lost the true meaning of God’s plans?”

Father Juan was giving me an awful lot of words and thoughts to dwell on. Why me? All I wanted was to enjoy my family and be happy in my life’s endeavors. But then again, I thought of the rush I received from helping others in straightening out their problems. This rush was compounded when the gift of insight had been bestowed on me and I was able to use it. I didn’t want to give that up, infrequent as it had come to me.

My mental thought was answered without me asking it out loud. “Why me, Jim, you ask? You should know. You are one of the Chosen Ones, remember? In the coming years your life will not change that drastically. However, the ones that you help will turn out to be the persons that will have the most influence in saving the world. I have cast you in the role of teacher. It would be beneficial to you if you were able to have many discussions with the one you know as The Preacher---beneficial to both of you.”

Did I want this? When I first convinced Gram to sell off the Ryan Energy holdings, my thought was to have a laid-back lifestyle and raise a small happy family. Momentarily I thought over my life of the past year. I had retrieved my wife from the brink of going wrong. I forgave her a minor indiscretion. From that point on, it didn’t seem as though I was in control. I always had a choice or decision before me about something. Apparently I was being influenced by some other force and dealt with it to their (or its) satisfaction.

What would happen to me if I turned down the role that Father Juan had just set before me? Would I be struck dead? I knew that answer immediately. No, of course not! Would I see disappointment and sadness if I raised my head and looked into the eyes of the apparition speaking to me? I knew the answer to that, also.

“What will I have to do? Will I have guidance? Where will I get the knowledge to teach these people that I have not met yet? Where will these persons come from? Will I have to go out looking for them?” Questions like these and others were skipping through my mind.

Again I felt Father Juan’s hand on my head. “Jim, you just have to be yourself. The persons you meet will come from my setting them before you. Now that I am home I have almost limitless power to move people into place to meet you. You will not have to go looking for anyone to teach.

“Some of the text you will use, you have been using all of your life. The Golden Rule is everywhere. You just have to bring it to the forefront of people’s attention.

“Points to emphasize:

“Honor thy father and mother. No person wants to stand in shame before their father and mother, for it brings shame on them as well.

“Thou shalt not kill. Do not set out to kill in either anger or revenge for it will doom you for all time.

“Thou shalt not commit adultery. Lust is one of the strongest emotions that beset man. If God had a sister and she was married and fairest of form and dressed provocatively and you lusted after her and fornicated with her, what would God with all his power do? Ponder this!

“Thou shalt not steal. Do not take from others that which is theirs. Do not steal their good name or their monies or their possessions. Do not deny them a fair wage for work performed or cheat them out of what is due them.

“Thou shalt not lie. Gossip, sometimes meant well, but the truth is usually added to and then becomes a lie. A lie that is told as truth and sworn to diminishes man even in his own eyes.

“Thou shalt not covet. Envy of those that have and the will to possess, lead in a downward spiral to let man commit the sins highlighted in the previous five points.”

Father Juan paused so that I could assimilate what he had just finished saying. He continued with, “You realize, of course, that the points I just gave you are the last six commandments of the ten that Moses received from God. These, together with the Golden Rule, are all that mankind needs to live by. There is one other point that I need to give you. It is a difficult point to explain.

Forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those that
trespass against us.

“You recognize that this is an excerpt from the Lord’s Prayer. To make this effective, man must look deep into his heart when he asks for forgiveness. He has to want to repent his wrongdoings. He is actually submitting his soul in the expectation that if he receives forgiveness, he will be whole again.

“If a man has been wronged and is asked to give his forgiveness and is generous and forgives, he will be whole as long as he truly forgives.”

---

I awoke and looked around me. There was no Father Juan with me. Maria was not on the stone bench near me either. I looked down the hill through the stones and monuments and realized that Kate and Terri were also missing. From the position of the sun, I surmised that it must be past noon. The women must have left to feed my sons. Father Juan had not mentioned James Gruber Ryan, but I instinctively knew that he was going to be as important as my second son, Juan James.

I was energized! I felt that a new way had been opened for me. I also wanted to go home. I wanted to start my new life. I had never been a very religious person, but God was always there in the background. Even now after my time with Father Juan I knew that I was going to follow God’s way. How was I going to do that? I had to give some thought to this. Before I reached the villa, I came to the conclusion that I not only would have to be aware of what I did, but be aware of my thoughts as well.

The ladies, including Senora Beatrice, were just finishing lunch as I came in. They all peered at me, expecting that I would be different somehow. Maria spoke first, although Kate was watching me intently. “Jim, I wasn’t there at the stone very long. I did see and hear Father Juan. I guess I was in a trance for awhile. I finally realized that I didn’t need to stay longer when I couldn’t see or hear him anymore. I looked down the hill and saw Kate and Terri sitting and waiting for us, so I went down to them.

“Your attention seemed to be focused on something and you appeared to be listening. I heard you mumble something, but I couldn’t decipher what it was. When I reached Kate she said that it was time to feed our babies so we left you there.”

Kate got up and came around behind me as I sat waiting for lunch. A habit of hers she always had of standing behind me and running her hands down my chest while kissing the top of my head, made me feel normal again. “What did it feel like talking to a spirit? What did he say?” Then she whispered so the others couldn’t hear, “He doesn’t want you to make another baby again by anyone but me does he?”

I whispered back, “No, just by you.” Then I spoke for all to hear. “First, you wouldn’t know that he was a spirit. He seemed a total, normal, physically solid being. What was it like to listen to him? Well, it is like what I imagine the disciples must have felt like when taught by The Master. He did give some indication of what our future will be.”

I paused trying to decide how much of what Father Juan had said could or should be revealed. “I guess there will not be any momentous changes in my life. Kate and I will have a larger family than we have now. He did say that I will be a teacher of some sort. It wasn’t revealed what he meant by this, so I expect that eventually I will find out.

“Maria, I assume that he spoke to you too? Was there anything that involves me?”

Maria answered with some sadness, “He just said that you and I would not be involved in any way but by the common interest we have in J J. He also said that I would meet someone and find love. I hope whoever this is, he will be understanding, because I don’t know how I am going to explain my association with you. I can’t even understand it myself. It just felt so right and I don’t regret a minute of it. Life is complicated, isn’t it?”

Theresa was quietly translating to Senora Beatrice as we conversed. I had another of those moments when I guess you could say the future was revealed in a flash. When I was aware again of those around me, Terri was looking at me with a question just forming on her lips. “Jim, the Senora wants to know if Father Juan had any plans for her?” She was smiling as she asked and I figured she was half joking.

Senora Beatrice, an older version of the beautiful Maria, needed love in her life again. She was looking at me with a twinkle in her eyes. Expecting a negative answer, I’m sure, and hoping for more, I replied, “Tell the Senora that before too long a Spanish gentleman should be along to sweep her into his arms.” I had to be a little ambiguous. In the window to the future I glimpsed minutes before, I had seen Maria and her mother, the beautiful Senora, in a double wedding. Everyone laughed in disbelief, but maybe the Senora was hoping it was the truth.

We had a wonderful dinner that evening. I would soon be leaving Maria, Theresa, and the Senora. I had gained two new friends during my stay here. Friends that had reason to dislike me before they knew me. Terri, because she thought that I had stolen the love of Maria from her. The Senora because I had impregnated her daughter and couldn’t marry her.

I think they now knew of the untenable position I was put in by my association with Father Juan. As I looked at the four women that were here with me, the only one that I felt any physical attraction for was my wife, Kate. And I saw Maria, whom I had lusted after, had acted on that attraction and consummated it. The result of that consummation was nursing at her breast at this very moment.

I analyzed my feelings of the moment and realized that I was very fond of Maria, but any lust that I previously had for her had disappeared. The baby nursing was cute and looked like my other son. I had to admit though that I didn’t hold the love for him that I held for J G. Was it because I and my family were leaving tomorrow, or because I felt he was more Father Juan’s than mine? Maybe I still resented him and his manipulation and took it out on the baby.

Terri came over to where I was sitting and said, “You know when Maria first told me about you and Kate, I was so jealous. Then when I found out that she was pregnant by you, I hated you. I guess I hated her a little bit too. I still love her as much as I ever did, but I can see that the life we planned together would never work now. It is funny when you think of it, but I always considered myself the intelligent person, but Maria has moved beyond me. I realize that now. It makes me sad but I am happy for her too.”

I took her hand in mine. “Terri, this whole business with Father Juan is so strange and unbelievable. One thing though, I don’t know of anyone that has been permanently hurt. I do think that you are under his protection as much as the rest of us. Have faith. He will see that you have a happy and satisfying life.”

I could see that the Senora was getting ready to return to her apartment. I wanted to speak to her before we left in the morning. I took Terri to her so we could converse. “Senora, we are leaving in the morning. I want to thank you for letting us into your home. I am so glad we became friends. I have a feeling that you may travel to the States sometime in the future. Would you be so kind as to plan to stop with us when you do?”

Terri translated as the Senora replied, “Of course! You must see your son. Maria must visit often and I will be with her. I am so glad that I have a grandson. I thought for awhile I wasn’t going to have grandchildren.” Realizing that this was awkward for her translator, she looked at Terri with an apologetic glance. Then she hugged Terri and continued, “Right or wrong, we all have a path chosen for our children and when they don’t follow our wishes, it hurts. I’ve come to enjoy Terri’s little girl almost as much as I will love Maria’s baby.”

Terri beamed as she told me what the Senora was saying. The next morning before we left, the ambassador and his wife came in to wish us a farewell. His duties at the UN were over but he said he often traveled to the US. He went there to consult with his colleagues and friends from the different countries’ state departments. He asked if he could call us, as he enjoyed our company. Maybe we would travel to New York on holiday sometime. I assured him Kate and I would look forward to his call.

Terri drove us to the airport for a noon departure. The two mothers sat in the back nursing their babies. I observed them as I turned and talked with them. Neither seemed ashamed as both bared their breast to feed my hungry little sons.

Maria and I started a discussion about our future apart. I guess that Maria’s intuition was working well, for she said, “Things are different now, aren’t they Jim? I mean, the urge to make babies with me has passed, hasn’t it?”

I spoke as much to Kate as I did Maria when I answered, “Yes, and thank you for seeing the change in me. Being with you and loving you has been one of the best things that ever happened to me. A part of me will always be with you, but I really don’t feel I should get as close to you as I was. To do so somehow seems perverted. Can you understand that?”

“This is what I love about you. I always know what you are feeling and you are able to put it into words so well. I feel the same, but I didn’t know how to say it.”

That pretty much concluded our serious part of the ride. I did have a moment to talk to Terri just before we boarded. “I’m very sorry for you that Maria has changed so much. I’m happy that you are still friends. You still both need each other and I am glad that you are here to look after her. Soon someone will come along to look after you. When you find her, open your arms and embrace her with your heart.”

“Jim, you are such a beautiful person. You are almost enough to make me change my ways, if you would have me.” Tears came to her eyes, and she turned quickly and took J J out of Maria’s arms.

Thank God we were informed that boarding time had arrived. I was leaving a woman here with my name, bogus as it was. I was leaving the son of my loins, whom I didn’t know how I felt about. The closeness for him just wasn’t there. Whenever I thought of this son, Father Juan appeared in my mind. Well, leaving Spain in a few minutes would push the thought into the background and I could concentrate on the family that I loved for certain.

---

Gram welcomed us with tears of happiness when we made it to Ryansville. She exclaimed over how much JG had grown. I spent two days with her and left JG and Kate to keep her company while I swung down through Kentucky before meeting Kate at home in Ohio.

People close to Kate and I could not figure out how we could leave each other even for short periods. Several times my work pulled us away and we were always apart visiting here and there with friends and family. If they had asked we would have told them that it didn’t really matter. We felt as close whether we were a hundred miles and three days apart, or snuggled spoon fashion in our bed. True love transcended time and distance, but it was nice to rush home to see one’s true love.

Miss Daisy really blasted me for appearing without Kate and JG beside me. I made the excuse that I had to return to work shortly, but had some things I wanted to share with The Preacher. Gram had some of the Grant work for Kate to catch up on. Kate and JG would come for an extended visit the following week and I couldn’t come with them. I was forgiven when I continued to rave over Miss Daisy’s cooking. So much had improved since the Grubers had met me that they would forgive me most anything.

This was Friday evening. School was in session, so I was hoping The Preacher was free to talk to me tomorrow. He was, although he had not written his sermon for Sunday. When he said this I said I had enough subject matter to go for a hundred Sundays. He was puzzled over why I wanted to specifically talk with him. Bethanne picked up on this right away when I made my request to speak to The Preacher. “You and Hattie Mae aren’t having trouble are you?”

I erased the concern on her face by saying, “No, this is more like church business, and some things that I ran into in Spain. I need some advice, that is all.” Everyone relaxed, and I went on to tell about our visit and Maria’s family. I mentioned that Maria was a mother now with a little boy. They asked if I had met the father and was he nice? I just said I was comfortable with him. Kate could fill the family in on the details if she thought they should know.

Knowing that I probably wouldn’t want any interruptions, The Preacher suggested we meet in his office at the little church where he preached. I laid it right out at the beginning as we sat down. “Claude, last night when I mentioned the father of Maria’s baby I skirted the issue. Actually you know I am the father. This was planned by others and Hattie Mae was part of the planning. I admit I was a willing participant. Maria is a beautiful woman and anyone would find joy in her arms. I did then, but now that attraction has been removed and I only look on Maria as the mother of my child.

“The child looks just like JG did when he was born. They could be twins, only JG is three months older. I don’t even feel the same kind of love for Maria’s baby as I do my own with Hattie Mae. Maybe it is not having possession. No matter what I feel, I am not going to be a part of his early years. Eventually he will come to me and I will recognize him as my son. At that time I’m sure we will grow closer. This has been understood by all of us directly concerned.

“This is not what I wanted to discuss with you. I guess I want to discuss religion. I sat at the feet of an apparition of Father Juan and received an intense lesson on how we should conduct our lives. Distilled down to its barest form, man could live with only two rules.

“One---The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

“Two---Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. That is an excerpt from the Lord’s Prayer as you well know.

“Father Juan seemed as solid as you and me when he talked to me. He indicated that you and I should work together. You are to continue as a preacher and I will fill the role of a teacher. Your parishioners are mostly from the trailer park south of town. Somewhere in that flock is someone that is to further the designs that Father Juan is looking for. I was told that we didn’t have to look for him (or her) specifically. Father Juan would let us know. Go figure.

“So, I’m just giving you a heads up that at some point in time you and I are going to collaborate on solving someone’s problem. This is not your or my agenda, but I think it is of the utmost importance.”

Claude asked me for more details of Maria and her connection to Father Juan. We also sat and tried to figure out how I had the same DNA as Father Juan. My mother’s family was an unknown. She must have been the one that passed the genes of Father Juan on to me. It didn’t really matter, anyway, as I accepted that Father Juan was an ancestor. I had confirmed that through DNA. He was making use of the connection to me without any reservation.

I did also touch on the gloomy predictions about the United States and the rest of the world that had Father Juan worried. We tried to puzzle out who would be the Megalomaniac I was warned about. Well, we would soon be finding out as the election year was fast approaching.

I reached home to Ohio finally. It had been several weeks since I had done any work. It took a few days to catch up the backlog. The safety reports that were my responsibility were all overdue. Kate and JG arrived and we started having friends in again. Sandy and Burt stopped often. Their little business was booming. The coal we were mining here was not as dirty as soft coal, but still it was a pollutant.

The fastest way to find information was on the Internet. I asked Kate to start looking for published articles and theory on how to burn our product with less harm to the environment. Gram was needed again. I asked her to contact those she knew who were from the former Ryan Energy Co. who were interested in making coal a more clean burning product. We set up a symposium with scientists, engineers and chemists to brainstorm various ways to develop a so-called “super coal.” The goal was to manufacture a product that was much less a pollutant and more environmentally friendly.

This wasn’t altogether altruistic, either. We intended to use Ryan’s Trust money so we could control the findings. If any patents were developed, the inventor would share with Ryan’s Trust to replenish the monies granted.

                             Chapter Eleven

The Preacher gave me a call one Monday afternoon asking how busy I was. He referred to our earlier discussion shortly after I had returned from Spain. “I’ve got a problem within my flock. The mobile home park has been sold and it was purchased by a woman. At least she is the title holder. Her husband is a handsome devil and spends most of his time seducing the women who attend my church. I’m afraid that there is going to be a violent confrontation sooner rather than later.

“Would you be willing to visit? I don’t know why the woman who owns the park allows it. I’m sure she must be aware of how her husband is acting, but she seems to intentionally ignore what he is doing. The park is integrated, black and white, young and old. There are several single mothers here as well as married women with families.

"We even have a couple of gay men and two lesbian pairs. Usually the blacks hang out with blacks and the whites with their own kind. This being Kentucky, racism isn’t very far under the surface. All it takes is one bad seed to disrupt the balance of a situation that is uneasy at best.”

“It sounds more like a problem for the authorities than anything I can deal with.”

“They can’t do anything until someone makes a complaint or the violence is physical. That hasn’t happened yet, but it is a slaughter waiting to happen. Whenever I think about this problem, I think of you. That is why I called.”

“Well I can come down, but I still don’t see how I can be of help.”

Kate was always glad of an excuse to go and be with her family, so off we went to Kentucky. JG was always happy riding. Traveling with Kate brought to mind for both of us the past year when she and I were going to meet her family, she for the first time after many years. That had such happy results after the uncertainty of seeing her father and mother and how she would be received. Now, of course, we were a tight family with JG the newest member.

Wednesday found us in Kentucky. The evening found us all together at Miss Daisy’s. Miss Katie was home from a tour and said she wouldn’t have to leave again until after Thanksgiving. She told of some of the experiences she has had since going on tour. Kate was shaking her head and saying she didn’t see how her sister stood all of the traveling with a new town almost every day.

Claude and Bethanne were there too. He wanted to talk to me, but I wanted this just to be family time tonight. Morning would be soon enough to give my attention to his request that I help him with the trailer park problem. Tom was telling how he had instituted some policies relating to his job. All had been well received and he was always under budget, because for once in the history of the town it was getting a day’s work for a day’s pay. Will Greene, Sr. was a commissioner and now favored the Grubers. Maybe it was because he had made the mistake and pressed sending Billy Bob to prison fifteen years ago.

Claude finally got me alone long enough to tell me that he convinced the trailer park owner, Berta Brown, to meet with me sometime during the day. She in the last day or so had realized that she was about to have a problem. Knowing that The Preacher would have some influence over more than half of the people that inhabited the park, she asked him to talk to them at the Thursday night prayer meeting. He convinced her that his brother-in-law often saw problems as a whole, and would suggest a solution. That is where I came in.

I dreamed that night. There was no real sense to it--none that I could figure out. When I awoke, the only thing that came to me was the name, Magdalene.

Nine in the morning, I made a call to the trailer park office. “Ms. Berta Brown, please.”

“Speaking.”

“My name is Jim Ryan. This is in reference to a conversation you had with The Preacher. He tells me that you have a problem. He suggested I listen. The church office is available and private. Could you meet me there? Only if you wish, of course.”

“I will be there a little before ten.” Her voice was nicely modulated. Claude hadn’t given me a description of the woman I was to meet, and I couldn’t conjure up an image of what to expect.

I took a carafe of coffee, sugar, creamer and some sweet buns from the diner with me. I no more than sat down when the door to the office opened and in walked this strawberry blonde. She was five-foot six-inches tall, with a nicely toned body. Jeans and a white tee showed little skin, but you could tell some enhancement had been done to her chest. Her face was beginning to show a few wrinkles, so I estimated her age to be in the late thirties.

I had taken time to observe her and I guess it was obvious, for she commented, “What you see, is what you get.”

I shook her hand (nice grip) saying, “I’m sorry. It is just that I rely on first impressions when meeting someone the first time. Please excuse me if it offended you. I meant no harm.”

“And your impression of me would be?”

“Confident, in control, wants to be liked but never subservient. Young and vibrant, you care for your body, and you care what other people think of you. You also feel you need some help. I hope with my listening to you I can be of service. This is at the behest of The Preacher who is a friend that did have a problem. He attributed the solving of it to me. Whether deserving or not, he believes it.”

“You got all of that from just looking at me? How old do you think I am?”

“That is a terrible thing to ask me. If I’m truthful and put your age too high, you will be insulted. If I guess too low, you will think I am trying to flatter you. I’m not going to answer.” I smiled.

“Okay, now I know that you are reasonably intelligent by that answer. How do you want to start this?”

“Why don’t you tell me about yourself? How you came to be here, the owner of a trailer park. Why would a beautiful woman want to operate such a business? Why I’m asking this is so I can judge your commitment and know where your sympathies lie.”

“Boy, if I answer all of that, you will know more about me than any other living person. Secrets that I have kept hidden even from myself sometimes.”

“Well, tell me as much as you feel comfortable with. There isn’t anything you say that is going to leave this room.”

“You might as well hear it all.” She paused as if collecting her thoughts on where to begin. “I grew up in a trailer park about the same size as this one, down south of here. However it was a much older park and needed a lot of updating. The sewer system only worked about seventy-five percent of the time. A lot of the trailers were added and the electricity was run from drop cords from another trailer. It was a miserable place to live.

“My father was an alcoholic. I don’t blame him. When you don’t have a job, what else is there to do? My mom was good-looking for a woman living in a park like this. She did what she had to do to pay the bills and keep my father in booze so he could forget what she was doing. I lost my virginity when I was barely thirteen to a black boy when he caught me down by the railroad tracks. I didn’t cry rape or even cry. It happened and I put it behind me.

“A white boy knocked me up when I was sixteen. Mom got me an abortion. I had to have another one when I was seventeen. By this time I was enjoying sex, but I was pretty selective. I had to be in love. Would you believe that?”

I couldn’t come to grips with what I was hearing. This woman was describing her life as calmly as if she were a school teacher telling about her students.

“The last abortion did me in. No children for me ever. That’s what the doctor told me. I decided I had something to sell, but I was damned if I was going to sell it for twenty bucks a pop. I headed for Hollywood. I worked in a hash house and kept my eyes open. I watched the stars, how they dressed, how they walked and how they talked. Most of them were as fake as the boobs I was planning on getting. I kept my legs together and kept out of the sight of the sleazeballs that preyed on the Newbies that came to town. When I was ready I walked into a studio and asked to see the producer.

“I was nineteen, looked sixteen and acted like I was thirty. I walked in, told the producer that I loved to fuck, and could do anything that an experienced whore would do. I said I would perform with Blacks, Whites, Browns or Yellows. What I wanted for this was a bigger pair of boobs and to be paid a fair amount for something that I enjoyed doing anyway. I told him I had never had an acting lesson but thought I could make my move from the front door to the bedroom in any scenario he put me into.

“I made more money in the first three months than my mother made in all of the bars and back seats her whole life. I took a break and got my boobs. They turned out to be a little bigger than I actually wanted, but what the hell, this is a life of excesses. The producer watched over me and guided me in about everything I did. Seven years I did it all. One day the producer called me into his office and asked me if I had made enough money yet. This was about the time I was considering legitimate acting.

“I discussed that possibility and he advised me against it and why. He told me it never works, because whenever a movie I am in is promoted, my past endeavors would be mentioned. Also other stars would not want to be in the same feature with me. This would limit the roles I could play. Over time if I continued I would be right there on my back again before the camera, only older.

“It made sense. The money I made was invested. I went to night school and took courses in Business Administration. For the last ten years I have been in charge of a home for the elderly. That work lost its fascination when I realized that even as I made friends with these people, I most likely would be around just to see them die. That’s depressing! I looked back over my life and remembered that I had made a promise to myself that I had not realized yet.

“When I was nineteen I promised myself that if I ever had to live in a trailer park again it would not be like the one I grew up in. Assessing my life, here I was in my forties, no family and little chance of having one. Why not buy a park and make it the best place to live? I had the money and I knew how a park should and shouldn’t be managed. Two months ago I signed the papers. This is just what I wanted. It is a fairly new park, only a few years old, well designed and all of the infrastructure is in place. Perfect for me.”

“Where does your husband come into this? You never mentioned him. He doesn’t seem the type to fit with you in the story you just told me.” I was curious, not critical.

“First of all he is not my husband. He is a performer from my past. He was one of the first men that I had sex with on camera. He was a charmer then and he still is. He evidently saw the story in the paper when I purchased the park. Three days later he came to my home here and said he was moving in with me. I turned him down--in all ways. He then asked me how I would like to have some of my twenty-year-old movies spread around town. Not only that, he would see that the elderly home that I just had come from would receive some copies too.”

Talk about a past haunting a person, Berta sure had a problem. I could understand how she must feel. She continued, “I had to let him in and to pass himself off as my husband until I could figure out how to get him out of my life. I underestimated the evil in him until I started hearing rumors of him seducing the women here in the park. He wasn’t interested in me, he was just looking for new fertile ground to carry on as he always has done. I’m afraid eventually someone is going to kill him. Not that I would care, but that is going to screw up someone elses life. What am I going to do?”

“How dead set are you in keeping your past hidden?”

“If it wasn’t for the films, I wouldn’t care that much. After all who cares about a porn queen from the distant past.”

I reached and poured a cup of coffee for her as I pondered her problem. We shared the sticky buns without saying anything, but I was thinking all the time. Seems to me there was a passage from the good book about, and I didn’t know the quote, ‘If thy left hand offends thee cut it off and cast it away.’ I knew that wasn’t correct, but close enough. Then the dream I had last night intruded into my thoughts. ‘Mary Magdalene.’

Berta looked at me expectantly as I prepared to say something. “Prayer meeting is tonight. I will advise The Preacher to tell the story of Mary Magdalene. I will suggest that he emphasize that she was forgiven as a courtesan. To forgive is to be blessed.

“At the end of the service I will have him ask that all of the female park residents above the age of sixteen attend a meeting. Have it here Saturday morning as you would like to speak with them concerning their future. I will have him ask those in attendance to spread out through the park and contact everyone to make sure all are here. It would be fortuitous if you would offer to pay any women that have jobs to attend Saturday, and you would promise to make up their wages.

“Most of the women have kids and I will make sure my sister-in-law, Miss Katie will give a mini concert on the school grounds for all the kids. My wife and her family will be there with some snacks. The kids will be excited about seeing Miss Katie perform. That will keep them occupied while you are with the women.

“Your meeting: Those that attend the service tonight will have it fresh in their minds. Tell your story. Many there will understand and some may even have had to do what your mother did. Emphasize your good works. One or two will probably cast aspersions on you. Ignore them, they may feel guilty as not having the courage to do what you did. When you get to your so-called husband, beg their forgiveness for inflicting him on them. They will see that you are sincere. Tell them what your vision for their home is here in the park. Most people have pride in where they live and their surroundings. Play that up.

“Should I, The Preacher, or you deal with this man that has imposed himself on you? I don’t think so. Have the women talk with their men, their husbands and neighbors. It is up to the men to protect their women from evil. Have the women tell the men to go after this person who is causing such grief and trouble. Have them banish him from their home--this park where they live. This man’s threat to do you harm is empty. He will see the writing on the wall and leave as I’m sure he has been cast out before.”

These certainties that were coming from my mouth had to be coming from Father Juan. I had to believe this.

Kate and I returned home to Ohio on Sunday. We did not wait to see how my trip to Kentucky played out. It was out of my hands anyway.

The scenario went about as I had envisioned. The Preacher later said he couldn’t understand how I did what I did. Berta Brown asked after me and my family often, giving her thanks. Her work continued with the women that had strayed. She implored the women to ask their husbands to forgive them, and she even talked to the men asking them to forgive and trust their wives. It was slow, but they had her for an example to build on.

Only one marriage resulted in a divorce. I thought when I heard about this ruptured union how much heartache was in store for these two people. I told Berta not to shoulder any blame, for she had asked the inhabitants of the park to be forgiven. These two people would have to work out their own karma.

Berta mailed to me, as an interested party, plans that she and her park dwellers had laid out for the coming spring and summer. It entailed moving several of the homes from row on row to a more scattered placement. Planting of shrubs and trees would make a more pleasing atmosphere. Activities were planned and carried out with most participating. It all sounded like Berta’s promise to herself when she was nineteen was coming true.

When Sandy and Burt finished up one of their projects, I took them down to Kentucky to tour the park. After showing her some of the projects they had completed, Berta was enthused and employed them to produce a brochure about her park. When finished she was going to send a copy to every member of her mobile home association. I thought maybe this was the work of Father Juan in its infancy.

---

The Senora Beatrice and Maria had met a father and son, both widowed, who became interested in them and were paying court. I would bet that a double wedding for them was somewhere in the future. If they honeymooned in the States, I would be seeing my other son, J J again.

The country is in good shape as far as I can see. Our president has survived impeachment and under his tutelage has produced a surplus in the budget. We are getting ready for the election season. The republicans are putting up a governor of Texas. He is an inarticulate outsider. I don’t give him much chance of winning, but if he does, I think we will coast along through his tenure in office with him being neither good nor bad.

In the meantime my life goes on with me being perfectly contented with my wife and son here. Gram still amazes me with her energy. She is wrapped up in the Ryan Trust. It is producing results from the people she helps and long term should benefit the country as well.

Life is Good! I wonder what Father Juan has in store for me in the coming years? No doubt he will guide me.

The End