“Believe me, sweetie, people will vanish from your life. They usually disappear due to no fault of you own, but if that happens, it’ll help to know you tried.”
“I understand. I’ll get to it soon,” he promised, unconvincingly, as he remembered the fight. The mere thought of Michael’s face used to make his blood boil; but, suddenly, that morning, the resentment was gone. The memory of what transpired still stirred up negative emotions, but his hatred for Michael had dissipated over the time spent apart.
…
The two of them made themselves comfortable in the living room and powered on the television. The screen lit up, already on the news station., as color reemerged from the wall to reveal the headlines and news anchors who talked to inform them of what they didn’t know. The fact that so many people sheepishly trusted someone to read teleprompters disgusted Stone, as his mind searched for distractions to blot out the thought of contacting Cole.
“Fake experts and real liars. They act like they know anything at all about what they’re saying and everyone just buys it. No questions asked. Their two cents is the golden standard and everyone eats it up, blindly.” His tone dripped with biting sarcasm.
“What do you think about the pregnancy stuff?” she asked him.
“Think it’s awesome! It’s just what we need to happen, isn’t it?” No sarcasm or bitterness in his tone now.
“How do you think it happened?”
“I don’t have the slightest clue. God? Or maybe the Retrogrades did it. I mean they’re supposedly anti-science, but they have proven otherwise when it comes to actually getting involved.”
“Hm, the Retrogrades, I hadn’t thought of that,” mused Debra, her thoughts firing rapidly in her head.
“How come we’ve never formed an alliance with them?”
“They don’t like Catholics.”
“Who does, these days? I mean, the enemy of my enemy and all that…” Stone laughed as he thought of the world and the fact that it was filled with people who loathed them for their faith.
“Firstly, enemy of my enemy isn’t the way to go…ever. Secondly, They’re afraid of what might happen if Catholic leaders ever took Unity’s place.”
From the beginning, the Retrogrades were always very vocal about their hatred for the Pope and for Catholics in general, referencing wounds and slights incurred a thousand years ago, under the rule of a different people and even when different stars hung in the sky. The past, as all human history must, included some lengthy periods of bloodshed and cruelty and the Retrogrades sought to stamp out any possibility of it happening again. The thought of any possibility of a future ruled by the Vatican -- a theocratic state -- terrified them. Stone curled up in a blanket as he bared his views, “We’re so weak these days. I don’t see what they have to fear, honestly. There are hardly any of us left.”
“There’s a lot more of us than you think. Always remember that. A persecuted people are often very good at staying quiet.”
Then, like the sun blazing its way through a clouded horizon, an epiphany flowed over and through Stone’s thoughts. The sudden realization pierced through every molecule of his existence. “My God!” he exclaimed. He quickly jumped to his feet, which freaked Debra out, “She’s pregnant.”
“Who is?” It was Debra’s turn to bear a look of confusion.
“That’s gotta be the reason they’re leaving -- why my bastard of a brother was so secretive. It all makes perfect sense now.”
“You think your cousin is pregnant?"
“I don’t know. I mean, it’s the only thing I can think of. Of course, they’d leave. And of course, Cole would act all sketchy and everything.”
“Are you going to call him then?” Debra pressed.
“He left a voicemail that I haven’t opened yet. I’ll give it a listen, hang on.”
Stone gestured for his inbox, displayed by his Visum, in a way that might look like an attempt to cast some sort of spell by anyone without knowledge of how the implants worked. If Debra had time-traveled, just now, from several decades ago, the sight would probably make her roll on the floor in uncontrollable laughter. He tossed and turned his hand rapidly in the air, cycling through the options until he found and pressed the listen button underneath Cole’s name. He shared the voicemail, connecting to Debra’s Auris. They both listened carefully to the voicemail; listening for any possible clues to what was happening.
“Hey, buddy. I hope all’s well. I just wanted to let you know that you’re in all of our prayers.” His voice resonated with deep sincerity. Stone hoped he didn’t mention anything specific as the message wasn’t encrypted. “I wanted to tell you that Michael and Amelia are talking about leaving along with John and Maria. If they do, I’d have to go with them, but I really don’t want to leave without seeing you and saying goodbye. I know you’re probably still avoiding me after the other day, but please know I’m real sorry and that I love you. Please call me back whenever you receive this. Love you.”
“Call him!” Debra shouted from the couch. Her sudden rise in volume and the shrill pitch terrified Jeremy’s cat. Charlie, the enormously fat beast, scurried across the living room carpet frantically searching for a new refuge from the terrifying woman.
“I don’t know what to say. I mean, of course I’ll meet him if it comes to that. Do you think it’s the whole pregnancy thing? You think both the women are pregnant?”
“I heard the same message as you, Stone. I don’t know. But I want to know!” She spoke excitedly, her joy causing a sort of transformation of the dismal downstairs apartment that currently imprisoned her. Prior to Stone’s dramatic revelation, the television supplied her only hope for entertainment and excitement. “Just give him a call, please. Don’t say anything too sensitive.”
“Of course not.”
“Hurry!”
“Chill, you’re stressing me out. I don’t know what to say.”
“Say anything.” Debra wished so badly that she could press dial, having seen the old movies where people did such a thing to force people into talking. Many scenes flashed in her mind’s eye: The girl who was too afraid to call the boy she liked, or the scene in which a man’s wife forced him to call his mother and make amends. It would be so perfect for this situation, if we still used handheld phones, she thought.
…
“Ring…ring…ring…” the Auris purred, waiting for an answer from the other end.
“Stone?”
“Hey, man…” Stone started, notifying Debra that Cole answered, sharing the phone call with her as well. The words awkwardly made their way from his mouth, unsure of where to place themselves. “What’s, uh, what’s going on?”
“I’m so happy to hear from you.”
“Yeah, what’s going on?”
“I’m sorry for being so anxious. I’m a bit paranoid, so can we meet in person to talk? I won’t bring anyone else if you want it to be just the two of us.” Cole knew his family would be angry if he met with his brother alone, but he didn’t want to overwhelm Stone, especially if it were his last chance to see him.
“I’ll come to the house,” Stone spoke with certainty, thinking of Debra’s advice from earlier. He figured his brave attempt at healing the wounds had a good chance of impressing her and he also didn’t want to miss the opportunity. She had been right after all.
“Hmm,” Cole vocalized his thinking, wondering if that would cause a problem for the others in the house. Surely having a Zealot visit isn’t a safe thing for anyone, but especially not for them at such a time. “I don’t know man, I’d really love that, but I’ll have to check with everyone.”
“Fine.” Stone’s heart fell from his chest after hearing Cole’s words. He felt like a stray dog being shooed off from his own family.
“I’ll call you back in a minute.”
“Great.” Stone waited for the call to end, the gradient image of Cole’s face within his Visum faded, and he was free to confide with Debra. “I just don’t understand them. Th
ey act like I’m some sort of monster. Like I have a disease or something.”
“They just seem like peace-loving people to me, sweetie.” Debra rubbed his back, the friction created exceptional warmth. “They’re probably afraid of Unity, really. I don’t think you’re actually the one they don’t trust. It’s just the fact that they know you associate with people like me.”
“Like you? You’re no monster either, though.”
“But my face is all over the news these days. If your theory about the pregnancy is true, you can’t hold that against them. They have a lot to protect and a lot to lose.”
In the past, Stone never understood why everything always seemed so unclear to him. He spent most of his life unable to comprehend his interactions with others.
Yet, Debra made things seem so reasonable with no perceptible effort whatsoever. She seemed capable of healing his every problem, every wound. Her insight sliced through his furious haziness like rays of light through the dreariness of an overcast day. The hand that rubbed his back filled him with warmth as the emotional coldness wore away. She was a healer, more so than any doctor he ever knew.
“Thank you, Debs,” he said, looking back to smile at her. “I don’t understand you.”
“I didn’t think my engrish that bad,” she joked, her accent normally full-on southern.
“No, I mean, I don’t understand how you’re able to help me like this. It doesn’t make any sense. There’s a manhunt underway for you, yet here you are, fixing all of my drama with a smile on your face. You’re aware that you’re a fugitive, aren’t you?” He laughed uncomfortably.
“Oh, well, it was bound to happen eventually. I’m just upset that my friends didn’t make it out with me. It’s not so bad being stuck down here. It’s like you said. It’s been pretty bleak, but it’s not so bad with you around.”
Is she flirting with me? Stone wondered, his heart pounded the same question in Morse code within his chest. Of all the skirts he chased in his all-nighter partying days, not one of them made him feel the way Debra did. Compared to this, all the dirty talk and breathless lusty attraction he enjoyed back then suddenly became pointless. This is what everyone meant when they talked of real love. This -- this is the type of connection he had craved his entire life. Only now did he fully understand that he spent all that time wasting and wasted. Debra was as a lighthouse to him; a beacon of hope.
The two of them stared at one another, but a sudden ringing from Stone’s Auris broke the spell.
“They don’t think it’s safe to meet at the house,” Cole’s voice sounded soft, saddened to deliver the news, “but they’d love to meet you somewhere else. I’m sorry, bro.”
“That’s okay,” he said with a new confidence -- a strange self-assuredness came over him, and looking again at Debra, he continued, “where and when, buddy?”
“Saturday, at four o’clock. We can meet at Ruffner Mountain. Make sure to dress as if you’re going for a run and we’ll find a good place off the trail.”
The plan seemed overkill to Stone, but he’d honor it nonetheless. He resolved to do whatever it takes to see his family again. Debra’s words only opened him to interior desires already present, but were obscured as long as he persisted in focusing on his hatred for Michael. “I’ll be there.” The call ended abruptly. Stone sighed and reclined into the back of the couch. A swirl of possibilities filled his imagination; some were frightening, but many were uplifting. His head began to throb as he attempted to deal with the tangle of emotions this caused.
“Need anything else from me, Debbie?”
“Yeah. Promise me you’ll never call me that again.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Saturday, the day Stone and Cole planned to meet, arrived quickly. The family in Irondale were busy readying themselves, but Michael finished first and was already waiting for the others in the family room. He sat anxiously on the traditional roll-arm English sofa, which stretched almost across the entire length of the wall. Second to finish, Cole sat stiffly on the other end.
Like all the others, Michael was eager to see Stone again, yet he felt extremely nervous. He wanted to smooth things over, but had yet to work out the best way to approach his rebellious cousin. On the one hand, he truly wanted to avoid anything that might reopen the wound caused by that dramatic fight; on the other hand, he didn’t want his efforts to re-establish their relationship to somehow imply he supported Stone’s bad decisions.
For weeks after Stone took off, Amelia and Maria berated Michael for his part in the drama. The two women teamed up to remind him, daily, that he was absolutely not to mention anything at all about Stone’s poor choices during the meeting at Ruffner Mountain. During the short time they’d have with Stone, they hoped to convince him to leave Birmingham and flee south with the family, God willing. If their best efforts failed, they would say their goodbyes and move on. What else could they do?
“You good?” Cole asked his cousin, who sat still as a statue, staring into space, absentmindedly chewing his lower lip.
“Hmm?” Michael answered, his autopilot response giving a clear indication that Cole’s question hadn’t really registered with him. He was still thinking about the meeting and how best to handle his interaction with Stone.
“Michael, you hear me? Hey, dinkis!”
"No, what?" Michael finally looked in his young cousin’s direction. He had been deep in thought. The sudden break from his reverie made him feel like a fish, rudely ripped from its cool watery home.
“Are you okay?” Cole laughed at him and noted, “You look tense as hell.”
“Yeah, I’m good, buddy.” Michael smiled. “Just thinking about today’s plans.”
“I think you’ll be okay. Just good vibes, Mikey. We gotta show him we still care about him.” Cole picked his nose.
“Better find a Kleenex. If I find another booger around here, I’ll be showing you some of my ‘good vibes,’” Michael then cracked his knuckles for effect.
“Michael!” one of the women called from upstairs. It was a softer voice, clearly not his sister’s.
“Lord have mercy. What’s this woman need now?” Michael stood from the couch and quickly made his way up the stairs, moving sideways as he passed John making his way down. “Yes, honey?” Michael asked at the summit of the staircase, waiting for his wife’s response to reveal her location.
“Come here.” Her voice, oddly, gave him no clue as to her whereabouts. The words she spoke seemed to come from thirty different directions, further agitating him.
“Where’s here?”
“I’m on our bedroom floor.”
He walked towards their room -- the last one on the right and opposite to John and Maria’s. “Yes, boo?” he cooed, looking down at her, sitting cross-legged on the floor as she fixed her hair behind her head in a tight bun. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating her pretty face. He noticed many more small blemishes than usual on her chin and cheeks. Hm, he tried to remember the last time he knew her to be having her period. Usually, she only breaks out a tiny bit during her monthly time. As a fairly smart man, he knew better than to mention it, though.
“I’m ready.”
“Okay? You called me up here to tell me you’re ready?” Michael sighed with lighthearted laughter shaking his head.
“I was just thinking. What if we invite Stone to live here, while we’re gone?”
Michael paused to arrange his thoughts before speaking. “First, he’s a kid and he’s got no income to support himself while living here. And, even if he does end up having any money, God only knows how he received it and by what means. If that weren’t enough, he’s a Zealot. If the authorities traced his activities here, they’d confiscate our property and then prosecute us as accessories to any associated crimes.”
“I just feel kind of weird, asking the neighbors to watch over it. And it’s not likely we’ll return, really.”
“It’s going to serve as a place Father can celebrate Mass, so everyone
in the neighborhood can continue to attend even while we’re gone. They’ll keep it in great shape for us.”
Maria’s voice shouted from the living room, urging them to hurry up and finish getting ready, but Michael and Amelia ignored her.
“There’s no way we’re coming back anytime soon, if we ever do. Think, what if I got pregnant too?”
“Future is unknown, love,” he said, helping her to her feet.
“Why don’t we just sell it?”
“Haven’t we gone over this already? At least three times? Woman, you’re driving me nuts!” he exclaimed good-naturedly. “We don’t have time to prepare it for selling. And, we can’t do something like sell our house, a house that’s been in the family for generations, on the off chance that you might get pregnant too. Unlike most other couples our age, we don’t have house payments. Why would we want to set ourselves up for that? Also, something else crossed my mind the other day. Wouldn’t the realtor want to know why we’re leaving so quickly? They’d have to make sure everything is up-to-date, including any potential pregnancy terminations. We can’t put you or Maria in danger of that type of scrutiny.”
“I don’t know. It feels kind of weird to just leave it all behind.”
“Well, maybe we can consider renting it out.”
“Who would we rent to? Rent it out to the wrong people and the neighbors lose their place to go to Mass.”
“Neighbors got kids -- kids that have grown a bit. Maybe they’d like a place to put their basement dwellers. I mean, Ronny -- Joseph and Anita’s boy, he’s what? Twenty?”
“So, you think a bunch of overgrown kids should live here? Place will burn down by the time we reached the end of the street.”
"He's a man! Twenty is a man, honey. I think he and the others might do well here. I'm not sure why I didn’t think of it before.”
Amelia continued sitting on the floor hunched over her lap, whining, "This is our home though. We've worked so hard on it. How can we just leave?" Her nose sniffled, and to Michael's surprise, tears fell freely from her big, pretty eyes.
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