Good Bye Miriam

 Good Bye Miriam

Happy Hugo

Romance, Historical, Religion,

 and Fantasy Fiction

162,639 Words

Copyright (C) 02/26/22

Score 7.93

 Jump Break

A complicated story of a woman who is marked with stigmata, and of a man cheated of his savings, He finds love, wealth and gained many friends during the next several years. The story turns suddenly to dreams of the far past and is historical in nature and tells how Mary and Pete, with their friends in the present, deal with these dreams. Miriam lived during the time, as we know it, when Christianity began.  

Chapter One

I decided I wasn’t the wisest of persons. I arrived home from a posting to the Mideast. I say this because I planned to marry my sweetheart, Chloe Kilmer, when I returned. To be assured, that Chloe had enough money to live on while I was serving the last eight months of my hitch, I set up a joint account to save money in. I opened the door to our apartment. There was a man just sitting down to breakfast when I walked in.

The guy looked up at me as I entered, “Who the hell are you?” He was getting up and coming toward me.

I stated, “I’m Pete and I’m here to see my fiancée, Chloe. I’m out of the service and ready to make our life together.”

“She’s not your fiancée any longer. She’s my wife. We were married a month ago.”

“Where is she?”

“She doesn’t need to see you. Get out of here. This is our home and you’re intruding.”

“We’ll see about that; the last I knew this was my apartment.” I was brave, but couldn’t quite back it up. I came to wearing cuffs lying in the hallway with a cop and an EMT standing over me.

I had my day in court for creating a disturbance, but it didn’t go well. A person should never admit that he threw the first blow. I was fined for the disturbance by the court, and the only money I had was my last pay when mustered out of the service. I did still have a few dollars, but only what was left in my pocket. It seems that my bank account was terminated before I reached home, and was done by my ex-fiancée and my money was gone. The bank declared what she did was legal and I had better talk to an attorney to see if I could recover any of it … No luck with that.

I sewed what few dollars I had left into an old leather jacket and went out on the street to live. I kept myself reasonably presentable by using the city provided place to shower and I always shaved. I took up panhandling for a living and did well enough to buy a bunk every night in a flop-house.

The city had an ordinance that panhandlers could only set up in certain designated places. It just so happened, there was one sign posted in front of the apartment building, I formerly called home. I made sure I was in the closest spot where my former fiancée had to step around me. That worked pretty well until her husband beat me up again. He had threatened me several times so when he had enough of me being there, it was him who went in front of the judge.  Six panhandlers lined up as witnesses for me who said I was beaten without provocation after several threats for bodily injury, so it was he who paid the fine.

Of course, the judge, after hearing his story, decided I did provoke Harrison from spite, and barred me from using this particular spot to set up again. The judge could see my reason of what and why this happened. He let the fine stand against Harrison and warned my former fiancée, Chloe, to control her husband.

Two beatings were enough for me. I guess I had made my former fiancée uncomfortable long enough. There was no way I could see I would be able to get any of the money back. I almost returned to the military, but I had been there and done that. I was twenty-six and didn’t have anything to show for my life so far.

I cleaned up my appearance, and looked for a job. I found it in a large grocery store … one of a franchise chain. I would start working early mornings 1:00 AM in the warehouse in the back. That suited me, I didn’t want to meet the public anyway. It was mostly moving stock around working with a list. Sometimes I would be loading boxes onto a motorized pallet truck for clerks to take out front and load the grocery shelves. I was busy and that’s what I needed. I spoke when spoken to, piled product onto pallets, and pretty much kept to myself.

Two years I spent doing this, spending off time in the afternoons in the local library. Things do change. My boss stopped me one day and asked, “Pete, are you happy doing this?”

“It’s a job, Sam.”

“Pete, I wondered. You still bed down in a flop-house, eat what we have in the deli section and don’t socialize with the other help. Do you have a life outside of your work here?”

“I spend afternoons in the library and read a lot. Why the questions?”

“Well, I’m looking for a person to travel with my half-sister and protect her from any accidents that may come up while she is poking around a mountain out west. She’s got it into her head she wants to go out to Colorado again and hunt for gemstones like she did last year. She needs a man to do the heavy work when she is digging in the side of a mountain on the same claim she owns from last year. She thinks she can work alone, but she will be far from civilization and I fear she will get hurt. My brothers would chip in a salary for you to be with her.

“It won’t be as much as you are earning now, but we are setting her up with an outfit. We could give you a percentage of anything she finds on top of what we pay you if it turns out of any value. Pete, would you be interested?”

“What’s she like?”

“She’s a lot like you Pete, quiet and keeps to herself. She has a strong will and you will soon notice that in her. She’s not the prettiest woman so I don’t expect you’d be hitting on her. What caused you to be in this situation, anyway?  Everyone has a story. What is yours?”

“I wouldn’t hit on her. I had some trouble with a woman after I got home from the service. I wasn’t always like this. I loved the woman and I thought she loved me.” I stopped speaking. I didn’t know if I wanted to share my previous problems with him. What harm could it do?  “I was putting my pay into a joint account the last time I went overseas. When I came home she was married to someone else and had taken everything from our account and closed it.”

“That must have burned you.”

“It did, Sam. No money to hire an attorney and I was inept at seeking a bit of revenge. I was beaten a couple of times, and had to pay a fine. I was ordered to move from my spot on the street.”

“Jesus, didn’t you get any revenge at all?”

“Not really and the best I could do was to make them both uncomfortable. Harrison had to pay a fine for beating me up the last time. Sad to say, they were the ones who came out on top every time.”

“My brothers and I wouldn’t have stood for that.”

“Yeah, well I was coming out on the bottom every time I tried something so I decided it wasn’t worth it.”

“So Pete, would you be interested in my proposition?”

“Where is this place your sister is going to?”

“In the state of Colorado, near the Wyoming border. It’s in the mountains, of course. She will be living in town in a small cabin when not out working the mine.”

“Sam, when you say working the mine, what do you mean?” I had a vision of crawling down underground and not being able to stand.

“It’s a plot of land us brothers staked last year for her to work on hunting gems and minerals. The only time you would know it was a mine is if you saw the claim stakes at the four corners, and recorded in the land records. It’s pretty wild out there on a mountain and only accessible a few months of the year. You two will pretty much be on your own and that’s the reason we want someone with Sis.”

“What’s your sister’s name?”

“Mary.”

“That’s a good Christian name.”

“Uh huh, names don’t mean much. Mary’s problem is that she has a horrible birthmark across her chest. We were told her mother who was our step-mother was horrified to see Mary when she was handed to her at birth. She kept Mary mostly hidden in a small room with only herself as attendant. Our step-mother said she had the mark of the devil on her chest.

“We’ve seen it and think it is just a birthmark. That was when she was about two. Of course, we haven’t seen it since she began to develop into a young woman. Stepmom gave her the name Mary to counteract her looks. It hasn’t helped much and Mary is definitely weird.

“That’s too bad; How does Mary feel about this?”

“I don’t think it bothers her mentally, but she always has to be aware how to hide it and always has it covered. That’s why she prefers to be alone. Also, she doesn’t invite conversation that much.”

“Sam, I assume you want me to meet her before we leave?”

“Yes, only if you are considering working with her.”

“Again Sam, how did you come to pick me for this chore?”

“Pete, some of it is how you treat your coworkers in not asking about their lives. You are a good worker and pay attention to details. That would be necessary in working in a somewhat hostile and sometimes dangerous environment.”  

“When is this all going to happen if I decide to do this?”

“You would have a week to clean up your affairs.”

“I can leave earlier if necessary.”

“No, it would take Mary that long to get organized. You had better come for dinner tonight. About seven-thirty, would be good. Do you have transportation?”

“No, but I can take a taxi. Give me your address, Sam.”

“No Pete, wait in front of your quarters and one of us will pick you up.”

“That is fine with me.”  

A Subaru Forrester pulled up in front of the flop house at six-forty-five. A woman leaned across the seat and spoke through the window. “Are you Pete?”

“I am. You’re Mary, I’d guess?”

“Get in.” I slid into the seat, staring straight ahead. Mary didn’t say anything, which was okay with me. We drove for almost twenty minutes and Mary wheeled into a long driveway of a large house sitting at the end of it two hundred yards from the street. The grounds were kept well. It must be beautiful during the late spring, summer, and fall. The lawns hadn’t greened up from the past winter yet.

She pulled under a roof that extended out from the house. You wouldn’t get wet if it was raining. Mary announced, “This is my home and I live in a small apartment. Sam’s family has the rest of the house. It belonged to my father and mother and my mother left it to me. But Sam is the older brother and it should have been his.”

Mary stopped the car and got out, again not speaking after her brief remarks. I had to move fast to keep up with her as she entered the house. There were several people sitting at a large dining table. I picked out my boss, Sam, and four other men who resembled him. These must be Mary’s brothers.

I felt like I was in a fishbowl with everyone staring at me. There were five women also sitting at the table and I assumed wives of the five brothers, and several children of different ages. My boss introduced me, “This is Pete Manning and we are the Goodell family. Pete is interviewing for the job of going out west with Mary. They’ll be working together and Mary will be safer by having a man with her.”

“Sam, damn it, I was out there last year and made out okay.”

“Yeah, but you were laid up with a sprained ankle twice if I remember correctly. One of those times, you’d have been in real trouble if a Ranger hadn’t come by to check on you. He had to carry you over a half mile to get you back to his vehicle so he could truck you into town to see a doctor.”

“Okay, but I’m more careful now. Let’s eat and I want to be the one to ask this person the questions. He looks like a dude and that’s not good. Christ, his jeans are even pressed.”

“Yeah Mary, and your jeans have holes in them and could stand to see a washing machine.”

“You said you thought he was a hippy. I wanted him to feel comfortable. Now somebody, serve us the food, I’m hungry.” This was a strong-willed woman. She addressed me, “Pete, just so you know, I think this whole deal is bullshit.”

Salads, fresh baked bread rolls, soup, and then prime rib made its appearance. The children laughed and joked and their fathers and mothers looked on them fondly, seemingly keeping control of their exuberance. Everyone was busy eating and the wives paid Mary no attention. Mary was sitting across from me and I caught her looking at me when I glanced that way. Chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream were the dessert.  

The table was cleared of the dishes, the wives, and the kids leaving the room together. Mary looked at me. “I’m going to tell you about where my claim is located, and how difficult it is to get to. I’m going to tell you what the mountain is like and some of the problems a miner has in getting the gems out of it. Then I’m going to see if you have any ideas to keep me safe for my brothers. That seems to be a problem with them and what they want most.”

Mary talked for a half hour. I had pulled a lined note book from my back pocket and a pencil from my shirt pocket. I took notes, not often looking at her or asking questions. My turn would come.

“Water to drink?”

“No water unless it rains and then there might be some standing until it sinks into the ground at the foot of the mountain.”

“Is there shelter from the weather?”

“No, none, and no trees as high as the claim. Maybe some shelter but only behind big boulders.”

“Mary, is there apt to be many thunderstorms?”

“There are many and often, Pete, and sometimes more than one in a day.”

“How close to your claim can you get the Subaru?”

“Two miles or seems like it. There is a narrow trail to the foot of the mountain. You have to climb about a quarter mile up the mountain from there to get to where my claim is located.”

“Do you always return to your cabin every day?”

“Sometimes I stayed at the foot of the mountain when I was finding good ground and the claim showed promise. There is some overburden on the claim that has to be removed which is hard work.”

“Mary, is your mine profitable?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“It is my business. I came here with the promise I would receive 10% of your finds. I don’t trust women any more since I came home from the service in Afghanistan.”

“Pete, why don’t you trust women?”

“Mary, my sharing that would come under your need to know. I don’t think that is the case here so I guess we are done. Sam, thanks for the wonderful dinner. Mary.” I looked at her and bowed just a little, put my note book in my pocket and rose to go out the door.

“Pete, sit down. Mary made over ten thousand dollars last season. Your cut would be $1,000 and more because she hasn’t yet sold all the gems she dug up. Mary, apologize to Pete. By the questions he has asked, you’ll be a lot safer and enjoy yourself more this season if he is with you.”

“Oh, I’ll apologize, but I’m going to be living with him and I should know a little about his past.”

I answered this, “Fair enough. Sam, if you’ll ask your brothers to step out, I’ll tell you and Mary why I feel the way I do.”

“Crap, they don’t have to leave; come with me and we’ll find a place to talk. The three of us went into and anti-room where I shared some of my life.

 “Sam and Mary, first, I have been hauled off to jail and fined for creating a disturbance and this is why.” I started speaking, sharing my problems and how they had affected me.

“How much money did you lose when your fiancée closed your joint account?”

“It was a few dollars less than $8,000 of what I earned in the eight months I was away.  Originally my account had $20,000 in it when I added her name.”

“Didn’t you get any of it back?”

“No, I didn’t. It was a joint account and she had the right to take it so the judge told me. I got a free half hour with an attorney, but he couldn’t see that I had much of a case. Do you wonder why I feel as I do?”

“Pete, didn’t you get any revenge at all?”

“Not much, the only thing I did was panhandle in front of my old apartment where the two are living. It made her husband mad and he beat the crap out of me again. It was him, who got hauled into court this time. He had to pay a fine. The judge warned me not to use this spot to panhandle any longer. That’s when I looked for work and found it at Sam’s store. I had enough pain and not much money.”

“Well, I would have got revenge somehow.”

I looked disgusted at Mary. “Sam and Mary, revenge isn’t always sweet. I have some more questions about how to mine.” We returned to the dining room.

Mary suddenly got up and went to a drawer in the buffet at the side of the room. She brought back a box. Folded in soft cloth was a myriad of gemstones. They were small but beautiful. Also, there was a small box that held unpolished stones. “These are what we will be finding and what the gems look like as they come out of the ground.”

My resentment was gone. Just think I could help dig up gems such as these. I watched Mary walk across the room. Her figure was good. Her hair wasn’t styled. It was cut around her head close up to almost the top of her ears and then it was full and thick above the cut-line. It looked like she had a trimmed mop on top of her head. Her eyebrows hadn’t been plucked or trimmed.

Her lips were a little too full for my ideal woman. But her nose was classic although she could use some lotion on her skin. With a little care and instruction, she might come off as being somewhat attractive. She never would be beautiful, but nothing to me. Why didn’t her sister-in-laws help her? Probably she pushed them away for some reason.

“Food and water, do you take them to the claim with you?”

“No food, except one sandwich, unless I plan to stay on the mountain overnight, which is seldom.  It’s too far to carry if I have tools with me. I wait until I reach town to eat unless I have a breakfast sausage left over.  I carry water in a gallon jug that keeps it cold.”  I was back to jotting notes in my note pad.

My question, “Mary, you take bug dope, of course. What do you carry for protection? You’re in the wild; you should have a firearm against the animals and a woman alone is always in danger. There will always be people who might like to catch you alone in the woods. How about claim jumpers?”

Mary’s face was getting red. “We’ll talk about it before we leave. I suppose I should listen to you if my brothers are paying you.” I didn’t say anything, just smiled.

I turned to Sam. “I’ll quit my job. Mary and I should get together and make lists. There is a lot more I need to know. Where can we meet to go over what we will need?”

“Use the house here. You can store your things here while you are out in Colorado. Anything big or expensive you can ask us to purchase. Anything that will make you safer and happier, right guys?” Sam had turned to his brothers for this. They all seemed to agree.

“Come on, Pete, I’ll take you home.”

“I don’t really have a home, you know? I have a bed and a locker. I grease a palm so I am able to have the same bed every night. Otherwise, I would have to take what comes. I’m not even let inside before five in the afternoon and I have to be out of there by eight in the morning. Try that when you aren’t feeling well.”

“Boy Pete, you need to get some revenge on your ex who has done you wrong. I’ll think of something. I may not get your money back, but those two do need some pain.”

“Let it go, Mary. It’s just a bad time in my life. I really am glad to get away from here and have an interest in something I never would have thought of.”

“Oh, you’ll enjoy hunting for and finding gems. Right now that is my whole life. I think you and I are going to get along. I never told my brothers, but I was fearful of something bad happening to me while all alone. You must have felt that way when you were in Afghanistan?”

“No, I didn’t because we were always in a team and someone had our back. Even when in a firefight, we felt fairly safe. When there was a death in the squad it usually was because we were surprised and that wasn’t often.”

“And then you came home finding no one had your back. It doesn’t seem right.”

“Please let it go, Mary.”

“Pete, how long will it take to pack up your stuff? There is a daybed in my little apartment so stay with me here at the house. You can sleep in the next room.”

“Hold on just a minute Mary. I have friends I want to say goodbye to. I’ll see you in the morning. I’ll be back at eight.”

“Pete, do you hate women that much? How are we going to get along if you hate me? We live in a cabin that is smaller than my apartment here at home?”

“I don’t hate you. Think about having me in the room next to yours. You don’t know me. You should be a little worried until you know me better and we have a little time interacting with each other.”

“Huh, I know you better than you think. I would trust a man who stopped at getting revenge after what your ex did to you. You’re right though, I am rushing things. I’ll drop you off.” Mary said goodnight and left me standing on the sidewalk without trying to persuade me again to stay in her apartment that night.

I did lie to Mary last night. I only had one friend to say goodbye to. He was the person who arranged for me to have the same bed. I packed up and left just as he was locking the door in the morning two days later. Mary was there waiting for me. My things went into the back seat of the Subaru. I did have a suit that I hung on the hook. “You really do travel light, don’t you?”

I laughed. “Having things are a burden and when you find out how much they own you, you begin traveling light. That’s where I am now. In fact I have been for the last two years.”

“You don’t have any money?”

“I have a little. Oh, I could spend some. I have enough to outfit myself when we get to Colorado when I find out what I need and I won’t even have to pack it or carry it until then. I’ll bet you will have the back of the car full of bags and boxes.”

“Won’t either. There is some nightlife in town where we will be staying. We might want to go out sometimes. I’ll wear pressed jeans so we will look the same.

“Mary, we can do that. I’m sure no one will notice if I wear the same pair of trousers every time.”

“Pete, women are different and they are noticed more than men. People stare at me all the time because I’m so homely.”

“And they will continue to if you don’t try to make yourself a little more attractive.”

“You’re mean.”

“Maybe. I tell you what. When we finish for the season, promise that you will go to a spa and see what they can do for you … my treat. You will forget how cruel I am when you see yourself.”

“Deal. Pete, are we going to get along?”

“I think so. That is if we try to overlook some remarks that we are sensitive about.”

“What are you sensitive about?”

“I’m sensitive about your thoughts of me not seeking revenge. It makes me feel like a weak person. I don’t think I am, but the thought is still there when brought up. It may take you a long time to conclude that my way is the right way. Till then, I’ll admit I am sensitive about the way I act.”

“Pete, I won’t bring it up again.”

“Thank you. Okay, now tell me more about the claim. I want to know everything. Start just as you leave your cabin heading toward the mountain. Let me see it through your eyes. I want to know how it is on a day when it is terrible hot, and a day when the weather is awful. Like how long it takes after you discover there is a violent storm coming so I will know how long it takes to reach a safe place. Do you carry your tools off the mountain when you are done for the day?”

“Pete, why do you need to know these facts before we get to the claim?”

“It’s called planning. What if we get up on the mountain, and have forgotten to carry a special tool? We should cache some food and water on the mountain in case for some reason we have to stay up there.”

“That has never happened to me.”

“Okay, but you can’t say but what it might happen.”

“I guess. You know Sam told me you never talked much, but you have a lot to say about this.”

“Yeah, it’s because he hired me to keep you safe.  Wait until I start asking questions about why you do things a certain way.”

“Pete, you’re certainly an interesting person. I think we are going to get along.”

“When do you plan leaving here? It will take at least three days to reach Colorado.”

“Pete, we should be leaving early tomorrow morning. I’ve booked motel reservations for three nights because it will take four days. We’ll have our final meeting with Sam at noon at lunch today. My brothers will all be here again for dinner tonight.”

“I noticed your sister-in-laws weren’t too friendly with you. They didn’t speak to you once when I was here.”

“There is a reason for that. My mother left me her estate in the will. My father died before her. Actually, the reason I was left the bulk of her estate because she treated me terribly for most of my life. And, I guess she felt bad of how she treated me at the end. I think she was religious.  She kept me hidden during my early years. I would have died if it hadn’t been for my half brothers. I’ve used the money I was left to find jobs or business for all of them. That fact is kept between us and not to be shared.  On paper, I’m charging them interest, but I’m not really.

“The women of the family all hate me because of that. When my brothers rescued me from mother, the wives wanted to put me into an institution because I wouldn’t speak to them, but my brothers prevented this. When the estate was settled, and they found out it was all mine, they thought it terribly unfair. To counter that, I split the estate into six equal parts and gave each of my brothers a share on the condition that they never tell their wives. Just a little bit of revenge for the way they have treated me.”

“Well, I’m not surprised at that. You seem hung up on revenge. Put yourself into their shoes. They might try to get some revenge on you. I don’t guess they are treating you too badly after all. If it were me, I’d try and make them my friends. And they are family.”

“You must think I’m a little twisted, but that’s the way I am. I suppose someday you will learn why my mother treated me the way she did, but I’m not sharing why now.”

“Suits me. It doesn’t seem like Sam’s manager’s job in the store is that much of a life’s goal in life for him.”

“Pete, it isn’t, but it would be if he owned 80% of the franchise like now. He only had a 5% interest in it before mother died.”

“Okay, not my business, and I don’t need to know more. Let’s create some lists and make some plans on how I’m going to keep you safe. I know the terrain is harsh, but I have been where it was and sometimes being fired on by the enemy at the same time.” I paused before I asked. “May I use your computer and do you have a PayPal account with Amazon?”

“I do, Pete. Why do you need to know if I have an account?”

“I want to order things and have them sent to your address where we are living.”

“Such as, what things?”

“We’ll want some MRE meals. We’ll cache them close to the mountain we are working on. We’ll pick up some bottled water to put in with the food. I’ll do it as soon as we figure out what is needed. Is there anyone there who could receive these items near where you live?”

“I have an address of a neighbor. He’s old and kind of a hermit.”

“I suspect you’ll fit in well with him. I don’t suppose there is internet service in the mountains?”

“It’s spotty, and no cell phone service at all.”

“Sam said I could order what I need to make you safe. I’ll see if I can cobble up some satellite phones that will work.”

“There is no electricity.”

“I can use the Subaru cigarette lighter space running a small generator.  When I get there, I’m going to look at a rough country Gator. That might get us to the foot of the mountain after we have to leave the car.”

“You know how to do all of this stuff?”

“Most of it, I do. I can search on YouTube if I don’t know how. People love to post stuff they have created to make life easier or to do things that were impossible before modern technology. All this doesn’t seem too difficult to me.” I grinned and then stated, “I read a book one time.”

We made out a list and I used Mary’s laptop to order some of what I thought we would need. “We will be going through Denver and if we hit the city at the right time, we’ll stop and pick up some more items. If the car isn’t too full, we can get what work clothes we need.”

Lunch was quiet. Mary and Sam got together. I wasn’t invited when they left the room. The other brothers came for dinner and were discussing their various businesses. I wandered over where the kids were playing. A girl of about thirteen came over and stood in front of me. “I’m Emmy, are you Aunt Mary’s boyfriend? She never had one before. Mama says no one would want to be her boyfriend because of the way she looks and acts.”

“Not a boyfriend, I’m just going to work with her. I wouldn’t know about whether she has boyfriends or not.”

“I’m going to have a boyfriend just as soon as I am fifteen. I wish I had one now. Don’t you have a wife?”

“Nope. I almost did, but she chose someone else. It made me sad.”

“That’s too bad. You’re kind of nice looking. I’ll bet you’ll have a girlfriend someday.” Sam’s wife, Alice, came over and told Emmy not to bother me, telling Emmy to go play with the other kids.

“Bye.”

Alice said. “What are you doing with Mary and why?”

“Sam hired me to watch out for her and keep her safe.”

“She’s strange you know. I don’t like her even if she is my sister-ii-law.”

“It’s just a job. What do you mean, Mary’s strange?”

“She is more weird than strange. Her mother kept her in her room for years and I didn’t know Sam had a half sister until after we were married. Sam’s father was dead by that time. Then the old woman died and the men began sucking up to Mary.

“Sam’s responsible for that. Mary is smart, I guess, or maybe it was the old woman because our husband father’s money was tied up and it came to Mary. Sam and the other brothers won’t say anything about what was in the will at all. We wives never saw any of the money. They claim Mary has loaned them a little, but she charges them. I hate the way she treats her brothers, but they don’t seem to mind.”

“You live pretty well, don’t you? You have kitchen help and all.”

Alice looked at me and ignored my comment. “I might have guessed you would come to think like Sam.”

“I don’t think like Sam because I don’t know anything about him or Mary.  You’re the first one who has said anything about any money Mary might have.”

“You’ll probably go after Mary now.  Men are all like that.” Alice walked away.

Mary and Sam soon came into the room. The families picked up and left. This was Sam’s house. I was expecting he would show me a bedroom, but Mary said I was to sleep on her daybed and we would be leaving before the rest of the family was up.”

I used Mary’s shower and crawled onto the day bed, covering up with a spread that was there. I had lounging bottoms on because she had said her cabin was tiny and I wouldn’t be sleeping naked. I heard Mary take a shower before I went to sleep. I awoke and had to get off the daybed to relieve a leg cramp. It wouldn’t go away so I went down stairs.

——————————

It was three AM. Mary said early so I raided the fridge for eggs and bacon. I put toast in.  I looked up and Mary was standing looking at me. “What in hell are you doing?”

“Getting breakfast, you said we were going to start early.”

“Christ, it’s the middle of the night. Nine o’clock is what I had in mind.”

“No. These are your eggs and they are ready. Eat, we’ll be on the road by four-fifteen.”

“Who is the boss here?”

I didn’t answer because Emmy and her brother, Chester were watching us. “Hey kids, want some breakfast?” Both nodded and then giggled.

Emmy said. “This is fun, can we go with you?”

“Afraid not, your mom and dad will miss you.”

“We’re going to miss you.”

“Get the address from the sleepy lady and write us a letter then. We’ll write you all about what we are doing. I’ll bet Aunt Mary will bring you back a special pretty stone.”

“Pete, are you going to be digging for stones too?”

“Yeah, but I have to give her all the ones I find. She’s the boss and I’m just working for her.”

“I’ll bet you would like her to give you what you find. That’s only fair.”

“I’ll never tell.”

The kids looked at Mary.  “Okay, Pete can keep some of what he finds.  Come kiss me, we have to get dressed.”

“I want a hug from Pete too. I’m going to miss him awfully.” Mary got kisses and I got hugs, and they ran back to their beds.

“It’s a good thing Alice didn’t see that or she would have screamed at me.” I looked at her. “What?” she asked.

“Mary, have you ever asked for a hug or a kiss from any of your sister-n-laws?”

“No.” I didn’t say anything, but she did. “Say something, Pete.”

“Opportunity lost. Go get dressed and I’ll come up after another cup of coffee.”

“Dimmit Pete, you make me feel small.”

“I apologize, I didn’t mean to.”

“You did too.” I grinned at her and she whirled and headed upstairs.

We were on the road a few minutes later than I said we should be. Sam had come down and talked a few minutes before we left. He shook my hand and hugged Mary. Mary was driving. “Jesus, hugs from my family. That’s a first.”

“You didn’t get any last year when you left to come out here?”

“No, I came out and didn’t call home for over a month after I had staked the claim.”  

“Well Mary, you couldn’t really expect anything if you treated your family that way. I’ll bet your brothers were worried about you.”

“Yeah, I guess so. That’s why I shared what I was planning this year.”

“So now you have more baggage this year.”

“Yeah, I have you.”

“We’ll have to see if it is good or bad. What do you feel about it, right at this minute?”

Mary hesitated, “I’m glad I have company for this year. It’s a long trip.”

“I’m satisfied with that.” Three days later, we stopped in Denver. I searched out the things I thought we needed. I bought canvas pants and convinced Mary to buy a pair for herself. I bought a couple of lanterns. They were LED lights and the batteries would last a long time. I bought a generator that could hook up to the Subaru.  This would charge the batteries for us.  I purchased a two dozen pack of dynamite in case we ran into a large boulder we would have to blow. I had to buy a drill and a hammer to work the drill for the holes.

I also went into a rock shop and bought books on gems and possible locations where to find them. This would describe the soil make up. I didn’t want to be digging if there were little expectations of finding anything. It showed what specimens looked like that we would be hunting for. Mary flipped through it. “God, some of the things I bypassed last year had a little value and I wasn’t aware. You’re smart, you know.”

“If you are going to do it, do it well.”

“A wise saying from Pete Manning.”

“Applicable, isn’t it?” Mary refused to answer.

I purchased a half-dozen different size tarps. The green ones, not the blue ones for these were heavier and wouldn’t tear so easily. These had eyelets so they could be laced together. I asked Mary if there were poles that we could cut to put a shelter together. None. I bought four ten foot poles and a half dozen eight foot ones that pulled apart into two foot lengths. “I have pop-up tent, you know.”

“Pete, the Boy Scout. I suppose we may want to have room to move around in. Always be prepared.  Are you always prepared?”

“I try to be. I can think of one time when I wasn’t. It hurt.”

“I take it you are referring to that woman.” I nodded not saying anything. She said nothing more and this was a surprise for the subject hadn’t come up on the trip. “I’ll bet some day she will regret what she did to you. Revenge is so sweet.”

“Mary, no revenge, someone might really get hurt and then it would be on my conscience. After all it was just money.”

“Pete, you could have started a small business with that amount of money.”

“Mary, I could have, but would I have?  Maybe, I would have just pissed it away.” Mary turned away muttering she couldn’t figure me out.

We had separated while shopping. I went into a men’s store and bought slacks and a blazer off the shelf. I bought two shirts, one plain blue dress shirt with a plain tie. Also, I purchased a western themed two-pocket shirt with a string tie to go with it. I didn’t buy shoes … my loafers would go with either. I was just putting these things into the Subaru when we met again.

 “Pete, what did you buy?”

“Clothes if we go out tonight. We can go to a western lounge or to a nice place where we can dance after dinner. This is my treat.”

“You should have saved your money. I don’t dance. You wouldn’t want to be seen with me, anyway. The looks on people faces when they look at me would make me upset and I might start an incident. I won’t go out.”

“Mary, tell me why don’t you like to dance?”

“Truthfully, I never learned how. My mother sent me to a private religious school that didn’t allow dancing.

“It’s time you learned. I’ll teach you.”

“No.”

I looked at Mary and tried to think how I could persuade her. “Tell you what, we’ll pretend you are blind. Wear your sunglasses. You can enjoy the music and I’ll keep you out of the spotlight. I promise I’ll make sure you have a fun evening.”

“Pete, God, you’re mean.”

“It’s either that I’ll go out alone and pick up some lady to have a great evening with. It could be you. I do intend to enjoy myself and I would like it to be with you. Remember, I’m just your employee and you can fire me. I could quit, but then you would be crawling around on a mountain alone. You’ll have to explain all this to Sam. No matter what you tell him he won’t really believe you.”

“This is blackmail.”

I smiled, “Okay Mary, just dinner then. You know if we go to a nice western bar, nobody would notice you that much. We’ll get there about ten. The rest of the patrons will be more than half drunk. What’s it going to be?”

“I hate it when you make me do things.”

“I take it you’re saying yes to going out?”

“I might as well. I’ll be miserable. I’ll be glad when we get to the mountain. You can’t blackmail me into something there.”

“You want to bet on that?” Mary just shook her head.

I was sitting by the motel window looking at the books I had purchased. I happened to see Mary get into the car and drive away. I wondered what she was up to? Probably something I wouldn’t like. I had been pushing her in directions she didn’t agree with. I’d have to deal with whatever revenge I assumed she would be planning. I turned back to my rock hound books. I didn’t see her return and I didn’t even know if she was back at the motel.

I decided I wouldn’t bother her if she didn’t call me on the house phone. I did get dressed. My hair was curly brown and I had it cut less than two weeks ago. I shaved and showered. I decided I didn’t look too shabby. It was eight when my phone rang. “Are we going out to eat? I’m hungry. I’ll meet you in the lobby. I suppose you know where we are dining?”

“I do, I made reservations.”

I did a double-take when I faced Mary. Mary had her hair done and had dressed to attend a western bar (or her idea of one.) Her designer jeans were tight … very tight. She had on a shimmery bright red top, of course coming up to almost her ears as usual. Her shoes were black with three-inch heels.

Her hair was transformed into something I thought was impossible after the mess it was before. She hadn’t shortened the part where it came up to the mop that was so horrible. The mop had been thinned, and trimmed to minimize the strait line that went around her head. It was only a half-inch thicker than where it met the hair below the line and feathered in nicely.

One other thing that was noticeable … she had forgotten to wear a bra. As we met and I noticed, she immediately brought the ends of the lace wrap that was around her shoulders together and affixed them with a clasp.  She smiled innocently into my eyes. “Pete, shall we go?  You drive.”

“We’ll be dining in a nice restaurant. The Western Bar is across the street. Both are popular and will be crowded. I chose these establishments because you indicated you didn’t want to stand out from the crowd. Looking like you do, you definitely will stand out. You’ll stand out and I will be proud to be with you as your escort.”

Mary didn’t say anything until I opened the door for her swing her feet out. “Pete, I have never had many compliments on my looks or appearance in my life. What you said a few minutes ago, I’ll remember and cherish. Please guide me tonight in this first date I have ever been on.” The lights from the restaurant shone brightly. I swear her eyes glistened with tears. I handed the keys to the attendant, took Mary’s arm and we entered into the foyer.

We were seated immediately. The Hostess said a Waitress, by the name of Sandy, would soon be with us. “Pete, please tell me what to order. I’m such a neophyte about things like this.”

“Something not too heavy, unless you are famished. Later in the evening, if we are hungry we can get a burger and fries or something Mexican at the Bar. These things don’t end at midnight. If we stay late having a good time we can stay over another day. According to the map we are only four hours away from our destination anyway.”

“Hi, I’m Sandy and I’m here to take your order. Would you care to order drinks?”

“Yes, I think so. A glass of sweet white wine for my lady friend. If you have a local micro-brewery, I’ll have a glass of light beer. I’d like coffee with my meal and the lady likes black tea.”

“I’ll bring your drinks.”

“Pete, I’ve never drank wine before. What will it do to me?”

“Not much if you just sip it a little. We’ll order dinner and it will take some time before we get it.  I ordered our coffee and tea now so they won’t try to push more alcohol onto us. They make more money from drinks than they do from the food they serve. You can order more of anything when we get to the bar.”

We didn’t get out of the restaurant until nearly 9:30 PM. We could hear music coming from the dance hall across the street. I drove across and parked in the lot, which wasn’t full yet. “Good, we can get a small table. In an hour the place will be full.”

I chose a table in a corner. It was for two couples. “We’ll have to share the table as more people come in if it is crowded.”

“I won’t like that; strange people, I mean.”

“Mary, I was a stranger less than a week ago. If they are a bore, we can leave. You just might meet someone friendly. Don’t worry yourself. Listen to the music. I’ll wait until more people are on the floor. There will be things to watch too. There will be some complicated line dances. I won’t ask you to join in those. They are fun to watch, though.”

“Funny I don’t think you of being a stranger. I feel like I have known you forever.”

“When we get up to dance, you can leave your wrap on the table. People will know the table is taken.”

“Pete, I can’t do that. I have to keep my wrap on. I was being smart when I decided to dress the way I did tonight.”

“I suspected that. I’ll leave my blazer, then.” We sat next to each other leaving the other two seats for someone else to join us. A sweaty Waitress came for our order. I ordered two light drafts.”

“Do you want to run a tab?”

“No, I’m not sure how long we will be staying.”

The Waitress looked at Mary, “I like your haircut. I have never seen one like it before. I might try it next time I change my style. Back soon.”

“Mary, shall we try a waltz? Our corner is empty.”

“Pete, I really don’t know how.”

“That’s okay. We’ll pick up the beat and just sway to the music. After a while, we can shuffle our feet a little and before you know it you can say ‘Hey, I’m dancing.’ Come on give it a try.”

We tried dancing and Mary was enjoying herself. We had over an hour, before another couple sat down with us at our table. Mary’s feet had been tapping to the music. We had even held hands a bit. Mary didn’t like the beer and so I suggested she try wine like she had for dinner. The house wine wasn’t as sweet so she only occasionally took a sip.

The couple across the table had been drinking enough to slur their speech. Mary’s looks were examined, closely. At least no comments were made.  We stayed another half hour and I could see Mary was uncomfortable so I asked her if she wanted to leave. “I guess so. Pete I have had a wonderful time. I hate to have it end, but we do have to travel tomorrow.”

“Okay, we’ll make this our last dance.” I held Mary a bit closer this time. Her breasts were brushing my chest with every little step we were taking. The set was almost over.

“Pete, we have to leave, I feel funny, and I feel weak. Guess it is the excitement. No, not the excitement, it’s the new things I’ve experienced tonight.”

I led Mary back to the table and grabbed my jacket off the back of the chair. Mary exclaimed, “I have to pee.”

“There is a ladies, by the door out. I could make a stop too.”

I handed Mary into the car, got in and headed for the motel. I parked and we walked hand in hand up the stairs to the second floor. “Pete, would you come in for a few minutes?”

“I can, but just for a few minutes. In the morning, I’ll have you call me when you are ready for breakfast. You can sleep in if it takes a while to get to sleep tonight.”

I followed Mary inside. She turned to me. “Pete, I had a wonderful time and I want you to know it. I’m in uncertain territory here because I have never been on a date until tonight. I trust you, so please tell me what is expected of me?”

“First, you didn’t have to invite me into your room.  Sometimes dates kiss at the door. Sometimes they will kiss as soon as the door is closed. A Gentleman doesn’t expect more than that. You are thinking reward here for having such a wonderful time you had with your date. A Gentleman’s reward is in seeing his date enjoying herself for a few short hours. We’ve only just met and I feel I have been rewarded handsomely. Also, both wonder if they will have another date. This would be the time to make a promise if you intend to. So, may I have another date with you?”

“Yes, I’d love to have another date. I also would like to hug you when I say goodnight.”  

Mary came into my arms and clung to me. “Goodnight Pete, I can’t imagine having a better time than I had tonight.”

“I’m so glad. I’m sure we will have others just as much fun. Goodnight, Mary.” I turned and let myself out. I had never asked how old Mary was and I hadn’t received many clues to tell me. How could a woman, in this day and age, be so unknowing about so many things? I guess I had a new project for the summer.

Chapter  Two

Wide awake, I opened up the books I had purchased. One of them had a loose heavy paper telling about the Colorado Prospectors Club and what an advantage it would be to become a member for an amateur prospector. I would ask Mary if she belonged.

I was at some disadvantage tonight when I looked at gems and minerals that were found in different parts of Colorado. I had no idea about the location of where Mary’s claim lay. One fact I did glean was that a claim was of about 20 acres in size. That was a lot of land. When you found a plot you wanted to claim, it could be located on a map using GPS. Interesting!

Mary surprised me when she called at 7:00 AM and said she would meet me in the dining room for breakfast in fifteen minutes. I was up, but hardly awake. I had read and looked at pictures until early morning. Mary was waiting for me when I reached the first floor.

“You look tired?”

“I am. I was reading all about gems. I didn’t get much sleep.”

“I didn’t get as much as usual. I lay awake thinking about how much fun I had last night. I’ll remember it forever.”

“Great, but today is for the future and I need coffee. We’ll have something light and stop in a couple of hours for something heavier. We should be where we are going for lunch.”

“That does sound like a plan.”

“Mary, I have a lot of questions about your claim. We can talk about that while we are on our way. One question now, are you a member of something called the Colorado Prospector’s Club?”

“I am. You should join. Maybe you will want to file on the claim next to mine later if it is as good as last year and turns out to be lucrative.”

“My thought, exactly.”

Mary talked about her experiences on the mountain last year. “At most, if I went home to my cabin, I only could work about four hours. It was a long walk to get to the foot and then my claim was a thousand feet up to the claim. This was several hundred feet above the tree line. It is cold most days and if it rained, the cold drove right through you. and then there were the violent thunder storms. They moved in fast and you headed down for the tree line where you didn’t stand out.

“I do think it worth it. I found many gem stones. The ones I showed you were the best of what I found. I sold many, many more of poorer quality and did realize $10,000. I’m hoping to be at the claim for longer periods during the day. I won’t personally have to carry so many tools. It is a lonely existence. As far as I know, there aren’t any other claims nearby. The word will get out though because what I found is a lot better than on many of the claims.

“Mary, how long are you going to work this claim?”

“Pete, in years, I don’t know. I may sell at the end of the season. I can’t imagine doing this for long. I do have a little money. Maybe someday I will find myself and settle into running a business.”

“Are you trained for anything?”

“Almost,I finished the high school course at sixteen. I went on to get an associate’s degree in money management. It is a good thing because my mother left me considerable assets. I entered college at nineteen and took business management. Much of it after finally getting to the meat of the subject I already had a grasp on from my associate’s degree. I didn’t finish.”

“And why was that?”

“You want the truth?”

“It would be nice.”

“Pete, I didn’t get along very well with my classmates. I was pledged at University because of my money. I made it through the initiation, which didn’t go well at all. It was downhill from there. I finally had to get my own apartment. Everyone looked down on me and I was shunned by the bulk of the student body. I left in the third year.

“There were a few incidents along the way and I finally gave it up. It looked like I was going to be asked to leave anyway.”

“And the incidents, what were those?”

“There was a couple over the initiation. I settled that by threatening a suit. Over the next two years, I got my revenge. Nothing serious, you understand, just a bit of humiliation here and there. People did get the message.”

“Mary, so you ended up a social outcast?”

“If you say so.”

I didn’t speak until Mary said, “You think I acted wrong don’t you?”

“In one word, yes, but it is not in me to judge. I wasn’t there.”

“I’ve always felt as if the whole world was against me. That is my only defense. It began with my mother keeping me hidden for the first few years of my life. My youngest brother sneaked into where she was keeping me and saw me. She couldn’t keep me hidden any longer after one brother had seen me. They would come and take me out of her room so I could play.

“Pete, I did tell you my mother was very religious, didn’t I? She would show me to a priest and he would say blessings over me. All this time the priest made my mother do penances. I never under understood why. It must have been something she had done. I got even with her after she died. I didn’t follow her wishes and shared the money she left me with my brothers. They were her step-sons and she hated them.”

“You’re rambling. I don’t make much sense of what you are telling me. It really isn’t necessary that I know.”

“Pete, for some reason I want you to hear my story.”

“I was just wondering how old you are, that is what was behind some of my questions.”

“Pete, why didn’t you ask?”

“Mary, a man never asks a lady her age.”

“You must realize by this time, I’m no lady.”

“You could be.”

“No, I never could be. I’m marked with Stigmata. Mother told me it is the mark of the devil. I suppose now you want to see the mark?”

“No, I don’t want to see it. Besides, Stigmata are usually the mark of Jesus that he supposedly received on the cross. The most seen are scars of the nails through the hands and feet. Many times, there are scars on the head from the crown of thorns. Often there is a scar where a lance driven into his side. Stigmata is usually defined where they are positioned on your body.”

“Pete, you know about this condition?”

“I do. Remember, I told you I read a book one time.”

“You’re making fun of me.”

“Mary, no I’m not. Have you ever been examined by a doctor or doctors?”

“Never. Why do you ask that?”

“Because in the book I read, this condition is often faked. In fact, about eighty percent of the time someone will mutilate themselves for gain or notoriety. I don’t believe you would do that and I don’t know what your scars look like.”

“I’m not going to show you.”  

“I don’t want to see. I’m no expert. I suspect you are scarred, probably badly from a birthmark or some injury. Even when someone has an ugly birthmark it is believed to be the mark of God. Some people have had these removed, and others have learned to live with them. Apparently you have done neither.”

I paused, “It could be your mother left all of her assets to you in recompense for you being injured when a child. Let’s leave off talking about it. We must be close to the end of our journey. This trip hasn’t been all bad. I enjoyed our date last night and we have the whole summer before us. Maybe we will have a few good dates during our time together while here.”

“You really had a good time taking me out?”

“Mary, I did. A man always enjoys having a lovely lady by his side.”

“We’ll talk about it again. Pete, that was beer I tried last night. You know I may get to enjoy the taste. After I said I didn’t like it, I wanted to try it again.  Pete, take the next right and in a hundred yards you’ll see my cabin.”

“Wow, this is a tiny cabin. It has bunk beds. Who gets the top?”

“Pete, you do. You go to bed first and you will have to turn against the wall when I get into my pajamas.”

“Okay, good enough, I can do that. Hey, I’ll start unloading the Subaru. Are you going to cook something or are we going into the village?”

“We might as well go into town. We need supplies. We can eat at the diner. Their food is good. Maybe I’ll see some of the other rock hounds I know.”

“Mary, how do the other people that dig for minerals and gems see you?”

She turned to me and said, grinning. “Hey, I’m as normal as the rest of the gang. They are going to notice I did something with my hair, of course.”

“I’m your hired helper, right?”

“Yeah, I can’t introduce as my boyfriend or they’d disown me after what I said about men last year.”

“Mary, do they think you are of a different sexual persuasion?”

“I don’t think so. Approached by one of the women, I made sure that it was understood I wasn’t like that. Actually, I may be asexual.”

“Mary, oh, I think you would know if you are.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Indications.”

“What indications?”

“Think back to the last dance, last evening.” Mary’s face flamed.

“Pete, you read too much into what you think I was feeling. I was just very happy, that’s all.”

“Okay, I was feeling very close to you and I thought the feeling was mutual.”

“You are making me uncomfortable. Let’s go get groceries. We’ll unload our things when we return.”

We chose shaved steak sandwiches, which came with chips and a salad. It was good and filling. We went into the grocery store and loaded up a cart. “We do have electricity. A lot to the cabins here don’t. They have to use a gas fridge and gas water heaters. You take your shower first. Watch how much water you use because the water tank is small.”

Mary had transformed into ‘Boss mode.’ That was okay. I was used to taking orders. When bedtime came, I faced the wall, which I said I would. “Goodnight, Pete. There will be snow we cross when we reach the bottom of the mountain we have to climb. The mountain is steep so we can’t go straight up. There will be some trail if a slide hasn’t buried it.” I didn’t answer and didn’t turn over. The bunk was comfortable and I went to sleep.

It was dark outside when I awoke next. I had to pee. The toilet was connected, but you had to step out and cross the tiny porch to get to it. I stepped out doors to look at the stars. They were brilliant. It was cold and fresh air I was breathing and I soon came back in. There was a ladder to the top bunk, but I was strong enough to boost myself up and in. A flashlight came on. “Is it cold out?”

“It feels like zero, but it probably is in the low thirties.  Do enjoy your trip.” Mary giggled. I went back to sleep.

Eggs, bacon, and toast were for breakfast. It was just getting light. Mary spoke as she put food on my plate. “We’ll keep it simple today. We’ll take what food we will need and the small tools like rakes and maybe a small bar. I’ve found that a heavy potato hook works well to get a lot of the rocks out of the way. These things are stored in a shed behind the cabin.”

We loaded the Subaru and she said she would drive. It was five miles to where we would have to leave the vehicle. “There is a good trail, but there are too many rocks in the way to go further.”

We took two potato hooks, a lawn, a leaf, and garden rake. We had food, water, and small tools in our packs. We shouldered everything and set off on foot. It was two miles to the foot of the mountain, where we would be working on her claim.

The trail wasn’t difficult at all and wasn’t obstructed except for some large boulders that had rolled into the trail. They had come down through the trees and stopped where the land had leveled out between two mountains. It took us almost an hour to reach where Mary had set up a small shelter last year. She had of course removed this when she left last fall.

There was the beginning of a footpath that angled up the mountain. It wasn’t that steep at first but got increasingly so. Finally, we reached the tree line. The wind hit us and we were glad we were wearing parkas.  Mary looked up to where her claim was. “Oh, no, there has been a slide and it looks like it covered my claim.”

“That’s bad?”

“Hard to tell. If it stopped on it, it may have piled up several feet of stones and rocks and we’ll have to remove that to get to where there is mineral-bearing soil to work.” We started out. From here, there were three long switchbacks so in reality we had to traverse twice the distance. We finally reached her claim.

She stopped and stared at it. “Well it could be worse. Most of the boulders and larger stones are below my claim and their path isn’t that terribly wide. We won’t have to move those. We’ll dig into the piled up slide and see what came down.  We may find some good gems in it. Or maybe we won’t find anything. If we don’t, where the slide covers the claim, it will be almost useless. There are some open areas around the edges so we can work those places.”

“What is my first chore?”

“Would you rake stones off an area five or six feet square? When you get that done, I’ll dig into it and see if there is anything of value.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going up and look at the ledge outcropping near the top of the claim. I want to be sure it is safe and not tumble down on us while we are working. Apparently some broke loose and that’s what started the slide.”

I paid no attention to what Mary was doing. It wasn’t long before I removed my heavy coat. I kept my eyes on the ground, hoping to see something of value. I didn’t really know what I was looking for but kept looking anyway. I got a spot four feet square cleared down to where I had small stuff and pebbles.

I used the lawn rake, gently brushed over the ground. There were two items with a dull shine showing. These had to be crystals of some sort. Mary would tell me when she came down. I began clearing another patch of ground. Was I excited? A little bit, maybe—Ha!

Mary began speaking from twenty feet above me. “Pete, it looks safe enough to continuing working here.  Oh, good you have a spot cleared. Did you find anything?”

“You tell me.”

“You spotted something, didn’t you?” She came rushing own to my side.

I pointed to the two small items, still buried, but did have a flat facet showing. Mary leaned down and poked them out with her finger. “These are what we are looking for. They are not very good condition but are worth a few cents. We sell these by the pound. They are worth digging for.”

“You climbed up where the slide came down. Did you see anything?”

“I found a broken piece of Smoky Quartz. I’ll search in that area and maybe find other pieces. Sometimes there is more than one set together. They’ll be underground and hard to get out without breaking, but they can be quite valuable.”

“Mary, should I keep doing what I have been doing?”

“Yes.” Mary was the boss. What I really wanted to do was dig through the cleared spot and see what I could find. I continued getting patches of the ground cleared. This wasn’t too difficult as it was on a steep incline and most of the large rocks and boulders had traveled faster than the small ones and had gone past the edge of Mary’s claim where they had come upon an outcropping that had stopped the slide.

I worked and really thought I was doing great until I took a breather and looked at what I had accomplished. Christ. I only had cleared a few square yards in more than two hours. There must be nearly two acres in the slide travel path. Above this was where Mary was poking around. Mary stood and glanced back down the slope at me. “How is it going?”

“Slow.”

“We have all summer.”

“It’s going to take me all summer to clear this. And then when I get this done, we have to sift through what is below what came down in the slide.”

“I know but think what we will discover. Take the time to scratch into it little. That will give you the impetus to keep at it when you find something. This is fun.”

“I’ll tell you when it gets to be fun.” I looked down and saw a faceted stone. I picked it up, holding it high. “Is this what I’m having fun finding?”

Mary came sliding down and took it out of my hand. She turned it over and around.  “I’m happy with it. You should be too. That’s about $9 worth of smoky quartz crustal. That’s wholesale price. It probably would be a couple of hundred dollars of ear rings or pendants when processed.”

“Great, Mary, a $10 backache and a $9 stone.”

“You aren’t going to quit on me are you.”

“No. I’m just using muscles I haven’t used for a while. I’ve been raking and prying stones out of the way for nearly three hours. Christ, in the army we were given a five-minute break every hour. You’re working me harder than any squad leader ever did.”

“I do intend to get lost in what I’m doing. Take five.”

This pissed me off. “Thanks.”

Mary looked at me. Maybe she could see how I felt. “Pete, that was supposed to be a joke. Lighten up a little. Rest anytime you feel like it. Let’s take a break now. I’m weary, myself. We’ll eat something. I’m glad it has warmed up a little.”

I got two MREs from my pack. Mary handed me a bottle of water. She dug into hers.  We sat down on a big boulder below the claim. “Hey, this is pretty good. Why didn’t I have these last year?”

“See, I’m good for more than common labor.”

“You’re way more than common, Pete.”  I let that go. I was pleased though. We sat staring down into the valley, not saying anything after consuming our lunch. “I feel like cooking. I think I’ll make meatloaf for supper tonight.”

“That sounds good.” Another fifteen minutes and I saw a cloud obscuring the sun. I pointed and asked, “Do you think there is any rain in that?”

“Probably, it’s headed this way. It looks like a twenty-minute shower. We’ll stay right here. Our parkas are rain proof.”

Mary was right. We huddled together during the shower. God, it was cold. When it reduced to a few raindrops, I got up and went back where I had left my rake, ready to begin again.

“Hey, look at that. The rain was hard enough to wash some of the fine rock chips, sand, and disturbed soil away.  Look at all the pretty stones that are showing.”

“Good, we’ll pick them up and rake this patch you cleared and maybe the next shower will show more on the surface. After that let’s call it quits. You must be tired, I know I am.” I didn’t argue.  We picked up several aquamarine mineral crystals and Mary got excited when she found another sample of Smoky Quartz. This one was a tad larger than the one I had picked up.

“At least we didn’t have to dig for these that we found today.”

“That’s good and bad. Many of what we picked up are partial crystals and many are scratched so the value is low. I am surprised we found what we did.  When we get this detritus out of the way, we will begin digging carefully and find some good specimens. That’s my hope anyway. I found some good places where we might find other gems above the slide other than what you uncovered. I’ll begin in those places, tomorrow.”

“So it is more of the same for me?”

“Yes. I’ll have you digging down through the material that piled up in the slide. I’ll have you work laterally instead of up and down. When you get down below the material that piled up, we will dig into the ground below that. I’ll have you as you work another section of the slide fill in the holes of where you previously dug. This way the material from the holes will go to return the surface to nearly normal. A claim shouldn’t be left with a bunch of holes all over it.”

“Is that a rule?”

“Pretty much. This way will be a lot slower way to work the claim, but we won’t miss as much either.”

I stated, “How to have fun in the summer, right Mary?”

“I can see this is just a job for you. Wait until we dig up an unusual or a valuable specimen. I guarantee it won’t be so much work afterward.”

“If you say so.” We bunched our tools and made sure we didn’t leave any trash. We made our way down the mountain and had the two-mile walk ahead of us. It was a long day. I got into my bunk about eight after taking a shower. Mary was finishing up the dishes when I went to sleep. I awoke at midnight and went right back to sleep after relieving myself. Would I be able to move come daylight?

I could and did. I was surprised at how well I felt. I put coffee on and put toast in. I glanced at the bottom bunk. Mary must be sleeping.  I turned my back and poured the brew. I heard her stirring after the toast popped up and turned to watch her get out of bed. “Please pour coffee for me.”

I went to the stove for the pot. When I came back to the table, Mary was finished wrapping herself in her robe. She grinned at me.”That worked well. We’ll get up every morning like we did this morning. I suppose I’m acting shy but I don’t want you staring at me.”

“I won’t stare. When you want to get dressed, tell me and I’ll go outside. If it is late enough I can do an errand or gas up the car in town. We’re going to be together a lot and I don’t intend to make you uncomfortable.”

“You’re a strange person, Pete.”

This was our routine.  I toughened up enough so my back didn’t ache as much and my hands became calloused.  We had a tarp at the site and some of the poles so we had shelter if the sun was bright or a storm came up. A ranger came by once a week to see what we were finding. I continued to sift through the landslide material. Mary would dig when I got down through the material that had slid from above. She worked in the area where the slide had removed the top soil. Mary claimed she would know by how the soil looked if she felt she was getting close to something good.

There always seemed to be rocks to move. I would work a small area where I removed the obvious rocks and sifted the soil, often finding some crystals. I would get through what came with the slide. Mary would then come down from above and examine the ground. She would then direct me to dig into the soil a few inches to look for crystals that hadn’t moved in the slide and would be pristine if I didn’t damage them digging them free of the ground.

Mary set me to digging. It didn’t take long before I found something and it didn’t look like aquamarine. I shouted to her to look at what I had popped out. “Oh great, that is amethyst. I’ll help with that.”  It was small and she popped it out of the ground. “That’s nice, but not very valuable.”

I sat back on my haunches.  “Mary, we have to talk. We’ve been out here three or four months. We’ve gone out exactly four times on a Saturday evening. We’ve even come out here on two Sundays. We have about four pounds of Aquamarine Crystals and none of the specimens is of much value. We’ve found some pieces of Smoky Quartz. No whole Crystals, I remind you.”

“What are you saying?”

“What I’m saying, is I quit.”

“So you quit. You were hired to keep me safe while I worked this claim. You’re going off and leave me alone, just because you disappointed?”

“I’m not leaving you here alone. I’m ready to stake the claim east of this one. You’ve watched me walk around during the time we took for lunch.”

“You think from your reading your books you can find gems better than me. I don’t think so. You are supposedly broke, where will you get the money to file a claim?”

“I brought enough with me.”

“But where did the money come from?”

“I’ve been working for your brother for two years. I’ve been paying a dollar a night for a place to sleep and I’ve been eating things on the cheap, bought in his store using my discount. I don’t own a vehicle. Out here, I’ve been living on your dollar. You’ve kept me sifting for junk in that landslide detritus.”

“You have found some things.”

“Yes, but you have 18 acres of ground that hasn’t been disturbed. Why am I spending the time, and getting junk for my efforts?”

“We have a few pieces of the smoky Quartz.”

“Yes Mary, several broken pieces. Even the pieces you found were broken because of the landslide. The ones I found were definitely only pieces and the smallest of gems. Mary, if you don’t want me to leave, at least let me work where there is a chance for me to use the knowledge of what I have read about.”

“Okay, I’m disappointed too. We’ll try it for a week your way. If we don’t strike something, you can file on the claim next to mine and see what you can do. You’ll get paid the same because you are here to keep me safe and I trust you’ll still be here when I am. Tomorrow we’ll work closer together.”

We were early enough back in town to hit the land office. This was after Mary said to file on the claim next to hers. I received the coordinates and a map of where the claim lay next to her. I would put the stakes in tomorrow. We went out to dinner that evening. Mary paid this time, after commenting she was sucking up to me because she didn’t want me to leave.

Morning found us back on the mountain. Mary helped me by writing on the stakes. I built up rocks around these on each of the four corners. When we finished that, I said, “Now let’s go over your claim. I haven’t been above the rock slide and I’m still interested.”

I headed for the place where the slide had started from way at the top of the mountain. There was still a huge outcropping of ledges. We could see where the ledge had broken away and tumbled down the mountainside creating the slide.

“It was water freezing in cracks creating ice to form which broke the rocks away, wasn’t it?”

“I would say so, at least that is what I read in the books tell me.”

“You have a lot of faith in books, don’t you?”

“I do. People learn these things and write about them. Then I come along and read the book and I don’t have to discover the knowledge all over again by myself. Mary, how did you learn about what you know about gems and minerals?”

“I saw something on a TV program about hunting for them. I came out here and talked to rock hounds who were hunting in this area. They told me what to look for. I went into the claim’s office and picked the location. I was excited when I found gems last year. I’m not finding so much this year.”

“Well, you still have time. Have you ever had a geologist examine your claim? It might be worth it to hire one. I would hire one if I find anything interesting. I probably won’t do much on my claim except look around. I’ll still help you part of the time.”

“You’re a good person. At least your word is good and you are faithfully performing what my brothers charged you with.”  We had been talking while this conversation was taking place and climbing at the same time. We reached the top of her claim.

We could see where the rock had broken away from the outcropping. The edges were sharp and unworn from the weather. I began looking over the face of the ledges. There were cracks, both vertical and horizontal. I paid little attention to the ones that traveled across the face. What I was looking for was a separation in the vertical cracks.

“Mary, where did you observe the first piece of Smoky Quartz Crystal?”

“It was right in the middle of the slide, side to side.”

I could estimate about which crack it came from if it had grown from inside of a crack. That originated when the earth’s crust heaved up and became the mountain we were standing on. Gasses from below are what formed crystals. I picked the crack I thought would be the most likely, and got as close as I could.

“What are you looking for?”

“I’m looking for some indication that the crystal came from this particular crack. It may be nothing more than an impression of a crystal if there was one.”

I spent a half hour looking. This fissure appeared to be old, maybe as old as the mountain. It was of various widths, coming close together in some places and several inches wide in others. The out-cropping of the ledge was thirty feet high at this particular spot and I couldn’t see detail more than three or four feet above my head. There was a lot of dirt embedded in it as well. Leaves and so forth that had blown in and turned to dirt.

I poked a lot of it out, but it was just dirt and little chips of rock. I worked my way down. There was less dirt as it got closer to the ground. “Mary, the rock that caused the slide was attached to the outcropping was above the ground. I’m thinking that that piece that broke off was solid and covered this fissure. We can’t see higher up where the pieces we found most likely came from.
 
 “Why don’t you try digging and see if you can follow the fissure down into the ground a ways? What rocks and stones are here appear to be smaller. You dig around them and I’ll help move them, later.”

“Pete, what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to be spend an hour looking over my claim. I have to show some work on it to keep it. Today I’ll just do planning. I won’t be far away and I’ll keep watch if you signal me.  I will be able to hear you, anyway if you shout loud enough.”

“Okay.”

I had a hand-held rock pick and trowel. I didn’t think this part of the mountain had ever been tread on.  It was steep and there were large rocks everywhere. I would pause on the underside of a rock and dig away what was against it. It was easier to see what a rock was like. I wasn’t looking for anything special. I had been looking at pictures in books for a month at night and sifting through the detritus during the day.

I walked slowly, more because the slope was steep and treacherous. I crawled over a bunch of jumbled together broken pieces of ledge and boulders. They had been here a long time and were weathered on the top and edges. I came to a huge flat hunk of ledge. I tried to see from where it came from. The top of the mountain was made of the same, but I couldn’t see where it had detached. Or maybe it was pushed up when the mountain was formed. It definitely had been here a while for the weather had worn the edges.

Just then I heard Mary call. I was far enough away so I couldn’t hear what she said. I turned to retreat and as I did I slipped and fell forward under the ledge I had been looking at. I was facing an opening under the lower edge. The opening was about four feet long and about eighteen inches high. It went back under the ledge. I couldn’t tell how far … Further than I could see anyway. Just then, Mary called insistently again.

Well, she was my boss. I would come back tomorrow and check this out. I could see Mary jumping around, urging me to hurry. She must have found something to excite her.

When I reached her, “Pete, I found the most perfect crystal. It is big, but locked in stone and I’m so afraid of breaking it.”

Mary had dug down about two feet following the fissure down. There was quite a large space almost pear shaped in the crack. There were two smoky quartz crystals of nice shape showing where she had brushed the dirt away.  One, about five inches tall was not contained in rock, but the bigger eleven inch and best one was securely held in the fissure by a lip of rock. Below this, the quartz seemed to grow out of a nest of amazonite crystals. My God, the whole unit was beautiful.

“It will shatter if I try to break away the lip of stone that holds it.”

“I know. Let’s proceed very slowly. There has to be a lot of internal pressure on the quartz. It may shatter anyway. It looks as if the only place that it is held by the rock is around the largest crystal on one side and I suppose the back. It has to be very heavy. If we are able to get it loose, it may drop and break from falling. We have to think of that as well.”

I sat staring at it. There had to be a way to free it. God only knows how long it took to grow in the fissure. Mary would never have discovered it if the rock hadn’t broken away and started a landslide. Mary had mentioned to me that she was fearful last year of working this close to the overhanging ledge. For me, I had read these crystals were apt to grow in places like this. That is why I had suggested she dig down along the crack.

“How much do you think it is worth?”

“Right where it is Mary, not much. If you can get it out without breaking it, it will be worth several thousand dollars.”

“Pete, you do it for me. I just know if I do it, it will shatter.”

“And what are you going to feel about me if I do break it?”

“I won’t feel any different about you than I do now.”

“And what are those feelings?”

“Pete, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You scared me terribly when you said you might quit. I have never been this close to anyone like you before.”  Mary paused speaking and then asked, “How come you never hit on me? How long has it been since you were intimate with anyone?”

“That’s pretty personal. I will say it has been too long. What is this leading up too?”

“I don’t know. We’ve been just two people who work together. When we are in the cabin we are never much more than six feet apart. Maybe it you being the male you are that bothers me. I wonder sometimes what it would be like to be really kissed. Maybe I wouldn’t like to be kissed that way, but how can I know if it never happens?”

“Mary, why are you talking like this after all this time?”

“Because I have reached a goal I set for myself last year.”

“And that was?”

“To hunt until I find something beautiful and valuable. There it is right before me. If it shatters, that is okay, too. I honestly don’t think it possible to get it out of the mountain’s grip. I feel it is you who can do it if anyone can.”

“I’ll think on it. I’ll need some special tools from town to attempt it. The ones I have are too heavy and crude. All has been done we can do for today. Let’s head for home. I think maybe we should celebrate reaching your goal by going out tonight.”

“Are you going to get me drunk and have your way with me?”

“No, and I’m not drinking tonight either. I want to savor and remember our first kiss as I hope you will as well.” We hated to leave the gem where locked in the granite that Mary had uncovered. Finally, we decided to fill in the hole just a little and bunched up a tarp we had here to cover it up. Soon we were on our way.  Maybe I held Mary’s hand oftener than I had coming off the mountain than I had yesterday. This was only to keep us from falling.

We had almost reached the Subaru when I saw three men headed our way. I picked out the ranger who visited us because of his distinctive uniform. The two others had uniforms on as well.  Their uniforms said Sheriff on them, “Mr. Peter Manning?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“May I see some identification?”

“Sure, but you’ll have to follow me back to the Subaru you walked by. It is in the glove compartment.”

“Do you own the vehicle?”

“No, Miss Goodell owns it. I’m in her employee.”

“Any weapons on you?”

“Only the tools you see we are carrying.”

“Okay, we’ll return.”

The ranger was friendly and asked Mary if she had any success since he had visited the claim a week ago. “No, not yet. You know Pete staked a claim. He said he might quit so to keep him I told him it was okay to stake a claim of his own.  He is still watching over me though.  He hasn’t had a chance to work on his claim yet. He was walking over it when I decided we should go out this evening. What does the sheriff’s deputy want with Pete?”

“Something about some serious vandalism back in his home town. I told the sheriff Pete hasn’t left here since you two arrived. Christ, you have had him hoeing rocks and sifting dirt. No wonder he wanted to quit on you.”

“He didn’t quit. I knew he was sick of what he was doing so as he had enough money for a fee and said he would still watch out for me if I’d let him stake a new claim and have at least half the day to work it. He is a good person.”

“I’m glad he is with you. I was hoping you would have a companion if you returned this year.  That way I wouldn’t have to carry you two miles to your car. I worried I’d find you in real trouble on one of my visits. Last year I almost left you half way there. You were getting so damned heavy.”

“I know. I told my brothers and they found Pete for me.”

We reached the car and Mary unlocked it and put the windows down.  I went around to the passenger’s side to open the glove box. The deputy was watching me. He shouted, “Gun,” when I reached inside.

I pulled my wallet out of the glove box in my hand just as the deputy tackled me to the ground.  “Let me up, the gun is unloaded. What-the-hell is the matter with you, anyway? If you wondered if I had a gun you should have asked.” He let me up and I opened up my wallet and passed my identification to him. I stood there holding my gun permit in my hand.  He looked at it.

“Now, if you would stop roughing me up, would you tell me what this is all about?”

“I guess we can. It seems as if there was a complaint made about a couple’s vehicle being vandalized. The couple said it had to be you getting revenge on them for something they did when you got out of the service.”

“That would be Chloe and Chuck Harrison. Jesus, that was almost four years ago.”

“Tell me about it?”

“I came home and walked into my apartment where my fiancée was living while I was away. She had just gotten out of bed with Harrison. He said they had been married a month.  Not only that but I had put together a bank account which was one I had for years.  There was twenty thousand in it when I left and I automatically sent another eight thousand while away.  I like a damned fool had put Chloe’s name on the account in case something happened to me.

“The bank said it was her money to do what she wanted to with because her name was on the account. The courts said the same.”

“Jesus, that’s raw!”

“Yeah, and I got the shit kicked out of me … twice. I had to pay a fine for the time I tackled him the day I came home. Harrison had to pay the second time when the court said I might have provoked him when he beat the crap out me. I finally found a job and put it all behind me.”

“You didn’t go after revenge?”

“Nope, because every time I thought about it I got my ass kicked. So I don’t think about it anymore. I haven’t even inquired about either one of them for at least two years. They’re going to have to look somewhere else if they’re having trouble.”

“How come you have a gun?”

“I bought it, and got a permit. Mary, my boss, doesn’t like guns and that’s why it was locked in the car. I bought it in case there was trouble of some sort while we are on the claim. Honest, you won’t believe me, but Mary said we will throw rocks at anyone who bothers us.” The three officers stared at Mary.

“Is that true?”

“I’m afraid so.”  They stood there shaking their heads.

Finally the deputy said, “Well, the ranger said you have never left the area, so I guess you are off the hook. Twenty-eight thousand they got away with ... I’d have figured out something to get back at them.”

“Just curious, but what was the vandalism?”

“Mean things. One week someone keyed the right side of the car with something heavy enough to dent the metal. Someone put a small jack with a prong under the motor and punctured the oil pan. That was the next week. Then they jammed a bar through the grill and destroyed the radiator.

“They missed a week before keying the left side of the car the same way as the right side.  Twice someone snipped off a tire valve. The last time they got all four of them. I understand the insurance company finally balked at getting the vehicle repaired the last two times they filed for compensation. So now, they are taking taxis or riding the bus.

“It is hard on the family because they have a two-year-old boy that has to see the doctor regularly with some kind of disability. It’s quite the hardship for the family. That’s why I said it was just mean stuff.”

“Well, it wasn’t me. I’m not the type to get revenge. I was overseas in the army. Those tribes and ethnic groups have been getting revenge on each other’s for centuries.  There are no winners. None for us either, when we poke our noses in over there. That’s just my opinion.”

“I’ll go along with that. Take care, you two. Miss Goodell, I’d feel better if you let Mr. Manning carry that weapon.  He is experienced and I’m sure from what he has said he wouldn’t use it without provocation. Sorry I’ve bothered you. Have a good day.”

Mary was silent on the ride into town. “Pete, I don’t feel like going out tonight. Were you going to get some tools?”

“Yes, right now. Too bad about my ex-fiancée isn’t it?”

“I guess. I’ll start supper while you are gone. Pete, kiss me. I thought when we left the claim I would let you fool around with me and I would let you.”

“We’ll get there.”

“I guess not tonight. The mood has passed with them talking about your ex.”

I went into town in preparation for getting the gem out of the mountain’s grasp. I purchased a battery-powered drill. It had one battery and I bought two extra batteries. I went into a jewelry shop that also sold supplies and purchased a half dozen diamond tipped drill bits of one-eighth inch size. Mary had a disappointing change of plans so I stopped at the grocery and bought a bottle of wine. I paused then wondering if I needed anything else. I did and went back to the hardware store and bought two powerful flashlights.

I reached the cabin and found Mary lying down. “Pete, I didn’t start supper. Would you cook something?”

“Sure Mary, are you sick?”

“No.”

“What’s bothering you? Is it something to do with you probably being the vandal whom the sheriff was looking for?  I suspect you lined up your brothers to do this so it wouldn’t come back on me.”

“How did you guess?”

“I saw your face when you asked the ranger what the sheriff said he wanted with me. I thought you were going to faint. You did at least pull yourself together until they left.”

“Are you going to turn me in?”

“No, but I want you to stop whomever you hired to do this. If someone gets hurt, it is on your head.”

“I stopped it last week in a call to Sam. He planned to rupture the gas tank, but I said that was too dangerous in case the car caught fire. Pete, what can I do to make this right?”

“Well, I thought I was done with my ex-lover. You certainly can’t approach her. If you do, it will still lead right back to me. No one will believe me that I had nothing to do with her. That’s the problem with getting revenge. It never works out the way you think it will. Why did you decide you would take up for me anyway?”

“Pete, you were treated so unfairly and wouldn’t do hardly anything to get even. Someone had to make her see that cheating you out of love and money while you were away serving your country deserves some revenge.”

“Maybe, but the way you went about it is all wrong. How were you going to let Chloe know that is why she was having vandals after her for that particular reason?”

“I didn’t think it through, I guess?”

“Well, we’ll forget about it. I hope your brother doesn’t talk about it. If he does, it could still land on my head.”

“Pete, all of my brothers were in on this. I thought that if each one did only one thing it would lessen the chances of them being caught.”

“Let’s drop it. Would you like hamburger gravy on toast for supper? I brought a bottle of wine. That’s all comfort food.”

“You’re so good to me, and Pete, I will never try to get revenge on anyone again.”

“Lesson learned. A bit late, but can you see my point where it is better if someone treats you mean it is on their head? If you try to get revenge, then you have to take some responsibility if it doesn’t work out the way you thought it would. You have less of an excuse because you tried for revenge when you weren’t the one hurt.”

“I can see that now. But I sympathized with what happened to you and wanted to rectify it.”

I stopped to think about Mary. Five minutes later, I spoke, “Mary, think about why you feel every person who has been injured should get revenge. Where did these thoughts come from?”

It was Mary’s time to stop and think. “I guess it was caused by me being marked with stigmata. My mother said I am marked by the sign of God. Always when another kid or older person chanced to see the mark, I was laughed at or looked on with disdain. When I was old enough, I felt it is the mark of the devil. My brothers are the only people who treated me the way I wish to be treated.”

“I can see why you are close to them.”

“Pete, is this going to change our relationship in any way?”

“Of course it is. I would like to stay with you and show you how wrong you are to always think an injured person should seek revenge.” 

 Chapter Three

“You haven’t seen the way I am marked. That will change your mind and damned sudden, too.”

“Well?”

“What do you mean, well?”

“You could show me and see how I react.”

“As if I would … or could.”

“Okay.” I walked over to Mary sitting on the edge of her bunk. I just lifted her face and kissed her gently on the lips. I turned and started preparing supper in the kitchen area.

I got involved in browning the hamburger and caramelizing the onions. I didn’t look at Mary, concentrating on my cooking. I was ready to make this into a hearty gravy and had the toast in.

“Pete, look at me.”

I looked. Mary had removed her shirt and bra. “You want to see a freak, well look at me.” I shut off the stove and ignored the toast when it popped up. I walked over, took Mary by the hand, and sat her down at the table. I brought the lamp we used to read by and put it where it shone directly on Mary. I sat down across from her.

I could tell she wanted to fold her arms across her chest to cover her breasts. I wouldn’t have stopped her but would have been disappointed if she had. I began to speak, “That’s a crazy tattoo you have there that is in the shape of a cross.  I can see why you always wear clothes high enough to come up to your throat.”

“It’s not a tattoo. I was born with it.”

“Maybe, but I don’t think so.  May I come closer and examine it?”

“I won’t stop you. It is a horrible disfigurement. Have you ever seen anything like this before?”

“Yes.  Not so many on a woman, but the guys in the army often have tattoos. Some are not done well and on some the subjects are terrible.” I went closer. “Can you tell if this has faded as you got older?”

“Yes, my first awareness of it was that it was bright red and way smaller than it is now.”

“That’s because your skin stretched as you grew. May I touch it?”

There was a long hesitation. “I guess so. I may tell you to stop and I will insist that you do.”

“I promise to.” I turned Mary in her chair and brought the lamp close so I could again inspect this image. My first thought was that it was too regular to be grown from the time of gestation. It looked like the stem of the cross was three times the length of the arms. The ends of the arms were positioned in such a way, that they went up the swell of each breast and stopped at the top with the nipple just outside the outline. Before puberty, they would have been flat across her body.

I examined the image before me. It looked, as if the cross arm was mortised into the upright. Standing back, it was just an outline, brown for the vertical and a little darker for the cross-piece. I thought at first there was little color, and between the lines of the image. Peering closer, it seemed like this was less than blank and would be consistent of faded wood grain.

I was making Mary nervous and I hoped she wouldn’t stop me from my examination. I resumed and up near her neck there was more indication that this had a splintery wood grain likeness to it. It was almost silver colored and like aged hardwood would be if weathered. The ends of what would have been a cross, made of timber, and not regular like cut off by a saw. These were somewhat irregular as if chopped off by a sharp axe.

I asked, “Was there any color to this when you were young?”

“Oh, yes, there were some black colored splotches down on the bottom of the upright and some dark red near the ends of the cross-piece ends, near where those black dots are positioned. There is a lone black dot that is a little larger about four inches from each end from the cross-piece. All there is left now from the red splotches are the two black dots and these are fading too.  Why is that?”

“Probably a poor brand of ink. In another few years, this whole image will fade from sight.”

“I’m okay with that. I have thought about having the whole image removed. I gave most of my inheritance to my brothers so I’ll have to wait until I’m rich again.”

“I like you just the way you are.”

Mary’s skin was fine and very smooth. This mark was the same. I put my fingers on the mark above her breasts, feeling the skin where it rose to her throat. Below her breasts, the mark went as far down as her belly button, but not into the knot. I traced the mark from top to bottom and across her chest. She shivered and goose bumps appeared everywhere. I didn’t point it out, but there were some black dots down near the bottom end of the upright.

“Pete, please stop.”

“Are you going to insist?”

“I should. I will if you keep doing that.”

“Okay.” A look of disappointment crossed her face. She looked into my eyes and then down, just waiting.

I slowly leaned forward and took one nipple between my lips. My fingers went to the other and I caressed around the nipple. “Pete, we should stop. I’m not prepared for this.”

“Mary, I’m not either.”

“I’ll bet. You’re a man aren’t you?”

“I am. I do respect you. Please would you finish making supper?  I have some things I want to say about your tattoo.”

“Undressed like I am?”

“Your choice.” Mary stood and turned into my arms. Her arms went around me and she hugged me very hard. She put her lips up for a kiss. It was a closed lips kiss, but these pressed hard against mine. Suddenly she pushed me away and went to the stove. I sat down and feasted my eyes as Mary moved around ignoring me.

“Pete, we have to talk. First, though, tell me what you think about my disfigurement. You won’t hurt my feelings.”

“Mary. I wouldn’t hurt your feelings for the world. I’m glad though, that what happened this evening happened. I feel very close to you. I can understand why you are uncomfortable dealing with other people. In fact I believe I am falling in love with you.”

“Pete, even when I made a mistake by seeking revenge on your behalf?”

“Just another bump in the road for me, Mary. I’ve had a few in my short lifetime. We’ll put it behind us.  About the mark on your chest that I’m staring at while you stand there with your hands on your hips and grinning at me. I suspect your mother had this done to you by some unauthorized tattoo artist and I suspect she paid a lot. She didn’t tell anyone until she went to confession and told her priest. This had to have happened before you were two years old when permanent memories for the young are remembered.

“What her reasons were we probably will never know. We’ll have to talk about your mother and father sometime.  I can’t believe he would go along with this. No man would knowingly do this to his child. If your mother did this, he must have hated her. Maybe best if we don’t know. It has screwed your life up and it must have done that to your parents. That is so far. They say love can take away the pain. I’m here if you need that love.”

“Pete, I’ve loved you since Sam brought you home for dinner that first night. At first I thought you were a loser, especially when I found out why you lived the life you were living.  I was so pleased when Sam sent you out here with me. This is all so new to me. I don’t know what to make of it. I have never had love before.”

“Then if you love me, why don’t you feed me?”

“You don’t want to be serious anymore?”

“Not now, later.” Mary put a sweatshirt on. Supper was excellent and I didn’t open the wine. This wasn’t the time for it. The dishes washed, Mary came back to the table and sat facing me.

“Pete, what about us?”

“Mary, I think we should keep on the way we were. I don’t know if your vandalism is going to be a problem yet. It may and if we get into trouble, it is because you were wrong. Best we not dwell on it.

“Mary, have you forgotten that you have a gem of unknown value that we have to remove from its prison of stone?  We should combine our knowledge of how we are going to accomplish it. Do you have any ideas?”

“Not really, have you?”

“I do know that the least pressure against the prism may shatter it.  I bought several small diamond tipped drills. My idea is to use my battery-powered drill, to drill holes in the stone as close together as I can.  About an inch and a half deep should do it. When that is completed, we’ll see if we can hammer out the little remaining stone still between the holes until there is nothing left. It should chip out easily.

“When I say hammer, I mean slowly with extremely light blows. I have hardened steel putty knife for this. I’ll angle these holes in so there shouldn’t be more than a quarter inch of stone left at the bottom. I have a hard block of wood. I’ll lay it flat against the prism and strike outward away from the crystal with the hammer. Wood will absorb most of the surrounding shock so it doesn’t go into the prism and set up a vibration like metal would.

“The piece of stone that I strike with the wood should break the stone away, leaving the prism visible. Hopefully we can free it from there with our hands. It may take several hours to do this.  What do you think?”

“I have no plan. I’ll take my camera and take several pictures of it so we can at least show people what we found if it does shatter.”

“Okay, that’s what we will do tomorrow. We’ll pray for success.”  We sat there both running this through our minds of how to proceed. I couldn’t see any other way and Mary was in agreement.

“Mary, you know I was just about to call you to look at something when you called me to look at what you found.”

“What was it?”

“A hole under a ledge outcropping. I really didn’t have time to inspect it.”

“We’ll do it tomorrow.”

“Not important to either of us, and only if we have time. I think we should go to bed early ready for tomorrow, and it has been a busy day.”

“Pete, are you going to think about me tonight. I have never willing shown my body to anyone before. You don’t seem to care that I am ugly … or not.”

“First, I don’t think you are ugly. Your breasts are beautiful and perfect shape. Your skin is smooth and flawless—

“How can you say that when it has a cross etched on the skin?”

“Right or wrong it is the Mark of God.”

“You really believe that?”

“I do?”

“Go to bed, Pete.” I took off my clothes and climbed up to the top bunk. “Pete, I think we should make some changes in our cabin. Could you widen the top bunk for two people? Maybe you could build the bunk into a loft. That would leave the other bunk for company.”

“Company? Friends? I don’t have any friends.”

“Pete, you know I don’t either. I just thought someday you might want to lay with me.”

“I’ll get right on it.”

“Pete, can we squeeze onto the lower bunk together for a little bit? You could get into it with me. I don’t want you to do anything and I trust you enough to know you won’t.”

“That doesn’t do much for my manly image.”

“I think you are a good man, Pete. You are too good for the way you treated Chloe, that’s for sure.”

“Mary.”

“Pete, I know. I won’t mention her again.” I watched Mary’s silhouette get into her pajamas. “Is there any room for me?”

 “If you lie on my arm there is.” Mary got in and turned with her back to me. There was no room for the other arm except to put it over her. We were cramped in this single bunk. I tried not to let it touch her, but it was awkward. She soon realized it and took my hand and brought it over her shoulder. I pulled it back when my fingers touched her breast.

She then pulled it down and squeezed my hand to it, “Christ Pete, I’ve heard you say something that makes me laugh every time you say it and I’ll repeat, ‘I read a book onetime.’ Well, I read a book onetime and I wondered if this ever happened to me what it would feel like to have a man squeeze one of my breasts.  Damn it man, I want to experience what people write about.”

“Damn it yourself, you’ve been giving me mixed signals today. Right now, I figure you’re fair game.  Tell me what you read and wondered about. I’ve never claimed to be any great lover, but I can follow directions,” It was a damned explicit book Mary had read!

At ten o’clock she said, “No more.”  I had enough, too.

I crawled up into my top bunk, figuring I never would get to sleep from the lack of relief from what had occurred.  I was almost asleep when Mary who had stayed in the bunk claiming she was too weak to get up, said, “Pete, the next time we play like this I want to know what was in the books you have read about what I can do for you.”

We were up early. Nothing was mentioned about last night, but we did smile at each other a lot. I had two of the three batteries for the drill charged. I hoped we wouldn’t need the third. We had backpacks and I had a canvas prospector’s bag over my shoulder.

 Mary looked askance at me, “The rock around the opening I was telling you about on my claim looks interesting. I may grab a few samples to bring back and have the assayer’s office look at them. That’s why the flashlights are with me. If I can enlarge the opening and crawl in, I will get samples from inside as well. “First, though we will tend to your find of yesterday.

 We reached Mary’s claim before the sun had gotten too high. “Mary, I have to calm down and I’m nervous as hell. My heart is pumping pretty fast” Mary did some work in preparation by digging away the small rocks and dirt so I wouldn’t have to stand on my head to work.

“How is that, Pete?”

“Much better.” She dug a pillow out of her back pack and built a nest for it. This was in case the gem fell just the few inches below where it was attached to the rock.  “You did some planning too.”

“I try.”

I was working on my knees up close, but that was fine. I could use a steady pressure on the drill to force the bit to bite into the stone that held the gem in its grasp. First, I used a pointed prick punch to make a line where I wanted the drill holes. This prevented the drill from walking off line when starting the cut. We had brought water in a pump bottle to keep the drill cool and to move the stone dust from the head of the drill.

I walked the holes from the top right down and a little below the crystal. I went back and curved a slant line across the top … three holes because it wasn’t any great distance to match those on the bottom. I then took the hardened putty knife and hit the tiny section between the holes. They snapped off without jarring either side of each hole. When I had all of these chipped out, I was shaking because I had been so tense.

“Sit, Pete, and I’ll pour a drink of water. What’s the next move?”

“Mary, the move that breaks the crystal or the one that gives us a huge payday.”

“Either way, I know you have done everything possible. Would you like something to eat? You have been concentrating for almost four hours.”

“Sure, I could eat something, but don’t you want to know now?”

“No, I want you to relax. I’ll take some pictures while you are eating.” I watched Mary move around. She did have a nice figure. “You have a nice butt, you know?”

She paused and looked at me, put her camera down and came over and pushed me flat from where I was sitting.

She followed me to the ground and kissed me. “Just what I needed to calm me down.”

I laughed, and Mary said, “Not me, kissing you gets me excited.”

“Nice, isn’t it?”

“Pete, I told you I loved you last night. I love you more this morning.”

I smiled and kissed Mary again. “Well, let’s find out whether we have something of value or just some pieces that might have been.”  We got up silently. I picked up the block of hard wood and a two pound hammer.  I sat Mary down with the pillow between her legs, not wanting the lovely gem to roll onto the ground if it did come loose. “Are you ready?”  Mary nodded.

I took a deep breath and hit the stone that was surrounded by the holes I had drilled. The piece broke and fell on my left foot.  The gem didn’t fall. I tossed the hammer aside and bent to examine the nest of gems. The largest smoky quartz crystal looked to be perfect. I looked close to where it lay against the side of the fissure. There seemed to be a minute crack opened between the gem and the stone near the top.

“Mary, put your hands up because I believe it will come loose. I can get my fingers just a little bit over the point. I could pry on it with something solid, but I hate to.”

“Try it.”  We got in position. I barely touched it when it came away from the bed that had formed it. I held it there, not letting it drop until I could get my hand securely onto it and help lower it between Mary’s legs onto the pillow. There were tears streaming from Mary’s eyes.

“Pete, you’re a genius. Shall we leave it and go look at your claim?”

“No, not today, I don’t want to let this out of my sight. Let’s pick up and go home. I feel as I’ve done a week’s work.”

We were very careful coming off the mountain. The gem-set got awful heavy to carry walking to the Subaru, but we didn’t care. When we reached the car, I asked what we were going to do with it. Mary, said, “I’m going to call some of the prospectors and take it to where they meet. I want someone to appraise it and I want to insure it before we go to bed tonight.”

We cleaned up a little. Mary wanted to get to the prospectors meeting place early. There was always someone there in the evening for people to view what gems were found that day.  Curiosity was rampant as Mary began to open the box that she carried. When it came into view phones came out for everyone wanted to tell other prospectors about this beautiful find. Soon others came in. There was a pedestal on a turntable so the gem could be viewed as it was turned.

“What is it worth?” Mary asked the crowd.  There were guesses anywhere from $800 to a couple of thousand.  One person from the rear said if people would let him look at it up close, he would estimate and give Mary official figures. He soon had it in his hand. He produced a loupe to inspect it. There was a vertical line on the main crystal and Mary explained this was the line made by the stone that held the Gem in its grasp. She then explained how I had removed it.

“I’ve seen these sets of combination gems before. They are quite rare.  I don’t know as I have ever seen one in this state of perfection. I’m estimating that it is worth anywhere from $5,000 to $30,000 at auction. Are you planning on selling it?”

“I don’t know yet. We only got it out of the fissure this afternoon.”

“Does the fissure look like it would have generated more of these?”

“Again, I have no idea. I guess a geologist would have to look at my claim to tell.”

“Have you found any other crystals?”

“Yeah, last year I found a few different ones but no large one like this and many more small common ones.  When we got to the claim this year, there had been a landslide and Pete has been sifting through the slide. He has found a few pounds of broken and scratched gems of no great value. I will say and I thank him for his suggestion that I follow the fissure below ground level. Two feet down, I saw the smoky quartz crystal point. I couldn’t believe it.

“Pete had gone over to his claim and I can tell you I immediately screamed for him to see what I had discovered.”

“For him, or for him to see what you had discovered?”

“Guys, I’ll never tell.”  Everyone laughed.  Mary got serious, “Where can I store this where it will be safe?”

“Tom will store it in his vault, won’t you Tom?”

“Who is Tom with a vault?”

“He’s the banker. He’s done this before, haven’t you, especially for a pretty lady.”

“Well I can, and I would be honored. That sure is pretty.”

“Mary,  or the gem, Tom?”

“Guys, come on, don’t you be making trouble for me with my wife.” Everyone laughed for Tom had to be approaching seventy. Mary was eating this up. I had never seen her interact with people before. I do believe she was enjoying herself.

I suggested that everyone belly up to the bar and I’d buy them a drink. That went over big. Mary had a cocktail. It was probably the first one she had ever had.  She immediately was flushed.  Tom said, “We had better get this into my vault. Pete, you carry it.”  I wrapped it up in the bubble wrap and sealed the box we had brought it in.  The bank wasn’t far. The town didn’t have street lights so we took the Subaru and followed Tom to the bank. He made out a receipt and handed it to Mary.

“This part of the vault isn’t on the time lock, but it is secure. Your find will be all over town by morning. You had better get yourself a geologist to see if there is a possibility of finding another one of these.”

“I may. Can you suggest someone reputable?”

“Sure, I’ll give you his name and address. He is connected with one of the mining companies located about forty miles from here. He won’t tell anyone what he finds if you ask him not to. Come in during office hours to get the address. Too late tonight to it look up.” We left Tom to lock up and headed to the cabin.

“Sleepy?”

“No, are you? Too much excitement. I guessed you were excited when you bought a round at the bar.  I’ll reimburse you for the bar bill.”

“No you won’t, my treat.”

“It costs an awful lot to drink, doesn’t it?” This struck me as hilarious and I had a laughing fit. Mary grabbed me and started kissing me.  It was last night all over again.

In the morning we decided not go to the claims. Mary went into the bank and got the geologist’s address and phone number. When we got back onto the street, we were stopped by three different people … they asking about the gem Mary had discovered. She was giving me all the credit.  When she got the geologist on the phone, they made a date for a week from tomorrow, which was a Thursday.

Then she got on the phone and talked to Sam and two of her other brothers. One ran an insurance agency and there was another, who was a lawyer.

“Sam, bring the family out, and have a mini-vacation, so you can see this wonderful Gem? The kids are all out of school. I want to display it to all of you. Edgar will need to see it so he can insure it. I’ll make all the arrangements. I know of a motel that will be glad to rent out most of one floor.

“Pete, my family is coming out. I’m going to share a few revelations with them. The geologist will be here the second day after they get here so we can all go up to the claim. Wouldn’t it be great if he says there might possibly be more gems in that fissure?”

“It would. He’ll also look at some of those other cracks. Those are a definite possibility too. I’m going over to my claim tomorrow and see if I can enlarge that opening under the ledge. It would be interesting if it was a cave. From what I saw of it, the dirt might be just some that had blown into the entrance by the wind. I’ll take a long handled shovel, a hoe, and a rake.  Maybe I had better take a bar of some sort in case it is packed hard.”

“You’ve got me interested. I want to see this too.”

“It’s kind of in a difficult place among a jumble of large rocks and stones. It took me a little time for me to reach that big ledge. Right now I don’t know why I wanted to look at it. I could have walked around the whole tumbled up mess. I almost fell off the stone I was standing on when you shouted to me about the find you uncovered.”

“Did you plan on going there today? You said we were going to take the day off.”

“I wasn’t.”

“Let’s go because it will be interesting and I want to come down from the excitement of yesterday.”

“You know the picture of your crystal will be all over the country by now. Most everyone was taking pictures of it to show their friends. I’ll bet some newspaper or magazine will show up to interview you.”

“More the reason to escape the notoriety. I’ll be ready in fifteen minutes.”

My mind ran through what I wanted to take to my claim.  All the tools we were using were rolled up in a tarp near where Mary had discovered the Smoky Quartz Gem. When we reached her claim she didn’t want to leave, walking around looking at the various cracks and fissures to see if they were anywhere near like the one that had produced the find a couple of days ago.

I picked up the piece of stone that I had knocked off to relieve the gem.  Hey, that was a fine piece of work! It was a nice memento. A magazine, if interviewed, Mary would love to see it displayed with the article.

Finally, I said I was going over to my claim. Mary said she would carry something for me.  I handed her the rock pick and a heavy hammer and the straight drill to make a hole in case the entrance was too hard to break up with hand tools.  I had no idea if it was needed, but it would save climbing over the rough terrain again if it was.

It was slow going and we both slipped and stumbled several times. “Almost there.”  We came in from above and walked around the corner. Really, standing up you wouldn’t know the hole was there. You had to get down below to see under the lip of the ledge to see it.

Mary crowded near me. “I’ll bet I can crawl under there and see how far back the hole goes under the ledge.”

“Let’s dig the hole bigger and then we both can see at the same time.”

“Gotcha.”

The barrier was of sifted sand and dirt.  It was packed very hard.  I drove the drill into it and found it was crusted. I could then pry up and hammer on the crust.  It would break a section off and we grabbed it and tossed it behind us. Underneath the crust, it could be shoveled and raked out of the way. The crust didn’t extend in very far and we could see it sloped down on the far side after we reached a crest of blown sand about four feet in.

“Are you ready to investigate? You take one flashlight and I’ll take the other.”

We crawled together and when we got where the pile of sand sloped away from us we turned the light on. It was a cavern that opened to our eyes before us. It spread out wider as it went into the mountain. I flashed my light at the ceiling. It looked solid and not apt to fall.  We crawled further until we could stand up but still touch the ceiling in places.

It seemed the cavern extended for ever. It was rough with the sides jutting out in some places. The floor had some free rocks on it and was as rough as the sides. Actually the ceiling was the smoothest part of the cavern.  “Mary, I’m going back out and get my prospector’s bag and knock off some samples so I can take them outside to examine them. You stay right here until I get back.”

“Okay, Pete.  This is exciting isn’t it? If the cavern goes far enough into the mountain you can have tours and charge for them.”

“I can think of a hundred reasons why that wouldn’t be profitable.” I turned and crawled outside. I picked up the canvas ore bag, my hammer, and a pick.  I was soon again inside. Fear, went through me for Mary had disappeared.

“Mary, where are you?”

“I’m here, I didn’t go far. I’m behind this jut out. Pete, come here and look at this. There is rock of a different color or a vein that runs along the walls that looks much different than the walls themselves. Some places there are two regular strips with different looking wall between them.”  Mary was speaking rapidly and finished just as I reached her.  “See what I mean?”

I could see this plainly. She asked, “What is it?”

“Mary, I don’t know. It isn’t as solid because I can scratch it with my fingernail. Close up you can see minute grains of something in it. It could be lead maybe, and worth mining. I’ll see if I can get a sample. I drove my miner’s pick into it and tried to get a sample. Not much luck until I hammered on the edge of the wall and chipped out a hunk that had a sample of the strata that came with it.  I looked around the floor and found a spike in the floor that was tipped with this different color. One blow of the hammer and I had a bigger sample.

“Pete, can we see how far this goes. Just think we may be the first humans who have walked here since the world was formed.”

“It well could be, but I think these mountains were formed later than that. I read a book one time that the mountains move around due to the earth plates crashing into each other and even sliding atop one another. The earth’s crust is pushed up and molten rock from below the earth’s crust follows the folds. That may be why we see different strata in the rock such as what we are looking at.”

“What about the gems we found? Did you read about those in a book too?”

“I did. That has something to do with the gasses given off by different elements and as they cool the gems grow and take shape. I really haven’t studied it so I may be all wrong.  After all, I never had much interest in this until Sam hired me to keep you safe for the summer.”

“Yes, and you’re not only keeping me safe, but I’m actually having a lot of fun.”

“You even made a profit too.”

“Well so have you. I’ve decided that I was going to increase your share above the10% you were promised.”

“Not necessary. I’m more than satisfied with the 10%. I’m not demanding the 10% either. I mean how are you going to give me 10% of the gem if you don’t sell it?”

“You don’t want me to sell it?”

“Not unless you need the money to live on. Your name will go with it as long as you own it. If you sell it, you will only be referenced as founder. You are famous now and I want you to stay that way. Hey, let’s get out of here and go contact a geologist to find out what I have here. You made a date with one to come next week. Maybe if you asked he might come within the next couple of days. Let me grab a few more samples. Look at some of the rocks scattered around and see if they have any with the same make up of what we see in the walls.”

We left the tools near the entrance and I crawled out with nearly forty pounds of ore. In the sunlight, we stopped and looked at the ore. I found a spot where the grey wasn’t as dispersed as much and big enough so I could scratch it with my finger nail. “That’s good.  Maybe I have a lead mine here.”

“Would you develop it yourself?”

“No, I’d most likely sell it. I’m no miner and have no urge to become one.”

“Why not?”

Deadpanned I said, “Because I have to read too many books. It is extremely difficult to open a mine.”

At first, Mary took me seriously, then she realized I was kidding her. She said nothing, just taking my hand and holding it tightly.  “Pete, really you are making my life so much better. Are you going to stay with me when the summer is over?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ve already trifled with you and I intend to trifle with you some more. Who knows, we may end up together permanently.”

“I’d like that.”  Mary offered to carry my ore bag, but it was heavy and it soon came back to me.

When we reached the cabin, Mary put in a call to the geologist she had contacted that morning. He came on the line. “What can I do for you, you called yesterday. Are you cancelling?”

“No, the person who has been helping me staked the claim next to mine. We went over there and are just back. We found a cave and it has some different veins along the rock walls. He thinks it may be valuable.”

“Is he there with you?”

“He is.”

“Put him on.” I took the phone and spent a half hour telling him how I found the cavern.

“These ore samples you collected, describe them to me.” I did.

“I’m surprised, for I don’t know of any valuable finds in that section. Not on that mountain, anyway. I was on that mountain years ago and didn’t see anything that would give indication of what you describe.  Hey, if you aren’t doing anything right now, I’d like to see your samples. I’m in the mine office where I work. Bring them over. It won’t take an hour to get here.  I’ll run some quick tests and maybe can tell you if you have something of value.”  We were on our way after getting directions.

It was just an hour when we pulled in to the mining company’s office. I gave the office woman my name and she inquired if I was expected by John Blackstone. I said I was. She rang a number and said Mr. Manning was here to see him.

A sixty-year-old man came into the office. He turned to woman who had informed him I was here, “Mrs. Beckworth, remember the picture of the Smoky Quartz gem found a couple of days ago that I showed you?  Well, this is Miss Goodell who is the person who found it.”

“Oh it is so beautiful. You are so lucky to have something such as that. It looked exquisite.”

“It is, thank you. Pete here is the one who directed me where to dig and the one who got it out of the fissure it was encased in.  That was no small feat.”

John reached for my ore samples. “Let’s take a look at what you have. You can watch me makes some tests.”

We followed him down the hall to what appeared to be a laboratory.  There were several machines in the room. He dumped my samples onto a table. He grabbed one sample. “This what was showing in the walls?” I nodded. “This really is interesting. Let me break it up and we’ll see what we have.” He dumped this into a machine and the machine reduced this into fine particles. It didn’t take long.

Next he put it into a furnace. “Let’s go get a candy bar or some of the worst coffee you have ever tasted. This will take some time.”

 After a while he began following the time on his watch. “Okay, I think your melted ore is about ready to examine. Understand these tests will give you a good idea of what you brought me. It is accurate within 2 to 5 parts per thousand. I’ll do more accurate tests on the remaining ore tomorrow.”  It wasn’t long before the printer printed out a sheet of paper with information.

John perused it. “Well you’ve got yourself something here.  There are several different valuable metrological substances here. There is lead, of course, and there is a small amount of zinc. The ore has enough of each to pay for mining it. The cream though is in the amount of silver indicated.  There are also traces of gold.”

“This is all good?”

“This is all very good. If you work at this and make the right decisions, you could become a very rich man.”

“So where do I go from here?”

“Well, the first decision is to file the correct claim. There are two different types. I believe you probably filed for a placer claim. That is not good because what you have will be classified as a lode claim. If you don’t file correctly, someone can come in and take it away from you.”

“Jesus, I didn’t know that.  You’re scaring me.”

“That’s good because you’ll tend to things expeditiously.”

“What can I do? What would you do in my place?”

“I would hire a company to do all the detail work setting up a mining operation. They’ll do all the paper work and put up the notices. Make out exactly where the valuable ore body lays and make sure it is covered when the claim is made out. They do this for first-time claim filers all the time. They have done work in most of the western states and that includes Alaska. They then would find a mining company to extract the ore and process it.

“This mining company right here hired them ten years ago. They found this mining company to open the mine and begin production when all the primary work was completed.”

“So, you want me to hire this company that specializes in this on your say-so?”

“It would be wise of you, but not just on my say-so. Go to their website and read about them. CEOs from many well-known companies have provided comments about how wise they were to engage this company to do work for them. Understand, they don’t operate any mines of their own. They are just a service company providing a service.”

“Do you work for them?”

“Yes, as an independent contractor. Until I contact them I’ll be working wholly in your behalf. Actually, Miss Goodell is ahead of you, but it looks like I can wind up what she needs and go on to look at what you have approached me about. I am bonded through the assay office because I handle valuable materials.”

“That sounds good to me. I will engage you. Will it be next week we will see you?”

“If you are available this weekend, I’ll start tomorrow. They’ll be time for me to finish Miss Goodell’s by tomorrow evening. I don’t anticipate it will take very long at her claim. I’ll work on your ore samples this evening and Saturday evening and have the results for you when I see you on Sunday.  The quicker you get the claim filing completed, the less chance of someone coming in and taking it from you.”

“Is it that bad?”

“Let’s just say, don’t go bragging about it. If anyone asks when they see me with you, keep to the story that Miss Goodell has hired me to look at her claim for gemstone.”

“We can and will do that. We didn’t tell anyone about the smoky quartz for a whole day and it was right out where people could see it if they walked up to where we were working.”

“Smart.”

We soon left, leaving John to work on my ore samples. “What do you think? This is moving pretty fast.”

“I know, Pete, but there is an urgency about this. What happens to the placer claim papers you filed?”

“I would guess I will have to give it up when John files for the lode claim. I’m confident he is going to lead me through this and do his best for me. He certainly is forthcoming about how to do it.”

“I think so too. Just think soon you will be a rich man. Are you going to leave me on my own when your money begins coming in?”

“No, Mary, I’m not dumping you for any pile of money and you can take that to the bank.”

“I wish the beds were bigger in the cabin.”

“You know, we could get a motel room?”

Mary thought that through before she answered, “No, too impersonal. I’ll bet we can make out with the beds we have.”

“We could take both mattresses and lay them on the floor.”

“That will be perfect. I’ll bet you read that in a book, somewhere?”

“I’ll never tell.”

John was at the door at eight the next morning. He did take time for a coffee and a muffin that Mary had made. We rode in his jeep. He volunteered, “I have a few pieces of equipment to do some testing if we get to your claim today.”

I answered this by saying that we should carry them with us when we went to Mary’s claim, then we wouldn’t have to come back down the mountain for them. It is a two-mile walk anyway to get that far.

He went right to examining the fissures across the face of the rocky face where Mary had discovered the valuable gem the few days before. I asked exactly what he was looking for, “I’m trying to determine when these cracks and fissures came about. The newer ones have no chance at all of producing a gem. This had to have happened when hot gasses were spewing from the molten magma below the earth’s crust. I see at least three that are possibilities.”

“What about the gems that we are finding that aren’t in the cracks?”

“Those were formed at a different time with different gases.  They came close to the surface when the crust heaved up or slid one portion over another. Maybe they came up in a pipe and spewed out of that. A pipe is a vent just like when you bake a pie you cut a vent in the top to let the moisture and heat escape.”

Mary burst out laughing, “I’m sure Pete knows that. He claims to have read a book one time.” She paused for a minute, “I’m sorry, that’s an inside joke between him and me.”

“I’m curious, how did you two get together?”

I answered, “Simple enough, Mary was out here last year and worked the same claim.  She found several different gems.  She also was injured and almost broke her ankle. I was working for her brother and he hired me to look after her safety.  It has gotten a little farther than that since I was introduced and we find we are attracted to each other. It looks as if we have both had some success this year in what we came here for. She discovered the Smoky Quartz Crystal and I have discovered her.”

“You have also discovered what may turn out to be a very valuable mining site. Isn’t that important?”

“I suppose. Mary could tell you about my past and why having money isn’t that important to me. If I have enough to eat and a place to sleep, I’m pretty well satisfied. I can see looking into the future that my life is going to change dramatically. I’m wondering about that. The best part of the whole is Mary.”

John looked at Mary. “Mary, what’s with Pete?”

“I guess I won’t explain. But what he has just said makes me love him a little more. I’ll leave it at that.”

“Okay, fine with me. Now show me where you worked on the claim last year.  You should always return to where you have had success. I take it you haven’t done that?”

“No, I thought the slide would uncover many more gems, but that hasn’t been the case. The Smoky Quartz has been our only sure success this year.”  Mary led us over to the far side of her claim and we could see where she was digging last year. There was a gem glistening right on top of the dirt. The sun had got to it and had darkened a portion of it.
 
“John, I believe I’m back on track. I don’t believe Pete has read the book that information you just told me about. It does make sense though.”

“Are you satisfied I’ve steered you in the right direction? Remember, I think your greatest success will still come from those fissures I pointed out to you.”

“I’ll concentrate on those for a while, anyway. Send me a bill.”

“Oh, I’ll be around. Pete, why don’t we take a look at your find.”

Mary tagged along with us. When we got to the jumble of ledges and rocks, John asked why I had climbed up and over them. “I have no idea. I really have no idea why I staked a claim except I wanted to be close enough to Mary to hear her call if she needed me. That was what her brother hired me for.”

I followed the same path that I had taken my first time on the claim. I came down around the ledge that had hidden the entrance. Standing, you still couldn’t see it.  However where Mary and I had dug out the sand and dirt it was there to tell us where we had worked.  John leaned down and looked and could now clearly see where we had crawled in under the ledge.

“Plain enough to see if you are in the right position. I’m surprised it hasn’t been discovered before. As I said, I had been all over this section of the mountain and should have noticed this at that time. Too lazy to climb over the rocks I guess.”

John unloaded some of the instruments he had been carrying. He put the rest in a canvas bag with a handle and got down to crawl inside.  “Follow me in. I have the strongest flashlight in my bag and I’ll light up when I get inside. We’ll use yours for spares if we are here long enough for mine too go dim.”

Mary followed John inside and I brought up the rear. John was standing up by the time I got inside.  His light was moving around the walls, pausing every now and again. “This will be a profitable mine right at the start. The ore is plainly visible. Usually there is only a small part of a vein found and tons of rock to wade through to follow the vein. How far back does this cavern go?”

“I have no idea, we didn’t follow it. It gets narrow and then grows wider as you follow it.  Isn’t this odd that there is a vein showing?”

“Odd, but not unheard of as I said. I imagine this cavern is hollow and could be because the magma, must have receded back below the earth’s crust leaving the empty area that is the cavern. That’s a theory promoted by some geologists.  I would have to study this in more detail. The walls aren’t really indicative of this, but the ceiling is. Look, let’s see how far we can get before we are blocked by a narrowing of the cavern.”

John had an instrument that could send a laser ahead to get the distance. He asked Mary to record as we advanced the distances in a notepad he handed her. Some places we came to were really narrow and we had to crawl over, under, or around obstacles jutting out from the walls. At one point, he told Mary to put a check mark on the last figure he gave her.

He continued on. There was small rubble on the floor and the floor of the cavern generally pointed down very slightly. Suddenly it tipped down dramatically. John pointed his light down and we could see water reflecting his light.

John stopped us and said to hand him something. I found a piece of rubble baseball size and gave it to him. He threw it down into the water about a hundred feet from where we were standing. He was watching the splash when it hit. In a minute he said, “That’s an underground slow-moving river. Did you see how the rings where the stone splashed disappeared on the right and the other widening rings were gobbled up as the water flowed in that direction?”

I hadn’t noticed because I had no idea what he was looking at. “Mary, can you total up how far we have traveled?” She took out her phone that had a mathmatic app.

“John, I have 3217 yards. I knew we have come a long way, but that’s almost two miles.”

“Keep those figures handy. The check mark is where we ran out of the vein we were following. I just wanted to see how far we could go. Pete you have at least a good mile of vein and then a half mile of it showing intermittently. Of course I can’t tell how deep the veins are back into the side walls and I don’t see any at all on the ceiling. It shows on the floor in several places and I have no idea yet of how deep that goes.

“I’ll have to get some equipment in here to tell approximately what you have for ore.  You know this is the easiest mine to figure out the extent of it because I suspect we are traveling in the open near the center. It will easy to mine and that will diminish the cost of mining it. I should be able to come up with a very accurate estimate.”

“Good, I’ve never had much. I never intended to grub around and get that way either. It looks as if it is being forced on me.”

“It will be a while before you can put any money in the bank. It will be about two years before all the permits are in place. There will be several environmental groups that will try to stop the permit process and you’ll get frustrated with them from holding you up.”

I didn’t like this at all. “John, tell me in more detail about this service company that handles setups like this?”

“I thought you might come to realize that getting into mining on your own was fraught with problems. This company, as I said before, will do everything once you get the lode claim filed and in place. After that, you won’t have to advance any money until they make the deal with the company that will be doing the actual mining. Hey, let’s get out of here. I believe I have enough detail to file the claim Monday when the land office opens. I can flesh out the details of what I believe you have here at my leisure.”

John also gave me some advice of how to proceed to protect myself. “Get yourself an attorney who understands mining contracts and law.”

Mary spoke up, “My brother is a lawyer. He will help you find one. He is coming here on Thursday. He is partner in a well-known firm. I’m sure he doesn’t know much about what is needed, but he will find someone for you who will know all about mining laws.”'

John nodded that this was a good idea and left as soon as he reached the cabin leaving us to talk over what I had found on my claim. He wouldn’t be seeing us tomorrow, but would see us Monday morning. He would bring the assay results from the ore I had given him yesterday. Also he would have worked on defining the coordinates of what the lode claim was to encompass.

Sunday morning I asked Mary if we were going to her claim today. “I don’t know, what do you think? It seems so pointless to be searching for a few gems worth so little when you have a million dollar claim next to mine.”

“Mary, my mine is for the future. We might discover another gem like you found during last week. To me, that was pretty damned exciting.”

“It was wasn’t it? One other thing we could do is to look for someone to build a loft here in the cabin. That’s pretty important to me. A loft will certainly be better than rolling around on the floor. Let’s do that instead of going to the claim. Don’t you want to go to yours, though?”

“Mary, nope, we’ll go into town and see if we can find a building contractor. I hope it can be built soon.”

“You just want to get into my panties.”

“Of course I do. We haven’t got to the good parts yet, but soon. I do like to trace around that stigmata you have on your chest. I‘m hoping to convince you that it isn’t the work of the devil, but something more godly. When that happens, then maybe you can be convinced that your mother did this to try and make you special? It didn’t work, but you have to get beyond what she did.”

“If she did, it wasn’t to make me special, it was for herself.”

“Okay, I accept that. You are special in my heart. Isn’t that enough?”

Mary didn’t answer and acted like she was thinking. Then she asked. “What are you going to use to trace around this mark that you are convinced is a tattoo?”

“I could use my finger.” I stood there grinning at her.

“Or?” She was looking at me. “Why are you running your tongue around your lips?” Now she was grinning …

Middle of Sunday morning, the mattresses came off the bunks we had just made and our clothes came off even though we hadn’t been dressed long.

“Happy?”

“Yes Pete,  ecstatic! I would have let you do it weeks ago, if you had pushed me.”

“I thought maybe, but I wanted it to mean as much to you as it just did to me.”

“It does, Pete. Before I met you, I never thought this would ever happen to me. Who would want me?”

“Remember, in this world there has to be someone for everyone. It has taken a while, but we both have found the right person for those who were meant for each other.”

“I love you Pete.” We weren’t really comfortable with declaring our love to each other yet, but it was coming. “Now let’s go into town and get something to eat. We can look for a contractor. I’m not even going to put the bunks together again. Night will be here in a few hours and we might need them the way they are.”  

We did find a contractor in town who would come and look at the cabin to see if he could build a loft. A loft that we could have room to walk under and still have room enough to be comfortable under the eaves. Mary said she would be here Monday morning to find out the cost to build the loft, even if I wasn’t. We hadn’t forgotten that John was coming tomorrow to help me file on the lode claim I had found.

Mary next called Sam to find out what time he and Mary’s family would arrive. Sam and family made a change of his plans and would be here early Tuesday morning instead of Thursday. Sam was renting transportation at the airport to carry the family. Mary called the motel to get the earlier reservations.

We retired to the floor early.  “Pete, I wish I had met you before that Chloe woman. I never would have treated you like she did. Just think we might have children by now. I never even considered having anyone to love me and never thought about having kids. What are your thoughts on that subject?

“As soon as we are married we’ll discuss this. In the meantime you should go on birth control.”

“We could just let a pregnancy happen.”

“You’re that sure of me?”

“I am. Wouldn’t that give my sister-in-laws something to trash me over?”

“What about your brothers?”

“Pete, they will go with whatever I decide. I’ve shared enough of my inheritance with them so they have to.

I paused, staring at Mary. “Mary, I don’t want you holding something like that over anyone’s head. Do you expect what you gave them returned?”

“No, of course not. There are no strings attached.”

“Your brothers’ wives must think so because you told me you didn’t get along with them. Wouldn’t it be nice if they were friendly and loving?  Can’t you make them your friends? Remember how Emmy, your niece, treated you when you opened up to her? Have a family meeting and tell the women you aren’t holding your generosity over anyone’s head. Just tell them you have decided you have been shut out and have changed your mind about many things. Beg them to forgive you.”

“Pete, I couldn’t do that.”

“Would you do it if I asked you to? If it doesn’t work, you haven’t really lost anything. Your brothers will still love you and I will still love you.”

“Pete, I will think about it. I still have a couple of days. Why do you want me to, anyway?”

“Mary, you said one time you wanted revenge on them and this was your way to get it. There is a saying that revenge is sweet, but I heartily disagree.”

“Okay Pete, just because you asked me to. I don’t want to lose you.”

“You’ll never lose me because if you don’t, it would be like my getting revenge because you wouldn’t do as I suggested … and it is only a suggestion.”

“Okay, I’ll try to make friends with all five of them. It is difficult though because of some of the bad things they said to me hurt terribly in the past.”

————————

The land office was open at 9:00. Monday John had come to the cabin earlier and gone through the paperwork and the assay figures on the ore that I had gathered and left with him when I discovered the claim. Mary was waiting on the carpenter to arrive at the cabin to make an estimate for the loft.

John was familiar with the agent in the land office. They laughed and joked for a few minutes before John stated he wanted to help me file a lode claim approximately where my placer claim was located. Nick, the agent, said I couldn’t have both so I would either have to abandon the placer claim or sell it.

“I’ll intend to sell it to the neighboring claim holder, Mary Goodell. She is the reason I’m out here. I’ve brought her some luck and she deserves more.”

“Send her in then and we can transfer the title.”

“I’ll have her here this afternoon. There may be more of her family wishing to file claims abutting our claims. They would be in Wednesday morning if they decide to.”

“Fine. For now let’s get this claim of yours filed. This Miss Goodell is the person who discovered the smoky quartz gem, isn’t she? I’ve heard so much about it I hope she puts it on display before she leaves with it.”

“Yes, she is the one.  Have you seen a picture of it?”  Nick hadn’t, so I showed him a picture I had on my phone.

“That’s an incredible find. It must be worth several hundreds of dollars.”

“I hope so because she hasn’t found much else in the nine weeks she has been here this year. John has given her some hints of where she might dig and find more on her claim.”

“John is always giving out free advice. Many have been successful from that advice, too. John, are you the one putting in the markers at Pete’s claim?”

“We’re heading out there now. We should have them in by evening.”

John and I went back to the cabin. The contractor had been there and gone.  Mary thought his price was fair so she engaged him. He would be beginning the construction Friday morning. He had a crew and promised we could occupy the new loft by evening on Saturday. He worked a half day on Saturday and knew this could be finished by then. Mary made reservation for one day at the motel with her family if they were still here.

John and I purchased tubes for the corners of the lode claim and headed there to install them at the corners. I told Mary that when we returned we would go to the town offices and change the ownership of the placer claim I owned to her.

“I’m thinking that the cavern was the blow hole when the earth’s crust irrupted and there might be some value in looking at the ground on the slope below the opening.”  This was all speculation on my part. John didn’t say anything. We had our hands full as we hurried along to where we were staking the lode claim. John had a GPS device that was supposed to be accurate within an inch to locate what we had on paper.

As we worked, he told me what I had before me in getting the mine opened, “This will take some amount of time. There will have to be a road into here constructed. That will have to be permitted for various environmental considerations. Government moves slow, as you probably know.

 “You can relieve yourself of the hassles if you do as I suggest by engaging the company I work for. They will provide all the upfront costs and will give you an amount which I will recommend. I’d like to call in the mining engineers and meet them at the mine. You should have an attorney present if you can find one.”

“Mary has a brother who is an attorney. He is arriving tomorrow. He will get someone to represent me.”

“That’s good because this needs to be all locked in as soon as possible. Word will get out and there may be a mini-boom in the area, I believe from what I can see that you will be the only one who has whatever is valuable covered under the original lode claim. The area seems pretty well defined as to where there is valuable ore.”

When John and I returned to the cabin, he started making calls. I watched him. I really must have discovered something. John got excited when describing the mine to whomever he was talking. It was decided the mining company would have some representatives here in the morning. I would be talking with them, but I was letting John show them the claim. It would be disrespectful to Mary if I wasn’t here with her to meet her family.

Mary looked at me funny. “Pete, you’re crazy. You are going to pass up showing your mega-million dollar claim to the ones who will be opening it up just to meet my family?”

“It is a matter of what is important to me. You know priorities and all that stuff.” Five minutes later, the bunk mattresses were stretched out on the floor.

We were up when John showed up at the cabin to have breakfast with us. “John, I know you may working for this company that you have called in.  I admit I know nothing about mining. Tell me how to go about extracting the ore to be processed. You said one time you were a private contractor.  I would like to have you working for me. Your duties are to make sure I am treated fairly in all aspects. That includes the company who is doing the mining and also the attorney who is representing me.”

“I don’t know, I’m pretty expensive. But you know this is going down in the mining annals an exceptional find. I want to be a part of it. I’ll treat you fair and I’ll make sure everyone else will do the same.”

“How much of a retainer do you need?”

“Pete, to make it legal, dig out a ten spot and I’ll write out a receipt detailing the conditions. Is that good enough?”

“Good enough.”

 Chapter Four

There was a crew of seven men who arrived shortly, thereafter, and John announced that he was representing my interests. “He won’t be with us this morning because his family is arriving sometime this afternoon and he wants to pick them up. In essence you are dealing with me.” He then proceeded to introduce me to the engineers, one other geologist, and the two men who ran the division of a company that might be doing the actual mining.

When they left for the claim, Mary said, “You’re very trusting.”

“I trust John and his reputation, and I also trust the reputation of the company doing the mining. That’s the beauty of being able search on the internet. I looked up the company’s website. John is listed as consultant.  It also lists his qualifications. The website lists the different places and countries where they have opened mines for other companies. I’ll show your brother this when he is searching for an attorney who knows the industry.”

“I guess you have it covered. Pete, you do amaze me at times.”

“When you don’t know what you are doing, you hire those who do.”

An hour after John and the men left, we heard a vehicle stop outside. It was Sam driving a SUV. “There are two more cars full of us. We caught an earlier flight and rented rides.” After hugs and greetings, Sam asked, “What’s happening?”

Mary asked, “Where is Kenny? Pete needs a lawyer.”

“What did he do?  He didn’t rough you up did he?”

“No, of course not.  Oh, we are a couple now. We are going to need a preacher right off too. He wants to make a honest woman of me. Sam, this is about something that Pete discovered on the claim next to mine.  It is quite valuable. He has engaged a geologist and a company to open up or sell a mine. They’ve just gone out there this morning. Maybe Pete will take you.  He stayed here to meet you guys.”

Just then, the other two vehicles drove in. More hugs and kisses. I laughed when Mary advanced on her sisters-in-law and hugged them one at a time. I don’t think she had ever been this close to them before.  They certainly didn’t know what to make of her.

She pushed Kenny toward me. “Talk to Pete. He needs an attorney.”

“Hi Kenny, we met when I had dinner at Sam’s place when he hired me to watch over Mary. I came out here with her. My job was to make sure she stayed safe. She put me to work digging for gemstones. I guess you know she found a beautiful one. The day before that happened I staked the claim next to hers.  I was over there when she shouted for me to come see what she had uncovered. I turned quickly and fell down seeing an opening under a ledge. We went back a couple of days later and explored it.  We managed to crawl into a cavern.

“I knocked off some samples from the walls and had them assayed. It turns out that the ore is quite valuable. Since then I’ve hired a geologist and a company to open up the mine. But I don’t know anything about mining. I do need an attorney to watch out for my interests.”

“Pete, I don’t know anything about mining either.”

“I don’t expect you do, but there will be some firms around here. Would you look one up that will fill my needs? The geologist I hired is great and he could put you in touch with one, but I want him working for me, not the company that is doing the work.”

“I can do that. When can we do this?”

“Kenny, maybe some of you would like to see what I found. We could go out there now as he is there with representatives of the company that is finding a contractor to do the actual mining.”

“It sounds like this is going to cost a lot. Where will the money for all of this come from?”

“The company that is doing the opening will give me money up front. The ore is easy to get to and its value is right out in the open and visible. They are going to do some test boring soon and tell me the projected worth of the mine. Actually, I won’t have anything to do with this at all. I’m going back home with Mary when she leaves here. I’m hiring representatives to do everything. You’re on the payroll right now and get paid as soon as I do.”

“Well, maybe I can advise you some. I’ll see what I can do to help you out.” He stopped speaking and then asked, “How are you getting along with my sister?”

“Great, the first preacher we come to will be the one to marry us. Mary and I will try to have this happen while you are here during this week.”

“You’re kidding, aren’t you? You know she is scarred up pretty badly. It makes me shudder to think about how bad that is.”

“Doesn’t bother me, it is what is inside that counts. When I first saw it, I determined that her mother had this done to her when she was a little child for whatever reason. I take it your stepmom was a little strange?”

“She was crazy. You do know all of our dad’s money went to Maria, Mary’s mother, when he died. We figured to make amends, she left all the money from our Dad to Mary, when she, herself passed on. We did love our little sister and Mary has been great because she shared it with us brothers. How about you, do you have anything?”

“I didn’t make a move on her or ask her to marry me until I discovered the mine.”

“Well, I hope the mine is worth a lot. Sis may not look pretty, but we love her and want her happy. You also should know she has kept our wives and kids away from her after she heard three of them discussing her looks.”

“That may change. Look over there where they are standing. Emmy has her arm around Mary and Alice is laughing with her at something someone said.”

“Well, I’ll be damned. Guess I had better see what is going on.” Kenny, my new attorney, walked away. Ten minutes later, he was back with his four brothers. “Let’s go see what you’ve got. Mary says you are going to be a rich man.” There were three rows of seats in Sam’s SUV so we all got into that one and headed for the mining claims.

We parked next to the vehicle that John had come in. Mary and I were used to the long walk from there to her claim. A couple of her brothers were tired of it before we reached the path to begin the climb up the mountain. We followed the path Mary and I used to start, but then branched off toward my claim at one of the switchbacks.

“You’ll never get a truck up here to take out the ore if there is any.”

“There is ore and a lot of it. You can see it when we get up there. As far as getting it out, sure they will. If it is too difficult, they will figure out something different. I’ve read about overhead rail systems or cable cars even.  Luckily, I won’t have to figure it out. That’s what I hired this company for.”

When we reached the opening, we were struggling to catch our breaths. The entrance was still small and we had to crawl inside.  I couldn’t see or hear anyone at first and Sam questioned me about that. “They are here because there are some packs over there in the corner. It is more than a mile to the far end and I’m sure they wanted to explore the whole cavern.”

Kenny asked, “Where is the rich ore that is supposed to be so valuable?”

I played my flashlight on the walls and close to the bottom of them. I picked up a chunk of rock. “This is a piece of ore that has four different salable materials in it. I understand after extraction about seventy percent is lead, thirteen percent is silver, some zinc, and some trace amounts of gold. Of course, most of this object is plain old rock.

“Look closely at it and you can see specks that are different color. Probably you can’t see any gold for it is such a small amount, but it is worth recovering during the extraction. Now look at the walls. You can see the different makeup of the rock formation. That band of grayish rock is the ore body and it is all around this cavern for more than a mile. The crew that is here somewhere is making up an estimate.  They will be doing some test boring to determining how far into the walls the ore body is.

“When they get that done I will know approximately how valuable this find is. Then the company I’ve hired will look for a mining company to get the ore out and extract the different minerals. They will award a contract to a company who can do this the cheapest and get the most value out of a ton of ore.”

I hadn’t planned this trip very well.  I had only two flashlights and in one the batteries were getting weak.  “I think we had better go back outside. It may be hours before John finishes showing the mine to the company. I imagine they will go as far as I have been and maybe even further.”

We crawled out and sat for a while. Not much was said to each other. “What happens now?”

This was Brian, a brother whom I didn’t know much about, asking. “Well, I pretty much own the mine. The men from the company who are in there looking it over are determining the extent of the ore. When they get that, they will market it to an actual mining company through a bidding process. John, my geologist, who is showing the mine, tells me that I am going to be extremely rich person.”

“Are you still going to stay with Mary?”

“That’s my plan. She is an amazing person and I want her life to be with me. She has had a lot to deal with in her life and I want her be able to come out of the darkness and join mankind, putting her past hurts behind her.”

“You may have trouble with that. She is a very revengeful person.”

“I know, but that is going to change. She has already redirected you to stop harassing Chloe for what she did to me while I was in the service.”

“You know about that?”

“Yes. It came out when Chloe’s husband blamed me as the one who was doing things to her vehicle. The authorities have already checked me out and decided it wasn’t me. Mary then told me all about asking of you to do the dirty deeds.”

“Don’t you have any resentment at all for what this Chloe did to you?”

“At first I did, but there was no profit for me in it. If I hadn’t an alibi, I would be in jail now. Where’s the profit in that? When I tried revenge on my own, I got my ass kicked, so I left her alone. I didn’t know anyone would take up for me so I can’t be blamed. I don’t know as I like it much either. However, Mary and I have settled it between ourselves and are going forward to a happy life together, I hope.”

“Are you going to contact, Chloe again?”

“I doubt I will. No reason to at this point, is there?”

“Pete, there might be. What we brothers did harmed Chloe more than we intended. Her husband left Chloe and we didn’t know it at the time, but the child they had has some health issues we didn’t know about. We are thankful we didn’t do more to harm her than we did,”

“Maybe something else should be done to rectify it, then.”
   
“The thought has crossed our minds. Do you want us to look into it when we get back home?”

“Yes, and I’ll make sure that Mary thinks it should be the right thing to do.”

“Christ, you can control her?” That’s something none of us have been able to do. Some of that is because we all are beholden to her for sharing the estate her mother left. Mary was generous to a fault, only putting the restriction of not telling anyone what she did for each one of us. It has caused hard feelings in the family because we couldn’t tell or share with our wives how we were able to have successful startups in our own endeavors.”

“That has all changed and you will find it out when you see your wives when we return today. Mary was to meet with them while you came here with me.”

“What is this power you have over our sister?”

“I believe it is called love.” I paused and wanted to get off this subject. “Let’s not discuss this any longer. I think we should go back now. Those guys may be down in the cavern for hours yet.”

There was a note at the cabin that Mary was going to the bank and move the Smoky Quartz gemstone to the prospectors clubroom and display it. Someone had come by and asked her to. She was willing. All of her sister-in-laws and the kids would be with her. She hoped I wouldn’t be late for dinner tonight coming back from the claim.

Her brothers and I stopped at a diner and had a light lunch before going into the club. The gemstone was sitting in the middle of a round table where everyone could walk around the table, displayed. It was raised on a low pedestal. I wanted to see it again as much as anyone else.

Mary saw us come in and without hesitation came and hugged me putting her lips up to be kissed. Her face did turn rose-hued and I smiled for she had been kissed but little in her lifetime and only by me with passion. Emmy, Sam and Alice’s daughter, came and shyly said hi. I made the rounds and was introduced again to the women and kids. This had happened at the first dinner with the wives, but not the children. I would have a difficult time remembering their names. Maybe I would get them all in my mind before they left.

Kenny was telling his wife what they had seen at the claim. I immediately cautioned him and the rest not to discuss this at all. Luckily, the kids weren’t listening so if the adults obeyed me, the word wouldn’t get out yet.  

Mary knew several members of the prospectors club and we went into the bar where she introduced me. I was asked how I had thought of the method of freeing the gem from the mountain’s clutches. Mary answered for me. “Pete read a book one time.” She then had to explain that remark that this was a standard answer of mine, which brought a laugh.

Mary was asked if the whole family had come from Ohio just to see her mine and she said yes. They were all on vacation and wanted to see the exact spot so she would take them out to the claim tomorrow. I had a beer pushed into my hand and then the brothers bought a round for the men at the bar.

Mary moved me off to the side and said she had explained to her family why she had been so reserved with them. She told them she had heard them early on discussing her looks and actions and that was one reason why she hadn’t been friendly. Now she wanted them to accept her as one of the Goodell family just like her brothers.

“I told them that I would explain more fully tonight after the children went to bed. Pete, I’m going to wear a bikini and show them the stigmata on my body. I’m also going to tell them that you don’t think I’m wearing the mark of the devil and that you think my mother had it tattooed on me when I was very young. Then when she found that out, the priest didn’t believe her and he made her do penance. That was when she went off the rails mentally.”

“Do you want to put yourself through this with the family?”

“Yes, I do, and if I’m asked why now, I’ll say you have seen it and now I don’t mind it at all. You have convinced me it isn’t something to be ashamed of. I may even tell them how it feels to be kissed there.”

“I wouldn’t. There is no need.”

“Okay … maybe not then.” Mary wanted to get the gem back into the bank vault so we carefully wrapped it up and left it at the bank on the way back to the cabin. We would meet the family in the motel dining room later for the evening meal.

When we walked into the dining room, a half dozen of the children came running up to Mary. I had my own follower in Emmy because she came up and asked about my mining claim. I asked sharply, “How did you find out about it? It is supposed to be a secret.”

“I heard my Dad and Mom discussing it. They saw I was listening to them and cautioned me not to speak about it. I won’t. They said you are going to a very rich man. Are you still going to marry Aunt Mary?”

“That is my intention just as soon as we have time … maybe next week even. You do like your Aunt Mary, don’t you?”  

Emmy nodded. “I used to feel so badly for her. None of my aunts and Mom liked her and she looked so weird with the way she acted. My dad didn’t seem to feel that way so I figured she was better than my mom thought she was. Then you was invited to dinner and went away with her. Aunt Mary has changed an awful lot since I saw her last time. I like her a lot and I like you a lot too.” Emmy blushed when she said this.

“I like you a lot too, Emmy. If Mary needs an attendant at our wedding, I’m going to suggest that it be you.”

“Oh, I would be so thrilled.”

From behind Emmy, Mary spoke, “Emmy you aren’t trying to steal my man are you?”

“No, Aunt Mary, but I would if I was old enough. You are so lucky. He said if you needed someone to stand up with you, he would suggest he would ask you to choose me.”

“Emmy, I think that’s a great idea. Our wedding is going to be small. I promise that you will be one of the ones standing by my side when Pete and I say the words that make us husband and wife. Who would you like to stand up with Pete”

“Can I choose my dad? I know he is very close to you and always has been.”

“That’s a great idea. Are you okay with this, Pete?”

“I certainly am. I’ll ask Sam right now and announce our plans at the table tonight.” I drifted away to where Sam was talking to Kenny.

John came into the dining room and wanted to speak to me as we were finishing dinner. “Pete, the company is damned excited about your claim. They will be trying to market it right away. I’m going to give you the name of an attorney who will do the best for you to sit in on the meetings that the company will hold when the bids start. While that is going on, work will be continuing at the site getting the permits in place.

“You said your family had a lawyer. If he is available, he might want to coordinate with the one who I have chosen for you. I declare you should come out of this pretty well.”

“When will the actual mining begin?”

“Pete, it is difficult to say. It can’t start until the permits are in place. When this company markets the rights to mine, the mining company will begin payments. Of course, if you want to sell the claim you can take the money and walk away. That’s the simplest form and you wouldn’t have to wait around for several months. It is always frustrating because it will seem as if roadblocks are always put in the way for this to go forward.”

“What would you do in my place?”

“It is difficult to say. I’ve been in this business all my life. I probably would not sell, but with you and not knowing anything about it, it might be better to sell outright.”

“I have some decisions to make then, don’t I?”

“There is no hurry; take your time. For now, enjoy the summer. You still have a couple months of good weather left.” Just then, Kenny came to our side. I left John and Kenny to get more acquainted. When the dinner was over Mary and I left for our cabin. Three of Mary’s brothers and John were parked in the bar listening to John expand on the ins and outs of mining ore.

The next day, Wednesday, we were up and had the cabin straightened out when someone knocked on the cabin door. Kenny and John along with two men from the marketing firm stood there. There wasn’t room for all to come inside. Kenny was the only one.

Kenny spoke, “Pete, let’s go down to the diner and talk. The attorney who John suggested will be meeting me there. The company men want to begin the process of getting you signed up to use them for marketing the claim to a mining company. This is the ordinary way opening a new mining operation works.

“Today you will have three reps at the table working on your behalf. I am bowing out when I leave to go back to Ohio, knowing I’m leaving you in the hands of John Blackstone and Russell Carrier, the attorney, John has suggested Russell to replace me. So far, I think you are handling this very well. You have chosen John to guide you through this and I don’t believe there is anyone better.”

We stepped outside. One of the men from the marketing firm said, “I understand that you have transferred ownership of the placer claim on top of your lode claim to a Mary Goodell just a few days ago. We would like to speak to her.”

“That’s correct. Why?”

“Pete,we are going to need a right of way across her claim to be able to go forward with a road in marketing your mine. Of course, there are other rights of way to contend with, but that has to do with the federal government. As long as her brother is right here he could represent her in this.”

“I’ll bring her to the diner with me. Kenny, we’ll talk to Mary now. John, you had better come inside too. We’ll see you at the diner shortly.”

The three of us went inside. John explained to Mary what was of a concern in getting permits to mine my claim. John said, “Mary, you possible will make more money giving the mining company a right of way than you ever will from digging for gemstones. That is unless you find another smoky quartz.”

“John, would you negotiate for me. I never even thought about owning that claim until Pete insisted I take it from him.”

John laughed, “Damn, you two young people are racking up some serious money.  Were you born under a lucky star?”

Mary answered, “We have had a bit of good luck. The best part of it all is that we have found each other.”

“That is great for both of you. I lost my wife seven years ago. I still carry on conversations in my mind when I have to make a decision about something. It helps with the sadness of missing her.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you, Mary.”

We spread out at a table in the rear of the diner. The firm that was going to do the early work getting the mine ready to put it up for bid was pleased that Mary would sign a release for a road constructed across the placer claim.

They had brought some papers for me to sign as well, making them the official company to do all the preparatory work. It was all spelled out what work was to be done on the official paperwork. Russell said that this was standard and he said everything needed was included. There was even a approximate time line predicated on the permits in place by a certain length of time.”

“We will be working now inside the cavern so we can estimate how much ore is on the claim. Whoever gets this bid will have to come up with an amount for you before they start mining. Have you any idea how much you will demand?”

“No I don’t, but I imagine it will be a percentage of how much ore is mined. I’ll bow to John and Russell and your firm who is doing the marketing to come up with a figure.”

“Good, I was afraid you would demand some outrageous figure, you not knowing anything about mining.”

Mary said, “Pete has spent some time looking up stuff on his laptop. I can almost guarantee he knows more than you would think. I would even guess what percentage he will be asking for.” I made no comment.

We spent the afternoon with Mary’s family. Mary had always pushed her nieces and nephews away from her, and her sister-in-laws had reinforced this. Now the feelings were just the opposite. Emmy hung on her, finally getting up courage to ask when Mary and I were getting married. We hadn’t mentioned much about that when I said we might before they flew home.

Mary said, “Yes, I would like to be married before you return home. Today is Wednesday. Tomorrow is Thursday and Friday the contractor is going to have our cabin all torn up so we can’t sleep there that night. Let’s all get dressed, and find a pastor or the town clerk and ask them if they have time to perform the wedding during the afternoon. I’ll have Pete get us a room in another part of the Motel and we’ll stay there. Emmy, do want to go with me to get ready?”

“Aunt Mary, I’ve never been to a wedding before. I want to find all about it.”

“You know this is going to be a very small wedding, not big and splashy.”

“I know, but Pete and you love each other and that is what counts.”

“Emmy, that’s true and you are so sweet to realize how much we do love each other. Let’s go buy you and me a new dress. The bride and her maid should look nice and a new dress will do the trick. Go tell your mother where we are going shopping and if you see Pete, tell him to reserve a room for Friday night in the motel.”

“Don’t you have to ask him first that you plan on the two of you getting married?”

“He’ll figure it out. If he questions, you just tell him you read a book one time that Friday was a good day to get married.”

“What does that mean?”

“Oh, that’s a private joke between us. I’ll bet he laughs and then will explain it to you.” Emmy took off like a shot to find me.

I was standing talking with some of the family when Emmy came up and said, “Aunt Mary said for you to reserve a room for you two Friday night.”

“Why does she want me to do that?”

“Pete, I read a book one time and it said Friday was a very good day to get married.” I had to burst out laughing and then I had to explain.

She turned to her father. “Daddy, can I have some money to buy a new dress? I’m going shopping with Aunt Mary because I’m going to be a bridesmaid and should look nice.”

The women of the family decided they would all need new clothes too, so they trooped back to Mary and got into enough cars to go into town. Sam led me across the street and into a bar. In ten minutes all five brothers were being served with me. It was a good thing when Mary collected me that the mattresses were on the floor because I never would have been able to climb into the top bunk.

In the morning, Mary decided that we would go out to her claim and dig for gems. It was a long time for us to get there because the kids were always stopping to look at everything or climbing on some of the big boulders that had rolled down off the mountain. By the time we reached the claim, the kids were sick of walking.

We had brought our tools from the place at the foot of the mountain and I showed the kids (mostly) how to dig for gems. The women were interested too, so everyone was soon scratching around. One little boy was the first to pick up something and put it into his mouth. His mother grabbed it and it was a small perfect gem, which excited everyone.

I took the men up to the ledge and showed them where Mary had found the Smoky Quartz Crystal. They could see how I had drilled into the ledge that held it before I could release it. We weren’t there for much over an hour when most everyone was sick of digging. Eight gems were found, along with some broken shiny pieces.

We went down the mountain, the kids running. They all seemed to fall but none got hurt. Emmy walked with me and I smiled for she thought the kids were beneath her now that she was a teenager. Mary and Alice were the last two off the mountain and were engaged in conversation so I didn’t bother to join them. They soon were far in the rear of the rest of us. Probably this was the longest conversation together they had even though they lived in the same house.

Alice, Sam’s wife, said, “Mary, it must be nice to be able to come out here and dig in the ground. I’ll admit what you found is very valuable, but I don’t know as it is a very profitable way to spend your time.”

“Alice, I know, but look what it has given me. I’m going to be married tomorrow to a wonderful man. Not only that, and the reason I love him so is because he has subtly nudged me toward being more family orientated. I’ve always resented the women of the family for different reasons. Pete has showed me the error of my thinking.

“It isn’t my fault that my mother was the way she was. I love my brothers and they were the ones who kept me sane enough to function. I used the money to pay them back for watching out for me. Foolishly, I took it out on all of you. I suppose I resented their happiness with you, which caused me to resent you even more.”

“I suspect Pete and I will move to a more normal existence now since he discovered the mine, I probably never will come out here again. Finding the Smoky Quartz Gem was a wonderful experience. I can’t explain how I felt when I first uncovered it.

“But then I looked closer and saw it locked in the granite. I knew I would never be able to free it without breaking it. Pete seems to know just what to do. I won’t go into details, but he gently transformed me from a sour person into a wonderfully fulfilled woman.

“You don’t know this, but I have spent all but a little bit of the money from my inheritance. I worried about it and coming here this year was my last fling before leaving my brothers to go on with their lives without me.”

Alice broke in, “What do you mean, leaving?”

“I hadn’t got that far of how and when, but my mind had been made up. Sam and his brothers hired Pete to watch over me. That was a wonderful feeling to have them show they cared that much for me. That helped me some and then Pete showed he took it seriously by looking after me. He slowly introduced me to a way to enjoy interacting with other people by taking me out into some public settings. That’s not to fault my brothers for not doing that for me either.  

“I always rebuffed their intents when offered. Pete slowly made me see that even though I was terribly marked, I could still go out and have a good time. My life hasn’t been happy but Pete’s has really been slammed worse than me.”

“Tell me about it. Sam and the brothers know, I guess, but the rest of the family doesn’t. We know only that Pete worked for Sam in the store.”

“Pete did work for Sam. That was the good part of his life. Before that, Pete was in the service and engaged to be married. When he came home to pick up his life after leaving for the service, he walked into his apartment where his fiancée was living and found she was married and had spent all of his money.

“He objected and got beat up by the husband. He was taken to court and fined and couldn’t recover the $28,000 dollars that was in his bank account. He was virtually penniless and living on the street.

“To get revenge, he was panhandling outside his old apartment building and provoked, the husband beat Pete up again. Pete then gave up and went to work for Sam. I guess Sam saw that Pete barely existing during the winter months, so he hired him to watch over me this summer.

“I’ve given a lot of thought to my life while out here. While digging here on the claim, I would tell Pete how I wanted him to dig for gems. I finally realized that I was keeping him from finding anything of value by digging into the landslide. When he told me he had his own money to file on a claim, I couldn’t in good conscience tell him no. I feel my reward was in finding the Smoky Quartz Crystal soon after. The prospectors tell me, it is the finest combination set of gems they have ever seen.

“Pete immediately stopped looking over his claim and came back to my claim. He was as excited as I was by what I had uncovered. The next day he freed it up from where it was in-bedded in the stone wholly without even scratching it. The thing is; he was excited for me and not for himself for being successful. His reward we found the next day when I went with him back to his claim and we discovered the cavern. Pete took ore samples and soon he will be a rich person.

“I showed you this week how badly I am marked. I used the scar to seduce Pete. I didn’t know what I was doing. You must know I have never tried to seduce anyone before. My nipples are just outside where the scar ends on each breast. I had strange feelings showing Pete my breasts. After examining what I thought was a birthmark, Pete said I was tattooed as a small child, likely for my mother’s own religious ends.

“When Pete told me this, he took my nipple in his lips and I felt a horrible weight lifted from me and I became a normal person with normal desires.”

“How long has it been you’ve known Pete? It doesn’t seem as it has been long enough for all this to happen to one person. Do you think Pete will stand by you?”

“It has been just a few months and yes, he will stand by me.”

“If he is newly rich, he may leave you for someone else.”

“No he won’t. I’m positive of that.”

“It was just a thought. I was thinking of the kids too. They all seem to like him, especially Emmy. She is growing up so fast.”

“We should look to the kids on who is acceptable. They seem to have primal sense about someone.”

“Yes, I suppose, but that is only until puberty comes about, and then they want to try their wiles on someone likable like Pete. I’ll be watching out for her.”

“Alice, I will as well. I didn’t have those problems before Pete. I wanted to keep everyone away from me. I hated going to school and later on to college and that is why I didn’t finish.”

“You should go back to school now and finish. You are still young.”

“That is an idea. I’ll have to talk it over with Pete.”

————————

Mary and I talked far into the night. We made a few decisions. “Mary, I’d love to have you finish your education. We have to decide what we want to do with our life going forward. I don’t think I want to continue working for Sam in the store. We will soon have the option with enough money to do whatever we please.”

“I know. Pete I’ve been racking my brain about what I want for our future. I do know it will have to be something we can do together. What are your thoughts?”

“I’d like to buy a small home … not too large, maybe a bungalow. We’ve been living for weeks in this small cabin and I love it. Maybe only double the size of this.”

“Okay that’s what I want too. Will it gross you out if I run around without any clothes on?”

“May I do the same?”

“Of course. Pete, there is also something else I want to do. I want to make it right what I did to your old fiancée. Never again will I want to get revenge on anyone.

“That would be good. We then can put her behind us and go on with our life. I just don’t know how to go about it. Maybe we can help her little boy someway.

————————

We knew the carpenters were coming this morning so we were up early. They showed up at 7:30 ready to go to work. “Miss Goodell, is this going to inconvenience you too much? We could put things back together enough for you to sleep here tonight if we have to.”

“No, not necessary. Pete and I are getting married today and my family has a room reserved for us at the motel they are staying in. We hope you will be finished by tomorrow evening, though.”

“We will be by 3:00, I promise. Congratulations to both of you. I hope you are very happy.”

“Thank you.”

When we had the Subaru loaded, and we were driving away, the door to the cabin opened, and the bunk beds were tossed out. We laughed, no more sleeping alone or together on the floor. A small truck load of lumber drove by us as we turned onto the main street. We were almost giddy when we entered the diner for breakfast. It was nearly 9:00 when we left the diner and we sat outside the hairdresser’s until the shop opened. Mary was their first customer.

I walked down the street and found a barbershop. I went in and had my hair cut. There was a men’s store and I decided to buy a blazer and new trousers. I had them put into a box. I knew when Mary got dressed I wouldn’t be seeing her until she entered from a different door and approached by her brother Sam, her nephew Chester, and me. Sam had a jacket much like the one I purchased. Chester had a short-sleeved shirt, but it was new and he looked nice.

We entered the common room in the motel where we were to be married. There was a preacher, who was wearing a collar. I thought then that this going to be a nice wedding, coming together with her family as we had. The rest of the family was sitting at tables scattered around the room. I think there were other guests of the motel mixed in, but it didn’t matter.

At exactly 11:00, Mary and Emmy entered and came up beside me. Both had on simple gowns. Mary whispered, “You look nice.”

I answered that, “You are a vision.” Chester, who had the two rings in his pocket. had trouble finding them and got flustered, dropping mine on the floor. I laughed, “Chester, the same happened to me one time. The couple is still married. No big deal.”

We got through this and spent an hour talking and taking pictures. Everything was informal and when the kids said they were hungry, we went into the motel dining room. Mary’s brothers were picking up the tab and said to order anything we wanted off the menu. There was a small fair in town and later we went to that, mostly to occupy the kids. There was a merry-go-round and a miniature Ferris Wheel, and a few booths with games.

As the afternoon wound down, the kids had enough. Mary and I went to our room and lay down. About 9:00, I suggested we find a place where we could dance. We found a quiet lounge. We hadn’t been there long when Sam and Alice came in. Emmy was with them. “Mary and Pete, we aren’t staying long … Just a couple of dances. Emmy can’t be here after 10:00.”

“Okay, that gives me time for one dance with her.” Emmy blushed furiously, but she came into my arms.

“Uncle Pete, when I get married, I want a wedding just like yours. Everyone is so happy. I’ll always remember this day. Aunt Mary is so beautiful. I used to think she was ugly, but she isn’t at all. Mama says it is all because of you. Everyone is so glad you are now part of our family.”

“Thank you, Emmy, that is the nicest thing to say. I’m glad to be part of your family, too. I never had much happiness until I met Mary.”

I danced with Alice and she said the same as Emmy. They didn’t stay long. Mary and I left at midnight and went back to the motel and our room. I guess it was two when we finally were able to relax enough to sleep. The family would be here two more days. Mary asked me what we should do to entertain them

“Give it over to the children. There is a ski lift, for rides to the summit of a mountain ski area. The kids would enjoy that. We’ll get some food and have a family picnic in a park somewhere. What can be better than that?”

“You’re hooked on family, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I guess I am. I only have a grandmother and one aunt living. I guess I should inform them of my new status, although I have never been close to either.”

“What about your parents, and what happened to them? You’ve never mentioned them in all the time I have known you.”

“My mother was an unmarried mother and I guess I was a result of a sperm donor by a man my mother knew only incidentally. The man I called Father didn’t stay around long. My grandmother lost track of her when I was seventeen so she may be dead for all I know. Again, my grandmother never showed me much love even though I lived with her while finishing high school. I went into the service on graduating.”

“Where’d you pick up Chloe?”

“Mary, between tours overseas. I met her in the PX and we soon began living together. I thought she would wait for me … you know how that turned out?”

“Are you going to inform Chloe that you are married and have found happiness?”

“No reason to, she is out of my life. I’m just sorry for her child. I understand from what your brothers have told me, the boy has some kind of disability.” I stopped speaking reflecting on Chloe’s situation as I saw it. “I guess you can say justice has been served.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, she left me and hurt me and now she has been left alone with a burden in the form of a sick child.”

Tears formed in Mary’s eyes. “Yes, and I made it worse by having her car damaged and maybe making it difficult in her keeping her husband by seeking revenge for you.”

“Mary, this is our first day in our marriage. I don’t want to think about my past life while I am with you by my side. Let’s go get your family and have some fun.” Sam and family left the next day. They left happier than when they arrived. The air was cleared between Mary and her brothers’ wives.

The brothers were happy because they didn’t have to keep secrets from their wives any longer. All thought Mary had done well in the husband she chose. They knew her life would be happier for her now with someone she loved and could love herself.”

The last thing Sam said before leaving was that they wouldn’t be filing on any claims near where my claim was. “It is too difficult to realize enough returns for the effort to find something valuable. We’ll leave it for others to file.”

“That’s okay, Mary may sell her claim if she doesn’t find any Smoky Crystal in the seams in that ledge outcropping. The claim has really paid off for Mary. She has the Smoky Crystal and the sale of the right-of way across the claim. I think my claim will be sold, and I’ll get a good price for it to start and the men I have working for me have suggested I take a little less at first and receive a royalty percentage until the mine has played out.”

“My brother Kenny agrees with that. So we will see you back in Ohio sometime soon?”

“Yes, as soon as things wind down here. Mary and I have bought the cabin. We intend to vacation here several times a year. We may take up skiing. After all, this is where we found love.”

“Pete, I’m happy for you, and happier for Mary. She was not a happy or good person until you came to her. Some of her ideas about life were really destructive.”

“Thanks Sam for saying that. We’ll be seeing you soon.”

The next morning, I asked Mary, “Okay, our lives changed dramatically in the last year. What are we going to do with our lives going forward?”

“It’s up to you, Pete. You’re the rich one in the family now. What are you going to do?”

“Mary, I think it will be something that will I have I will put to work for someone’s good. A Charity, or a nonprofit of some kind. I don’t really know what it will be, yet. You said you had taken courses in business management. You do need to finish your college courses to get a certificate. It would look good on a resume.”

“Pete, you mean I will have to go back to reading books?” This said with a grin.

“Something like that. I’m going back to school myself. I only have a high school education.

“You have more than that. At least you know how to study. You pick up a book and by the time you finish it, you know everything that was in it. I can’t do that.”

“I’ll bet you can now. Think of how your life has changed. You’re not angry any longer. That was the biggest distraction that drove you off the rails. You pick up a book now and try it today. See if I’m not right.”

“Is that what you did?”

“Yes, Mary, I gave up thinking about what Chloe did to me and the loss of the money I had.”

“Pete, you should be a psychologist.”

“Nope, it would be too confining. I like to keep my interests broad. I like to walk into a book store and pick up a book on any subject.”

“You’re deep, Pete.”

“But you love me anyway.”

“I do.”
 
We talked about what to do. We had money by taking an advance that was coming to us when the mine began producing. We looked at what each of us had for a life up to this point and decided to travel for a year. We went to San Antonio to visit the Alamo, and New Orleans, where we visited the French Quarter which was rich in history.

The Subaru broke a timing chain on the way back to our cabin. We decided maybe we should get real this time and close the cabin. We had spent the winter in Florida, in a double-wide we leased. We went back to the cabin in the spring and stayed there during the hottest of the summer. The cabin and the size of it palled on us and there still was nothing on the horizon for our life’s work.

No mining had been started yet, but it was getting ready for it. The road to the mine had been put in. Driving there now was some different than the two miles walking to get there before. I got together one last time while there to talk to John Blackstone, and Russell Carrier, my attorney.

Mary had planned at one time to become a financial advisor and what she had done financing her brothers and searching out career paths for them. This showed me she had a good handle on that type of work for herself.

“Pete, I want to work at this to help you get the most out of your money. I had a mentor for a short time in college just before I left. He is still a professor there. Would you mind if I ran some figures by him so I haven’t made any mistakes in my thinking?”

“Mary, great idea, if you think it necessary.”

“Pete, I do think it necessary. You have several million dollars coming soon and the royalties are going to be substantial. I don’t want to make any mistakes. You know you could get some books and help me out here.”

“Done that, but I didn’t want to interrupt our honeymoon. I wanted to give you my full attention.”

“Yeah, you did that. I took a home test and I am waiting ’till we get back to Ohio before seeing a gynecologist.”

“We haven’t talked about having children.”

“No, I know, but I want a baby and I want to bring it up better than I was brought up.”

“Good, I feel the same way. My childhood wasn’t that happy either.”

——————————

Reaching Ohio, Mary and I were greeted at a family dinner with love from everyone present. I was to move into Mary’s suite. They all laughed when Mary said, “Yes and Pete doesn’t have to sleep on the daybed in the small room either.”

That night we started planning on our future. Mary managed to get an appointment to confirm her pregnancy. We both were thrilled over this fact. It seemed so far down the road before the baby would make its appearance, we didn’t discuss it much. I hadn’t received any money yet for the mine and Mary had spent much of hers on the businesses she financed for her brothers.  

Mary still owned the house that Sam and Alice lived in. How to pay for a new home for just Mary and I wouldn’t be much of a problem when all of her brothers chipped in with a down payment for any home we chose to purchase. The brothers were happy to do this for Mary because she had done so much for them in the past.

We went looking for homes with the baby in mind. We settled on a three-bedroom home in a new development on the outskirts of town. It did have a swimming pool. “I plan on having the family visit us so I can really get to know them.” There is also, a park nearby that was well equipped for kids of all ages.

Mary then had the fun of choosing furniture to fill it. I had nothing and Mary left the family mansion as it was for Sam and Alice. We raided antique stores and went into some second-hand stores. “Pete, I’m buying what I like. It probably will be mixed and unmatched, but whatever talks to me is what I’m buying.”

“I’m okay with that. There is another thing we haven’t discussed; where are you putting the Smoky Quartz Crystal on display? It is too valuable to have on display here at home, and the world needs to see it.”

“I’ll look for some museum that has a good collection of minerals and stones. We have to name the crystal sometime as well. The museum will want to advertise they have it.”

“That’s simple, call it the Goodell Crystal. It is so perfect it will soon become known throughout the world.”

“I think the Mary Manning Crystal is better.”

“No, you found it when you were Mary Goodell, so that has to be the name.”

“Pete, but you were the one who worked so hard to free it.”

“Tell you what; we’ll see what the museum that displays it comes up with. I’ll defer to them.”

“Okay, but I want to have right of refusal.”

“That’s fair.”

“Pete, I have an appointment with the gynecologist today at eleven. It is my first monthly checkup. Are you coming with me or are you going to sit there and stare at the statement from the bank that came this morning?”

“Mary, would you mind if I didn’t go with you?”

“No, of course not. I’ll help with planning what to do with the money when I get back. $500,000 is a lot of money … and much more is coming our way. Any ideas yet?”

“We could pay off the mortgage on the house.”

“Not wise, three and a half percent interest is like nothing. We can do better than that investing the money somewhere.”

“You’re the money man here. I’ll bow to your superior wisdom.”

“Pete, I’m not a man or haven’t you noticed? I’ll soon have a bump in my belly that you will never have.”

“Oh, yeah, there is that, isn’t there?”

“Pete, read those books about money you’ve been collecting.” Mary laughed, “See, I’ve got onto how smart it is to read a book.” We both laughed this time.

That afternoon when Mary returned, I asked, “How did it go at the doctor’s?”

“He was late and I had to wait. I sat in the waiting room. It is the common one for a whole bunch of physicians. Guess who I was sitting next to?”

“I have no idea.”

“I noticed this little boy hobbling around with a bad foot. Finally, he came over and asked his mother to pick him up. I inquired of the woman what happened to the boy.”

“He was born this way. The cords in his ankle above the heel look like they didn’t separate properly and apparently had grown together in the womb. He needs an operation, and a prosthesis. I don’t have the money for either. Ricky gets around pretty good, but there is a lot he can’t do. I am a single mother and work, but there is never enough for this even with Medicaid.”

“Pete, we talked and she gave me her name when I was called that the doctor would see me. The woman’s name was Chloe. I’ll bet that is your Chloe.”

“Don’t say that she is my Chloe. I’m not even going there at all. Did you give her your name?”

“Not really, I just said my name was Mary. You know I’m feeling awful guilty about what I had my brothers do to her car.”

“Mary, too bad for you, you got your revenge in my name and now you feel guilty, but I don’t see any way you can correct it. You did it, so live with it.”

“You’re mean.”

“I don’t want to be mean. I love you, remember?”

“Pete, if I can figure out a way to help the boy, would you hate me?”

“I never will hate you, but I don’t want to get involved with Chloe again in any way shape or form.”

“Okay, I won’t mention her again.”

That night before we went to sleep I asked, “Mary are you going to finish your studies and get a certificate?”

“Yes, but I’m not going to the campus to do it. I can get what I need online. By taking some refresher courses and what courses I need I can still get what I need to graduate. I’ll begin in about three weeks and really concentrate. What are you going to do?”

“Mary, I think I’ll take some courses in finance at the night school. I’m thinking I’ll go back and work for your brother just to keep occupied.”

“Peter, that only pays a little above minimum wage.”

I know, but I’m not trained for anything. I could buy a business, but if I didn’t know anything about running it, I could lose it all.”

“Maybe, but you did well last summer and look what you accomplished just by reading a few books.”

“I don’t consider I did that much. My biggest and best accomplishment was to make some disfigured woman find her esteem and make her happy. I think I should get an ‘A’ in that.

An ‘A’ plus, plus, is what you deserve. You spoke about a nonprofit or something like that to put your money to work. Read some books of what is out there.”

“You mean, you actually want me to read a book?”

“Pete, at first when you said you read a book about something; to me that showed you were intelligent on some subjects, and I was denigrating you to some extent. I’ve changed my mind since then. You are extremely intelligent and reading a book on any subject you are interested in shows just how smart you are.”

“Well, thank you. I mull things over and then I’ll search for more information. I do know my weaknesses. I think you are damned smart yourself. Do you know what intrigued me about you at first?”

“I have no idea. I don’t even know why you fell in love with me either. You certainly was turned off on women when I first met you. So tell me.”

“I thought at first that you were a little bit crazy. You seemed to treat your brothers, okay, but you treated the rest of the family terribly. I thought you were missing so much. But you were open to my suggestions to right the wrong. When I realized you were the one to seek revenge on my former girlfriend, I was crushed. But there again you changed, especially when you didn’t know her circumstances before and the consequences were there for you to see.”

“I was so wrong, wasn’t I? I suspect I don’t know all of Chloe’s problems either. They must be more to her problems than I know.”

“Well don’t meddle. You could make it worse, although I don’t know how. Please put Chloe behind you like I have.”

“But she needs a friend.” I shook my head and Mary knew not to continue the subject.
———————————

I did continue to read and I took some courses at the night school about finance. Actually, it didn’t interest me that much. Mary began her online college courses and they certainly interested her. I couldn’t get her away from studying several hours a day. We were comfortable together as she grew bigger. Two more times when at the clinic, Mary and Chloe met. The last time they finished with their doctors at the same time.

“Chloe and Ricky, would you like to go to a fast food place and have lunch? I’m not doing anything. I’m far ahead of my courses for the week in college.”

“You are pregnant and going to school at the same time.”

“Pete, why not? I’ll be a lot busier when my baby arrives. I’ll dial my lessons back and still finish at the same time.”

“Mary, I wish I had the money to take some courses. There is always an opening in the front office where I work. I’m still working a counter and will never get beyond that. You know at one time, I had a bright future and then I threw it all away by cheating on a good man and hurting him terribly. I actually stole money from him, or I should say not him, but the bastard I traded Pete for, stole it.

“Now I have no money and no husband and a three-year-old son who has a disability and I have little chance of getting the disability corrected. I don’t think about it much knowing I brought it all on myself. It is too bad Ricky has to suffer for my mistakes. Yes, I would like to go somewhere and have a coffee with someone who could be my friend.”

Chloe and Mary went to a close-by franchise diner that had a place for Ricky to play. Mary purchased burgers for the two. Ricky couldn’t believe he had a whole full-sized one to eat all by himself. There were fries as well. Mary could see that Ricky was eying a shake drinking by a child at the next table. Mary went up and got one for him. He was full before all of the food was finished and wanted to play. His mother nodded so he took off hopping on his crooked foot.”

“Mary, he gets around well, don’t you think? It took him a long time to be able to walk. I’m so proud of him.” Eventually Chloe said she had to leave. “Mary I don’t know who you are, but I have had the best time in a long time. Ricky will remember this outing forever and will always be looking for you when he has to come back to the pediatrician. You know, you haven’t told me anything about yourself. Can you share with me if we meet again?”

“Maybe, I can. I’ll think about it. For now, we are friends and I’d like a hug. Listen, I’ll give you my brother’s number. His name is Kenny Goodell. Call him and leave word when your next appointment comes up again.”

“Thank you, I will. Ricky, give the lady a kiss and maybe we will see her again.” Mary was thanked, and she could have given the two a ride, but she wasn’t asked. Mary sat right where she was and called Kenny, her brother. “Kenny, do something for me. See what you can find out about Chloe Harrison and her ex-husband. I want to know what the divorce degree says. The woman is getting no help from her ex at all.”

“Pete, isn’t going to like you interfering in his past. After all, the woman was lucky she didn’t end up in jail. She well could have if Pete had pressed a suit.”

“I know, Kenny, but I have to do this. It was me who wrecked her car and she has to travel by bus. Maybe you could interview some of the people she works with and find out what kind of person she is.”

“Again Mary, why are you doing this?”

“ Pete loved the woman at one time. Pete is almost too perfect and I want to know if she took Pete intentionally, or if it was her husband. From what Pete has said about Harrison, he is a big bully. I don’t want to help the woman if my generosity is misplaced.”

“Now you are being sensible. You know someday you’re going to have to confide in Pete. You have a lot to lose if he doesn’t take what you are doing that well. God, that man loves you.”

“I know, but I have a feeling I should continue with this.”

“Well, you be careful. In the meantime, I’ll see what I can find out about Harrison. What’s his first name?”

“I don’t know. Pete always called him Harrison and Chloe never said either. I’ll catch up with you in a few days. Love you.”
 
I asked how the baby was when she got home. Chloe wasn’t mentioned. Mary was having feelings of guilt, but felt the time wasn’t right to tell him she had seen Chloe today.

I had news, “Mary, I had a visitor today. His name is Geno Capparelli and he is an old army friend of mine. We entered the service together, but then he stayed two years longer than me. He is now working at buying houses, fixing them up, and flipping them. He wants me to go in with him. He really wants me to help him. He needs a man who can deconstruct what needs doing before another crew begins to rehab it. What do you think?”

“I don’t know, how would it work, anyway?”

“He buys a house and budgets the estimated cost for each stage of the work. Mine would come first, and a different crew puts the property together for their stage, and then Geno is the one to market it. I get a fair wage and a share of the profit in managing my crew if I beat his estimate.”

“How big is your crew for tearing things apart?”

“ Me, and two other men. We can work around the clock if we want to. He has just bought twenty-three once-owned factory houses on a street next to a factory that moved out. He says the houses are in fair shape and says he has the inside track knowing that the factory will be sold to a different manufacturer making a different product. The houses are small and only need updating because they are 40 years old.

“They should be on the tax rolls between $140,000 and $185,000 now. If he buys the all of them at once, he can buy them for $28,000 apiece. He figures he can rehab them for under $50,000 each. That would be a hell of a profit and he could easily double his money.”

 "Pete, are you going to use some of your money to do this?”

“No not at this time, I want to see how it goes. Another thing, he can rename the street under a different name. How does ‘Manning Avenue,’ sound?”

“That’s great!”

“No it isn’t, I was kidding. I don’t want my name on anything.”

Mary shook her head. “I know that, you always want to be in the background. I’ll bet any success this Geno has will be more than fifty percent because of you. Try it anyway. You could relax and take it easy because of the mine you found, but I know you won’t.”

“You do know me, don’t you? I love you for just that.”

“I do love you, Pete.”

—————————

Kenny Goodell called Mary a few days later. “Mary, Chloe Harrison really is up against it. That Harrison asshole is a rough sort. By the way, his name is Charles and he is called Chuck. He owns half of a bar and dining joint down in the rough part of town. He doesn’t do much except tend bar and keep the peace working as bouncer. It is a wonder the town hasn’t taken their liquor license away. I suspect it is Pete’s money used for a half interest in the place.

“That woman was so stupid leaving Pete for him. Chloe has tried to get support for their son, but Harrison says if the kid was whole, he might. His words are if she got the kid where he could walk right, he would come up with enough to feed and clothe him. It’s just a dodge to keep from forking over money he rightly owes. He laughed that it was never going to happen, so good luck.”

“Kenny, I agree she is stupid. God, she traded Pete for Harrison.”

“Mary, we don’t know it all. Are you still planning being friends with her? You might lose Pete if you do and that means it is you who is stupid.”

Mary didn’t want to hear this. “Well, call me if she contacts you when her next appointment is.”

—————————————

 The job I had with Geno was very enjoyable. How could it not be when I had a job where I could take out my anger on destroying old for something eventually, as good as new. Okay, I wasn’t angry any longer, but the job did provide some satisfaction.

The two men I bossed each had some trouble before this in their lives. They were waiting on getting out of the pen when Geno was searching for laborers. Geno had hired two men to work for him while they were waiting for someone who would come along and provide a job. He also provided a house for them to live in as part of their wages.

At least they were glad to get free and intended to stay that way. Neither had transportation and Geno dropped them off the first day at the first house we were to work on. For their lunch, they each had three hard boiled eggs and two slices of toast.

They busted butt trying to impress me all morning and I knew if they worked anywhere near this hard, I would be getting a bonus for my first job. We had a dumpster nearly filled already. I had a lunch in my pickup, but hated to eat it in front of them. “I have to leave for a few minutes. You guys relax and I’ll be back shortly.” I went to a drive-through station, purchased burgers, and stopped in a gas station convenience store, picking up a gallon of tea.

When I returned, I laid this on a bench and nodded for them to go ahead. “Tonight after work, we’ll go have a beer and talk about how we are going to work the best way as a crew. Geno doesn’t care how we do our job and it is on me to see that it is done to his satisfaction. I won’t give you any bull shit about working as a team, but that’s what we are.

“Geno expects our part of this job to be done in four days. If done in three days, then I get a bonus for it. I’ll split any bonus I receive with you men. Geno is paying us high enough wages for everyone to eat well so we can work well. For now, as long as you two are living at the same place, I’ll pick you up before work and drop you off after work.

Chapter  Five

We three went for a beer after work as promised. Mack was the smallest member of my crew. He appeared to be a stalk of nervous energy, never sitting still and his eyes were continually darting around the bar. He was the first to mention what his past had been.

“You know, guys, I was sent up for assault on my old lady. Tell me, what you would have done, in this instance? She drained our bank account and went to Vegas over my objections. She said we had been together and we had never done anything exciting.

“What do you think? I had been saving money for seven years to buy a home and was almost there. She came home all tired out ten days after she left. She came in and stated she had spent it all and was tired and we would talk about it in the morning.

“I loved the bitch; that is until I thought I would open her suit case and do the laundry. God, it smelled like a whore house, and there was evidence that she was the main attraction in one. I dragged her ass out of bed and mopped the floor with her. The neighbors called the cops and they were the main witnesses against me. That was three years ago. I didn’t even bother to get a lawyer because I didn’t have enough to hire one.

“The court appointed one, but it just was to cover the laws so I wouldn’t come back on them. I did my time. I’m not really a violent person … well maybe I am if I have cause.” Mack took a sip of beer and smiled. He was finished talking.

Randy wanted to unburden his soul too.

“Me, I’m single and always have been. My mother left my old man when I was six. Father was an alcoholic and was always looking for a new job because of getting drunk all the time. My trouble started when I was sixteen. Pop was raving and tearing up the house furniture. He was swearing about not having any money. I went into my room to get away from it all. Ten minutes later, I heard him leave the house and saw his shadow go by the window.  

“I ran out and could see him staggering down the street. I followed at a run and before I reached him, he turned into the local grocery store. I followed him in and couldn’t believe my eyes. He had a gun pointed at a clerk and was demanding money.  I came up beside him and wrestled the gun from him. Something poked me in the back and was told to drop the gun. I did and raised my hands.

“We were both charged with attempted robbery. The cop had come into the store behind me. He saw me with a gun and I couldn’t get the clerk to admit I was trying to get it from my father. Pop got two years and I got seven. I was to get out in six, but no one would go to bat for me until Geno came looking for help. So I spent an extra year in prison.”

Randy stopped speaking then said, “I wonder if I get caught for something, the court will give me the year credit I’ve already done?”

“Christ Randy, you were nothing but a kid, How did you get charged with being an adult?”

“Dun ‘no, but that’s the way it went down. It’s behind me now.”

“What about your Father?”

“He hung himself in prison before the first year of his two-year sentence was out.” We drank our beer and I dropped Mack and Randy off at their doorstep. Geno had two other men helping him under another crew chief like me. They lived in the same house as Mack and Randy. I guess Geno either rented this house or owned it.

I was telling Mary about the men I was now working with. She was horrified that Geno had hired ex-cons. “Whoa, sweetheart. These men were screwed by life like I was a while back. Give them a chance to make good. They have more than paid their debt to society. They are trying hard and I’m going to help them all I can.”

“Look at you befriending the woman who nearly destroyed me. Think what would have happened to me if I had kept looking for revenge. I might be working and living in the same place they are. At least I stopped before I got a record. We have to let things be sometimes. Put Chloe in the past and forget her. There is only trouble if you continue.

“Pete, you just see things different than I do. The difference is that I caused some of her problems and I feel guilty over it.”

“Well, you should, but I don’t see how you can help her without getting me back into her sphere of awareness.”

“I know, Pete, but I wish I could help her. I’d help her if I had met her and hadn’t done the things to harm her. You still love me, don’t you?”

“Always, and forever, sweetheart! Say, I wanted to ask you, I thought you might mention it to me on your own, but you haven’t.”

A look of fear crossed Mary’s countenance. “What did you want to know?”

“I was wondering what the gynecologist has to say about your so called stigmata?”

“Oh, that. He has examined it and he did come to the same conclusion as you have.” He said, “It had to have been performed by a very good tattoo artist when I was just a few months old. He also said it must have caused me a great amount of pain. If my mother had been caught having this done to her child, she would have been put into an asylum. The doctor asked me how it affected my life.”

“And, what did you tell him?”

“I told him my life was terrible. That is until I met a man by the name of Peter Manning. I told him how you have changed me for the better and how happy I am.”

“And?”

“The Doctor wants to meet you. He thinks you must be a most unusual person.”

“With all of that, you should now go ahead and tell me what question you thought I was going to ask you. It certainly jarred you. Nothing else would have provoked that look of fear I saw cross your face.”

“Pete, please don’t ask me. I have been talking to my brother Kenny and he warned me that you would be very upset if you learned what I have been up to. He not only warned me, but advised me to desist on this path.”

“Okay, u-mm … I think Kenny is a very smart person and a good lawyer. I’m sure his advice is good so I guess you had better follow it. What’s for supper? I’ll be home earlier tomorrow night. I’m not planning on having a beer every night after work.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”All evening Mary kept looking at me expecting me to ask what she was up to. When we went to bed, I was almost asleep by the time she joined me. She had made herself sweet smelling, and kissed me passionately. I was holding her hand when I turned later to sleep in my normal position.

Mary whispered, “Pete, I’ll tell you someday. Please be patient with me.”

“I will, sweetheart. I do love you and I will bear with you. Tell me when you think I ought to know.”

“Oh Pete, you make me love you so much.” The only things Mary and I disagreed on was something about Chloe. If Kenny gave her advice about whatever she was doing with my ex girlfriend, then it had to come out okay.

Geno’s construction Foreman, Jeffery, was a pure asshole. The two men, David and Percy, who lived with my two men and worked under Jeffery, both had the rudiments of knowing what they were doing. They had been long out of the trade and it was going to take time to get back up to speed. They lived in the same house as Mack and Randy and I was privy to a conversation of their comparison between Jeffery and my style of being a boss.

When we finished tearing apart the first house, we came to work anyway even though there was nothing for us to do. We all pitched in moving material or going for something if it wasn’t right at hand.

That particular morning I drove all four to the job-site and hung around watching the start of rebuilding the house. Geno was there as soon as we were. “Pete, hang around until noon and then start tearing apart the house to the left of this one. Christ you did such a good job here, makes me think I am over paying you and your crew.”

I laughed at Geno, “Hey, you don’t know how hard I worked my men. I told them to bust ass, or else.”

Geno sobered. “Pete, I know how hard all of you worked. I wish my construction foreman had your ethics. If I can pick up another good carpenter, I might fire Jeffery and give you both crews.”

“Don’t do that, I don’t know anything about house construction.”

“We’ll see. All you would need is a straw boss that has his papers. I’ll work on it anyway.”

“What’s the matter with Jeffery?”

“Too much, I hired these men, knowing how fragile they are about getting back into the work force. They need respect and I don’t see any coming down from Jeffery.  If they get pissed about how they are being treated, they’ll do something to put themselves back behind bars.”

“I know what you mean. I don’t think my two workers will be a problem.”

“That’s why I hired you. I was in the army with you and I know what you can do with men. You got more out of a bunch of raw recruits than anyone I know. Do you have any suggestions?”

“Not off the top of my head, but I’ll give it some thought.” I did think about how Geno could reorganize his work crew. I knew Geno would always have problem if he kept Jeffery on.

Geno was around the next day and I indicated I wanted to speak to him. “What’s up, Pete?”

“You asked me if I had any thoughts about your workers. I have a few, but first let me ask you some questions.” Geno nodded to go ahead. “Are you in this construction business for the long haul? It might make a difference.”

“Yeah, I am. Tell me what you are thinking.”

“I’m impressed with the ex-cons you have chosen. I’d hate to have them slip back and they might if they aren’t treated right. Why don’t you check the prisons to see if you can find a journeyman carpenter who has done some teaching in the carpentry trade. The two men under Jeffery know a little, and my two are intelligent enough to learn the trade.

“Make all four men apprentices and have the new guy teach them so someday they can get a license. It might take two or three years, but it should pay off, especially if you expand over the years.”

Geno was uncertain and looked it. “Pete, that would mean I would have four men and you sitting in class not producing.”

“Not necessarily. Just think how fast I could wreck a house getting it ready for rehab with four men instead of two. This unknown worker I’m thinking of could do the teaching while right here on the job when we start putting these houses back together. It won’t be long before your two apprentices and mine with the new person can set these four men to doing work on their own.

“That never would happen with Jeffery as their Foreman. When it is almost time for the four men to get certified; that would be the time for some classroom work.”

“Pete, I’ll mull it over, and what about you? What are you going to be doing all this time your men are learning to be journeymen carpenters?”

“Wrecking houses, I guess.”

Geno shook his head and walked away. The next day, Geno pulled me off the house we were wrecking. “Pete, come ’ere, I think I have an answer for you. You know doing what I’m doing is attempting to build a construction outfit which is the same thing my family does back in Boston. They work different than I do. Let’s say the way I want to run my business is being honest and all above board.

“I have my father and two uncles and a half dozen nieces and nephews who work doing construction. It is a family owned business. I’ll emphasize the family part. This was started back around the late 1920s by my grandfather and his father. The trucks they owned were on the road a lot, often at night and they came and went across the border into Canada.

“When prohibition ended they really did construction work and were most usually legal. Occasionally someone in the family messes up and has to spend time away, but not often. I’m going to be strictly honest keeping away from bribes and kickbacks. Ditto that, and without any heavy persuasion, to get a contract. That’s a little background on me that you don’t have to mention and why I knew how and where to get men to work for me.

“My wife, Gina, is a distant relative and knows it all. I promised when we married I would be honest in my dealings. I’d hate to say what she would do to me if I worked something crooked into my business.” Geno paused now to see how I would receive this.

“That is our business, Geno. I will say I’m happy to know that’s the way this business will be run. What about what we were talking about the other day?”

“What I told you was leading up to that. I have a guest that is going to be with me for six months. He is an excellent carpenter and has his papers. Why don’t you grab your wife and have dinner with us tonight? You can meet him.”

“Sure, I’d like that. Say Geno, how come you went into the service and not into the family business?”

“Well, I didn’t hold with some of the way the family was doing business at the time. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family very much. I talked to my mother about what bothered me. She suggested I get away for a while and start a business of my own elsewhere. So I gave my country five years and moved here where my wife has family. My leaving my family didn’t cause any hard feelings and I don’t have to worry that someday some of them will end up on the wrong side of the law.”

“That makes sense. Yes, I would like to have you meet my wife, so we’ll be there. I’ll clean up from work.”

“Great, dinner is at seven, come early and meet my older cousin. We can talk about house construction and drink a beer. Wear something comfortable. Gina probably will be serving pasta.”

I called Mary and told her we were going out to dinner at Geno and Gina Capparelli’s home.”

“I’ll be ready. I’ve wanted to meet your boss.”

“He is more a friend than a Boss. I’ve never met Gina. I think she might have grown up around here before she met Geno, fell in love, and married him.”

We wore comfortable clothes for the dinner. Mary had on a simple floral dress that had only a few trumpet flowers for a print. I wore slacks and a open throat grey shirt. Geno met us at the door. He expressed his appreciation on meeting Mary and welcomed us both inside. The cousin, Guido, who was cause of this meeting, was sitting in the living room on a piano bench.

He arose and shook hands when introduced. Geno said his wife, Gina, was in the kitchen, preparing their dinner. “Hey Gina, come meet Pete and Mary Manning. He is the one, who I have been bragging. We’ve been friends since my army days.”

Gina came and stood in the doorway staring with a angry look on her face. “Geno, I know the Manning name. I believe he is the person that kept wrecking Chloe’s and Chuck’s car. I will not have him setting at our table tonight or ever. Ask them to leave or I will start pulling hair.”

I stood there dumbfounded. Gino’s face got red. “Woman, what the hell is the matter with you? I know for a fact Pete was out in Colorado when that happened.”

“Geno, says you! Chuck told me that Pete Manning was the only person to have a reason to cause all that damage to their car. He probably had it hired done if he didn’t do it himself. Do you know how hard it is on Chloe with her little boy like he is?”

“Gina, well, Chuck isn’t doing anything to help Chloe or his son either. You know I think he is a scumbag even if he is your cousin. He ran out on his wife and kid, She had to divorce him so she could get some care through some government agency.

Mary put her two cents in, “Gina, Harrison is your cousin? Boy, do I ever pity you. I know a lot about him and it is nothing good.”

“Keep out of this, bitch. You’re married to that Turd you call a husband and he beat up Chuck for no reason at all.”

“Lady, and I use the term with disdain and you know shit.” The two women stood there facing each other. Both made a motion toward the other. Gino grabbed Gina and I grabbed Mary. I almost threw her into a chair. Gino saw what I did and did the same with Gina.

I turned to Guido, “Hey, we’re having some fireworks aren’t we? You don’t know it but I’m at the center of this. Geno, why don’t you call Chloe. Have Gina pick her and the boy up and bring them here. She’ll straighten this out. Gina, ask Chloe about your cousin while she is with you on the way back here. As far as I know, the only real friend Chloe has is my wife Mary. Don’t forget to ask Chloe about Pete Manning either.”

“Gina, do what Pete told you to do. What’s Chloe’s phone number?”

“Geno, I don’t know what it is.”  

“Does anyone know?”

I said, “If she is living in the same apartment, I’ll dial it for you. If it isn’t hers, Mary can call Kenny and get it. He is her lawyer.”

There was silence and all conversation stopped. It seemed that most in the room knew a little bit of what was going on. But not the whole story, except for Guido, who puzzled over this, not knowing anything.

Mary spoke now, “Pete, I think it is I who should contact and go get Chloe. I don’t want you to have trouble with Geno. He is your boss and you are happy working for him. I’m not saying more, but a lot of this trouble is my fault. I still am not going to let you get blamed for anything. After all you are the victim here and in so many ways, too.”

Gina burst in with, “He is not!”

“Yes, he is and if you would calm down and have a talk with Chloe, you will find out the whole story. Do you know that once years ago, Pete and Chloe were engaged to be married? I’ll bet you didn’t. In fact I’ve made Pete more of a victim than he was before I met him … Chloe too for that matter for she has been victimized in several ways. This hasn’t helped her little boy who may never walk right if he doesn’t receive some outside help. Harrison, her ex-husband, certainly hasn’t given Chloe any help. Gina, ask her about your cousin.”

Gina was shaking her head, “Mary, don’t call her. We’ll go get her together. When is the last time she saw Pete anyway?”

“I think, it was the day he came home from the service, years ago. I’m willing to go see her and try to get her to come back here.”

“Let’s go, then, we’ll take my car.” Gina grabbed her purse and Mary hadn’t even had time to set hers down. They went out the kitchen door where her car was.

Geno started laughing, “Wow, I thought we were going to have a cat fight for a few minutes. Pete, explain about you and Chloe. Maybe that will help me understand this.”

“You know, I suppose Gina got a garbled story from Harrison and would naturally believe him. He is actually the one to do me wrong, but I swear it wasn’t me who vandalized the car. I didn’t know about it until some officers approached me while I was out in Colorado and were satisfied I wasn’t involved.

“This is what happened; I was engaged to Chloe when I went into the service. Her name was on my savings account while I was there. I came home to get married and found out she and Harrison were married and all $28,000 in my account was gone. The court told me that I left it to her.

“I surmise that Harrison learned of the money and married Chloe to get it. I have never had a chance to talk to her. I did know Chloe very well and it just wasn’t like Chloe to do this on her own. I have faith she will agree that I am the victim.

“Well, who vandalized the car.?”

“I have my suspicions, but it isn’t for me to say. I would like that wrong righted, and I am willing to help Chloe get wheels again. I don’t want Harrison to gain from this. That’s my only stipulation.”

“That sounds fair enough. Hey, lets get a drink. It’ll be a while before the women get back. Does anyone want to lay bets on what the situation will be like when they return?”

“Geno, I’m betting they’ll be best friends and I’ll also bet that I get lucky tonight.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“ Because I know Chloe and I know Mary. I read a book one time about just this same type of situation. You can tell Mary I said that, she’ll understand.”

—————————————

“So Geno, how come we were invited over tonight?”

“Pete, it was for Guido to meet you. He and his father have had a tiff and Guido is out here so both of them can cool off. Guido is a master carpenter and as long as he was here, I thought I’d put him to work on my renovation projects. You two seem to be much alike. I am going to fire my other Foreman and combine the crews. I’m going to the bank, get some money, and change my plans of how to complete this project.

“Pete and your crew can work stripping about half the houses before I begin putting them back together. I’ll get Guido some more help for that, but I’ll have your crew work with him to learn how when the renovation stage begins. What do you think?”

“It sounds good to me. You know I would like to invest in this project. I do have some money.”

“Where did you get any money? It wasn’t long ago you were out panhandling.”

“I was, but then I found something that looked like lead when digging for gems with Mary and it might be profitable. I’ll be getting some money soon. I decided to sell the mine because I don't know a damned thing about mining. I didn’t take a lump sum but if it is worth anything, I might collect some royalties.

There was silence from both Geno and Guido until Geno exploded, “Christ you are probably worth more than I am. What the fuck are you doing tearing down old houses?”

“It’s not that much, but a man has to do something. My life was like crap and like an old house that needed rehabbing. Mary has helped me with that. Actually, her life needed it more than mine. Anyway, that’s what I enjoy doing.” I went on to explain more fully what my life had been like including what had happened between Chuck Harrison and me.

—————————————

Gina had never been to Chloe’s apartment. Mary had never been inside. She knew the location, and the number of the apartment, on the second floor. It had been a silent ride all the way. Gina pulled up to the front. There was a parking space open on the street. Mary noticed a “No Panhandling” sign posted on the front of the building. She smiled because she knew Pete had caused it to be posted.

She asked Gina, “How well do you know Chloe and her boy, Ricky?”

“Mary, I’ve met her only a few times. I’ve seen the boy with his mother only a couple of times. I’ve seen Chuck a half-dozen times since they got divorced. He doesn’t have anything good to say about your husband.”

“It is probably guilt, but then he doesn’t have a very good reputation.”

Gina didn’t answer, but didn’t start to get out of the car immediately. Finally she said, “Let’s go see what Chloe has to say. I’ll listen. You know Geno thinks the world of Pete, so maybe I listened and believed Chuck more than I should have. Let’s find out.” Both got out of the car. The entrance to the building wasn’t too bad. It was clean, anyway, not like some apartment buildings.

They went up the stairs and Mary knocked on the door. They could hear someone coming to the door. It opened to the chain. “Hi Mary, what are you doing here?”

“Can we come in? Gina is with me.”

“The only Gina I know is Chuck’s cousin.”  

“That’s me. Can we talk for a few minutes?”

“I guess, what about what?” Chloe opened the door. Ricky was standing by his mother.

He saw Mary, and broke into all smiles and came hobbling toward her. Mary picked him up and gave him a hug. Gina was watching this. Chloe led them into a sitting room where Gina and Chloe sat in a chair while Mary sat on the couch. Mary had put Ricky down and he hobbled over and climbed onto the couch beside her. Mary put her arm around him.

“Chloe, I guess I have a confession to make about who I am. I am Pete Manning’s wife. Pete works for Geno, Gina’s husband. She and I got into an argument about Pete and your husband Chuck. You seem to be the center of all this so we decided to see you. You’ve told me some about Chuck and she wants to know what kind of a person Pete is.”

“How come, you never told me who you were before this?”

“Part of it because he was very unhappy about losing you and part of it because the authorities investigated Pete when you were having your car vandalized. I have to tell you that I have been with Pete almost every day since before that happened. That just isn’t Pete.”

“I know that. It wasn’t me who ever thought it was, but Chuck swore it must be. God, did I ever make a mistake when I let Chuck into my life. Chuck promised to marry me and I felt so guilty after I was seduced so I did. I’ve wanted to go apologize to Pete so many times. He is a good man, not like Chuck. Chuck took Pete’s money after we had been drinking one afternoon and convinced me it was mine.

“When Pete got home from the service, I wanted to see him and tell him what happened, but Chuck swore he would kill Pete if I did. I’ve been so miserable. The only good thing Chuck left me is Ricky. He is what I have clung to hoping someday my life will get better. Mary, you have been a bright spot in my life since I met you in the doctor’s office.”

“Would you like to see Pete and talk to him, this evening? He and Geno are waiting for us to comeback and help us eat the Pasta I have prepared.”

“Oh, Gina, I don’t think so. It would be late for Ricky’s bedtime. You would have to bring us home afterward because I don’t have a car.”

“That’s no problem at all. Come on, we are all friends here.” Gina was looking more at Mary when she said this and then resumed, “You could even tell me more about what a miserable bastard my cousin is. Up until now I think I have been misinformed about him.”

Chloe asked Mary, “You’re really married to Pete and he is at the house where you want me to go.”

“I am and he is. You can’t have him, though, but I do think it would make you happier if you did talk to him. Please remember, I am your friend in all of this.”

“Okay, you’ve never done anything to harm me. I would like to tell Pete the truth about what happened to me and why I couldn’t keep my promise to wait for him.”

“I’ll give you a chance to speak with him alone.”

“Oh. Mary, you are so sweet. Thank you.”

———————————

The three men were sitting in the kitchen drinking beer. Gina immediately went to the oven and removed the casserole. “Good, it didn’t get dried out. We’ll eat in the dining room. Christ, just like a bunch of men, they sit around and drink beer and don’t even set the table.”

Mary said to Pete, “Pete, Chloe wants a few minutes with you. Go into the front room with her. I think Ricky will stay with me for a few minutes, won’t you, Ricky?” He nodded his head. He was eying the macaroni and cheese. It had chunks of ham sticking out of the top. Gina took a salad out of the refrigerator. Mary sat down and she pulled Ricky into her lap. He did keep his eyes on the door where his mother had disappeared.

Guido said to no one in particular. “She’s pretty.”

Mary agreed with him. Guido observed. “You must trust your husband Mary, to let him talk to her alone. You said at one time they were a couple, didn’t you.”

“I did say that and I trust Pete.”

Geno spoke, “Pete is the most trusting soul I ever knew. I guess you are like him in that respect, Mary.”

“I wasn’t always. The only people I trusted were my brothers. Pete showed me the error of my ways. I’m so much happier now than I was when I first met him.” Mary looked down at Ricky in her lap.”Ricky go tell your mom that we are ready to eat.” The four of them watched as Ricky hobbled through the dining room.

“Ricky has a birth defect. It is a bad situation to have, and will take a lot of money to correct. I’m going to help Chloe with that, but I don’t know how. The operation turns out better when the child is young and before going to school, and he has at least two years before kindergarten.”

Pete and Chloe came out. Neither wanted to discuss what they had talked about. Gina didn’t want her guests to be uncomfortable so she stated, “Okay, find a seat, everyone. Geno, get drinks, and I’ll start dishing up the food. This is nothing fancy and I didn’t realize I was going to have two more guests.”

“It smells wonderful. Ricky loves Mac and cheese. I don’t think he has ever had it baked before. Usually it comes out of a box. They have a lot of those at the food pantry.”

“You don’t work, Chloe?”

“I do, Gina, but between Ricky’s daycare and the apartment rent there isn’t much left.”

Shocked, Gina asked, “You must get some help from my cousin?” Chloe didn’t want to answer and just shook her head no. She didn’t want anything to drink either except water. Ricky had a large glass of orange juice. Gina didn’t drop her cousin’s action.

“Geno and Guido, tomorrow you are going to talk to my cousin. That Prick needs to get straightened out. In fact, I’ll go with you. What is his business like anyway?”

Mary and Pete knew, but didn’t want Chloe to know they had looked into it. Finally Chloe answered, “It’s a dive. Chuck owns at least half of it. His partner is a pretty decent person, but for some reason he lets Chuck be the boss.”

The meal went along. and Harrison wasn’t mentioned again.  Pete and Mary got ready to leave. Mary brought it up, “Geno and Gina, Pete feels he ought to offer to go with you, but please remember the police have warned Pete away from him. They still think he had something to do with Pete vandalizing his car.”

Chloe, quickly said, “No, Pete shouldn’t go near Chuck. I’ve caused Pete enough trouble and he doesn’t need to take up for me. He has accepted my apology and I’m thankful for that. I don’t want it to start all over again.”

“Chloe, Geno and Guido will take care of it without needing Pete. This is on me. After all Chuck is my cousin. Mary’ would you drive Chloe and Ricky home? I want to talk to my two guys here.” She advanced on Mary and hugged her.

“Oh, I’m so glad to meet you, Mary. I consider you and Pete my friends already.”

She turned to Chloe, “Chloe, I intend to straighten my cousin out. You are better than he is, and I want you for a friend too. You’ll see.”

“Thank you, Gina. Thank you for thinking of me. Maybe we can get together again with Mary.”  

Mary was ready. “Everyone, come next weekend at my house. The house is just waiting for company.” Mary scooped up Ricky and he snuggled right into her arms. His mother told him to say goodbye so he just gave a little wave, not saying anything.

In the car on the way to her house, Chloe said, “Mary, I have never had friends like you and Pete. Pete deserves someone like you, Mary. I’m glad he found you and you two fell in love.”

“Thank you, Chloe. Next week at my house, don’t forget.”

—————————

“Well, Mary, it was quite an evening wasn’t it?”

“It was. What did you and Chloe talk about?”

“She first apologized and I accepted it. She made a promise that she would pay me back someday. I told her to get her little boy fixed up before even considering any payback. She said no she had to. I told her to listen to me. I had a great job and you and I were comfortable, money wise. I made her promise that Ricky would come first. She went on about you and what a great friend you were to her. She thinks you are so wonderful and so happy when she found out tonight whom you were married to.”

“I’m glad I’m married to you too. I’m tired though. I feel like I’m on edge just waiting for Chloe to find out it was I who damaged her car.” 

“The car, she mentioned it. She didn’t mind too much it was being damaged because after the car was being vandalized every week, it was driving Harrison up a wall. She misses it, but it was fixed up, and inspected, but she doesn’t have it to drive.  Harrison took it when they divorced.”

Pete changed the subject. “Boy, Geno’s wife is something. She’s small but I’m glad it isn’t me who is her cousin. I think Harrison is in for some bad days. You know Geno went into the service to get away from the family business. Guido is out here for the same reason. Geno and Guido were laughing about the family business. They feel the clock is ticking and someday their fathers are going to have to face the court for some of the deals they get into.

“Geno’s Mom has been advising both Geno and Guido to branch out and get out of the area away from his dad and uncle. Someday Geno and Guido might form a partnership.”

“Pete, you could buy in and join them, you know. You do have some money.”

“Yes, but I’m not jumping into anything until I’m sure they are going to be running an honest business. I did mention I found a mine, but didn't let on how valuable it is going to be. I’m glad I haven’t shared with Geno how much we are worth either. If offered a partnership, I want it to be because of me, not how much I have in the bank. I read that in a book that you should trust your partners before becoming one yourself and putting money into a business.”

“Pete I’m glad you read a lot. I might have known … finding a guideline while reading a book, I mean.”

————————————

When I went to work in the morning, I had four men in my crew now. Geno came in and put Guido with us. He didn’t say much, just stood and watched us work for a while. Finally, at our ten o’clock break he said, “Pete, do you mind if I give you some advice?”

“God no Guido, have at it. The way Geno has this planned, the quicker we get a building ready for rehab, the more money the crew has to put in our pockets.”

“I have to tell you have the most enthusiastic crew I have ever seen. That’s good but you are stumbling all over what is on the floor. Split your crew and assign half to take stuff out to the dumpster. To make things even, switch off every hour. The men tearing down the walls need good stable footing. What is torn down needs moving out so it doesn’t pile up and time is lost pulling the tangled mess apart. I know you are a working foreman, but you have to do some bossing too.”

I looked at Guido and just commented, “Guess I didn’t read from that book.” He laughed and he said he had heard that I had read a book one time. We went back to work. “Let’s start fresh guys. We’ll clear things out and two of you begin tear into things again.”

I had estimated four days for the crew to get the job done. Geno had said he had five days budgeted and that was what we would get paid for. We did it in two hours less than three full days. I spent a lot of time bunching armloads to go out to the dumpster. If I saw Guido working up an estimate for a particular part of the building, he would show me how he arrived at the figures. Often I would be the one doing the measuring and I would relate the figures to him for his estimate.  

I was learning the language for repairing a house, tools, and what different parts of what went into a house. You know studs, jousts, carry timbers, rafters and everything else. Most of my team already knew some of this. It really helped me when one of the men brought me a set of Handyman books written by a master carpenter who had published them for a homeowner who wanted to do his own home. He had picked them up at a yard sale.
 
There was nothing said by Geno and Guido about them meeting with Chuck Harrison. Mary said there had been a meeting because Gina told Mary, but didn’t go into details. Maybe Gina hadn’t ripped her cousin a new A-hole like she indicated she might.

Mary and the women planned Saturday for us all to get together on Sunday. It was a hot early fall day. I decided we would be outside near the pool. Mary told everyone to bring their swim suits. She did state that she would not go into the pool for she had some scars she was sensitive about.

We men were horsing around in the pool while the girls did up things inside. All three came out. Mary hadn’t changed. When it was time to change into their suits, Chloe and Gina came out with bikinis on. They didn’t go into the pool and after urging, Mary did admit she owned a one piece suit when the kids in the family came over. The only problem was, it didn’t cover about three inches of the top of a tattoo. It was obvious and would invite questions that Mary didn’t want to answer.
 
However, Chloe and Gina urged her to change into it anyway. When she came out of the house when she changed into the suit, she had a towel tied around her neck covering her upper body. She came to me and asked, “I am covered, aren’t I? Oh, I hate to be different so I went this far. I am not taking the towel off that is for sure. I’ll watch Ricky when he gets tired in the pool so Chloe can have some fun splashing around too.”

Gina and Geno horsed around, playing grab ass. Pete and Chloe began teaching Ricky to swim, and soon both he and Ricky got out. Ricky climbed onto Mary’s lap and snuggled. By this time, Guido was paying attention to Chloe. The first time he met her, he had commented that she was pretty. He still thought more so now that she was in a bikini. It looked like Chloe was having a wonderful time with this new person she had just met.

Mary wished she could join in and counter the distraction that was Chloe. She couldn’t help but be jealous of her. There was Chloe with the perfect body that Pete was already familiar with, and here she was with her imperfect body. She felt like crying. Pete reached out and held her hand. “Mary, don’t be jealous. I’ve been there and done that and you are way better than she is. Guido, I believe, will keep her occupied from now on.  

Finally, all had enough playing. The two women put on their robes. Chloe came to where Mary was holding Ricky and reached down to take him. When she grabbed the boy, her hand got some of the towel as well. Chloe tugged to lift Ricky and the towel knot unraveled. To make matters even worse, Ricky was startled and grabbed the top on Mary’s suit. He didn’t let go and the top part of her suit was pulled forward revealing some of the post and part of the cross arm between the swell of her breasts.

Guido and Geno came around with Chloe and Gina, and were there to see what Mary had so wanted to keep hidden. Mary jumped up pushing, all out of the way and ran for the house. Pete was there to do damage control.

“Look guys, this is something that Mary didn’t want to happen. I’ll go see to her. Why don’t you all go along and I’ll see you later. There has been a lot of heartbreak over the mark you managed to see on Mary. She has lived her whole life with it.”

Gina spoke up, “I didn’t see much, but I have heard that something like that is the mark of God. It is stigmata, isn’t it? Mary is such a wonderful beautiful person to have such a thing to have happen to her. Was she born with it?”

“Not sure, but it has only been since we met that I’ve known about it. Before that, the mark was a curse for her to deal with. Up until today, she was putting it behind her. I’m hoping someday she will become at least comfortable about it and we are working on it.

“When I first met her, she was a sad and revengeful person. She was a person you could hate the way she acted sometimes. Any slight she felt, she often imagined. If humiliated, she would try to get revenge, even if it was unintended. It has been a battle and she has done some things that I disagree with.”

Chloe was near tears herself, “Oh, I wouldn’t have had this happen for the world. I was having such a happy time here too. What can I do to make amends?”

“I don’t see anything at the moment. I’ll work it out with her, I promise.”

Gina asked, “Do you really want us to leave? Maybe we could go to the door of her room and say goodbye. That should bring her back to the here and now.”

“Pete, I am so sorry this happened. I felt so good when you accepted my apology. I feel bad because I felt I had found a friend in Mary and now I have spoilt it all.”

“Chloe, I’ll work on this glitch and it will smooth over. Mary was pleased she became your friend. Honestly, she used to keep it mostly to herself. I did know she was your friend, but didn’t want to get involved because of the trouble I had with your husband.”

“He’s not my husband, anymore, thank God.”

Geno and Guido were outside playing with Ricky. The two women decided to go down the hall to our bedroom and say goodbye. Just as they got there, the door opened and Mary stood there. “Gina and Chloe, come in while I get out of my suit. I’ll make coffee and the guys can have another beer.”

She went to the far side of the bed and pulled her suit down and off facing away from the two. Her panties were on the edge of the bed and she pulled them on. She picked up her bra, which was in the same pile of clothes. She held it in one hand, stopped, and then turned. “You might as well see me as I am. I have always made a big deal of it. Pete is working with me, but I regress sometimes like today. I’m sorry.”

 The two came around the bed closer. Gina always the first, said, “God, I’ve heard about these things but never imagined I would see one. Does it hurt?”

“Not physically, just inside my head.”

Chloe asked, “Can I touch it? Is it rough?”

“No, you can’t touch it, but it is smooth. Actually, the first person to touch it besides a doctor was Pete. Oh, that was something to remember.”

“I’ll bet he was gentle. I remember him being that way.”

“Chloe, Pete hasn’t changed at all, and he still is gentle. Let me get some clothes on now.”

Gina and Chloe backed away, and stood waiting. Mary wasn’t done talking and continued as she was getting dressed. “Imagine having a man you love putting his lips on your nipple where no one has touched you before. We had only known each other for a few months. Pete proposed shortly after he touched me the first time. My family came out and were there for our wedding.”

“Where were you?”

“We were out in Colorado digging for gems. The week before, we discovered an unusually fine one worth hundreds of dollars. Pete had freed it from the ledge of stone it was in. I’ve had so many good things happen to me after my brother hired Pete to keep me safe. Last year I gotten injured and I was alone. I was lucky that time when a Ranger came by and found me. My brothers weren’t going to let me go out there this year alone.”

“I should think not. Do you have the gem you found here at home, I’d like to see it?”

“I don’t have the gem, but I have lots of pictures. The gem is in a Rock Museum. It is kind of famous, and known as the Goodell Smoky Quartz Crystal. Goodell was my maiden name. I wanted to name it the Manning Crystal, but Pete wouldn’t let me.”

“I guess you two are in love, alright.”

“We are.”

The three women came up the hall and into the kitchen. Pete was getting Ricky a peanut butter sandwich. He looked at Mary. She smiled and said, “Sorry guys, about my meltdown. I just reverted to the way I used to be. Shall I make coffee?”

“Sure, after all that beer I could use one.” Mary got the pictures of the Chrystal gem out and spread them on the table. The images were greatly admired, but you couldn’t be that impressed until you could hold it in your hands.

Mary offered to make hamburgers, but the tomorrow was a workday and everyone wanted to head home. Guido offered to drive Chloe and Ricky, and there was no surprise there.

After everyone had gone, Pete asked. “What went on in the bedroom when Gina and Chloe went to say goodbye?”

“Not much, I opened the door and invited them in. I then proceeded to change out of my swimsuit. I showed them what I have had to deal with. They understood and I’m glad I was brave enough to face them. I might even go swimming when they come over again.”

“Mary, I’m proud of you.”

“Pete, that’s why I did it. I want you to be proud of me. What did you guys talk about?”

“Work of course. Geno has a cash flow problem. I was itching to tell him that I could help him out, but didn’t know how.”

“How come he is so short of money?”

“ Well, Guido is on the payroll now and he didn’t plan on having so many houses torn apart so soon ready for rehab. He laughed and said it was my fault for getting them ready long before he planned. I guess the so-called bonuses are what is killing him.

“I mean he is paying me and my crew a good wage, but we are doing in three days and he is paying us for four. He didn’t think and ordered supplies as we completed the destruction on each house. Now he has all these supplies coming for six houses and he hasn’t started putting the houses back together yet. It will be at least two months before he can put one completed house on the market to sell. He also needs a good carpenter crew.”

“It is just poor planning and he is in a bind. Guido is great and is supposed to be a master carpenter, but he needs a good crew to finish a house just like I have a good crew to tear one apart.”

“Pete, talk to my brother, Charlie. He is a bank manager. Maybe Charlie could suggest that Gino needs an investor and would invest some shares in his business. It is a good business isn’t it?”

“It is. Once we get one single house finished and sold, Geno’s problem will go away.”

“Geno could only pay wages to you and your crew.”

“I suggested that, but he said no. He made an agreement with us of what he would pay and he’d rather go under than break the agreement. This project of his should gross him something near three million when all are completed and sold.”

“Well, I think Geno needs some advice from someone or he will be out of business if he keeps on the way he is. Does he really need Guido?”

“Yes, definitely, he is only paid wages, anyway and he is worth every bit of them.”

“Well, talk to Geno. You two are almost brothers the way you work so well together. Hey, I’ll call brother Charlie at the bank so if Geno does go to see him, Charlie will have some background on his business.

We were still deconstructing houses at a fast rate. I overheard Geno talking to Guido, wondering if the family would have spare money to invest. Guido shot him down, “Geno, I came out here to get away from any dealing with my dad and yours. I’m afraid we’d get tarred with their brush if they got caught with some of the things they are trying to pull.”

“I know I feel the same way. Well, I’ll put a hold on some of the deliveries I have ordered. If I can just get over the hump and two or three houses are sold, I’ll be fine.”

I stepped in and asked. “How much do you need to bind you over? If I found an investor for you, would you part with some of your company? You do have a lot of collateral. You said one time you paid cash for all these houses we are rehabbing.”

“I said cash, but some of it borrowed. I borrowed on the rest of the homes, using those for collateral. I had $300,000 cash in hand to begin tearing them apart and putting a few back together. That was my stake. I have a construction loan in place and I’ll be dipping into that soon. But if I use that to pay for supplies, I won’t have the money for wages.

“I’ll need to sell a house or two before I go back to the bank. I tell you I’m sick of juggling figures this early in the game. I guess I’ll have to give up and take on a partner. He has to be someone I can trust and not expect a return on his money overnight. If he is a partner, he’ll have to sign on for the loans I already have.

“Geno, the one I am thinking of would want to be a silent partner, I think. Let me take time off today and set something up. You figure out how much you need and how much of the company you will give up and I’ll get back to you.”

“Go for it.”

“Good, I’ll be gone a while. When I come back, I hope to have a lawyer and a banker with me.”

“Take off then. Call me as soon as you have something for me.”

“Great.”

I used my cell phone and called Kenny asking him to meet me at Charlie’s bank. I should have called Charlie first, but he said he could put the meeting he was scheduled to host aside, and would be glad to hear what my problem was. Kenny was just twenty minutes behind me going into the bank.

Charlie had me into his office and we talked about Mary. He said that any rancor the brothers wives had toward her had now disappeared. “I can’t believe how my sister has changed. Thank God, she changed before she got pregnant. I would have feared she would be like our step-mom. She was one wicked woman.”

“May be Charlie, but Mary took care that her brothers were treated fairly.”

“Yes, but she put strings on her help to us. You are the one who changed everything. Is Mary showing the baby yet?”

“Slightly now, and in another month she certainly will be.” Kenny opened the door and came in.”

“Pete, what’s going on? You sounded rushed to get something done.”

“I am. I may have a chance to buy into the business where I work. How much money have I got here from the sale of the mine?”

“Let me look.” Charlie punched into my account on his computer. “$780,000 is what I read. You aren’t spending it very fast. You’ll get a deposit in another ten days. That'll add up to just over of a million. This business you mentioned, is that what you want it for?”

“Yeah. I’m aiming for about forty percent if Geno will sell it to me.”

Kenny asked, “What is the business?”

“A friend I went into the service with is starting a home rehab business. He had a chance to pick up a whole street lined with twenty-three older houses next to a good-sized empty factory building. He paid $28,000 apiece for the homes and figured he can fix them up and ready to sell for between $65,000 and $75,000 cost each. That’s the cost including the purchase price. They all should sell for at least $140,000. That’s double the total cost give or take. We’re looking at somewhere around $3,000,000 gross in sales by the time we sell all twenty-three houses.

“Geno needs a lot more workers and we’ll have to use sub-contractors for any plumbing and electric upgrades. Those where we could get caught in house code inspections. One plus is we have public sewer and water systems.

“I suspect Geno looked at the final return and hasn’t figured he will have to spend half of that figure to reach his goal. Not really, he has spent already most of his cash and what he can borrow with no return until the houses are sold. He isn’t in debt yet but soon will be. I believe if I inject some cash to get through to the point we have houses for sale, he and I of course will be in great shape.”

Charlie asked, “Are you sure you want to take the risk? You haven’t had a substantial bank balance in your name ever before finding the mine and deciding to sell it.”

“True, but this is an opportunity that will never come again. I like what I’m doing and I like the men I work with. If I pass this up, I’ll always be working for wages.”

Kenny asked how much of the business I wanted from Geno. “I think forty percent. I’ll match what he has already invested. The one main restriction is if something happens to either of us. His wife will take over his part of the business if he dies, and if I should die, then Mary will take my place in my name. I don’t want a right of survivorship clause.”

“That’s smart.”

“How do want to approach Geno on this?”

“I want you two to negotiate for me. Try for the forty percent and promise that the money will be available the minute the investor and he sign the papers. I’ll talk to him at first and then you two can get to work on him. I’m going to ask him up front how much he has invested and I think he’ll tell me and give me an honest figure. I haven’t asked because I didn’t want it to look like I was prying into his business.”

“Now that it is down to putting up your money you feel it is okay to pry, is that it?”

“That’s it.”

When we got back to the site, Geno and Guido were helping move trash out of the house we were tearing apart. I motioned for Geno to come meet the two men who might solve his problems. “Geno, this is a banker and a lawyer whom I’m acquainted with. The lawyer is Kenny Goodell and the banker is Charlie Goodell.

“I trust them and they know someone who will invest in the business. You could tell them how much you had when you started this business. I wouldn’t be surprised but the investor might match it. I’ll get back to work while you guys talk.”

Geno nodded and the three went out to his truck discuss this. Geno pulled his briefcase from the front seat of his king cab and tossed it into the back. “Lets go have coffee and I’ll tell you what I need and what I’ll give up. You went by a diner getting here, we’ll stop there.”

I watched them drive off and went to cleaning up by taking Geno’s place. We got out to the dumpster and Guido said, “You, know Pete, you aren’t fooling anyone. Geno said he saw your name in an article about that Gem when Mary showed us the pictures. It was about the gem, but it was as much about you as her. We know all about the mine and they gave a figure of your projected worth. Tell me why you didn’t you want to lend Geno money, when he said he was having a cash flow problem?”

“Guido, I don’t want to lend him money, I want to buy into the business. Kenny and Charlie are my in-laws and I want this to be all on a business level. If I buy a share of the company, then there won’t be any interest payments. I’m not too sure how much capital Geno has in the company, but I could match it. I would want a good portion of the company in shares. That’s why I’m leaving it to Charlie and Kenny.”

“Geno may not want to do that.”

“I know, but he won’t have to face me if he turns it down. Kenny will just inform me that he couldn’t make a deal.”

“Pete, if Geno turns down what you want, what are you going to do then?”

“I’ll just back off and forget it. I will still stick with Geno though, and he’ll have to look for financing elsewhere. He’s my friend and I’ll be with him until the business improves and I will help him some if he is careful. His biggest mistake was to spend most of his capital before he was in sight of some returns. That’s basic financial planning. I’m not criticizing because I might have done the same thing.”

“How come you know that now?”

“ I read a book about it and discussed it with Mary. She is taking courses online to get a degree in these kinds of subjects.”

“Maybe Geno should bring her into the company.”

“If I buy in to the business, she will be in automatically. Guido, I should think you should be a part of this too?”

“No, I’m going back east someday to work with my father.”

“What about you and Chloe?”

“What about us?”

“ You seem taken with her. Does that mean you aren’t planning a relationship with her?”

“Maybe I might. I don’t know yet. We are just friends so far.”

“What about Ricky?”

“ Oh yeah, him and his deformed foot. Geno and I are working on that. Gina is too. God did she ever blast her cousin. All three of us went down and talked to Chuck. Gina took the lead and made out that Geno and me were bad asses with serious connections. That’s kind of a joke.” Guido grinned and I didn’t know if he was serious or it was a bit of humor.

Geno, Kenny, and Charlie came back after an hour and a half. All three men came and got me from where I was helping the men in the cellar. Geno started right in on me.”Pete, I’m 99 percent positive that you are the investor that your brothers-in-law are fronting. If you aren’t, I’ll give up 35 percent of the business if I get the money I need. If you are the investor, then I’ll make you an equal partner, 50/50, investing the same amount as I did to start. I think you are a better manager than I am anyway.”

“Nope, that won’t go. I’m not taking your business away from you. Someone has to be boss and this was your idea to begin with. I’m just happy I have something to do.”

“49/51 percent then and that’s the way it has to be.”

“Okay, Geno, you have yourself an investor. There is one restriction, though. You have to say I’m a minor investor, not a major one and not letting on how much of the business I’m holding. If anyone asks, just say you are happy that you have found the money from some investors.”

“I can do that.”

“Okay Kenny, will you make out the papers and Charlie you can raid my account and have it transferred to Geno’s bank. Kenny, let Geno know and we’ll sign the papers then.” Geno shook hands with my in-laws, and I went back to work.
 
Guido pulled me aside and wanted to know if I had bought into the business. “Yes I have. I have a small piece of it. The banker knew of others who were looking for investments so I just stretched it out to what Geno needed. I’m happy and my job is secure. I didn’t know anything when Geno asked me to work with him. For some reason carpentry is something I sense I can do well at. Just a feeling, you know."

 “You couldn’t have been worried about that? You have money.”

“Yes, but I enjoy working at this job. For me it is a great job, and better than loading grocery shelves. That is what I used to do.”

“Oh.”

When it was time to quit, Geno came by me as I was putting away the tools. “Hey, let’s grab a beer before going home.”

“I’ve got four riders.”

“I’ll set them up at the bar. I want to discuss what went on today. It won’t take long.”

“Okay.” The Bar was about halfway home that we had stopped at on occasion. Guido had his car and was planning to take Ricky and Chloe out to eat so he wasn’t included.

Geno started right off as soon as we sat down in a booth at the far end of the room. “Pete, you seemed reluctant to let me know you wanted me to know you were thinking about investing in the business earlier. Are you having second thought?”

“God no Geno, I’ve wanted to buy in ever since we got together. I didn’t ever think I would become a full partner with you either. I would have been satisfied with a smaller chunk of your business. I’ve been poor most of my life. I had money saved before I had to go overseas for that last tour. When I came back, I found it all gone. Things have been rough for me since then.”

“What changed? I mean you’re rich now or soon going to be.”

“It looks like it. Geno, I’m kind of weird about money sometimes. I was on the street for a while until another Goodell gave me a job in the store. Then he hired me to take care of his half sister to keep her safe. That was a good day for me and I didn’t even know it. Mary was the weird one when we left here to go west. We both found happiness, love, and riches. It was like manna from heaven for both of us.

“What do you mean, Mary was weird? She doesn’t seem so that I can see.”

“I won’t go into it, but she was. Mary really was crazy in her mind about life in general.  You didn’t see much of that tattoo that her mother had put on her when she was just a little baby. Then her mother left her considerable money and she distributed it all among her brothers.  She was just about broke when I met her. She probably wouldn’t be alive if it had been some other than me who was hired to take care of her.”

“You still haven’t said why you hesitated to ask to invest in my business.”

“No, I haven’t. Think, though, I’m newly rich and didn’t want to lose what I had accumulated all of a sudden. Then I saw where you were in a bind by not the plan ahead how you were going to keep the business going. I knew I could help you with that, but I didn’t really want to keep telling you where you were wrong.

“Seriously, when I went to talk to Kenny and Charlie, I gave them the numbers of what I guessed you had started with. They said you were under-capitalized and would go under. They asked me where you were wrong and I told them what I thought you needed to do to survive and how much more money it would take to begin to show a profit.

“They suggested I come up with a like amount of money for forty percent of the business you started with. They also suggested that you needed at least two or three full-time carpenters with papers to finish this project to the point where it was profitable.  When you promised me fifty percent of the business, I knew you were going to try to keep the business going. I like the men we have and I like you. I still want you to be the boss and I still want to be the working foreman.”

“Pete, I’ve known you for quite a while. I still think you are the one who will make this business fly. We’ll keep the partnership at 49/51, if you wish. You keep reading. Say we come to work at 7:00 every morning and we talk over work for the day until the men begin at 7:30. You have a better way of managing people than I do. I’ll stop hiring men on the cheap from the penitentiary.”

“No, you don’t have to do that. I’m satisfied with Randy and Mack and the other two have quite a bit of knowledge. We just need men who really know the trade. Guido probably won’t be here that long.”

“Pete, I don’t know. He is taken with Chloe. I don’t know if she will want to go east when he leaves.”

“We’ll see. Geno, is there anything else we should talk about?”

“One more thing, Gina wants to get into doing something in the business. Would you have any ideas?”

“ How about she getting her real estate license? Hell, send Chloe to school with her. We’re going to always have houses to sell if we keep on rehabbing property. We’ll find a small realtor and put it under contract to sell our houses.”

Geno stood and stared at me. “Damnit, Pete, see what I mean? I wouldn’t have thought of that in a thousand years. What about Mary, your wife, she has to get in on this too.”

“Oh, I’ve already planned on that. She’ll be doing the books for us. We’ll have to have an accountant anyway and when she gets out of college, she can begin hands on and soon be able to take over eventually.”

“God, and I thought I could go into business for myself.”

“Hey, Geno, don’t sweat it. The 23 houses and paid for. We have five houses ready to begin the rebuilding—one of which is almost finished. It will be ready to go on the market in three weeks. Your payroll is up to date. There are some taxes that need to be paid, but that’s minor.”

“ How did you know about the payroll taxes? ”

“ Because it is a known fact that is the last bill that is paid in any business. We’ll catch up and pay them first from now on. If we need to borrow, a bank will ask if they are up to date.”

“Pete, how do you know these things?”

“From the books, I read on the subject. When I joined you, what three months ago, I began investigating the subject. The only responsibility at the time was getting up in the morning and coming to work. After supper, if Mary had nothing planned and she was studying, I was too. That was just in case a situation like what happened this week came up.”

“Did you think it would?”

“I had no idea. Remember, I didn’t think things through with leaving Chloe in charge of my bank account when I went overseas. I should have thought that through more thoroughly.”

“Pete, if we ever go from a partnership to a corporation, you’re going to be president or board chairman. That’s a promise.” I grinned at Geno. We collected my riders, paid their tab and we headed for home.

Chapter Six

The next morning at work, I asked Geno if his father and Uncle ran full crews. “Yeah, they do. They even keep men on until it starts to hurt their bottom line before they are laid off, why?”

“I was wondering, it is going to take a while to find the men we need. Why don’t you call your family and see if they can spare a couple of men. In the meantime we’ll be looking around here for what we need.”

“Good plan, I’ll see what I can do.”

The men still rode in with me and I had excused myself to talk with Geno. At 7:30, I came back and we all went to work. This was our routine. Guido had one house 90 percent done. Some outside work needed doing around the yard, and a solid fence built on that one. Guido gave me that job to tackle. Geno didn’t want time spent on wrecking any more houses yet. With Guido’s guidance and my understanding of what was needed and with my natural ability, I used my two men as a floating crew to do the rough work.

It wasn’t often that we made any mistakes. It was the first of the next week that Guido told me that his mom had called and said his father was sending out one journeyman carpenter and Geno’s dad was sending two. Geno filled me in the next morning.

“Where in Hell are we going to find living quarters for them?” he asked me.

“Geno, you own fifteen of these houses that can be lived in just by turning on the lights and water. You’d have to get some insurance, but it shouldn’t be too much. If the town has a department in charge of rent, you had better inform them. Hell some of the four workers we have already might like to live here too. I imagine all are single. Put Kenny Goodell on it. He is our lawyer.”

“They won’t be able to go into town shopping. No one has a car.”

“I’ll leave my truck for them to use. We should have a company van anyway. Tell Kenny to have the company insure it and I’ll turn the truck ownership over to the business. We can shop around for a van soon.”

“Okay, I can do that.”

On Wednesday, the three new men arrived and Geno informed them. “There will be a meeting tomorrow morning before work.” This was after Guido and he finished asking about the families, and how the business back East was going. “I’ll put you guys up in a motel tonight and maybe we can make other arrangements over the weekend. Pete Manning is a minor partner and he bosses the wrecking crew. He is about on par with Guido so if he asks you to do something, he is the boss. I rely on him a lot.”

I mentioned to Guido about Geno and my decision to turn the lights and water on in a couple of the houses and let them live in them until we started rehabbing them. At noon, Guido and I discussed this and we headed down the street to the farthest end. We took all the men with us.

We had a surprise when we looked into the second house from the end. Apparently, there were some squatters using this one. There was no one around, and the back door was unlocked. The people were neat, anyway. There were clothes and a few utensils neatly placed. There were using a bottled gas stove cook top to cook on. It looked like they were all adults and we made out one married couple, one separate female, and two other males. They were all using blow up mattresses.

It didn’t seem as if they had much for personal goods, but they were a cut above the usual homeless person’s belongings. I should know because I had been homeless for a while. We saw a sign made out of cardboard so we knew at least one person was panhandling.

I made a snap decision, “Why don’t my four men take the house on one side of this one that has the squatters, and you three new men from the east take the house on the other side. I’ll have the water and electricity turned on for the three houses so you can live like human beings. Now you be respectful to these squatters. I have a feeling that they are good people down on their luck. If they want to work, I can find something for them to do if it isn’t more than doing yard work or maybe outside painting.

“The houses all have blinds. Some of them will not go back on after the others are painted. These squatters might find a place to sell them. You know also, we are wrecking most of the kitchen cupboards. Some would sell as salvage instead of going into the dumpster. They might be some inside doors, too. I won’t be here when they return. Talk to them and let me know in the morning.

“Geno will be pushing to get homes on the market as soon as possible. We might even use them to work with my wrecking crew to do more of the grunt work, like moving trash to the dumpster. I’ll get our lawyer to make it all legal and you should be able to move your stuff in after work tonight.”

I told Geno what I had decided and he was okay with this. It all ended up for me to arrange, but that was fine.

I called the city utilities, and directed to the power company to turn it on sometime Saturday before noon. They would, and I remarked that was fast. I found out that Capparelli Construction would pay the bill.

“Water is paid too because they bought the whole street of houses. That is until a house is sold. Call the water and sewer department and you may be able to turn the water on yourself. Capparelli has the tool, and knows where to find the valve. You had better have someone inside the house to check the faucets when you turn the water on.”

”Thanks, I’ll see Geno.”

I looked up Geno, “Geno where is the tool that turns the water on for all these houses?”

“It is in the back of my car. It’s like a Tee wrench about three feet long with a socket on the end. Come outside and I’ll show you where to find the shutoff valve. There are all in the same place on each property. Look for a part of the lawn that is lower than the surrounding earth level. Go straight out six feet from the corner of the house that is nearest the factory. The main water line actually runs the length along the street surface. When will the electricity be  turned on?”

“Saturday morning. The town must like you to have them move this fast.”

“Yeah, because I promised I would double the value of each property and the taxes could go up to reflect the value upgrade.”

I headed for the end of the street with the tool and one man who was going to do the shovel work. I measured, and told him where to dig. I was right on target, and found the valve. I cleaned the dirt away and fitted the tool. As I was doing this, two more of my men showed up. I sent them inside to watch the faucets in the kitchen and bathrooms. When they were ready, I turned the valve.

They started in the kitchen as the pipes got full, shutting the faucets. They did the same with the downstairs bath and then went upstairs. There was one outside faucet leaking, so I had one of the men go into the cellar and shut a valve to that pipe.

“Guess we are good here. Lets dig down for the squatters’ house. One of them may show up before we finish. We’ll do the other house you men are staying in after we get down to the shutoff in the middle house.” We dug for that one and then went to the third house. One of the toilets leaked and needed a repair kit. There was a shutoff to the tank. Otherwise, all the other faucets worked and were good. Soon all the men for the two houses arrived.

One of these of my crew told me there was a woman on a bicycle coming down the street. We stood waiting for her to reach us. She stopped and got off her bike two houses up the street looking ready to turn around. I walked toward her alone.

“Miss, I’m the construction foreman for the people who are rehabilitating these houses. My crew is staying in the last house on the end, and more in the one this side of the one I believe you are living in. We have turned the water on in those two houses and were waiting for someone to show up to check the faucets in your house.”

“When do we have to move? ”

I’m not asking you or the others living here to move. The city will be turning the gas on tomorrow. I wish someone would be here when the technicians check the gas fittings. The concern I work for may have some work that you could do in return for the right to live here. Will all of you be here tomorrow so I can talk to you?”

“You say you aren’t running us out?”

“That’s what I am saying. Are any of you related to each other?”

“My aunt and uncle are the two older people. One of the men is slightly autistic and has trouble keeping a job. The other man was injured and has only one finger and a thumb on one hand.”

“And, what about you? ”

“ I watch out for them all among other things. We all have to panhandle to get enough food to feed ourselves. Other than that we don’t have many expenses so we get by okay.”

“I know how you feel. I was on the street myself for a couple of years so I know what it takes to keep body and soul together. I was hassled a lot. It took me a while to better my situation. I’d like to help you all if you are willing to do some work. Of course, when we finish rehabbing houses, we may ask you to move because the house you live in, will be rehabbed like the others and go on the market. Who knows, you might be able to buy it yourselves by that time.”

“Yeah, in my dreams.”There was a pause, then, “What’s your situation? I mean what changed to get you off the streets?”

“I took a job protecting a woman who was prospecting out in Colorado. Just to keep her safe, you understand. While there, we hit a bit of luck and now she is my wife and is pregnant. That is part of it. When I came back to this area, I met an old army friend and he gave me the job I’m in now. His name is Geno Capparelli and it is his construction company. Luck is part of it, hope is another part, and hard work is the rest, I guess.”

“Lucky you!”

“I know. Okay, would you go in and check the faucets when we turn the water on? I can send a man in with you if you think it okay. Oh, and the electricity will be turned on day after tomorrow

“Please do. First, though, what is your name?”

“It is Peter Manning.”

“Thank you, I think I am glad to meet you, but we’ll see.”  She smiled and got on her bike. I signaled for the water to turn on when Joe and she went into the house. Shit, I forgot to ask the woman her name.

The men had the van to go eat in and I told one of the men to tell the woman that I would be seeing her about ten in the morning. I checked in at the job site and everyone had gone home so I did too. Mary was home and had supper ready for me. I was somewhat distracted. Mary noticed and I told her why.

“You know I was on the streets for a while. I met one of these people. They have been squatting in one of the houses we are rehabbing. I’m trying to figure out how to make life better for them. There is one woman who is looking after her older aunt and uncle. There are two younger men; one who has part of his hand missing, and the other one is autistic. If they are willing to work I’m going to talk to Geno into letting them do something on the job.”

“Like what?”

“Maybe just moving stuff to the dumpster when we tear it out. Most of the cupboards are going to be changed. A lot of the countertops are going to be replaced, not because they aren’t good, but because they are outdated. There might be away to salvage some of it.

“I’m thinking about asking your brother at the bank if he has a warehouse that the bank has repossessed where I could store things like that. I think he would give me a bare bones price on a property. I could buy it, and store this stuff in it and put the old couple in there and have them sell it. I don’t have these plans nailed down yet. I’m going to talk to these people at ten tomorrow to find out their strengths. Would you like to join me? ”

“I’d love to. It would give me a chance to be with you. With you working and me studying, we don’t see enough of each other.”

“Those are my thoughts, exactly. For this evening though, I think I should see more of you than I’m seeing right now.”

The Crew Members, waited at the job site to use the van to move their small amount of stuff. I asked if they had met all the squatters. “We have and all of them seem nice. They are tickled that the water, electricity, and gas are going to be turned on. They weren’t too concerned about the gas. The water heaters are electric. They were going to show us where we can get appliances. We can find most anything we need at the used appliance store they know of. They would look for us if we of don’t have time.
–––––––––––––––––––

“Come on Mary, I want you to meet those squatters this morning. We’ll catch some of them before they go out panhandling.”

“Pete, I do believe you have a soft spot for panhandlers.”

“I do, it is where people end up who have lost their self esteem, sick, or have lost their way. This bunch seem to have a little self esteem left for they kept the house they are squatting in neat even with not having much. I think I can ease their problems a little. They know they eventually will have to move. Who knows, by the time we get down to that end of the street their situation may have changed enough so they can buy or rent the property and stay there.”

“I doubt it.”

“Mary, things in my world don’t have to stay the same. Look at you and me. How long have we known each other … both of us have definitely changed.”

“They have all changed for me, Pete. All of it is because of you.”

“No not really all of me, Mary. Your brother was involved and we sure have had a lot of luck. Maybe from a nudge from us, these people will catch a little luck too if we head them in a different direction.”

“Okay, Pete, I’m with you.”

When we arrived at the end of the street, Guido and Chloe were there visiting the three men from the east. Mary and I went around the squatters’ house to talk to my four workers.

“Hey Pete, guess what? Guido came down and got the new men to take them for breakfast. Miss Sandy saw them leave, and came over and wanted to know if we wanted to eat with them. I told them we had food and were waiting for the power and gas to be turned on so we could cook.”

She said, “Bring what you want cooked because we have the outside grill going in the back yard. We joined them and they cooked our breakfasts. They are nice people.”

“Great, I’m surprised Guido didn’t offer to take you out with him and his men.”

“Oh, he did offer, we just hadn’t got up yet.

We were talking on the front yard of the middle house. Chloe came out and headed our way with Ricky holding her hand. When he saw Mary, he started hobbling toward her. She left us and met him, picking him up, and hugging each other. He was excited to see her. “Mommy said you would be here this morning. I was glad to come so I could see you.”

“Ricky, I was hoping you would be here.”

As this was going on, the squatters came out the front door and joined with us. Chloe came up to us and I began introductions the best I could. “Hi, I’m Pete Manning, one of the Foremen working for Geno Capparelli Construction. These men all work directly on my team. The other Foreman has the three men in the other house. He’ll be over in a bit. The Woman here, who came with the boy, is Chloe Harrison and her son Ricky. She is friends with Guido Capparelli, the other Foreman.  I’ve known Chloe for quite a while now.

“The woman beside me who is showing her condition just a bit is my wife. We have been married over two years. Her name is Mary. I guess you know my four men. I heard you cooked them breakfast. I thank you for that.

“Sandy, I know your first name. Would you introduce the other people living with you? ”

“Sure, my name is Sandra Hamilton. This is my Aunt and Uncle, Fred and Mildred Hamilton. The other two are Nick Jeffries and Joe Brooks. My parents are dead so we all came together to survive. My father and mother died in an auto accident. Aunt and Uncle owned a small farm. It was mortgaged, and was foreclosed on more than a year ago.

“We moved into town and have lived with friends always looking for a better place to live. We have been living in this house for six weeks now. It is a little far out from the best panhandling places, but we make do to keep fed.”

“I know a little about what you are talking about, I was panhandling myself for two years when I first came home from being in the army.” I stopped speaking and stared up the street. I could see two utility trucks starting and stopping at each house. “It looks as if you soon will have gas and electricity very soon. I guess they are checking to see the power and gas are shut off in each house until they get here.”

Sandy asked, “Mr. Manning, what are you charging for us to live in this house? I hope it isn’t very much.”

“Please call me Pete. I’m not going to charge you very much. I’ve wracked my brain how you could make a little more money and live a little better. You know you might make some money if you went ahead of the wrecking team and took everything of value out of these houses. You would have to find a place to store it until you could sell it, though. There are the appliances and some of the cupboards. There are most of the counter tops and when we start wrecking there may door and window units that we will take out.”

“Who would buy it?”

“People who have piece of land who want to build a decent hunting camp. A lot of people buy houses to fix up. That’s what we are doing, but we are installing new. “Some people couldn’t afford new. You might have to advertise some, especially at first. There is always the internet to put a website on.”

“Could it be out of town a little less than five miles or so?”

“Probably better for you. Guys like to browse in places like that. Why, do you have a place?”

Sandy, answered, “I own the hay barn that is on the property my Uncle lost.  My father bought it years ago planning on doing auto repair in it when he retired. He died before he got very far. It came to me as his heir when the estate was settled. The bank was disappointed when they found out that the barn and two acres didn’t go with the rest of the property. There are some restrictions, the main one being it can’t be used as a residence.”

That’s too bad.”

“I know. Aunt, Uncle, and I, have been kicked out of the barn, but we still do stay there on occasion. The bank hasn’t been able to sell off Uncle’s property and they have had no luck suing Uncle for what they lost above what the property is assessed for now. That’s why we are making sure we have no income to declare.”

“Would you lease the barn to the Capparelli Construction Corporation? ”

“I’d let you use it if we can stay here in this house.”

“That’s a given. You have the use of the house until we get this far in rehabbing it. Maybe you would show the barn to me this afternoon or tomorrow?”

“Whenever you say.”

“I’ll call Geno, he is the owner of the business. Tell me, how much land does your Uncle own?”

“It’s short of two hundred acres. He sold the cattle when he was fifty-five and was going to help my Dad in the barn doing Auto repair. I think Uncle is sixty-three now. His health isn’t that good. He’s is pretty depressed most of the time and he hates going out begging for money, but still goes because the rest of us do.”

“I know the feeling. You just feel so small all the time. I stood it for two years until Mary’s brother gave me a job in his grocery store. Maybe we can find something steady for your Uncle Fred to do that will bring him out of his funk.”

“What is the matter with the little boy’s foot?”

“It is a birth defect. Chloe is divorced and doesn’t get any help from her ex. He is way behind on his support. Mary became her friend in the pediatrician’s office when she was there for a check-up about her pregnancy. Since then, Chloe has become fond of Guido Capparelli. We are all trying to figure out how to get the money to pay to have work done on Ricky’s foot.”

“Oh.”
 
“Sandy, let me call Geno, my boss now?” I pulled away and Sandy went to Mary and Chloe to get familiar with them and Ricky.

I called Geno, “Hey, I think I may have found a hay barn we can lease to use as headquarters and to store our tools in. We will be buying tools and we need a place to store them. I understand it is about five miles beyond the city limits. That’s not too far out is it?”

“Pete, we can’t afford anything right now.”

“Geno, it belongs to one of the squatters we are letting use one of the houses here. She said if she and the others were going to be able to stay here, we could use it. Just a swap, that’s all. I’m thinking I’ll go look at it this afternoon or tomorrow.”

“Pete, it sounds good. Make sure you nail down the details with your lawyer. Leave me out of it. Let this be a sideline for you outside of the business. Do remind these people that we will be reaching the house they are living in late next year sometime.”

“Geno okay, whatever you say. About the house here, it has been discussed and agreed to.”

I walked over to the house where I knew Guido was. “Guido, the power and gas workers are coming down the street. I just talked to Geno. I have a chance to use a big hay barn five miles out of the city for a place to store our equipment and tools. Over time, we will need it. I’m thinking of going there this afternoon. You want to come with me”

“Sure Pete, will there room for Chloe and Ricky?”

“Yeah, I was going to take the van. I’ll leave the truck for them or they can use Mary’s car.”

“Who is going besides us?”

“Sandy, Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton, Mary and you with Chloe and Ricky. I’ll talk to them now.”

“We’ll never use too big a barn, you know.”

“I do. I have something else in mind for the rest of the space.”

“Like what?”

“I was thinking about putting the squatters into the salvage business. You and I know what is salvage in these houses. The bunch of them can go ahead of us and take it out before we get to each one. It will make us wrecking them that much easier and save some at the dump. I also have thought that a couple of them could carry stuff out of the way while we are tearing the houses apart. We can pay them minimum wage under the table.”

“Pete, you sure know how to cover all the angles.”

“Hey, I want this business to grow. I still have hopes you will stick here after the six months you have promised are up.”

“Well, this area has its attractions. My three Guys from the east are all single. They don’t care where they work as long as they are doing what they are doing now.”

“How about Chloe, and Ricky?”

“Yeah Pete, them too.” I had everyone here now and decided now was a good time to view the barn. I left my truck for my crew and loaded the Hamiltons, Chloe, Guido, Mary, and Ricky into the van while I drove , The road to the barn went by the closed-down factory where the people who lived in the houses we were rehabbing worked.

Ricky had a seat next to the window in the youth seat. He had never been out in the country before, and we went by a farm where there were cattle feeding. I slowed down so he could get a good look at them. Sandy spoke, “Stop Pete, so Ricky can see them close up. I know the people and they won’t mind. Maybe a cow will come up close so Ricky can pat it.”

There were three cows approaching the fence. Ricky stuck his hand through the fence and touched their noses. One stuck her tongue out and lapped his hand before he could pull it back. Finally, I said enough and Ricky reluctantly got back into the van.

We soon approached the barn. Beyond this, we could see a burned-out dwelling. Uncle Fred said, “I was born here. When my dad died, I just never had the smarts to keep up the place. I should have sold the whole place when I sold the barn to my brother. The stables were in poor repair and they eventually fell down. I guess I’m better off in a way. The bank foreclosed and we had to leave. It was that winter when the house burned.

“The fields are all grown up to brush now. The bank got a little bit back when they sold the metal silos and of course, the insurance on the house went to them. It is good deer hunting country, which is about all the place is good for now. I’m sorry I came out with you today. I get so depressed seeing it the way it is.”  

There was plenty of room to park in front of Sandy’s barn. It looked huge being at least three stories high. It had a metal roof and this looked to be in good repair with the ridge line straight and not sagging. Sandy volunteered, “Dad put a new roof on and had the door in front enlarged so he could get trucks inside to work on. He was going to store bikes and boats during the winter so he had a long ramp built to put vehicles and boats on the second level.”

“Sandy, why didn’t you do that to make money? ”

“Pete, I’m no business person. Going into business scares me.”

“How about you, Uncle Fred, does that scare you”

“Hey don’t look at me. I’m on the hook for some thousands of dollars until the bank sells the land and dismisses the suit they have against me.”

“Too bad, I can see Sandy has assets but is unwilling to go into business. You would help her out if she did, wouldn’t you?”

“Sure, she is family. We don’t have any other relatives.”

Fred opened the overhead door and we could see that the barn was empty. Also, I could see that it was a drive through barn because there was another massive door at the far end. Fred informed me, “That door can’t be opened by hand and only by use of chain falls. It needs an overhead door like the one in front.”

I looked around. “Sandy, there is nothing in here. Is it like this on the upper levels?”

“Almost, on the top level there are some stacks of lumber. Dad thought if he couldn’t get enough customers who needed their vehicles fixed, he would make some toys to sell. He swapped some engine repairs to a logger who had some white pine. It looks like a lot but it has stickers in between the boards so I guess it isn’t that great an amount.

“I thought I had someone who was going to lease the property after Dad died. He was going to pay for the lumber upfront, but when he was ready to move in, he wanted to pay at the end of the month instead of at the beginning. I did more checking and found out he was being moved out of another building for non-payment of rent.”

“Wise move on your part.”

“Yeah, and now I owe a lot of back taxes and may lose the place anyway.”

“Capparelli Construction won’t let that happen.” I turned to Guido, “How much of this do you think Geno needs for his business?”

“I dunno. I wouldn’t think more than forty or fifty feet from the door. I see a little office on the left. Probably only one side between the floor, to the sidewall. Sandy could lease that and the rest of the building out. It would be best if there was a door opener on the other end. Pete, you were talking about selling salvage if you found a place to accumulate it. Sandy, does that ramp you mentioned start from the back door?”

“Yes. if you look up, you can see where it is mostly floor above here. You can actually drive a car on it. Uncle had a long-body pickup that would carry twenty-five hay bales that he would store up there. I guess the barn is still strong enough to still hold that much weight.”

I looked at Sandy,” Sandy, you really have a gold mine here by just using the building for storage. If you are worried about the weight, you could just store motorcycles and boats up there. This close to the city you could cut the mid-town price by ten to twenty percent and fill it up within the next few weeks now that it is coming onto winter. Let me do some figuring in the next few days and I’ll get you some income. You and your group won’t have to ever go out on the streets again.”

“I don’t know Pete, it is something I don’t know anything about. I mean it would be like a business. I didn’t do that well in school and I barely graduated.”

Mary said, “I’d give you a hand in getting started. I researched business’ and how they worked when I was helping my brothers out. Pete is good, but he is apt to dive into something and research it afterward.” I chuckled to myself because this was just opposite the way things were between us.

“You need a plan or map to follow so you know what to expect as your business progresses. I have a brother who is a lawyer and another one who is the manager of a bank. I can get you free advice. They owe me.”

“It still seems like too much for me.”

“Well, we’ll see what Pete comes up with. He and the construction company he works for can still use part of the first floor can’t he?”

“Of course, as long as we can live in the house he gave us to use.”

I asked, “Is it okay if I look around before we go?”

“Sure.”

I walked the length of the barn down to the back door. This raised with the use of chain falls. It shouldn’t be difficult for an opener to be installed.  Mary and Guido were with me. Ricky wanted to go too so Guido picked him up and put him on his shoulders. Chloe took Guido’s hand in hers as we walked around.

The second floor was quite open with just the massive framework in the way in places. Some of these timbers were of hard wood and 16 inches square. The bracing were all notched in and held together with tree-nails. I didn’t see any evidence of dry rot. The roof was solid and not showing where there had been any water leaks.

I alone, went up the stairs to the third level. There were stacks of lumber the whole the length of the space. I counted a stack of 16-inch wide pine boards. There were forty boards of 5/4 pine boards 16-feet long which brought the top of the piles above my head. The top boards under the canvas looked to be clear and straight-grained the whole length.

I didn’t stop to count the number of piles. I’m sure the quality in every pile would match the pile I looked at. I couldn’t see any worm holes in it either. Worms often came from using stickers that had a bit of bark on them. The worms multiplied over time and could destroy the best use for it.

How did I know this, me not knowing much about lumber? By me, reading a book, of course. It was a book about the Shaker commune in Maine. This was wood they would have used to create furniture with straight, clean lines. I came down, not saying much. I didn’t tell Sandy Hamilton that there was a treasure stored up there but I would when I sat her down to talk about the barn and what I thought she should do.

I then spoke with Fred about the land that the bank had foreclosed on. We walked outside and he reeled off a description of it.  “I had no real income and no place to live after the house burned. The bank took the insurance money. I didn’t realize that they could sue me for the difference between the value and what they thought the house was worth. Every once in a while I get contacted about selling the land so they can get what I owe them.

“I suppose now that I have an address again, I will hear from the bank about it.”

“Someday, as the city sprawls out this far, the property will be worth more than what the bank is holding it for.”

“I know, but I’m getting older all the time. It’s costing the bank quite a bit, but they have the money to wait. In the meantime, they just hassle me. I’ve been able to take down a deer every year which is probably what I would do if I still owned it. Sandy has promised to care for me and Millie, so we aren’t too bad off.”

“That’s one way of looking at it, I guess.”

I drove the van back to the street where we were rehabbing houses. Mary sat in the passenger seat. And looked at me often. I didn’t notice, for I was thinking. When Sandy was ready to get out of the van, I said, “Sandy, that building you own is a real asset. I would hate to see you lose it to a tax sale.

“First off, I am interested in the boards stacked on the third floor and the Capparelli Construction company, will lend you the money to pay your taxes. I might even do this myself if Geno isn’t interested. There were several other ways, a person could make money from the empty barn. I thought at one time, I might like to start a non-profit corporation. Let me think about that for a bit.”

“If it is a non-profit, how does someone who operate it to make any money?”

“Actually, you are almost running one now by caring for your aunt and uncle and your two friends. You have organized them so you make enough to take care of all your needs. Instead of panhandling, which you have organized into a small business to feed you all, you could make ten times that amount with the same number of people.

“Okay, I have suggested that the construction company pay rent for the use of some of the space on the ground floor. The rest of the space, use to store what you salvage out of the houses and sell it. We can figure out how that can become an income stream for you.

“I’m talking the cupboards, kitchen cabinet tops, cabinets, door, blinds, and any number of things you are going to be tearing out of the houses and many will sell as they are. You can look for the same kind of items from other sources as well.  Motels are always updating with new beds, cabinets and used rugs. Much of this is high end and people would snap it up if they could view it in a place like this.

“If you take all of the usable items from the houses on the street that are saleable, and pay out the money you take in to some disadvantaged persons for working to remove and transport it, then you are providing a service. That is exactly what you are doing now. I’ll find some books that explain it and help you understand how to do it. You will have to learn how to keep records and everything that goes into running a business.”

“Oh, I couldn’t do that, it is too very much complicated.”

“Yes you can. The space you have, use to rent boats, motorcycles, riding lawn mowers, and various other items that need storing. This will bring you in thousands of dollars and more just for this winter season. That’s the low estimate, I believe. A hundred dollars in ads in the local newspapers will do it. I’ll bet your Uncle Fred would sit by the fire here in the office, and take these customers up and show them where their bike or boat is going to be stored. Your Aunt can take their money. If a customer needs help, one of your guys can take it up.

“At the end of the week you can pay your Uncle and Aunt, and the other help wages. Taxes and Insurance are figured in, and incidentals like heat and lights.

“Springtime is when the stuff you have stored that was taken from these rehab units, you sell to people who are looking for things to improve their own homes or build a hunting camp from scratch. Next year at this time the bikes and boats will be back again and you can sit and listen to what the people did over the summer.

“You will have made new friends, and Sandy, I’ll bet you will have made at least several thousand dollars on top of wages and expenses. The extra you haven’t paid out in wages and expenses can be used for future working capital. You just have to account for any money that comes in. You now are a Business Woman and your head is held high. You won’t be in debt and will have a way of life better than down on the street panhandling. I’m speaking from experience and I know.

“The best thing with running a non-profit is you have some tax breaks so more of the money comes to you. In a year or two you can have new buildings with rental units, on the rest of your property that you have built for people who want to store things themselves. Those are a gold mine. My God woman, you are going to be rich and you have earned it all yourself.” I got out of the van and removed the seat from the back.

Sandy looked at Mary, “Can what Pete says be true?”  

“I would bet on it. He gave you a simplified version of what you can do and he’ll help you do it.”
    
“Using his coaching, it could happen, but then you would be the richer with him as your friend. I was much like you about a year ago with little direction. He is the most wonderful man. If you don’t believe me, ask Chloe. She was almost his wife at one time.”

“Aren’t you jealous? I know he is friendly with her because I saw him with her and her disabled child.”

“No, I’m not jealous because I trust him. Love will do that to a person. You are invited to our house next weekend. Bring your bathing suit because we have a pool. Pete’s boss Geno and his wife will be there. Also, Guido and Chloe will be there, too. They are fast becoming a couple and it gives Ricky a chance to get into the pool.”

Mary turned away and then turned back, “Sandy, give what Pete said about your place and its possibilities a lot of thought. It will disappoint him if you turn him down.”

“Okay, I will. I’ll talk it over with Uncle Fred and my Aunt Mildred.”

That night I talked about what we had looked at today. Mary asked, “Do you think Sandy will take you up on your offer?”

“I don’t know. She will make some money from Capparelli Construction anyway. We need the space for our tools and equipment. I would like to buy the lumber that is on the third level of the barn. I think it is from old growth timber and is worth a lot just because of that. I don’t know where you would find lumber to equal those boards now.”

‘You will pay her, won’t you?”

“Of course. It would be cash because the house she is living in is in exchange for us using the barn as storage.”

“What are you going to do with the boards?”

“Have some furniture made from some of it… maybe an armoire or bureau. I’ll get a good woodworker to construct it. It is too valuable for me to mess around with unless it is a toy or something.”

“Pete, Maybe something for our son.”

“Oh we are having a son, are we?”

“I’m planning it. Do you want me to go find out?”

“Surprise me! Oh, I heard something interesting from Fred today. He still owns the land where his house burned. Fred is in hock to the bank, for a mortgage on the house, when it burned.  He knows in a few years if he can hang onto it, it will be quite valuable. I know we are spending a lot of the money coming in, but now would be the time to buy.

“Two hundred acres would make a hell of a low-income community with houses dotted all over it. The street where we have houses now should be finished by late next year. We, either have to find another rehab project, or do new house construction. I think I have found my life’s work and by next year I’ll know how to put up a new house.”

“Pete, you don’t have to ask my permission to buy some land. Whatever you do will make me happy. I would hate to move away from my family now that I found out they all love me.”

“I’d never ask that of you.”

“Pete, you mentioned a grandmother and an aunt one time; how far away do they live from here?”

“Not too far from here, sixty miles, I believe. That is if they are still living where I grew up?”

“Why haven’t you gone to see them? I find that unlike you.”

“My Grandmother is from my father’s side of the family and Aunt Ida is from Mother’s side. The families hated each other and didn’t condone father and mother marrying and they never did. The only reason my grandmother would let me stay with her was because of the money she was paid for my upkeep. I left when I was seventeen and joined the Army.”

“Didn’t you have to be eighteen to join?”

“I guess, but I had an ID card made up. I was eighteen before I finished basic sixteen weeks later. My true age was straightened out at that time.”

“Your grandmother must be an old, old woman now.”

“I guess, I haven’t thought about her for a while. I wish you hadn’t brought them up. Now I’ll be thinking about them until I go look up what has happened to them.”

“I’ll go find out if either of them are still alive. I’ll have time next week.”

“Mary, what about your school work?”

“I’m so far ahead I can take a day off. You won’t mind will you?”

“Not if you will take someone with you … Maybe Gina.”

“Pete, I’ll see who is free. I’ll need their names and old addresses.”

“I can remember the streets, but not the numbers. Will that be enough?”

“I can stop at the post office and find out. You know I always wanted to be a detective. I even read about how to be one when I was out in Colorado the first year when I was laid up with my ankle.”

“Mary, no, you read a book? I don’t believe it.”

——————————————

I took a few minutes on Monday to call Charlie Goodell. “Charlie, how much money do I have in my bank account? I’m looking at a piece of land. It has the remains of a burned dwelling on it. Another bank has a lien against the owner because the place was heavily mortgaged and the insurance didn’t cover all of it. The land itself is on a blacktop road about five miles from town The land, two hundred acres, is growing up to brush and is unattractive looking, good now for only hunting during that season.”

“Pete, why, would you want it?”

“I’m thinking it would be ripe for a housing development. Where I am now with this project with Capparelli Construction, it isn’t going to last forever. The company might want to move in that direction after we finish the rehab project. Now would be the time to lock it up”

“That sounds like a good move. Our bank could extend eighty-five percent if you purchased it yourself because we know your financial situation. Check it out and get back to me.” During lunchtime, I drove down to where the squatters were living. No one was home. I’d look for them after work tonight.

I went back to work and an hour later Sandy Hamilton came in looking for me. “Pete, you said you might back me if I wanted to go ahead with the project you were talking about. I went to an insurance agent and the barn needs inspecting for suitability of storage on the second floor. They want money upfront to hire the inspection. If it is okay for storage and I insure with them, they will return the money. Does that sound alright?”

“I’d guess so. What’s the name of the insurance firm? I’ll call my lawyer to see what their rating is. Also, I talked to you about the lumber on the third level. I would like to buy it. Why don’t you find someone to appraise it and  I’ll pay you enough to give you some cash to use for getting everything finished up to open the doors for your storage business. It should go a long way toward paying your back taxes as well.”

“Do you think the lumber is that valuable?”

“I do.” I called Kenny Goodell and he said the insurance company had a good rating and were good to work with. I told Sandy and continued, “You should be looking for a concern who installs overhead doors. That is one of the first things you will need to go into business.”

Sandy spoke, “Pete, I don’t know how to do these things. Will you help me?”

“Sandy, I want you do make the initial contacts for everything that needs doing. It is scary at first, but by the time, you are ready to receive the first items, you can say, ‘I started something and carried it through and now I am a business woman.’ I will check everything so you don’t go wrong in any way.”

“I’ll make a list. If you have a minute after work, I’ll have it for you to look at.”

“I’ll come down to your house. Will your Uncle Fred be there?”

“I think so. He is out at the barn, cleaning up the first floor.”

“Good, I’ll talk to him tonight while I’m there talking to you.” I called Mary and told her I was going to talk to Sandy and her uncle so I would be a bit late. 

Chapter Seven

“Hi Honey, I’m home.” I received a kiss the same as I always did. “How was your day?”

“Good. Pete, I went alone to see your grandmother today. I found her at the address you gave me. I saw your Aunt Ida, too. They are living together and helping each other. It seems that your aunt was sick one time and your Gram heard about it. Wonders, they became friends and because money is short, your Grandmother invited her to live with her. Pete, they are existing on so little. They were going to serve me tea, but there wasn’t enough to make a pot. We have to do something for them.”

“Well, figure out something and we will.”

“She is your grandmother.”

“I know that, but she wasn’t that nice to me. My parents were lost to me and she never gave me any sympathy. I can understand that part because she didn’t get along with my mother at all. It seemed that she transferred her dislike to me.”

“She was pleased to find out you were alive. She did know you had gone into the service because the Army sent her a pamphlet about you being in basic training.”

“I’ll have to catch up with her someday.”

“You will, and soon. You can take a day off to go visit them.”

“What’s my aunt like?

“Beautiful, in a faded sort of way. I saw a picture of your mother and they looked a lot alike. They were glad to meet me, and treated me very nice, and are so happy we are having a baby. We are going to have to rescue both of them and bring them here so they will know him.”

“So we are having a boy, for sure?”

“We had better because I always think of the baby as a he.”

“Does Aunt Ida work?”

“Part-time in an office, only. She works in a used clothing store. I thought of Sandy when I found that out. You were talking to Sandy about starting a non-profit. Aunt Ida works in the office of a non-profit.  Maybe she can give Sandy some ideas how to go about it.”

“How old is my Aunt?”

“I’d say about fifty. How old would your mother be?”

“I’ll have to look it up. I always think of her being young. She was and she suddenly didn’t get any older.”

I turned away, for the memories of my parents invaded my mind. “Mary, I can’t go see them this week or this weekend because we are having company. Hey, do you want to hear about my day?”

“What about your day?”

“I talked to Sandy about her barn after work. I’m going to buy that lumber from her shortly. I’m going to pay the back taxes on the building and keep track of all the thinks she needs to do. I may help her out financially for a bit because that door without the chain falls just won’t do. It would be too much for Fred to handle.”

“Are you spending all of our money?”

“Not on that, but I did talk to Fred about the land he owns. I called Charlie to see how much money we have. There is another check coming soon. Charlie will finance it anyway when I laid out what I wanted to do with the land. Fred quoted me with a great deal. Not all of it money either. He wants to keep forty acres to hunt on which leaves one hundred, sixty acres for building houses on.  

“I’ll have to let Geno know my plans tomorrow so he won’t get pissed at me. I wrapped up the deal for the Capparelli Construction to have room for our business in a small part of the barn. I tell you, these deals with these squatters are turning into our life’s future. I feel more secure than I have in a long, long time. More than I did in finding the mine.”

“You’re crazy, but I love you. Supper is cold you know?”

“I expect so. Mary, I’m glad you asked about spending our money. It isn’t about me spending my money, because it is our money. It is yours as much as it is mine.”

“Oh, I know that Pete, but you don’t have to ask. We started out, basically even, you had a little bit of money and I was almost broke. I have been studying to finish my schooling by learning how to become a financial advisor. As far as I can determine, you are using a good pattern in spending and saving. Money isn’t worth much if it just sits in the bank not working. You must have the same book I’m learning from.”

“Okay, on that, now feed me.”

“I hope you like cold macaroni and cheese.”

———————————

I talked to Geno in the morning. This was when he, I, and Guido had our usual morning meeting planning the day’s work. I told him what the plans I had for helping out Sandy in getting the barn ready for us to use to store our tools in. “I woke Sandy up after our meeting with me telling her how she could become well-to-do with the barn. By leasing storage space on the first floor, it would amount to Considerable income. She is going to have Fred organize it so it doesn’t interfere with us.

“Her biggest asset is the second floor for storing boats and bikes and other small equipment that people need stored for the winter. She is going to call around about getting the overhead back door easier to open. She claimed when I talked to her the first time about this, that she didn’t want to become a business woman. She thought over what I told her was possible, and she decided that she would be better off than panhandling on the streets most days.”

I added, “Hey, Gina is interested in helping her and she said she and Mary had discussed this. Maybe they will get Chloe in the mix. God, think of what a force our women can do together!”

Guido laughed and said he would call Chloe. He added to this, “You know I want to do something about that Harrison asshole who did her wrong. She is struggling terribly with little Ricky. Harrison owes her back money for alimony and won’t pay any child support for the boy. Maybe we should pop him?”

This scared me because I knew I would be looked at if he did disappear or worse. “Let me get a lawyer to look into her situation. My brother-in-law might not want the job, but he will know someone who will.”

“Call him.”

I called Kenny Goodell, but he was busy. Guido went to work and I hung back to tell Geno about the land deal I was talking to Fred Hamilton about. I explained, “That plot of land could be something for the future of our business. It is rolling land with some low hills. When we finish rehabbing the houses on this street, what are we going to do? I thought maybe we would go into new house construction.” Geno asked questions and I laid my thoughts out.

He thought for several minutes and then asked, “Can you swing the cost of it yourself? I don’t think I’m interested. If you can’t, maybe your brother-in-law at the bank would lend you the money if you want to tie it up for the long term. You do know this job we are on now is way more complicated than I imagined? I would have gone under already if it hadn’t been for you saving my butt. Rebuilding twenty some odd houses all at once has made me ask, ‘what was I thinking.’ I just don’t know!”

“Geno, I’m not looking to get rich but I do feel this is a chance of a lifetime and I want to put my money to work. What about us and the business we have started?”

“It’s going great and I was hoping after we finished this job here we would take the time to relax more than we have been. There is just so much to take care of all at once.”  

“That is the way of owning a business. You aren’t planning on giving up on this are you?”

“No, of course not, It’s just that you are much better keeping things moving right along than I am. You have the way of not sweating things. Tell you what, if you buy that property now and we still have Capparelli Construction in business when we finish this project, you can sell the business one lot at a time and we will put a new house on it. That way you can own one half the lot and sell me the other half at top dollar and we split the profit on the house we build.”

“Okay Geno, but you know over time I’ll be doubling my investment.”

“Pete, I wouldn’t kick a bit. You deserve to earn it if you buy it.”

“Would you like to have me to speak to Gina?”

“No please, no, let’s just ride along the way we are.”

“Okay, if you say so.” I was hoping Geno wouldn’t regret this move. I stepped forward and shook Geno’s hand. Why I did that, I couldn’t say.  

I had an awful lot going on. Sandy was getting comfortable getting her storage business settled and she was coming to me for too many minor things. I bore with her and knew this would disappear after she gained more confidence. Fred was a big help to her as well and finally he told Sandy not to bother me so much.

Mary and I did have Mildred, Fred, and Sandy over for Sunday dinner. When Mary showed them the picture of the Smoky Quartz Gem Mary had discovered, she explained how I had extracted it, they thought I was a wizard. Chloe and Guido were there as well and listened intently.

I asked Chloe if she had arranged anything with Kenny. She answered that Kenny promised to get a court date as soon as possible with the court about having her back alimony and child support with Harrison, her ex-husband, looked into. “Kenny knows the judge well and thinks I will have a good case. I told him about how Chuck ended up with your $28,000. You know I am going to pay you back, someday.”

“Not until you get Ricky’s foot fixed, you aren’t. He comes first. I was thinking about that the other day. You know Kenny could go after the half of the business that Chuck bought with the money he coerced from my bank account. I understand the partner who owns the other half of the business would like to get rid of Chuck. You might take Chuck’s half and become a partner with him. What’s his name anyway?”

“It’s John Langford. Capparelli’s crew of carpenters have been hanging out in the bar and they say he is a decent sort.”

“Is this just a bar or does it serve food?”

“It was a spaghetti house before Chuck bought into it. He took half the restaurant and made the bar that much bigger. Not many people go there to eat any more because it isn’t a family establishment any longer and has a rough reputation.”

“Does Kenny know this? If he doesn’t, you should tell him. Might be a little remodeling and you would own a growing business.”

“I’ll tell Kenny what you said.”

“No, don’t do that. I believe he thinks I poke into other people’s affairs too much.”

“He doesn’t, not the way he talks about you and what you have done with Mary’s life. He says you are making her so much happier than what she was before you two got together.”

“That reminds me, you might be interested that I have a Grandmother and an Aunt I haven’t seen for years.  Mary went to see them on Monday. I didn’t get along with either one when I was growing up and under their care, and I have certainly neglected them. I will see them by next weekend and then I swear, I’m going to devote all my time to Mary. I’ve been neglecting her too.”

“That’s because everyone else claims your time and you can’t say no.”

“Watch me change.”

—————————————

Wednesday, Mary and I drove the sixty miles to reconnect with my Grandmother and Aunt Ida. We left home at one and reached there about three. Mary went to the door and knocked. Aunt Ida came to the door. “Oh Mary, I am so glad to see you. We found the money you left the last time you were here and we can serve you tea today. We also have been cooking some goodies now that we have the ingredients.  Come in, please?”

“Is this man Peter? I wouldn’t have recognized him. My, you turned out to be handsome! I’ll take a hug from you. Your Gram is in the kitchen,” She turned and shouted to Gram, “Peter and Mary are here.”

I had left eleven years ago and both my relatives didn’t look that much different to me. I knew I had filled out more than the stripling almost-man I was when I left. The house showed wear and could use some updating. I could see some repairs were needed doing as well. Feeling came to the fore about living here. I remembered this wasn’t a happy place, but I was glad to see my Gram and Aunt again.

“Grandmother, I have been so awful derelict in not coming to find you. I am here now and I hope you will forgive me.”

“Of course I will Peter. I have thought a lot of how I treated you when you were growing up. It is all on me. I resented having to care for you and it didn’t seem as though I could reach you when I did make a small effort.”

“Let’s not go there now that we are together again.  Aunt Ida, I understand you were sick for a while?”

“I was. I fell and damaged my knee. I finally had it replaced after trying to correct it without surgery.  By that time I had lost my steady job and was lucky that Gram took me in even though your grandmother couldn’t afford to have me living with her. That goes back to the two sides of the family who were never able to get along.”

“I know some of what the family was like in never getting along. Is that all behind us now?”

“I guess it must be. Peter, you and I, and with Gram, are the only ones of the family remaining. You do know your lovely wife put food on our table. We found the money shortly after she left. Can you really afford to do that much for us?”

“Yes and more, for some reason we two came together and it is a match made in heaven. We’ll explain more fully about that after we get know you some day in the future.  Now, would you both explain your financial situations? We should be able to help you with it.

“First, though, I must tell you a little bit about Mary and me since we met. Mary was an unhappy person before her brothers decided that she needed someone with her when she was traveling out west. They hired me for the summer to watch over her. For some reason when I was with her, life began to change for both of us. I say Mary was unhappy, and at the time if she was unhappy and resented the situation, she used revenge as a way to correct it

“A situation did come up and it involved me more than her. She set out to get revenge on another person. Anyway, the law came after me. I was blamed for something she had done. Finally, I was exonerated and cleared because I was with her during the time something bad happened to this other person.

“That was the moment when Mary began to change. She had tried to get revenge for me because of something others had taken when I first got out of the service. She did come to see that revenge did not pay and didn’t always pay off. A person just ends up ashamed of what you have done.

“Right after this she had a bit of success by finding something quite valuable. Then within a small time-frame, I had a bit of luck, myself.

“This drew us closer together and we found that love had developed between us, so shortly we married. Mary had been long estranged from her half-brothers’ wives. It took some apologies from Mary to correct that and now all are a happy loving family. There are other things that we are working on to correct and it may take some time. Again, I was referring to the revenge Mary was after on my behalf. However, we are prepared to help you two out. Gram, is this house rented or do you own it?”

“I own it, but taxes owed, and there is a mortgage on it. Both are due and it is going to a tax sale in another couple of months. I’ll have to relinquish it which will make us homeless.”

“I won’t let that happen to you. Do you have figures available? I may be able to stave off both the town taxes and the bank.”

“I would deed the house over to you if you could.”

“I think it would be better to leave it in your name for the time being. I would like to have you closer to Mary and me, but I can’t do much about that for a while. If I can free the house up for the winter you should be okay until spring when I see about having you move closer to us.”

Gram asked how long had I been out of the service. “It is going on five years now. I lost my savings and went out onto the street panhandling for the first two years. Then I spent two years working for Mary’s brother, Sam. That ended a year and some months ago. Her brother had hired me to keep Mary safe while searching for gem stones. As I have said, that is when our lives changed for the better.”

“Mary, did you find any valuable gems?”

“I did, and I have a picture of the best one. I have to say when I found it, it was locked into solid stone with just some of it showing. Pete figured out how to extract it without damage. It is one of the finest specimens there is, and named after me, “The Mary Goodell Smoky Quartz Chrystal.” It isn’t the largest of its kind, but one of the most perfect.”

“It must be valuable.”

“It is valuable enough to be named and in a museum, anyway. It is getting more valuable as it is becoming better known by other people interested in gems. Pete should be the one it is named for because it was his expertise that unlocked it from the mountain.”

“How wonderful! Are you going to look for more?”

“I still own the mine, but much of it is leased to owners of a mine on the plot next to mine. They needed a portion of my land to build a road to their property.  Maybe someday we will go back and look for more gems. It’s impossible anyway to work the mine this time of year. It is too cold and within minutes, a storm may come up so it isn’t safe to even be on the mountain.”

“Gram, why don’t you show me the paperwork you have? Mary and I can’t stay too long. I have to work and Mary has to study.”

Gram seemed reluctant to get her bills. But then, conceded to my wishes, when I promised I did have a little money and wouldn’t make myself short if I helped her with these bills. “I’m ashamed Peter, to show these to you. Honest, I have scrimped and saved to do my best keeping up with the expenses. It just isn’t possible.”

“Gram let me see them.” Gram was almost two years behind on the taxes. I figured that in March, she would be two years in arrears and the property would surely go for taxes. At that time, the bank most likely would bid it off and pay the taxes. This, leaving Gram foreclosed and the bank would only recover a percentage of what both bills amounted to. Gram had no intent of screwing the bank out of what she owed and it would bother her for the rest of her life.

The taxes were a substantial sum. The interest on the back taxes is what drove it up so much higher. It amounted to 8% on the unpaid balance, compounded. In the sleeve of papers Gram handed me, there were also the water and sewer charges. This was more recent and a notice that the water was going to be shut off within fifteen days from the date of the notice. That was going to be next Friday. I added these all up. I had brought some personal checks with me and made one out to the town, handing it to Gram. Tears began to flow.

Mary had been looking at the other papers and I hadn’t been paying attention. I spoke, “There, Gram that takes care of the taxes. Now I’ll see what I can do about the mortgage. Maybe I’ll give you a check for the months you are in arrears.”

“Pete, don’t bother, I have a check here from my account, and I have made it out for the balance of the total mortgage, less 4 percent. The interest at 7.5% is one of the higher loans in place for years. Try to negotiate it down to 3.5 percent which is the normal rate now. It won’t be much money saved because it is just for the months you are in arrears.

“If it looks as if the bank won’t deal. Ask for the Mortgage Loan Manager. Make the statement that you have other bills and you will put the bank on the bottom of the list. Just say you hope to have enough left to clean up the arrears and ask to have the interest rate reduced to what they are advertising on home loans.”

“Mary, I can’t do that, I would be cheating the bank.”

“No you aren’t, they have been charging you too much interest and someone at the bank should have informed you years ago to refinance.  If it doesn’t work, have them call Charlie Goodell, who is the manager of the bank this is drawn on. Try it anyway. The savings will be a little bonus.”

Aunt Ida said, “Gram, I’ll do it for you. I’ve been living on your dime for a long time. I’m not afraid of any old bank. You just stand by and watch me! I’m not going to show them the check until I try, anyway. The bank isn’t going to deny you who have had trouble keeping up in the past and you have in your hand a check to close out the mortgage. To give credence to this, they suspect you might be trouble again because you have so little income. That’s when I’ll show them the check.”

“Aunt Ida, I like the way you think.  I’ll bet you read that in a book one time.”

“I did, Pete.” Here I thought my Aunt Ida wasn’t too smart and she came up with this idea to save a little money. There might be something to this old girl after all.

Mary and I were going to take Gram and Aunt Ida out for dinner. “No, Peter, would you order in pizza? We both have been hungry for a pizza and if there is any leftover we can put it in the fridge for tomorrow.”

“Okay, tell me where the pizza parlor is that you like best is and I’ll pick it up. What do you want to drink?”

“For me, I’d like a light beer. Ida likes a soft drink of some kind.”

“Ginger ale will be fine. I love the way it fizzes in my mouth.” The pizza parlor was only ten minutes away. I stopped at a grocery and got a six pack of Bud lite and a six pack of Ginger ale. The pizza wasn’t quite ready so I ordered two orders of bread sticks and four orders of wings. Mary and I had one slice apiece of the pizza and we split one can of Ginger ale. We soon were on the road home.

“How much did you leave for money?”

“Pete, I left five hundred dollars. They objected, but I ignored them. They didn’t protest much. Maybe I should have given them more.”

“No, that was plenty. How do you think they will make out paying their bills?”

“I’d like to be a fly on the wall when Ida pays the mortgage. She sure was fired up.”

“Pete, I’ll bet she gets some reduction, anyway. I really like those two.”

“They are much different than I remember them. They acted like I was a burden before I left.”

“Yes, and now they are a burden to you.”

“I don’t feel like they are. I’m still ashamed I haven’t looked into how they were before this.” From then on, I called at least once a week and through the fall and winter, if the weather was good, Mary would go visit and Chloe and Ricky often joined her.

We promised that Gram could put her house on the market the first day of March, and I would have a place for them to move into the house that the Hamiltons vacated. I intended to have the Hamilton family in a house of their own by then, and Gram and Aunt Ida would move into the house they squatted in.  

———————————

I did purchase the land from Fred. The winter was open and I convinced some of our men to help me get a foundation ready to put a 1,400-square-foot manufactured home on it. This was iffy, but we did have some days to work it in. When it got really cold, I had a canvas put over the poured concrete and installed two kerosene heaters to keep it warm enough not to freeze until the cement was set.

This sat close to the burned out house, so I could hook onto the facilities that went with that one. Fred and Mildred were to be able to move into it the weekend before Christmas. Sandy was to have the second bedroom and the two others have the third one.

The new house arrived before we anticipated, but we were ready for it, so no problem. As soon as the house arrived, we built a garage with a sizable loft and the two men never moved into the third bedroom. The claimed they liked it this way. This was all part of the deal I had made with Fred when I purchased the 160 acres of land.

Fred worked in the barn sorting and stacking the salvage items as they arrived from the houses where the Hamilton family continued to remove some of the salvageable items from the street of houses.  Mildred seldom joined him, glorying in having the new house to care for. There was no way we could sell the first house because there was work to do on the exterior. There had to be a new lawn installed, with flowerbeds dug in with plants and bushes when snow receded in the spring.

Gina did get her associates license to sell real estate and helped in the agency. Geno and I promised that we would give her the listing as soon as the first house was ready for market.

There was plenty of work on the next four houses to do through the winter waiting on new interiors. Sandy’s crew continued taking the salvage out of the remaining houses. Sandy and crew had quite an assortment of items to be sold when the weather would warm.

The house Sandy was using before Fred and his family moved was now empty. The four men who worked for me had no place to go for Christmas. Guido, Chloe, and his three crewman decided they would have Christmas together in the house the crew lived in and show Ricky just how good Christmas could be.

That changed suddenly. Two days before Christmas, two of the Boston men came to me with this, “Pete, not much going on. We all three bought tickets for Boston and are headed home tomorrow to see our families. We’ll be back mid-week.”

“Work isn’t pushing, why don’t you take the week off. You’re leaving tomorrow?”

“Yeah, early in the morning is when we leave”

“Wait a minute, I have a bonus for you. Get your Mom a present or something.”

“Thanks Pete, You’re the best.” This was on a Thursday.

I reached home and Mary looked up at me. “You’re home early?”

“Yeah, the Guys from the east who were going to give Ricky such a good Christmas crapped out on me and are leaving for Boston early tomorrow morning.

“Anyway, the middle house is empty. What’s say we call Gram and Aunt Ida and have them stay there and suggest they make a good Christmas for my men next door.  Guido and Chloe aren’t going with Geno and Gina so maybe they will stop in to visit my men and Ricky can have a good Christmas after all. He does love it when the men fool around joking with him.”

“That’s a great idea, Pete. We can go over and join them. I’ll call Gram right now.”

Mary came back shortly, “Pete, We have to buy food and we’ll need some presents. I’m going to call Chloe and Gina and see if she and Geno will want to join us.”  Mary was on the phone most of the evening making plans. We would have to skip out Christmas day and visit Mary’s family at Sam’s house where Christmas the family concreted.

“Mary, are they going to be hurt if that is all you will see of them?”

“No, Pete, I told them you and I needed some alone time because we had been so busy. I did promise we would spend New Year Day with them. Is that okay?”

“It is fine with me. That’s sport’s day for me.”

Christmas was a great day for all. None of my crew had had a good Christmas for years, because they had been in jail and only one of them had any family. We managed presents for all, mostly clothes.

At the last minute, Mary and I went shopping, and bought each one of the crew a nice shirt and tie to wear so they could dress up a little. It was time they thought about the future and rejoining society if chance arose. I couldn’t see what would stop them for they had paid their debt to society.

Ricky had more toys than he knew what to do with. I suspected he was going to have a dad sometime in the future, Mary and I could see that Guido and Chloe were a couple.

Mary was definitely showing the baby. I stopped and thought one day about how I was neglecting her because I was so busy with the many details that I was involved in. “Mary, you have finished your classes and have a diploma to prove it. Let’s take a trip.”

“I’d love to. Where, though?”

“We could take a cruise or just spend some time by ourselves in Florida or anything you would like to do.”

“Pete, can I tell you what I’d really like to do?”

“Your wish is my command.”

“Well, I was thinking that I’d like to see the mine that is making us so rich. Wouldn’t you like to see what is happening and what it looks like? I’m sure John Blackstone can get us into the mine to look around. I want to see how much the road across my mine has disrupted the property. There is enough wood at our camp so we will be warm. I can still climb the ladder to our bed. Maybe we would fool around some and reminisce how you seduced this poor woman who had never known a man.”

“Mary, that’s odd, I seem to remember the seduction differently. I think you headed right into town the next day to find a carpenter outfit so we could be comfortable.”

“Oh, yeah, I did, didn’t I? I’ll get plane tickets tomorrow. How long can you take off from work? Will Geno be upset if we go away for a few days?”

“No, he is taking Gina east during Valentine’s week to visit his folks. I think Guido and Chloe are going with them. I also think he is going to introduce his folks to Chloe. It will be Guido’s mother, who has the final say about her. Guido is a little worried because Chloe is a divorcée, but Ricky will be with them and that kid can melt anyone’s heart.”

“Pete, I don’t see that Chloe is anything but okay. Sure, she was married before and has a disabled child, but Ricky is about as nice a kid you could ask for. Oh, I meant to tell you that Kenny has a court date for Chloe and Harrison. Let’s see––that comes up before they go east. I hope she gets some money out of Harrison so Ricky can get his foot corrected.”

“I don’t know, he’s a deadbeat. Aunt Ida and Gram feel so bad about the boy. I guess we all do. Aunt Ida was talking about setting up a “Go Fund Me” program for him. She said those are quite prevalent back where they lived. What do you think?”

“Pete, I’d help if I knew how. I’m going to see her tomorrow and ask her about it.”

“Mary, just make sure it doesn’t interfere with our vacation.”

“Come here, big boy, I haven’t forgotten.”

“Ha, who is the big person here? You’re bigger around than I am.”

–––––––––––––––––––––

Things had settled down during and after the holidays. Gram and Aunt Ida were here and settled into the house, now empty, when Sandy had moved to the new house of Fred and Mildred’s. I had purchased a Modular house as payment for the 160 acres I purchased from Fred Hamilton.

Kenny Goodell had a court date for Chloe to see if she could get some money from Chuck Harrison, her ex.  I wasn’t involved in that, but Mary wished to go to the hearing. I advised against it because of my warning to stay away from Harrison.

The three carpenters were back from Boston and Geno was calmer and not so nervous about how we were coming along with the rehabilitation of the houses. I guess his father and uncles thought he was up and coming and doing well. Geno still worried, though. We had one house done except for the grounds. Another was almost finished on the inside. It still was a long time before marketing the houses.

At Sandy’s big barn, she had decided she would follow our advice, and with our help would build this into a business she could handle okay. It definitely was different, than panhandling.

Mary and I were happy in the house we had purchased when we returned from Colorado in the late summer. We didn’t have as much company after we closed the pool we had enjoyed so much. Sam’s oldest girl, Emmy, came as much as Alice would let her and she often stayed over night. She looked on me with fondness because she said when I appeared in the Goodell family lives, the world changed for all.

“Mary, I think we can get off to Colorado on the seventh of January. Would you get the tickets? See if you can rent us a Subaru or any other four-wheel drive vehicle at the airport in case the weather isn’t good. We’ll stop in town for groceries and get the cabin nice and warm. Maybe if it isn’t too late we can have our first meal at the hotel and get in a couple of dances. I’m looking to give you a relaxing good time while we are there.”

“Pete, you know that Chloe’s court date is that week. I was going to go.”

“No Mary, I don’t want you to and I’m certainly not going to. We have to stay out of it. I think that directive to stay away from Harrison has expired, but I don’t want to get into a fight with him. Kenny will look out for Chloe and Ricky and we will support them from a distance. You have already given money to start the Go Fund Me program to help them out and we can give more later if it doesn’t generate enough money for Ricky’s operation. It isn’t a long time project, anyway.”

“Pete, I want to say something about this Go Fund Me thing your Aunt Ida has started. I don’t see how you could go out on the street begging for money. This seems much like it and I don’t like it a bit.”

“A person has to hit bottom first. I never would go back to doing it again. I knew in my mind it was only going to last until something better came along. I was lucky I had the chance for your brother to hire me in the grocery and then he hired me to protect you. I’d say that worked out better than either of us expected.”

“Okay Pete, Gina will be there in court and she can tell me about it if Chloe doesn’t. Oh, this is going to be so much fun on vacation. Are you going to take me skiing?”

“Can you ski?”

“Pete, some but not very well, can you?”

“Mary, I did before my father left. Mom was a good skier, better than Dad, even. Maybe I’ll try out the novice slope.”

Mary really was looking forward to the week and our time alone together.“That will be fun.” I thought so as well. It was a bit difficult getting the crews to settle down to work coming back from the holidays. I left it to Guido and Geno. Geno was digging right into the rehabs by giving him confidence after talking with his father.

We arrived in Colorado in the early A.M. on the12th of January and reached the town about nine in the morning. We had breakfast at a diner and bought groceries. Mary had phoned ahead to one of the neighbors who watched over our cabin. We came in and the place was nice and warm. I never slept well flying at night so we just fooled around a bit and then took naps until late afternoon.

I called John Blackstone and told him we were in town. He was tickled and said he would drive us out to the mine tomorrow. It wasn’t supposed to snow for a couple of days. He asked if we planned on skiing and I said we had planned on it. He set us up to have dinner at the hotel with some of the men employed at the mine so they could tell us more about what they were finding.

“Someone up there loves you because this mine is turning out to be a real find. What I mean is, everyone connected to this mine is going to make money and you certainly are for years to come.” This said, as we sat down.

There were a dozen people at the table seated including three other women, one married to the mine manager. The only thing that these people didn’t like was the town and how small it was with the only real enjoyment being the skiing. The men didn’t say whether they liked it or not.

Right after dessert was consumed, the mine manager left the room and then returned with a cardboard box that once had held coffee K cups. He sat it on the table in front of Mary. “Mrs. Manning, everyone has had a great time while putting in the road across your placer mine leased by us. In here are many gemstones that we have picked up every time a machine made a cut in the soil. We knew they should go to you so this is what we found. John Blackstone agreed with us, so everyone turned those they found in and here they are.”

“So even living far away, your placer mine kept producing.” Mary opened the box and began lining the rough gems up on the table.

“Oh, what a nice thing to do; I haven’t given a thought to this since I left. There are some beauties here … or will be when polished. Tell you what, why don’t you all line up and take a couple apiece. There will be many left over because there must be at least two hundred of them. If any other workers have contributed to these, have someone take a couple each and give them to those who also added to the box of gems.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Take your pick while John tells us about the mine.” The mine manager and John Blackstone led us to a corner and gave us the highlights to how things progressed so the mine could open.

The first question I asked was, “Have you had any real problems in putting the mine in?”

He answered, “No, not really. The only problem is the steepness on the slope going up to it. We have had to dig in and shore up the upper side from sliding down and blocking the road. We had to drive some steel posts on the lower edge to keeping that side from slipping away. Ore trucks are big, loaded with ore, and are very heavy. We have had one accident. Luckily, the truck was empty and rolled onto its side and slid down the mountain, so no, no real problems.”

“John, is the mine as good as you estimated?”

“It is. You know you and Mary are unique in one way. Often those who discovered a mine would be looking over our shoulder. What are you doing with all the money this is generating for you? Are you having fun?”

“Yes and we are. I’m busy, I bought into a building company when the owner got short of cash. He is an old army friend I knew when in the service. Oh, before we received our first check, we wintered in Florida. We purchased a home last year and have started a family. We have made many friends. I bought a plot of land so when we finish what I first bought into, I’ll start building some new houses. I never knew anything about the building trade before, so I’m learning right along with some of the crew.

“The project I’m on now that I bought into has twenty-three older houses on one street that are being rehabbed. As I say, I have been busy. That’s why I am out here giving Mary a break and to be with her more during these few days than I have been. Life is really good!”

“That’s great, No more digging for gems?”

“No, and we rarely will be coming this way.”

Mary spoke, “John, I think I’m going to sell the mine where I found Smoky Quartz Crystal. Would you sell it for me? I think it has some good selling points.”

“I might take a chance on it myself. I haven’t done much digging on my own. Are you sure?” John looked at me.

I was surprised that Mary wanted to sell, but she always let me do what I wanted. “It’s yours Mary, to sell if you want to. It looks like we won’t be working it anyway.”

“Yes John, please sell it.”

“Okay. Hey, you had better go see if you have any stones left in the coffee box. This is damned nice of you and the men will be tickled”. John was going to pick me up at the cabin and show me around tomorrow."

_____________________

Mary said, “I probably won’t go with you. I’ll sleep in and Pete can tell me all about it.” This surprised me, because I thought this was the reason we were out here. Mary opened the box of gems when we reached the cabin to find still a nice assortment of gems. It was still warm in the cabin. I was sleepy so I went to bed while Mary began to examine the stones in the box she had brought home. I did rouse up when she crawled in beside me.

It had to be much later when I felt Mary crying and wracked with sobs lying beside me. I came wide-awake then and turned to hold her. She clung to me without saying anything at first. “Mary, what is the matter, please tell me?”

She stuttered out, “I’m okay and I think I can tell you now. Can we get up and sit at the table below?”

“Anything you want, Dear, I’ve never seen you like this. Are you in pain?”

“No, not physically, Pete.  I am going to confess I’ve kept some things from you about me. Sometimes I have terrible dreams, but I never have said anything because I didn’t have any inkling of what they meant. They are so real because all my senses are working in these dreams. I can see, hear, and even smell and the dreams are certainly in color. I feel like I am somewhere and living in the moment of a long time ago.”

“Mary, I’ll get up and you pull yourself together and come down the ladder slowly so you don’t fall.” I went down and turned up the heat dial on the Ashley. I put the coffee on and ducked out to the toilet. It was very cold out going the few steps to the john…cold going back too.

Mary was down and gave me a wan smile as she went out the door. I poured the coffee and hugged Mary when she came in, trying to rub the cold from her arms. “We are going to get that damned toilet enclosed in and a door to it from inside the cabin before we come here again.”

“I agree, Peter.” I was surprised that she addressed me as ‘Peter’ because she always called me Pete. I realized she was thinking of some Peter who was in her dream.”

“Okay Mary, now tell me about this dream or nightmare or whatever.”

“Pete, I’ve had segments of this dream through the last six or seven years. Tonight, they much more were connected together. I heard a man speak in it that I had heard in the segments before I met you. I thought I recognized your voice the first night I met you at Sam’s house. I immediately trusted you, you know that.”

“Mary, I’m making no sense of what you are talking about. Start with your first dream, when, and where were you?”

“I have no idea what year it was, but I think it was in the Holy Land at the time when Jesus was alive and caused a lot of dissension, both to the Jews and the Romans. This dream may have been at his crucifixion. Every time I dream something new I am able now to connect it to my life and happenings that you and I are experiencing.”

“Give me one incidence so I can believe you.”

“In the first or second dream, for one thing, the marks on my chest, and created in that Holy time. I was a young woman and after I had helped someone who had asked for my help, they appeared and I saw the marks when I bathed later on that next day. That was the night that I met you in person and if it wasn’t for your voice, I might not have paid any attention to you.”

“Why is that?”

“Peter, because you wore long robes, had a pointed, well-trimmed beard. In the light, though, you walk the same and make the same gestures when talking. I still love listening to you talk.”

“Was this in the first part of the dream?”

“No, that happened a month ago. In that one I awoke and found my purse and food pack stolen. I guess what caused it was the morning before that. I don’t know that it did because I was unable to bathe for two more days. That is when I noticed. the marks on my chest. Oh I don’t mean now but in the dream.”

“When did I appear?”

“Then, or now?  No, don’t answer that. This was only the second time you have appeared in my dream.”

“Okay, Mary, we are getting somewhere. Now relate how the dream began and did the dream start at the beginning and repeat what you dreamed before.”

“Yes. Sometimes it does. It was like when you have a memory of the day before, you remember it in detail.”

“What, and when, did you first become aware of this that you remember?”

“My Maid, and I were on a road before noon and we could hear a lot of noise from behind us. Then two men in some kind of uniforms came along and told us to get out of the road. We looked back and there was a big crowd coming behind us. Some of the people were cursing and many were crying.

“We were afraid and got off the road and hid behind some bushes. It was noon or a little after when all the stragglers stopped going by. My Maid and I fell asleep and we couldn’t have been asleep too long because there was the sun still in the sky. I found someone had removed my purse and taken our food. My Maid was nowhere to be found, either. Maybe she took it.”

“Mary, and then what happened?”

“The dream ended.”

“How were you dressed in your dream?”

“In a Robe. with a heavy shawl to cover my head. I had a veil to pull up to my eyes if someone addressed me. I wore something like our high sandals. They didn’t have eyelets or hooks to tie them, just wrapping light cords around above my ankles. The robes were of fine cloth and the sandals were soft and comfortable. I think I realized I was from a well-to-do family and of course never had dreamed like this before.”

“How old were you here when you began having these dreams?”

“Pete, I don’t remember. I don’t think I was eighteen. Mother and Father had died before sometime, and mother left me my father’s money. She acted weird and was in church a lot. I would see her talking with a priest, but Mother didn’t want me speaking to him. I never became interested in the church either. I figured some of Mother’s problems had to do with her being in the church so much. That’s all in the now and not from dreaming the dream.”

“Mary, how long before after this hiding in the bushes and losing your money occurred did you have your next dream?”

“I can’t remember, maybe a month. It was still when I was dreaming back in that earlier time.  Before I met you, I would have quick little snippets at the same location, but not enough to make any sense.”

“Maybe you had better find out what ailed your mother. What happened to your mother’s personal things?”

“Up in the Attic, most likely. They were offered to me by my brother Sam one time to take them from the house, but I didn’t bother to look at them.”

“Mary, you haven’t told me much of yourself. I can’t get a true picture of you before meeting me. It seems as though your life started the night I slept on your day bed.”

“I count that as the day my life did turn around.”

“Hey, we are getting off track here. I’m assuming that the dream road you were on was in the Holy Land. Okay, you have just dreamed that you were out of money and afoot, tell me what you dreamed next.”

“I walked on the road toward the village that I headed for. I remember I began to smell a terrible stench. It was late in the afternoon and everything was deathly still. It was still light that I remember, so I didn’t stumble or anything. Then I met a man hurrying toward me. He was acting scared. He did tell me what was ahead of me causing the stench and he said he saw at least two people were stirring around in among a field of crosses.

“I don’t seem to remember being told that this was the place where hanging and crucifixions were carried out. I do remember that I wasn’t particularly scared.

“I slowed down, but continued around a slight corner in the road. A man came to the left side of the road near a gallows cross and spoke, asking if I would help him. There was another man there with him. I seem to remember a well-dressed man in the background.  I hesitated a bit but he asked me like he would ask a friend to help do a chore.

“I said I would, but I couldn’t stay long.”

“He promised by saying to me, ‘Miriam, no harm will come to you, for you are under the Lord’s protection.’”

“There was a cart there with two solid wooden wheels. It wasn’t very wide and there were shafts made for a donkey to pull. But there was no donkey. The man who spoke before, was standing between me and the man coming forward. I knew there was a man in the background and he came forward with a bundle of cloth that looked to be linen. I asked what I was to do?”

“He answered, ‘My friend is going to saw this cross off at the base. I need someone to steady it until we can lift it onto the cart. The saw is sharp and it will not take long. We can’t tarry long either, and must be gone before the sun fully sets and the day is over.’

“Pete, you’re going to hate this, but I awoke and that part of the dream ended as he finished speaking. I did not have to wait much more than a month, before I again lay down at night and closed my eyes. That was in my house here at home when this happened. My first awareness that the dream was to continue, the horrible stench I had smelled before and it was with me again.

“I feel I must have missed something, for the two men had the cross lying on the ground already cut off at ground level. They were wrapping the cross in a shroud. I did not take note of any body or anything on the cross at first.

“The part I missed seeing had to be when the cross was cut off and taken down and really, I must have helped. Now we loaded the cross onto the cart. The two arms of the cross where across the tops of the sideboards of the cart. The cross was longer than the cart. The top of the cross was in the front slanting back toward the rear end where it was sawed from the base and was hanging outside the back edge of the cart. The front of the cart was as high as the sideboards and the center of the cross extended at least two feet out in front.

“I could tell I wasn’t needed much longer. The two men had ropes ready to tie the cross onto the cart when it began to slide backward where I was standing. I reached down and stopped it before the sawed end touched the ground.

“A murmured, ‘Thank you, Miriam,’ reached my ears. I could feel some sticky substance where my hands had held the cross.”

“Mary, did your dream end at that time again?”
    
“No, they hadn’t tied the cross to the cart yet and I came to realize that now there was something affixed under the shroud. If a man, surely, a small, thin man. I knew the two men were nearly finished. Again, I couldn't see if it was a person he now was covered with linen. The man who was the one who always spoke came near and I offered my water skin to him. He drank thirstily and handed the skin to the other.

“Now he spoke, again, 'Miriam, thank you for your help and the water to quench our thirst. We have little money, three coppers, only. He handed them to me. You are welcome to them and they will feed you until you reach your destination, late tomorrow evening. The Lord will be beside you so you will be without trouble.'

“Abruptly they each grasped a shaft of the cart with one hand, and the other one on an arm of each side of the cross, pulling, and steering the cart between the many crosses standing in the field. The sky had suddenly darkened and a mist began to fall. The two men were having trouble steering and pulling at the same time.

“The cart and men soon disappeared into the fog. I looked at my hands, and saw they covered with a dark stain. I took my shawl and rubbed it from my hands onto the ends of the shawl. I didn’t want to throw away my shawl so I opened my robe and tucked the bloody shawl ends from sight. I hadn’t realized this stain might be blood before this.

“I then turned and began walking. I continued on my journey and felt suffocated at the stench around me while passing close by several crosses with dead men hanging from them. Soon it began to rain.

“I was in a field of death. Many men were hanging from different cross arms and some others crucified, and nailed to a cross. These crucified men were those men who had come against the religious leaders or their teachings. These deemed guilty of terrible sins and the men were sentenced to die slowly with the utmost pain. I didn’t know this for a fact, but somehow was aware. I repeat, I don’t know that as fact, but it seemed reasonable at the time.

“The men, who were hanging by their necks from the other cross arms, were outlaws and crooks who stole or cheated other men. Many were robbers from the hills who attacked and killed some of the travelers when they resisted. These outlaws caught when hunted and found, and sentenced to die quickly, soon forgotten.

“Pete, I was on my way and soon I was very tired although it wasn’t night yet. Past the crosses I lay down and slept the night, waking refreshed and quenched my thirst and traveled on.”

“Mary, is that the end of the dreams?”

“Pete, I don’t know, but it is most likely to finally end soon.”

“Do you want to discuss what has happened in these dreams?”

“Not now, Pete. I must recoup my energy before I go on. I get no rest with these dreams. I will tell you how it ended tonight because I believe I will have no more dreams. It feels like last night had to be the end. You can get a little more rest before you go out to the mine today.”

“I can stay with you.”

“No, Pete, I will sleep and I have always rested after each part of the dreams. I’m even going up into the loft. Do you need me to get your breakfast?”

“No. Mary, you know your dream is going to be on my mind all day, today, don’t you?”

“Pete, think what it has been like for me. I don’t see much reason for these snippets of a dream. What do you think?”

“I have no idea. There must be a reason you are having this dream now and approximately 2000 years after the fact. I feel it has to be for a good reason and I don’t feel threatened at all. What is your sense about what is happening?”

“Pete, I don’t feel threatened, either. I did explain that I seemed to recognize your voice and that is what made me trust you when Sam hired you.”

“Mary, that was my lucky day. It will be light soon so I’m going to eat. I don’t know how long I will be out at the mine with John. Along about noon I’ll hint that I want to check on you if John makes no motion to return before that.”

“No Pete, don’t do that. We probably won’t see him again before next summer.”

“Okay.”

–––––––––––––––––––––––

John was making a special trip out to the mine, so I was back at the cabin by eleven-thirty. Mary had dinner cooking. She couldn’t have stayed in the loft that long for she had roasted a chicken. She heated up a can of corn and we had the chicken, dressing, the corn, with gravy on mashed potatoes. She had put a chocolate cake in the oven on the top rack as soon as the chicken was done.

The mine was what we discussed while we ate. “You know, I don’t know how I was smart enough to sell the mine the way I did. I sold it for a million and a half plus royalties and John tells me that there is a lot more ore in the mine than estimated at first that they have found. My royalties per ton will be going into our bank account for several years.”

“Are you excited about it?”

“It is nice, I guess, but I was more excited about you finding that Smokey Quartz Chrystal. Of course, I’m making a good wage with Capparelli and the future looks pretty bright by owning the acreage I purchased. I’m also going to plan out what to do with that pile of lumber at the top of the barn. I want to build something distinctive. Maybe something that all the people we sell houses to, will appreciate.”

“Are we going to build and move out there? I will hate to move out of the house we live in now.”

“Ours may be too small for fifteen kids and dog.”

“Oh, no, three children are enough.”

I laughed. “Okay.”

“Pete, I’m still tired, let’s go up in the loft and take a nap. I’ll tell you of the next dream that came in sequence when we wake up. I did have one this morning right after you left.” 

Chapter Eight

Mary was awake when I opened my eyes and I could see it was dark outside the cabin. Mary began speaking immediately. I guessed the way she spoke she was still telling me about the dream, “Pete I remember leaving the stench behind me. I hadn’t walked far when a quick shower came down on me and I was drenched. I was thankful for I could feel the stench clinging to me take its leave.

“That was at first and then that went away and I could smell a fresh scent of flowers all around me. I lifted my head, and walked faster and felt very happy. Happy, I didn’t know what about, but I swear I was. I could see a well in the distance and knew I could replenish the water in the almost empty skin I was carrying.

“Pete, before I reached the well, I could see a woman and a boy rise from the shade of a boulder they were sitting by. The boy, who looked to be of twelve years, came out as I came up to them and spoke, “Do you have food, my mother and I are hungry?"

“I’m sorry I do not. I was robbed last night of both my food and purse. I have been walking for hours. I am pleased to find the well, for I am almost out of the water that was in the skin.”

The boy spoke, “I will assist you, and I am very strong. I will let the bucket down for you. You may have to help me bring it back up when full of water.”

“When, he turned to go to the bucket, I could see he had a crippled foot and I felt sadness for him.”

I asked, “Was this far from the crosses?”

“I don’t know, but the boy questioned me about a Holy Man who could fix a body and things like his twisted foot. He was disappointed that I had not heard of the one like he described.

“Pete, between the two of us the boy and I got the bucket of water. The full bucket was heavy and I was glad I had met these persons at the well when I reached there. I filled my skin and was ready to journey, and I took several steps and then hesitated.

“This time it was me who spoke. “I have three coppers, and I will share with you. Someone will surely show up soon who will have a loaf of bread to sell.” I displayed the three coppers and held my hand out.

The boy came up and looked at them in my hand. “Is it okay to take one for Mother too?”

“It is your choice.” I smiled and then said, “Choose wisely.”

The boy took two of the coppers from my hand. He brought the two coins close to his eyes. At once, he examined one. “This one looks like it has a small likeness of a fish on one side. Tonight you may meet someone who can sell you a fish with your last coin.”

“You know, that may be if I make it to the next village soon. I told him I would see him there, and that I am bid by my brother, Samuel Ben Nickolai, to make my home with him and my other half-brothers. Ben Nickolai is the common name of the village after my grandfather. Needless to say, it isn’t much more than a hamlet.”

Mary stopped speaking and lay with her eyes closed. I thought the dream was finished.

Then Mary commenced again, “Pete, I walked far and it was getting dark. There was a well ahead. This one though, had many people around it. There was even a fire going. I was weak from hunger and hoped to buy a loaf of bread with my remaining copper coin.”

Now though, Mary stopped speaking and it puzzled me. Then I realized she might be there in real time in the Holy Land and was having a conversation. Mary’s voice changed and she was speaking to someone else. This someone spoke to her and I heard, “You are weary, Mistress, come sit by the fire. I have an extra loaf of bread to sell.”

Mary eyes, partially closed, now opened and she went on, “I asked the boy if he wasn’t the boy to whom I gave two coppers to this morning.” I commented, “You are walking without hobbling. I thought you were crippled?”

He answered, “I was and all my life before. You hadn’t more than gone from my sight when a bread peddler came along with a group of travelers. He sold me two loaves for the one copper. I gave one to my mother and I have a half loaf left. Please, I would like you to have it.”

The boy continued and I could understand when he spoke again. “It was odd as we walked along. I had the other copper in my pocket and was rubbing it. It made me feel so good and warm. Suddenly the heat traveled down my leg to my crooked foot. My heel came in contact with the ground, and I didn’t need to hobble on the front end of my foot any longer. Are you a Holy person?”

“I answered, “No, I assure you I am not. But how are you here before me, already?”

The boy answered this with a happy smile. “I took such joy in being whole, I walked very fast with mother trying to keep up and when I went past you, you didn’t notice me. Come, sit with my mother and I’ll get you some fresh water.”

“We talked as people do about the road ahead."

 I said, “Bless you, I am weary, and thank you for the bread. I think my road turns to the right not far ahead I’ll journey on when it gets light in the morning. I’ll remember for always how you thought I was a Holy person.”

“I think you still are, Gracious Lady.”

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Mary would almost be asleep, but restless. I guessed she was now dreaming in the Holy Land again as well and near me here in our little cabin in Colorado. Mary must be very tired. I rolled away from Mary and slept myself. I awoke mystified while I thought about her latest telling of this part of the dream.

I shook Mary when I awoke. “Mary, did you dream?”

“Yes, I did Pete, and I think was you who rescued me. I’d love to tell you about it, but I need coffee to wake me up to the fact that I am here in Colorado and not in the Holy Land.”

“Coffee is what I need too.” I practically slid down the ladder and started coffee, doing that and then rushing outside. I made the decision to go into the village and hire the same carpenter we had used to build the loft. The little porch was going to be enclosed before we came again.

The first words when Mary came down from the loft, were, “Is it still cold out?”

“Colder if anything, but is getting light out. I have plans to change the situation before we come again to stay.” I poured Mary’s coffee and she warmed her hands on the cup when she came in.

“Pete, are you hungry?”

“No, if the dream isn’t very long.”

“I’m not sure about that. This dream may not take long in real time. We can stop and eat any time.”

“Begin where you left off.”

“Okay. I remember speaking to the boy who looked to be about twelve. I lay down and went to sleep, but I didn’t know how long a time before I woke up. The mother of the boy, who hadn’t said much to me, was jostling me. “You said your name was Miriam. A man is asking for a woman by that name. He rode in on a donkey from a different direction than we are traveling “

“Just then a voice came out of the darkness, “I am looking for a woman whose name is Miriam of the family, Ben Nickolai. Samuel has word that his half sister is traveling this way. My name is Peter and I am Samuel’s scribe searching for her.”

Startled, I spoke, “I am she. Be quiet, don’t wake the other travelers. Many are on a long journey and need their rest.”

“Come along then, I have transportation. If you will rise, I will have you mounted and we can return to our village. It will take three hours, at least.” This man was not happy, although his voice was pleasant enough. I made my way through the crowd toward the voice.  

Before I had taken three steps, the mother of the boy I met this morning grasped my hand and said, “Bless you, Miriam. You have unburdened me from a son who was crippled. My son can now find joy in his existence.”

“Bless you too, for you are a good mother, and your son will now walk at your side.”

The scribe was waiting impatiently for me. I quickly purchased a loaf of bread but didn’t have time to eat. Peter formed his hands for me to put my foot into and boosted me up and I swung onto a thick blanket covering the donkey. There was a rope around the blanket and donkey, I could hang onto, to balance myself.

I now asked, “Peter, I am glad you came looking for me. How did you know I was traveling this way?”

(It took me a minute for me to realize Mary was speaking to me in a different day and time, again)

 “Miriam, your servant arrived a few hours ago and Samuel charged me to find you. I was about to lie down because I was working in Benjamin’s field since early morning.”

“I’m sorry, if you had shared that fact with me we could have waited till morning to start. Peter, I will speak for you and you will get a full day of rest.”

“I can’t believe I will. I am an indentured servant and always at my master’s call.”

“We’ll see.”

“The moon was up now and Peter walked right along, the donkey and I two steps behind him. We couldn’t speak, for he was ahead of me, but I knew Peter would probably ignore me, he was that much of a hurry. We were on the road about an hour when he halted the animal.

“I’m sorry, for complaining. You must have been a long time on the road. Your servant said you sent her on ahead when you thought it better to get off the road. She also said that she rushed ahead of the crowd and didn’t stop when she went by a field of crosses with dead men hanging from some of them. She looked back when she was gone by the horrible sight, and saw that the crowd stopped there. Did you observe this?”

“No, I must have been asleep. I don’t even remember telling her to go on ahead. In the afternoon, there was no crowd. It did smell very badly while I was walking by. Tell me Peter, how much longer before your indenture is complete?”

“It ends before planting time in the spring. I will probably stay on, but I won’t have to go to the field to work and my wages will be increased almost double. I can tell people who have need of a scribe that I’m experienced and can work for whom I wish.”

“Peter, you will be looking for a wife then, won’t you?”

“Not at this time. I will save my wages and have a home built to bring a wife to before I marry. Do you wish to ride or walk for a bit?”

“I’ll walk, but first a bit of bread.”

Peter led me through a gate and into a compound more than an hour later. There were two torches, which gave little light, one by the gate and another by a side entrance.  “Good we are expected, Peter exclaimed.”

“Peter knocked softly on the door and it opened almost immediately. “Peter, you found her without trouble?”

“Yes, Missu, and she has no baggage. I would think she would like to bathe and then sleep. She has had little of food or sleep for two days and quite weary. She has only had a little bread to eat. Miriam, Missu will tend to your needs. Rest for the morning and when the sun is overhead there will be a light lunch. The women folk will introduce themselves. I’ll see you this evening to hear more of your travels and a little of your personal life. Good day, Miriam.”

Missu paused and then said, “My, the tips of your shawl are all crusty and very dark of a different color. I’ll clean it if you tell me what is on it.”

“I don’t know what it could be. I went through a storm and whatever it is, it has darkened the fabric.”

“Do you wish me to bathe you?”
 
“No, for I am shy. I will wait for you to leave before I disrobe.”

“I’ll find you some fruit and a bit of toast. Will that be sufficient?”

————————————

Mary talked constantly sharing with me what she did. “Pete, I removed my clothes and disrobed taking off my robe and linen and about to step into the basin, I looked down and there were markings all over the front of my body where I had tucked the bloody shawl under my robe. Pete, the marks are like what they are now. I immediately lowered myself under the water, covering the marks completely. There was a dish of sweet smelling soap at hand and I began to scrub the marks. They wouldn’t come off and I scrubbed so hard it turned my skin red.

“Pete, that is when I suddenly remembered that the two coppers I had given the boy to buy bread, had produced a startling result. When I gave the boy the coppers, he had a crippled foot. He had asked me then if I was a holy woman and I denied it. Last evening I spoke with him again and he wasn’t crippled any longer. Again, he asked if I was a holy woman and again I denied it.

“Well, I guess if I denied it again I would be lying. Not only that, the marks on my chest are the same I have now and I’m not 2,000 years old. I’m going to hide these marks, just like I always have.”

I thought to myself, good luck with that. How was she going to keep this from her brothers and their family? Would Missu, obey her if Miriam ordered her not to speak to anyone about it. The only thing was to try it.

“Pete, there is more, but can I leave off thinking about being holy and dreaming until this evening? Let’s do something not related to me or the Holy Land. I know, let’s go skiing?” We got dressed and we were nearly first in line at the ski tow. Mary lightened up and we both tried the novice trail.

On the way back to the cabin after doing quite well on the slopes, Mary, asked me out of the blue, “Pete, do you think holy people get married and love just the same way as unholy people?”

“You tell me, you with the baby in your tummy. I take it I’m Pete tonight and not Peter. Did you realize that here in Ohio you call me one thing and there in the Holy Land I am Peter?”

“Doesn’t matter, you are the same person.”

———————————————

“Pete, just then the maid came through the door with some grapes and dates, along with some bread.          

“Miriam, would you like a glass of wine? I didn’t ask before.”

“I would if you would water it some.”

“I’ll return presently. I see you have some of that dark stuff on your body. I tried to soak your shawl, but it didn’t come out or color the water. I hope you aren’t stained forever.”  

“Missu, if I asked you to forget that I am stained and help me hide it, I would be so grateful.”

“I will do that if you would ask Samuel to make me your personal servant?”

“Consider it done, I said, and then I went to sleep.”

“Pete, I must have slept hard for five hours. Missu, brought clothes in for me to wear. Missu stared at the marks on me, and looked faint, “Mistress, that looks like a cross on your body. How long have you had that? When did it appear? ”

“The day before yesterday. I was delayed by two men, when they asked me to help them. I didn’t see any black stuff on the timber I was helping lift. I wiped my hands on the shawl and it came right off my hands. I hid the shawl ends under my robe and then I got all wet from a rainstorm and didn’t know it had rubbed off onto my body until I got into the bath this morning. It didn’t spoil the bath robe you handed me to wear. Please don’t tell anyone.”

“Did anything else happen?”

“Not really, and I was paid three coppers by the two men. I met a boy and his mother at the next well. I gave them two coppers to buy bread because they were terribly hungry. I met them again last night and they shared some of the bread that they had purchased.”

“Is that all, there must be more?”

“There is, but I don’t want to tell anyone about the stains on me. Please don’t mention what I have told you.”

“What happened, I know there is more.”

“Well the boy appeared crippled when I talked to him before noon, but he could walk without hobbling when we talked last evening. He said it happened after he rubbed the two coppers I had given him together. This can’t have anything to do with me.”

“I guess I believe you, and I have promised not to say anything. It sounds almost like a miracle happened.”

“I don’t think so. The boy didn’t make much of it when I asked him how he stopped hobbling. He said he couldn’t understand it either but it made him very happy. His mother said she was very happy too because her son had been a burden with his crippled foot for so long”.

“Oh well, one of life’s mysteries, I guess. Come, we are having a fish soup for lunch. You will meet some of your brothers’ wives. Have you ever been here before?”

“No, they are my half brothers. My father was an old man, only two years younger than my grandfather. My father died and my grandfather became ill and wrote to Samuel to bring me into his home where he lived with my half brothers before Father was driven away. My estate is coming in a few days. I hope there is room to store it safely. It is a large amount of goods. My grandfather was quite wealthy. Where is the maid of mine who came on ahead of me when I slept the last night she and I were together?”

“We believe she ran away because she isn’t to be found anywhere. Was your purse heavy?”

“Yes, I had the feeling it had been lifted from me, but I didn’t suspect her.  She fulfilled her duty to me and I am here safely. I hate to say it, but she was lazy and didn’t do her work very well. I won’t miss her. Let’s go meet my brother’s wives.”

_________________________

“Pete, I think I am almost at the end of the dreams. Mostly, I can’t see where there is little more drama to come forth in my life.”

Mary’s  attention to me disappeared quickly. “I was really looking for Peter. I saw him at a desk working on a scroll. He looked at me when I went by the doorway and smiled, but he didn’t speak. I sat at a table where Missu placed me and soon brought me a bowl of soup and a crust of bread. Everyone dipped their bread in the soup, which I thought vulgar. But there were no spoons and soon I was enjoying the soup until I ran out of bread. I didn’t see more bread so I lifted my bowl and finished by drinking it. It was good.”

“Peter now came and sat beside me, questioning me about my goods that I said were coming. I was worried about where they were to be stored, and he said I was to be housed in my father’s house when he lived here. He explained that this now needed repairs. It hadn’t been lived in since my father had left many years ago.”

“I then asked why (he my father) had journeyed to my mother’s house where my grandfather lived. I was shocked because my half brother’s mother had willed their assets and property to him and other brothers on her death. Father agreed to this on their marriage, arranged before his and her wedding. Father had never told me this, although I knew Father’s station was lower than her. His recourse was to leave to live with a distant cousin and soon my mother, who he was wed to.”

“Falling in love, they joined in matrimony and soon my mother produced a child, (me) and named me Miriam.”

“So Mary, you had never met your father’s first family before?”

Peter explained this to me with the wives listening. “That’s correct. I was showing my displeasure at the situation I found myself in and my brother’s family could read that in my face that I was. Peter could as well. He also read in my expression that I was a strong person and would seek revenge if I became too unhappy. I might tie my brother’s assets up in the courts and every one would lose along with the family torn apart.”

“Peter said, ‘Come Miriam, follow me to where we can talk without interruption. I will show you your father’s house.”

 “I followed him silently, although I was seething inside. I was happy though, to be near Peter. “Miriam, I suspect you have much more riches than your brothers because of your grandfather. Would you give up some riches, to keep peace, and not seek revenge? ”

“But Peter, they cheated my Father and they should pay,”

“Miriam, listen to me, I disagree. Your father entered into his first marriage and left when the marriage came to the end as he agreed to. From then on, he had a happy marriage with a new, younger wife and had a child he loved dearly. Your father may have been wrong not to inform you of your situation, but that is the only fault I see in his actions.

“Besides, although only a scribe, I have had the chance to discuss this fully before your grandfather died through the letters we exchanged. You are indebted to him as well as to your father for the riches that are coming to you.

“You were Rich in love, from your Father, and rich in goods, from your Grandfather. You are intelligent and have managed your grandfather’s business extremely well for the last three years. Come, I promised to show you your father’s house. There are caves behind it and is a safe place for storing your goods.”

“Pete, Grandfather was much like you in his thinking. I loved him, but not like I love you. I loved Peter already in that time, but you are here with me now.”

“That sounds as if something like that could happen naturally.”

“Pete, we are okay, then?”

 “Mary, we are okay. We do need to get away from your dreams for a while and get on with our vacation. We only have three days left.

We did have fun the rest of the week. We went out with some of the friends to dinner. It had been a long time that we were able to relax this much. I looked back and realized how much I had pushed myself this last year. Mary did too and we talked about it. “Pete, I think I have put my night dreams behind me.”

“I hope so. I would hate to be always waiting for you to tell me about your interaction with Peter all the time. To tell the truth, I am becoming jealous of this person. That would be like becoming jealous of myself.”  

“Please don’t be. Remember I never even kissed him in those dreams.”

“Yes, but we both know you were going to marry him someday.  Some of this was that you were a rich person and Peter didn’t intend to be poor all his life.”

———————————

“Pete, change the subject. Those dreams could have gone in anyway of a dozen directions. I’m going to ask you about something else. Do you think Kenny was successful in getting something out of Chuck Harrison. I don’t see how he could have.”

“I know, probably not. I don’t know the divorce laws in the state of Ohio, but even though Harrison owes money for alimony and back support for Ricky. How can a judge just take his business away from a person and give it to someone else? You could call Chloe and ask.”

“You call her, You know her better than I do. “

“Mary, I don’t either, she is just a friend.”

“Pete, you were more than just a friend at one time.”

“Mary, I was and look what it got me. Two years out on the street panhandling, that’s what.”

“Be honest now, you must like little Ricky, don’t you? I love him, really I do. I hope our son is as lovable as he is.”

“Mary, I’m sure he will be. Maybe someone will call us to testify if Harrison is in court because we are an interested party”

It was just after we had gone outside when Kenny called, “Hey, Sis, are you interested in what happened in court a couple days ago?”

“Kenny, Pete and I were just talking about it. Of course, we are interested. I’ll put you on the speaker phone.”

“Well, guys, I think I did very well. We were assigned to a woman judge. I wondered at first if that was good and soon found out it was. Harrison was in front of the same judge back when Pete was having troubles getting any of his money back from Chloe. She must have a long memory. Anyway, not bragging, but Chloe never had a good lawyer before she hired me. Of course, Harrison screwed up last week and there was a fight in the bar. The judge is looking to the liquor control board to pull his license.

“I suggested that Chloe take it over in place of Harrison trying to keep it. Harrison is basically out of business anyway. This was what I was trying for and the other partner will be bankrupt without the liquor license if Harrison lost it. I had a spiel ready. It all came down to that Chloe had a new friend and she promised to pay one Pete Manning back for Harrison had chiseled the money out of her.

“I even mentioned that this bar was in a rough part of town, and the area needed a good spaghetti house for the hard-working people in and around that section of town. I told the judge that financing could be found for the upgrade to make it a reputable restaurant.”

“That’s all?”

“No. The judge made all kinds of stipulations and Harrison can only see his son one day a month supervised. Harrison also has to pay fifty dollars a month over and above the loss of the liquor license. That fifty dollars a month is to go into an account for Ricky’s benefit for toys and treats that the boy has been denied. What do you think? Also, Chloe can sue for back support for his son.”

“I think you have done damned well. I hope Harrison feels the pain.”

“God Pete, you know you might have to come up with either some money or at least some money for labor to get this spaghetti house up to date, don’t you? You’re the only one with money that is interested in this.”

“I do Kenny. Let’s see, was it you who jammed a hole through someone’s car radiator on your sister’s demand?”

Kenny just grunted and then stated,  “Okay, okay Pete, I’ll match it dollar for dollar in getting this done.” Kenny laughed and hung up.

Mary was grinning and said “Pete, this thing about the liquor license, I didn’t know about this before. Where did you come up with that idea, or wasn’t it you?”

“Mary, I read about it in a book before you got the tickets to come out here to Colorado and I put a bug in Kenny’s ear. I knew a judge just couldn’t take a business away from a person, but he or she could do something working through the liquor commission. These liquor laws are some that are the most strict and Harrison has been on the edge of losing it for a while.”

“Pete, always you amaze me.”

––––––––––––––––––––––––

Talking with Kenny had changed our mind and Mary was as ready to go home anytime, so we cut our vacation short by one day. Just as we thought things were going along smoothly something always cropped up. Two of the three carpenters from the east had come back, but missed their homes there and decided that they were going back to Boston to stay. The third was wavering about going back to Boston with the other two. This left us again short of experienced help.

The next morning when Geno and Guido sat for our daily meeting, we discussed what we should be doing about this. Guido informed us that if we offered the wavering carpenter, he might stay for a little more money.  “Okay, but that still leaves us two men down. The thing of it is, he is the best carpenter of the three and that’s good. Where can we find another couple of men?”

Geno spoke, “Hey, I saw in the paper that Jack Dailey passed away. He had quite a large crew. I know his wife, but not as well as I did Jack. I’ll send her a card and in it, I’ll ask her if she is taking over the business. That should get me an opening. I’ll also ask if we can help her out in anyway. We better keep looking for someone else, though.”

I spoke up, “I saw that too and was going to ask about it. Just mention that you have enough work ahead of us for the next year. It is winter time and we could keep a crew busy working inside. With Jack being gone, some of his help might be looking for work now anyway.

“I think we should begin paying the going rate for experienced help. The guys in my crew are okay and they are fast learning the trade and I’m still satisfied with having them working for me. We are getting into shape where we can strip two or three more houses. Two more months and maybe three so we will busting ass to keep ahead.”

“I’ll do it.” Then he laughed. “I know one more thing about Pete. He not only reads a book on occasion, but the newspapers as well.” We settled back into our days and had needed the vacation we had just returned from. We did hire some of the Dailey crew who weren’t working over the winter.

————————————————

Chloe and Guido stopped by one evening. Chloe spoke to Mary. “Mary, I mentioned that Guido was going to take me east to meet his parents and introduce me to Geno’s parents. We’ll be gone three days over Valentine’s Day. Is there any chance we can leave Ricky here for those days?”

“Of course you can. I’d love to have him with us. I’ll get him to help make you and Guido a Valentine.  So Guido, are you staying here in Ohio for good?”

“Yeah, I think so.  Everything I want is out here in Ohio. My mother will be disappointed, but when she meets Chloe, I don’t believe she will mind that much. She has been after me to find someone to love. I do believe I’ve found that in Chloe. A lot has to do with Ricky and when summer comes, Mom can come here or we’ll take Ricky east for a week. Chloe still wants to work. If we can get settled with Harrison, her ex husband, and she works at the spaghetti house, Ricky can be with her some of the time.”

This pleased me, “Great, I get to have Ricky around for three days. You know he can stay here any time. I need to get used to having a third person around. May is fast coming and I’ll soon have one child of my own.”

“You’re the best Pete. I’ve been through a little heartache for a while and with you treating me so good, I must have had my brain turned off at one time. I am going to pay you back someday.”  

“Chloe, take care of your new situation for a while more, I can wait.”

“Pete, did Guido tell you about my being in court? I don’t suppose Kenny has. Lawyers are funny that way.”

“Mary, they are pretty closed mouthed. If it is okay for him to tell me, I’ll be soon seeing Kenny.  Mary and I are going to dinner with Mary’s family, Thursday.”

“Ask away.”

––––––––––––––––––––––

It was one and a-half years ago when I was first hired by Sam to protect his sister and two years since Mary and I had shared that we were going to be married. At that time was when Mary shared with her brothers’ family why she couldn’t stand the wives of their brothers and kept them at arms’ length just because she had heard them say things that hurt her. She used this as revenge of a sort. At the time of our wedding, she shared everything and all enjoyed each others company.

Emmy, Alice’s oldest daughter, was especially close and doted on both Mary and I. She was planning being our babysitter when the Baby event occurred.

I observed that this was the same dinner I was treated to the evening I met Mary. Every one else said that life was so much easier now with the family fully compatible.”

Alice asked, “So Pete, anything new in your life?”  

“Not much. We’ re just back from Colorado and had a wonderful time. I went out to the mine and looked around. I know it is making us rich, but I’m not that interested. I’m told the money coming in will keep coming for years. It makes us happy, but I haven’t decided how to use it all.

“Geno and I have hired some help who are more experienced. That just means we will get the street Geno purchased and the houses rebuilt that much sooner. For myself, I bought that empty land out there where we store our tools. I will be dividing it into house lots and building new houses on them after we get the street of houses finished.

“Mary didn’t want to let me name the Smoky Quartz Crystal after her, even though we were married when we decided what to name it. She wanted it called the Manning Quartz. I argued with her out of naming it after me and it now resides in a museum who named it the Mary Goodell Smoky Quartz Chrystal. That is a gem that has style in my opinion.”

“I’d, say so. Are you going to name a street after you when you get enough houses built?”

“Yes Alice, and it is going to be Manning Avenue going North and South the whole length of the property.”

“Sam, I was thinking about my mother when I was out in Colorado. Isn’t there some of her effects in a closet somewhere in the house where they are stored? It may have been a dream that triggered the thought.”

“There is, Mary. I moved the three items out of the closet that were in your old room when I said Emmy could move into it. You can follow me up to the attic with Pete. The three of us can bring it all down at once. There is a small bedside cabinet, a chest, and a wrapped-up painting. I have no idea what the subject is. I’m assuming some of it or all will interest you. Your mother died so suddenly, no one had a chance to ask her.”

Kenny said, “I’ll go up with you, We wouldn’t want you falling and harming the baby.” I flashed a ‘thank you’ toward Kenny. It was an easy attic to get to with the stairs wide and not at all steep. There was a landing at the top of the stairs. I expected the attic would be cluttered, but it wasn’t. Kenny saw my surprise and answered without me asking. “We let the kids up here to play games sometimes but they have to have it kept organized.”

We entered and went the distance to the far end. Sam grasped the end of a large couch and we swung it out of the way. Behind this, there was a small stand with three drawers in it. It was 30 inches tall and 24 inches wide. I guessed it might be 12 inches front to back. It looked to be made of fumed oak and was very dark. It had ogee edges on three side of the flat top so it could fit against the wall.

There was a small domed chest about 12 inches by 8 inches made of the same wood as the stand. We could see it was made to go atop the stand with the three drawers. We could see where the chest sat because the top of the cupboard was lighter where the chest sat when we got it out into better light. There were two dowels protruding from the top about a quarter inch. They were near the back and two matching holes in the bottom of the chest for these to fit into to keep it in position so it wouldn’t slide off. I had never seen this particular effective construction before.

The only other item was what we assumed was a painting in a wooden shipping box and looked constructed of rough unplanned wood oak slats. Kenny said, “I’d like to view that when we get it down.” Mary said we would and led the way down from the attic. Everyone gathered in the living room to see what we had.

Mary wanted to see what were in the drawers of the stand. The drawers were locked with a key. Highly disappointed, Mary grumbled, “Wouldn’t you know.”

“Look on the bottom, Mary. Sometimes a key is hidden in a slot there.”

“You look, Pete. You must have read that someplace.”

I had and it was. Now it was obvious where, because the piece that supposedly had hidden the key was missing. The key did work, so Mary excitedly opened the top drawer. She took out a sales receipt from an Antique shop in New York City It was made out to Maria Goodell of Ohio. (Mary’s Mother).

The date showed this was purchased a year before Mary was born. The receipt was for three items. 1 three-drawer stand of oak, 1 domed chest of oak, and 1 shipping-box encasing a picture pertaining to a scene of the holy land where the Lord was crucified. These items are never to be sold separately. These items are not sold as originals, but are purported to be authentic reproductions.

Price: $137,000 paid in full. These items cannot be returned to this business.

I questioned, “Mary, was your mother rich enough to purchase these?”

“Pete, my father certainly was. Look at the amounts I shared with my brothers. Whether these items were purchased on a whim, or for some other reason we may never know. There may be something in the other drawers that will tell us.”

“That is all there is in that drawer?”

“That’s all there is, Sam.”

“Mary, open another drawer.”  

“Hey gang, I don’t think I will at this time. I’m sure there will be something personal for me from my mother. I’ll share at some other time. Would you be satisfied if we opened the shipping box and looked at the painting?”

Kenny said, “Yeah, let’s back off. After all, these are Mary’s things from her mother.”

Sam said he had tools that would straighten the hammered over nails and a nail puller to do the rest and headed for the kitchen.. There were four nails that had been bent over and then one which wasn’t and then two more bent over. From then on the rest were hammered in.

I looked the situation over when someone wondered why this was done that particular way. “Someone was smart. These slats are of hard wood and instead of nailing into frame they stopped nailing when the nails bent and predrilled the holes.”

Emmy spoke up, “I’ll bet you read a book about that at one time, right Uncle Pete?” I laughed and smiled.  

The slats were tight together. There still was a layer of thin wood underneath used for a dust cover. I looked at it and said that wood came off a lathe.  “Three of those glued together is plywood. With this and the slats together, a single sheet off the lathe would make this strong enough for the job. Most probably, this was more of a dust cover than for protection. Mills were using large lathes to turn out these sheets sometime in the 1800s or before. Mills powered by water here in the US are why there was so much industry.”

“Pete, skip the history lesson, I want to see the picture or painting or whatever.”

“Yes, Mary.”

I picked up the thin wooden cover and there lay the back of a painting. There was a bit of hemp rope around the frame of the painting so there would be some give. It looked almost ready to fall out. I grabbed a screwdriver and pried it out. It was loose. I stood the painting on end and tipped it toward me. The painting began falling toward me and I asked Kenny to hold the box while I lifted the painting up and away from the empty shipping box.

Mary was in front of me. Everyone else was behind me, expecting to see the painting, but this was the back and it faced the same way as I was. Mary demanded, “Peter, put it away so no one sees it!”

 I was shocked for she still held calling me Pete in real life. I automatically slid it back into the opened box. I reacted when I looked back at Mary, “Someone grab Mary, she is going to faint!” Charlie reached her first and then Sam. They eased her into a chair. One of the wives hurried out to the kitchen and got a dishtowel soaked in cold water. I took Mary’s hand and rubbed her wrists.

Her eyes fluttered and looked up at me as everyone stared at Mary, “Hey, I’m okay. It was a shock and not an appropriate subject for the young ones to see.”

—————————————————

“Well, tell us what was so bad about it?”

“No! Honest there are some dead people in it. Some of them haven’t been dead long and they apparently died in pain, so this just is not a fitting scene. Why Mother had these things, I can’t imagine. Pete, cover it up and we will view it at some later time. It is so bad I just know I’m going to have nightmares about it.”

I faced Sam, “Sure Dear. Sam, I think I had better take Mary home. Mary and I should look at this and go through the chest and cupboard and maybe we can learn more about it. Some day maybe we can show it to you if Mary says it is okay.”

Alice spoke to Mary, “Mary, you scared the hell of us. We have never heard you call Pete, Peter, and you were so insistent of what you wanted him to do. You know it was almost as if he knew what the picture was.”

“Alice, we do think a lot alike and more and more so as time goes on. It is like we lived together long ago and have found each other again.”

Emmy asked if she come visit this afternoon. “Emmy, I’m just going to be lying down.”

“I know but I want to be near you to make sure you are alright.”

“It is late, but I suppose Pete can bring you home.”

“I won’t stay long.”

I did some apologizing and thanking for dinner and held the car door open when three of Mary’s brothers brought out the items. Emmy sat in the middle of the back seat with the shipping box resting on her feet. The three-drawer stand was on one side of her and the chest on the other side.

We started and after five minutes, I asked if she was okay. “I am, Uncle Pete. Um, you know I got a quick glimpse of this picture when you raised it up and waved it around it. I was interested only ’till Aunt Mary made you cover it up so I couldn’t see the details? Can I look at it when we get to your house?”

“I don’t think so, Emmy. We want to study it before we show it to anyone.”

“Oh, I was only interested in all of those gallows with all the dead decaying men hanging on them.”

I looked at Mary, “Is that what the picture is about?”

“Some of it. I only saw it the same as Emmy did. Emmy, how did you see it, you were standing off to one side behind Pete?”

“Aunt Mary, I was looking around waiting for Uncle Pete to get this box open and realized if I looked in the big mirror over Mom’s sideboard, I would see it first before anyone else. It didn’t shock me and I really would like to see it for more than just the glimpse.”

“We’ll think about it when we get it unloaded.”

“I just know you will let me.”

I wanted to look at the painting…the only clue was what Emmy had told us what she saw. I suspected Mary had seen this in a dream she had last week. She was there in the dream and wanted to see if the painting portrayed what she experienced.

“Pete, we might as well uncover the painting and look at it. It can’t be too bad. I mean it was something that occurred and must be something holy. The stigmata didn’t appear on me in the dream until late the next morning. By that time I had met you and fallen in love.”

“Yes, and you discovered you were marked when you bathed and as if the dream is of something that really did happen.”

Emmy looked at Mary and asked, “Then the woman in this painting is a picture of you, and this was something that happened to you two thousand years ago?”

“We don’t know that, but the dream I had seemed so real.”

Mary paused and looked at both of us. This was Aunt Mary’s decision. “Okay, Emmy, if your Uncle thinks it is okay, we’ll look at it.” I didn’t say anything and went to get some tools to pull the nails, again. While I did this, Mary got a kitchen chair to set the painting on.

Finally, the painting was free and I sat it on the chair. It looked old and probably was, but I knew it couldn’t be as old as the subject matter. It was pretty much as Mary had related in her dream. The only difference was there was a copper coin object in the lower right-hand corner of the frame. Seventy percent of it could be seen.

I looked closely and surmised the back of the coin was seemingly glued to the canvas and no doubt but what it had been glued in the notches. It was corroded and green in color. The etched outline of the fish was bright enough to make out, though.

There was so much detail, I went on to look at the woman standing on what looked to be a dirt road facing away from the left-hand bottom corner. In the background, there were many gallows with dead men rotting away on them.  There were a few persons shown, that had been crucified and nailed to a cross. For common crimes, the cross would hang two persons, one from each arm of the cross and the cross  used many times over.

Next, I focused on the main subject in center of the painting. This was of two men pulling on a wooden cart. It looked heavy and crude as if it borrowed from a farm. It had high sideboards with the same in the front. The backs of two men seen tugging on the cart. The cross was just as Mary’s dream person related. The top of the cross showed just a little and the same with the arms showed about the same amount. They appeared to be ends chopped with an axe.

The end, which couldn’t have been further away than five feet from where Mary was standing, was sawed and only inches from dragging on the ground.  There was black stuff that had run down the center of the cross below the shroud. This is what Mary had said in her dream. This was hidden above where the blood, if that was what it was, had run out from under the heavy shroud of grey and a few drops showed on the ground. You could imagine a dead man tied to the cross and certainly totally hidden under the shroud.

I remembered that Mary had said she had wiped the blood from her hands onto a shawl. In this picture, you could see where the shawl came around her neck and with the ends going under her robe. The two men tugging on the cart were disappearing into a cloud of mist swirling over them. To the right over the road, you could see a storm nearly there. It was small storm cloud and Mary was going to get drenched if she took many steps up the road.

A quarter of the whole picture contained many, many crosses on the upper right hand of the picture. The storm arriving you could get glimpse of more gallows through the rain. I remembered that Mary said it was still light yet and the whole painting shades of grey. Mary’s shawl and clothes had some detail that could be made out. Mary’s face was lighter and as I studied the picture I realized the area what I took to be east, was just a bit lighter as well. This was painted by an experienced artist.

I realized I hadn’t spoken for all the time I had been staring at the painting. Mary, who was beside me, said, “Pete, you gave that a going over.”

“I did. You know everything I looked at is just the way your dream said it happened. I couldn’t see anything different. How is Emmy doing?”

“She went to sleep more than an hour ago. I called Alice, and Emmy is staying the night.”

“I didn’t hear you call her.”

“No, you were too involved to hear me. I think it is time to go to bed. I’ll cover Emmy up on the couch. She’ll be fine. I’ll bet you don’t realize you have been studying the painting for almost two hours. I don’t think you even blinked.”

“Just interested, that’s all. You know what was related in the dream when you helped those two men saw the cross off and load it is absolutely true in every way.  I’m thinking that other things that were related to you will be true to your dreams as well. I can’t see how it can be substantiated, though.”

“Peter, we may know more of it before this whole mystery is played out.”

“Mary, you just called me Peter again, and not Pete as usual. It all makes me wonder why?”

We all awoke early in the morning. I went to work and Mary drove Emmy home so she could get ready for school. I guess we didn’t disturb Emmy’s mind at all because she didn’t even mention the painting. Alice questioned Mary about it and Mary said she didn’t appear that interested and soon went to sleep. Alice didn’t appear that interested either and said nothing more about the aborted viewing session that Mary had cut short the night before.

Life went on the same as always. Those who knew about the painting never mentioned it with the exception of Mary and me. We discussed this between ourselves often, and would uncover the picture to look at it to see if there were any details we missed. We talked about this and her dreams so much, I began to believe I was there along with Mary (Miriam).

—————————————

Guido and Chloe’s three-day vacation was coming up and Guido was excited about his family meeting Chloe.  Friday, the day before they were to leave, Ricky fell and banged up his left knee. With hobbling on his right foot, it was difficult for the now four-year old to move around. Chloe was very disappointed and talked Mary into leaving Ricky with us worried he would be too much trouble. We were glad to have him stay because we both adored the child.

That evening, Ricky spread out on the couch. He wasn’t tired and talked about whatever came into his mind with Mary. After a bit, Mary could see I was bored and she told me to get the picture out and study the scene some more if I wished. We hadn’t boxed it up so I went and brought it from the corner. Now Ricky was interested in something.

“What are those things that that have parts of people hanging from them?”

“Those are called gallows.”

“Why?”

“Ricky, I don’t really know why? It happened so long ago no one would remember. Look it is raining in part of the picture and you can still see them. That’s because the rain isn’t too heavy.”

“That’s a funny looking cart. It looks awful old too. Who is that woman standing watching the cart. Is that you, Aunt Mary?”

“Not this Aunt Mary.”
 
“What is that other Aunt Mary doing there?”

“Maybe she was there to help the men who are leaving.”

Ricky spotted the copper coin in the right corner. “Can I look at that big penny?”

“Sure you can. Just don’t try to take it. You can rub it if you want to. It is supposed to shine so you can rub it with your finger all you want to. Not too hard, though.”

“I’ll be careful. Hey look, there is a fish scratched on it. It looks just like the one in my coloring book. Why is it on that big penny?”

“I think maybe because it may have been with a man who carried it in his pocket for a good luck charm.  There was a man named Peter who was a Fisherman. He was a special man and sat at another person’s feet who was his teacher. It is covered up because they both believed in the same things of how people should treat each other. Ricky, I know this is all confusing to you but I just don’t know how to explain it to you. Someday you may go to church and learn all about it.”

“I think Mom and Uncle Guido are going to church someday. They told me when they came home that they will tell me for sure. Uncle Guido has to talk to his mother and father about it. He said he was going to a Catholic church. Is that the one you go to?”

“No, I’m not much of a church-going man. It doesn’t matter much what church a person goes to because there is only One God and I do believe in him. Other religions believe in God but have different beginnings to arrive at beliefs that deviate as time went by. A lot has to do with when the beliefs were recorded and written down.

My glance went to Mary and I almost laughed aloud. I watched Ricky and he was rubbing the coin gently just as I had instructed. “Mary, I’m getting in too deep. Help me out, please?”

“Way  too much detail. Just say the three largest religions who believe in one God are, Christianity, Islam, and Mormons or Church of Latter Day Saints. The oldest is Christianity, then Islam, and last and newest, Mormons . All deviate slightly from the basic tenet of One God. There are people who follow these religions in just about every country in the world.”

“Mary, don’t forget that all began with Abraham.”

I had lost the attention of Ricky. “Uncle Pete, I like rubbing the penny. It makes me happy and I feel good all over. Can I come over and rub the big penny after Mom comes home?”

“I don’t see why not. For now though, I’ll bet if you ask Aunt Mary to make some popcorn, she would be glad to.”

“Aunt Mary?”

“Of course I will.

Ricky didn’t eat much popcorn. He snuggled down between us and was soon fast asleep. “Mary, look at his knee. It looked like it was terribly bruised yesterday.”

Mary gently pulled up his pants leg and couldn’t find any bruises on the knee.  “Pete, there are no marks at all. I did keep him from running around all day today, but that it is unusual to have the bruises disappear so fast. You’ll be home tomorrow and you can take him in the truck with you when you go out to the barn. Chloe will be calling in a little bit and I can tell her Ricky is fine. She’ll be happy with that.”

“What about his other leg? He asks you to rub it sometimes.”

 “He is good and doesn’t complain very much. When he gets tired, he just looks for a place to sit down. What are you going to do out at the barn?”

“I’m going to go up to the top floor and look more closely at those boards.  There are windows on each end and I like looking at the land I purchased. It must have been a beautiful sight when there were cattle feeding on it.”

“Pete, make sure you get back at noon and I’ll cook up something really good for dinner.”

“What are you doing besides that?”

“I’m going to look in the chest and the other two drawers in the little stand. Maybe there will be a letter or something from Mother. I wish I could talk with her. I’m still mad with her talking to that priest so much and not telling me what was said.”

“I’m surprised she didn’t have you going to church. Maybe she wasn’t party to the information that the Mary of your dreams told you.”

“Maybe not. You said during Jesus’ time there were no Catholics as such.”

“I think that is correct. Jesus was the teacher and he had disciples and they were the ones who spread the word after Jesus rose to heaven. Later, if there had been no Constantine, Emperor of Rome, the word of God might never been spread like it has. Remember most religions are faith based. The One God had Prophets and Angels and those who became Saints and Apostles to bolster that faith. Here on earth, the Roman Empire was huge and Constantine passed an edict that Christianity was to become their religion.  

“Going back before Jesus there were two of the 12 tribes of the land of Israel surviving…Judea and Benjamin. They were allowed to return to Israel after the fall of Babylon. Judea to the north, and Benjamin to the south, in the land of Israel. The tribe of Benjamin was assimilated into the tribe of Judea and became who we name Jews.

“There is so much history and this part of the Old Testament was written in the seventh century BC. You have to remember that there were scholars with a written language down through history who wrote about their own history and both the Old and New Testaments are compilations. As more history comes to light, changes are discussed and often if found to be true are accepted.”

“Pete, there you go again giving me more details than I am interested in. Why are you so interested?”

“It could be because I have a wife who definitely has some connection to all of this through the stigmata markings on that beautiful chest of hers. Also, it is bolstered by the dreams you are having and of you relating them to me. It could be a coincidence or it could be a snippet of the truth about you or an ancestor.”

“That is reaching for something that is impossible.”

“Is it? Think, Mary how you are marked. Also, why you are having a continuing dream of how they came to be? I am curious about something concerning me. Why do you call me Peter in these dreams and call me Pete when we are here in Ohio? Was I part of this or just a peripheral character in your dream?

“I’ll even go so far as to ask why your mother, Maria acted as she did. Your half brothers have declared she was unstable and I believe you think she was too. Remember also, the Mary in the life of your dreams are much the same as you are with half brothers. While I am gone with Ricky this morning, please go through the chest and the drawers in the stand. The answer may be revealed.”

“I can do that. You will promise to take care of Ricky while he is with you, won’t you?”

“Yes, I couldn’t let anything happen to him.”

“I’ll get him up and dressed. He must be hungry by now.” 

Chapter Nine

An hour later, I had him strapped into a seat in back. “Where are we going, Uncle Pete?”

“We are going out to the barn and see Fred and Sandy Hamilton.  I want to go up on the top floor and look at those piles of boards again.”

“Is it way up high?”

“Higher than you have ever been before. We can look out a window and see a long distance.”

Ricky thought about being way up high. “Uncle Pete, will I be scared?”

“Maybe, but I’ll be right with you and I’m not scared.”

“I guess I won’t be either.”

Fred was working, cleaning up some doors that he was going to advertise for sale. Sandy was in the office doing paper work. I was carrying Ricky. “Hi Pete, hi Ricky. Ricky, I don’t see you very much.”

“I know, Mom keeps me at home. Mom and Uncle Guido have gone some place called East to see Uncle Guido’s mom. I am staying with Aunt Mary and Uncle Pete for a few days.”

Sandy looked at me and I answered, “Guido is going to introduce Chloe to his family. I think he is going to ask Chloe to marry him. That would mean he might stay here. I hope so for he is our best carpenter.”

“Oh, I hope so too. I like Chloe a lot. I understand that she may be opening a diner or something.”

“Maybe. Her ex-husband may give up his share of a place because he owes Chloe so much for back support for Ricky. I guess he owes some back alimony too. Anyway it is in the courts now and soon will be settled. How did you hear of this so soon?”

“Gino and Gina were discussing it yesterday. I guess Gina was observing the proceedings in court. I haven’t said anything to anyone. Chloe is a very pretty woman. Gina was saying that the diner should come to you for Chloe’s ex stole your money to buy a share of the diner. You went with Chloe at one time, right?”

“That was along time ago. Say, I’m going to go up to the top floor and look at those boards I got from Fred. I told Ricky he could look out the window and see a long ways off.”

“I’m done here, I’d love to do that. I’ll watch Ricky while you are up there looking around. He and I can do that together.”

“Great, I’ll tell Mary you were watching him for me.”

“She won’t be jealous will she?”

“No, she and I go way back.”

“I thought you haven’t been married that long.”

“It isn’t that, we are so in love, it seems like it was from the beginning of time.”

“I hope someday to find a man who makes me feel that way.”

“I’d say your prospects of finding a man are improving all the time. I mean you are a pretty woman and own your own business.”

“Yes, and you know whom I have to thank. Pete, I hope when I find someone, he will be at least half as good as you.”

Ricky was tugging on my sleeve, “Uncle Pete can we go up now?” Whew, I didn’t have to answer Sandy’s comment. I wouldn’t want to cut this young woman off and embarrass myself or her.

Ricky got excited when we looked out one of the windows and there were two deer feeding close to where the old stable was. There was a bit of frozen grass and the deer were munching on it. “Ricky, watch the deer. See their heads are down. Soon you will see their tails twitch and then they will raise their head and look around to see if there is any danger. Then they will go back to feeding. I read that in a book one time and always wondered if it was true.”  We did watch and that’s just what the deer did. Another fact I thought was fiction and it wasn’t at all.

Sandy asked what I was going to do with the piles of boards. “We may build a bigger house when our family demands it. We would like three kids someday. I was thinking the other day, I’ll build one room for a den or something and call it Mary’s room. That’s where she can retreat to while I watch the kids and she can rest with some down time. I can panel the walls, build book shelves, and peg the floor boards with wooden pegs. I’m sure she will love it.”

“Yeah, Pete, and she’ll love you all the more.”

Finally, I had an inventory that I was positive of an accurate count of every size of the boards in the piles for an inventory I was satisfied with. There were a much larger amount of board feet than what the man I had asked to estimate its worth. Maybe he couldn’t count, or maybe he could for he said they were worth so much, but I counted a lot more board feet than what he quoted. The old saying, (Trust but verify) still holds true.

Ricky went screaming into the house, hobbling the best he could, telling Mary that he had seen deer up close, and feeding. “Sandy watched me and some deer while Uncle Pete counted his boards. He said the someday he was going to build you a house and put the boards on the walls and on the floor.”

“Ricky, I’m sure he will. What did Sandy, Pete, and you talk about?”

“Some about Mom and Uncle Guido and them going east. Uncle Pete was down to the other end of the barn looking at every pile of boards. I got sick of watching the deer so we came home. What’s for dinner?

“Ricky, I made macaroni and cheese and put some left-over roast beef in it. I’ve got some frozen strawberries for desert.”

“Are you going to make smoothies out of them?”

“I can, but I have hot biscuits too if you would like them in a shortcake.”

“I’ll have a smoothie and I can cover the biscuits with some of it. I bet that will be yummy. Mom gives me really good food to eat since Uncle Guido comes to the house.”

“We’ll try it.” It was good! I tried it and liked it.

After we ate, Ricky asked Mary if she would rub his right leg. She massaged it. I felt of the bump that was above the heel.  As per the doctor’s diagnosis, the cords had grown together while was Ricky still in his mother’s womb. That was what tipped his foot down at that point and wouldn’t let the heel touch the floor.

“Mary, somehow we are going to have the operation done. The surgeon tells us that this is the last year it is possible to correct it without doing more damage. I know I was tangled up with Chloe but we are well enough off so we could supply money to have this done.”

“Pete, I’m willing. I was just waiting for you to mention it. Chloe took you for a lot of money and the revenge I tried to even things out didn’t work. This made me so ashamed for attempting it. I love the little boy like I would if he was mine.”

“Okay, we will talk to her about it when she gets back on Monday. We have done a lot for her, but we can do more.”

Sunday, Ricky wasn’t as active and wanted Mary to rub his leg for longer than usual. We didn’t have much going on so it was no problem.  I had the painting out and examined how the coin in the corner was affixed. Ricky hobbled over and asked if he could rub the coin.

He did it long beyond what I thought would hold his attention. “You like rubbing on that, don’t you?”

“I do, and it makes me feel good all over. I think the green is coming off because my finger is green. Is that okay?”

“Sure, but don’t put it in your mouth. I don’t think it will hurt you, but you never know. We call the green corrosion, and it often appears on copper metal. It is a chemical reaction to the moisture in the air.”

“Oh.”

“Go ahead and rub it all you want to if it makes you feel good.”  Ricky returned his finger to the coin and smiled at me.

I went on now holding Ricky in my lap so he could reach the coin. I examined the painting with a magnifying glass that I brought in with me.  I determined that this was painted, in oil and here and there, there were cracks in the surface. I wanted to chip a little off, but didn’t want to spoil the picture. I might even take the painting to a conservator to tell me what he thought about this unusual piece of art.

But this was Mary’s and she might not want me to. Mary had been very successful about keeping her stigmata covered and our friends who knew about it never brought it up or mentioned it. The marks were so obvious when seen, they not mentioning it was in itself unusual.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

When we got Ricky into bed and asleep, I asked Mary what she found in the little night stand’s drawers while I was gone during today.

 “Not too much, Pete. There is one very long letter from my mother in the middle drawer addressed to me, and answers many of the things I always wondered about concerning her. It is a rambling letter and confusing at times. The priest wanted mother to go public about the marks on my chest. He asked often if the marks were still there like Mother showed him shortly after I was born. Mother wasn’t going to let that happen. From what she says in the letter about me and the priest, Mother fought him about sharing the stigmata I was born with to the church and the world.

“The priest was after her for years. She felt the marks had been shared with the priest too much already. The priest wanted the notoriety that a child with stigmata would make him and the church famous and was not concerned about Mary or the child at all. “Christ, if Mom wanted him to make me into a sideshow I would be in some circus somewhere.” She said he wouldn’t do that. Mary is a child of God.

“The insistence over what he wanted to do and what he brought to bear finally made her unstable. The last time he came to see her, he declared he was going to write his bishop anyway, and place her daughter’s marking in his hands. Two days later the priest had a stroke. Mother went to see him in the hospital. He couldn’t speak, but she thought he was somewhat lucid.

“Mother was bitter and cursed the priest. Later, mother was going to apologize to the priest, but informed, he had passed away shortly after she left the hospital two days before. Mother apologized to me, then declaring she didn’t understand why this burden had been placed on her. And now I am faced with the same of  having to hide it.

“She thought the stigmata were a burden, not for her but for me who had my life ahead. Also, this the priest dying made Mother more unstable. It was the idea of having cursed the priest and she felt she may have contributed something to his death.

“I guess this must be why mother left me all her wealth and not to my stepbrothers.”

“Mary, I feel the marks on you are a gift and I'm begging you to believe that this really is stigmata and you were born with it. It may be because you helped the two men in the picture with a chore that needed doing. It could be just a simple ‘Thank You’ in some form or other. I know in this life I am thankful that you are here beside me.”

“That is why I love you so much. Do you think there is more to this than just some dreams and a few artifacts from a distant past?”

“Time will tell and I’m sure what is ahead of us will make us happy. Always we will have each other to bolster our life and make us both satisfied and happy. You have come a long way from what you were when I first met you. Everyone in your family is now happy since you told them how you felt when they spoke badly about you. You were going to act the same way toward me, but you changed. I’ll take credit for that.” I wanted to get away from this subject. So I asked a question, and changed the conversation.

“What was in the bottom drawer?”

“I’m mystified a little. There is a bunch of letters tied with a string directed to Mother from the Priest, Father Paul. Mother never named the priest when she talked about him, but I guess she wouldn’t have if they had a contentious relationship. I haven’t opened the bundle and I don’t believe she did either.

“May I open and look at them?”

“Of course you may. I’d say open them tonight, but you would never come to bed if I said yes.”

“I’ll look at them tomorrow. You can keep Ricky entertained while I do.”

“I’ll take him to see Gram and Aunt Ida. They love having any of us stopping by to visit.”

“That will be good.”

Where Ricky was tired yesterday, today he was just the opposite. The two old women doted on him and always asked of his crippled ankle. They were amazed that he never complained. Before Mary left the house, she asked Ricky if he wanted his leg rubbed. “Aunt Mary, it’s good today. I might want it rubbed before I go to sleep tonight.”

Chloe called from Boston just after the two left and I told her that Ricky was fine and asked me when she was expected home. “We’ll be in before daylight and we’ll stop over about seven to get him tomorrow.”

“I may have left for work by then. Geno will want to know about Friday after you left. Did you have a good visit with Guido’s family?”

“I did and we showed the pictures of Ricky to both Geno and Guido’s family and they promised to see us all sometime before June.”

“Any thing special about June?”

“I’m not saying, but you could ask Guido.”

“I guess that answers my question. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Pete, I love you and Mary. After what I did to you and how you have forgiven me, I appreciate it so much. Some of the last few years have been hell for me, but you have been so generous, that’s with you waiting while I get enough money to fix Ricky’s ankle and not demanding it.”

“Nothing has changed so forget it until after Ricky has his operation and is well.” I hung up before she said anything more.

Mary and Ricky were home before lunch. Ricky asked if we would take him to get a hamburger like Mary bought for him and his mother one time long ago. He had a great time diving into the place where the plastic balls were. Mary and I suspected he would be tired, but he said he wasn’t.

Finally, we got him to go to sleep by Mary rubbing his leg even when Ricky said there was no need. He had rubbed the big penny notched into the right corner of the painting and now felt great. I had risen early because I wanted to open the bundle of papers in the bottom drawer.

This was Father Paul’s work, he had worked on after he retired, and didn’t have a church any longer. He spent his time tracking down reports of people who claimed that the marks on their body were stigmata. He had copied every one and then realized most claims were from people looking for notoriety. He knew that Mary had almost certifiable marks on her chest. What a way to wind up crushed, not being able to gain permission to publish his stigmata investigation with Mary as the most likely one.

There was a separate letter in an envelope in amongst the papers, sealed and never opened. Apparently, Mary’s mother hadn’t opened this bundle. This had Mary’s mother’s name of Maria on the envelope, and I surmised that the priest could have written an apology and enclosed it here for it was very personal. Too bad for her, but Mary might appreciate it when I showed it to her.

Guido and Chloe knocked on the door at 6:30. I was ready for work, but stayed to hear about Chloe meeting Guido’s family. Mary made coffee and said she had gotten up early to make sweet buns for Ricky.  “You’re spoiling him, Mary. I’ll go wake him up. He has been good, hasn’t he?”

“Great, you know we’d like to keep him?”

“Ricky has his days and he did promise to be good. I’ve only been gone three days and it seems longer. Point me to where he is sleeping.”

We heard the bedroom door open and then the two talking about Ricky getting out of bed for a sweet bun that Aunt Mary had made for him.

Suddenly we heard Chloe shout. “Mary, come in here! What did you do to Ricky?”

 Chloe was standing in the hall with Ricky beside her. Chloe said, “Look how Ricky is standing. His foot is flat on the floor. He jumped off the bed and I noticed when he took some steps that he is the way any one would normally walk. Ricky, walk down to the kitchen. If it hurts, stop. We’ll have to have the doctor inspect this.”

“Mommy, it doesn’t hurt at all.” Tears were running down Chloe’s face. Ricky walked normally down the hall to the kitchen. I and Guido were sitting at the table having coffee. Guido stood up and Ricky ran to him and climbed into his  arms.

I glanced at Mary. Tears were running down her face too. Guido looked at Mary and asked, “How did this happen? Was he like this when he went to bed?”

“No, I would have noticed. I did rub his heel and leg a lot day before yesterday and he said I made it feel good. Chloe said it was okay to do this.”

Guido said, “Chloe, call the doctor and maybe even the surgeon. We have to find out what happened and if it will last. I’ve never seen a miracle, but I think I have seen one today.”

We had discussed whether to leave the painting out where Guido and Chloe could see it. Ricky had touched the coin so much we had made that decision for them to see it. Chloe was horrified. She started to criticize Mary, but at that moment, Ricky ran over and rubbed the coin. “Mommy, it makes me feel good to touch it. I think it helped make my leg feel better.”

These two hadn’t been involved when we retrieved the painting from Sam and Alice’s house. Mary explained a little what it was and how she came to have it. I knew she would keep the explanation at the minimum as possible, but it wasn’t to be. “Mommy, that is Aunt Mary standing there. She helped those two men put the cross on the wagon.”

It obvious that Guido didn’t get any connection to the Holy Land for he turned to Mary. “Where did you get that painting, and why did you show this to Ricky? Oh wait I remember at the pool last summer Chloe said you had some scars and that is why you wear your clothes the way you do. Are you a stigmatic and do you have markings that you keep covered? The Catholic religion is rife with such stories.”

“The painting came from my mother’s effects. I’m not Catholic and my mother wasn’t either. But, and that’s a big but, I don’t want to discuss this. My family knows of the painting and I have asked them to not discuss it either. I believe that a doctor will declare Ricky’s leg healed. I don’t have anyway to know this for certain, but I sure hope it is.

“Mother named me Miriam which I understand is the Hebrew name for Mary. She may have named me that, not knowing where it originated. Anyway, I have always been called Mary. As far as reading the picture, I had a dream which I repeated to Ricky when he asked if the person standing in the left hand corner was me. He seemed to know this without me saying it could be. I will not discuss my dreams and Ricky will soon forget what I said.”

Chloe promised immediately not to discuss Ricky’s seemingly correction of his foot and heel and any connection to Mary because she had rubbed it when he asked her to.  Hesitantly, Guido did the same. “In the olden days, a happening like this would name you a stigmatic and you had performed an act of either for God or the Devil. I say God because the outcome seems to be a wonderful improvement.”

“Guido, please. I am not looking for notoriety. I have lived with this situation my whole life, and would escape it, if I could. Mother was turned into what everyone called weird and died with that burden of me being marked and it was troubling to her. I think this happening to Ricky was a one-time thing. I soon will have a baby and Pete and I want to get on with our lives.

“I have changed, because when I was growing up I was more than a little weird myself. It took Pete to see it and make me come around to be a more normal person. To prove my point, I want to confess to Chloe that it was me who directed her car damaged. That was my last act of revenge due to Pete’s intervention and I changed at that moment to the person I am now. I’m happy and Pete is happy, and I’m terribly happy that Ricky is better. I still want a normal life and that is why I don’t want any notoriety.

“Mary, I understand and you have my promise not to talk about it. Chloe and I will be seeing the doctor later today if we can get an appointment. Would you go with us and tell the doctor how this came about?”

“I can do that. You know this may not even be connected to the marks I have on my chest. This may have just happened normally.”

“Well maybe, but I don’t think so. As you wish, Chloe and I will not even mention the possibility of this miracle being attributed you. It is a miracle though. That is enough for the world to see and I do believe it is a miracle with Ricky walking and running around.” Ricky was getting hugs from his mother and Guido. Chloe kept hugging Mary. Guido even hugged me. I got up to go to work and Chloe shyly hugged me. Guido decided he would go with the two women and Ricky.

I didn’t tell any one at work about Ricky’s new status. People we knew would notice it soon enough. Mary would talk to the doctor, because he knew of the stigmata on her chest. She asked Chloe to caution the doctor not to speak of it if the doctor wondered to her if there was a connection of Mary’s stigmata,  and what happened to improve Ricky’s foot.

Mary called just before lunch, “Pete, Chloe is cooking us supper tonight. We want to tell you what the doctor thinks happened to Ricky. The surgeon is going to x-ray and take pictures on Wednesday of what really happened, but Ricky’s doctor has been looking at the foot and ankle for over three years now so he has a good idea about it already. So we are eating here and discuss it.”

“You’re not telling me now?”

“No, it would be more exciting if you wait.”

“Oh, come on sweetheart, tell me a little bit.”

“Okay, I will. I think the doctor knows I had something to do with straightening it out. He didn’t mention it, but he saw how Ricky clung to me. How are you doing after our mini-vacation?”

“I’ll be glad Geno and Gina went on vacation during the holidays. Maybe the weather will be nice and with the extra men, we are moving right along. I’m getting to know what is going on too. Geno gets tied up in the office and that pisses him off. I’m glad I’m just a working foreman.”

 “Has Guido said what his folks said about meeting Chloe?”

“They just love her. Guido’s mother has some Jewish relatives so she fits in. Guido’s father is an Italian Catholic, so the father is fine with the two matching up.”

“Hey, I’ll wait for this evening and you can tell me everything. I’ve gotten my two original workers, Mack and Randy, and we are wrecking another house. This one is number seven. There are the two of the three new men working on number three. I think with the snow gone so early, Gina is going to be listing number one house since it is all done except the grounds. It should have sold last fall, but with me investing in the business, it wasn't so critical.The grounds will have to wait until May, but Gina can sell it and the new owners can have their grounds the way they would like them.

“Oh, Sandy and Fred are here with the pick-up taking what is good out of the house. Sandy is even helping me put trash in the dumpster.”

“You watch it, boy, she might have designs on you.”

“Not to worry, Randy has the inside track. He is the one who spent so much time in prison when charged with robbing a store. He was innocent, but had to pay anyway.”

“Her Uncle Fred is okay with that?”

“Fred asked me about him. I found out who was his parole officer and gave Fred his number and they have talked. It didn’t change anything and he is a decent sort. I’m relieved because I would hate to lose Randy. Some day he will be just as good as Guido.”

“And of course, you are giving him every chance.”

“I am. You do good things just the same as I try to.”

“That hurts because I haven’t always.”

“But you changed.”

“I have, haven’t I?”

———————————————

I arrived at Chloe’s apartment just before six. Guido had a beer in his hand. Ricky was a little quiet and hanging onto Mary. Chloe said, “Ricky is worn out ’cause he has been poked and prodded all day long. He had to have x-rays taken. Anyway, we can’t tell exactly how his foot changed, just the end results.  We have always known that there was a bunch behind his foot above his ankle. Now there is a bunch in front above that same place on front on his ankle.

“That part is terribly loose and the one in back has disappeared. We surmise there are two sets of cords control his foot. Apparently, Mary manipulated the cords in the rear, which were knotted together. They separated into what is the normal position with her manipulations. 

"The ones in front were bunched together before and are loose because now they were stretched to hold his foot in his former position. The doctor is hoping they will tighten up because those are the ones that control his toes. They should return to their proper place so that will solve that problem. The calluses will soon soften and disappear as he uses the whole foot rather than the ball of the foot while hopping to get around.”

 I asked, “Is there anything we can do?”

“Well, the cords still will benefit by massaging them.”

Ricky asked, “Can I still rub the big penny? That makes my foot feel good all over.”

Mary suggested. “Of course you can. I’ll tell you what, why don’t we bring it over and you can rub the penny just before you go to bed and when you wake up in the morning.”

Chloe said, “I don’t know, that painting must be quite valuable. I would hate to have something happen to it.”

“That is no worry to me and if it helps Ricky, I’d like to have him use it. I can come over most days until the baby comes, and I’ll do some of the massaging on his foot.

Guido said, “I’m good with a camera and I have one. I’ll take several pictures of the painting you can look at until we return it.”

I said that would work. “The bill of sale said this was a reproduction, anyway. I’ll talk to our agent and have it appraised and insure it.”

That night when we returned from Chloe’s, I tried to think of what I could do to help the boy. While I was doing this, I remembered I hadn’t looked at the bundle of papers that the Priest, Paul had left in the bottom drawer of the three-drawer stand. It was after midnight when I finally crawled in next to Mary.

She roused up. “I knew if you got into that bunch of papers, you’d find something interesting and be stuck until you finished looking at them. What are they about?”

“They are a list of people who are or claimed to be stigmatic. Most of them are women, but there are a few men. They have various marking on them. The men named seemed to be borne out as truly stigmatic, and these have been more or less been proved to be so. Some are holy men but two are men who were poor and miracles happened to someone or people who they came in contact with.”

“What about the women who had or have markings on them like me?”

“I believe you were very wise to keep this hidden as much as you have. Women seemed to fare worse than the men, but that may be because there were more of them with known markings. Through the centuries, many of these people with markings were burned as witches. We had that happen here in Salem, Massachusetts. Earlier there was the Spanish Inquisition which went on with this practice for years.

“Father Paul seemed to discount most of these as either witches or stigmatic marking that didn’t have any connection with the Lord and he probably was correct. I’m guessing it would be the same with the Inquisition. Often they were charged and tortured to recant and some did recant, but many refused to do so. Were they true believers in God or did they want to become martyrs in His service? It didn’t matter, for it wouldn’t save them. Many were burned even if they did believe this.

“Some were truly Holy, becoming nuns in a some Holy Order and never found out until the markings were discovered when they were laid out waiting on their funeral. History is fickle and I suppose some of these became Saints.”

“Pete, you scare me!”

“I’m not trying to. You do have much going for you. You have related your dreams about a happening from very early in the beginnings of the Christian religion. You say I was there with you and that makes me feel akin and closer to you than us being a normal couple. Is there more for us, I don’t know? It is strange for neither one of us is particularly religious.

“Mary, I will state I believe you couldn’t be when I first met you. You have changed though, from a bitter and revengeful person to one who gathers friends around you and willing to give your all to help them.

“Will I rush to a church and begin doing good deeds to prove how religious I can be?  No, I don’t think so. I do believe and I do have an active conscience and guess I am all right concerning my life. Mary, what about you?”

“Pete, I certainly have had a wake-up call. Some of it because of the marks I was born with, but mostly because of you. Where are we going from here?”

“I think we can go on with our life much like we have since we were married. As for the so-called miracle that has occurred, we can pass that off as some normal happening to Ricky and would have occurred naturally. We don’t have to let on how closely we are associated with Ricky, Chloe, and Guido. There are the dreams, the copper (penny), and the painting. If we ignore speaking about these items, we may escape being found out.

“This is our life and I think we should live our lives without the notoriety that Father Paul wanted for your mother and the marks you are carrying. We don’t need it.”

“Oh Pete, that is what I want too.”

“I did do one thing more for Ricky. I bought an exercise machine he can use to walk on and installed it in our cellar. Guido can bring him over and he could use it for an hour. It won’t be long though, before he will speed it up and will be running on it.  Mary, I love to run and it is great fun.”

Guido came and sat down with me while I was eating lunch Thursday. “Chloe has no idea how to go about making the change over in the restaurant. We need all new furniture. We need one new wall because the old one has been moved once and it wasn’t a very good design to start with. The bar area is only going to be half the size it is now.”

“Chloe owns it?”

“She owns more than half. Harrison had some money and that’s what he purchased from John Langford. John is a pretty decent sort, and tickled that Harrison is gone. We have tried to sort out a new floor plan ourselves, but can’t really come up with anything. Of course, Chloe owes you, and has promised to pay you back. I’m putting some money in as well. She and I are getting married in June.”

“You aren’t going to be quitting us are you?”

“No, defiantly not. I’d get too fat being around food all the time.”

“Guido, as far as what Chloe owes me, I can wait a while. I’m not bothered and she has promised and I’m taking her at her word. I’ll think about this for a day or two and find someone to help get you organized. You really need an architect. You know don’t you, that I have never even driven by this place?”

“You ain’t missing much. I’m putting money in because I love Chloe. It is nothing I’d touch if it weren’t for her and Ricky. Do you think Geno will let me have our crew to make the change over?”

“I don’t know, he is your cousin. You can count on me along with my men. I’ll get back to you in a day or two. Let’s go talk to Geno.” We found Geno wanted to be kept out of this.

I called Kenny and told him my problem. “I know just the person. Keep Saturday morning open and I’ll get him over there. The person is retired, I play poker with him, and he bemoans the fact that time drags for him. His wife kicks him out of the house when she gets sick of listening to him. I wondered how Chloe was going to get this bar going now that part of it is hers. I might know you would get involved, somehow. You take care of all your friends, even your ex-girlfriends.”

“And I love you too, Kenny. I’ll spread the word and see you on Saturday.”

“You’re lucky Mary isn’t like she used to be. Back then, she would figure out some way to screw you up. She sure was a mean and jealous person. We brothers tried at times to get her to change, but to no avail. What a nice surprise when we went out to Colorado and found that she had fallen in love with you.”

“Kenny, love conquers all.”

I told Mary when I got home. Chloe and Ricky had been there several hours. “You might as well go with us Saturday.”

“I would like to. Pete, how much is this going to cost you or us?”

“I don’t know Mary, I think John Langford is going to rehab the bar area and kitchen. Guido has some money for the dining area. Between the two, they should be able to get a loan at the bank. Kenny has found someone to work on the floor plan and I guess it is someone who did this before he retired. After we eat, can we drive over there so I can see what there is to work with? I understand that it was quite a dive when Harrison owned part of it.”

“Sure, I went there once with Gina and Chloe. It is larger than I suspected it would be, and has a huge parking area.”

“That’s great and will help when they go after a loan. I wonder if Langford is serving meals at present.”

“I think so. Do you want to find out? What I got for your supper isn’t much. If he is open and serving spaghetti, I’m up for that.” Mary called Chloe and asked about Langford being open.

“Yes he is. Are you going there tonight?”

“Yes, we are. Do you want to go with us?”

“Sure, you might as well see what I’ve got myself into. I’ll meet you there about six-thirty. Guido is just coming up the stairs.”

We sat in the parking lot. There were seven cars in the lot. I observed, to Mary, “I guess we can get served okay. It doesn’t seem too busy. I don’t know about Chloe taking over this place.”

“Pete, remember she has to build a clientele. Look at the cars. They are nice, which tells you the type of people who are eating.”

“You’re sharp Mary, I noticed.”  Two more cars arrived with kids and family. Then three cars arrived and parked near the bar entrance; one had three fellows looking like the might have stopped in for a beer.  The other cars had only a single person in them.  “Well, that is about twenty people. Maybe she has something.”

Guido and Chloe arrived and joined us. She and Mary went into the dining section and Guido and I went into the bar. They were going to order for us and we were going to have a beer. There was an older man sitting on the end stool closest to the door into the kitchen.

He spoke, “Hi Guido, brought me some business?”

“Just a beer for the two of us, John. “We are having spaghetti shortly. The women are ordering for us. Is it a quiet night?”

“Yeah, but it is early. Chloe with you?

“Yeah, and we have the boy with us. You’re going to see some difference in him because he isn’t hobbling any longer. John, I have to ask about the place here. What changes do you want done if Chloe gets things together?”

“I hope it is soon, the place is dying. That bastard Harrison is gone and the rough costumers he brought with him are gone, too. I’m not sad to see him go or his customers, but people are staying away. The customers in the front slowly are coming back. Look at this place, Harrison put rugs down to match the front. Who ever thought you needed a rug in a bar? It was good for six weeks but it has been more like two years.”

“It’s a wonder your customers didn’t fall and sue you.”

“They weren’t my customers until they walked into the other room for a meal. That’s the deal made before he came in with me. He always got out of trouble somehow. He could see the end coming and unloaded his half onto his ex-wife.”

“John, why don’t you make a list of what you want done to fix the place up? Be specific and make it as attractive as you want it to be. Chloe said you had some money to help?”

“I do, but I wasn’t going to spend it while Harrison was here. He’d just fuck it up anyway. Is she going to move that wall back where it was before he took that much room away for the bar?”

“Let me ask you, how many seats are needed to make a good living?”

“Well, Guido, I can do well with thirty seats. Before he came, he said he wanted fifty. I’m sure if the bar has more than the thirty, Chloe will let me set some patrons in her restaurant. The liquor license extends in that section, so I’m alright there.

“If she is too busy, and I’m not, I want to have it so a family can be seated here in this section and not feel humiliated or embarrassed. I want this whole place recognized as a good, comfortable place to drink and eat in. People want to relax and don’t like a whole lot of drama while eating.”

We sat there on stools thinking. John asked, “Guido, why all the questions?”

“I’m putting some savings into this place and trying to think of what is needed. Also, Geno Capparelli said he would shut his business down for a week and bring all his men and get everything done as fast as possible. He’s my cousin and Pete here is the other working Foreman just like I am.”

I asked of John, “What about help? How many persons do you need for say, two thirds of the house full?

“Pete, I’m not sure yet. I’ll have to figure how many after the first week we are open. Chloe should be taking care of the dining room, but the liquor license will be in her name. So far it looks like that is my baby. I’d rather it was the other way around, but we can make this a decent place to eat, and I have managed both.”

“Chloe has tended bar some before she hooked up with Harrison and does know her drinks. Guido and Chloe are planning to be married soon. She wants another child soon after marriage. She has Ricky to watch over now, and the boy isn’t his. Mary and I watch over him a lot. Guido intends to adopt him.  Guido and I are friends as well so we all get along, especially at work.”

“Pete, I have one suggestion. In here at the bar, a tab should be run if not cash when the drink is placed on the table. Harrison didn’t always run one and that was half what our fights were about. He would accuse a patron about not paying and argue about it. Finally, Harrison would say to forget about it. Say a half dozen drinks every night for six nights. Some times more than one drink.

“It got so some of the customers knew when Harrison was drinking they would play the system for free drinks. It easily could amount to a hundred dollars or more. Hey, your plate must be about ready and that won’t make your women happy.”

Guido was ready to eat. “You’re right. Let’s go, Pete.”

I laid the price of two beers on the bar. John started to say to forget it, but I laughed at him. “That’s not for the beer, that’s a tip.” It was a slow night, only two customers were coming through the door as we went in to eat.

One waitress on duty and another attending the seven or eight customers when we went to sit down. This area seemed small after being in the bar.

One man at a table, with his family, spoke to the waitress. He and his wife wanted cocktails. The other one asked their pleasure and went though the door to the bar room, She soon returned with a tray with the drinks. “Guaranteed fresh, I made them myself. Try them.”

The customer took a sip. “Wow, that’s just the way I like them.  Have you been here very long?”

“I have worked here for five years. I dun-no, the man who owned the bar left about a month ago. I understand his ex-wife is going to run the place. I’ve never met her. I may be fired for all I know.”

The woman, Rachael, gave us her name when she stopped by saying our meal was almost ready. Chloe had gone into her pocketbook for a note pad and scribbled a few lines. Guido took the note and went back into the bar, looking for John.  He returned smiling. Our meals came out of the kitchen. We had just begun to eat when Rachael came out and spoke to the man who had questioned her about working.

She said, “I was worried about getting fired up until now. I’m now going to be the head barkeep in the bar. That’s just in three weeks and not only that I’ll be interviewing for the hiring of my own crew to staff it.

“I’ll be hiring experienced staff and making sure they know their drinks. Which one of you ladies here, is Chloe? I’d like to hug you.” Chloe got her hug.

“Hey, I’ll stop by when you finish your dinner and you can tell me a little bit about yourself. Are you going to be the manager?”

“I don’t know yet. I think I can work in either, in the dining room or in the bar. I’m expecting John will sort things like that out.”

“Okay, Chloe, enjoy your meal.” Rachael did stop when we finished just long enough to have us all introduced. There were a lot more patrons dining so she didn’t stay talking.

On the way home, Guido said, “I’m going to ask Geno tomorrow if I can use all our workers to rehab the place that Harrison owned. Chloe now owns half of it. It won’t put our work rehabbing the street houses more than the time we use rehabbing it. He’s my cousin and we should stick together. Pete, will you back me up?”

“Yeah, I guess so. How are you paying for it?”

“John Langford has a few thousand and I have several thousand. When that money is spent, can you speak for us at the bank so we can get a loan?”

“I will do it. If I take a short leave of absence to work there, Geno won’t have to pay me and I can work long days on weekends to get it done as soon as possible.”

“Hey, you know I will pitch in when I can.”

“That’s great. We will need someone to purchase new stools, chairs, and tables for both ends of the two businesses. Maybe the women will help with that. If we can get it done within the three-week timeline, Chloe can open up by the second week of March. We can wreck the place the first week, put the bar together the second week, and the dining room the third week.”

Mary spoke up, “I’ll get Gina involved. She loves to shop. Chloe has worked in bars and restaurants before, so she can tell us what works. I suppose we should have a theme. You know pictures of gunfighters in the old west for the bar, keeping away from modern, and shiny. If John doesn’t like that, we can go modern with pictures of movie stars.

I asked, “How about a painting of a naked lady for the back bar. That’s what was sometimes used in the olden times. Does any one of you want to model for it?

“Pete, stop it, that’s gross. The law wouldn’t allow it. Remember we are trying to get away from the rough crowd that Harrison collected for patrons.”

“Okay Mary, just a thought, that’s all.” I tried for a joke that didn’t come off

Chloe entered into the discussion. “It’s a wonder that Chuck didn’t think of it. He would have tried to get away with it, but I think we should go with something less controversial.  How about a family of deer, feeding in a green field consisting of a Stag, a Doe, and a Bambi,? Maybe some trees around the edges. Ricky saw some deer feeding and hasn’t stopped talking about them.”

“That’s a great idea. I was in a Barber Shop a few years ago and the owner took a picture of buck deer and had a wallpaper company make a picture of the deer feeding. It was posted on the bare wall at the end of the room where seen by all. I’d guess it was five feet high by eight feet long over some supply cabinets. I would think a sign company could do something like that.”  

Mary said, “I’ll do it. You Guys shouldn’t have to do it all. Time is short and money is tight. How can a pregnant woman be turned down for such a good idea, if the name of the company is placed in one corner, with a good-sized Ad.”

“Mary, you are a genius.”

“Well, it was your idea at first. It would be better than some naked woman putting her body on display.”

“You’re right, of course.” I received a smile.

We had a day and half to finish the week. “Geno, can we talk?” This was our usual time to set the day’s work. Now, it usually took only ten minutes.

“Sure, what do you want to talk about?”

“I want to knock off here and take the crews over to Chloe’s eatery and bar. I figure it will only take three weeks. I have money to pay you the same as here.”

“No. God, no. Christ, we are stretched thin here and only one full house done with a days work to do on the outside. I need a house sold now to give us a little breathing room.”

I backed Guido up. “Geno, think about it in a different way. If we go work on the restaurant, you’ll be getting pay for what we do there a hell of lot quicker than you will sell a house if one was on the market. It’s just one outside job.”

“Pete, is this because of Chloe? You do have a past with her.”

“That hurts, Geno.”

“Well, you do have a past. One of you tell me what you have in mind.”

“Guido is your cousin, and is going to marry Chloe. He and John Langford have enough money to do the construction. You and I own the houses on this street so if we take a couple of weeks off and pay the crews what they would make, it wouldn’t come out of you, or the businesses pocket and it would put money into the company’s account. Guido will be running every thing through this company, anyway. If you are too cheap not to give him a break on cost of materials, I’ll be awful surprised.”

Geno looked at Guido and then looked at me. “Ouch, that hurts!  You know I know another person that might drive a nail and not charge the company either. Are we good here? You two figure it out when you begin over there and when you think you will finish the job. Have you made any plans on this at all?”

I grinned, “I have. I have a man looking at it tomorrow morning and we should know the cost and the changes in the floor plan. Can you get Gina to be there too? She’ll be pissed at you if you don’t and I don’t want her to land on me.”

“That’s Gina, I’ll take care of her.”

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Kenny called me that night and told me the person he was thinking of. Sam Giles, who would be looking over the restaurant to give us ideas about renovating the place. He would meet us there at seven-thirty the next morning. “I’ll be driving him, because he has arthritis real bad. Most of it is in his hands. I’ve known him for years and he owned a woodworking shop after he sold his construction company. Still owns a shop, for that mater.

“I represented him when he was sued. He won when the town decided his concern triggered the grandfather clause. It won’t last and they’ll be after him again. He can’t do much about the taxes and they keep raising them, but he fights it every year.”

I kidded Kenny, saying I didn’t figure lawyers got up this early.

He came right back, “The honest ones do.” I had no answer for that.

––––––––––––––––––––––––

Sam reached out to shake my hand and I was careful not to squeeze it. His fingers, knurled with arthritis, misshapen, and sensitive. He didn’t offer to shake Geno’s or Guido’s hand. Sam made the comment that he had seen the inside this Spaghetti house and and Bar years ago. “I heard it went down hill the last few years.”

“Yeah, it did, but we are hoping to bring it back.”

“What do you want done here? The outside doesn’t need much. Windows are okay I guess, and there are a lot of them. Two panes over one, lets in plenty of light. You’ve a big parking lot and that’s great. The roof looks good with the chocolate colored aluminum and should last forever. It has redwood siding on it that needs new staining again soon. Let’s go inside. Pete, are you the one bossing the job?”

“Not really. I have a finger in it. My wife is friends with the woman who owns half of the place. Geno here is the owner of Capparelli Construction Company. He bought the street of houses over by the old Spaulding factory and we are rehabbing all of them. I do the wrecking of the houses and Guido has papers as a master carpenter and is cousin of Geno. He is also friendly with the lady who just acquired half of this place.”

Guido spoke up, “Talk to Pete, anyway. He is the person who has the vision to make something like this a success.”

Sam stopped in front of the door. “You could do something with the entrance if you have a few extra pennies. It would be more welcoming. I’ll write down what would work better.”

He stopped inside. “I thought this room was much bigger.”

“It was.  One of the changes we need done. We want the wall on the right pushed back at least eight feet. We’ll decide after you look at the bar.”

“Floor is okay, you should get a rug company in here. They’ll advise you of what works the best in a dining room. A short, stiff nap rug will be easy to clean and less distracting with people moving about.” He walked over to the windows. “Frames look solid. Sashes changed to insulated double panes will pay for itself, over time. Put some window grids on. They are cheap and snap in place. When the windows need washing, you just snap the grids out.

“What are you planning on for the walls? I’ll bet the paper on them isn’t more than three seasons old and are stained already.”

“What would work that is easy and quick to put up?”

“Wood paneling, stained with a simi-gloss urethane on it. Put up a Royal Crown molding next to the ceiling which just needs whitening and use some molded design on the battens that hold the hold new wall panels in place.”

Geno spoke now, “Christ no. I priced that for the first house we renovated. It’s up to at least four to six dollars a linear foot. It would look beautiful, though.”

“Well you’ll have to go with a simple cove then. That tells every one that you did the job on the cheap. Maybe I can convince Pete that I’m right.” He turned and looked at the ceiling again.  “Oh no, you said you were going to take down that wall. That may cause some trouble matching the ceiling in this room. You may have to put up a new ceiling here.”

“I ate here yesterday and noticed that. Put a couple of fake beams up. One where this wall is coming down and one equal-distance however it comes and looks right?”

Geno and Guido began laughing. “Pete, he read a book one time. It must have been a thick book, because he knows just a little about everything.”

“Thanks, Guido, I love you too.”

Sam said, “You know that would work, I’d have thought about that eventually, but then maybe not. I am getting old.”

“They can laugh, but the best book is listening to someone who knows. Maybe I can come around and you and I can talk.”

“God, I wish you would. Kenny comes by sometimes. How is it he knows you?”

“Kenny is my brother-in law. I married Mary, his sister. We get along good. There will be our three women coming along shortly. Maybe Guido can measure things and Mary will list them so Geno can order them. This is a rush job and needs to be done as quickly as possible.”

“Why is that?”

“Sam, this place needs to be open as soon as possible and Geno needs his whole crew back on the job rehabbing the street of houses he owns. Guido and I borrowed all of his workers for this. Weather will be changing and there is a lot of outside work that is waiting over there on the street.”

“Okay Pete, I’ll make up a order list as soon as someone comes to write it for me. Is anything being done in the bar?”

“Much the same change as in here. If we panel the walls, they will be darker or maybe lighter. The bar needs to have some attention done to it.”

“What’s the kitchen like?”

“That’s good. John kept that up and needs very little. There are lot of stainless steel appliances and the counter work station runs right angles to both the dining room and the bar. He said he didn’t want to change it, especially if he operates the dining room section.” Sam looked in and then walked in to look around.

“It looks okay and should pass inspection and is easy to clean too. You serve some food in the bar?”

“They do, but they haven’t pushed it. Yes, hamburgers, hotdogs, fish and chips, for single patrons are given a choice where to eat, and the couples who don’t want to go into the dining room. Prices are the same at either place. It is quicker to get served in the bar.”

“Pete, you seem to know how to answer all the questions about this place. How are you involved?”

“Oh, that’s easy to answer. I was friends with Chloe 6 years ago. Our friendship had ended when I returned from the service. After Mary and I married, Mary became friends with her. Lately Guido has begun dating her and that’s fine with me. I told you that Guido was cousin to Geno, so we are all close friends now.”

“Umm, that’s nice. My wife has many friends. I worked all the time and some of her friends stop by to see how I’m doing. Some of then are a bother and always gabbing about something. That’s life I guess and a man has to travel his own path.”

We stopped at the door to the bar. “That bar doesn’t have much character. It could be dressed up a little. It looks as if the countertop is still okay. You might re-panel the front that is in front of the stools and facing the rest of the room.” Discussion stopped as John Langford walked in.  

Chapter Ten

Guido did the introduction, “John, this is Sam Giles. He is giving us some suggestions on updating the place. He’s looked at the dining room and the kitchen.”

“I hope he isn’t planning on changing anything in the kitchen?”

“Nope, he is impressed with it just the way it is.”

John smiled and made as if to shake Sam’s hand. Sam pulled back. “John, I’d shake your hand, but it is painful. Consider me as your friend, anyway.”

“Glad you warned me. Does anyone want some breakfast? I’m thinking pancakes and sausage.”

“I’ll indulge.” Everyone would. The door opened just then all three women came in with Ricky.

Mary patted her protruding tummy. Hearing the offer of pancakes, she said, “The boy says he’ll try them,” which made all laugh. Ricky who had come in with his Mom didn’t say, but his eyes were sparkling.

John had a yellow pad of paper and handed it to Mary. “Follow Sam around while Guido is measuring things that are going to be the list of items to order. Pete offered your help.”

“I’ll be glad to. I see Sam’s hands are badly crippled.”

“Yeah. He claims to be old, but I doubt he is sixty. Too bad.”

“Have you known him long?”

“I met him this morning. He came with Kenny, Chloe’s lawyer.”

“That’s my brother. Probably Pete asked Kenny if he knew anyone that can do what Sam does. They are all the time together. I have other brothers, well actually they are all half-brothers. They are all older than I am and I’ve loved them forever.”

“Nice.” I wondered how Chloe was going to handle all this when she was working every evening in the Bar. Today, John was serving lunch in the bar and Chloe was observing and helping out where needed. Guido was watching Ricky until he would pick her up at nine, tonight.  I honestly couldn’t see how Chloe was going to handle the bar. There would be some nights she wouldn’t get home until after two in the AM. I wondered if Guido wouldn’t quit our business and Geno and I would be back bossing the whole construction business. Time would tell.

When Mary had written down all the information we needed, I was taking Sam back to his place when he said, “You two might as well see my operation. I’m going to have to give it up my hands are so crippled up. You know, that Chloe is too beautiful a woman to be operating a bar. She’ll be bringing in a lot of business because of it, but if she does run it, Guido won’t marry her because he’ll get jealous and they’ll be fighting all the time.”

“I know, but the only thing of any value she could get from her ex-husband. I can’t say anything about it.”

“Why not, you work with Guido. Tell him your concerns.”

“The more reason because she was my fiancée at one time. She married a man named Harrison, but it didn’t last.”

“Okay, they’ll have to work it out themselves then. You still want to help Guido, I take it?”

“I want both to make a success of it, yes.”

–––––––––––––––––––––––

“Take the next street to your right you’ll come to my woodworking business.”

“Christ, you’re right in the middle of a bunch of houses.”

“I know. You want to buy me out? I’d let you have everything for a song and train you how to save a lot of money on rehabbing those houses you said Geno owned.”

“I thought you were just going to tell me where we could buy everything on that list Mary has in her hand.”

“I guess I led you to believe that. Actually, I can make all the finish parts I listed: the moldings, the panels, and make you a new bar that really is something. I have sheds full of lumber that I need to move soon. Five years ago, I agreed to move out of here mainly because of the noise the mill equipment makes. That will be in August of this year.”

“Why would you think I would be interested?”

“Kenny, my lawyer mentioned something. He said after you got done with Geno’s houses you had land enough to build a whole new housing development.”

“It is a thought, but we’ll see. I’m tied up for a while.”

We pulled in front of a small building that had a sign that said S G Woodworking on the end. The place looked dead with no one around. Sam volunteered, “Can’t run the mill after noon on Saturday or all day on Sunday. Originally when I had the mill running full-time, we worked weekends for the light jobs.”

“By light jobs, what does that entail?”

“Oh, bunch of stuff, like moldings, finials, appliqués, and knobs of all kinds and shapes.  

“And your heavy work would be?”

“Solid wood panels, staining and sealing, you know things that need two men to handle. I can give you a good deal on pr-stained and sealed 3x16th Malaysian Luan paneling. If you use moldings to hold the panels together, I can furnish those and it will match or be a different shade for an accent for the walls. I have enough.

“Mary, I’ll have you bring John and Chloe by to decide … Monday if you can. The moldings will be pine, which will be the easiest to work with. I was buying the Luan by the carload from Canada, but I am using up most of my stock because I’m moving or going out of business soon.

“Pete, as soon as John decides, I will get it together with my two workers. It will be three days before it can be painted and sealed because it is stored in a cold lumber shed. It will take three more days to dry here, so let’s see, I have a truck if you get me help to load it. We’ll move it next Saturday and it will be ready by the following Monday and you can hang it. By that time you will be ready for it with the wall moved and rebuilt and the ceiling whitened. You can tell me what you need for the beams that hide where the wall went across the ceiling.”

Sam paused before adding, “I guess I hadn’t better attempt to make the bar unique. I forget, I can’t do those things any longer.”

“What are you doing for your hands?”

“Oh, I have a roll-on that has something called Lidocaine in it. It helps a little, I think, but the pain never totally goes away. Come on and do a walk through with me. I built this operation up years ago along with the carpenter business like you are working at now. Finally, I spent more time with the woodworking and let the other go. You could do the same if you bought me out.”

“I can’t really at this time because Geno and I started the business together and I am a minor partner with him. Geno is a great person and we were in Iraqi together. His family is back east and that is where he learned the business. I have no background in carpentry, but I do have some organizational skills. I would like the tour, though.”

Sam didn’t start any of the machines, but did show me how a ten dollar board could be transitioned into a hundred dollar product. I didn’t say anything about my wealth which all the time was increasing and I could have paid cash for Sam’s operation without blinking an eye.

Sam took us into the lumber sheds in the rear. Metal sheds resembled what farmers used to store baled hay. When moved, the sheds, could be disassembled time wise in a day, and resurrected in three. He added a fact. “Now, the sawdust and shavings are just blown out into a pile and farmers do come in to get it for bedding. To make it more modern, saw dust and shavings would blow into a tall silo, and get the whine from the blower machine dampened down having it way above ground level. I haven’t done that because I’m being driven out of this location.”

Sam did have an impressive assortment of lumber stockpiled. There was a building where panels where treated with stain and sealed. “I have one man working at this. He can work anytime I have a customer because it is a quiet operation.” That made sense. He continued, “I only need two men doing the milling and molding. It used to be one man and me, but I can’t do it any longer.”

Mary asked, “Where do you live?”

“Down the street a half block. The Mrs. and I built it and it is that far away because of the noise from the machines here. At that time, this was all open land. I do understand why people think this shop is a nuisance and it is time I met the inevitable. The two men who work with me live with me now and help with meals. Christ, sometimes I have to ask them to pull my pants up and put my socks on if my old woman has gone out.

“Now you tell Chloe and Guido along with John what I have here and they can make the decision of what they can use of what I have on the list. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Sam, I’ll call them this afternoon and I am going to search for something that can ease some of your pain.”

“I wish you luck, I haven’t found anything worth much yet. Drop me off at the house, if you would. Mary, you must be tired with you carrying the baby like you are. When is it due?”

“On May, first Sam. I’m not having any trouble so far. I’ve had Chloe’s boy around a lot and am looking forward to having my own.”

On the way home, Mary stated she hoped we could find something to ease Sam’s pain. “I’ll search, too, and there must be something we can discover.” The only thing both Mary and Pete could think of was to soak his hands in a bath of warm water and Epsom Salts. They wondered if Sam hadn’t tried that already.

Mary was restless during the night. I was concerned because of the baby and looking back over the last couple of weeks we had some things happen with Ricky and his foot becoming normal. And also, Mary had been with Gina and Chloe over at the restaurant after Harrison left the area. Today she made a list of what different things to improve the restaurant. She had really liked Sam and felt sorry for a person who’s hands were crippled the way he was.

Suddenly she sat up, or most of the way. She struggled a bit because of the baby bump. “Peter, are you awake? Wake up, I had another dream.”

“I’m awake, love, because you called me Peter.”

“Yes, I was observing a conversation between Peter and Miriam. They were talking about the happenstance of the young boy, gaining full use of his crooked foot. This was much different than, before. This was something they had prayed for in the past and had a great success. I felt they had at one time prayed for me to correct Ricky’s foot and we achieved it together with the success needed.

“I wasn’t Miriam like I was in the other dreams. They were talking about praying for a man with crippled hands. He was a man who fished and his hands had become crippled from tying knots on a fish net he was building. It was a new one and the old one he had, had become ripped beyond repair. He hurt so much he just sat dejected and wished he could die.

“They were praying sometimes for him, silently, and sometimes, asking for directions.”

“Like how, or what questions, and could you hear?”

“It was like, I was there the same as always before during the dream, but I wasn’t a part of it, maybe like eavesdropping. I felt they wanted to give me knowledge.”

“They probably were. Tell me, what they were praying for?”

“I assumed it was a higher being they were praying to, and they expected if it worked for the man who fished, it could work with someone I knew. In other words, it hadn’t happened yet and the situation was so similar, if their prayers were answered it would correct both persons.”

“Did you get any idea if they received an answer?”

“I did. They repeated it several times as if they had trouble understanding.”

“Please Mary, you should write it down before you forget it.”

“Pete, they gave explicit examples and there are three.”

“Can we find these items in today’s world after 2,000 years?”

“I think so. We may have to do some trial and error after research. The first item I know I can fabricate. It is for bracelets made of copper and copper wire for each wrist. Copper is a base metal and is beneficial to correct certain types of action that is wrong for some subjects performing everyday duties. It happens most usually in the hands and feet.

 “Pete, I’ve seen men wearing a crude copper wire on their wrists. This though, was more explicit. The wire made to encircle the wrist in three strands twisted together with a clasp fastened. It needs removing during bathing and reinstalled as soon as the bath is over and the wrist is dry. The ends of the wire must touch so the circle is complete. Does that make sense?”

“It does to me and a circle isn’t a circle unless the ends come together. How heavy is the wire?”

“I don’t know, Pete. Miriam didn’t say and Peter didn’t either.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure we can figure it out. What else did they say?”

“Water warmed from a mineral spring.  Pete, how would we know what minerals are called for and where can we find a mineral spring? I wasn’t told what the minerals were. Pete, you must know, you read all kinds of odd books.”

“I do know a compound that has minerals often found in springs.  Miriam would know if we had it available. The gladiators used it after battle in the Forum and used for pain. We use it for bruises and sore muscles.”

“You mean Epsom Salts … We mentioned that already.”

“That’s it. There is a town in Britain named Epsom that gave its name. But mineral springs of it are found in different places all over the world. Not good for open cuts, though. Luckily, it is cheap and purchased, everywhere. I imagine what we buy at the drugstore is made of pure compound of the same minerals.”

“Pete, do you really think we can help Sam’s hands?”

“I don’t imagine we can help that much because the bones in his hands probably have bone spurs. If those could disappear through some reaction of these compounds, his hands could be weak. Maybe not though, maybe the two together will re-generate some of the bone. What is the last item Miriam and Peter prayed for?”

“It was something crazy. They asked for some oil rendered from plants found nearby. I missed some of it except it was something used in anointing rituals.

“Mary, there all kinds of plants it could be. I’ll look up common plants in the land in the area. Let’s see, I have no idea what plants that might grow here and there in that period of time in the Holy Land. That must be what they were referring to. I’ll Google for oil that is used on a person’s hands and body. Stay right here and I’ll boot up the computer. Wikipedia will tell me.” It took me a half hour and I couldn’t find anything for sure.

“I may have to search through the Bible. Apparently, oil from a sheep wasn’t used or at least was not noted. Ditto the same for goats. Cattle were mentioned as being kept, but even that wasn’t spelled out. The Israelites left Egypt with herds of cattle before returning to the Promised Land, which took them forty years. The word Neatsfoot oil came up and that was oil from the legs of cows. I don’t even know if that oil is used on the human body. It is used on leather products to soften and protect. I’ll keep searching anyway.”

“Pete, I’m awake now. I’m surprised I’m being pulled back into that far back time, again.”

“Is this a burden to you?”

“Not really. It is so interesting when you have absorbed so much information about me. We know what caused the marks on my body and the stigmata wasn’t mentioned but little, when Ricky’s foot corrected itself.”

“Yes, Mary, but we might as well face that it is you, who has the gift. Other than the markings on your body, this would be terribly strange.”  

“It is odd, but I don’t feel it strange at all. It would be wonderful if we found a way to make the pain go away from Sam’s hands, don’t you think?”

“I do. Maybe this is what our life will be like. You know, every once in a while, we are able to help someone. Say Mary, is it my hand that the baby is kicking on your tummy?”

“I wondered if you would get onto the fact that he is getting lively when we are lying together like now.”

“I wasn’t sure, that’s all. Kiss me.”

We arose and had breakfast. While Mary was calling Chloe and John Langford, I began to search the computer for plants mentioned in the Bible. I soon found that in years past, this subject was studied and published in a book already, which verified that the plants Mary spoke about did indeed grow in and around the Holy land. When Mary relaxed, I asked her to try to remember what the name of the plants Miriam named. The only name she could up with at first was Cannabis something.”

I laughed, “That is good old marijuana, and that makes sense for doctors here now often prescribe it for pain. Think hard for the others, although we will just go with the weed if you can’t think of any of the others.”

“I’ll try. Miriam did repeat it more than once.” I thought about this and there was no way I could force her to remember.

“Mary, did Miriam mention any kind of oil?”

“Not that I remember, but she did say the lotion was more liquid than a soft balm.”

“Oh, I know lanolin comes from sheep’s wool. Probably this was so common it wasn’t mentioned so there should be some different kind of oil. I think lanolin is a cake. I know cedar oil comes by distillation from cedar tree brush. I’m sure they had cedar trees back then.”

“Maybe they just sprinkled marijuana on and rubbed it in.”

“It had to be more than that to penetrate those hardened and bumpy fingers that Sam has. I’ll guess we should try cedar and cannabis oil, but there has to be more.”

“I know there is, I just can’t remember. You try soaking Sam’s fingers in Epsom Salts to soften them before applying this stuff. While we are talking, what do you want me to prepare for dinner?”

“Spaghetti sauce on toast will be fine. We can melt cheese on it, and have it like, a pizza. Do we have hamburger? I like lots of meat on mine.” I received a smile and an okay.

I had stared at the computer long enough and sat on the couch, too bored to turn on the TV. I felt a presence and looked toward the kitchen. Mary’s face was white and she stood there with a scared look on her face.

“What’s wrong?”

“Pete, I just had a dream. I must have gone into a trance for a moment. I stood there with a box of basil in one hand and shaker can of oregano in the other hand.

“There was a shadow about five feet in front of me. It said, “Miriam, I guess you didn’t understand me when I gave you the condiment list last evening. One is Ocimum basilicum and the other is Origanum syriacum. In other words, Basil and Oregano. 

“The main ingredient in this potion is of course the cannabis oil. Grind the basil and the oregano into a powder if possible. Mix in a small jar, 5 times one-eighth (1/8) tsp of each powders with 10 drops of cannabis oil dispensed with an eyedropper. Add ten drops of cinnamon oil or ten drops cedar oil, but not both. This will be enough for 10 applications for one hand or five for both. Use five times a week. Use mineral waters for cleansing seven days a week. Miriam, Peter is the wisest of men, and sensible as well. He will help you with this.”

“Mary, repeat what you just told me and I will write it down.”  She hurried and did.

I looked at it. I wouldn’t think that the two condiments would work with the oil that much. Can’t hurt, I suppose. “You say she said I was sensible?”

“She did, I felt she was laughing as she disappeared.”

“I think she might have been. We’ll look for a shop or store where we can buy the oil of marijuana. I suspect when she said to mix all these things together that she was aware it is too much, for what results accomplished. They would do no harm, but not that necessary. We’ll go into a beautician’s store and look for some kind of salve to rub on Sam’s joints and fingers such as Aloe Vera. We can add the oil to what we buy. Sam will soon tell us if it is worth it.”

“What about the copper bracelet, and the Epsom Salts?”

“Those two are important, but not for the same reasons as the oil and balm.  I totally agree with all three and I’ll keep researching what else will help.  I know the weed has several beneficial qualities. Miriam said I had sense. How is my lunch coming?”

Sam was waiting at his home when John and I arrived to pick him up. Mary came driving in with Chloe and Ricky, meeting us at the wood working shop. We knew Sam’s wife was home. She was apparently shy, about meeting strangers. Of course, we were on business so this didn’t surprise us. John got out of the car and went to talk to Chloe, while I opened the door for Sam so he wouldn’t have to struggle with the door latches.

I asked him to hesitate a minute. “Sam, I did some research on the condition of your hands. There is no quick fix for your hands, I can discover, but I found three things that might give you some relief. How would feel about wearing a copper bracelet on each wrist?”

“I’ll try anything that will help.”

“That’s good.  I see you have a watch on. Let me have it so I can compare the band to mine. That is the way I’ll know how large to make the bracelets.

“The other couple of items are more to soothe them. I want you to bathe them in warm water with Epsom Salts for at least twenty to maybe thirty minutes. The last thing is a compound applying a couple of oils. You can put the oil in a balm of some sort. I’ll get that as well.

 “When you get this covering all areas of you hands, rub them gently until all the oil disappears. If none of that works, maybe you could try ultra sound to smash up some of the hard areas around your joints. That would be painful, I’m afraid, but it is an option that would have to happen over a certain period and not in one sitting.”

“I don’t know if I would want to go that route. Pain is hardly bearable now.”

“I understand and don’t blame you. Are you willing to try the first three things?”

“Sure, any relief would be good and hang the cost.”

“I’ll order what I need then. Mary will fit you for the bracelets. Let her rub your hands so you will know how it is done. Will your wife mind if Mary shows you how to get the most out of the therapy?”

“Christ no, She won’t mind if she doesn’t have to bother with doing it. Oh, we still love each other but we have our disappointments. Most of it is because my hands don’t work that well any longer.”

“Well, have faith I can come up with something. I’ll give it my best shot.”

“I believe you will. I’ve never met anyone who has shown such concern.”

Sam’s two men were there when we arrived. “So Chloe and John, I’ll show you some panels and what the moldings look like they’d go with them. If you like them, I’ll have my men begin cutting the panels to size.  Those will go right into the paint shop for stain and sealed three days later. Pete, can any of your men spray paint?”

“Yes, if you can show him the best way.”

“That’s good because the panels are only two feet wide. If I can have two men besides the one doing the painting, that would work best. It’ll be a monotonous job, but each panel only takes a few minutes. They’ll be lying flat and then we’ll push that out into the drying booth on a dolly. The next day they’ll becoming back to be sealed and go right back into the booth. You have to do it that way to keep the spray off of them.”

“Christ, you’ll have a sea of dollies out there in the drying room.”

“No, there will be sixteen panels to a dolly. They slide into a slot where they won’t touch each other. Air passes through to do the drying. That’s why I need the two extra men. You’ll see.”

Sam could start the molders today, and ran a board through a set of saws the correct width first. Then, the narrow board was passed back and two bevels were molded on what would be the edge against the ceiling and the other against the paneled wall. “Two passes with this and there you have your Royal Crown Molding.”

“I should think a simple molding to cover the edges of the panels in place would be good enough unless you want a bead in it. For this, it won’t be necessary.”

I looked at Chloe for this. “I’ll use plain molding, don’t you think, John?”  

“I’ll go with that.” I called over to the street of houses. “Hey Guido, would you break loose Randy and Mack and give then directions to Sam Giles’ shop. I’m going to put them to work on the panels. Tell them they might be spraying stain onto panels after we get enough cut to size.”

“Okay.  Pete, that will make them both happy. How come you are starting this panel project, today?”

“Time is going to be short getting the first coat dry and then putting on the seal coat. We only have two weeks and three working days before we open. We might even get the first coat on by Wednesday this way.”

“How about working the three Saturday and Sundays?”

“And pay time and a half on Saturday, and double time on Sunday? You’d be better to stretch it out one more week?”

“We’d be out of money.”

“Guido, I’ll pay for the men’s wages these two days.”

“Thanks Pete that will help. Are there any other problems you can think of?”

“There is one I can think of … has anything been done about getting the tables and chairs yet?”

“I don’t think so. I’ll get Gina and Chloe on it. They are going over to that chair and table factory on the other side of the city.”

“I hope to hell they have them in stock. John, it might be a good idea if we rented one of those closed utility trailers and store the old units you have in case you have to put the chairs and tables you have back in until you can get what you want?”

“Yeah, I suppose so. They are terribly beat up and it will spoil the looks of the new renovations.”  He thought this over. “Yeah, I’ll do that. We can park them in the parking area in the rear out of the way.”

Mack and Randy came driving in. I introduced them to Sam and they knew John and were familiar with Chloe. They went inside. I looked up and Mary was coming up the street in her car.  Chloe had left Ricky with Mary, and he was excited to find out his mother was here. John, Chloe, Mary, and Gina came out with Ricky. “Come on, Pete you might as well go with us to see what we can find for furniture.”

“Okay, Mary, I’ll look at what you decide. I can hear the saws running inside, so I guess my men are okay. I hope they know how to spray the panels.”

“They won’t have to. Sam was pulling your chain a little, but he has plenty work for them without the painting.”

Big disappointment when we reached the chair factory. They needed a six-week lead-time for our order. “Sorry about that. I’ve a warehouse full of booths, though if you would be interested in those. We’ll even install them for you. The seats and backs are heavy vinyl so people don’t have trouble sliding in. The rubber padding guaranteed for two years, and we stock replacements. The top of the tables guaranteed for five years. They are wide enough for four good-sized adults and room for two kids if they aren’t that heavy.

“We have some where the seats aren’t quite that wide. You can mix and match for different areas. If you need stools, we stock them too.”

Chloe, asked, “Can you come over to the place we are renovating?”

“Sure, when do want to have me over?”

“Today, if you could. I’m not sure if we can make all booths work. You see we aren’t closing until Wednesday and we have two weeks to do everything and open in three weeks.”

“That should be plenty of time, I should think.  Why don’t you step into our showroom and I’ll show you what colors we are stocking. How big is your restaurant?”

“I’m Chloe. There is a dining room and a barroom. I think we can handle fifty patrons at once in the dining room. I’m not sure if we are serving lunch or just dinner. In the bar, I think maybe we’ll seat forty people and that’s counting the stools at the bar. The bar is definitely open for lunch.”

“And your name is? How are you involved?

“It is John, Chloe and I are partners, and I manage the kitchen and the cooks. Chloe may have the bar. She is my new partner with one child and we haven’t settled on who will be managing what yet.”

“I take you are a couple?”

“No, the partnership came to her as settlement from her ex-husband.  She now has someone waiting in the wings for her.”

“That would be in June I think and then I’ll be someone’s wife.”

“Okay, congratulations. Will you be asking for credit?  We do have a program. The interest is high because restaurants and bars come and go in a blink of an eye.”

“Let’s see what the cost of the furniture is. If we need to charge, we’ll use a bank. That way we can expect a good-sized discount,” Chloe smiled.

“I’m sure we will discuss this later.”

John knew what colors would work in a dining room to keep it looking clean and he thought these booths will hold up, and were well constructed. The ones in the bar would have different color seats and backs. He still didn’t know how many sets he would need. Chloe was right in there asking questions. I could see a big change from what I knew of her. Mary noticed from when she first met her and commented.  “Chloe was bullied, and beat down by Harrison. She has her esteem back, and now acting much more confident.

The booths we chose by the color scheme and style. I decided I didn’t need to go to the restaurant and I asked Mary to stop at the shop so I could see how my men were working out. Mary was going to give me a ride to the street of houses and I put some work in. John was to drive my vehicle with everyone else in it. My men had their car, so they were okay for getting home. Ricky stayed with Mary and me.
 
We went into the wood working shop where Mack and Randy were splitting the 4 x 8 panels in two for delivery to the paint shop. Mary and I left after watching for five minutes.

Mary drove me down to the street of houses and kissed me goodbye. Geno came out and asked how things were going. “Okay, the only thing not as we expected is that there were no tables and chairs to be had. They are deciding on booths in both the dining room and bar. They are attractive and the owner went with John and Chloe to find out how many they need.”

“How are Randy and Mack doing?”

 “Good. They are working on the panels. Did you mind much with me grabbing them?”

“Christ no, Guido has already talked to me. It’s on him because it is his woman.  I’ll be lucky I won’t lose Gina to the place. Chloe has been regaling her about working in a bar after everyone is more than half drunk.”

“I never thought about that. Mary might think about it if she wasn’t as pregnant as she is.”

“I guess we won’t have to worry and I don’t mind if Gina does. She has her license to sell real estate, but isn’t too thrilled with it.”

“I noticed.”

I went and found Guido and he asked, “How they doing?”

“You mean Gina and Chloe?  There is a change of plans because there were no chairs and tables available so they are talking to an outfit that has booths in stock. They could look for more tables, but time is short.”

Guido asked, “Any idea how much they will be spending on them?”

“It might reach $20,000. Chloe will know for sure because they are being measured for the number of booths we need right now. Guido, how does that hit you?”

“That’s about what John thought, so I guess that is within the range we can work with. Pete, what do you think about Chloe taking part ownership in the restaurant?”

“Well, she seems on top of everything. More alive than since I came back from overseas. Mary and I were talking about it when she drove me over.”

“Yeah, she was way down when I first met her. I never would have put my money into something like this, but damn it, I have feelings for her and the boy, and I’m young yet and I do have a good job here. You and Mary being her friends have done as much about her becoming up-beat. She is just so damned beautiful, I couldn’t believe you wouldn’t want to reconnect with her.”

“If I didn’t have Mary, I might have. There really is a lot about Mary that you don’t know.”

“Anyway, Pete, I’ve stopped worrying about you. Let’s get to work.”

———————————————

Mary and Chloe came in right after I got home. “

Chloe exclaimed, “Pete, we are going to have all booths and the fifteen chairs even with the bar top. They have short arms to help patrons get out of them. I thought the chair salesman meant round stools like there are there now. I feel this is all doable now. He is charging us twenty five hundred dollars less than what we figured for the furniture. Not only that, he is going to install them all put together. John is real happy about everything.”

“I imagine Guido will be also.”

“Yeah, and him too. I better get going and get my man some supper. Three more months and he will be my man all the way.” She grabbed Ricky and out they went.

Mary was laughing. She turned back and commented, “One more thing done. I wondered about what they were going to do about tables and everything.”

I had been thinking about our life. “Mary, I hope there are no glitches. You know their good luck is maybe because of you. Stop and think how everything and everyone we know are having good luck. It must be coming from somewhere.”

“No, I think it is you, Pete. We’ve had a lot of good luck money-wise and you are generous to a fault.”

“I thought about that some. We have had real good luck since I have known you. I do not want to pile up money just to say we have some and with the mine and all we have enough or will have to raise our family. If I see I can help someone even if I have to lay out some money, why not?”

“Pete, that’s the way I felt about helping my brothers. I wonder sometimes if Miriam is helping her brothers. She has four and I have five. I’ll bet she is. It is too bad my mother didn’t lighten up while she was alive and enjoy herself more. How was she able to birth me with my markings and still not be weird?

“I think about that. I suspect she saw the marking on your chest when you were first born and new she had to protect you from being a freak in front of everyone. I think she did a damned good job of it, too. I’ll also bet that she was hoping you would change and become the woman you did after she died. And you did, too.”

“Pete, you are so deep and your thoughts are plausible. It just could be, but Pete, think where I would be now if you hadn’t come along to change me?  Was it ordained that you would show up? Think of the dreams I am having with Miriam by recognizing your voice as soon as she and Peter met?”

“There must be an answer in this for us. I’m beginning to think our life will be incomplete if we don’t someday find out why the dreams.”

“You want them to continue, then?”

“Yes, I do.”

“I do, too.”

——————————————

I had in mind all the things I would need to fulfill what I needed to make the copper bracelets for Sam to wear. I had taken a metal and jewelry fabrication class before I left school. Tonight, I was on the internet searching for metal and tools needed to construct the bracelets, and put in an order. I then went looking for Epsom salts in large amounts of the salts, and ordered five pounds having found this readily.

I then searched for oils and balm for softening and pain alleviating of Sam’s hands while manipulating them. Cedar oil had medicinal properties, I found Wintergreen and Peppermint oil in food condiments, and last, I purchased half a dozen vials of CDC hemp seed oil from a Hemp store supply house. I might have to rethink this and search for the real cannabis oil with the drug TCH in it. This I would buy if the hemp seed oil was useless. Oh, what, the hell, I looked where I could purchase it near by on short notice.

I even went on line for a home ultra sound machine, but decided not to purchase this at this time knowing blasting the spurs would be painful. Also, a person using this method might have to use a body cleansing agent to expel the remains that the body couldn’t absorb.

It was near midnight when I crawled into bed. “Pete, did you find everything you needed?”

“I hope so. It is going to take some time to make the copper bracelets. It is a skill that I haven’t used in a long time since shop in school.”

“I doubt you have forgotten,”

“Thanks for the faith. Goodnight.”  

I arrived at work. Geno, Guido, and I had our regular meeting. Geno spoke first, “We’ll get everything buttoned up here today and will start tearing Chloe’s place apart tomorrow morning. Gina showed me the dumpster delivered yesterday afternoon. Also, there are two covered trailers to load the furniture onto there already. That will be the first order of business. Pete, are your two men going to be working with us here or over at the woodworking shop?”

“Mack and Randy said they have plenty to do. They won’t be operating machines, but will be handling lumber under Sam’s direction. That will get us closer to being able to begin rebuilding sooner. You know Geno, Sam would sell us his business. Is that anything you want to get involved in buying? He has to move it in a few months.”

“No, I don’t. I’m having enough to do with operating the construction business. Pete, you can do something with it if you want too. You’re looking further ahead than I am. I suspect, when we finish the street of houses, you will want to start your own company. I’m okay with that if you aren’t in competition with me.”

“I’d never do that and I still want to be partner with you on some things. We’ll have to have bigger work crews and during slow times we can keep all the men working. It might mean we can each have a month off in slow times with me bossing Capparelli construction and my own company and you doing the same for me. We also have to keep our women happy somehow.”

“I like the sound of that.”

The “closed sign for renovation” would go out to the parking lot entrance at eight tonight.  There was one in the window by the front door as well. Today, I worked over at the woodworking shop. Tomorrow, I would watch the sealing of the panels. Guido could boss taking the old furniture out, and the deconstruction of the walls and floor. It was still cold out so I was glad the window sashes didn’t need to be taken out until the new ones arrived.

Geno came along the next morning and helped at the restaurant so I wasn’t needed. I really couldn’t see why I should be there at all. Monday of the next week, what we needed from the wood workshop would be on the way of being finished.

At noon, I went over and found Mary eating in the kitchen. I saw to the furniture removed, and stored in the trailers we had rented. Most of the booths in the bar were solid in place, now went into a dumpster. There was dirt built up around where affixed to the floor. The new movable booths were better and easier to clean under and around.

I sat down with her and she whispered, “Pete, there has been a glitch. When the we measured nailing putting up the panels, we didn’t realize, the middle wall had studs 24 inches on center instead of 16 inches. That means the panels for the middle wall width, is incorrect. Everyone is afraid to tell you.”

“Thanks for the heads up, Sweet. Are there any other things you know of that is off?”

“Yeah, there is. All the carpenters say it isn’t necessary to take off the old sheetrock because it is solid and they can glue the panels to the wall. The trouble is that there will be a seam in the middle where two panels come together on the wall, and it will show.”

“Mary, thank you. I can think of a remedy right off for both problems.” I grinned, “Want to bet who comes to tell me about it?”

“Oh, you can guess the same as I can. I’ll bet it is Gina.” I laughed because we said Gina in unison.

Gina came into the kitchen. “Mary, did you tell Pete what a problem we have?”

“No, just that there was a glitch in the measurements.”

“Pete, there is a glitch. You’ve had all the panels cut to 24 inches wide and most of those panels didn’t need cutting at all. All the studs are 16 inches on center. Cut at 24 inches leaves a seam showing. There is no stud to nail the molding to cover the seam. I’d say you fucked up. How are you going to fix that little problem with the glitch?”

“Let me think on it for a bit.”

“You’d better. I thought you never made mistakes and that’s about the worst one you could make.”

“Let me finish my lunch and I’ll look at the situation?” Gina whirled and left the kitchen. I hurried up and went out to face Geno, John, and Guido. I asked Guido for his stud locator and went around one of the walls that was a problem.  Sure enough, there were plenty of places to nail the floating edges of where the 24 inches came together. There was a four-inch spacer between the studs four feet from the floor where the two panels should meet.

I turned to everyone, “Okay, you were going to glue the panels anyway. Where the studs are behind the panels in the walls we can nail. So we’ll have a molding nailed at 16 inches, go 8 inches for the second panel where the two panels meet. We’ll just put an extra molding there. That molding is glued together with the next panel.  The molding there will be in the center in the next panel. The problem with the panel is settled and the molding will have three nails plus glue to hold it. It will be fine, I promise.

“The only difference is that you will have a little different look with three moldings spaced at 8 inches and then the next at 16 inches. Make the center of the three moldings more ornate if you wish. It should enhance the overall effect. The main cost will be one extra molding at four foot intervals, but this should be minimal.”

“Where and how in hell did you figure out that that problem?”

“Geno, Randy, and Mack gave me a whole set of books of homeowners’ guides how to cover up mistakes in renovating their homes.  That was one of the problems covered. So are we good here?”

“Order what extra moldings we need.”

I returned to the woodworking shop and discussed this with Sam. His comment was,” Sure, you’ll be fine. You can blame me for the mistake.”

“No, I’ve already been blamed for it. There is no need for you to get into this problem, Sam. Actually, there is little need for me either. I’m doing this as a favor for my ex-girlfriend who has ended up with half this business. I’m married to Mary, the pregnant lady and I’m better suited for her than Chloe. Where are we for the rest of the day?”

“It’s a good stopping place. We can run off the moldings in the next two days. Next week if they are ready for the panels, we can move them over there. You said you had a closed trailer for getting the old furniture out. If they are empty, we can store them in that. You’ll want the ceilings whitened and maybe the floors done before you begin putting the wall panels up, anyway.”

When Randy and Mack finished for the day, they drove out to the barn pulling a trailer loaded with tables and chairs with my truck and I went home with their car. “You’re home fairly early?”

“I am, Mary, Gina bring you home?”

“She did and she thinks I have one smart husband. Chloe felt crushed, when they discovered that some of the panels were cut wrong, and you never hesitated to have a remedy at hand. You have restored her faith in you.” I ignored that remark.

“Those books my help gave me are paying off big time.”

“I’ll say. What do you want to eat?”

“Pizza sounds good. Would you order it while I shower and get the sawdust out of my ears?”

The tools and material to make the bracelets I had ordered that I was going to construct for Sam Giles arrived Saturday morning. The oils and Epsom Salt arrived in the afternoon. I set about designing what I thought would work and it was late when I went to bed. I didn’t go to the restaurant, although I had said I would work Saturday and Sundays.

Mary and I woke at the same time in the morning. I was wide awake, and kept away from thinking about the bracelets I designed last evening. “What are you doing today, Pete?””

“Giving you my full attention.”

“Pete, for how long? You are always working on something for some one.”

“I know, but I’m here beside you right now.”

“I know you are right now. You said you would work over at the restaurant for Chloe when they started this.

“I’ll be here all day if you wish, but things have changed. I didn’t know when I contacted Sam Giles that my working with him would save Guido, John, and Chloe as much money as it has. Besides, we have to have a little life of our own. That’s why I can devote some of my time to Sam and the problem with his hands. You are even helping a little with that.”

“How do you mean? I can’t see where I have done that much.”

“You had a dream from someone in the past, haven’t you?”

“I did. We give of ourselves in service to others all the time. Others expect it of us now. Chloe asks me all the time if I’m able to watch Ricky and expects I will without reservation. I love Ricky or I wouldn’t watch him so much.”

“I know and it will be more and more difficult the nearer it will be to having our own baby. The problem lies with you and I being about Chloe’s only friends. Neither of us knew this was going to happen.”

“I know and I have no regrets in making Chloe my friend, so I’ll just go on as long as I can. I wonder what will happen when Chloe goes to work full time in two weeks when the restaurant is open again.”

“She’ll have to figure something out. Oh, talking about doing something for Chloe and the restaurant, you were going to see about finding a large deer scene or something for people to look at while waiting on their order to come to the table.”

“I’m doing that tomorrow. What are you doing?”

“I’m to start bringing over the panels for the walls. Guido hired someone to paint the ceilings. The walls are the next thing to put up and then put the floors down. The furniture will be the last thing done. The booths will be installed and set up by the manufacturer the last two days before they open.”

“I think we should get up. I’ll get breakfast. Can we go out and go for a walk today on our land?”

“That’s a great idea. We’ve had a great time just talking and relaxing and that would top it all.”

Chapter  Eleven

We arrived home after walking a couple of hours. Mary then laid down and I went down cellar and worked on the bracelets. Miriam did say woven wire so I took six strands of #14 copper wire and twisted them into a tight bundle. The bundle was long enough to make 2 loops each for the two wrists. I silver soldered the loose wire ends together just enough so they wouldn’t unravel. I then cut my twisted wire in half and soldered these loose wires together so these ends wouldn’t unravel.

Next, I asked Mary for a pair of earrings she could dispense with. I tore these apart for the two studs and the caps. At the copper ends of the two bracelets, I soldered a flat piece of copper, and the wires together with the copper soldered between the wires on one end. This, I soldered the stud to the other end of each set of copper wires,  I soldered a same-sized piece of copper and drilled a hole in it, put the stud through the hole and put the cap on.

I knew my design might not be perfect, but I had enough supplies to make a hundred bracelets. I hoped these would last long enough to see if there were any benefits to wearing them. I worried the caps might not stay on very long, but we would see. I could see where I could solder a small nut and use a screw to have them come apart, but that necessitated a tool to carry to remove them.  Oh well, this hadn’t been very time consuming.

The next item was the Epsom Salts and that was no problem with just a matter of warm water and salts in it. The balm and oils were where I had little or no knowledge. Miriam of the dreams said I was sensible. I opened the box that came with the druggist’s supplies and the bubble bag I had ordered the Cannabis oil from a concern named, “Potions and Lotions.” In the last was a small plastic cup that said it contained a more solid balm of CBD salve. The bag also included Wintergreen, Cedar, and Peppermint oils.

I set about mixing three different small amounts of the different oil in with the salve of CBD. All included the Cannabis oil on top of what else I added. I would caution Sam that if there was any inflammation or itching to stop immediately and wash with soap and water. Finally, I was where I wanted to be and could suggest these would help Sam with his painful hands.

It was a wonderful day with Mary. We went to bed early, snuggled a little, talked about the baby, and went to sleep. I don’t know what time it was, not early because I had been up once. I was a little restless.

_____________________________

Suddenly, I was sitting in a place I didn’t know. Mary spoke to me. I turned to look at her to ask a question. It wasn’t my Mary … no, this was Miriam of the Holy Land.

“Pete, I believe it is time for me to speak to you. First, I want to commend you for the way you have treated Mary. The poor woman was so mixed up and unhappy when you first met. My Peter treated me in much the same way and I have come to love him very much. I must tell you that you think that Mary has an unusual power because of the way she is marked.

“That isn’t entirely the case because it is you who energized it. The power is still there, but the real power comes through you. My Peter didn’t come to the fore until after we met, fell in love and married. By that time, Man whom we have named the Christ had risen and Peter never met him. I could deny that I had, but I know differently.

“I’m sure you are aware that Peter was, and is a Scribe. The Disciples who follow Christ, have great need as they go out into the known world to teach His word to the masses who come together and follow Him.

“A small number with the same attributes work side by side with Peter, writing letters and sending them off to the Disciples about what each one is doing in whatever country they are teaching in. The Couriers return with a letter from that disciple who has written how he is progressing. Peter is to make ten copies to share with the rest of the Disciples. Sadly, there are only ten letters to copy and send because one of the disciples faltered early on and fell by the wayside.”

Was I awake?

I knew I must be, but I was still in the Holy Land. Miriam wasn’t standing there where she was when she first spoke. I looked then out over a valley and could see farm land in the distance. I looked at the dwelling. From the dreams that Mary related, Miriam was supposedly a rich woman, but this wasn’t a rich person’s home.  There were some children’s toys, mostly of small carved wooden animals. Some small child had made a barn-like shelter for the animals. There were pastures and fencing of little twigs to keep them penned.

“Peter, I know what you are thinking. You are wondering where my money went aren’t you? It is mostly gone, but that is okay. I use it for the Courier’s traveling expenses.

“My Peter earns what we live on and it feeds us from my brother’s farming activities. Scribes are not paid well, but we are happy and things are getting better. Always the Disciples need money for their food, especially when they move to a different town. After that, those pilgrims whom they teach donate their living expenses and they do the same here for us. My brothers all help after I shared with them so we always have enough.

“You were poor once, but you accepted it and now you are rich. Mary was in the same situation and spread her largess to her brothers. Riches have come your way which must be a unexpected surprise. You and Mary seem to be on the same path using your money wisely. It all comes back to you in love and goodwill and you both are admired the way you help and support everyone. You forgave the woman who took your money without expecting to see any of it again. Not knowing it was helping him, you and Mary made the little boy whole again,. Can she not pay you back? Either way, if she does or doesn’t it is the same to you.”

I had questions in my mind, so how was I to have them answered?

“You are wondering where Peter is, aren’t you? (I was) The scribes work in the cave behind our home. Through the cave, it has an opening on the other side of the mountain that is used for the Couriers to enter and exit without knowledge of those who would harm us.

“You are puzzled by what is so important about the chest, the stand with drawers, and especially the picture?” (My questions were answered immediately.) “The stand isn’t important and only to set the small chest on. You should inspect the chest more closely though, and you will discover something of value you can use. They are items that have power stored in them and you will recognize that they have.  

“The picture is just what it depicts. I didn’t realize it at the time when I first came in contact with The Christ. I wear my marks proudly and have never revealed the fact because pride is a sin. When the feelings of joy that are happening and overrides me, they are better than any riches a person can have.

“This is a troubled land with the Jewish King set here controlled by the Romans against the new Christian movement. Life under the Christians is a softer, gentler way of life and less rigid. (But) we are all Jews from the beginning of time and our blood has soaked this land that the Lord gave to us back 5,000 thousand or more years ago. In the future, we may lose this land as we have many times over and be driven into exile. We have been a fierce people forever, and will regain it each time even if we should lose it for a short time.

“Pete, you are a person with an unusual sense of right and wrong, of what is correct and incorrect, and what will work and what will not. Listen to your self for that sense. Pete, I hope you have enjoyed your dream. Goodnight.” This dream I was a part of didn’t just cease, it faded away. Well, what do you know about that?

Chloe had called and Mary asked if she was needed at the restaurant today, “Not if you would watch Ricky. I hate to keep asking you to take care of him. Guido and I are going to do some figuring soon on how I’m going to be able to work and who is going to watch Ricky. You are soon to have one of your own. I don’t want to wear out our friendship.”

“Chloe, I’ll help as much as I can.”

“I know, but it isn’t fair you have to.”

I kissed Mary on the cheek, waved that I was leaving and left. I went over to Sam Giles’ wood working shop and he was already there. “Sam, I brought some things to try to get rid of the pain in your hands. Can we stop early this afternoon and go over to your house so I can get with your wife to explain everything I'm working on for you? This may not help, but I want you to give it our best shot. It will take a while to show improvement.

“How long do you think?”

“Sam, I have no idea. I should think two weeks or a month. If there is no improvement, we’ll try something else. The only assurance I can give you is that it won’t harm you.”

“That’s good enough.”

The only work today was to mill the extra battens that were needed. We ran them through a molding machine to hide the mistake in the narrow panels. We just thinned a number of pieces needed to leave a bead strip in the center. It worked well and we finished this early enough to go to Sam’s house. I carried a box with me that held the oils and the Epsom Salts. I thought what I would need to begin the treatment. I figured I would ease Sam into this program and not put it all together today.

I would query Sam after each segment on how he felt if it was helping or was uncomfortable. I was told by Miriam, that I had a sense of everything and I wondered momentarily about that. This was when I was packing up the box in the morning. I probably would be thinking about it tonight as I was waiting on sleep to come.

I had met Clara Giles one time before. She spoke to Sam before she looked at me. She asked, “How are your hand’s today, Sam?”

“About the same, Sweetheart. Pete is going to try something that he thinks may help. I’m going to give it a try for a month anyway. Do you have a small wash basin that I can put my hands in to soak? Something that will cover both hands to my wrists?”

“Oh I hope this helps, Mr. Manning.”

“I’ve made up some potions and none of them are harmful. I’ll explain, first I want him to soak his hands. We’ll use as little water as possible and measure it for quantity. Then we’ll put in a quarter of a cup of Epson salts per quart. When the water cools off we’ll put in another quart of water and another quarter cup of the other.

“When this begins to feel cool again empty the cool water and immediately fill it with ice water from the fridge. This may be painful so we’ll only keep his hands in the cold water a minute and it should open the pores in the skin on his wrists.

“I have mixed up a compound that contains some Aloe Vera lotion bought at the drugstore off the shelf. I put in the lotion, five drops of Hemp oil, four drops of Cedar oil, three drops of Peppermint oil, and I teaspoon of hemp salve. This should be enough for five applications. We’ll try that to see if it helps. Rub his hands gently until the oil has disappeared into his skin. There are two places where it should be rubbed more often.

“One place is on his wrists where I’m giving him a bracelet of copper to wear there during the day. I was going to have them ready last night, but I had something to check on first. Anyway, the second place is on the bumps of the joints. Remember to be gentle for they are very sensitive. Is this something you can do?

“Of course I can, and will. You can count on me.”

“Okay, let’s begin. I’ll watch you. I have directions I’ll also leave with you. When these portions are gone in five days, I’ll come and let you mix it. If there is no indication his hands are showing any improvement, I’ll try a different combination of the oils. I do have one more oil, but I am reluctant to use it.”

“What would that be.”

“It is Cannabis oil. The period of history I’m taking all this from, they would not have progressed as far to eliminate the THC in the plant. We can always go back to it.”

“Maybe I’d still have hurting, but happy hands, Clara.”

“Sam, cut out the jokes!” All three of us laughed.

Clara heated hot water and filled the basin with enough water to bring it up to his wrists a little way. It took thirteen minutes to cool down to where Sam wanted it warmed again.  All in all I was with Sam and Clara two hours.

Mary asked how things went. She paused and looked at the small box in my hand. “What’s in the box? You took it with you when you left here”

“It is the bracelets I was going to give Sam. I had second thoughts. I forgot to mention that I had a dream last night and Miriam talked to me in it. She told me to inspect the oak chest more closely for there something of value in it.”

“My Miriam? How could you forget to mention something like that to me?”

“Mary, please don’t be upset. I had no idea that this was going to happen with her speaking directly to me. She indicated a couple of things which surprised me. I have the idea that your Miriam being marked the way you both are was an intended action. Miriam has joyfully given most of her estate to Peter to fulfill his life’s work which is using his skill as a Scribe. When he receives a letter from one of the Disciples, he makes ten copies and has been using Miriam’s money to send a Courier to deliver them, one each to the other Disciples.”

“I can understand that, but why is it you are the one to become involved in any of this?”

“I’m sorry to hurt your feelings, but I am already involved. Do you want me to tell you why and how I am involved?”

“You had better. Pete, we have had a wonderful life together and I don’t want this stuff, something that is true or not, to come between us. I thought my chore of making Ricky whole again would be the end and I wouldn’t have to think about Miriam and the Holy Land. I would be so relieved that most of this is behind me and I could go on and be an ordinary housewife to you.”

“Mary you have been relieved of that already.”

“Well then, tell me why I am.”

“Miriam told me that you were made to believe it was you who was behind the miracle and you were absolved of things that you did to someone.”

“So?”

“I am going to tell you, but I don’t know how you are going to take it.”

“Just spit it out.”

“Okay.

I stopped and took a deep breath. “Mary, it wasn’t you who caused all of this to happen to Ricky. I was informed that it is I where the real power lies.” I rushed on, “I feel all this that is coming in the future to us and the burden you carried now is on my shoulders. I think this is the time we should inspect the chest and get some indication of what the future holds.”

“Pete, I’ll bring it to you. I was looking at it just before you arrived home. I knew it must hold some mystery and we would be enlightened some day. I’m going to bed. Wake me if there is anything interesting.”

I took it and held it in my hands. It seemed heavier than just the wood that was in the construction, being empty as it supposedly was. I shook it and I could hear a small clunking sound. It did not vibrate the box at all so it must be something fairly small. I examined it closely. I could see on one end where it had been damaged a little on the corner.

I could see that there were two pieces of wood, which came mitered together to make a right angle of the corner. I took a thin knife where the wood had separated a bit. Working the knife gently into the space, it showed an indentation across the wide end.  Here there was this separate strip of wood across one end about an inch wide. My thought was that this was a rare fine piece of workmanship and I wouldn’t have seen it if it hadn’t been damaged. I removed the strip of wood one inch wide and one inch high.

I pried it loose and could see there was a single board behind this. I tipped the chest up and this board slid out. I knew immediately why the chest was heavy. There were ten holes in this board and there were the copper slugs like the one in the corner of the picture filling the holes. I caught one copper with the tip of my knife and it came right out. I turned it over in my hand and there was the scratch resembling a fish.

This piece of round copper was a bit thicker than a penny, a little larger than a nickel, but not as large as a quarter. I dug out another copper from another pile and it was identical. I still had no idea how many there were. Taking one of Mary’s cookie sheets, I placed it on top of the board and turned it over.  I had ten piles of the coppers on the sheet when I lifted the board straight up.

I’ll amend that fact! There were five coppers in each pile except there was a bit of leather now on top of four piles to replace the four that were missing. This was odd; Why were four missing?

In my chair I sat back puzzling over this fact. The answer came to me. Two coins were used to buy bread for the boy with no name and his mother at the well. A single coin to buy bread the night Miriam met Peter, and of course, one coin that was in the corner of the painting that we attributed to the miracle of Ricky’s foot becoming corrected. Maybe too simple an explanation, but who would argue with me.

————————————————

“Mary, wake up, I think I have the answer to much that is going on with the coppers that seem to have a certain power. It is more of a feeling than knowing, but I believe I am right. I now have a quantity of the coppers just like the one in the painting. I believe I have a certain power to distribute them when I meet a person who is deserving of some help. I’m going to take two of them and attach them to the bracelets I made for Sam Giles. I believe strongly that he soon will be without the pain in his hands.”

“Pete, explain this to me in the morning. I’m tired tonight and I don’t believe I can wake up enough to listen to you. You told me that you have the power according to Miriam and I am happy to leave it in your hands. Kiss me goodnight again.”

I went into where I had the chest and the coppers on the table and methodically put everything back together, leaving two coppers out. I would see about hiding them in the chest so anyone suspecting the chest was unusual wouldn’t know about the hidden coppers. I would examine it and try to discover what I had been directed to find. That might be a problem and I would leave it for tonight.

I went down to the cellar and replaced the spacers that kept the wires apart with the two coppers, one on each bracelet. I made sure that the fish that was scratched into the copper would be on the inside of the wrist and against the skin at that point. More and more I was becoming satisfied with what I was doing. I had an exalted feeling as I finished the second bracelet.

Mary was wide awake in the morning and I had promised Chloe she would watch Ricky today. “You woke me up last night, didn’t you? I was so sleepy I knew I couldn’t pay attention to what you would be telling me. I’m sorry.”  

“That’s okay, sweetheart. I finished and wanted to put the chest back together. I’ll tell you about what I found, so I drew you a sketch of what was inside the chest. There was a separate board with ten holes drilled into it. They didn’t go all the way through this board and were made to stack the coppers like the one in the picture. I paused and handed the sketch to her. Here is the sketch so you can visualize it.  

“Originally there were five coppers in each hole. Originally there would have been fifty of them.  But four of them were missing. Can you guess what happened to those?”

“I can guess one of them. That one is in the corner of the picture, isn’t it?”

“I believe you are correct. What about the other three?”

“Oh, I don’t know, probably lost.”

I was shaking my head. “No Mary, I’m guessing that Miriam had all three at one time. She gave away two to the boy and his mother and the last one at the campground just before she met Peter. That idea came to me when I saw three missing coppers. To go on, I took two out before I packed the coppers back into the board. I used them late last night on the bracelets that I’m giving to Sam, this morning.”

“That’s great, maybe they will heal his hands.”

“I’m hoping so anyway. Mary, I don’t really know anything about what I am doing. I think I have researched all the oils and what is needed to construct the copper design for the bracelets and I think with a little experimenting some of them will work. I feel if I wasn’t, I would be getting denigrating feelings. When I came up from the cellar, I felt the stairs were made of gold, I was that happy with what I had put together to help Sam Giles.”

“Pete, what you have told me that the power or whatever now lays in your hands and not in mine as we always supposed. I am so relieved. I know with your mind and how you approach everything you will accomplish the success called for.”

“Generous compliments from my beautiful wife this morning.”

“You deserve them. You could go further in that if you would make me some of that beef hash of that pot roast dinner we had last night.”

“Your command is my wish.”

“You have that saying backward, mine Pete.”

“Oh sharp this morning aren’t you, but I will bow to your superiority.”

Mary’s pajamas were gaping slightly and I reached down and bared her breast. “Pete, what are you doing?”

“Just checking you out.” Mary was slowly unbuttoning her top.

“Inspect me if you must, but don’t take too long because I am hungry.”

“Let’s see, this nipple looks okay and the other one looks satisfactory. Your tummy is rounded out nicely and I know why.”

“Pete, stop it. I haven’t been up for hours and I have to go. Kiss these babies and let me up. Be nice to your pregnant wife and go make my hash. You tried to wake me last night and I just couldn’t come awake. Tell me what you wanted.

“I just told you most of it and I’m going over and see Sam and give him the bracelets I made. I was going to give them to him yesterday but I had a feeling they weren’t finished. I worked on them last night and installed two of the coppers. I feel the bracelets this morning are perfect. It is tough trying to keep up with Miriam. She talks in code. She did say to use my senses and that’s what I’m working with. I seem to be okay with everything and you this morning.”

“I know you are. Well, if you would stop attacking me, you are.”

“You love it.”

“I do, Pete.”

I saw Chloe turn into my driveway in my rear view mirror as I was leaving. I hoped Chloe was leaving Ricky instead of picking up Mary to go somewhere today. I was going to have to slow Chloe down from depending on Mary so much. Mary felt she owed Chloe because she had damaged her car before they became friends. No, I probably wouldn’t say anything. The time would come when I would say we couldn’t take Ricky that day and she would then get the message. I chuckled to myself. Miriam had our backs and somehow all would come out right.

Sam had not arrived at the woodworking shop yet so I drove down the street to his house. He was just coming out. “Morning Sam.”

“A good morning to you, Pete. You’re early, or maybe I’m a little late. There is nothing pushing at the shop this morning.”

“How are your hands?”

“Not much different. The pain is still there. I will say that the skin on my hands feels a lot better. More pliable and softer, anyway. The bumps and nodules are still as bad as before. I almost soaked the hands again this morning. I’m still hoping for the best, you know.”

“Do you want to do it again, now? It can’t hurt. I have the bracelets I talked about with me, and I can fit them after we finish working on your hands.”

“Sure, come in with me. My two men left an hour ago to go off on their own today and Clara is up.” We went in and Clara was glad to see me.

“Hi, Mr. Manning, there is still coffee. The boys didn’t finish it. I’ll get the basin and heat up some water for you.”

“Clara, please call me Pete.” I sat down at the kitchen table and opened the box I had carried the bracelets in. Both Clara and Sam picked one up and examined it.

“Those are pretty and almost a work of art. I’d be proud to wear one just for the beauty of it.”

“I can make you up something, Clara. I played at making jewelry back when I was a kid in the school shop class, but then I joined the Army instead.”

Clara and Sam spotted the copper penny at the same time. “What is this?”

“That is more like a good luck charm. That etched fish on the face of it that goes next to your skin, is important and supposed to have healing powers. That’s what an old legend says, anyway.”

“If you make me a bracelet, Pete, I don’t think I need that part.”

“I’ll do it soon, Clara. I need to help finish up the restaurant so they can open up on Wednesday. That’s when I go back to my regular construction job. At that time, I’ll have more time to mess around down in the cellar.”

“No hurry, it was just a thought, Pete.” Clara and Sam went about soaking his hands. I could see this hurt him at times, but Clara was sensitive enough and when she saw his pain, she immediately became gentler with the manipulations. When she finished and had his hands dry, we put the bracelets on.

They weren’t too tight or too loose. His concern was that the cap over the stud would come off. “If you are too concerned about this, I can solder a nut onto it and make you a small thump screw to screw the ends together.”

“I’ll try these for now.  Lets go over to the restaurant and see Chloe and John and how near done they are.”

“May I go with you?”

“Of course, Clara, it will be good for you see what some of Sam’s work looks like.”

“Remember, Pete, I didn’t have any hands on work in this. It was mostly you and your men who actually did the work.”

“I’ll take that. Sam. You pointed out what should be done and your two men made it look simple anyway.”

Sam’s sleeves came down over his bracelets hiding them from view. He said he wouldn’t mind if someone saw them anyway. “They are a medical device or I can claim they are.”

We entered the restaurant. The new window sashes were installed and the grids that made it look like a many pane window had been snapped into place. The interior was warm and inviting. People might not notice, but the crown moldings and the beaded battens went well with the paneled walls and added a touch of class. There was a single row of booths around the room on three sides with a double row down the length of the room.

The women were working on the wall hanging where they were just smoothing out the forest scene over the large panel to go up on the wall. There was forest animals scattered about the scene. They were a couple of rabbits, a skunk, fox, and raccoon. The main attraction was a single stag deer with a doe deer and two fawns feeding. Various trees and bushes made it seem real.

Clara stopped to help smooth out the large scene. This was in the dining room. Sam and I walked by the door to the kitchen and into the bar. The bar room was lighter and cleaner than it was when I first saw it two weeks ago. There was a different scene on the wall hanging at the far end of this room. It was above the booths and smaller. The subject was a war scene with active soldiers advancing toward a bombed out building.

There were two A-10’s flying in low toward it and enemy soldiers running away toward the hilly background spread out beyond the building. Our troops had taken some damage for there was a stopped empty jeep with a personnel carrier lying on its side. There was a medic attending to two men near it. In the shadow of the personnel carrier, you could barely make out another soldier laying there on the ground with something covering him.

John came up to us and asked if it was too graphic. “No, I don’t think so. My Grandfather was in the Korean conflict when he was younger than I am. He said that back then wars that we were involved in were out in the open. You would see troop ships and planes unloading draped caskets. You would see actual war scenes as they were happening. Film would be flown to Hawaii, processed and flown to the news shows in the states before some of these battles were over. It was a different kind of war in Iraq.”

“You were there?”

“I was there, John.”

“Come on up to the bar, Pete. I think I can find you a cold one.”

While we were sitting at the bar, I asked John if he had all the help he needed to staff both the bar and the dining room.

“I do. Rachel, you’ve met her, is handling the bar and has hired a couple of bartenders she has worked with before. She’ll have a full crew on at 4:30 in the afternoon when it begins to get busy. Chloe will be here coming to work at eleven in the morning with one other person.

“I rounded up most of the staff in the dining room I had before they quit when they couldn’t stand Harrison. Between her and me, we’ll be working out the ordering what is needed to keep the liquor flowing and meat on the tables. We are starting with an experienced staff, and Chloe will get the hang of it with no problem. The bar isn’t that busy during two or three of the afternoon hours.”

“I wonder who will take care of little Ricky?”

“I think she has that all covered or says she has. She has hired some woman and is paying her a salary out of her wages.”

My heart fell. I didn’t want Mary to attempt caring for him during the afternoon. What was she thinking?  Just then, Chloe came into the bar and over to us. “Hi Pete, guess what?”

“What?”

“I’ve hired a nice woman to care for Ricky during the hours I’ll be working. She is already fond of him and he is fond of her. She came to me and asked if I was looking for a care giver and she wanted the job.”

“It isn’t Mary, is it?”

“God no, Pete. I wouldn’t do that to Mary and especially not to you. I love you both too much to expect you to do that. It is your Aunt Ida. She wants to earn a little money and lessen the burden while Mary is carrying your baby. Think it will work?”

“I’ll help make it work.”

“Good, that’s settled. One more day and we’ll be in business. What do you think of the place?”

“I’m thinking it won’t be many days until you will be having a full house. John thinks so, too.”

I asked Chloe if Mary was at home and she answered that she was and Ricky was with her. I turned to Sam and Clara. “Sam, you haven’t been by the street where the company owns all the houses we are rehabbing, have you?”

“I know where it is. I did some work in the factory office several years ago.”

“Let’s drive by there and I’ll show you what Geno Capparelli and I are doing. I’ll pick up Ricky on the way. He loves to get out of the house.”

“You seem to be close to the boy?”

“I am and there is a long story why I am. At one time, Chloe and I were a couple, but she married someone else while I was in the service. She had Ricky by him and he had a twisted foot when he was born. Mary and Chloe became friends and we worked with the boy until a short time ago when his foot straightened out. It doesn’t matter, but it almost seemed miraculous at that time. Ricky calls Mary Aunt and me Uncle. Guido Capparelli intends to marry Chloe and him and I work together.”

“Nice to have friends that close, isn’t it?”

“It is, Clara.” I reached my house and went in. Mary was sitting in the living room almost asleep. Ricky was curled up on the floor asleep. He heard my voice. “Uncle Pete, are we going somewhere?”

“Yes, we are. Go get your coat.”  

Mary asked, “Where are you going?

“Out to the big barn to show Sam and Clara the land we own. Go take a nap.”

“I can do that. I was almost asleep anyway. Has Sam got his bracelets on?”

“Yes, and we went through the routine with the Epson Salt and salve again. He said his skin is nice and soft and not so dried out. That’s a help on its own.

“Maybe, just maybe, it will help get rid of the bumps on his hands.”

“We are hoping so.”

When Ricky and I came out, I asked Clara to get in front so Ricky could have his seat on the outside next to the window in the rear seat. “Where are we going first, Uncle Pete? I want to go over to where you are fixing houses. I can tell which ones are almost done.”

When we reached the first house, Ricky said, “That one is done except for the green grass. The next one is done except there are some stones and Sandy is helping Randy. They are making a flower bed lined with stones out of them and then will put some green grass around it. The third one needs a new shower in the bathroom, but it hasn’t come yet. I haven’t been inside the next house yet so I don’t know how it is coming.

“The rest are to be worked on when all the men come back from getting the restaurant ready for Mom and Uncle Guido. Mom says Uncle Guido is going to be my Dad soon. I think that is great.”

We traveled down the street until I got to where Grandmother and Aunt Ida were living. “I’m going to be staying with them when Mom is working. I wanted to stay with Aunt Mary but she is having a baby. Aunt Ida says we will be going to see her a lot. Aunt Mary has a picture of a whole bunch of dead people hanging from some crosses. The picture has a big copper penny stuck in the corner and Uncle Pete said I could rub it. It made me feel awful good and one day it felt real good and when I woke up the next morning, my foot was all fixed and I could walk.”

Clara looked at me, “What is the boy talking about?”

“Just something he has in his mind, I guess.”

“Not either, you said it was a miracle. The penny has a fish on one side of it.”

“We’ll talk about it later, Ricky. If the cows are out, do you want to stop and pet them?”

We drove by the closed up Spaulding factory. It was a large, high factory built of cement blocks, cavernous inside and completely empty on the two floors. There must have been a thousand people working there at one time. It was on the market, but so far no buyer for it. It was such a well-built factory. It had been mothballed and would take only a few thousand dollars to return it to full use again if and when sold.

“I hope they are. Mr. Sam, do you know cows can slobber all over you?”

“I did know that. I hope they are out too where we can see them. I haven’t seen a cow in ages.”

No cows out today and Ricky then started talking about Fred and Sandy Hamilton. “I hope Sandy is at the barn. I’ll bet Fred is too.”

Sam was interested. “Who are Fred and the Hamilton's?”

“I met them last summer. Sandy is a young woman and Fred is her uncle. When I met them, they were panhandlers out on the street. They were also squatting in one of the houses Capparelli Construction owned. Geno and I were looking for a place to lease to store our equipment and tools. I found out that Sandy owned a huge empty barn. I made a deal where we could lease some of the first floor.

“I found out her Uncle Fred owned the barn at one time when he farmed the 200 acres around the barn. He still owns the land but had sold the barn to his brother who was Sandy's father. Sandy’s father died sometime ago. The barn went to Sandy at that time. Fred and Mildred had a house next to the house near the barn, but that burned. There was a restriction that the barn couldn’t become a dwelling and the house and the land were mortgaged. That put the three Hamiltons owing for taxes and Fred still had a mortgage. They went out on the street and they just existed by panhandling.

“Anyway, Capparelli Construction leased some of the barn from Sandy but it wasn’t enough income to help their situation much. I suggested that she start a storage business and rent out space on the second floor of the barn to store motorcycles and vehicles in the winter and winter toys in the summer. I had to coach her through it all and you’ll see the bikes etc. coming out now.

“I also suggested that she salvage used items from various places to sell to the people who would buy who couldn’t afford new. They have been removing all that is good from the houses that Capparelli construction owns. They just picked up the old booths that came out of Chloe and John’s restaurant, too. Fred will clean them up a little. You’ll see all of this when we get there.”

“So they are still living in one of the houses Capparelli owns?”

“No, they live in a good-sized new house and garage with a loft next to where Fred’s house was that burned. They now have all paid their bills when they were about to lose everything. Sandy has turned into quite the business woman. Fred got a new house when he swapped 160 acres of his 200 hundred acres for it. He kept 40 acres to hunt deer on.”

“That sounds like a good deal to me.”

Ricky couldn’t keep anything private. “Uncle Pete is going to build a whole lot of new houses on the land when he finishing fixing up the houses on the street. He also has a big bunch of beautiful boards stored up in the top of the big high barn. I have been up there and you can see almost all of the land he owns and even some deer, too.”

Sam picked up quickly on the boards. “Pete, what are the boards the boy is talking about?”

“There is a quantity of what I think is old growth pine. I bought them from Sandy. I was fair and offered her more than what a couple of other people offered her. I’m saving them for a special project someday. I haven’t wholly examined all of them yet. They are stuck up perfectly and I can see the outside board’s edge of all the piles.”

“Geez, I’d like to see them.”

“I guess we have time. I think Sandy will be here so Clara doesn’t have to go up. They can talk. Sandy is proud of what she has accomplished in the last few months.”

Sandy was here and she was near the back of the barn. There were men just getting some motorcycles down from storage.  I knew these to be doctors from one of the hospitals in the city. I was surprised to see the doctor who was Ricky’s pediatrician. He was Mary’s doctor, too. “Hi Pete, just getting my bike out. Hey, how’s the foot, Ricky,?”

“Good, Doctor Blum. Uncle Pete has an exercise bike and I use it a lot. It’s fun not having to hobble anymore.”

“I shouldn’t wonder. How’s your Aunt Mary today?”

“She is good. I have been with her all day. She has been reading to me about different artists who paint pictures. It looks like fun.”

“Is your mother still working getting the restaurant ready to open?”

“Yup, one more day and they will be open for lunch.”

“I’ll be stopping by within the week and can you tell her that?”

“I will. Can we go up to look out the top window, Uncle Pete? I might see another deer.”

“We are going up now, Ricky.”

We walked up the ramp to the second floor and then looked at the third floor stairs.

“Do you want to try these, Sam?”

“Yes, they aren’t that steep. Just grab my shirt to steady me and I won’t have to use the railing at all.”

Ricky went running up the stairs and he soon came back and told us as we were about two-thirds up the stairs that there were no deer feeding today. “Boy, it is really clear out and I can see the trees all the way to the edge of your property. Uncle Pete, am I ever going to walk in those woods?”

“Someday maybe. Maybe Fred will take you with him sometimes. He told me those woods were special and he walks out there often.”

“I’m going to ask him.”

Sam commented. “That boy is a live wire, isn’t he?”

“He is and that is just since he has been able to walk without hobbling.”

“What was the problem that caused him to hobble??

“The cords in his ankle were bound together and they didn’t separate the way they were supposed to before he was born.  The heel couldn’t touch the floor. His foot straightened up around Valentine’s Day in February of this year.”

“He seems to have an abundance of information floating around in his mind.”

“Yeah, there is. Mary and Chloe are together a lot and talk all the time. I just never know what he is going to come out with.” We dodged around the piles of lumber going to look out the window.

Sam didn’t get far before he stopped and looked at the lumber.  “Jesus, this stuff is prime. You say you own it? What are you planning to do with it?”

“I do own it and I don’t have any solid ideas yet.” I paused and then asked, “Sam, are you religious?”

“Why do you ask? That’s a crazy question; we were talking about lumber. No, I guess you could say I’m not religious. I don’t go to church much.”

“Neither Mary nor I are either. We go probably about as much as you and Clara. The lumber comes into it because when I’m up here I think this should go into some kind of edifice like a place to pray and can be seen. Step over to the window and look out with me.”

I think Sam thought I was crazy because I wasn’t answering many of his questions and I was skipping from on subject to another.  “Sam, I own the hundred and sixty acres that go all the way over to that tree line you can see in the distance. I plan to develop it and put houses on most of it. Somewhere in amongst the houses I intend to keep a couple of acres for some kind of church or chapel. Maybe even more than one.

“I have to tell you some of the reasons I’m thinking this way. I met Mary when she was about broke and had a terrible life so far. My life wasn’t that great, either. I was broke too. Mary has some brothers who benefited from Mary when her mother left her estate to her. Anyway, they put us to together because both of us were a little odd. We went west and began to straighten our lives out.

“Not long after we got out there, Mary discovered a beautiful gemstone set that resides in a museum now and is named after her because it is so fine. Mary was actually my boss at the time, my job being to keep her safe. Within two days after finding the gemstone, I bought a placer mine plot and was going to look for gems next to Mary’s to see if I could find some gems of my own. I did find a cave of sorts and there were some unique strata in the walls. It turned out valuable beyond comprehension.

“That in itself was a miracle, but there is more. We fell in love and married and her brothers gave us an extended honeymoon. Returning, Mary began to have weird dreams while I was working for Capparelli Construction. This seemed to have some religious connections and have continued. We don’t understand it, but have embraced it. Look over there at Ricky running around. We both attribute his improvement to what Mary learned in these dreams.

“Going back a bit and concerning Chloe Harrison, whom we both know. I was engaged to her and she screwed me over before I returned from the service. That is the reason I was so poor at the time I met Mary. Mary became friends with her when I wanted nothing to do with her because of our history. Chloe will soon marry Guido Capparelli and become father to Ricky which makes me happy.”

“Stop a bit, Pete. Why are you telling me this? It has nothing to do with me.”

“It does have something to do with you, Sam, because you are part of my life now and I promise our association will never hurt you. It may never turn out as well as I hope, but I am confident that you will be the better for knowing me.”

“You mean you believe my hands will get better.”

“I’m telling you all of what I have been talking about because I have the faith that you will get better. I want you to have faith in me as well and in what I believe to be possible.”

“I believe you already and that’s why I’m going along with what you suggest, Pete. Now, why don’t you get away from this deep stuff of yours? You are now up here looking out the window and I have a few ideas of how you can make this plot of land into something exceptional and part of the city. First, I think you should have an area where all the light industry and some commercial projects together set aside so it doesn’t interfere with housing.”

“How did you think of something like that?”

“Because I’m going to have to move my woodworking shop in just a few months because of people who object to where my workshop is located. I’d like it where I can put my shop without worrying all the time that I’ll to have to move again. I’ll do everything possible to mitigate the noise, but it may not be enough. A shop or business that opens early in the morning and closes by six in the early evening makes noise and is still a problem.  

“Stores aren’t that noisy and they generally close later but are quieter. Lay all these out before you start selling plots of land and have them zoned to protect the house lots you intend for that purpose. I’ll help on the zoning if you will promise to sell me a lot way out on your corner lot if you start on it now.

“The time to fight it is before there is anything to fight. Sandy, who I just met, will she fight to stay here? Once one business is driven out, all will eventually go.  I tell you, I’d like to move my business here and I’ll pay well to purchase a piece of property that has these restrictions and guaranties.”

“I wasn’t trying to sell you a piece of property, Sam. It is going to be two years before I can start this project. I didn’t tell you, but I own almost half of Capparelli Construction, already. It is going to take that long to rehab the houses and sell them. Geno is not interested in building new houses. But I may take over the business when I move into new construction. I think Geno wants to stay with rehabilitating projects.

“I’ve got Kenny for a brother-in-law, and he has promised to work with me on what I’ll be doing in the next few years. One other brother-in-law is a bank manager and he is working already supplying money for Capparelli Construction.

“Geno just isn’t interested in taking on something of this size. He would love having the street we are working on with only five or six projects ahead of us at one time. He wouldn’t have so much capital tied up either. He could finish these before a year was up and he could take off for the winter. Me, well I like to work and at present Mary and are planning on starting our family and having two or three children.  By then I’ll know enough about running a business to hire people to manage it for whatever length of time we need to give the kids a good start.

“I believe in taking the opportunities that come up and I run with them. I believe in helping people and when I run into someone who needs help, I get more satisfaction out of that than piling up a lot of money. Building the Chapel and the Church I spoke about are what I thought is a way to spend some of the money I am going to have in the future. Two years ago I didn’t have shit, but now I’m worth more than I ever imagined.”

“I want a piece of land, Pete, so will you sell me what I need? I’ve been fighting with different committees and organizations for ten years and I think I can help you dodge some of these things that can appear out of nowhere.”

“What happens if I haven’t helped you get rid of the pain in your hands?”

“You talked about faith and you’ve convinced me that I should have faith in you and what or whoever is behind your faith. I’ll work to get a zoning designation to get you a land use change. I think I can be of help without changing the rural residential land use designation on the house lots so your taxes won’t all go up at the same time.

“Keep your taxes at a minimum by doing small projects at a time. When you ask for permits, get permits for a few houses at a time. The land will be classified as Rural Residential until you ask for more permits. The taxes on the land will go up and there is no stopping it, but do it the smart way. We’ll talk more on this.”  He paused and looked for Ricky. “That boy has climbed up and is asleep on the third pile of lumber.”

“I know, I watched him figure out how to get up there.”

I went over and poked Ricky, waking him. “Are you done talking, Uncle Pete? You talked for a long time and I got sleepy.”

“All done Ricky, sorry about that.”

“I didn’t mind.”

When we came down as Sam and Clara were getting into my car, Sandy mentioned Clara, “Maybe I’ll see more of Clara in the days to come. She is a nice person. She was telling me about Sam’s hands and that you were trying to do to help him. I told her you helped everyone and that I was becoming well to do just because of you.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“I think I do, Pete.” 

———————————

I spoke to Sandy after the Giles and Ricky got into the car. “I’m selling Sam some land for his woodworking operation. I don’t know where yet. The far corner beyond your land would be ideal. For now, though, I’m driving him up the road to my western boundary.”

Sam was stunned by the amount of land I said I owned. “Good God, Pete, that’s a powerful lot of land. How many houses are you going to build on it?”

 “I don’t know yet. Single family homes won’t be all I will build. There will be some housing with multi apartments with four and six apartments in each. Then there will be the short street of businesses so that will be a take away from the total land I own. There will be the streets and the church and maybe a community center. There will have to be a pumping station for sewage. Probably a reasonable guess is somewhere between 200 houses and or apartments.”

“Too big for you without some help from the outside.”

“Not necessarily. I do have some help with Mary for one and her family for another. Her brothers will be all involved in this someway. Mary gave her brothers their start and they are all grateful. I told you one is head of a major bank. Another is Kenny, your friend and our lawyer, and another owns the major portion of a large grocery store. Mary just finished her education in finance and she is no slouch. They are all together in a loose group and are called the Goodell Group.

“I’m not saying they have a lot of power, but one of the brothers will usually speak on most anything that happens here in the city. Mary is their half-sister and they all love her. They all like me for making Mary happy. Sam, I have to go back to my regular job at the Capparelli Construction outfit. I’ll see you tomorrow evening. I’ll mix up another batch of salve for your hands.”

“I was hoping you would. You know I’m expecting some results by the end of the month.”

“That should happen. I’m sticking right with you and you can count on me. In the meantime, work on how big a lot you need to put your shop on. I’ll see if I can’t round up enough men to move you some weekend when all the plans are in place.”

“It will be a while and it isn’t that simple. I do know what I need, Pete. The configuration of the mill and the lumber storage sheds will be different than it is at present. We’ll talk more. Kenny and I have been pals for a long time and he is brother to Mary, so we can work with him on getting the paperwork finished.”

 “I’ll ask and I believe he will.”

I came back by the barn. Sandy was just saying goodbye to a customer who had stored their snowmobile and trailer for the summer. I stopped. “Sam is interested in buying a lot from me way out in the corner of the land beyond you.”

Sandy smiled then asked, “Okay Pete, how can I help you? You look as if you want something.”

“I do, Sandy. How many feet from the edge of the barn is it to your boundary with the abutting landowner?”

“Sixty-two feet, two inches. That is right along beside where the stables were and then your land closes in behind mine all the way to your corner.”

“I would like to purchase a permanent right away and make it a street to get to my land. I plan to have some small businesses and shops along the way to where Sam’s property on the end lot.”

“That is going to cost you a lot, Pete. I remember one time you suggested that I might want to build some storage units where the old stable is. That was before I found running a business has its attraction. I’m about at that point to build now after seeing how much money I can make in this business. So what can I do for you?”

 I grinned now, “If it is what you need, I can root out all the remains of the stables and foundations and level everything so you have a place for these storage units.”

“We are almost there, Pete. Would you talk to your banker about me getting a loan to build the units? I’ll need the right of way as much as you do for that. Do that for me and you have your right of way.”

“Good enough, Sandy, we have a deal.”

Sam and Clara were looking at me. “Jesus, Pete, just like that?”

“Yeah, Clara, just like that. I sold a lot, bought a right of way, advanced Sandy’s business and everyone is happy. Come on, Ricky wants to go home.”

“Can we stop long enough to say hi to Mary.”

“We can.”

Chapter Twelve

Mary was standing in the open doorway waiting on us. “Hey, I thought you were lost. Chloe and John have invited everyone who has been involved in all the updates on that shabby, old rough joint, that was worthless and soon to disappear.  It is a free meal tonight as a thank you. Now the restaurant and bar has style and at the opening tonight for those of us who worked to make this happen, will see it as our patrons will see it at noon tomorrow. We have to be there. That includes you too, Clara and Sam.”

Chloe was here to pick up Ricky, and stuck her head around Mary, “You don’t have to dress up. This is a come as you are get together.”  Ricky jumped out of his car seat and ran to his mother.

“I’ll take Clara and Sam home and be right back, Chloe.”

“Okay.” When I dropped them off, it was decided that Clara would drive to the restaurant and I wouldn’t have to wait on them.

I escorted Mary into the restaurant and everyone was here except for Sam and Clara. Chloe was the Hostess of the moment, and told me to head for the bar. “All the men who have worked on the project are in the there.” Gina gave me an okay sign and maybe had a drink already for she was looking happy.

Geno the person, who had to be convinced at the beginning to help, was looking especially happy and was sitting in one of the large booths with Guido. He shouted at me, “Sit with us, Pete. You’re behind and I have a drink ordered for you.” Guido was laughing at his cousin.

Geno explained why. “Do you know what my cousin and Chloe have done? Somehow, Chloe has kept track of all the hours our workers have put in. Guido went to Charley, our banker, and took out a personal loan to pay for every hour they worked. They did this on their own so Capparelli Construction wouldn’t lose anything. Of course Gina volunteered my time and I think Mary volunteered yours.”

I spoke across the table looking at Geno. “That’s nice Guido, maybe he will stop worrying about the business going under. That’s not going to happen.”

 “Say Pete, Chloe will have something to say to you about this when she has a private moment.”

“She doesn’t have to.  You know it and she should by this time too.”

“Okay Pete, she did clear it with Mary and your time is coming.” I knew this was about the $28,000 that Chloe felt she owed me when Harrison had cheated it from me.

John came out and slid into the empty seat beside me. “What do you think, Pete? Chloe and I have some kind of establishment here. Nobody could call this a joint any longer. I have all the help I need in every position and they are all experienced. I have dreamed of owning something like this, but with Harrison it never could happen. Chloe is giving you much of the credit.”

“John, I have put in very little time here on this, and I haven’t put in a dime and have fully enjoyed myself.”

“Well that isn’t what she tells me. She’s some kind of woman. A month ago when she first began talking about being a working partner I had my doubts, but it has all come together. I’m still laughing about how Geno, Guido, and Gina came in and rousted Harrison. I wish I had a tape of it. He was as good as gone at that minute in time and he just didn’t know it.”

Geno was laughing too. “I’ve seen and had some of Gina and her attitude directed at me at times.  Mary has seen it and she came right back at Gina. Do remember that night, Pete?”

I had to laugh, too. “Yeah, I remember. Let’s see, that was also the night that Guido met Chloe and his future was immediately determined.”

Sam got into the conversation. “You know I was pretty discouraged as little as three weeks ago when Kenny Goodell brought me over here to look at this place. Since then, I’ve met some great people. I was at the point where I felt life sucked. I was having to move my shop. It was located in the same place for almost twenty years and I didn’t know what to do. I gave a little advice to some of you and gained so many friends. I have never seen a group of people work so well together.

“Now I have a place to move my shop to and a future that looks great. Clara, my wife has caught the feeling too. For the last couple of years we spent as much time bitching at each other as we did appreciating each other. How this will all turn out, I can’t tell yet, but I have faith the future will be better than the past.””

“Where are you moving to, Sam?”

“I’ve agreed to purchase a lot from Pete on that piece of land he owns out where some woman has started a storage business in a big barn. I might just go into expanding the shop and look for new customers. I’ve been piddling along working just enough to put food on the table, knowing all along that I would be using our savings to move. I’ll get out there and set up and then I’m talking to Pete and Geno about prettying up those rehab units they are working on.”

“You’ve got eighteen or more houses that aren’t started yet. See what I suggested for this place and what little was done, but it has increased the value of it by a couple of thousand dollars each on just the appearance alone. I’d ask you to get your women involved and they will tell you what the buyers would like. Clara used to do that for me all the time until I got crippled up and couldn’t do much any more.” He continued.

“You have some houses that have a second floor. Open up one side and install stairs showing a banister to the view. I even have a molding machine that can figure out the drop down curve on a banister so it doesn’t look chopped off with a straight end. The rungs, I can feed squared material into a lathe and they will come out as balusters with a little design. The machine is almost new and I don’t believe I have a thousand balusters out of it yet.”

Geno asked, “How long before you get set up out there? Maybe we should hold off until you get moved.”

“No don’t do that. Get me another person to handle the pieces and I can make them if I move the shop last. I can move all the lumber as soon as I take down the storage sheds for the lumber and put it up again. I think Pete can get the paperwork on the property done in a couple of weeks and then I can start on that part. Kenny, his brother-in-law, has been palling around with me for a couple of years so I’m thinking it is as good as done.”

John got up and headed for the kitchen. He came back and said maybe we should go into the dining room within the next half hour. I looked around before I sat down in one of the booths and Mary soon joined me. Ricky sat between us and we waited for Chloe and Guido to sit across from us. The eleven men who sat at the bar came in with two women and joined their group. I was wondering who they were. We hadn’t found out much about the thee new hires yet and they must be wives of two of these workers.

Mack and Randy split away and sat in the next booth down. It filled up with two more of the single workers. Mildred and Fred came in and chose a booth. Sandy stood there looking around. Her face flushed when she went over to Randy and asked him to sit with her. His face was now redder than Sandy’s from the attention. I knew the two were a couple and now everyone did.

Soon everyone was seated. John and Chloe waited for everyone’s attention. John spoke. “Please, I wish to thank everyone for the work you all have put into making this restaurant one to be proud of. I hope the meal will be to your liking. I’ve hired all experienced help and I believe the service will be great as well. Chloe, you said you wanted to say a word?”

“I do. It is just a thank everyone for helping to put this together. A year ago I was sad and lonely with only one friend, and that person was Mary Manning. Now everyone at the Capparelli Construction Company is my friend and soon to be more since I’m to be married to Guido Capparelli in June. My life has turned around and I thank all of you. Please enjoy your dinner.”

Chloe came and slid into our booth next to Guido. Chloe looked at me and then at Mary.  “A special thanks to you two; Mary for being my friend and Pete for not hating me when he has the right to. You are a most forgiving person. I love you both.”

John was in and out of the kitchen and when everything was to his satisfaction, sitting in the booth nearest the kitchen door. There were wine goblets and beer glasses on the table and as we sat, Waitresses came by and asked our pleasure. Another waitress brought baskets of just out of the oven rolls.

 Appetizers came out on plates and placed on the table and could be reached by all. There were three different choices on each plate. Single slices of thick rolled crisp baked bacon, sirloin tips of beef, and chicken wings. The waitress picked up the guest’s choice marked on paper slips of the two dinners being served with the table number on them. There was individually baked American Lasagna with a thick crispy cheese crust, and of course, spaghetti with meatballs.

Geno got up just as we were about to begin eating. “I’d like to say a little prayer for this bountiful repast that is being set before us.”  He did and it was short with him saying immediately after, “I know John and Chloe will make this a great place to dine. I’m proud to have been a part of it. Thank you.”

The dinner was consumed and people soon began to leave. It was a work day tomorrow and everyone had to work. I know I had enjoyed not having to work for the last two and half weeks. I asked Sam if he needed me to massage his hands and he said no, that Clara had it down to a science already. He did remind me he would need some salve mixture by the day after tomorrow. I nodded that I would have it ready.

—————————————

Mary was in the last month of her pregnancy, and she sat glad to rest watching me while I was at the table mixing the potions for Sam together. I could swear I wasn’t distracted in what I was doing.

Suddenly she poked me. “Pete, pay attention. You almost spilled what you had in the spoon.”

“Sorry, I was being chided by Miriam for not putting in two of the ingredients she said were important. I’ll admit when she told me to include basil and oregano, I didn’t take her seriously. I’ll get it ready now and include it in this batch. It will take some extra minutes to get it ready, so why don’t you go to bed and I’ll join you soon.”

“What, and leave you alone with my alter-namesake? No way am I leaving you when she is this close.”

Mary stopped speaking and a blank look came onto her features. Then she smiled and giggled.
 
I knew Mary’s attention hadn’t been with me for few moments. “What did Miriam say to you, I know she said something?”

“She said you were too young for her. About 2,000 years, in fact. She also said for me to go to bed and stay awake for you to join me. I believe I will. Don’t spend too much time on this because I’ll be waiting.”

“This won’t take long.” I had been working while listening to my wife. The basil and oregano were ground into a powder in the bottom of a little bowl I had discovered in Mary’s dish cupboard and I was using the wooden handle of a spatula as a pestle.  I didn’t even pay attention when Mary turned to leave. I soon had the potion of salve, oils, and powder mixed well and scraped into a little plastic container I had bought in a dollar store.

I then joined her. We snuggled together, and talked about the coming baby’s birth and soon slept.

I drove over to Sam’s house in the morning. He was up and I gave him the new batch of salve to use.

——————————————

We really tore into getting the lawn on number one house ready when we returned to work on the street of houses. We should have this finished and had it sold before the ground froze last November. The ground had thawed so we contacted the lawn concern. Now instead of trying to start the lawn from seed, we purchased some ready-made sod and had it unrolled. In just hours, we had what looked like a two -year-old lawn.

The flowerbeds were in and planted and now mulched for the summer. On the back lawn, I purchased two peach trees and planted them. They were close to the back boundary and wouldn’t be much of a problem to mow around.

Number 2 house had been finished inside and we went to work on installing new siding. Now we had a full crew for all aspects of the work. Numbers 5 and 6 had been gutted, and work was going full steam ahead with installing sheetrock and painting. Once there had been salvage in most of the houses and Sandy had taken this out and transported it to the big barn. She hadn’t done this in numbers one and two because all the possible salvage from these had gone into the dumpsters, earlier.

Sam Giles came out with some samples of what he manufactured and had in stock and used to rehab the restaurant. It would dress up the interiors the houses as we worked our way down the street. We took an offer on the number 1 house and it sold in the mid-range of what we had anticipated the houses should sell for. At last we had some income coming in. The wolf was still out there watching our little company, but by selling the first house, we felt we had backed him up a little and he wasn’t as close to us.

Kenny was working on the paperwork for Sandy Hamilton, Sam Giles, and me. Applications for the permits for different parts of the deal we had made the day Sam went out there, were put together. Sam needed a change of use on the lot he was clearing and a permit to move his woodworking shop and buildings to house it. I had made a deal with Sandy for a permanent right of way if I would remove the remains of the old cow stable that went with the big barn.

Kenny kept me in the know. “You want this to all come together, Pete? I’ll set it up and we’ll get this done in one meeting so you won’t have to do anything except put in an appearance.”

“Good enough, Kenny, my track record since I was a man on the street as a panhandler is good, I do believe.”

Randy began coming to work a lot neater than when he first was hired. He was shaved every day and his work clothes were always clean. I was sitting alone in my truck one day. He knocked on the door to get my attention. “Can I sit you with you a minute?”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“I guess you know Sandy and I are attracted to each other. Do you think I am good enough for her? I mean I’m a felon and just a laborer. Sandy doesn’t seem to mind and claims she wasn’t that much just a few months ago, herself. I met her the same time you did. She has so much going for her now and everything with her storage business. She claims it was all you who got her off the streets panhandling. How did you do it?”

“When I first met her, she needed a change in direction. She was doing more than that, though. She was guiding her family and friends to see that they always had enough to eat. She had that big barn that was empty and a definite liability at the time and she didn’t realize what a great asset it was. I talked her into opening it for a storage business. She just took it and ran with it. It was a matter of gaining some confidence to attempt it.

“Now you, you went to prison because you didn’t like your father and you still tried to stop him from committing a crime.  You were caught up in a mistake in justice. It happens all too often. It hasn’t driven you to a life of crime either, although it easily could have.

“You are the hardest worker on my crew and I value you. I promised you someday that I would get you papers that say you are a master carpenter and that is my intent. It will happen if you keep on the same track you are on now. I hear you asking question all the time of some of the carpenters to explain different things they do that they know instinctively how to do.

“You will be that person someday. To get this all instilled in your mind, discuss it with Mack and talk about it. He has had it rougher than you because of his divorce and being older, it might be a little more difficult for him than you. You know those books on carpentry that one of you picked up at a yard sale and gave me? I still go to them all the time.

“When I came to Capparelli Construction, I knew diddly about carpentry and was just a friend of the owner. Here I am a year later bossing not only guys like you and me, but bossing those who know the trade. If your are given something to do, take a minute from whoever tells you to do the job and ask how to tackle what you have been instructed to do. They would rather take a minute to explain fully how they want it done, rather than have it botched and needing to be done over.

“Most people in charge like to brag a little about how smart they are.”  I grinned, “Just like I have been doing to you. You can listen to him. As far as Sandy and you together, I think you are a great pair.”

Guido went over to talk to Chloe when we finished work. He first went down and got Ricky from Aunt Ida. He came bringing Ricky with him. The boy had a great time, Ida taking him with her when she went shopping for groceries.  They came in after we had finished eating.  “How did the first lunch go today for Chloe and John?”

“It was absolutely packed. They are feeding the latecomers now. They also are serving dinners in the bar. They will stop that after the crowd slows down and just serve bar patrons. Chloe gave us dinner in the back room behind the kitchen. Of course, the place was full from the advertising they did. I do believe they have a winner.” Guido didn’t stay long and left to get Ricky ready for bed.

“Ricky won’t see much of his mother before he goes to sleep, will he?”

“I don’t think so, Pete. I’ll bet Chloe will be late and not home before 9:00  tonight. I feel sorry for the boy.”

“I do, too, but she’ll be with him a few hours in the morning and that will help. She will figure it out. I can’t see Chloe ignoring him just to run the restaurant. Wasn’t she planning on coming home at 4:30 every day? The first day open I suppose she wanted to be there working.”

Friday was another full crowd night and Saturday was as well. Sunday wasn’t as busy and Monday they were closed. People now knew there was another decent place to eat so the place continued busy every day they were open.  

After two weeks, Chloe and John found someone to take some of Chloe’s hours and she became the person who worked more morning hours doing the food ordering and managed the help in the dining room for lunch. Once patrons began coming in, if there was a full service crew, she could leave. John hired a chef to do the lunch cooking and John was there for the evening hours. They made it work and kept their good reputation intact.

—————————————

Mary said she was going to have our baby on May first and we would see if she did. I worked evenings during April on making plans for Sam Giles to move his woodworking business. Sam called me early one Sunday morning. “Can I drop in this morning? I have something to show you.”

“Sure, we’re up and the coffee is on. Bring Clara so Mary can complain about how difficult it is to get around.”

Sam was at the door within a half hour. He came in smiling. “I think you are a genius, Pete. One source of the pain in my hands has gone away. They don’t look much different than they did before. Here, look at the back of my hand. My left one, especially. You may have never noticed, but the finger bones go all the way back to a person’s wrists.

“I have had little hard nodules that grew between the fingers covered by the meat and blood vessels in this part of my hand. Between the little finger and the ring finger, there were two of these. Between the middle finger and the ring finger there were three of these pesky little growths. There was only one between the middle finger and fore finger.
 
“Those little nodules would move around and pop up where you could see and feel them just under the skin. That is when they were the most painful and the only way I could stop them from being painful at all was to press them back down out of sight. I would have to force them back down and hold them a bit before they would stay there hidden again. The pain was excruciating. I awoke this morning with wonder that I hadn’t had this pain for two or three days.

“I rubbed a finger over those places and I can’t feel any of the nodules any longer. I had a surgeon look at them when they were really bothering and he told me he could remove them surgically, but they would return and basically told me to live with it so I didn’t have it done. The left hand was the worst with six of these. There were only four on my right hand and now this morning, I can’t feel a damn one on either hand.”

“Well, that is progress, Sam. How about the bunches that have grown out and around the knuckles? Are those any better?”

“I don’t know Pete. Sometimes I think they are a little better. I do know that the growths are getting softer. It was like growths of bone before. I hit a couple of knuckles yesterday and that’s still God-awful painful. I can also tell you that I am getting more sleep than I used to.”

“I think this is definitely good news. I would keep on working with the manipulation and keep the faith. To be honest Sam, I didn’t expect such good results this soon.”

“I am going to get my permit to install my shop out there on the property you sold me. Kenny called me and told me it was looking good and I’d get it soon.”  

“That is good news. I haven’t gotten the road permit yet. I’m going to have to build a substantial fence along the boundary of the abutter all the way to my back line.  He is afraid his cows will get out. The board told me good luck in having any help from the farmer in paying for any of it, but I expected that. Kenny said I could sue, but I don’t want the farmer upset.”

“I can give you some money. I don’t want this to all be on you. I’ll pay for the fence that is along side my property.”

“Hey, that would be great, Sam, but just the distance that you have a common border. Before you go, I think I had better order another batch of the salve ingredients. It is a big help that Clara is mixing this salve up instead of me.”

“She wanted me to ask you. She is happy to take that little chore off your shoulders. You know our love has deepened for each other since she has been doing this. It has made us closer. Before you came around, she was feeling so badly because she was seeing me in pain and there was nothing she could do to help me. I just wanted you to know you aren’t just helping me, but Clara as well.”

“Thanks for sharing that, Sam.”

———————————

I had talked to the utilities division of the city when I wanted to turn the water, gas, and electricity on for some of the houses on the street of houses. I told Geno I was going to be busy for an hour Monday Morning. “Anytime Pete, you don’t have to ask.”

I headed to the water and sewer department. I walked in and asked to speak to who ever was in charge. “That would be the commissioner. He won’t be in until 9:00 o’clock. What is the purpose of your visit? If it is a complaint, I might be able to handle it.”

“No, I sold some property and the water and sewer lines don’t extend that far.”

“What’s your name?”

“Peter Manning.”

“My name is Chris Murphy and I know your name. You’re connected with the street where a bunch of houses are being rehabilitated by Capparelli Construction. How’s it going?”

“It’s good now that the winter is over. We sold our first house and will be showing another one in a week or two. This property I sold isn’t connected with Capparelli. Do you know a Fred Hamilton who lives out west about five miles? I bought some property from him.”

“I heard that. Are you planning on developing it, Pete?”

“Some day. I understand that water and sewer ends just past the big barn. At present I’m looking at getting water to beyond the city end of the property in the far corner.”

“That’s correct according to the water lines on the map. I can show you exactly where it lies. Let’s see, those lines were installed about 30 years ago because there was high water use of the milking that went on when the place was a farm. Now where is this property you sold?”

Looking at the map, “Right there, I didn’t buy the woodland beyond this marker.”

“What kind of house is the new owner building?”

“First, I think I’m going to need a zoning change for the woodworking shop that Sam Giles owns here. He has to remove this from where it sits here in the city and I sold him that lot in the corner. It is only for industry business. He will still live in his home here in town.

“I know Sam, and he was supposed to move it five years ago. He fought it and won a five-year extension. Jesus, has the five years gone by already? Anyway, look at this map again, and it will show you where the pipes are located out in that area.”

He commented as I showed him where Sam’s property would lay. “Why have you sold him that particular lot? Why didn’t you sell him some of the land right up to the Hamilton land? He might have bought that piece where the tumbled down barn that is owned by the Hamilton woman?”

“Chris, Sandy is going to remove the remains of that barn and put some storage units on it.  Sam wanted to put his business as far away from anyone building close because the mill is pretty noisy. That’s the reason he is being chased out of the place he owns now.”

“Yeah, I can understand his thinking. Are you going to sell house lots between him and the Hamilton property?”

“Yes, some of it is for sale. But not for residential lots right there. Some of the land may end up either as commercial or industrial but no residences. I haven’t decided what the zone will be yet. Probably an Industrial zone. You can understand why Sam needs some land.”

“Well, water and sewer may be too expensive for you to handle by yourself. The city might not pay to put in the sewer and the water lines. You may have to do that and they have to be to the specifications of the city. The good part of it is, if your work is up to code the town will take it over. They can bond these projects and over time, be reimbursed from the new tax base.”

“Do you have any printouts I can take to look at and take with me, Chris?”

“Sure. Are you going to have city gas or are you going to stick with electricity? Of course there is always propane for the owner to install themselves. Let me get a bundle of specifications to take with you. When the commissioner gets here, Pete, you can talk to him.”

“That will be good, thank you. I believe I will take the spec sheets with me and study them before I make an appointment with the commissioner.”

“Good, maybe you will decide on having a few acres zoned for an industrial park. The city is always looking to expand that base. By you selling land to Sam Giles and solving his and the city’s problem with his shop placement, that would indicate you have some interest out in that area. Talk to the city planner sometime.”

“Thank you, I will, Chris.”

I was thinking about what Murphy had told me while driving into work. I’ll have to talk to Sam about this. He had been dealing with the city for a while. Maybe I should also talk to Sandy. Who knows, she might get a little tax subsidy for a few years if she built those storage units and the whole plot of land from the road to my back land was zoned for something besides rural in that area. This was certainly something to look into. 

————————————

I went right to work, thinking as everyone was busy, not hurrying really, but intent on what they were doing. Most of the houses were cleared of salvageable items now, and Fred was working at cleaning up the salvage to make them more presentable for resale.

I had given Randy a special job on top of being on the wrecking crew. He had moved his living quarters from the street of houses where some of our crew lived at the very end of the street to living over the garage at the Hamilton residence that was next door to the big barn.

It was now his job to sign out the tools stored in the big barn and then to drive the van with the small tools to the job site. Sandy had two of her men living there as well. Mildred and Sandy made their breakfast and packed Randy’s lunch. After work, Randy accounted for the tools and if different ones were needed the next day, he made sure they were in the van.

This was a ploy of mine so Randy and Sandy had a bit more time together. The set of carpentry books that I used to carry in my truck didn’t come back for a couple of days when Randy borrowed them. Randy informed me he was studying them. I thought this showed initiative and so I let him keep them where he could reach them when he had spare time. They would be in the van if I needed to look up something for myself or others did.

——————————————

Mary was getting near her time for our baby’s entrance so I was home right after work to help her if she needed me. It wasn’t often, though, and she didn’t leave much for me to do that she had attempted during the day. This did give us a special togetherness.

Mary still did things for me which was using the telephone to contact people I wanted to talk to about what I was doing out at the big barn lot. She tried to make appointments for me so I could call a contact after hours. If she thought I wanted something clarified, she would call Kenny and discuss it with him.

We usually went to dinner on Wednesday evening to see Chloe, Ricky, and Guido at the restaurant. This was the one day a week Chloe worked until 8:00 pm in the evening.

I saw Guido at work every day, but we seldom spoke about anything personal. When we dined at the restaurant, John always came from the kitchen and sat for a minute talking about with us about the restaurant, and how well things were doing for him, and Chloe. “All who helped make this place what it is now, saved the business, and got rid of all the problems I had with my former partner.”

I was going ahead with getting permits for a zoning change, but the city moved slowly on this. I knew my path to moving Sam and his workshop out onto the land he had purchased was risky because I went ahead just as if the change had already been accomplished, and I had the permit, in hand, which I didn’t have yet.

I also hired an engineering concern who knew the city’s requirements for the piping for both water and sewer lines. They were working closely with the city planner on the permits that did come, slowly, but so far did come.

The planning board generated the paperwork for what I was proposing, using this land before I did any actual work in breaking ground. I asked for the committee to meet and hear my proposal. The city planers knew that if the city were to expand, it would have to be outside the city limits.

I was proposing that building and placing most of the small factories and commercial businesses be combined into a concentrated area, rather than one with a footprint of an acre or two on a five-acre lot. Then use of the land was saved to make a park like area of one or two acres for a pleasant place for the common good of those who worked nearby. People could gather there during their time off from work to relax and enjoy. My ideas met with approval.

I didn’t answer any questions about what I was going to do with the land beyond what I had marked out for the industrial and commercial uses, just saying that I would come back when I finalized my plans. Of course, I already had plans in my mind. Here again I planned some apartment building spanning the width of the property.  They would be far enough apart to have some green space between them. They would be three or four floors high and four apartments on each floor. These apartments would be small with one or two bedrooms in each apartment.

Mary and I had discussed these at night before going to sleep. Mary was a big help in solidifying what I needed to make this work and she was the one who looked for an architectural firm for me to talk to.  I wanted one who I felt matched the same visions that Mary and I had.

I first questioned the head of this firm about sound mitigation because Sam Giles was driven from his place of business just for that reason. They said they had first-hand knowledge of how to build something to keep the noise level under what was required. They had a list of suggestions that I would incorporate. They gave me a projected cost to build a plant to house the noisiest of his equipment.

Sam was very interested and had them design his plant to conform. I was so pleased with this and shared what I had planned for this area. He even had them spend a couple of evenings at the house so Mary could listen in and not feel excluded in any way.
————————————
Time was marching forward and Mary’s time was approaching for our son to arrive. He did arrive on May first as projected. It was difficult on the day before he arrived. It turned out for her to be a lengthy, difficult birth at first. Starting mid-morning on April, 30, Mary called me and said her water broken suddenly. I called the hospital notifying the doctor and had the desk repeat his directions. “Please transport the mother at your convenience. Please don’t rush. This is early in the birth so there will be plenty of time.” These were my directions.

I was in contact with Mary and she said she didn’t feel good about this and to hurry home. I called Chloe, as she had asked me to notify her when the event was eminent. We reached the house at the same time. I suppose all fathers worry and I was terribly worried. I didn’t know why either, because for all we knew she was healthy and should have a baby’s normal birth, but I had a sense there could really be something wrong.

Doctor Blum sauntered in. “Mary, this is almost the day we decided on when you make Pete a father. You will be missing the real day by one, but that’s normal. Pete, step out for five minutes and I’ll see how the baby is doing.”

I returned shortly when the Doctor didn’t have me called back in. Mary was having a spasm and I could see she was in more pain than I’d seen her in yet today. I went to her and grasped her hand and Mary immediately became calm.

That said, I could see Doctor Blum was concerned when he said, “This is good, Pete, please remain because you are a such a calming presence. I honestly can’t understand why she is having so much pain. Of course we have other options, if the birth continues for too long, we can take the baby by Caesarian Section. For now, I’m going to give her a light dose of pain killer.”

“Are you okay with that, sweetheart?”

“Yes, but nothing that would harm our baby and positively I am not having a C section. I would prefer that everyone be out of the room for a while. I only need you to comfort me.”

“Doc, does it meet your approval?”

“If that is what Mary wants, I can see no harm in it. We will be right outside and if you call, we will be here on a moments notice. Just don’t hesitate.” The doctor had Mary take two pills and a glass of water. Mary even smiled at me.

When all had gone, I sat there holding Mary’s hand. “I have the sense that you are reaching out to Miriam, aren’t you?”

“Yes, and you are aware that she is the one whom I need. There really is something wrong with me. I do have the sense that she can help us have a beautiful baby without danger to either me and the baby.”

Mary and I became aware at the same time that Miriam was speaking to us. “Mary and Pete, this problem will be corrected. It will take several hours though. I promise no harm will come to you and the baby. At the end of this day, you will name the baby “Petrous Jordan,” and he will be contentedly suckling at your breast. For the afternoon and the evening today, you will appear to be in a light trance and will return to full awareness just before midnight.”

I stepped to the door and asked Doctor Blum to come in. “Doc, I have to ask a favor of you. I want you to remember how Mary is marked across her chest. I am going to tell you some facts and ask you to believe me, keeping in mind also, how our friend, the little boy, Ricky Harrison’s, problem was solved.

“This is much a similar problem with Mary and I need your trust in this. Look at Mary right now and she is apparently in a light trance.  She really is and will remain so until late this evening. When she comes out of the trance, she will go forward and have the baby with a normal birth, presenting me with a son.”

“And I will know this, how?”

“Because, these are the true facts. You may come in and examine Mary at any time. If she is uneasy at times, it is just that she is preparing for the birth. I doubt she will ever indicate she is in severe pain any longer, so there shouldn’t be any indication that you need to step in and demand that something be done to alter her situation.”

“Mr. Manning, you must realize that if something goes wrong and there is trouble causing the death of the mother or the baby, I will have to share this conversation with anyone who questions my actions of my not stepping in.”

“I would so state that you had demanded I let you do your normal procedure and I refused, Doctor.”

“May I examine Mary condition and the unborn baby as he is right now, Pete?”

“Of course.”

I didn’t leave the room at all. Doctor Blum came in periodically to look at Mary and to listen to the heartbeat of my son. While waiting and with the nurse leaving something behind, I fashioned something that would help Mary. Understand this was something I had sensed.

Mary continued to be at ease except for her periodically moving around for a better position after lying still for so long. The doctor was getting more upset as the evening wore on. I called him in at 11:30 just as Mary was coming out of her trance.

“I’m ready to have our child now, Pete. Would you have Doctor Blum come in, with a nurse, to assist the birth?”

“He is here, dear.”

“How come you have named the baby already?”

“He is named Petrous after my long-ago ancestor, Mary.”

“Petrous? I know no one of that name.”

“Miriam requested this name.”

Mary wasn’t finished yet.  “Jordan is usually a girl’s name.”

“Yes, but boys do have the name as well. In this case, it isn’t a child’s name but the name of a river. He has the name as a bulwark against you crossing the River Jordan. This was the only thing Miriam asked of me and I readily agreed.”

“I’m thankful you did and I agree with you that he should have Jordan for his name. He’ll be called P J, anyway.” I leaned down and kissed my wife. I stood at her head holding her hand as the doctor and the nurse prepared for my son to arrive. The Doctor informed the nurse that Mary was fully dilated and the child would soon appear.

P J made his entrance at 12:03 a. m. on May1, just as Mary had forecast the day he would arrive. I went out to the waiting room while Mary was being cleaned and dressed in a beautiful night-gown. Baby P J cleaned and placed at his mother’s breast, I would see both together.

Doctor Blum came into the waiting room. “What went on here today, Pete? Something unusual happened, but I can’t get my mind around it all.”

“Yes Doc, something unusual did happen and I can’t fully explain it either. I can only give you a few facts, as I know them. First, you know how Mary is marked with stigmata. There was a woman who was marked the same who assisted some holy people in removing a body and a cross from a field of crosses eons ago. She has been appearing in Mary’s dreams for quite some time now. This has spilled over to me and I have similar dreams from the same person.

“Today there really was a problem with the child’s position in its mother and it needed correcting. I was there to run interference while the problem was corrected. If you look back on the day, the only thing you can declare that is different is that the baby had a long birth experience, but not unheard of time wise. When the birth occurred, it was easy for the mother.”

“In other words, something was different, but there is no way I can explain, or believed. Is that what occurred? And the boy, Ricky, of Chloe Harrison is much the same, Pete?”

“Yes, the same, but that took years instead of hours.”

“I have never given credence to stigmata, but you lay out a strong case for me.”

“I feel the same way you do Doc, but then I seem to be more involved than you.”

—————————

Media is always sniffing around for a story. Mary and I hadn’t tried to hide anything of our lives. There was a reporter named Jackson, who was a friend of Doctor Blum, and they would get together for drinks sometimes. I could see where this might be a problem and it was.

Jackson used the internet and did a search for a Mary Manning. Mary’s name came up about her having a beautiful near-perfect gemstone named after her and he found which museum featured it. What and where found were traced back to Colorado. While the reporter was on vacation, he traveled to the town and asked around. Pointed to the prospector’s club, He learned the whole story of its discovery.

This then led to my finding a valued mine at nearly the same time and the story behind that. Jackson then went on to exploring the facts about my find, wondering if there were more facts about me.  He returned and inquired about my life after I returned to Ohio. The reporter fished around for facts and soon most of my life and endeavors were before him.

I had feared this happening and had asked that people I knew to keep facts about me to themselves. It didn’t work and for some reason people when asked about me, just had to tell all and often would expand into purported facts that were pure speculation with no basis of fact.  

Jackson learned of my association with Fred, and his niece, Sandy Hamilton and how I supposedly tricked them out of their property. He approached them and was set straight, my praises sung more by Mildred and Fred. “Mr. Jackson, don’t you ever impugn Pete Manning. A short time ago, I was out on the street panhandling to get enough money for food to eat. I had mortgaged land. The bank that held the mortgage didn’t foreclose on me because they knew if they did, they would lose the value that was increasing each year.

“Pete comes along and gives us a house to live in. We were illegally squatting before this. He finds out my niece is in about the same situation. First, to give us a little income, he rents out space from her in this barn to store his construction company’s tools. Then he works with her to show her this barn is a real valuable asset and now she has money in the bank, and I have a job of sorts to keep busy doing something. I stayed happy doing this last winter just puttering around where it was warm.

“My house burned a few years ago and all I had left was land, and I owed a mortgage. I swapped some of it for a brand new house with a garage and a place to live for me and Mildred. He built it big enough to house a couple of disadvantaged men to live in so they would have a home of their own and of course for my niece, Sandy, as well.

“Last fall he drove me up to the woodland that I didn’t sell to him and left me. He hung around until he heard me shoot a deer. He then drove up and helped me dress it, bringing it down to hang before it was time to cut up and freeze for food. He’ll do the same for me this year.  Now, I’ve talked enough about Pete and probably too much.”

“One more question, Mr. Hamilton. What has he planned for the land?”

“I’m not going to answer that because it’s not any of my business. Why don’t you go talk to him and ask him your questions? It would be better than sneaking around behind his back.”

“Well, I have most of the information I need about this man. There is enough so I can write up an article for the newspaper I write for.”

“Hell, you don’t have half a story yet.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you ask him a question he doesn’t want to answer, he’ll give you an answer that will stop you cold. And, that will be that he read a book one time. The thing of it is, is that he probably has read a book about it. I believe he is a man who sees opportunities everywhere for himself and especially for others. I don’t believe his mind ever shuts down.”

“Is he rich?”

“Probably his wife knows and his banker knows for sure. That’s a question I would never ask of anyone. In one way or another, he bought land from me and paid me with a new home. You could maybe call him an opportunist, but I never heard of anyone he has helped who didn’t come out ahead and both gained something in the transaction.”

“You wouldn’t want to give me the name of another person who I could talk to, would you?”

“Nope, I’ve said enough. Pete must have help to get some permits for his workplace. The city might have some information. If there is anything, that would be public, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes it would, why haven’t I thought of it?”

“Maybe you weren’t meant to know before this. You can leave anytime. Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“Mr. Hamilton, whether you are aware of how much help you have been to me, but you have helped, and I’m thanking you for that.”

“Uh huh.” Fred smiled, knowing from Pete that there would be some speculation and he didn’t mind a bit. A little media attention might hurry his permits along and he would be able to present to the planning board his proposals earlier than just waiting on them to come up working through Kenny, his attorney. “Well, Pete must know what he is doing, I don’t see it that way, but he must. He’s a pretty smart person.”

——————————————

Kenny called on Monday. “Pete, all of those permits you have asked for have generated a stir. There was a reporter in asking the members of the Planning Commission what was going on out there where you bought land. It seems he was out and questioned Fred Hamilton, and all he got from Fred were some hints and about how smart you were. The commissioner called me. The commissioner knew you were involved with the Capparelli outfit doing work on the street of houses. He knew I was your lawyer and that’s why I was called.”

“So what were his questions?”
    
“The commissioner knows the land is zoned rural residential. I told him you would be in for a different zoning application and I was working on it now. The Planning Commission meets tomorrow night. I told him you planned to come in at the next meeting that is two weeks from tomorrow. He offered to put you on tomorrow’s agenda. Are you ready enough to see them tomorrow evening?”

“Sure, I’ll have to be. Do you want to speak for me?”

“I think you can speak for yourself, Pete, rather than go through me. Okay for me to stop by and see if I think you should present it to the commission in a different way than you would?”

“Yeah, bring the family and I’ll do a cookout. I’ll pick up food for a salad and Mary should be able to put it together while tending to P J during the day.

“You don’t have to do anything except the meat and Glenda will do a casserole in the afternoon. We don’t visit enough so this will be a treat and Mary can show off P J.”

“Okay. I’ll get in touch with Arthur from the engineering firm I’m using to follow the city’s specs for laying of pipe for water, sewage, road width, and property lines.  Sam Goodell has been talking to me about placing a branch of the grocery store he manages put out there as well.

“I also have been in contact with a home store that is interested in this area. That makes Sam Giles happy because he can wholesale a lot of items to the home store that he manufactures. It is odd, but Sam can do more and more now that his hands are better.

“Maybe we can impress on the utilities commission that I can’t do much until the water and sewer is extended beyond where it is now. There is electricity that goes up the road already, so that shouldn’t be a problem.

“Maybe I’ll call on you to explain just what you need and why you should have these permits. Do you know who your Councilman is for your district? He will be the one of the six for the city district here.”

“I know him enough to say hi to. I don’t know if he knows my name though. His name is Jim Baker.”

“I believe it would be a good move to cultivate him. If he comes to believe in you, he can help you a lot if there is some question where the council is split for or against.”

“I’ll try to get with him after the meeting tomorrow and give him the details of what I am planning.”

“Okay then, I’ll see you tonight and we’ll hash this over some more, Pete.” We had a good evening. Chloe called and asked if Ricky could come for supper with us and I said yes. He met Kenny’s two kids, a boy and a girl, and Ricky took them down to the cellar before we ate and they used the exercise bike. We had to call the three up when we sat down for the meal.

Glenda and the girl were all over P J and talked babies while Kenny and I sorted out our presentation for the Councilmen. My nephew and Ricky went right back down cellar after we ate.

There wasn’t very much for Kenny and I to change from what he had laid out before the Council meeting. The one big change I hadn’t thought of was for Sandy and Fred Hamilton to be present to answer any questions about the change of use for the barn and the building of the new house for Fred to live in that was a swap for Fred’s land, purchased by me. Kenny set me straight because the land at present was in the correct zone of rural-residential.

Guido showed up to get Ricky. Kenny and I were winding up by having a beer when Guido joined us. Chloe called, wondering where these two were and came right over to say hi to Kenny. Chloe suggested that Kenny should have Sam Giles at the council meeting tomorrow evening, also. I said I would ask Fred, Sandy, and Sam to be there.

————————————

Mary wished me luck at the council meeting as I left. Sandy and Fred were with me. After I sat down, I saw Sam Giles come in with Kenny. Chloe came through the door with Guido. Gina and Geno Capparelli were behind them and they all sat together. Sam moved to sit with them. This had to be my backup in case I needed it. Three more Goodell brothers, Sam, Charlie, and Edgar, came in and they joined the group, shaking hands all around.

By this time, the Councilmen had come in and arranged to sit at a table. The meeting was called to order and the Chairman announced that most of the business on the agenda had been postponed until the next meeting in two weeks.

“We have one subject on the agenda tonight. Kenny Goodell will be presenting several requests for permits. Sandra Hamilton has a request in for four more building permits for storage buildings next to the barn where she already has a permit for her storage business. She owns the property where she is going to build. I don’t see any reason not to give her the permits as requested.  

“This out of the way, we are going to take up the matter of Sam Giles, who we have given a notice to cease operation of his woodworking shop on East Street here in the heart of the city. He has found a property, which he has purchased already beyond the Hamilton property.

“To get to the property, Sandra Hamilton has sold a right of way to Peter Manning to cross her land. Both Manning and Hamilton have approached the neighboring abutter and he doesn’t object to having a road go along beside his property line if there is a fence built so his cows don’t cross the common property line over onto the Manning-Hamilton property. A boundary fence such as this, should be paid for by both parties, because it benefits both parties. I’ll check the ruling on this.”

Kenny stood and addressed the meeting. “Mr. Manning has purchased a sizable piece of property. Beginning soon, he intends first to develop a business and industrial section. Next, he proposes a section of apartment buildings to house some of the workers. He has already sold a lot to Samuel Giles to house a woodworking shop. This lot is to replace where he has his shop is now that is contrary to the city’s zoning. He has been on an extension for five years and that extension runs out in August of this year.

“I’ll hand you at the council table a drawing of what and where each parcel will end up for zoning use. Mr. Manning has a two-year projection to complete this phase of his plans. Working from a map already submitted and with the Planning Commission’s projection including roads and utilities, this will encompass about sixty acres. His plans for the future are to develop the remaining one hundred acres into a two-and three-bedroom housing community. He has promised that he will donate property for a K-6 School.  He projects that this will take another eight years.

“He has set aside the plot of land where a grade school is to be built, and the plot of land will be donated to the city.  He has tipped his hat to religion by providing two small land parcels to build chapels for prayer. If people want to build a church of their persuasion, he will entertain selling property to different church groups.

“You see on the map for proposed water, sewer system, and a system of roads to address each home and plot of land. These all abide by the towns requirements. My firm has explained that many of these proposals need bonding, before construction. He is hoping this will begin by the end of two years from the present. Estimated time, it will take eight years to complete.

“As far as financing, Mr. Manning is quite wealthy. Luck brought him finding a lucrative mining site in Colorado about three years ago. Although sold, He was wise enough to take less in the sale because at the time he would have had to borrow the money to open it. His royalties in one year are more than he received for the sale of the mine and he has royalties coming into his account every quarter. The mine is now in operation and more ore quantity discovered as the operation goes forward. It has gone from a mine estimated in operation for years, but now with the new finds that has been extended for an additional ten.”

“Question, Mr. Goodell, why haven’t we heard of this man before this?”

“Mr. Manning is a quiet man, sometimes a visionary and at times an opportunist.  Some of you know of the Capparelli Construction Company that is rehabilitating the Street of Houses near the old Spaulding factory. He has shares in the Capparelli company and works there as a Foreman.  He is married to the youngest of the Goodell group and has just had a son.”

One Councilman asked what the Goodell group was. “That would be five brothers and one sister of the late Harry Goodell. I’m Kenny and I am in the middle. We feel our sister chose well for her husband so he also is a full member of our group.”

The Chairman interrupted. “Okay, no need to go into any history here. As I see this meeting, what is necessary to be resolved is a permit for the Giles workshop to be moved to land he has already purchased. To have pipelines installed, for certain necessary facilities put into place to service the new construction. This will include a permit to build a road leading to it. I have a paper saying that a fence of a certain type installed along the abutting property. That is moot as long as it installed correctly.

“The permits for the new storage buildings on the Sandra Hamilton’s property are in order and those will be granted. This should wind up this meeting for the evening. The platting of the rest of Mr. Manning’s land is quite clear and will be turned over the Planning Commission to be implemented. They will coordinate with the council as far as any bonding needed by the city. This project looks doable in the time fame Mr. Manning has given us.” The Chairman paused and then banged his gavel. “Meeting adjourned.”

Sam came up and was happy that he could begin excavating for his woodworking shop. This had been designed already and would be ready to move in two weeks before he would have been moved involuntarily. I hadn’t seen him for three days, and his hands were much better than the last time we spoke about them, He was much encouraged.

Chapter  Thirteen

Geno couldn’t believe what had been covered tonight. He came to give me encouragement, not knowing that I had been working on the plans while holding a full-time job at the street of houses. “You aren’t going to squirt out on me before we get the street done, are you?”

“Think about it, you heard me say I wasn’t going to get involved that much for two years. Most of the heavy lifting that I can do now has already done. I expect in two years utilities, will be installed, and the roads mapped out, waiting on the final surface after the construction is done. At that time when I begin to build the single family homes, I still wish you would come into this with me. I’d like it if you would become at least a a sub-contractor, rather than you and I split the business apart. That isn’t what I really want. We work well together and you have given me a great start and I want you with me for the next ten years anyway.”

“Pete, I thought you were in this for the money and I figured you would leave me behind.”

“Some of it is about money. I’m putting what I received from the mine to work rather have it just sitting in the bank and a man can eat just so many hotdogs. I think our little business is going well and we will do better if we keep it going.”

“Gina was a little worried when she saw where you were headed.”

“I’m surprised she didn’t brace you on it”

“Pete, I wear the pants in this family.”

Gina had come up behind Geno and was listening to the conversation, “Yeah, right!”

I was late getting home. Mary was still up and the baby was sleeping in the bassinet. “How did the meeting go tonight with the Permitting process?”

“It was unbelievable. All the work we have put it in the last weeks and months has paid off. Kenny is the one who put this together and my trips to the Planning Commission in the last few days have borne fruit. Three things that helped the most were the fact that the city was moving Sam off his property and he had purchased a place to move on to. I guess he has been a thorn in the side of the city for years and they could see the end of it.

“Two, that I had taken the time to hire someone to follow the steps that were needed in what had to be done to get the whole property planned out. Also was the fact that I would donate enough land for an elementary school. The city Fathers know that the city has to expand because the population is growing and here it was with a section already laid out for them including taking care of the population expansion.

“Three is the timeline to begin building.  I said I wasn’t going to do much with the land for the next two years. That gives the city time to lay out the lines and roads for the utilities and the travel pattern for the roads and streets. There will be some zoning changes made to comply during this time. Sam Giles was handed a waiver on his property so he could build what needs to be done and still be moved in by September.
 
“So where does that leave us with all that is going on, you ask?  That leaves me back working on the street of houses and gives me two years to complete it. Geno was there and concerned that I was going to walk away from Capparelli Construction. I told him I would never do that. Gina was there too and she thought I might, and this was why he was concerned, which didn’t make me surprised.”

“No Pete, I’m not surprised at all. I think she is a little jealous of us for some reason.”

“So Mary, the permits and changes we need will weave through the process in the next two years and it won’t need much attention from me. I can give that time to have an ordinary life of raising our family without too many distractions. P J will be three when we can have our next child. During that time, we will be cautious about any distraction by outside interests and have the loving family life that every family wishes. That’s our dream anyway.”

“It is our dream. I had such a bad time all through my early years before I met you.”

“I was happy until I lost my parents. It wasn’t ’till your brother hired me to be your safety guard before I was happy again. We have had some wonderful years together. You know Mary, I think we can settle down now with our future before us. I’m in my early thirties you are still in your twenties. We have money, we have started our family and we have a lot of friends.

“What little family I have left, we are taking care of. You have a large family and they all love you. I realize I am ambitious, but not to the point of neglecting any of them. Let’s figure what our life will be ten years from now. If we set goals forward every two years, I think we can meet them.”

“Pete, I know we can. We will begin with the family. We should have or almost have one more child by that time. And … the one we have now will be walking and talking. I’d like to still be living here where we are now. I really like this house.”

“Yes, and Geno and I will have the street of houses fixed up and finished. I think they will sell fast, so most sold by that time. The future will be a little iffy about where the Capparelli business stands. You and I own half of it. I’m not sure where Geno and I stand at that point, but I anticipate we will still own it together. This will be about the time I will be selling lots for single homes out west of here.

“Gina, if she sticks with selling houses will have made just on commission alone up to the amount to $84,000 on the sales. If she should buy the reality she is working for some of that money, she would be making much more, and this is a conservative estimate. 

"The houses themselves will top three million or more and after the poor start we had, we should clear $100,000 profit each year plus my wages. That is some different than panhandling for eats, or what I was getting for wages at the grocery at $7.50 per hour.”

“What about our land west of where you are setting up now? You say you won’t be ready to build the houses before another two years?”

“Yes, but the small Industrial park should be full as soon as it has all the utilities the city has promised installed. Sam Giles can set up and begin work very soon after when moved. I’m almost positive that the commercial section will be at least half full with the stores operating. The multiple housing section of land should be well along. It won’t have all the tenants two years from now, but it will by the third year.”

“How are you going to build that and the single houses too?”

“I’m not. I’m already searching for a big construction firm and I will contract them to do the building. They may be here already working on some of the other projects. I just haven’t nailed it down yet. You may have a hand in keeping track of where everything is. We will be working from progress reports, not necessarily doing the physical work.

“This is in the first two years while Geno finishes what we are doing now, I’m thinking he will do some subcontract work like roofing or doing the outside grounds after construction if we do split up. He certainly is one we can count on. He could make a living contracting just building all the garages for each house that is constructed.  A lot depends on what level of competency our men and contractors have so that we end up proud of every bit of this project when it is finished.”

“You can’t do all this. It is too much. You are only one person.”

“Mary, aren’t I home with you and the baby more now than when I was working getting the Capparelli business going? Even more than when I was mixed into getting Chloe’s restaurant re-habilitated? I worked at making Sam Giles hands better. Most of that I was doing was in the cellar right here at home.”

“Yes, you were.”

“I was out one evening attending that meeting so I don’t really have those complications to tend to because so much was finalized in that one evening. From now on what I have set forth are just parts and pieces that won’t take long to resolve. Am I talking enough of this over with you? Maybe I haven’t and I will try to better.”

“Pete, I’m so tied up with the baby, it must be me who hasn’t paid enough attention to you. I’ll do better, too. I don’t want any cracks to appear in our life.”

“You know when Geno and I had trouble at the beginning of going into business together before Guido showed up, Guido came in, and he was the one who had the most experience in carpentry. We set aside the first half hour of the workday to talk things over and we gained much in that time. I learned more about the building trade in that half hour than in reading a book. We can do that to keep our marriage life on track.”

“I’m for that. You stand and watch me change the baby and feed him the first thing in the morning. I can concentrate on both that and explain what the plan for the day is. With me and the baby, it has become automatic and I can concentrate on you at the same time.”

I laughed and used what characters on the TV said when they finished filming a scene. “That’s a wrap.”

————————————————

The Capparelli business divided its leadership roles into more certain areas. I did little demolition now because Randy had come forward and could handle any questions in that area. I was the one who did the ordering of supplies for construction so I was in the office with Geno who handled all the book work there. Guido was the one who handled the construction crews. We still held to the half hour meeting in the morning.

I did go out to where Sam Giles was getting ready to move his woodworking shop. Excavating was just about finished and footings were being prepared for pouring. This was at the end of June. Sam was going to have more small sheds to house his separate items he manufactured, but I convinced him it would be more efficient to house it all under one roof.

We did end up with two large lumber sheds, but neither had any storage below ground level. I checked the progress of the condition of his hands every time I was out there. Progress was slow, but he was able to use them without as much pain. It was some different, than, three months ago when it was too painful to open a car door or the entrance to his work place.

Chloe was married to Guido in June. Ricky thought the world of his new father. He remembered his real father, but never talked about him. He wasn’t getting slapped or shouted at either. Ricky held both Mary and me in high regard and we saw him often. He always claimed it was me purchasing the exercise machine that got him to be able to walk without hobbling. He forgot that I didn’t buy that until immediately after the miracle had happened.

Aunt Ida and Gram still lived in one of the homes on the street of houses. Aunt Ida had a little income from watching Ricky when he got out of school. Gram and Ida were so independent. If they needed anything, they knew I was well off financially to bail them out. Chloe and John had a great business and the restaurant was doing 60 percent more business than it did on the best of days when Harrison was part owner.  

Chloe told me she was going to pay me off in $5,000 increments and the first one would be before the last day of this year. “This won’t be coming from my wages either, but from my profits. John will be able to take the same.” This debt had bothered her for years and now she was able to lift the burden from her shoulders by the terrible mistake she had made.

But, was it that terrible? It had given her Ricky, who was well finally, and that was a gift, that kept on giving to me as well as to her. In a roundabout way, it had also given me Mary. In the back of my mind I asked, “Why was I so involved with the Miriam of long ago?” Maybe I had a more direct connection than I was aware of. I trusted that time would tell.

One more year and I would have everything ready to start building the single-family houses. In the evenings, I had been poring over house designs as I sat across the room where I could glance at my wife sitting in a rocking chair, rocking J P laying in the cradle on the floor just within reach of her toe.

The year sped by and I didn’t quite make it as far as I had intended. I intended to be at this point but there were two apartment buildings left unfinished. There was groundwork to do, in and around the other three buildings. The parking areas were all finished except for some shrubs in the green spaces.

My plans had changed somewhat. When I put the industrial lots up for sale, there was a lot of interest. The only thing different was that some firms that wanted to build would lease rather than buy the land. I took my time setting the price and figuring ahead that at the end of my ten-year plan, with the renewal coming up every five years, the lease in essence paid for the property, and I still owned the land. There was only one street for the industrial park with Sam Giles being on the far end.

The commercial area had two lines of stores and I promoted leases as well as land purchase for this zone. There were parking garages on both ends of each street.

For the multiple housing, there was parking in the basements. There were also elevators on each end. This pre-planned, and backed up by, statistics. I used my money for twenty percent of the cost to build. Charlie’s bank financed the remainder. The plan was for me not to own these buildings when finished. A housing conglomerate had the option to buy when the occupancy reached 53%.

The first three buildings filled up almost as soon as they were completed. I knew I would reach that percent even before the last building started. I decided that the revenue stream was such I would just go with a manager of my own on the three buildings. I had estimated the cost to build and it came in under budget. Charlie said his bank would lend me more on the completed buildings if I needed more to start the single- family home project.

As the last of the houses on the street of houses came up for the final rehabs and came into view, Geno was concerned for we had eleven competent workers who had topnotch skills. The last one of the multi- apartment house was just a shell so far. The contractor I had hired, I felt, was stringing this work out because he had contracted to build an even larger complex for the city and that wasn’t quite ready to start yet. I was disgusted with the situation and threatened a lawsuit.

“Go ahead and sue and I’ll just walk away. I have work for years contracted already ahead for our corporation. The penalty for not finishing this last building is peanuts to us. I will survive any bad publicity. Good luck trying to find someone to complete the building before the weather gets to it. In fact, I don’t want to complete your piddling little job.”

“So you are quitting?”

“The more I think about this, I am. I’ll even give you notice that I am.”  He called his secretary and dictated his intentions over the phone. This was dated as of today. “I’ll have a copy of this in hand carried to your office by one this afternoon. Where do you want this delivered?”

I sat there and looked at him, shrugged and answered him with just a few words.

“I’m sorry we won’t be associated any longer. Your building company does do quality work and I have been well satisfied with the quality of it. I think you may come to regret this decision. Have your secretary give me a call and I will pick the notice up in your office.”

“Okay then, that’s it, Good luck. This is just a lesson of dealing with the big boys. That’s how we get bigger every year.”

 I turned and walked out. I went directly to Sandy and asked what material delivered, and received in storage. She told me she had all the windows for all four floors of the last building and all the interior doors including the steel entrance doors. Each apartment has a small balcony and the doors were already on hand as well. Each balcony has a steel frame attached to the wall and those were here, too.

“You can check Pete, and I think you will find out they have been invoiced and the building company has paid for every item under the contract agreement that I have in storage. Send me a check for storage and they will belong to you. Why, are you having trouble?”

“Yes, the head of the corporation has just walked away from the contract.  I think the Capparelli Construction can complete the job.  We are down to only two houses to finish on the street of houses.”

I made another call. This was to the reporter (Jackson) who had looked for a story and investigated me a couple of years ago. I explained to him about the termination of the contract. “You might find a story in this. That corporation has a contract to build new housing in the section of the city that they have been tearing down to build subsidized housing. The city might want to know a little more about this person who is head of the corporation and and look at his background a little closer.”

“Hey, Mr. Manning, thanks for the tip. How good is the quality of work they did for you up until today?”

“I like what they have done for me so far and I told him so.”

“So this was his idea to back out.”  

“Yes, and I have it all recorded on my cell phone.”

“That’s good, how did you get onto this that it might happen?

“From a person who is in with the banks.”

“Oh yes, that would be Charlie Goodell of the Goodell group.”

“You do keep up, don’t you?”

“Hey, I have to make a living. I would like to interview you sometime. I know you still own a large parcel of land next to what you have done in the last two years out there. The rumor is that the city will be building a school in that area soon. It was a lot that you have donated. Is there any truth to it?”

“Let’s set up the interview and you might find out.” I terminated the call. A little free advertising for the start of building my single-family housing community coming up might be advantageous. I took the call from the secretary who had typed up the termination papers from the building contractor. There was a check included for half the penalty. There was a “Final” scrawled on the check before his signature.

I’d have Kenny write him a note that this wasn’t good enough, but I wouldn’t go to the effort to sue. I wanted to talk to Kenny anyway. Sandy had shown me what was stacked in the storage area I had rented when I had the first building started. I had paid rent on it all these many months. It also was the first building completed that Sandy has been worried about being able to make them pay.

Kenny and I went over to the unfinished building first thing in the morning. I wanted to see if the crew was here on the job or removed as the boss said he was going to do. All I could find was the Foreman of one four-man crew who was working on the top floor. “Where is everyone?”

“The other three Guys are getting things from the cellar. We are the only four-man crew who has been working here this last week. Our boss hasn’t said why yet. I hope he doesn’t expect that a four-man crew can finish this job. It will take months. It can’t be because of a shortage of material, because the storage building is full of stuff to put in place. All the windows and doors are there. There is a million boxes of laminated flooring. In the cellar, there are all the refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers and even the microwaves stored. The coin-operated laundry equipment is down there, too.”

We heard someone coming up the stairs. It turned out to be the number two line boss. I knew him well. He ignored me this morning and spoke to the man I was talking to. “You men pick up your personal tools. This project is finished as far as we are concerned. The numb nuts who is now head of the corporation is walking out on the job. I don’t know why, and I don’t care. I’m going to find me another place to work like this one once was.

“Pete, I see you have your lawyer with you. Tell us what is going on?”

“I was in yesterday and had words with the Boss who said he was owner and boss. He quit on this job as of yesterday, and had his secretary type up a notice to that effect. I showed it to Kenny and we are checking things out this morning.”

“Sad to say, that isn’t the boss we have been working under. The Boss you met yesterday just took over and said he was going to set the world on fire. The man who owned the corporation died and this asshole is his son. He has been sucking up to the city and somehow wrangled a contract to build some high-rise subsidized low-rent property.”

“So, Gordon, where does that leave you and your four crews that have been working here?”

“I have no idea but probably, sitting around drawing pay, and twiddling thumbs. Hey, I’ll get together with my boss if he is still with the corporation and figure out what our future is. Give me a couple days, will you?”

“Yeah, get back to me and I may have something for you myself. I’ll talk to my partner and maybe we can work together on something to get this building finished.”

“I like the way you think. You certainly put this area on the map. Two years ago, there was nothing here except that big barn that fronts on the highway.” He turned to his workers, “Come on, men, let’s go find out what is going on.”  Kenny and I watched as the men picked up their tools and left.

“What now, Pete?”

“We go talk to Geno. I’d like it if I could begin building houses earlier than expected.  Maybe I can push Geno into being boss on the project of putting up these single-family houses. I haven’t got as far as choosing a firm for that yet. Maybe with all the experienced help floating around, we should consider doing it ourselves.”

“Do you and Geno know enough about handling this?”

“Maybe we can hire the person who has been in charge of putting up the apartments in these new buildings. I’m more than satisfied of the work done that he has been in charge of. I have a feeling it would be a good move.”

“Well, your feelings have certainly paid off. I can’t think of any mistakes you have made since you married my sister.”

“We’ll see how it goes. Kenny, you’ve seen what little I have for documents with the owner of the corporation backing out of this project? Am I clear to go ahead and finish the project, using what was pre-ordered and already paid for?”

“Yes, that non-complete clause you have that was in his contract and with him paying a penalty, he doesn’t have a leg to stand on if he changes his mind now. Endorse that check and I’ll deposit it for you.”

Geno was in the office not busy. “Geno, what have we got for plans after the last two houses are finished and sold?”

“Don’t know for sure. I thought we would have another rehab project, but nothing on the horizon. Have you come up with anything?”

“Maybe. For the short term, the owner of the construction firm I hired to build those apartments died, and his son has taken over. He has something big going on with the city. The Foreman I talked with this morning didn’t know it had happened and came to work as usual. I had to tell him. I am very happy with the work that they did. It as good or maybe a little better than what we have turned out. That’s because this is all new construction.

“We have eleven good construction workers who I think can do a credible job finishing the project.”

Geno stopped me there, “Tell me where the project is right now?”

“This building will have eighteen apartments when finished. The framing and roof is on and complete. The two elevators are in and working. It looks like a shell because the doors and windows haven’t been installed yet. The ceilings are finished and the walls are sheet rocked but not taped yet. The corporation owner slowed everything down and walked away yesterday. I have no idea in hours how long it will take to complete the construction. I have to get all the windows and exterior doors in. If we get a heavy storm, it may ruin some of the building.”

“I’d say it would. What do you want? Plastic over the openings until you can get the doors and windows on site?”

“Yeah, especially until we see a big storm coming. The windows and doors are in Sandy’s storage building and paid for.”

“Who pays if we use our crew to do the work? It will be complicated. You are the owner and yet you would be working on it yourself and you own half of Capparelli Construction.”

“I know it would be complicated, but Mary could figure it out.”

“Yeah, I trust her and you to be fair. Christ, I wouldn’t have anything if you weren’t my partner.”

“Whatever, I still want you to be in with me when I start building the new houses. The job starting just as soon as this project is done.”

“How are you going to work that? We aren’t big enough to handle something like this. You always said you were going to hire to have the houses constructed and you oversee it.”

“I know, but then there may be enough workers to tackle it. The CEO from the company that built these apartments for me is pissed with the new owner and he may quit because with the new owner at the helm, he knows the whole corporation will fail. I was thinking I might get him onboard and have him marshal the project. If I can sign him on, and as many men needed, will come with him. You know, I’ll always want you with me and we do work well together.”

“Yeah, that might work. The thing of it is, these big projects encompass more than I want to do. The project we are almost done with has been profitable and we worked with inexperienced help until we had them trained. The partnership of you and I owned the houses so there was no conflict. We paid each other a decent wage and the profit is ours when we sold a house. We both took some of our profit and raised our capitalization so the partnership is now worth a hell of a lot more.”

“Yes, we did that, but if we each go out on our own, that capitalization is cut in half. This may not come into play anyway. Geno, would you at least work for me to finish the apartment building?”

“Sure, I know you will treat me right. Gina may hassle my ass if I do though. Have you thought of that?”

“I have. How about if I hand her the job of renting out the apartments and she gets the first month’s rent when she rents the apartments out?”

Geno laughed. “You know that just might do it.”

—————————————

 Mary met me at the door when I got home. “What happened with the building where you told me the builder backed out?”

“He did back out yesterday and he didn’t even pull his four-man crew off the job. They were still working when I got there. We had quite a talk. It seems he is the owner and quit because he has a bigger job for the city. The men under him were some disgusted. I also found out that almost all the material to finish this job is here in Sandy’s storage and all paid for. Kenny was with me and said it was mine.

“I talked to Geno and I’m trying to convince him to stay with me. I have him halfway convinced. I may hear from the number two guy who was bossing all four crews who were working on the building.”

“How come he might and why would you hear from him?”

“The man who backed out working on our project is the son of the man who owned the Corporation. The owner has died and the son took over when his dad died. No one likes him. I talked to the crew before they left and told them what my next project is and that was to build a whole lot of single-family homes and I hadn’t hired a builder yet.  I may hear from him. I also called Geno who I want to keep with me because we get on together so well.

“Geno has no idea what we were going to do after we finished the last two houses that we have been working on. That’s poor planning on both our parts. We have eleven crew members and there are sixteen crewmen, who have been working there on the unfinished building. That would be enough to head right in and start building houses if I can put it together.”

“Are you worried about getting started?  Why have you waited so long to begin?”

“I wanted to get the industrial park, the street of shops, and the apartment buildings finished. I wasn’t sure if I would have enough money to begin. I wanted a good cash balance in hand and I could afford to wait.”

“Pete, how much money do you need? You have millions in the bank already.”

“I might not have if the mine ran out of ore. I am over the two years I estimated to get ready to start building houses. That was because of the construction company I hired, slowed the work down, by pulling three of the full crews off a week ago and leaving only one crew on the job. I just wasn’t paying enough attention.

“I’m trying to get Geno to put Capparelli Construction in there to complete the apartment project. I have all the materials needed anyway. Financially we are in good shape to begin. I’m going to ask Gina if she wants the job of finding tenants when the building is completed. I’m hoping she will become the manager. My manager for the other three buildings isn’t interested in taking on the fourth one. There would be a big payout right at the start of the first month’s rent coming to the manager.

“I do have a problem that I think you can help me with.”

“And that would be?”

“How much to pay Capparelli Construction to finish the project? I am the owner of the building and I am half owner of the Capparelli business. Where does one begin and the other leave off?”

Mary thought for a few minutes. “Keep it simple, Pete. Estimate what the cost of finishing the project is and hire Capparelli Construction to come in and finish it. You will receive your share of what the job shows for a profit. You would now own a completed project. 

"Your profit wouldn’t show up until the building started showing a profit. That is yours alone as owner. If you needed money before that, you could go to some bank like Charlie’s and get a loan on your asset and forward-looking projection to pay Capparelli Construction. Treat it just as you would on one house.”

“You are right, it is simple when you explain it. May I borrow that book to read?”

“Oh, you! Hey, I have a question for you? Do you keep in touch with Sam Giles? I haven’t heard you speak of him lately?

“I do see him. He is still wearing the bracelets I made him. His hands are pain free although his hands have some bumps on them. He does soak his hands once a week, but doesn’t need the compounds I put together for him. It was a great success coming from Miriam’s suggestion. I have treated other people for different things and I do pass out those coppers at times.

“If I hear of someone who has a medical problem, I figure out how to disguise one of the coppers so it isn’t too noticeable to the general public. I have had three cases of schizophrenia. It has worked because they are stable and rarely need their medication and longer.

“Another disease that I have helped is Parkinson’s disease that is common in older people and there is no cure.”

“I learned of one baby who had leakage in his heart valve. By the time the baby is old enough to operate on, I expect that at the rate he is improving he won’t have to be operated on. The baby is getting better all the time and is almost well.”

“How do you find these people you are helping?”

“It is a sense I feel, that if I can get them wearing a copper with the fish scratched on it that touches the skin, the person can be helped.”

“You make bracelets for all those you try to help?”

“Not really. I use what they have. The men usually wear a watch. I remove the back and solder a copper to it and when they put the watch back on the copper is next to their skin.  With a woman and child, I do the same. I have to cut the copper down small enough to hide, and apparently, it still works.

“The small child wore one of these the same on the underside of a leather strap for almost a year now. The mother senses that the baby should have the strap on his arm. She is anxious when she removes it for the baby’s bath and puts it back on as soon as possible. The baby’s heart is almost healed now and the mother will soon see it isn’t necessary any longer according to her doctor.”

“You should have had me wear one when J P was born, Pete. I was in terrible pain for a while.”

“You were wearing one soon after you came to the hospital. Miriam saw to that. I attached a copper to the strap on your wrist. The nurse always makes too many of those ID straps. Miriam made me aware and I took the copper I had in my pocket and attached it to a spare strap with tape, scratching an opening so the fish would touch your skin. There was a blunt pair of scissors there and I replaced the one on your wrist with the one I had made. Remember, I removed it two days later, saying I guessed you didn’t need it any longer and put it in my pocket.”

 “May I have it? This is something I want to remember. Miriam is always with us, isn’t she?”

“She is. Someday I hope she will reveal why we have been made aware of something that happened so long ago and are an integral part of it.”

“I have faith she will someday.” I stood and retrieved the hospital identity strap I had put into a drawer in the side table and handed to her. “You have saved it all this time?” Mary stood and kissed me.

“Pete, how many of those copper pennies do you have left? You may run out of them someday.”

“No, I don’t think so. I have made some coppers just like them, two anyway in a smaller version. They seemed to work just as well and straightened out the problem just the same way as the originals.  Miriam said I had power so this must be one of them.”

Mary was facing me and didn’t look pleased. “Pete, damnit, it was me who had a miserable life until I met you, and how come you have the special power, and not I?”

“Honey, I have no idea. Do you want some of this power, back? I can ask Miriam about it.”

“No, Honey, I wish though, that you were telling me about the people you are helping. I was so happy, when I thought it was me, who fixed Ricky. I want to feel like that again.”

“I have been remiss not informing you of the real reason.  I believe, it won’t happen again. You did have the power at that time. That was before I had any power, given me by Miriam because you needed more strength to deal with the birth of P J. Come, let’s go to bed. We’ll take P J to bed with us and play with him until he is sleepy and then I’ll play with you until you are too. I’ll be the one to change P J and then I’ll put him in his bed. And then, I’ll put me to bed. Can it get any better than this?”

—————————————

Geno was already at the office when I went down the Street of Houses.

“Come on, Geno, we’ll go over to the barn property and I’ll show you what has to be done to finish up the last apartment house.” There were several cars pulled in near the building. I recognized the lead man I had talked to yesterday standing with a group of men. He came toward me as Geno and I got out of my car. There was a man with a white shirt dressed in khaki pants who came with him. He was the one to speak first.

“Hi, I’m Joab—Joab Rowden. You can call me Joe. I’m the general contractor building your apartments. I’ve been busy on other work and my number one man is the the one who signed with you to build your apartments. That is why we have never met.  You contracted us for this and I’m here to see what happened a couple days ago. I understand the corporation owner I worked for was here and backed away from finishing this project. My reputation as project manager is on the line here. I’ve never left an unfinished project before. I’d like to keep my reputation intact. Can we talk?”

“Sure, I’m Pete Manning and I want the project completed. It’s a few weeks behind and it should have been completed two weeks from now according to the contract. Tell me what your situation is right now.”

“The owner and I had words and the bastard fired me and said he would take over my men for himself to start the contract for the city. He doesn’t know no one wants to work for him so you will see several of the men here who came with me. I don’t know what is going to happen afterward if you won’t agree to have me finish these apartments.”

“Joe, let’s find a place to sit and go over everything. I may be able to help you and your men find work if you will finish this project for me.”  

There was a temporary office set up on the first floor and we went into that. There was a large table for spreading out blue prints and a large office computer with printer and several file cabinets and ten comfortable office chairs. I went to the head of the table and spoke to Joe. There were other workers in and out as there was a coffee machine in the corner.

“I’ve never met many of the men who have worked on the projects here. I was owner of all the land when these projects began. Some of the land I have leased to those who wanted to build their own industrial businesses and some of the land I have sold.

“Financially, I have been working toward where I am now. I am into a two-year timeline and planned a ten-year timeline to begin with. This apartment building is at the end of the two years when completed. As I said before, that will be in two weeks from today.” Telling him more about me besides being owner of the land, I explained that Geno Capparelli started a company after he bought 23 empty houses on a street that all needed to be rehabbed.

“Geno was under-capitalized and he soon made me a partner. That was a little over two years ago and there are two houses yet to complete. We began with hiring some men coming from the prison system. Some had a bit of knowledge in carpentry and I didn’t have any. So I was a working foreman wrecking the houses and getting them ready for Geno to rebuild and our association has worked out well.

“Half of our workers now have their papers and we have one who came on board as a Master carpenter. He is an eastern transplant and cousin to Geno. I am a bit of an opportunist and purchased 160 acres of undeveloped land using about 60 acres of the future development to put roads and utilities in for this area. It is part industrial, with some commercial concerns that are developed already. These four apartment buildings finish the section.  I planned for this, early on.

“So I am ready to begin building houses on the remainder. It will take us years to complete the two-and three-bedroom single-family homes with a crew of eleven Geno and I have. For now, I would like to have this building finished on time and on budget. I don’t think the budget will be a problem because most of the large items are stored here and are ready to install. If there are some small items like fixtures I have ordered, we can get them at the home store across the street that just opened up.

“I froze the account right after the guy who gave me notice that he was backing out and I received about half the penalty from him. I put that into the account I set up and the balance looks adequate to finish this project. So Mr. Rowden, give me your thoughts?”

“Pete, I am definitely on board to finish this building, especially now that I see you have funding in place. You say you have two other small houses to work on your other project. You could keep your men there and I’ll put some of my men with them who came with me. Otherwise, I really have too many men to finish this project. These men have been with me for ten years and more and I know all their strengths. I’ll have to ask the crews who have been working here to show me where we are at.”

“Okay, we’ll take the lead men of the crews who have been working on this building and tour all the apartments and see where we are. Geno and I will go with you and let those men explain to us.”

“Good enough” It took an hour to go floor to floor and apartment to apartment.  Geno and I admired the work finished. I didn’t ask Geno how he felt about this. When he and I had a minute alone, Geno said, “You had better sign Rowden up and hire him as boss to build your single-family houses after we finish here.”

“I want you in on this too.”

“I don’t know. There is not much place for me in your management.”

“What was your specialty when you worked for your father?”

“Painting. I enjoyed turning raw materials into something beautiful. Are you going to stick with me if I take our partnership on as a sub-contractor?”

“Geno, just say the word and I’ll give you the contract before I have the first house ready for paint. Capparelli Painting Company has a nice sound to it. First though, if I hire this Rowden, we’ll see what he has in mind to make this so we’ll be all one company.”

“I won’t need all the men we have, Pete. See if you can’t wrangle a good position for Guido, too. You know he is one of the best. I believe he will want to stay in the construction end of the business.”

“I think I can arrange that for him. Geno, this person who was the general contractor looks good. He is going to finish the last of the apartment buildings on his own. I am okay budget-wise and I’m not paying that other person who was in charge only for construction done up to the day he backed out. I want you in with me, all the way, when we start building the houses. I’m going to go slow and find out just how good this Joe Rowden is. I’ll get Kenny to structure something after Joe and I talk.

“I’m still owner of the land. I’ll see how good he is. He may have left himself open for some lawsuits. It really looks as if this man who fired Joe may be the one liable for any lawsuits. I don’t think that would help my situation in any way at all. Let me see what I can come up with a good position for you.. I want more for you than as boss of a painting company. We have our wives to think of, too.

“I mean how are you going to tell Gina that you are now the head of a sub-contracting company working for wages where you owned a viable construction company? I wouldn’t want to face her.”

“I guess you are right. I can’t see me facing her either. You do what you have to do to advance your business and I’ll see where I’ll be if I stick with you.”

Geno and I caught up with Joe and commented on the work his men had done on this unfinished apartment building.

He asked, “How about I take you two out to dinner tonight? I know of a spaghetti house where we can get a great meal. We can discuss this project of building houses. Pete, would you take me over to that street of houses project you have been working on?”

I answered, “Joe, this is more for Geno to show off what we have accomplished. He is the one who started Capparelli Construction Company. He bought the houses to get us started.”

Geno began explaining our association, “After a few months, I was almost broke. Pete is the one who saved the business and we made a partnership of it. I first asked Pete to join me because we were army buddies and I knew what kind of a man he is. We didn’t get anywhere near done what I anticipated the first year, but this last year is where I planned we should be.”

“We’ll all go and you can tell me about your association together. Geno and Pete, if you almost lost your company and saved it, that speaks well for itself. We can discuss this more in depth this evening. I’ll give you direction on how to reach the spaghetti house.”

Geno and I started laughing. I informed Joe, “No need for directions. The woman who runs the dining room is Chloe, our Foreman’s wife. Chloe and I have a history as well. We shut down our company for two weeks and rehabbed the Spaghetti house into something of to be proud. It was just a rough joint when we began. Is it okay to bring my wife and son?  She was a big part of it at the time. We still can talk.”

“Sure.”

“You know, Joe, I almost feel as I have met you somewhere.” Joe was as much as ten years older than me.  Maybe it was his voice, for this was even more familiar than his looks.

“I feel the same way, coincidence, I guess.” We toured the street of houses and Geno and I told Joe just about everything that had occurred since we had become partners. He thought we had done well with having so little experience. He was impressed by the treatments we did after I had installed some of these at Sam Giles’ suggestions.  

 “Those little touches add a lot.”

“I’m going to make sure some of these treatments are included in the houses I’m about to have built. The first industrial lot I sold here was to a man who owns a woodworking shop. In fact, he is the one who made many of these treatments that make these houses stand out. He gives me a wholesale price on everything. I am going to demand quality if I hire you to build the houses, and I’m sure after seeing the apartments, you can meet my standards.”

“Pete, I’d like to discuss this with you tonight.”

“Yes, and I do need to get someone hired to build the houses on my land.”

———————————

We met at the restaurant. Joe had his wife and two children with him. When we came in, I introduced Mary and met his wife Amy. His two children, a boy and girl, were in their early teens. I suggested Mary and P J sit with Amy and her daughter in one booth. Joe and his son would sit with me across the aisle in a different booth. Geno wasn’t with us because he was taking Gina somewhere.

Dinner came and it was as good as always. Chloe had ended her shift so Mary and I didn’t see her. The young girl, Joe’s daughter, was interested in my two-year-old son P J, and kept him entertained while Amy and Mary talked. Joe and I didn’t have much of a chance to talk business. When the waitress brought the bill, I grabbed it and handed it to Mary who headed for the cashier. I suggested to Mary that she take Amy and the girl home with her and Joe could drive me home. This gave us a good chance to sound each other about what structure he and I would have at work.

Mary took the tab and went up to pay while Amy stood talking to Joe and me. Mary brought change and spread it out on the table. “Pete, you forgot to take your lucky piece with you today.” Mary had been carrying one of the coppers in her hand and it mixed with the change in her pocket. It rolled over in front of where Joe was standing. He slapped his hand on it to stop it from rolling off the table.

He picked up and examined it. “Pete, I’ve seen two of these before … Both in antique shops. They were used by the early Christians as a sort of secret sign weren’t they? Are you Jewish?”
 
“My family was way back when, so my mother told me.  I always claimed to be American. Mom would call me Petrous which was as near Peter she said as she could get.”

“Pete, I’m Jewish as you can tell by my name but I have never been to Israel. My family came here when Joe Stalin came to power and we had to emigrate.  I think it goes back to the Hebrews. It seems sometimes I have far memories in my dreams. I have never made any sense of them, as dreams rarely do. You must think I am crazy, talking about far memories?”

“Not at all, Mary has had dreams in the past and some of them are strange … strange and life-like too.” Finally, he reluctantly passed it back to me. Mary gathered PJ into her arms and she, Amy, and the two kids left.

I asked, “Do you want to talk here or in the bar?”

“Here is fine. Okay, the way I see it is you have a hundred acres and you want to put houses on it. What kind of houses?”

“Mostly three-bedroom, maybe a third with two-bedrooms and a few four-bedroom. The lot plots are different sizes. I don’t want them lined up front to the street and most far back from the curb. Some angled different ways with breezeways to a garage and some with detached garages. I’ll have ranches and some with a story and a half.”

“That’s good. People hate living in cookie cutter developments. I approve of that plan.”

“How many men did you have working for you? Will you be using the same men?”

“I have about fifty men who would come here with me. The person who fired me talked to my number one man, whom I counted on the most to stay with him. He was good, experienced but that prick of an owner convinced him to stay because he thought I wouldn’t have any work for all the men. I was making decisions that he should have been making, so he won’t last long. I don’t believe he knows what he is getting into, and the city will drop the project altogether until they can get another reputable concern hired. It would take him a year to replace the crew that remains with me.”

“I would have the same problem?”

“I’d say so, but you will have the option of stringing things out here. That is unless you put on a hard and fast timeline for completion. You must understand that I need work for these men and what I did on your apartments was just something to do until that city job started.”

“Let me ask you, will there be a union?”

“I can hire out for either. The city job had to be union, but this one doesn’t have to be. The pay scale is a little lower for non-union. The code will be the universal standard and we all have to know that OSHA can come in and look at us for infractions. I have never had many against me and most of those were for small things about wearing the correct equipment and things like that. That’s for the Foremen to pay attention to.”

“Do you have any idea of how to set this up?”

“Some, and you don’t have to agree with me. I’d take on the job of the General Contractor. You Guys at Capparelli Construction are a small but growing business. You would never be able to handle the job that the city is planning by yourself. Your work here would be quite a tussle for you to handle until you get a lot bigger. If you and Capparelli wanted to work as my Foremen and boss several small crews, I think that would work. You said there was another Capparelli I haven’t met yet, and said he was a master carpenter?”

“I did. I’m hoping you will put him on.”  

“I’ll talk to him. He could be my number one after me. You have led me to believe he has been the one to give you and Geno orders?”

“Yeah, on the job especially this last year, when I was tied up with getting the ball rolling here with the projects nearly completed. I’ll be ready to take over bossing a crew of men. Geno, of course, was in the office most of his time, but he is capable.”

“That’s all good too. Are you expecting a new name for this company? I mean, who am I working as General Contractor for?”

“I’d be satisfied to have the Capparelli Construction name kept. I’ll talk it over with Geno and let you know tomorrow.”

“Okay, I’ll be right here finishing up this apartment project. Why don’t you bring your lawyer with you if you can, and we can nail the details down and flesh out a contract?  I’ll start pushing my men to get your last apartment building finished on time. Some of my men may even rent a few of these apartments from you.”

We went to my house to pick up Amy, Joe’s wife, and kids. It wasn’t that late and I invited Joe in. We sat down in the living room. I pulled back the curtain that was covering the painting of the field of crosses. “You should see this, Joe. This is the subject brought Mary’s first dreams. Guess that was four years or more ago. It was before P J, anyway. Your kids are outdoors by the pool so I’ll show you something that started her dreaming.”

Joe had got up and made his way to look at the painting closer. “Pete and Mary, that is a picture, I believe of me and Petrous, who is you in my dreams. I’m on the left in the painting. You wouldn’t know it because it just shows the back of us going out of sight into the mist. That is us, taking the cross down and loading our childhood companion and the cross, onto a cart. I have seen it in my dreams many times and searched for more meaning of the cart because my dreams most always had that scene in it. Do you know who we loaded onto the cart?”

“Joe, I’ve looked at that picture for years and didn’t know one of the men was me. I always thought it was another man named Peter that appeared later in the dreams. About the one on the cross, I suspect it was the Lord, he crucified, and we transporting him to a place of rest. At the time of the scene, Miriam was the one who was having dreams. Was there ever a young woman there to help us load the cross onto the cart in your dreams?”

“Pete, I don’t remember that there was. This is the first time the jumbled bits of my dreams have made any sense, and I don’t know as they do now either. Mary, what were your dreams of?”

“Over a period months and maybe years, I have found that I was a traveler and, asked to help two men load a bundle tied to a cross onto a two-wheeled cart. There was no donkey to pull it so two men were doing the pulling. Miriam was the woman’s name at that time and in my dream.

“She didn’t see them cut the cross down, but Miriam helped them load it. Only the person you said was Petrous spoke to her, but she heard you speaking to each other. Miriam didn’t know it at the time, but she got some black stuff on her hands, more than likely blood while loading the cross.  She wiped it onto her shawl and tucked this under her robe. She noticed late that next night when she had a chance to bathe that the marks were permanent.

“That woman was named Miriam and I am named Mary, which is the same name. Apparently, We have the same marks on our bodies.”

Mary paused and then asked Amy to follow her. I knew that Mary was showing Amy the stigmata on her chest. “Joe, Mary is showing Amy those same marks on her body that were caused by some of the blood on this Miriam I am speaking about, who is the one in our dreams. We have no doubt that Mary’s are a copy of the original.

“You say you have dreams too?”

“Yes, in the dreams, Miriam calls me Peter. Up until now, I thought I was Peter the Scribe who Miriam was married to, but you called me Petrous. That’s what my Mom called me, mostly when she was mad about something I did. Tied in the way we are to the Holy Land, I suppose Mary and I should be more religious, but we don’t even go to church much. I believe we lead a good clean life and we certainly help others. I don’t know, but the indications are we both may have helped to get the Christian religion under way.”

I paused and thought a minute.  “Well, the original Miriam and Peter the Scribe did help the cause of Christianity as we know it came into being. As Mary’s dreams progressed, and after Peter, freed from working in her brother’s fields, Miriam and he married. She used much of her inheritance to fund his efforts

“Damned confusing, I’d say, but I had better lay off swearing, hadn’t I?”

“I don’t think anyone will notice if you say damn sometimes.”

Amy and Mary came back. “Joe, Mary has been telling me all about her life. She has had a terrible cross to bear with the way she is marked on her chest with Stigmata. Pete has helped her live a normal life since they met except for the dreams. This stuff of the dreams is interesting and seems familiar to me and I’ll have to listen to you more closely. I thought you were off your rocker, talking about the dreams you kept having, but I don’t anymore.

“You know, we should be leaving. Are you and Pete going to be working together?”

“We are talking about it. Pete has a housing development starting soon. I think it would be a good move if he hired me to be the General Contractor. It won’t be long before we can figure out if it will work. We should have this settled in a handful of days.”

“Good. We don’t want to lose too many paychecks.”

Joe laughed, “Isn’t that like a women?”

The last thing I said to Joe was an offer of his taking the painting home with him. He said not tonight but would like having the chance to study it.

I called Geno and asked if he had a minute to discuss what Joe and I were thinking of. “Yeah, I’ll be right over. I’m interested and Gina told me to get on the ball and get some work lined up. She also wanted to know when she could begin filling the apartments in the new building. The first month’s rents, you promised her are on her mind. Isn’t that just like a woman?”

“It is and I hear it a lot.”

Chapter  Fourteen

I had a beer opened when Geno came in and we sat at the kitchen table. “Here’s the deal to get me started. Joe wants the job of General Contractor. He has a crew of men who have followed him for years and he feels responsible for them always having a job. That’s good, I think. You and I have a small company and we can’t take on the monstrous job building so many houses. I don’t think our men have the same level of experience either. Joe would be happy to work for any company that has a name.

“Everything is up in the air still, and I laid some things out and he did as well. Nothing finalized at this point.”

“Pete, get to the point.”

“Okay Geno, we would keep our company as it is, with just you and me as owners. He would come on board hired out to Capparelli Construction, combining our two crews together. I told him Guido was an excellent Master Carpenter and Joe said he would make him his number one man directing the work and the men. I’m not up to that level. Do you feel you are?”

“No but I would like to be. You should be the one for that.”

“No, I don’t feel I know enough either.”

“So what is it for us?”

“We would be at the management level with you in the office like you have been doing and I would be the one to figure out which houses to place on the lots and do some of the sales after they are built. I say, I’ll take that part on because it will be like we were when we first started by making sure we are not extended before the houses are sold. I don’t anticipate it will be a problem the way I have laid out the development.”

“You are good at that. You say the money coming to pay you and me?”

“We’ll draw our salary from Capparelli Construction, the same as now.”

“Pete, honestly do you have the funds for s project as large as this?”

“I do. Charlie at the bank says I do. I still have the mine that is producing ore and I have all those sales from the industrial park and commercial districts. The revenue from the apartments is unbelievable. Charlie tells me I’m not spending my money fast enough and I should buy more toys to play with. That just isn’t me. So do you think this would work? I’m ready to dig my first cellar hole before the month is out.”

“Pete, how did I get so lucky to ask you to be my partner? I didn’t tell you, but we sold another house yesterday. That’s more money in the bank. As far as this new project of yours, I would be pleased to have Capparelli Construction heading this up. See you tomorrow.”

I wasn’t surprised when Miriam intruded on my sleep sometime after Mary was asleep. I had explained much to Mary about my plans and why. “You still haven’t explained why there are a bunch of individuals who came together at that particular time in history and why we have been informed.”

“I’m sure Miriam will explain it to either you or me before the dreams cease to continue. Joe is new to us, but he seems to be one of the main characters in all of this too. Go to sleep, I’m going to.”

Miriam began explaining immediately hardly before I was fully awake “Pete, it is almost time for me to cease talking to you. First, you should know about me as Miriam. I was a person of chance being on the road at the right time. I was only passing by when help was needed to remove the Lord and Cross from the area. It could have been anyone. But I was clumsy and became especially marked. I was also a woman of wealth and I have made the most of it by paying those who went out on the Lord’s business to pass the word. This is enough about me and my place in history.”

“I have learned a few facts; a few years before this happening there were three young men who were learning the carpentry skill. Two of you worked steadily at it and became masters. The third was a young man who did much work for his Father and was often away taking up his father’s work, He soon left the trio of three men. His name was Jesus and he was Special. You Pete, as Petrous, and Joe as Joab became Special as well, with your early association with your Godly partner.

“It was you two who were chosen to remove him from the field of crosses to the Garden of Arimathea and placed on a shelf of stone. Those of us who believe in “Him” know that he did indeed arise at the end of three days. That is a fact of history, often looked at, and studied deeply down through the centuries. Joab, those of his family have always been a master of carpentry and no one of them has ever cheated or sullied the name of Joab.

“Petrous, you served a different calling. You marked the first copper with the outline of a fish. It etched sign was soon looked for by the bakers of the community and collected. They received a value of one loaf of bread by anyone who had hunger and it was a fair exchange when presented. 

"Soon though, the coppers went beyond that and became a sign of the people who followed the Christ even before he was well known. They spread all over the world. My husband, Peter the Scribe would place three of these Coppers in every Courier packet before it left his hands and it was a sign that opened up the world to a new every man’s God.

“I must say these coppers went out of favor when the price of a loaf of bread rose beyond the price of a copper. Still there were those who remembered them as a holy object and it remains so even in your day so many years after they passed from view. Every copper you pass on or fashion will have your power in it. They will heal the mind, the body, and the soul, and you will sense, who you should give one to. You will not have to search for these people, for you will sense them when you should meet.

“What I know of the early life of Jesus is hearsay and I know little but do believe are the actual facts. What I know came after the time I helped load a cross with a burden onto a cart that almost immediately passed into a mist.

“I am tired of explaining why I am and who I am. Remember how I am marked and what caused these marks, I wear now so proudly. That will be your answer. Now you may question me if there is more you would like to know.”

I questioned, “Why have you waited so long to gather us all together in this community?”

“Because it is something here on earth that has to be prevented. Joab is to play a major part in this and I was waiting to make him available to join you there.  Also, it was costly and I had to make sure you gained wealth in some way. I used several methods in this. Twenty-eight thousands of your dollars wouldn’t go far. It wasn’t wasted because it was being used where needed until it was returned to you.

“That amount still was not enough, Pete. You have gained in wealth in the saving of homes that were on the point of being torn down. Discovering a mine has increased your chance to finance everything.

“You as Petrous will gain more wealth here on the plot of land you purchased to build beautiful little loving homes. Enter Joab finally who was to build for a very, very, rich man untold apartment and houses for the city.”

“They would have been of excellent quality but, this man chanced to die and the son took over.  Joab was dismissed immediately, and the son was to have his chance to build these said apartments. He has a terrible reputation and poor capabilities. It will come to pass, that the houses he was to build will never be constructed by him. The city will look at the son and tear up the contract because the old man’s contract was predicated on Joab managing the building of these apartments.”

“Miriam, I ask, should this man be destroyed? I can do it by having a reporter look into some of this man’s background. I would rather not, for it would make me look, cheap and mean, and possibly small in the city’s eyes. The city has passed me through on a fast track getting all the permits and zoning changes I need for my own development and might spoil the future for me.

“There will be at times push back Miriam, from the citizens when the subject of bonding the expenses comes before the council and I had the council back of me up until now and those went through with only a little trouble. Going after another business owner no matter how bad, won’t look good for me.”

“You’re very good at reading people. No, don’t touch the son’s reputation.”

———————————

Within, a month, I had hired Joe Rowden as the General Contractor for the Manning Development. The apartment buildings that were unfinished previously were completed and apartments rented out by Gina Capparelli, the new Manager.

The houses were all completed on the street of houses and the ones that weren’t sold already were on the market. Ida and Gram, my only relatives, had lifetime use of a two-room bungalow. I had the remains of the burnt house that belonged to Fred and Mildred removed and had attractive stone-wall built in its place. This was the attractive egress and exit of the new housing development.

The streets would turn left onto Manning Avenue to go through the development of new houses. You would turn right to go past the back of Fred’s and Mildred’s garage where Randy had rooms above with Sandy’s two helpers. That would change soon for Randy had proposed marriage to Sandy and was accepted."  

                                                     

To enter the area, you could turn right down by the four apartment buildings or go one more street down and turn left up through the commercial district. The last street went around by the Giles wood works shop to exit past the big barn belonging to Sandra Hamilton and to the highway. She, who soon married Randy.
 
There would be to the west, two more entrances and exits to the highway where the cross streets interconnected with Manning Avenue into the housing development of small homes.

I stood watching the excavator when it began to dig the cellar hole for first of many houses. I had shivers up and down my spine. In the back of my mind, I sensed that there was someone speaking to me.

I walked up the avenue a little distance and concentrated. It was Miriam, “Pete, It took me a long time for me to arrange to bring everyone to accomplish this togetherness of those who came into contact with me here in the Holy Land. Your life will now go forward without any major problems. That part is your reward in your time. Here in the Holy Land, the reward happened a long time in the past for you as Petrous. He did become a renowned builder and this was the reward for him supporting the master.

“However, creating the coppers with the unusual mark was what he should have been known for. Here, two thousand years into the future, millions of people still recognize its value in how it helped spread the word of Jesus and his work. Thus, you are keeping the meaning going forward. If someone doesn’t know what the meaning of the mark of the fish on the copper, they will inquire about the mark and one more person will understand and have the answer!

There is one more couple, who has transitioned to your timeline. This was the hobbling boy with no name and his mother, who were the first people I gave two of the three coppers of my pay from Petrous. The boy bought bread to feed him and his mother and shared with me what he didn’t eat. When I saw him walking and spoke, he thought I was a Holy Person.

“I knew it wasn’t me. I realized the power lay in the coppers, which were touched by the person who had given them to me originally by (Petrous) who had wrapped the body of the Lord in a shroud.

"This realization came to me as my Peter lay discussing this on our marriage bed and Peter later became known as Peter the Scribe who took up the work of copying the messages that went out by the Couriers heading for countries around the world with the Word. Soon people who gathered to hear the Word became known as Christians, and so it is today.”

————————————

Our life forward was generally sweet. We donated land to build a community church on the corner lot across from the corner where the elementary school sat. Both were located at the end of the cross street where another exit was to the highway.  

There were no great numbers of each persuasion to attend and the church wasn’t that large. The basement was the largest area and small rooms big enough to accommodate the different protestant congregations, the Muslims, and a small synagogue for those who followed the Hebrew faith. Most of the people who were of the Catholic persuasion went into the city where all the members prayed.

I did construct two chapels where residents could walk in to sit, commune, and pray if they wished. These were constructed with the lumber I purchased from Sandy shortly after we met. I hired two wood carvers, one who carved with mallets and chisels to carve religious symbols in some of the heavier lumber. The other wood carver had a carving machine that could replicate with cutters as it passed over an object to create a design. He actually carved scenes that told stories taken from the Bible.

There was always a print of the painting I kept in my living room at home in each of the chapels. Valued by many communicants, sadly vandals often stole or defaced them. As soon as a print disappeared, I had another placed in the chapel.

Mary and I began going to church when P J reached ten years, and took his six-year-old sister with us. Mary was asked one day to fill in for a Sunday School Teacher. When it was story time for the children, Mary gave a brief version of a woman named Miriam traveling along a road one late afternoon who helped two men load the cross, which held Jesus, onto a cart to be safely installed in a cave. This changed Miriam’s life and she went on to be of service to the Christians.

Mary stopped telling the story of Miriam to her mixed congregation when she said she met the boy who was hungry and said she would continue her story and the travels of Miriam on another day. Mary announced at the beginning of the story and at the end that this was a folk tale and might have no basis of fact. She said a woman she had met actually told her the story. This was for the adults in the room who listened in. They questioned Mary.  “It was a fantasy dream I have made up to entertain the children.”

I wondered how this was going to end. I asked Mary to skip the part of the story she was making up about her hands getting blood on them, bathing, and finding she covered with Stigmata on her chest.

Mary and I became friends with a protestant minister who had a very small congregation who used one of the rooms in the church where I had reserved a plot to build the community church. Ultimately, we were both baptized, finding it a glorious feeling walking into church, knowing we were part of something special.

————————————

Mary and I still were claimed by Ricky as his aunt and uncle. He would drop in unexpectedly. He was fifteen when he asked if he could see the picture of the field of crosses again. “I know I am the boy in Mary’s dreams.  She used to tell me about her travels when I was small. Then my foot got well and she stopped telling me about it. You know I like to draw and sketch. I’ve tried to remember every little detail in the picture so I can sketch it.”

“You were only four or five when that happened.”

“It doesn’t matter. It was a miracle whatever age I was. I’m trying to talk Mom and Guido to send me to art school next year. A couple of years under a good teacher would do wonders for me. Come over to the house and I’ll show you my work. I think I’m good. My art teacher at school says she has taught me all she can.”

“Do you want to do it now? “

“Sure, Mom is working and Dad is with her at the restaurant. I think Aunt Mary is with them too. Dad is watching the kids.”

“Sure, just a question, but why now?”

“Because, I had a dream that some vandals would see the painting, and destroy it. I can’t let that happen. That picture and the copper penny in the corner were what made me well.”

“Yes, that would be a terrible happening and unthinkable. We’ll take the painting with us and you can study it at your leisure. It is here behind this plain wall hanging.”

I took it down. “Uncle Pete, may I glance at it before we go? You know I didn’t expect you to let me take it. What will Aunt Mary say?”

“She won’t mind.”

Ricky took the painting and examined it gently turning it to see all four sides of the frame and the back. He found what he was looking for. “That is something I was looking for. It says this is a reproduction. I remember you saying this when I didn’t even know what a reproduction was. I don’t feel bad about that, either. I’m sure I could never match the original and that would be a crime. I will mark mine the same way.”

“The picture has so much detail and expression, Ricky, it hits me right in the heart and soul. I wish I had the story of the early years of Christ. There isn’t much information in the Bible about his early years until he picked up doing work for his Father. You know, I mean how he lived and worked.  I’m pleased it does. Mary and I both have the same feeling about it. Of course she was there as Miriam. I thought some of her image was placed there after the original.”

Ricky looked closely, “No, I don’t think so. Maybe after the original was painted but not put on after this copy was painted. The picture as painted is completed by the same artist.”

“Ricky, Mary may have started something teaching Sunday school, lately. She is telling about some dreams of hers in the story. They are based on the painting and what follows. You had better help her if you can. Some of it isn’t appropriate for young children. I’d back you and her in that. So far I have cautioned her she might talk herself into trouble.”

“Aunt Mary did make up stories when I was bored. She said they were dreams. I remember she told a story of a boy who had his crippled foot get well. I thought it was about me, especially since I did get well when I rubbed the penny in the corner of this painting. No one is rubbing this one now for it has turned dull again. Is it okay for me to rub it when I get home? I wonder if it will feel as good for me now as it did then.”

“You can find out shortly.”

Ricky led me to his room. “Mom gave up on picking up my room. I have paper everywhere with some of my scratches on them. I call them scratches because the fish on one side was what identified the coppers.  Dad just looks in, shakes his head and walks away. No one really looks at them. I’m getting pretty good at doing faces. Would you like to look at a few of my works?”

“I would love to see your work.”

Ricky opened a drawer and handed me one. It was a woman in a long robe. She was aged and there were two children on the ground before her.

“What is this one? Did you copy it from a book?”

“No, it was one I dreamed of one night. Another woman came by and handed two of those coppers to buy some bread. This woman blessed and thanked her and went on her way.”

“Do you hear what they are saying?”

“Sometimes, but not often. Here is one of Aunt Mary. It’s only a sketch but I think I have her just right, and I didn’t do anything but her face because I had never seen Aunt Mary dressed like the woman in my dreams.”

“You said you have sketched the painting of the crosses?”

“Is it okay to open it and compare it to the real one?”

“That’s what you have it for. I’d like to see your sketch.”

“Okay, but it isn’t that good. This one I used colored pencils. I tried water colors, but it was a mess,” Ricky went to the back of the room and dug out the last sketch leaning against the wall back of others. These in the stack weren’t really framed but made of some wooden scraps to keep the paper spread.

The colors weren’t as well defined as the original canvas one we had just brought in. The figures themselves were much the same and didn’t deviate that much.

“Don’t tell me that you drew this from memory?”

“I’m sorry to say I have peaked at it several times at your house. I needed to get the positions just right or I would haven’t had enough room and everything would have things squished on one side to get them all on the page. It’s funny, but when I was sketching, I knew as soon as I put pencil to paper that it wasn’t going to come out any good. Then again I would know at times I was correct.”

“Well, I think this is excellent. I should say you should give all your attention to your senses. They are a big help. Is most of what you dream are of people dressed like this?”

“No, of course not. I dream I’m on the roads a lot and I meet people who are poor and some people have servants and obviously rich. There are even crowds out on religious days, or groups of people who are mad at someone. Those are mobs. I dreamed of a mob one time and saw a man who was on the ground while people threw stones at him. My dream ended before I saw him rescued. If he wasn’t, he surely died.”

“Have you talked to your mother or Guido about these dreams you have?”

“No I haven’t. Can I talk to you about them?”

“You can talk to both me, and Mary. You know Joe Rowden who is our construction boss, don’t you?”

“Yes, he is very friendly. Sometimes he looks like he is ready to ask me something, but turns and walks away.”

“That may be because I suspect he is a kindred soul.”

“What does kindred soul mean?”

“It means like you have dreams and he has dreams and he senses you do too. It would be nice if the four of us could discuss this sometime and we may want to talk about it. We’d have to ask your mom before we did, though.”

“Oh, Mom would let you. She loves you. I don’t mean in a sexy way, but like …m oh, I guess like … well you know what I mean.”

“I do, Ricky. I would like to look at all your sketches some time.”

“Anytime, Uncle Pete, here take a bundle of them with you.”

——————————————

I left Ricky studying the painting and comparing his dream sketch to the other. He had to have been proud because he had all the details correct. I began looking at the bundle of sketches and here I was amazed even more. The boy was right on when he did a face. There was little background, but you would get the idea if the person was on a road traveling, or in field working. He had one of a crippled boy near a well with the mother in the background. Another was when the boy received coppers from Miriam. I stood there shaking my head in wonder.

Mary and Chloe came in. Guido had remained in the car. “Mary and Chloe, please sit down, we have to talk about Ricky. Call Guido in to hear what I have to say, he is the boy’s father.”

“What’s this all about, Pete?”

“Mary, you will know what I am talking about, because it is all about you making up stories of Miriam’s travels in the Holy Land, and of this boy specifically at the well. I found out today that Ricky has much the same dreams as we do and has done sketches to show what he in his dreams has experienced. Chloe, have you seen this sketch?”

“No, I haven’t. I know his room is a mess but I finally gave up entering because he doesn’t want me in there.”

“Look at this then, Ricky gave me some of his sketches to look at. Mary will recognize it, but you probably won’t.”

Mary took it into her hands, exclaiming, “That’s Miriam and that’s the Boy with no name and his mother. Miriam is handing the coppers to him to buy a loaf of bread because he and his mother were hungry.” Chloe opened the door and screamed for Guido to come in. Mary and I began speaking at once.

Finally, I let Mary explain, beginning at the start of Miriam’s travels. It took an hour to get Guido and Chloe to pay enough attention to what we were trying to say … not to believe really, but that Mary was a little different and had some dreams that both she and Ricky had experienced. I told them that I was really impressed with the quality of his sketches that he had made of his dreams.

They knew he was into making sketches but didn’t realize that the sketches had a point. I explained when I showed them the sketch of Miriam giving money at the well to two who were hungry.

“And who is Miriam?”

“Chloe, look at Miriam’s in the painting of the woman’s face and at Mary. “Who would you say it was?”

“It is Mary.”

“Yes it is. Miriam is the one telling her story two thousand years ago to herself two thousand years in the present time.”

“Why and what is the point?”

“Not sure, but this was at the time that Jesus was beginning to preach to the world which became the start of Christianity. As far as we know, there are few of us here in the present to relate these facts. The facts may not be believed by many, but for some reason it is necessary to have them related. Ricky is drawing sketches to tell the story of interacting a small part of what turned out to be a major one, which I suspect is the beginning of Christianity.

“So far there is Mary, Ricky, me, and one other who has dreams of Jesus’ early life. There is not much detail on Jesus until he took up his father’s work. I know who the other person who dreams the same ones Mary and I do. I will see if he will relate his dreams to Ricky who can draw sketches to show the people and times in the beginning.

“Chloe, you have seen the marks on Mary’s chest. Those marks or stigmata come from Miriam wiping the blood of Jesus on her shawl when she helped load the cross and his body onto a cart to move him to the cave that he eventually arose from.”

“And, Pete, how do you fit into this?
 
“Miriam in a dream that related I grew up and worked with Jesus as a child and man with one other who all worked as carpenters until he went about his father’s business. I as Pete, don’t remember much because my dreams have been more of the present. I hope this other person will remember more than I do about that point in time.”

“You want me to talk to you and Ricky and of course Mary about dreams illustrated in his sketches? I guess we could. It is like I have neglected my own child not knowing what he is up to.”

“Don’t feel that way. Chloe, you nourished a child when born crippled until he became whole. I would say that Ricky has you sketched into the background as one that stands out in that particular crowd in the sketch I showed you. Many of his sketches apparently come from his dreams. Here look at it again and ask him about it Sunday when we talk.”

“Pete, the boy is too young to get involved in this.”

“May be Chloe, but think about Ricky rubbing that copper piece in the corner of the picture, made it so he could walk. You said at the time it was a miracle”

I dug into my pocket and handed her the copper I carried. “Wear slacks with a pocket until Sunday and you will be with us. It will make you curious enough to come. Later, I will make you a clasp where the copper touches your skin and you will be protected from sickness and mishaps forever.”

“Oh, alright Pete, I know you are right.”

“Chloe, take some time, go ask Ricky if you can go in to see his sketches anytime. They are amazing. Many of these are of the people who he dreams. Have him show you the picture that Mary and I kept behind the curtain I have over there on the wall.  Ricky asked to take it earlier today and he has it in his room to match the one he drew to compare. He is also hoping he can go to art school this coming year. His art teacher here says she can’t teach him any more than he knows right now.”

Guido observed, “That’s going to be costly?”

“Yes, but it will be worth it. I have a few thousand that some former girlfriend borrowed and has paid back laying around somewhere.”

“No, Guido and I have the money and I can see how serious you are about this art class thing. Dammit, Pete, you keep coming up with things to make me love you. We will see you Sunday.”

Mary and Guido had heard this expression of love for me and thought nothing of it. Ricky was able to walk and this was attributed to me and Mary in her mind, so why wouldn’t she love us? As Ricky said to me, this love his mother had for me wasn’t the sexy type.

I passed a few more of the sketches around and everyone marveled at them when they recognized someone Ricky had sketched that they knew. Suddenly Chloe burst into tears. “I have neglected my son so badly!” Guido just held her until they could escape out the door.

Mary turned to me. “I think we all have neglected Ricky during the last few years.”

P J spoke up from the doorway where he heard us talking, “I haven’t neglected him, and neither has Sis. When we go over to Aunt Chloe’s, we go into Ricky’s room and talk while watching him draw. He always seems glad to have us there.”

“Well good, for you, I’m sure Ricky doesn’t feel he is neglected because you were there for him.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

I excused myself and called Joe, “Hey Joe, I want to ask you a personal question. You know the boy Ricky who is with me a lot? He pointed out something a little strange about some of us who are working close together and know each other. Do you ever have dreams about life and people from long ago?” There was silence.

The silence lengthened. “Joe, if you do, who sends them to you?”

“No. I mean, yes. I do have dreams and you are in them with me. Jesus of our youth was there as well. We played together. Jesus would leave us to play and go off and think about things and would never tell us what he was thinking about. Amy was always with us and her name was Anika when we played together in these dreams. Anika is the one who sends the dreams to both me, and Amy now.

“Sometimes we have the same dream at the same time. Amy’s alto ego, Anika, is where my dreams come from so she is a part of this as much as you and I are. The four of us played, and then we three started doing carpentry like my father did. Pete, your father in that time worked with copper to patch things.

“You used to make those coppers into pennies and pass them out as coins. You were quite good at it and we never were in trouble over it. According to my dreams, it was the fish that you scratched on the back that held the value. “Why has this come up now?  We have your first major work completed?”

Pete started to explain, “Joe, I found out today that Ricky, Guido’s adopted son, is one of us who has dreams. He has been sketching scenes of the Holy Land. I have a painting done in oils of when you and I moved the cross and the body to the cave. I gave Miriam three coppers after we loaded our friend onto the cart.  

“The crippled, unnamed boy at that time and his mother were met by this young woman, Miriam the next day at a well.  At that time in her dream, she gave the crippled boy two coppers. It seems she met the boy with no name (Ricky) who was hungry with his mother. He asked for food or enough money to buy bread. Miriam, the woman, gave him two of these coppers.
 

Pete was trying to explain and then Mary tried to make the conversation a little clearer. “The boy was crippled and that evening after a long walk the woman (Miriam) realized the boy was now whole. The woman, the one at the crosses who helped load the cross of Jesus, was Miriam.

“You know me as Mary and Miriam, are one and the same. Miriam got some of Jesus’ blood on her and wiped it onto her shawl, putting it under her robe. When Miriam bathed late that night, she found she had black marks where the blood came off on her from the bloody shawl, couldn’t be removed from either her or the shawl. I was born with the same markings and had a terrible time in my youth until I met Pete.”

“Have any of your close acquaintances seen them?”

I spoke, “Joe, A few of our women friends have now. Mary kept the marks well-hidden until she met me and we fell in love. Those of us who have seen the marks never bring it up in conversation. It is like no big deal so why discuss it.”

“My Amy never brings attention to the scar she has either.”

“What is the scar from?”

“Quoting from a dream, the three of us boys used to go and play in the stone quarry where the stone for building houses came from. Amy tells me (and this is coming from Anika) that she was with us and fell a distance and gashed her leg so badly she couldn’t walk. We picked her up and Jesus carried her home on his back. When we got there, he rubbed his fingers over the wound and told her within three days it would be healed and it was.”

“Joe, would you come over Sunday afternoon and we can all get together and find out if there are any more of us we know that have dreams of that same time? I have no dreams of when we were growing up back then at all. Maybe you and Amy can fill me in and tell me of my youth.”

“Pete, it will have to be Anika, although Amy has learned a lot of what happened during that period in our life from her dreams by discussing the dreams with me.”

“Joe, that is how Mary and I started out. Miriam has told me that I have more power and just a quick thought about that is because Jesus and I were close as friends and close working together. I am a little sad that I don’t remember any of that time when he was with me or I was with him. You are lucky in that respect.”

“That makes sense, Pete. I don’t think I have any power. It could be that meeting Amy, her alter person Anika, will come through and you will learn about what you feel you have missed from us someday.”

“I mentioned power, and I got off track a little and I wouldn’t say that you didn’t have power, Joe. You not only know how to construct a house, but develop some plans of mine into something that has been written up as the most perfect place to live in by magazines and building associations from all over the state. We had no labor troubles and materials were on time and we finished three years before we expected to.”

“Well Pete, I am damn proud of what we did and I’ll take some of the credit. You had it set up and I was just careful not to mess it up. So what’s next for us?”

“I have a few things floating around in my mind. It goes back to my past when I was fresh out of the service. That was before I met Mary. I’ll try to get my thoughts together and we’ll talk Sunday.”

“What is it we will be discussing, again?”

“Joe, it is about those of us who have dreams and the knowledge that has come through to us through those dreams. First we have to decide if things did really happen the way they have been portrayed in these dreams.”

“That would be a good place to begin, Pete. We’ve been work mates for several years now, and Amy has been busy, She isn’t working now. Maybe Mary and she would like to hang out some.”

“Mary has mentioned that she didn’t know Amy well at all. I should have more time to socialize, too. When I first knew her, Mary was hunting gems all alone on a mountain. Her brothers hired me to keep her safe. She’ll tell you all about it someday.”

“I’m interested."

——————————

It was still summer and I had the grill going. Ricky, his mother and father, Chloe and Guido, were there. Ricky brought a satchel full of sketches for us to view. Joe and Amy arrived with their two kids. J P and Sis (Abigail), who hated her name, were there naturally. Mary told both not to intrude on us adults. Amy brought a fruit salad as her donation to the feast.

After the meal, Ricky wandered off and joined my two and Joe’s two children. They sat on the edge of the pool with their feet in the cold water saying it was too cold to swim. It was a nice sunny day, but the water didn’t warm.

Joe and Amy, Mary and I, huddled facing each other. Chloe and Guido were listening to us talk but not joining into the conversation.

Mary began by relating the first dream she had, and how it affected her. I didn’t come into the conversation until I was trying to help Sam Giles with his painful hands. It was Miriam’s dream that had guided me when I was searching for a solution to Sam’s problems.

Miriam had traveled the road and met Peter the Scribe when he had been charged to meet and take her to her brothers. Petrous and Joab had of course gone about their duty in transporting Jesus to the cave and garden. I had no memory of those events after leaving the field of crosses. Why would I?  I didn’t even know that I was one of the two men who removed Jesus and transported him. Mary thought I was, but I had no connection of this in my mind, either.

At first we didn’t think we had enough facts to put together a scenario where there was any sense to our dreams. “Let’s keep going over what we dreamed and maybe it will trigger some far memories in our own minds. Amy, you seem to know of playing with the three youths. I as Petrous, don’t seem to remember that time at all. Tell us if Anika has said what it was like.”

“Okay then, I’m telling you about Anika’s dreams and you. You were the strong one of the three. Jesus was the strange one and we knew he was special. Joab, I loved when a child and when I became a woman. When we traveled, it was I who found lodging or made camp as we often had to. I believe I met your Miriam one time. This was long after Jesus left us and we had work to build a tavern out of stone in the village where Miriam lived nearby in a cave. She came and got fifty coppers from Petrous so Peter the Scribe could send them on with the Courier.

 "Joab built the shutters which were opened and closed on the second floor of the Inn as the weather dictated. Petrous was the one to make the copper fasteners and latches for the doors and shutters. We spent a month there. After all the stonework was nearly done, it was known by Miriam that we and Jesus, were youths together and we had pleasant conversations about his early years with Anika. Miriam was so proud that she was helping Jesus spread the word, although the closest she ever came to him was when she helped Joab and Petrous load the cross onto the cart.”

“Amy, did this all come from Anika in a dream?”

“Yes and there is more. The unnamed boy was there who received some coppers to buy bread. He lived in Miriam’s village too. He came and sketched Joab and Petrous because they were children with Jesus. He also asked many questions.” 

Amy hesitated, and then, “You know Ricky may know most of all the information you are searching for and our life of that time.  Those sketches certainly showed the people who lived then. He must have carried on conversations with them. Anika said he did in the dreams that came through to me.”

“I’ll call Ricky away from the other kids, Amy. Chloe, will you distract them? Mary made cupcakes and there is ice cream.”

I motioned to Ricky. “What’s up, Uncle Pete?”

“We just wanted to know about the dreams you said you were having now and who you are sketching.”

“Okay. What do you want to know about them?”

“First, who did you dream about?

“Miriam a lot. She said she wasn’t a holy woman but I know she was. She is the person who gave me the coppers. She seemed mystified with what happened to her the same way I felt after my crippled foot healed. She even let me sketch the marks on her chest sometime after she married Peter the Scribe.” Ricky’s face flamed before going on. “She covered herself well so the marks are all I saw. I know Aunt Mary must have the same marks. You guys talk about her having stigmata and that is what Miriam’s marks were called.

“I have a sketch of that still in my satchel. Shall I show you? Mom, you tell me if it is okay?”

“Mary?”

“Yes, I would like to see if it has the same marks as I have.”  Ricky walked to his satchel and got out a large rolled piece of paper. He handed it to Mary before opening it. She looked at it. “Ricky, you are a very discrete young man.”

Mary passed it around. It was just a panel between the two edges of a parted robe. There was no head above the panel showing and it left off before the belly knot showed. Ricky then injected a personal note. “Anika was so in love with Joab when I was asking questions about Jesus’ early life. I dreamed that.”

Amy spoke now, of that time. “It was sad for I dreamed we never married. That was because Petrous loved me, too, and I didn’t want to come between the two men. I was near both men for many years, and traveled with them.” Amy looked at Joe.  “I have my man now and we are very happy.”

Ricky uttered another fact we believe could have happened. “Some soldiers came one day and gathered up many of my sketches and took them away. Two years later men came from the temple and questioned me. I kept the sketches in the cave where Peter the Scribe worked copying letters to go out by Courier. I lost track of them later when I had to move away and couldn’t carry much.  Can I stop this now? It makes my head ache to talk about my dreams. We can talk again some other time.”

“You have more of your dreams, Ricky?”

“Yes, I did a lot of traveling. These dreams don’t only come from Miriam as Mary or Anika or Joe as Joab, but from people whom I sketched that attended the sermons of Jesus. I was thinking I might organize my sketches into a book or something and have captions under them. I think I can remember most of the people of my dreams and how I met them.”

“That would be a worthy project, Ricky. I am so proud of you.”

“Thanks Mom.”

————————————

The world never stays the same. Geno received a call from Boston that his father wasn’t well. His mother wanted Geno to come east and take over the family business. After dithering for a week, he and Gina decided they would move there to be with his mother and take over his Father’s Construction outfit. Geno’s father was moved to a long-time care facility and wasn’t expected ever to wholly recover.

“There were a lot of tears shed in Ohio among Geno and Gina’s friends, Chloe, and Mary especially. The Capparelli business continued in name now that Guido, Pete, and Joe took over Capparelli Construction after Geno left for the east. It would continue under Guido who had joined Pete and Joe as partners.

Ricky went east to study in a well-known Boston art school and lived with his Grandmother Capparelli. He missed his mother and Guido, but with Gina and Geno living nearby and with Guido and Chloe flying in to be with Guido’s mother at least once a month, Ricky enjoyed living with her. He missed his Aunt Mary and Uncle Pete, but the big city did have its attractions.

Ricky still had dreams of the Holy Land, most often coming from someone who didn’t have a name. These dreams would just appear. Ricky was aware of the Amy/Anika connection. Amy and he often discussed this using Skype. Amy said she seldom had dreams from Anika anymore and didn’t really miss them. “But you do still have dreams Ricky, and you have a more direct line back to that time when there were three young men and a girl who were just children playing about in a small village. Those were wondrous years and the unknown was before all of us. What are you going to do with this knowledge, Ricky?”

“Amy, I’m going to sketch the people of that time and maybe put it into a book of sketches with captions to tell the story. I doubt it will be looked on as fact by the public, but it might be an interesting read. Sometime in the future though, some biblical scholar may look at my works and realize what it really is. I truly believe that someday I become-well known as an artist and my works sought after.

“I rarely receive a dream from Miriam now, but I know she is there and someday I plan to return to Ohio to be close to Aunt Mary and Uncle Pete. Wasn’t it Miriam who healed me in that far time and Uncle Pete and Aunt Mary in my youth?

“I would like to do a book of sketches coming from Miriam’s dreams. I sense that Aunt Mary and Uncle Pete hold a power where I can contact Miriam and do a book of dream sketches much like I have from you Amy, using Anika’s dreams.

“Uncle Pete and I have talked about these dreams and he is still mystified. He dreamed that Miriam told him she worked hard to bring me, Joe, with Aunt Mary and Uncle Pete into the same sphere at the right times for different events to occur. The purpose is hidden from us who have experienced the dreams

“When I begin publishing my sketches, I will have on the front of the book an image of the Smoky Quartz Crystal that Mary found in Colorado. That really was the beginning of the many small things known and unknown that have occurred with our little group of people. In our little group, I haven’t advertised the fact I have been having the same kind of dreams about all of you. Love blossomed in the present for Pete and Mary. Love blossomed for Joe and Amy as Joab and Anika, and it was centuries later before it was finalized.  Amy could finally marry her childhood companion, Joe.

“Amy, Uncle Pete, as a major player in all of this, seems to have the least memories of that time, but I know through his story, Petrous became a carpenter and he was one of Jesus’ close friends. He as Petrous was the one honored to carry Him from the field of crosses. Maybe there is someone of that time to tell his story growing up with Jesus.  Anika certainly hasn’t divulged much in her dreams about Petrous, yet, not to me anyway.”

———————————————

Ricky changed to something different, tired of the subject of dreams. “Uncle Pete, Joe, and my father Guido, are looking for a new project. They soon will turn their attention to the twenty-year-old mothballed Spaulding factory. They will turn this into a facility to rehabilitate, not only the factory building, but for the many persons who line the city streets to panhandle for money to feed themselves.”

“It is getting to the point where some in the city want to put pressure on the police to do more. Uncle Pete and Aunt Mary will start a non-profit along with the whole Goodell group to work on the problem in the city of so many citizens having to panhandle for food and shelter. It is out of control and some in the city want to criminalize the panhandlers. This is wrong, and this Spaulding project, will alleviate some of that pressure. They will use a picture of the Goodell Smoky Quartz Chrystal on their website.”

“Ricky, how do you know this? You are living half a country away from Ohio at present.”

“Amy, is it too much of a mind stretch to believe that there is another from that period of Anika and Miriam? An unnamed person who is sending me dreams? This other who has begun sending me dreams, must have a person in the present and I haven’t met her yet. I don’t want to do just sketches, I want someone to fall in love with and I believe I will find her when I finish my schooling. From all indication, I will meet the present-day version of this person in Ohio when I return.”

“Ricky, Mary and I will welcome her as a kindred soul as will my husband Joe,”

“Thanks, Amy.”

——————————————

Ricky, a young man now finished with his schooling, was quite the accomplished artist, boarded a plane, headed for home. He sensed that something to change his life was eminent either on the plane or shortly after he disembarked. He looked at the passengers lined up to get on the plane and his senses hadn’t been particularly strong. When Ricky came from the airport after retrieving his luggage, there was Aunt Mary, his mother Chloe, and Mary’s sister-in-law, Alice.

Standing with them was a tall young woman he didn’t recognize. The first thing that struck him was that she was wearing a shawl. Somehow, he knew she wasn’t Muslim and as he came up to the women, he hugged his mother and Aunt Mary.

“I recognize you as Alice, so the beautiful young woman with you must be Emmy. I remember you often coming to Aunt Mary’s house and staring at the picture behind the curtain in the living room.”

“Yes, that is me and you are the boy who was always drawing pictures. I understand that you are doing quite well at it.”

“I am. I do a lot of sketching.”

“I’m just off a plane that landed a half hour before you.”

“I’m not surprised, for I sensed that I was to meet someone, soon. Maybe we can get together and discuss why my sense was so strong and alive?”

“Ricky, you are not the only one who senses, but I am taking away attention from your Mother and Aunt Mary. Aunt Mary, have you told Ricky the news”

“What, that Uncle Pete and I are pregnant? No I haven’t; I was waiting for Chloe to tell him her secret.”

“Ricky, I am pregnant too. It is a little embarrassing at my age to become pregnant.”

“Oh, there is nothing to be embarrassed over. I’ll bet that pleases Dad.”

“Yes Ricky, Guido is ecstatic!”

Alice spoke up, “I wish Emmy would get married. She is my oldest child and no man in sight. She will be thirty in a couple of years.”

“Mother, stop it, I told you I would be married before thirty and have a child soon after.”

“Yes, you have said that, but there is no one on the horizon. I must start inviting young men over for dinner to meet you. You have your biblical studies finished and a book on the studies well on the way of being ready for publishing.”

“Well, invite Ricky tonight, Mom. Invite Aunt Mary, Uncle Pete, Guido and Chloe, with Joe and Amy too, that will make a nice evening to let Ricky and I get re-acquainted again.”

Ricky was ready to leave the airport and especially he wanted to see Guido, his father.

Alice stepped aside to talk with Chloe and Mary about the dinner tonight.

Ricky looked at Emmy and she came into his arms for a hug. Both their senses were alive. Ricky whispered to her, stating, “Emmy, you are the one who has been sending me dreams.”

“Yes, and you are the boy at the well who has been sending me dreams. You are the unnamed boy who never had a name. Curious isn't it that you often came to see Aunt Mary when I was young. I was always happy to see you, I would think of you for days and of the sketches you were working on.                                                                                                                          

“In my dreams, I was niece to Aunt Miriam. I met you often for I was niece to her. You lived in the inn in town named after the family. My dreams tell me I was Eliania ben Nickolia. My father was Samuel in that far-off time. The dreams I have, drive me crazy because there isn’t enough in them to make any sense.

“Yes, and here you are and Aunt Mary and Uncle Pete’s favorite niece. I’m sure Aunt Mary can help you with your dreams. We will have to talk about your studies as a biblical scholar. My dreams often place me in a land I’m not familiar with but I know it has to do with that painting that so intrigues me.

“Good, because I could use many of your sketches that you have drawn of the dreams in a book I have written before I send it to the publisher. For some reason Aunt Mary sent me a present of your first published book and many of your sketches will make my biblical book clearer to my readers. I’m contemplating a children’s book for my next effort.

Chapter  Fifteen

Ricky Harrison, 21, the Sketch Artist, and Emmy Goodell, 28, Spinster and Biblical Scholar, were married three months later. They honeymooned in the Holy Land and traveled the roads. These roads seemed familiar, although they had never been there before in that part of the holy land.  

They had few clues to where the hamlet where Miriam, and Peter the Scribe long ago resided. Little did they know that the landscape had changed over the centuries and the lush fields of Miriam and Peter’s time had come to be semi-dessert?
 
Ricky’s senses did quiver when he passed by a pile of stone rubble. It looked like the best stones were removed to build other buildings in some other area. It really was all that remained of the inn that Petrous and Joab had helped construct as they traveled the country as carpenters years after the friend of their youth was crucified.  

Emmy was on the other side of the pile of rubble and kicked around in the dirt looking for a souvenir. There was a green piece of broken metal revealed. She put it into her handbag with other odd pieces she had collected. “Emmy, that’s copper and we will show it to Uncle Pete. According to the dreams he worked in the far past with copper.”

The two could see there were some small houses at the edge of the nearby hill that rose to a mountain of stone, but they were short of time on their planned tour of the area so they didn’t go to talk to the people. Unknown to them, there was a cave behind one of the houses. The cave had been deteriorating over the centuries and the entrance into the cave was blocked from falling rocks. The second entrance on the other side of the mountain hidden by a rock slide occurred many centuries ago, leaving Peter the Scribe and Miriam trapped inside.

But there was one item that would have been of much interest if found. It was a small baked clay tablet with the words “Peter the Scribe” fashioned by a proud young wife’s hands in wet clay, baked and presented to her husband on their first wedding anniversary. It sat there today on a shelf above where he worked as a scribe. There was a light cover of dust as there was on everything. The dust never would be disturbed unless someone takes the trouble to move a slab of stone, which fell just outside the cave opening, blocking the entrance. There were many other items of interest found going deeper into the cave.

———————————

Honeymoon over, the family welcomed the newlyweds with open arms, and had dinner with the family. Emmy brought out the box she had mailed home that had all the things she had collected while in the holy land. These were several curios she  purchased in the tourist shops. More items from street venders, some found in the shops, purported antiques, and small certified pieces of antiquities.

Pete spotted the piece of copper that Emmy held in her hand which had been found near by the pile of stone rubble. He turned white, asking where Emmy bought it. “I found it near a small pile of rubble. The stones were just small irregular pieces and not good for building. We were looking for some evidence of a small hamlet, but all there was the pile of small stones.

“We thought at first from the information we were told about in your dreams that we must be near, but there was nothing to indicate anything of interest. Besides, it wasn’t close to the mountain of stone we could see in the distance.”

“Emmy, I swear I sense this piece of copper was once part of a window clasp to close and hold open a shutter on the second story window in the inn Amy told me about and I dreamed working of building. You say you found this in a pile of stone-rubble?

“My senses are telling me that I should travel there and see if Mary and I can discover where Miriam might have lived. I need to search for a cave behind her dwelling where Peter the Scribe worked copying letters, sending them on to the disciples. I would like to find some evidence to verify that these dreams some of us have been having are factual. I’ll bet I can persuade Joe and Amy to go with us.

Ricky queried, “You mean we were that close to this place described in the dreams you and Mary have had over the years and we didn’t look further? Emmy and I will certainly go with you.”

Joe and Amy weren’t as excited about going to Israel as Mary and Pete. They dithered, and finally refused the invitation. Mary and Pete said they were going anyway with Ricky and Emmy.

It took two weeks to get travel tickets and make arrangements. First they went to the Wailing Wall to see many of the holy sites that this land provided, knowing that they wouldn’t remember it all. They collected information from the various tours and had it sent home to peruse after returning from their journey.

Finally, they connected with a woman from the university. Agatha Noonan, whom Emmy met when there in Israel, while she was studying at the university. Agatha was an archaeologist at the university and Emmy had attended one of her seminars.
 
This was the person, Agatha who had just a bit of knowledge and had recognized the name of Peter the Scribe who did some copying of letters for the Couriers to go out to the Disciples and those who were carrying the word of Christ of this religion that was advancing around the known world. Peter the Scribe’s name didn’t appear very often on the few letters going out that still existed. There were only three replies known to be in letters addressed to some one as Peter the Scribe that Agatha knew of.

Emmy and Ricky had inquired at several universities and libraries if anyone had heard of anyone known of a person named Peter the Scribe in ancient history. They left their hotel address as a contact point if anyone had. Agatha Noonan was the only person who answered this inquiry and contacted Emmy at the hotel they were staying in.  

Agatha, herself had put out her own inquiries out several times, searching for the unknown person, name of Peter the Scribe. She had questioned some of the universities and libraries who had names of people connected to the Christ. She had no idea who this man was, but the name intrigued her. She most usually came up empty and the conjecture was determined by those Agatha had inquired about Peter the Scribe that he could have been an unimportant person who might at sometime during his life touched on the Christ slightly.

Mary. Pete, Emmy and Ricky sat for an interview with Agatha and was questioned why this person named Peter seemed important to them. No dreams had been mentioned to Agatha at this point and she (Agatha) couldn’t understand why Mary was interested at all. Agatha had the feeling that Mary and Pete weren’t fully telling the reason for their interest. Agatha threatened to break off the interview.

Mary, worried that Agatha would dismiss them, “Agatha, if you would turn your back to me, I’ll relate what some of my life has been like. It concerns my early life and some dreams I was wont to have. Shortly, after meeting Pete they became much stronger and detailed. I shared with him, of course, and shared a mark on this body I was born with.  Please bear with me while I tell you a little of why the name Miriam and Peter the Scribe mean something to me, or should I say, us?”

 Mary unbuttoned her blouse, took off her bra, and held open her body for inspection. “I was born with stigmata. The dreams I was having concerned a woman named Miriam, who accidentally got some of the Christ’s blood on her hands and then wiping them on her shawl. Miriam tucked her shawl under her robe and the blood transferred to her body. She discovered the marks when she bathed.

“I dreamed I was this woman when walking by where Jesus was crucified and I had been implored to help load the cross and the body onto a cart. The blood I had gotten on my hands came from the bottom of the cross. I was paid three pennies by one of the men who asked for my help.

“The following day at noon I gave a crippled boy and his mother two pennies to purchase bread. I neglected to ask the boy his name. That same evening I met up with the boy again and he, not crippled any longer. He said he had his hand rubbing the coin when walking and was ecstatic when he realized he wasn’t crippled any longer. He called me a holy woman.

“Long after dark I was searched out by a man who was sent to find me because I was expected in the village I was headed for. This man Peter, was upset for he had put in a day’s labor already in the fields by my half brother Samuel who Peter was indentured to. Peter did have training as a scribe.”

“Peter was more solicitous of my needs when we reached my half brother’s dwelling. I have much dreamed of Miriam and Peter the Scribe and of their life together and that they loved and married. She used her large estate for Peter the Scribe to carry on his work in service to the Lord. The dreams did indicate that he took up the career working as a scribe immediately after his indenture was completed.

“These dreams detailed what his service was by copying letters and sending Couriers out who traveled to and from the disciples. They were sent out into the world to those teaching the word of the Christ about this new religion. Peter would copy letters to and from the disciples so everyone would know what was going on while promoting the teachings of those who followed the Christ.  

“I came with a large estate and I used it all in carrying on Peter’s work.  Peter and I were loved much by my four half brothers and they sustained us after my estate was depleted.”

“Just a minute, you two, I have doubts about this tale you are telling me. You say this all comes in dreams you both have? Dreams people have are very suspect because of the natural order of not being verifiable. The first question that comes to mind is why are you having these dreams? How am I going to believe you? What do you have for evidence?”

“Agatha, we realize there is no way, for certain, these questions of yours can be answered. I think if we can find the cave where Peter the Scribe and Miriam worked and there we can find the answer to these dreams. Remember, we have no idea why a few of us in this day and time are having these dreams.”

“Mary, you tell me there are more persons who have these dreams? If so, list them for me so I can get more out of this disjointed tale.”

I answered, “Okay, there is Mary here who has stigmata on her chest. The evidence you saw a minute ago and we tell you there is a woman who is behind the dreams named Miriam. Centuries ago, Miriam meets Peter the Scribe who more and more seems to be the central figure in the dreams. So far, we know of no one here in the present as a person who corresponds to him. The dreams tell us that my name was Petrous and here I am in the flesh as Pete.  

“There is a Joab from the past, now in the present named Joe, and a woman named Anika now in the present as Amy, and the two are married. Petrous, Joab, and Anika were three youths with Jesus. Petros learned the carpentry trade from his father who worked in the trade as a metal smith. Petrous was also a copper smith that has a relative connection to the Lord, they growing up together. Petrous had another connection by being one of the men who took down the cross, and transported it by cart to the Garden of Arimathae and installed into a tomb.

“I know this fact in the dream is suspect that Petrous was one of two men who removed the cross, but knowing that men gathered together many years after the fact to compile the Bible together as a compilation of how the Lord was transported. I’ll admit this fact is somewhat weak and they might not have known the true facts. Miriam was there according to her dreams and may have used these facts for her own agenda.”

I went on speaking about the dream and those of us who had them. “Amy now is Joe’s wife in the present. Her dreams of the past reveals, Anika was their great friend always loving Joab. She went with the two youths, Petrous and Joab, just to be close to Joab. Amy was born with a scar on her thigh that Anika got when the three youths were climbing on a fence. The Christ carried Anika home on his back. This was a dream of Amy’s that came to her from Anika.”

I continued explaining, “When older, Anika travelled with the two men to keep their quarters and get their meals. She is the one who talked about their youth and remembers more of them being of that childhood age than we do. I have very little dreams of that time in my youth as Petrous. We thought for awhile that the real reason for the dreams was to reveal what the Christ’s early life was like. Not very much is known about him in the years of his youth before he went on to follow his father’s teaching.”

Agatha Noonan turned to Ricky and Emmy, “Where are you both in this life of dreams?”

Emmy spoke first. I have not been having dreams of that time for very long. In the far past I was a niece of Miriam ben Nickolia. My father was Samuel ben Nickolia, Miriam’s oldest half-brother. I adored my aunt Miriam, just like I do my Aunt Mary in the present day. I do know of Mary’s first miracle though.”

Mary exclaimed! “It was Pete’s miracle, not mine. I will admit that the dream was mine at the time this happened. The miracle is standing before you. The same happened to a crippled Ricky when he was a child being born with a crippled foot like the boy with no name of the past. Ricky is the present boy who is said to never had a name when he begged money from Miriam to feed his mother. Miriam gave him two pennies to buy bread, That evening they net again walking without a limp.

“Ricky was born with a crippled foot like the boy with no name.  The painting that Mary inherited from her mother has a copper penny notched into the frame and Pete encouraged Ricky to rub it because Ricky said it made him feel warm and took the pain from his foot when he was tired.”

“Stop! You are telling me about your dreams. You are saying there are several people in your life that you associate with and somewhere there are people in that time, who match those here send you dreams about the same time and subject. I can’t believe this and it makes no sense to me. How long are you going to be here?”

Mary answered, “As long as we can to determine whether we can advance our search concerning Peter the Scribe. Emmy floated his name in several museums and universities that dealt with our search and you are the only one who answered our queries. Why wouldn’t we approach you?”

“Please sit down and write your tale of this for me to read. As far as I can see, I make no sense of what you are or are not trying to do. I think you and Pete should write this up and then I will look at it.”

“We can, and will, work something up for you. There was a clue in the latest dream to the location of the village of Ben Nickolia. We’ll have Ricky and Emmy here to see if they can pin down the location exactly.”

“Pete, can you tell me what the clue is?”

“I can tell you, Agatha. While on her honeymoon, Emmy was poking around in a pile of stone rubble, spotting a small piece of copper. She picked it up and brought it home. When I had it in my hand, I sensed immediately that it was something I was familiar with it and fashioned it at one time … I mean that Petrous was familiar with. Petrous’ father was a copper smith and I naturally followed his trade.

“Joab and Petrous built an inn in the village Ben Nickolia. We are now searching for the remains of the village. Emmy and Ricky didn’t realize it at the time, but Emmy picked up this piece of copper when they were on their honeymoon. They will return to that place while we are busy writing what you have requested and will look at the houses that were in the distance which they ignored at that time they were here a few weeks ago. Specifically we are searching for the entrance to the cave where Peter the Scribe worked. Miriam and Peter’s house was backed right up to the opening of the cave.”

“Pete, you certainly seem to know what you are looking for.”

“Agatha, I can only tell you what I have dreamed.” I paused and then said, “I think I had better go with Emmy and Ricky and leave Mary here. She was the first channel to have dreams long before I knew her.  Besides, if that tumbled bit of rubble is still there, I’m sure I will sense that it was where the Joab and Petrous built the Inn. If it is, and we reach the houses of the village where Miriam and Peter, the scribe lived, I will be able to sense which house they lived in.”

“What do you mean, you can sense it and declare definitely that was their house?”

“Agatha, I’m not without capabilities. I have been working with Miriam for many years. Many of the good works I have done came to me through a sense of how to proceed. Trust me, please?”

“Well get going then. I’m interested in what Mary has to tell me.”

I felt Agatha wanted what Mary and I was telling her is something she could hang her profession on. She was a well-known Archeologist. I suppose, if you were working in a certain area and came up with little or nothing for a while, her peers would begin to disbelieve her abilities. That thought had suddenly come to me. Was it Miriam’s fine hand in this?”

I knew nothing about Agatha except that she was the only person who had heard the name of Peter the Scribe and took the time to inquire about it. As I entered the Land Rover we were renting, I thought I would let this play out. Mary was with Agatha and maybe Miriam was watching from afar (Heaven?) over Mary.

A vision of the Smokey Quartz Chrystal passed through my mind, and of me falling off a huge boulder staring into and opening under said boulder. This was the cave that had netted me several millions of dollars that I had put to use for man-kind. I smiled, as this was Miriam’s way of telling me not to doubt, for she was in control.

I spoke to Ricky as I hitched around to back up the Land Rover. My eyes fell on the suitcase that contained the replica of the painting. There were three coppers in the case as well. “Ricky, take the case into Mary, if you would. She may have need to explain more fully of her journey passing the field of crosses. I can’t think of why we didn’t show that to Agatha before this.

Coming back, Ricky said, “Mary wanted this case but she thought we had already left. Pete, you must be physic or something.”  Maybe I was, but I would say someone else was triggering all thoughts I was having.  

–——————————————

We were about two hours away from where we wanted to go. Emmy was driving and after an hour and a half, Ricky was looking for a turn off onto a dirt road. At two hours, He said that he must have passed the turnoff because we had come in from a different direction. The one time they had been here was unfamiliar from this direction, so we had to turn around and go back. Emmy and Ricky both recognized the turnoff after retracing our journey for twenty minutes.

We followed the unkempt road and finally Ricky said there is a bend in the road and we stopped there deciding to go no further until we could stretch our legs. Emmy exclaimed, “There is the pile of rubble where I found that piece of copper.”

We got out and I looked around. I remembered that Miriam described the landscape as being a lush, verdant green, of the landscape in one of her dreams.  The land now looked nothing like she said it did twenty centuries ago. Now it was dry and covered with brush. There were bunches of brush, some of which had been cut, and I thought probably used for heat or cooking. In the distance at the foot of the mountain I could see a hand full of dwellings … just the shape but not if they were occupied. I walked around the pile of rubble, but there was nothing to see that was of interest.

——————————

We returned to the SUV and slowly drove toward the mountain. There was little to see as we approached what we thought were buildings. As we got closer, we could see there was only one that appeared inhabited. That was second from the right where there were eight lined up in a row. The third one from our right just showed the front wall of one. Behind this were several slabs of stone that had slid down the mountain and crushed the building except for the front wall of laid blocks of stone.

There were five more remnants of buildings, that were all in serious disrepair. Why I was sure that the second one was inhabited was because there was an old man with a long beard sitting in front of it and the building had a door. He was sitting on some old timbers strung over two flat-topped stones to make a seat. We had pulled in parallel to the string of buildings and parked. The old man hardly made note of us.

I asked Emmy if she thought the old man knew English. “Probably not. I guess it is on me. Why don’t you get water out of the cooler for him to drink?”

“Good idea. Ask the old man for permission if it is okay for Ricky to sketch his home? Also, ask if we can pitch a tent for a few days. I think we all want to be here. I sense we will be having some dreams tonight.” I was glancing at Emmy and Ricky when I said what had popped into my mind. They both nodded that they expected the same. I felt that we had reached the site of the former village of Ben Nickolia. This building before us had to be the home of Miriam and Peter the Scribe!

Emmy went to engage the old man to see if they could understand each other. I decided that I would offer him more than a bottle of water so I took a bottle beer with me. When I reached him, he ignored the water and took the beer from my hand. I laid the water beside him. He picked it up and put it under the bench he was sitting on and immediately opened the beer and took a swig, smacked his lips and raised it to me in thanks.

I smiled and then began looking around. There was a small fire pit for cooking near where he was sitting. The pile of brush, he used for fuel, was nearly depleted. There were a pair of modern brush cutters on the ground and I grabbed it along with a rope that was there, going into the field of brush.  I went deeper into the brush patch and began cutting single stems of brush. Some were nearly two inches through and tough. It took two efforts for me to hack through them.

When I had a pile on the rope of about five feet in diameter, I tied the rope, around the cut brush, picking it up and carrying it the best I could on my back. I must have had a hundred pounds of brush. It was awkward to carry, the brush-lopper in one hand and the tied bundle on my back. When I reached the point where brush had been cut in the past, I dropped the loppers and used both hands to ease the rope off where it had bitten into my shoulder.

Emmy had engaged the old man in conversation. I asked her as I returned, “What’s his name?”

“He goes by the name as John Bergenholtz. His family came here from far off Germany. He speaks in Aramaic with a bit of Hebrew thrown in. He does know English, for England had a mandate after the First World War, winning it from the Ottoman Empire and governed the Land until the Second World War. His father went to school where English was taught.  

“He thanks you for getting some wood for him. I began asking him about the buildings here. His great-grandfather moved here almost two hundred years ago. John claims the land and buildings are now his. He has a family that doesn’t live here now because there was nothing for them to do.

“He has a grand daughter and she has a family with kids. She is a widow whose husband died a few years ago in one of the many skirmishes that the country is involved in at times.

“She is the one who brings him food once a week. She may come tomorrow with her son who cuts the brush he uses to cook with.”

“Please ask him why he stays here? It must be a burden for everyone.”

There was an animated conversation. “John says the remains of the buildings are his only asset. The stones will be stolen if he leaves. Pete, I don’t think that is the real reason.”  

“Ask him if there ever was a named village near here.”

Emmy came back, “Yes, and it is said the village was named after Mount Nickolia behind the houses. It is said that the great revered lady, Nickolia, was the one who named the mountain after her family.  This was so far back in history that no one knows for sure who she was and why she was supposed to be so great.”

“Ask about this again what this great lady was revered for.”

“It is said that no one knows is the answer to that question.”

“How long ago when the house got crushed when part of the mountain landed on it?”

“It is said, no one knows. It is said, that there is an apparition sometimes seen, and sometimes a woman weeping is heard. If you should care to sit on the front wall during the full moon of October, she might appear. He is grinning as if he is telling a ghost story.”

“Emmy, ask him if he has ever seen or heard this apparition?” Emmy asked and John turned and looked at the pile of stone that had landed on the house that we were almost sure belonged to Miriam so many centuries ago. Emmy went in a different direction when it seemed as if he wasn’t going to answer.

“John, do you ever talk to Miriam or just dream about her?” It was several minutes before he uttered anything, and then it was only one word, “Maybe.” He hesitated and then said, “See for yourself, it is October and the full moon must be soon.”

Emmy was looking up on her phone when the full moon would be. “Pete, tonight is the night of the full moon. Are we going to stay here and find out?”

“Yes, and I’ll wager that Miriam has planned this for us. I’m game, how about you, and Ricky?”

Emmy looked at Ricky and could see he was in. “Pete, Mary is going to be very disappointed about missing the moon tonight and more so if an apparition appears and it is Miriam.”

“Well, please call and tell her. It would be good if the woman, Agatha Noonan was with her. If Miriam appears we might find out more of why the dreams that all of us are having come from one source. I feel we are a singular group of people who are from such different backgrounds and tied together by dreams. Just think, I have been living with these dreams for many years and Mary has had them longer than I have.”

I sat there thinking while Emmy made the call to Mary. A thought crossed my mind; could I suppose that Mary coming together with me as we did opened some kind of a portal to the past? I decided nah, this wasn’t science fiction.

Emmy said that Mary and Agatha would be here about dark, well before the moon was up and Agatha would be driving. Mary would be guiding her, stating, “I’ll let my past dreams guide me and then she laughed,”

Emmy asked Mary to stop somewhere and get a big basket of food filled with goods we can leave with the old man when we go. “Include a case of beer with it, John likes beer.”

Emmy now went back to interrogating John. “John, are there any old rumors about the house that is under the stone that fell on it or about the mountain behind it? Tell me about the woman, Miriam. You must know something about her if only from the dreams, I’m sure you have? I know you aren’t afraid of her or you wouldn’t be staying here.”

John shuffled his feet and we thought he was going to stand up and walk away. He almost rose and then he settled back. We had mentioned Miriam, to him before this and we actually hadn’t told him about anyone named Miriam, just speaking her name amongst ourselves. John didn’t ask who Emmy was talking about. “I’ll bet you have dreams about her. Dreams you can’t explain. Has she said why she sometimes appears here?”  John shook his head and didn’t answer.

Emmy had pushed John enough. She asked John, “How do you cook your meals?”

John answered in English, only with a British accent. “I rake the coals from the fire to one side and I have a pan here to put over that section where the coals are. If it is raining, I carry the coals inside the house in a pot and there is a pan inside to cover it. I cook on that. Do you have food to cook?”

“I do, I have some fish I bought at a market. Do you like fish?”

“I do very much like fish. Do you have enough so I can have a bite?”

“Tell me an hour ahead of time before we eat and we can bury some potatoes in the coals. Do you like the fish cooked on a rack if you have one? They don’t take very long so I’ll put them on later so the potatoes get done at the same time.”

I wondered what Emmy would be asking the old man next? I couldn’t think of much to say.

Random thoughts; I looked closely at Emmy. She did look a lot like Mary. If her lineage had come down through her Father, it was possible.  Funny how Emmy had always liked me from that first time when I was getting my breakfast. She and her brother, Chester, heard me in the kitchen. They ate breakfast with us before we drove to Colorado to hunt for Gems. They thought it a great joke on their mother.

Emmy asked, John, “Are there any burial grounds nearby where the people of the old villagers are buried?”

John answered immediately, “It is said that there were a few monuments that could be seen when my great grandfather moved here. That whole area is buried in sand by the wind that comes around the mountain. My father showed me where the places could be, but he didn’t know for sure.” John was making his answers short.  He had a question of his own, “Why do you ask?”

“I ask because there will be an archeologist named Agatha Noonan with Pete’s wife Mary here this evening. This Mary will look like Miriam.” Emmy slipped in again the name Miriam to the last question to see if there was any reaction. There wasn’t.

“Ricky dear, would you get the fish and potatoes from the cooler for me? Grab the roll of aluminum foil too, and I think John would like another bottle of beer.”

John excused himself before he opened the bottle of beer and went to the left on a path headed for a huge clump of brush about fifty yards around the turn of the Mountain. He disappeared and wasn’t gone long. He came back and said, “Facility.”

Rick and Emmy hand in hand went down the path and soon came back. “There were laughing. “It’s a porta-potty set over a hole in the ground. There is toilet paper in it and there are some wipes for washing your hands to take the place of a washbasin. I guess John’s granddaughter takes care of John pretty well.” I soon found out for my self for it was my turn.

Emmy didn’t ask John about the shambles of the house next to this one again. She did inquire about his life. “I only live here during the summer. I felt I should stay until November this year. I had the sense that it was important for some reason. You folks may be that reason. Why don’t you bury those potatoes? I’m getting hungry.”

The potatoes were large and almost a meal in themselves. “You said there were a couple more people coming. Aren’t you going to feed them?”

“No, they will be eating before they get here and they are bringing a cake for dessert.” John helped get the fire pit ready and helped bury the potatoes. He looked at the fish I had purchased. There were four whole dressed fish and there would be at least a pound of meat on each fillet. Joe went inside his house and came back with a rack to put over the coals. This would be better than pan frying them.

Ricky and I retrieved our two-person tents and put them up on the level places in front of the stone foundations of the house plots still standing. This was below where we parked our vehicle. We blew up the thin air mattresses and put the blankets on top of these. Agatha was bringing her single person popup tent and we would help her with this as soon as she and Mary arrived.

The sun slid behind the mountain before we saw a vehicle coming toward us in the distance. Agatha parked her car next to the rental that Emmy was driving. Mary was carrying a cheesecake in her hands when I opened the door for her. She kissed me and whispered that she missed me, asking if I found out anything about Miriam yet.

“A little and John Bergenholtz speaks Aramaic and English. He is the only resident here and said we may meet an apparition latter this evening. He lives alone in the house where you see the fire going. The apparition sometimes visits when it is the full moon. That would be tonight. He seldom makes a definite statement, often answering questions beginning with the statement, ‘It is said.’

“He has been extremely gracious. He has a granddaughter and she visits once a week bringing his supplies. She may come tomorrow so we can meet her. Have you eaten yet?”

“We have. What did you have?”

“Emmy bought four fish and we grilled them over the charcoal. We also had potatoes buried in the coals to bake. Go along to the fire. Ricky and I will put up Agatha’s tent.”

“Is there any place to pee?”

“Yes, Emmy will show you the way. It is a Porta-Potty in the brush.  John showed us where it was located.”

I turned to Agatha, “Have you ever been out this way before?”

“I have but I have never turned onto this road because there didn’t appear there was anything to see. Did you find what you were looking for?”  

“We did find this building, which we think is the place where Miriam of our dreams lived. The only person who lives here in one of the houses said we might even meet her this evening. Needless to say, I’m excited about it. I’m so glad Mary reached here in time to meet Miriam if she should appear. Emmy will introduce you to John Bergenholtz who makes his home here.

“His great-grandfather settled here many years ago. Emmy is the only one who has questioned him and at first, she had to translate for Ricky and me. He has warmed up to us now and speaks English. The man is quite sociable and willing to discuss what he knows.”

“Pete, I questioned Mary all day today. I can’t say that I believe her totally. I understand you have had many of the same dreams?”

“Yes, but they aren’t only the dreams that have guided me in believing in Miriam. If something happens or if I have thoughts that are other than normal, I attribute them to Miriam as a sense that she uses as the way to get through to me. I mean these thoughts are strong enough to make me pay attention.”

“Pete, what are the thoughts you have since you have arrived?”

“Mary, not much as such. Just to get comfortable and wait. To me, I sense she will appear and answer some questions we need answered.  Much of the questions we have to ask are: I wonder, why me, or why we are having these dreams?  

“I mean…why me… why me, when I once didn’t have anything and why did Mary discover a beautiful jewel and two days later, I discover a mine that has given me millions? Even more than that, before this was; Why was Mary marked which made her miserable for the first twenty-two years of her life and suddenly she and I meet and both our lives are changed so drastically?

“I traced in my mind the discussions you and I had and why we couldn’t figure out what the whole point is of the dreams of Miriam, and why are we involved.  We thought when the other people we’ve met and found they were having much the same dreams, that it was to fill in any blanks about Jesus’ early life. Not that much is explained in the Bible about his early years until he was twelve or so. Supposedly, my alternative person was there with him, but sad to say I don’t remember a bit of that.

“I came to recognize myself when Jesus was removed from the cross by me and another early dreamer, Joe (Joab) who I met sometime later in my working years while building on the 160 acres I got from Fred Hamilton. He had just a bit more knowledge of Jesus’ early life than I. And then, the coppers came into play and I was urged by Miriam to make good use of them and the result seemed to be miraculous.

I brought my thoughts into the open “Mary, tell me if you don’t think a miracle has happened to me today? I follow a sense that I should look for a place where the woman who is often in my dreams and have found this particular ground where she may have trod on 2000 years ago? I met a person who has the dreams of this woman much the same as I have.

Agatha now asked, “Pete, you people have me almost convinced about you and others having dreams that are connected. I am wondering at this point why as much as you are.”

“Agatha, we may be disappointed, but I don’t think so. Mary is cutting that cake. So, have a piece. I’ll be along in a minute when I get your tent set up.” We finally all settled down John looked happy that he had company tonight. Maybe it was because Miriam might appear. If she was only an apparition and appeared only seldom, he must have some feeling of gladness to see her.

The moon came out from the opposite direction that the sun went down. We sat and stared at it as it peeked out. It was so bright and I couldn’t ever remember that the moon was as bright as it was tonight.

—————————————————

It took a minute for me to realize I was being addressed. I stepped out where I thought I could see where the voice was coming from. The moon lighted everywhere on most of the mountain except from where the stones on the crushed house had come from. My eyes searched until I could just make out darker places the moon didn’t penetrate.  Now and then, it seemed as there was a little movement in one of the darkest spots.

“Pete, you are the person closest to me. You really are the power that has guided me to bring about all the moves that I have needed to make to accomplish my goal. Mary, of course is next and I’ll speak to that tonight with her when the moon is high. Until then please be at ease and be close to the fire for it is chilly for you and those with you. I’m going to share what happened to me that caused all of this. I have spent centuries in your time, searching for a way to bring this to a close for me.  

“First of all, you know a lot of the background of I being rich from my Father and Grandfather before returning to my father’s family. You know of the things that happened on my way here. I first saw you when you were doing a chore for one who was holy. That should have been the end of everything at that time. But I got some of the holy one’s blood on me and I was marked. This was in that one’s mind I should be rewarded. I accomplished this unknowingly by being kind to the boy with no name and his mother giving them two of the coppers at the well.

“I met a few others on my journey. I didn’t really become aware that I was special and I discounted a few of these happenings. Everything that happened in my lifetime made me so happy when Peter and I were both on earth. I met my Peter and we were so in love. He soon went into the service of the Lord, and I promoted my husband by using my wealth to make sure he could carry out the duties he asked to be charged with. We had a lovely family with children and still enough wealth to live comfortably.”

“Peter was diligent at what he was doing in the Lord’s service and this went on for years. We used most of my wealth, getting poorer and poorer and had to depend on my half brother Samuel for sustenance. Peter became a marked man for the work he was doing and had to hide in the darkness of the cave from those who would destroy the cause of Christianity. He seldom saw the light, working under poor conditions until the back of the cave tumbled in blocking the Couriers from reaching us. I was often helping Peter as his eyesight was failing. We never gave thought the stones above the entrance would come down.

“They did though, and we were trapped with no way out. Our bones are beyond where Peter worked on the other side of the cave near where the cave was first blocked.”

Some of what Miriam was saying didn’t make much sense and it didn’t enlighten me about Mary and my life in the past many years. I observed and made an assumption, “You must have gone to Heaven with your good deeds. I’m sure members of your family have been praying for you and with your love for Peter, you had to have been happy.”

There was no answer and I did expect at least a reply until I thought I had lost my connection with Miriam. Finally, she spoke. “No Pete, I made a mistake when I came before the Judge. I cursed the Son, and yes, I cursed the Father too. I was immediately moved away from all others and I am no where nearer to Heaven than at the time of my death.

“This place I have been in is a place where you can work out your mistakes if you have done something that keeps you from being good enough to pass through to Heaven. Understand I wasn’t mad about dying, but I was highly upset. The place I have been in so long is where you aren’t bad enough to go to Hell or good enough to pass through to Heaven. It gives a soul time to work on being better and right your mistakes.

"The place has a name, but isn't mentioned often and many don't know it exists. It is something that is revealed as 'Purgatory' on your way to meet the Judge as you pass this way.

“I was upset about how Peter was treated. He slaved all his life in the service of the Lord. His service was such that he had little recognition either in this world, or where he lived and worked. No one was even going to attempt to remove the stones in front of the cave so family could have his name out where Peter the Scribe could be asked about when his name was seen on his monument.

 “The Son did intervene on my behalf.  I believe only because I had stigmata on me, and I realized finally I wasn’t special at all at that point. I was given a Path to redeem myself and a little power to manipulate people and situations to rectify my sin of taking the Lord’s name in vain. I was given all the time I needed to correct this.

“I had no idea it would take me so many centuries in your time to accomplish this. I believe it ends when Peter and my bones are interred in the ground in front of his monument and the last shovel full of dirt is thrown over us. It has taken 2,000 years. It hasn’t been all bad. I’ve had some huge successes.”

“Understand I had the power to manipulate people, but I couldn’t do anything physical. It took me centuries to find the exact place where Mary discovered the Smoky Quartz Chrystal. The rich mine in the adjacent lot you found was necessary to give you the wealth needed to open up the cave when you reach this place.

“You almost didn’t find it and that was one of the things that had to happen to get me to reach my goal. Mary called to you and then called again. Then you stumbled and fell down to where you could see the opening in the mountain where the wealth was locked into rock. You did come back the next day and I worried needlessly. I needed you to have the wealth. This did work out for the plans were for me here where I made my home.”

“Miriam. What were your needs? I’m having trouble determining what the exact needs were. Just tell me what your main goal … is?

“To fund opening the cave here and find enough evidence to make Peter the Scribe a great man. It is going to cost a lot of money to open the cave and to find the monument where Peter is buried. I know you have the wealth now and you are willing to spend it. That is my main goal.

“You have done so much on your own and have been well rewarded in different ways. You’ve used the money you received from the mine and compounded it in many ways. You have more friends who look up to you than most anyone known. That is your reward and you have earned these friends without my help.”

“So I’m counted as a success for you?”

“Yes Pete, mainly you.”

“Miriam, I’m flattered and I have thought about this and you. I would like to caution you in one matter though. I can see that it won’t be long before you have reached your goal of having the cave open. You have worked long and it must have been difficult to arrange and manipulate everything and position everyone to come into place where you needed it.”

“You are correct Pete, but what is the caution I should be aware of?”

“The caution is whether recognition was just for Peter or was it just for you. If it was more for you, rather than Peter, I worry that you have put too much effort in reaching that goal when you should be concentrating on something different. I suspect you will have to be required to have one more Judgement Day and meet the Judge one more time.

“Going back to the original time when you went before the Judge, you should have fallen on your knees, apologized, and begged for forgiveness for taking the Lords name in vain. The Mark of God was on you and I do believe you would have made it through and would be next to your love, Peter, all these many years. There are other things that might prevent you from making the Judge see your point. I just wish you had found a different way to accomplish your goal.

“You built a scenario at the field of crosses that is diametrical opposed to what is written in the bible. I read a lot and I think that that scene that is documented by the painting that came to Mary happened, more likely in the fifteen century when the Catholic forces in Spain drove the Jews and the Muslim people from Spain. That was when the Spanish Inquisition began. Otherwise, I would have remembered more when I first saw the painting.

“You chose Maria, Mary’s mother to have a child with the Mark of God on her. It drove Maria to become unstable and unloved by Mary and the rest of her husband’s family as well. And before Maria, you moved a priest into the position of being obsessed with publicizing the Marks on Mary when Maria just wanted advice and answers to this unwanted happening in her life.

“And then there was Mary who was unusually marked. Even I thought Maria was cruel and had the mark tattooed on her child’s body. What a burden for one to carry. Mary didn’t know what to make of being hidden from most everyone when young. Mary became bitter and revengeful, and what of the other woman, Chloe, who cheated and robbed me, sending me out on the street to live?  I’m sure there were others scenarios that you set in place with other people causing unhappiness and pain.
 
 “All these people felt guilt and pain that was unnecessary if you had just asked for forgiveness and apologized at the time when you met the Judge.

I could hear weeping coming from the mountain. “Pete, is there any hope that I will make it to see my love, Peter the Scribe? I feel I need one thing more accomplishment to balance out all the mistakes I have made. When that is accomplished, I will be released from here and pass on into Heaven.

“Miriam, there is also the fact of the small miracles that has resulted from some of your machinations too. I don’t imagine much of what you did will be overlooked. It may not be too late if you make an abject apology begging for forgiveness, along with the prayers of some of us here who will be praying for you. That will do some good I’m sure.

“Pete, would you let me use your name so I can tell of the many things you have accomplished? Some are even small miracles that I was going to ask credit for.”

“I’m certainly not asking for any credit. I sense that your past is an open book before those who judge you. I still think you are obsessed with Peter, and that may be where you got off track. Peter’s good deeds are his alone and he has made it into Heaven. You have done great deeds and yet you demanded credit for more.

"I suspect your demands to be credited for some of the recent happenings are more for you than for Peter or someone else. Search your mind and I’m sure you will figure what you can honestly take credit for. Don’t forget it is not a sin to be humble.

I changed the subject and asked, “Do you want me to urge Agatha to open the cave and find out how great a man Peter the Scribe was and for her to publish the facts?”

“Do you think she will?”

“Miriam, I’m sure she will, but is it necessary? When the cave is opened, what if there is nothing there to bolster your arranging to have Agatha being involved? What if I think you have enough to make it past the gate, and you find Peter waiting on the other side?

“I foresee Agatha may have the true story to tell of Peter the Scribe after the opening of the cave. The world will want to know of this unknown personage of the early Christian movement. It all should be a success. It would be one more page in the world’s true history at the time of Christ.”

“Pete, some of this is because of you. You are one to be believed because you never ask of your friends much and certainly not something they can’t accomplish. I’m going to leave you now. I may not speak to you again. I’ll offer you a very warm thank you. It has been a pleasure knowing you.”

“Miriam, it has been my pleasure knowing you, too."

I thought Miriam had left, but she had one more thing to say, “Pete, Thank you for the cautionary words about my actions. Those may be the words that will save me.”

————————————

“Pete, Pete, wake up! You’ve been in a trance for over three hours. We too have been in a trance, but nowhere as long as you. I think we all began the trance at the same time. I evidently was the last and we waited for you before we went to bed.”

“Mary, did Miriam speak with you?”

“Yes she did. Mostly she was thanking me. She apologized to me about my mother and how she acted toward me. She took all the blame for mother acting weird and about the way I acted until I met you. She said you were my savior.”

“I understand. She touched on that just a little.”

“And?”

“Mary, don’t ask me now. She talked almost non stop and I have to sort it all out in my mind what she said.”

“What else did she say?”

“She mentioned the boy with no name and observed that he and Emmy were married. They are in for a happy life together.”

I stopped talking and wondered how to approach Agatha and Emmy. Emmy asked first for clarification, “Uncle Pete, Miriam gave me some hints of what I should do from now on. I’m not surprised she spoke to me because my alter person was her niece at one time. She thinks I should stay here in the holy land and when the cave is open, I’m to stay close to Agatha and write down everything that is discovered in the cave and what it means. I took it that if I did, I would be well rewarded.”

“I think you will be if you do follow her hints. That will keep Ricky close to you, which will compliment your own work when he sketches the people and the scenes.  I’ll want a sketch of the cave. His sketch might make this whole project a bit less mysterious.  She didn’t say explicitly, but I did sense a lot of what she meant when she spoke."

“Agatha, did Miriam speak with you?”

“Yes she did, I can’t imagine me being as calm as I was when she first addressed me.  The first thing she asked for were for my qualifications as an archeologist. I guess I passed those okay for she went right into how I was to approach getting into the cave, without disturbing any of the contents. I couldn’t think because I became flustered. Then she said to discuss everything with you. You had probably read a book on the subject sometime and you would know how.

“She then went onto what I would find after I got inside and mentioned a few things to look for. She said there was a present she gave Peter the Scribe on their first wedding anniversary. It is something she made for her husband and has his name on it. I’m to give that to Emmy when her first child is born.  She said her will is made out and that is there in plain sight. I guess she made it out to reflect how she wants to be interred. She said if her bones are still entwined with her husband, not to separate them, and they are to be buried in the same box just the way we find them.”

I looked at every one. We were all tired. I spoke, “I think we should all retire to our tents. This, what happened tonight may mean more to Mary than anyone else. She is the one who has been dealing with Miriam and these weird dreams coming seemingly from someone we couldn’t figure out for years. Nearly twenty years if she can remember correctly.

“This was happening to her even before I met Mary. I have had many of my questions answered. If Miriam didn’t tell you, then I’ll only explain them to Mary. We’ll discuss this and make some plans tomorrow on what we should do to get the cave open. Is everyone agreeable with what I’m saying?”

Agatha had something to say, “Pete, when Miriam talked to me she seemed to think I was a good archeologist to lead this opening of the cave.” Agatha paused and then chuckled. “Sorry about that. It just came to me that I was interviewed by a ghost and I took it seriously. You know the university may not want to tackle this because of the cost. It may take a long time to get the funds together. You must realize that there are other projects here in this State that have already begun and when we run out of funds these projects are put on hold until more money comes in.”

“I understand that. Miriam apparently knew this and I don’t think but what I have enough funds. I thought all along that I was lucky to locate the mine, but it was Miriam’s plan all along. It was she, without doubt, who has provided my wealth.  I had it in hand before I had my first dream. She had it planned that I would locate a mine and I had sense enough to make it pay to use for us to complete this project. This goes almost as far back to when The Lord, the Son walked this earth. We’ll talk more about funding tomorrow.”

“Pete, Thank you for choosing me and the university to see this through. I’ll be with you some of the time and I would like Emmy to work directly with me. Ricky can do the sketching where it is. I see several places where a sketch can give you more than a photograph can.

“That is so true. That is a good plan. Goodnight Mary, and you too Pete. You know I woke up this morning and tonight I have a new project and funds to proceed with it…With some of the nicest people too. I have even been interviewed by an apparition, but don’t tell any one. I think I will send up a prayer for her. Maybe she doesn’t need it, but then maybe she does. We left Agatha crawling into her tent.  

The moon was going down soon and it would be dark. Mary and I walked along to say goodnight to John. “I can show you where the burial ground is tomorrow. I may even be able to point out where the monument you will be searching for is. Are you going behind the house to open it up to see if there is a cave there?”

“We’ll see if there is an opening. It won’t take long to ascertain if there is a cave there by boring a small hole that we can get a camera and light through on the end of a cord. This is going to upset your life a lot isn’t it?”  

“Yeah, and I doubt my friendly apparition will be coming by. I’ll miss her, but she said for me to make plans so I can be home with my family. I imagine after a bit this will become a tourist site.”

We turned away, “Most likely it will. Goodnight, John. ”   
    
Mary wanted to know what some of the things I learned while the apparition of Miriam was talking to me. “Time apparently doesn’t mean much where Miriam has been for the last several centuries. It would seem that breaking the Lord’s Commandments is more serious than most people think. I don’t know what it was, but it seemed to be Miriam's penance for taking the Lord’s name in vain. Just think how many times that commandment is fractured, by even a small group of people, on any given day.

“On Judgment Day, Peter the Scribe worked diligently all his life in service to the Lord. He entered immediately Heaven, but Miriam was very upset that he never received any recognition for that service here on earth, sometimes in great danger to himself and to his family. Also Miriam used up her estate supporting Peter and was relying on her brothers to support her family and Peter’s continuing work.

“Pete, what did Miriam do?”

“She and Peter were trapped in the cave where he worked and both died. Reaching  the gate to heaven, she came before the Judge, cursed both, Lord, the Father, and Lord, the Son, taking their name in vain. Understand this wasn’t for herself but for Peter the Scribe having no recognition for his dedicated service. Miriam was led aside to await her fate. The Son intervened and plans for her were made to get her husband the recognition he deserves.

“Mary, I firmly believe there will be evidence when the cave is opened that Peter the Scribe’s name will become well known for his service to the Lord. That is what Miriam has been working on for the last 2,000 years. But then, he must have been recognized for his work and is in Heaven. I’m worried after this length of time if she will ever make it.

“Agatha Noonan’s credibility as a well known archeologist of opening a cave with such evidence about an almost unknown person should be one of the great finds. Peter had much to do spreading the word of the Son over most of the known world and will now have the recognition he deserves.  I think Emmy will receive some credit when she writes about the details of finding and helping Agatha uncover this unknown person. I have the bad feeling this might not help Miriam that much.”

“Hey sweetheart, lets get some sleep. We can work on this in the morning. We certainly advanced our cause today, haven’t we? I’m going to say a little prayer to Miriam and then go to sleep.”

“Uh huh, Pete. kiss me.” Sleep was a long time coming for me, though. 

Chapter Sixteen

I could smell coffee when I opened my eyes. I opened the tent fly and looked toward where the fire pit was. John was sitting there on his bench. I crawled out and headed for the bushes. He motioned toward a coffee pot sitting over the coals.  I met Emmy coming from the outhouse. She was more than half asleep. I was glad she was up.

John began talking when I came back, “Pete, tell me something, knowing Miriam like you do, you had a very long conversation with her last night. You were in a trance for several hours.”

“Yeah, I’ve had dreams coming from her for fifteen, or so years. I never really knew why either. She told me most everything why. There is some that I’m not aware of and she told me we wouldn’t be speaking to me again. Agatha, the woman with my wife, is an Archeologist. She is going to take over from me and see if what we suspect is true about there being a cave behind those tumbled down rocks.

“Different subject, John, I have some questions for you, Do you own these buildings?  If you do, there will be workmen in around here for awhile.”

“I only have a deed on the house and the land. The rest of the deeds I have in my possession, but not in my name. They were signed with the owner’s names and I have considered them mine. I’m not sure they are legal. They were handed to me as the people moved away.  I guess you can say the houses were abandoned. My land goes as far as where that pile of small stones you came by getting here. That was the edge of the village.”

“What about where the burial ground is? Where is that located?”

“I can show you where. My land surrounds it. Are there going to people digging that up?”

“I believe they won’t be disturbing the stones and markers, just removing the sand and dirt that is covering them. Miriam and Peter the Scribe have a monument that was put there before they died. Hopefully, it is still there and can be found. She wants their bones buried inside the tomb. When that is done that should be the last change that is done here.”

“Pete, I doubt that. Her husband may be someone who is famous or will be and then there will be people crawling all over the place wanting to view it.”

“That could happen. John, if it looks like that is going to happen, I’ll buy you a place to live in and give it to you.”

“You got money? You don’t act like you do.”

“I believe I have enough to see Miriam’s bones buried.”

Just then, Agatha crawled out of her tent. “Morning, I didn’t sleep well last night. I thought about last evening, I don’t know as I believe any of this. I wouldn’t even consider this if it wasn’t for Mary telling me of her dreams. I need more convincing, so who is going to do that.”

Everyone turned and looked at me. “I guess it is on me. There is only one way that I can see to make sure that there is a cave behind that pile of stone, on top of the house, where Miriam made her life. Supposedly, this was her father’s house. I’ve talked to John here and he says, it is said that it belonged to the Nickolia Family and the village was named for them.”

“To be certain about there being a cave, Agatha, can we legally get a construction outfit to bore a hole through the rock and see if there is an opening going into the mountain? A camera could be inserted if there is and it is an entrance to a cave.”

“Who would pay for this? I don’t think the University would put up the money on so little evidence.”

“I will pay for finding out if there is really is a cave.  That should take only a few hours and then we would know. That would be the time to take it to your university and talk to your department about continuing with the funding to open up the cave entirely. I would donate some money, but I don’t believe I can finance all of it.  You would need professional help in opening up the cave and cataloging the contents.

“There may be some legal problems to be resolved that I wouldn’t know about. It would be better to have those taken care of and any roadblocks identified before we get too far into this. I also will want a detailed record of this.”

“Pete, why that? Oh yes, to promote yourself to become famous, I suppose.”

Mary exclaimed! “Agatha, how can you think that? Pete will only be named as an unnamed donor and maybe not even that. That is the way he has always been. I have five brothers and myself and Pete. We are called the Gooddell Group and involved in a lot of good works. If we get involved in something, it is always Pete, who figures out the best way to get it done, and also, the cheapest and most effective. He helps people when he sees a need. Ask Ricky, Emmy’s husband, what kind of a person he is.”

“Okay Mary. I may have made a wrong assumption. It seems as though even here in the Holy Land there all kinds of promoters and braggarts who want to stick their chests out and say, ‘Look what I have done,’ especially if anything comes close to something Holy.

Mary was shaking her head, “To give you an example what Pete is like: When my five brothers hired Pete to keep me safe while digging for Gems on a mountain, we had been there about five months without much success. Because Pete had read a book about gems, he suggested I dig next to the wall-face of the mountain on the upper edge of my diggings.

“Within a short space of time I discovered a beautiful Smoky Quartz Crystal Gem set. The only problem, it was encased behind a lip of granite in the ledge. Looking closely at it, there was no way the fragile gem could be removed without damaging the whole.  Pete went home that night, went into town, and bought enough tools to work on getting it free.

“The next day he was successful! That Gem today is in a museum and rated one of the best examples of its kind. It is named the “Mary Goodell Smoky Quartz Crystal Gem set.” Pete wouldn’t let me put his name to it even though he was the one who set it free.’’

“Mary, please stop. Agatha gets the idea that we love each other. That’s important, but there is no need to say more on the subject.”

“Okay for now. Agatha and I will talk about this at some other time.  Agatha, suffice to say if Pete doesn’t have enough funds to complete this project, I can ask my family to get involved. Pete, please lay out how this project should go forward. Agatha’s university is the needed vehicle to direct this project and we know the world will demand to know more as soon as the cave is open.

“The university is needed to become the face of what is a major find stretching back to when the Lord walked the earth. Remember that you and I have been the main characters of Miriam’s agenda. We can now recede into a normal life among our friends and family just as soon as someone, hopefully Agatha’s university, will be the one. I feel that is where we are at present.”  

“I think that says it all. Agatha, why don’t you and I sit by ourselves and talk over what you think the university will do if you can convince them to follow up on what we believe is behind the wall of stone?”

—————————————

The next morning Mary helped John make breakfast. Eggs and sausage, with pancakes on side.  Emmy and Ricky decided if they weren’t needed, they would climb the mountain. Agatha had a folding chair and desk. I was going to sit on the ground, but John went in and brought me out a kitchen chair.

“Okay Pete, I’m going to list some of the things the way I think opening the cave should proceed. By rights we should talk to the person who gives the right to dig for Antiquities. Shall we go to him and tell him a ghost told us there was a cave behind those stones and we want permission to find out if there is?”

“How much trouble would we get into if we go that route?”

“He’d think us crazy and probably think we were crazy for asking to have this done with so few facts.”

“I agree. Actually, I was joking. I think we could risk at least finding out for certain before we tell anyone anything.”

John spoke up knowing about what we were up to.  “This is my land and I can drill into the mountain if I want to. I want to find out more than anyone about a cave in the mountain. You have my permission.”

 “Fine. Pete what are your thoughts?”

 “Agatha,you must have used some construction company who is tied with the university?”

“I do Pete. I was going over in my mind after going to bed last night about what our first moves should be. Can you estimate how far we have to drill? We know that pile of stone is about forty feet to the edge of the mountain and may go inside a ways.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t think they would drill through from the front. I think they would start at the back edge of where the stone is piled up and drill in at an angle. It might even be only twenty or twenty-five feet to hit the original opening if there is a cave there.

“I walked around yesterday while waiting for you and Mary to get here. Ask John if it wouldn’t be better to start work on the other side of the next house on the left and not around back of his house. We don’t now how stable the stone of the mountain is and we don’t want to destroy his home.

“I suspect that Miriam’s house was backed right up to the wall of the mountain. From our dreams, that would be the only way that the opening from the house to the cave would be hidden from view.”

Agatha nodded to John and he agreed with me. He said it would be nearer sixty feet if they had to drill straight in from the front wall. “We should get someone from the construction company out here to look at it the first thing before anything is attempted.”

“Do you want me to call them today? They may be backed up with work and not able to do it right off either. I can get their number by calling the University.”

“Sure, Agatha, why not? They will have the job of making sure a new entrance is safe if there really is a cave and personnel will be going in and out, but first is to find out if what we hope for is there.”

“I’ll call.”Agatha picked up her phone.  

Mary came and joined me. “What’s going on?”

“Agatha is calling a construction company that the University uses and can do what we want. I’m hoping they can do it soon. Maybe we can get an estimate of how much this will cost and when they can do it. If it takes very long before they can, I think we will head home and we can leave Emmy and Ricky here to see to things. What do you think?”

“It sounds like a plan to me. Are you going to subsidize Emmy and Ricky? How much are you setting aside to finish up what Miriam is costing us? Have you talked that over with Agatha yet?”

“Wow, that’s a lot of questions. How much do you want to spend on this whole project?”

“Pete, thanks for including me in this decision. I’ve thought about this some. The money that we received for the mine is what we can use for this. Miriam said she was the one who located it for us to find. Do you agree?”

“I do. Yours and my living expenses aren’t that much with us still living in the house we purchased soon after we married. Our three children have a good work ethic, so they don’t cost us too much. The new baby is an expense, but with both of us working and receiving a good salary from the non-profit we set up, that more than pays for our living expenses. Money from the leases and rental properties costs us a lot in taxes. That can’t be helped, but Kenny lining up that financial advisor for us has that under control.”

“I know. The account where you were stashing the royalties from the mine has done well. That advisor that we hired on our own for that one account is right on top with that basket of stocks and bonds in our portfolio. Hard to believe we were almost broke at one time. That is the account where we will be paying from for the cost of everything here where the cave is, right?”

“Yes. Mary you know if there isn’t a cave where we suspect, we are going to be terribly disappointed, aren’t we.”

“Pete, I just know it is there and I won’t be disappointed. You will still be looking for Peter and Miriam’s grave monument aren’t you? She can’t have been wrong about that, can she?”

“I don’t think so. She did fool us about a lot of things with her manipulations. The painting was the biggest one. She just spent her time manipulating us all. I think you were the one who was caused the most pain by being marked as you are.”

“I don’t know, maybe Chloe had the most guilt to deal with, or maybe it was my mother. She paid dearly when she had a baby marked the way I am and didn’t know why. We can attribute that to Miriam as well.” Mary looked around and saw Agatha heading toward us.

——————————————

“Pete and Mary, I’ve had some luck. The man who does the estimating will be here this afternoon. He will have some of the work crew with him to look over the situation. After the weekend, they will be here on Monday to set up. Two things: I mentioned the search after I gave him some details of what was required for drilling through the stone, and then looking for the graveyard monuments.

“He said if we can point out where we think it is, it won’t take long to find what we are looking for. He has one of those land based sonars that a person pushes across the landscape looking for anomalies below the surface. It shouldn’t take long if this was a small village cemetery. He does want some money up front, because people do get excited about what they think is a bit of history and it turns out to be nothing.

“Pete you said you would pay for this, didn’t you?”

“I did Agatha, and I will transfer it from my bank to the company when they hand me a contract. That is usually a third of what the estimate is.”

“I guess we are all set. Just think, you may have some information about what you believe by sometime Monday. You have me believing now and I certain hope we are correct in our assumptions. I know the man that is coming with the equipment. He is very accommodating.”

John Bergenholtz was sitting on his bench, “Hey, John can you show me where you think the cemetery is?” It was a good thing for me that Agatha was near enough for me to ask John for she repeated my question to him.

John’s answer was, “Sure. There is still some indication of where they are. My father asked about them from his grandfather who came here before the First World War.  That would be in about 1900. I think Jordan is the country that claimed this part of old Judea at the time. Jerusalem wasn’t even a recognized state at the time this land here was made into a state until after the six day war. It might even have been claimed by Egypt at that time. I wasn’t even born then.”

“Is there anything I should know you can tell me?”

“A couple of things, if you go digging into those burial sites, they may collapse or have already. That has happened to other sites I’ve heard of when they were exhumed. That outfit you have coming can verify this. Come on, I’ll show you were I think they are anyway. If these are like I’ve seen that have been dug into at times they usually don’t survive for long.”

“I guess they better be looked at carefully before that is attempted.”

Emmy and Ricky didn’t get back until after lunch. "How was the climb, easy?”

“Not at first but it wasn’t so bad near the peak. Sorry we are late. We took a nap.” Ricky’s face flamed as he said this.

“Uh huh, no problem. That construction outfit will be along shortly. Mary made sandwiches so you had better grab one.” We sat waiting for the construction company vehicle in our camp chairs. John fed the fire in the fire pit one piece of brush at a time. There was a cold breeze that took the smoke away, so there was little of this to bother.

Finally, we saw a pickup coming, and it parked beside our two vehicles. One man jumped out. Agatha apparently knew him. He hugged her and she hugged him, blushing much. What do you know, maybe Agatha had a life outside the university? She introduced us and to me personally, as I was going to pay for the work.  His name was Gene. He had a decided Boston accent.

I took a chance, “You from Boston?”

“Yeah. Agatha got me the position here, working for the University. She’s from the area in Boston where I come from.”

“Would you happen to know the cousins, Geno and Guido Capparelli?”

“I sure would, Geno just came back from out west some place and Guido married a woman from the same place and stayed out there with her.  I met her one time. She’s a beauty.”

Ricky spoke up, “Careful what you say about her, She’s my mother and Guido adopted me when they married.”

“Well what do you know? I meant no harm, just that she was pretty.”

I added, “For your information, Geno started a business and I went in with him. We hired Guido and when Geno left, Guido took his place, so he and I are partners now.”

“Great. I started out working for old man Capparelli and he taught me the construction business. Now show me what you need done.”

We all walked toward the house that we thought Miriam lived in that was covered with stone.  “This is the house that we believe has a cave behind it. First off we want to find out if there is a cave. If there is, then we want to open up an entrance so we can get in and out. We want the opening to be closed up solidly with a door and maybe some other things done inside.”

“God, that means there is fifty or sixty feet to bore through. That’s going to cost a bundle.”

“I have a different idea how to approach this. Follow me.” I walked past the front and down between these remains and the next house. “First I want a big enough hole bored through the mountain to get a wire in where it is solid. Bore it at an angle to see if there really is a cave.  I figure maybe twenty to thirty feet should do it.” 

I pointed out where I thought Gene should bore the first hole, “If we don’t find anything on the first hole we’ll try it again at a different angle.

“If there is an opening, then we’ll remove enough of this stone and shore it up with stone and cement to make a decent entrance.” I stood looking at it until Gene got through his mind what I wanted done. “What do you think?”

Ricky had been sketching on his paper pad and drew the details. He tore off the page and handed it too Gene. “I see what you mean. Looks like a good plan, to me.”

“Have you a camera lead that we can see inside if there is a cave?”

“I do. Let me think what I will need for equipment. So Pete today, you just want to see if there is a cave there, is that it?”

“That’s correct. If there isn’t, I’ll be all done here. How soon can you do this?

“Well, I’m on a job all next week and Monday and Tuesday the following week. I suppose you want it done as soon as possible. Tell you what, I don’t often do this, but if I can get two of my men to help, I could do it tomorrow. It shouldn’t take more than the one day. I’m not above working on Sunday if the pay is right.”

“I’ll make it right. Get your bank’s tracking number and I’ll have the money transferred. I think we are ahead one day here so that wouldn’t be tomorrow, but one day after. I’m hoping that Agatha and the university will handle all the details after we find out for sure. I’m making a sizable donation there anyway.”

“Well, I’ll go get my equipment together. I’ll need a compressor, a generator, and a tank of water. I’ll need a laptop to go with the camera lead if we find out for sure about the cave. If there is, I’ll be back in ten days to get us into it. Will that satisfy you?”

“That will be great. I think I’ll take my crowd into Beersheba and get a couple of rooms so we can get cleaned up. Agatha, do you want to go with us?”

“No, I’m going with Gene and we’ll be back about seven-thirty tomorrow. I’ve done that before.”

“You’re sure?”

Gene spoke, “Yeah, she’s sure.” He grinned and Agatha did too.”

“Mary, ask John if he wants to go. If he doesn’t, ask him if there is something we can bring him back.”

“John says nah, someone has to keep the fire going; Besides his granddaughter might come before it gets dark. If she is here, you might keep that beer you are buying, hidden until she goes home.”

“You got it.”

———————————————

We hadn’t been back in the morning only twenty minutes when we saw three pickups coming. There was room for all three to park. One was just pulling a small tank full of water. One had the generator and the other was the drilling rig which was what Gene was driving. Agatha got out of this one before Gene backed it in close to where he was going to drill. They slid the rig down onto the ground and wrestled it into position.

The pickup was driven out, and the one with the generator was backed in and that was unloaded. The gas was checked and the man that was pulling the water tank brought two five-gallon pails of water up and filled the water tank on the drilling rig. Gene commented. “We may not need to use the water. I’m using a hammer drill that’s one and one quarter inch in diameter and we’ll see how it goes. This will be loud and hurt your ears, so stay at a distance.

“Pete, give me your best guess of where the opening should be if there is one.”

“Okay, the distance between this house and the one back of us is closer to this one than the one on the other side. Say the opening to the cave is four feet wide and I’d guess right in the middle at the back of the house. The house is twenty-eight feet wide so a half of that is fourteen feet minus two feet each side for the entrance.

“I’m hoping that you only have twelve feet of solid rock to drill through. I guess with the angle you are attacking this I don’t know but what you might have to go sixteen feet before giving up. The height of the opening is unknown as well so you might miss it either going past the opening too high or too low.”

“Pete, I’ll go with your guesses for now.”

The generator was started, and hooked to the air compressor driving the drill bit. Gene handed me a set of sound suppressors for my ears and put a set on himself. The drill bit was horizontal at three feet off the ground. Gene had a lever that forced the bit against the rock and the bit started hammering. The bit turned just a little and there was bits of rock came away and fell to the ground,

It didn’t look like it was doing anything to make a hole, but then I realized the head of the drill where it flared had disappeared. Two inches done, and sixteen feet to go.

Gene worked for three hours.  “You know Pete, we are close to the minimum you estimated. I think we’ll stop and have some lunch and rest a bit. “

“How far have you drilled?”

“Eleven feet so far and that’s quite a ways. I think we’ll hit the cave in another couple of hours, anyway. What’s your guess?”

“I sense we don’t have much further to go. Ricky wants to sketch you and the drill rig while you eat. That will be for Agatha to show the University.  She is hoping the University will back her in what she finds here.”

“They should, she is very dedicated to her work. I’ve been over here for three years. You know she and I did some talking. If this is a major find I may talk to her and make our association more permanent than it is now seeing her only occasionally.”

“Go for it. I think my Niece and Nephew will be staying here for a while. That’s also up to Agatha if we find what we are looking for.”  

Gene and his two men relaxed for an hour, finally observing, “Well let’s wind this up. If I have to reset and start over, I can get quite a way into finishing up another hole”

I was turning away from watching the drilling action after fifteen minutes when the compressor changed by speeding up and it was a lot quieter. The hammering noise disappeared. “Okay Pete, we are through the rock and into an open space. I won’t know where I am until I clean up and insert the camera lead and a light to see what things look like. Another half hour and you should know where we are.”

Gene went methodically about preparing to insert the wire that held the camera lens and the light incorporated with it. If there was anything to see, it would show up on the laptop. He had that setup on the back of a pickup that had trucked in the generator.  “Why don’t you women take notes of anything you see on the screen of the laptop? If there is anything of note I see, I’ll tell you to look at it.”

We waited until the wire was fed into the bore-hole and he began to speak.  “This must be the entrance to a room because I see a corner directly ahead. The corner must me where the entry passage leaves off and the room begins. That’s ahead on the left. On the right, I believe I can see the stone blocked passage near the rear. It looks like the ceiling is above the passage-way about four feet. That would make the entry about seven feet high and five feet wide.

“I’ll see if I can get the wire around the corner. I didn’t straighten out all the coils in the wire so by twisting it the camera and light will show the sides and top and bottom. Here we go with the size of the room. I’m guessing it is at least twenty-five feet to the back wall. That was one time you said there was the tunnel through the mountain. That looks like a bunch of rubble that fell from the roof.

“There is a pallet or dais. Whatever is on it might be the bodies of the two you said were trapped in there. There is part of a heavy blanket or rug over whatever is covered. Oh, I can see what looks like a bone that’s sticking out through one side. What ever; the covering has split and I can’t see anything but the one bone. It could be the forearm of a woman for it is very small.

“Agatha, can you see any color in that robe or whatever split and fell away from the bone? It seems as if I can. It’s not shiny but a does to me have some color.

“It might have some metal woven into it. This woman at one time was very rich.”

“And how do you know this?”

“Don’t ask, Gene, just take my word for it.”

“Okay. There are some objects lined up beside and in front of the dais. I can’t really see what they are.”

Agatha said, “Those would be favorite items that the woman enjoyed. If that is a man beside her, there will be some beside him too.

“You know more about this than I do.”

“Yeah Pete, I guess although not that many. The ones I have seen are further along in the funerary process. This would be the first step and the family would do what is next,”

“What is the next step, Agatha?”

“I don’t want to get into that, Gene. Usually the deceased is placed where the body will decompose and later the family will come and gather the bones and place them in a stone box called an Ossuary where they stay for eternity. There is a set ritual and this was begun, but no one was here to finish it.”

Mary had enough of the history lesson. “Agatha, I want to see what I can of the rest of the room.”

“Sorry, Gene can you show the camera some place else?”

Gene pulled it back a little and twisted the wire. It flopped over and came to rest pointed the same way. He worked at it and finally got it to show where there was some cooking done. There was a brazier and one large amphora with two handles for storing water. There were a half dozen of these of various sizes. There were some terracotta dishes and three pots for cooking. One of these was sitting on the brazier. The table was small and there were two stools to sit on.

Gene twisted the wire and the camera and light flopped to where we could see Peter the Scribe’s work area.  There was an ornate wooden stool facing a heavy piece of wooden furniture. Both constructed of the same dark wood. There was room for storage underneath the top of the desk and we could make out three square shaped boxes stored there. They looked to be about ten inches high, Agatha said, “Those are boxes hold blank papyrus scrolls, probably a dozen in each box; I think most likely from Egypt where they are manufactured.

There was one more indication to Mary and I: On a shelf, there was a homemade plaque. "Agatha, can you read that? I have no idea what language it is in.”

“Yes, it spells out ‘Peter the Scribe.’”

“Okay we have the right place. Miriam fashioned that with her own loving hands on their first wedding anniversary. She told us so.”

Gene asked if we had seen enough. “I should think so. We have what is stored on the computer and Ricky has been sketching what he sees. Emmy recorded your comments on her phone. Agatha, Monday do you think this is enough to take to your university to see if there are interested in going farther with this?”

“I think so. What year did they die?”

“I have no idea what year. Hopefully there will be a year on one of the scrolls.”

“Pete, I didn’t see any scrolls.”

“I think there was one mounted on one wooden thing that positions the scroll open, so they can write on it.”

Ricky showed us a sketch. It was leaning so we could see a little depth to show the top and one end.”

“Okay to pull this lead out now? Pete how long is it going to take for me to see the burial ground you were talking about?”

“It’s not far. John you want to show us where you think it is?”

“Sure. When we get back, can we have a beer? This has been pretty dry work.”  Gene told his two men to pack up most everything.

“If some one from the university wants to look at this again, a car will hold every thing that is needed. You can hook up the light to one of the vehicle’s cigar lighter. I have one of them. I don’t remember if it would charge the computer so you could record it. I just grabbed this one from the University because it is one I used before.” Agatha said she would get one from supply.

John led us by the porta-potty and down into the brush a little way. Gene tramped back and forth and finally just stared at where John had told him he was told by his father there were monuments here.

“Pete and Ricky, I’m thinking you are going to find very little here. I believe originally there were only a few families laid to rest here— seven or eight maybe.

“You see this fairly straight line?  Well that is part of the mountain. That’s stone ledge and the edge of the mountain.  That’s good, for people back then quarried into a ledge and made tombs where to put their dead people. If the rock didn’t go back far enough, they extended them by laying rock up in front of the entrance.  I’d say these were full sized tombs alright, but I doubt you will find much if you cleared the sand away.

“Think of the many drunken soldiers who occupied this land in the last hundreds of years.  It was a habit to first rob the tombs and then bust up whatever they could because of a different religious persuasion. I see some indentation across the top and I’m guessing that many or all these have had the top caved in. The bones would have been tossed around.

“The ossuaries that held the bones may have been stolen and used by others. Originally inside, the ossuary was placed on a shelf holding the bones. Many of them could be children. Sometimes, more than one person’s bones would be in the same ossuary. If you went to clearing the area of brush and sand, you might find some bones, but whose were they? I’d almost guaranty that there wouldn’t be any from the people who built the tombs.”

“Well maybe I will have you find one and open it enough to look at. I guess that’s all for today.

“What are you going to do about getting into what you found today?”

“I don’t know. I’m putting this into Agatha’s hands and see if the University is interested. If they suggest it is enough of a find to go to the trouble to open it, I’ll find some money to back it.”

“That’s nice to know. I hope I get the work if it is decided to open it.  I’ll make up and estimate. In fact, I’ll come back tomorrow and do that. I told you that I have ten days of work starting on Monday. Are you going to hang around?”

“I’m hoping to be with Agatha when she talks to the university on Monday. I’ll be here tomorrow as there is no place we want to go. I’ll have Emmy ask John about his life. She may want to make an essay out of it. His family came and settled here before 1900. This land has been fought over by several armies in those years. He must have some tales to tell passed down from them.”

“Well Pete, I’m taking off. This has been interesting today the way it turned out.”

“One more question before you go, Gene. Were you surprised to see the condition of the fixtures and items in that room?  I was because it has been in there a few centuries.”

“No, not really, it is a dry arid area here and no chance for any moisture to get in. I expect if there is an entrance made, some things might begin to deteriorate. Hard to tell.” Gene paused and then said. “I’m going to ask Agatha to leave with me. If she does, she may be back tomorrow with me. I’ll be here about ten, I expect.”

“See you, Gene.”

———————————————

Agatha drove her car in case she didn’t return with Gene tomorrow. She would meet us on Monday at the University to bring what we had discovered today before her professor who guided the archeological projects.

Ricky was working on a sketch of what we had observed in the cave. “Mary, you want to know something? I’m having second thoughts about opening up the tomb. There will be no place to put the two sets of remains. Where Miriam wanted to be placed in her tomb according to Gene, it was robbed, desecrated, and destroyed.

“Miriam must have been the one who started the process for her own funeral. She placed her dying body where it would waste away. She must have anticipated that the cave would be opened and ready for her bones placed in the waiting tomb outside near her family. Apparently that didn’t happen, which isn’t surprising. It could be that her family assumed that it was better to make the cave her tomb just like I have.

“Can you reach her spirit and ask her?”

“I’m going to try to night.”

“May I be with you?”

“Of course, you were the one who Miriam contacted first to bring me onboard to carry out her wishes. I’m still willing, but I would like to know her thoughts.”

“Pete, tonight we’ll get nice and comfy, put our minds together and try to contact her. It might just work. Now, put your mind off her and think about this new baby we will have in a few months.

————————————

We all were quiet tonight. Emmy and Ricky were taken up with being together. John just sat and looked into the fire after we had eaten. As it was getting dark, Mary and I quietly got out, taking our blankets and huddled out of the wind between Miriam’s house and the next one.  This was where we wouldn’t be heard if we spoke aloud. We were hoping that Miriam would come to us.

Mary was so still, I thought she might be asleep. It wouldn’t surprise me if she was because we were bundled up and warm. Suddenly, Miriam was speaking,“Pete, you and Mary wanted to have me come and speak with you. Before we speak I have some news all because of you. I was guided into an alcove and Peter was there. I had seen him at a distance rarely, but I wasn’t able to get his attention. Sometimes I would see him gazing off into the distance. I just knew he was thinking about me. There seemed to be an invisible barrier between us and I couldn’t touch him.

“Today he spoke saying, Miriam, you Foolish Woman! Why did you make such terrible declarations when you came before the judge shortly after I came here? It seems as if I have been waiting for you forever. I have been able to watch some of your actions over the years. Some of those turned out well and I commend you on them. I commend you more for choosing the person named Pete more though, for he always seemed to know what you were trying to do even if you didn’t know yourself.”

“Oh Peter, I’ve missed you so. Peter I’m worried, will I get to speak to the Judge again? This same Pete has told me what I should do to be able to go into the same place where you are if I said and did certain things. He has promised to pray for me. Will that help me?”

“Of course, for he is a Godly person, and his wife is too, and has the marks that indicate she is. Those people who have been baptized and pray count as having been enlightened. Miriam, on a little more personal note: Thank you for putting the copper in my hand, as I lay dying. It was noted, and told me that it passed me here without trouble. Are your bones close to mine?”

“Yes Peter, my bones are lying by your side. I do need to talk to you about our funeral. It couldn’t be completed and our bones are still in the cave. Our tomb in the burial vault where our ossuary was stored has been trashed and I’m satisfied to have our bones stay right where we were when on earth. The last thing I performed before dying was to do the first part of the funeral service. Let these earth-based remains stay where they are and the cave can become the Tomb for our physical life and have our souls find a new one together forever after.”

“Miriam, you were always good at arranging an alternative if the path we were following did not work out. Since you contacted this person you call Pete, I noticed he has moved forward while you have been following his advice about entering the chamber before the judge by opening a small portal and has viewed our remains.”

“Peter, I’m aware of his intentions. It will be two days before he puts his plans in the authorities’ hands. He is willing to go forward and implement them. If you are satisfied that the cave will become our tomb, I will discuss this with Pete immediately and he will sense my wishes in the matter is resourceful enough to work toward stopping the plan from going further forward. However, I sense he is somewhat reluctant and will do as we wish in this matter.”

“Are you sure, Miriam?”

“Peter, I am sure I can handle it.

“Okay Miriam, I’ll leave you to it.  I must say goodbye for now. Remember you have an appointment I have arranged for you to see the Judge during the next week.”

“Yes Peter, and I understand you will be with me?”

“Yes.”

There was silence and Miriam did it to me again as she had a habit of doing. I wasn’t sure she was still there. “Pete, I guess you got a little ahead of me. I find out that Peter is happy to have our remains stay in the cave hidden from public, using the space I laid out to be our tomb. You could hear him, couldn’t you?”

“Yes, I heard the exchange. We did see the interior of the cave and where you two are laid out. You did a fine job and the rug you had over you, covered everything except where one bone from your arm was visible. “

“That’s good. Did you see the little plaque I made for our first anniversary?”

“Yes, it is still there. We saw Peter’s area where he worked and the table you sat at to eat.”

“I wasn’t long in dying after Peter did. But today was the closest to him since we passed. He called me a foolish woman and now know I was. I’m depending on you and Peter to get me by the Judge. What you told me to do and Peter will be close by. I thank you so much for what you have done for me. I still think I still made a few points due to you doing the things for me.  I was making too many mistakes before our association. You cared and that is what mattered. Pete, take care of Mary and the three children you have now and give your new girl child a little extra love when she joins you.  

Mary spoke up. (This she hadn’t done before this evening.) “And what of your children, you never speak about them?”

“No, I haven’t. They lived, had families, and died a long time ago. Of course, I wasn’t there to receive them, so didn’t know them as adults at all. I hope they are with Peter, but there again, I couldn’t ask.

“Pete, try to bury the opening. I’m afraid that someone will discover the tomb in the cave and desecrate it. I can’t mind it myself, but I don’t want Peter to be bothered. He called me a Foolish Woman and I was.”

 I knew she was leaving. “Miriam,” I spoke sharply.

She answered “Yes.” and I took one of the coppers, which was the last one I had from the chest, and flipped it toward the sound of her voice. It glinted in the last ray of the moon and disappeared out of the air. 

Epilogue

I took Mary’s hand in mine and turned away. We walked over to John and we had a beer. “Good night, John. Pete don’t stay long.” I knew Mary wanted to pray for Miriam one more time.

“Before you go, what’s on for tomorrow, Pete?”

“Gene and Agatha are coming back. Gene may be digging where he thinks there is a tomb covered with sand.  He isn’t going to uncover it totally, maybe just the top of it. There is too much brush to use the sonar so it will be mostly guesswork. He has quite a bit of experience so he will come up with something.”

“Is Agatha going to be opening up that cave you had a look at yesterday?”

“Not sure, it is up to the University she is connected with. Are you okay with that?”

“Not really. There are bones in there and it seems a shame to disturb them. They’ll just put them into a box, store them someplace, and they may be forgotten. They might never be buried properly either.”

“I’m beginning to feel the same way. I had a dream to come and look for the place and was excited about it, but I am having reservations about doing it now. Well, I’m off to bed. See you in the morning.”

John stopped me, "Pete, my grand-daughter will be here when you get up. I’ve been expecting her for the last two days, so I’m sure she’ll be here. She always comes on Sunday if she hasn’t before.”

“Good to know. Night, John.”

Gene came driving in at ten the next morning. He was pulling a trailer with his crew cab truck and a small backhoe on the trailer. There was an operator for the backhoe and he had Agatha with him.

Gene told me what he was going to do. “Pete, I’m going to dig the top off one of those spots where I think there is a tomb. I’ve got an estimate worked up to open up the entrance to the cave. Agatha is having second thoughts this morning about going ahead with that. She thinks that the cave should be left undisturbed just the way it is.

“Of course, if you insist and want to pay for it, and can get the University interested it will get done someday.”

I had our vehicles moved so he could unload the backhoe. At least the tents were on the other side of where we parked so they weren’t in the way. We were all interested and went down around the corner of the mountain by the facility. John’s granddaughter drove in and parked by where we had moved our cars.

She had had her fifteen year old son with her and he unloaded enough groceries for the next week into John’s house. I was introduced, and she seemed happy that her grandfather had company for a few days. They both joined us at the place that Gene was going to use the little tractor.

There was a large bunch of brush that had taken root in the dip where Gene had said was a caved-in tomb. He was being careful about using the backhoe because he was afraid that if there was a partially caved in tomb he might break through and tip his machine over.

Gene dug down beside the brush and put a chain around the total plant. He had pawed down around the brush at least sixteen inches deep and hadn’t found any sign of a tomb. Many of the roots had broken off when he started tugging with the bucket. It didn’t look like he was going to be able to break it loose, but he kept swinging the bucket of the backhoe back and forth.

It finally came loose and we could see the root was huge. The backhoe couldn’t lift it, but Gene was able to drag it out of the hole and far enough away so they could work around the hole with the backhoe. We then saw the edges of the tomb. There were boulders that had been used to break the top and cave in the tomb. There was nothing much else to see. There was one stone ossuary that was smashed. We poked around didn’t find anything when we tipped up the broken top. There was nothing to identify whose tomb this was.

Gene and Agatha took pictures and then Agatha said to fill the sand back in. Gene scraped enough sand to fill in the hole where the brush was removed. It was agreed, by all of us that it was useless to look for another tomb to dig up.

We were walking behind Gene on the Backhoe and returning to where the trailer was waiting to be loaded. Just then, we heard a loud snap and a loud rumble. Gene shouted, “The whole side of the mountain has let loose and is coming down! Run back!”  Gene bailed off the machine. In less than ten minutes the noise stopped.

“Well that was something. It didn’t even hit your house John. It was on the other side of the house where we were working yesterday.”  We slowly walked over and examined the damage. Now there were two houses buried, not just the one where the cave entrance was located. We walked over in front of the two buildings getting ready to run. Looking up there seemed to be a smooth face on the mountain where the rocks had come from. Higher up we could see a straight line that was a horizontal crack in the wall of the mountain where the stone had broken loose.

“We are damn lucky that didn’t happen when we were working where we were yesterday. It doesn’t appear that anymore stone can come loose.”

“I think you are right, Gene. I think that stops us from going any further with opening the cave. What do you think Agatha?”

“Pete. The University will never agree to any project being done here. What are you going to do Mary?”

“Me, I’m going home and have a baby and forget all about what brought us here. I think we get the message whoever sent it that the cave shouldn’t be opened. Emmy and Ricky, what is in your future?”

“Emmy was speaking last night that she had been here for three years and we were going home where we can see the family. I think I may go to a Divinity school and become a preacher. I can still make a living along with doing sketches for Emmy and the books she is planning.”

“What are you planning for books, Emmy?”

“Aunt Mary, it will be something of a religious nature for children.”

“Good enough, you two.”

John spoke now, “Me, I’ve lived long enough out here alone. I’m moving in with my granddaughter. I’ve put it off too long.”

“You know everyone, I think I’ll be heading for Boston and home? I might run into some of the Capparelli’s and may run into you people again. If I make it to Boston, Ricky, I’ll visit your grandmother.”

“Please do.” Ricky said, “You know we must have some food left over. Let’s eat and John can have what’s left.”

Gene loaded his backhoe and wished everyone well. He hugged Agatha and said goodbye. We struck her tent and she was soon gone. John and his family reloaded the groceries and he left with his granddaughter.

 Near dark, now, the four of us, I, Mary, Emmy and Ricky stood there before getting into the car, looking at the mountain and then the brush-covered fields that we believed at one time were lush and green.

Emmy and Ricky turned to enter the SUV. Mary and I stood just a minute longer. Suddenly, a vision appeared. It was of a Miriam dressed in a robe and Peter with her clasping Peter’s, hand walking with one arm around her. “Pete!”  Peter spoke and flipped a copper toward me from way up high. I caught it mid air coming down. It had the usual fish sketched on one side. The obverse though, had a sketch of the Vision that had just appeared before us. I showed it to Mary and looked to thank the vision. It was gone.

“They are together at last!”

Mary stated: “Good Bye Miriam, we won’t forget you.”

The End