by Caleb Smith
“You came to the hospital and dragged us out, away from those killers. You made sure we got to the car, and I drove us back to the ranch where you fought them again, once and for all. I didn’t see it, but Wendy told me you handled the situation perfectly, and Josh confirmed this. You killed them with the sword you were carrying.”
“Yes, my sword…I can’t seem to find it. Have you seen it?”
“I’m sorry dear; I have not. Wendy also told me that you were injured and almost died at the end of the battle, but the two giant angels saved your life and brought you back here to rest.”
Now this was a scenario that was starting to make sense. “And this was two days ago now?” He asked.
“Yes dear, it was.”
“OK,” he said, staring at the patterns on the oriental rug.
“I killed them, huh?”
“Yes. Yes, you did; it’s all over,” she said with a smile, leaning in for another hug.
This time he hugged back, astonished at his victory and trying to remember how he did it.
“You said I almost died. Do you know how?”
“A whip slashed you, and somehow you were poisoned, but the angels were able to revive you.”
“Did you see them? The twins…did you see them here?” He asked.
“No. When I arrived home, you were resting deeply, and I didn’t want to wake you.”
Noah was surprised by his mother’s compliance and acceptance of the situation. It was as if she, too, had witnessed everything he had in the past six months – from the first trip to the book shop, to the battle in the junkyard. He was relieved, and he felt closer to his mother. Perhaps he could be more open with her in days to come.
“Noah, I have some things to tell you. A lot has happened in the last couple of days, and you need to know.”
“OK,” he replied. “Shoot.”
Evelyn took a deep breath. “Well there are a couple of things. I will start by telling you that I have an aunt in Boston. Her name is Irma. She was my mother’s younger sister, and I have not seen her in years. She had no children and was married to a man who lost his life in the Vietnam War. He was a career Army man, and he left her with some financial backing. With the money that he left her, she put herself through beauty school and became a hair dresser, eventually opening her own shop.”
Noah looked surprised to hear about her since family history was, in that fact, rather foreign to him. “Was her shop in Boston too?”
“Yes. And after some time, she did very well for herself. Irma was always a hard worker and saved her money. She was able to buy and pay for her home. I was contacted by a lawyer yesterday, while you were sleeping. She recently passed away at the age of ninety-three. It had been a while since I had last spoken with her – and that was right before we moved here. I felt bad that we had fallen out of contact, because until we moved, we had been in touch by letters. But, anyway, the reason why I am telling you this is because she has left the house to me – to us.” A tear formed in the corner of her eye, and then broke free and ran down her cheek.
“I’m sorry about your aunt, Mom.”
“Thank you, honey.” She paused for a moment and took a deep breath. “I think it’s time for us to leave this place, mostly with everything that has happened here. To be honest Noah, I don’t think I can stay here any longer. I’m frightened by this place, and I think Boston will bring us a fresh new start. I have some money saved, and we can live in Aunt Irma’s house with limited bills. I was also informed that she left a trust fund.” She took another breath. Noah could tell that she was happy, but overwhelmed and sad as well.
Noah thought what it would be like to move yet again, away from this town, the book shop, and his only friend. What would his parting words be to Wendy? She would never understand. What of his connection to Elijah and Enoch? He still needed to see them again. Where else would the boy find a place like the book shop to connect him to the divine? But, in the end, he knew he needed to cater to his mother’s needs.
“OK, Mom. I understand. When would we leave?”
More tears streamed down her face at her son’s acceptance and kindness. He was exceptional in every way, a thought that brought her to the next topic – a topic more difficult to broach.
“Well, as soon as possible, sweetheart. I’ll have to hire a moving company to take all of our stuff north, and we need to get you enrolled in school. I have to find a new job, but the house is ready for us now, so my thought was to get our things in order and leave soon. The apartment lease here is up at the end of the month, too, so I guess the timing couldn’t be any better.”
“Have you told Earl yet?”
“No. I’ve been trying to plan a way to do that. I thought if we both visit, we can say our goodbyes together. I know it will be just as hard for you to say goodbye to Wendy. You guys seemed to have formed a good friendship, and it hurts me to separate you.”
“It’s OK, Mom. We’ll make it work. It’s for the best, right?”
She looked at him as if she was peering into the eyes of a saint, “Yes, it will be for the better.”
He smiled. “Was there something else you wanted to tell me, Mom?” He asked gently.
“No. You’ve been wonderful.” She looked at him with pride. “On to other matters. Are you hungry? I can make some food. I’m sure you are ready to eat something.”
“Yeah, sure, whatever you feel like having will be fine.”
“Well, spaghetti it is, then. I’ll go get it started; you relax.”
He took her up on the offer. When she walked away, he scooped Keeper up in his arms and held her tightly, kissing her on the head. He contemplated what he would say to Wendy.
Chapter 58
It took them only three days to pack, as they did not own much: just some clothes, a few personal belongings, and some beds and furniture.
Now it was the day before the move. Wendy had contacted Noah by telephone a few times since his mother had dropped the bombshell news, and she had relayed all that had happened at the junkyard the night of the battle. The scene was now perfectly imbedded in his mind. Noah, meanwhile, had refrained from giving her the news of the move because there would never be a good time to tell her. Their connection and friendship had grown deep.
Noah retrieved his bike from the hospital and wanted to take one last ride to the auto ranch alone; he needed the time to think. Evelyn had patched the broken window in her car and filled the space in with clear plastic. It was a quick fix that would at least get her to Boston where she could find a more permanent solution to the minor problem. She knew Earl would insist on fixing it, but she felt he had done more than enough for her. She wanted to arrange for the repair herself, and she would meet Noah at the ranch to give the shared news.
Saying goodbye is never easy; tears are shed, futures are changed, and final moments are cherished. Wendy didn’t want to understand what Noah was saying, but in the end, she did. The night in the junkyard seemed to have changed her. She understood Noah for who he really was; something very special and elite. As much as she wanted his friendship for her own special interests, she knew he was not meant to be held down. His soul was too big and shined too brightly. Noah would, most likely, always be on the move. But, she would miss the connection they had and she knew school wouldn’t be the same without him.
In another way, her life changed as well. Her father was disabled now, and she would have to pick up the slack outside of school to help with the family business. Her end of operations was picking up, and now, she too, would have to do more work in the garage, doubling her time spent outside of school. She didn’t mind though. This was her passion, and she loved being her own boss while earning money. Wendy was on a great path to becoming a young, successful entrepreneur, and so she embraced her destiny, just as Noah had accepted his.
Earl was still feeling weak but wanted to get back to work. The hospital scene had been a nightmare. And after the event, the federal government had sent in the Army Res
erves to lock the city down until things were put back into place. It would take a long time before Mid-Town was recovered. Earl had also been paired with a visiting nurse who would see to his daily care at home and ensure that he was healing properly.
Though Earl was glad to be home, when he heard Evelyn’s news, he was saddened. Still, he understood. He had never expected this friendship to advance as far as it had. He was more than grateful for the time they had spent together. Above all, he was just glad that everyone was safe. In fact, he would give his other arm to keep things that way.
The next day, and with Evelyn’s car packed to the brim, Wendy helped Noah tie his bike down on top. He had planned on leaving it with her, but she had insisted that he take it.
“Use it to remember me?”
He could not deny her this request, and so together, one last time, they worked as a team, this time to secure his bike for the trip north. And, as Noah and his mother pulled out of the dusty driveway, all hands were in motion, waving animatedly. This would be a new beginning for all.
Noah was sad to bid farewell to his friend, but his mind was also on another matter.
“Mom, there is something I want to show you before we leave; it’s right downtown off Main Street.”
“What is it, Noah? We should get on the road as soon as we can. We have a long trip ahead of us.”
“I know, but it will only take a few minutes, and it’s really important to me that you see it. It’s where it all started for me. It’s where I met them.”
“Them?”
“Yeah. It’s where I met the twins.”
“Oh, OK. I think that would be all right.”
Evelyn pulled into a parking space on Main Street, itching to leave, but understanding of Noah’s interest in stopping here. They got out of the car, but Keeper stayed put with doors closed and windows half-drawn. Noah approached the book shop, but a sign on the door indicated that it was closed.
Strange, Noah thought. He tried the door handle, and it opened. He stepped in, holding his mother’s hand. Each memory of walking into this shop struck him acutely. He remembered his first impression of the mirrored floors, ceilings, and of the extensive book shelving. He looked over at the lounge chairs, coffee tables and couches, and then, over by the counter, a comic book stand and antique cash register, which was still gleaming. His gaze followed the entire floor, and lingered, then, on the slide, spanning from ceiling to floor, its rainbow painted stairs offering a metaphor of hope.
Evelyn looked around, clearly bemused. She couldn’t understand this place’s hold on her son.
“This is a book shop?” She nearly laughed out loud.
“Yes. This is where I met the twins – right here in this very spot.”
“Honey, all I see here are the remnants of what might have once been a book shop.”
From Evelyn’s standpoint, the store appeared to be deserted. She looked around and saw a few scattered book shelves, laced in cobwebs and standing crookedly. She had also noticed that the sign on the front door advertised the space’s rental.
“Noah, it looks like this shop hasn’t seen any business for quite some time, and the retail space is for rent.” She looked over to the main counter, taking in the old cash register covered in half-inch thick dust.
Noah’s glorious remembrance of the shop slowly started to fade. Where was the magic he had seen? Apparently, it had been for his eyes alone. He walked over to the front counter and reached out for a random piece of paper – a weathered, folded-up receipt. He opened it and what he saw brought an instant smile to his face. It read:
“It’s to the north you go, and for now it is so;
Yet, this is where you will blossom;
Take it slow; embrace your light, and let it shine to brightly glow;
We will be watching from places above, and will meet again where great waters flow.
Until that time, in those tides you will row, but know this—
You will find another like yourself to know.”
“Godspeed, dear boy, E & E.”
