by K C West
Kim frowned as she stuffed meat into the freezer. “I don’t know, but I doubt it. Your father is a very generous employer.”
I paused just inside the door, ready to return to the van for a second load. “Yeah…he is at that.” I shook my head. “It’s so weird not to be griping about him. I wasted so many years of bitterness…all that fighting and rebelling.”
“You both have a lot offence-mending to do.”
I smiled as she followed me down the steps. “I’m looking forward to that.”
We made several trips from the car to the motor home with our purchases, collapsing on the sofa when the final bag was piled on the floor beside me. “Whew! I’m bushed,” I said. “Where in the world are we going to put all this stuff?”
Kim laughed. “Now, you worry about it! I’ve been fussing at you all afternoon about my lack of space.”
“Wait, I don’t mean my new clothing. That can go back to the car if necessary. I’m worried about the food. Where will it go?”
“Well, it depends on when we can have the dinner. If we schedule it soon, most of it can stay in the refrigerator.” She stood up and peered at the answering machine, which was blinking. “Four messages. Maybe one of those is from Mike.”
While Kim was busy with the machine, I leashed Pup and took him for a walk around the park. The air quality seemed better so we took a path around the outside, probably half a mile in distance. His tongue was hanging out when we returned and mine wasn’t far from doing the same. I poured fresh water into his bowl and cracked open a bottle of Arrowhead, cold and fresh from the refrigerator.
“I’m going to hop in the shower and put my new things away,” I told Kim.
“Clean towels in the cabinet next to the sink. Help yourself.”
“Thanks.” Whistling a few snatches of an old Beatles song that was a favorite of my mother’s, I looked back at Kim as I slid the bathroom door open. She was stretched out on the sofa with a cold Coors Light in one hand, the television remote in the other.
“Why don’t you try some of your new things on and have a fashion show. Pup and I will be your audience, won’t we fella?” Pup gave an enthusiastic whine from his spot on the floor at her side.
“I figured you had your fill of that at the mall,” I said, grinning at her from the bathroom.
“That’s because I wasn’t comfortable at the mall. Now, I am. So, bring it on, woman.”
“Okay. Let me get cleaned up first.” I took my shower and hurried into a pair of gray cargo shorts and the wolf tee shirt. Carrying her shirt in one hand, I strolled through the kitchen, swiveling my hips in imitation of a Vogue model, ending in a pirouette in front of her. I dropped her shirt into her lap. “Well, whatcha think?”
Her appreciative wolf whistle brought Pup to his feet growling.
“So you both approve?” I asked.
“I can’t speak for him, but I love it, PJ.” Kim accepted her gift. “Thank you so much for buying me one, too.” She pulled me close to kiss the top of my head. “Yours looks fantastic. I’m going to try mine on.” She dashed off to the bathroom with her shirt.
The deep turquoise made her tan appear darker and enhanced the silver highlights in her dark hair.
“Wow! It looks fantastic on you, Kim. I’m not kidding.” She grinned and color rose in her cheeks. “I won’t whistle because Pup would only start barking again…. but…really…”
You look so sexy, Kim. My eyes are glued to those embossed paw prints and their winding path over the hills and valley of your chest. I’d better look away or you’re going to see me drool.
“PJ?”
It was my turn to blush. “Sorry, my mind was elsewhere. What did you say?”
She continued to grin, her eyes lingering on my paw prints. “I think I know where your mind was just now, but I’m not about to demand an explanation.”
“Whew! Yes. Let’s change the subject before… Oh, wait! I forgot. Something else to show you.” I dashed out to the mini van and pulled the blanket off my purchase from Best Buy. With a grin, I bounded up the steps and into the motor home.
“Take a look at this, Kim.” I unpacked a brand new HP Pavilion Notebook. “What do you think of it?”
Kim opened the case to examine the keyboard and extra wide screen. “Wow! It’s a beauty…top of the line… plenty of power and memory. It’ll more than make up for the one that you lost in the fire.”
I gave her a delighted grin. “Oh, it isn’t for me.”
She looked puzzled. “It isn’t?”
“I got it for you, to replace the one that was crushed by the landslide.”
“Oh, PJ, you didn’t need to do—”
I held up my hand. “Yes, I did. Consider it a thank you for letting me stay here with you. The insurance money would allow you to buy a new one anyway. This just gets it to you sooner, when you can really use it.”
Kim’s brow wrinkled. “It’s too much, PJ. I can’t let you do it.”
Gawd, you are too stubborn for your own good. I chewed on my lip for a few seconds, trying for a compromise.
“How about, you pay me for this one when you get the insurance money?”
She pondered that possibility, tracing the edges of the case with her fingertips. Her eyes were already glazing over. “Yes, I can’t deny it would help right now. Okay, that will work. But, you needed one, too.”
I laughed. “And I got one just like it! It’s still out in the van.”
Kim chuckled. “Well, what are you waiting for? Go get it! We’ll have a ‘geek girls only’ evening…setting things up together.”
Once we had explored the features on the new laptops, we settled down to some serious report gathering, summarizing of daily field notes with analysis, budget tallies, chart making and all the little details required for the completion of a project that ended prematurely. Kim took calls from Boston, Tucson and Denver. The last was our wayward student, Mike, reporting in with the news that he had found a ride to Phoenix and would be able to join us the day after tomorrow. So our dinner was set for the same afternoon.
Thursday at noon, all of us will meet for the last time as members of the Superstition Mountain Expedition. Just the thought makes my heart ache…
I feel nervous… so very nervous about the future. Will you and I go on this way, or with something more?
How does that old saying go ? ‘I need patience… and I need it right now!’
We enjoyed a late night supper of crusty, multi-grain bread, sliced ham, havarti cheese and a fruit salad. Kim put a CD in her player and subdued piano and orchestra music enhanced the mood. She pulled the front drapes for privacy and we eased back on the sofa, propping our bare feet on a small hassock. Kim drank her water straight from the bottle and I sipped a glass of iced tea.
Sandy’s call interrupted our tranquility, but we were happy to hear from him. He told us that his mother insisted on making a cake for our special dinner.
“That’s so sweet of her,” Kim told him. “Be sure to thank her for us.”
“She’s going to make her specialty…red velvet cake,” she said after hanging up the phone. “We should get a gallon of vanilla ice cream to go with that.”
“Yum. I’ll add it to the list.” I found a pen and moved to the refrigerator door where we had posted our menu and last minute shopping needs.
“A party with the kids.” I sighed when I sat back down beside Kim. “Seems right, somehow, doesn’t it?”
Kim poked my foot with her big toe. “Yeah, Ma, we’ve had enough ups and downs with ‘them thar young’uns’ during this project, but I guess it’s only fittin’ that we should end it on a happy note.”
Right. But, will it be a happy note for us?
There was a long silence broken only by strident pounding on several pianos as Kim’s CD reached its finale.
“Kim, I don’t think I’ve ever heard that piece before.”
“It’s Schubert’s Fantasia in C major, also called ‘Wanderer Fantasy.’
“Oh…” How appropriate.
Kim turned off her player and returned to the sofa.
The alternating loud and soft piano notes had made my stomach tighten. I pondered the ‘ups and downs’ of our project and what might happen on Thursday.
You might not have made your decision by then. No news is still good news. Maybe we can just toddle along like we are for a few more weeks.
No, I’d never survive…and you wouldn’t make me suffer any longer than necessary.
My vision blurred and I looked away…staring out into the evening sky, searching for a star to wish upon.
I’ve waited my whole life for someone like you. I hope I have the strength to accept your decision.
“Everything okay, PJ?” Kim put her empty bottle on the side table and picked up the remote, switching on the news.
“I’m fine.” I swiped at my eyes. “Just tired…. It’s been a long day.”
“That it has.” Kim shifted and slid her arm along the back of the sofa behind my neck.
We watched a bit of local news about the recovery and clean up of areas damaged by the earthquake. “Looks like we’re getting out from under things.” Kim muted the sound as the broadcast went to a commercial.
“Speaking of recovery operations, do you think we’ll be finished by Thursday?” I winced at my possible double entendre. “With our project, I mean.”
She stretched. “Well, let’s see, I believe there’s a bit to do on the desktop using that National Archaeological Data Base program and then we need to proofread everything and run-off several copies of the whole report.”
“That should finish the project.”
“Should, yes. Our menu for the big feast is all set. Josie and Laine called earlier and said they want to bring some coleslaw and bean salad. I told them it would be fine.”
“Sure.”
“We’ll need ice cream and ice but that can wait until Thursday morning. I’ll make the potato salad tomorrow afternoon. You can make up the hamburger patties tomorrow night.”
“Okay. I’m getting pretty good at that.”
Kim smiled. “I’ll even let you whip up that mustard and salsa stuff you tried last time. It looked weird, but tasted surprisingly good.”
I chuckled. “Gee, a compliment. You just like it when I yell, ‘Bam!’ each time I add some.”
Kim gave my shoulder a squeeze. “Yes, I enjoy your ‘Emeril Live’ impression. Anyway, the burgers can go on the grill after the boneless chicken browns.”
She frowned as the news broadcast returned with the weather portion. “I sure hope the air quality keeps improving. I’d like us to be able to eat outside or at least walk around out there a bit.”
I pointed to the television. “There’s the chart now. What does ‘fair’ mean?”
Kim laughed. “Not a whole lot, actually. Well, I guess it could be worse, but you stay inside as much as you can tomorrow. Your sinuses will thank you for it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said. “I thought Arizona had clean, clear air with no allergy or sinus problems. That’s what all the ads used to say. What’s up with that?”
“People brought plants and allergy producing stuff with them when they moved here…and dust storms coat so much of the place with dirt that I think a lot of Nevada and California got dumped on the state. I haven’t been in this area very long, though, so I just repeat what the locals say.”
I nodded. “That’s right. You have that ranch in New Mexico. Is that your real home?”
The news ended and Kim turned off the television. “I think it will be once I get it renovated.”
She took my empty glass to the kitchen and rinsed it, leaving it to dry in the dish rack overnight. The empty water bottle clinked as it fell into the recycling bin under the sink. I patted the seat beside me on the sofa when she returned. “Tell me more about your ranch, that is …if you’re not too tired.”
Kim sat close enough to me that our shoulders and hips rubbed. I relished the contact and I looked forward to this time of the day with Kim…the unwinding after long, arduous work sessions. It reminded me of our quiet campfires up on the mountain, just before we climbed into our sleeping bags for the night.
Kim cleared her throat. “Well, the owner was about to go bankrupt, so I got it for a song. Jasper, he’s the caretaker who watches the place for me, said the guy had no business sense at all and would never have made a good rancher.”
“How many acres is it?”
“About a thousand, but a lot of that is wooded and mountainous. It’s northwest of Santa Fe in an area called Happy Valley. There’s a ranch house, a huge barn, a home for Jasper and his wife, and several other outbuildings I haven’t even investigated yet. The view is beautiful. Those Sangre de Cristo Mountains seem so vivid and imposing out the picture window. There’s a huge fireplace in the living room…one of those kiva types that New Mexico is famous for…”
“It sounds fantastic, Kim.”
“You should see it sometime. I think you’d enjoy it…‘course it needs fixing up.”
I smiled at her, resting my hand on her leg. When she put her hand on top of mine, we unconsciously laced our fingers together. “I’m sure I would love it, Kim. If… well…if it’s meant to be…. then I will see it.”
She squeezed my hand. “It’s probably time to turn in, don’t you think?”
“Yeah.” I gave her a brief smile. “Guess you’d better get off my bed, then.”
Each time I used the shower in the motor home, I removed the medallion Kim had given me. I was afraid the thin leather strand would break if too much hot water soaked it. I also didn’t like the smell of the wet leather. Kim had said to wear it always, though, so I always replaced it right afterward. I wore it with pride. It was a symbol of our journey together in search of the lost Amazon women… a time I would never forget.
Tonight, as I snuggled into my sleeping bag on the sofa bed, I tucked my hand through the leather strip and rubbed the smooth metal surface between my thumb and finger. As I drifted off to sleep, I felt the presence of a familiar spirit touching my cheek and neck. This vague presence had disturbed me before, on the night I first wore the medallion, but nothing more sinister had happened, so I had learned to accept its occurrence at bedtime.
Tonight, the spirit was bolder, more imposing.
“Who are you?” I demanded of it, surprised to feel no fear. For a brief moment, I thought Kim had come to me for comfort and my body warmed at the thought. But, it wasn’t Kim.
“Little One, be calm,” a woman’s voice told me. “You have taken up the Medal of Valor. You profess a love for our Protected One. You must be deemed worthy.”
Sweat formed on my neck and between my breasts. “Gawd, you’ve never spoken to me before. I’m sorry…I didn’t know. If I’m breaking some sort of code, then you can have the damn thing back.”
The spirit woman chuckled. “It’s not that easy, Little One. Your love is pledged to the Protected One, is it not?”
“Well, if you mean Kim… when you say Protected One…then yes.”
“She is the one most favored, the one called Marna in our world.”
My throat felt parched. “You…you’re an Amazon, then?”
The spirit’s hand pulled my cover back and lifted my chin. “It matters not, Little One. I have my orders. You will be silent now and I will know your heart and your thoughts. If they are worthy, you will find your answers in due time.”
“Wait.” I felt more sweat now, under my arms and across my back. My thin, cotton, nightshirt felt clammy. “Um…you can’t just—”
“Hush!” Her hand closed over my mouth. I gulped and remained silent. “Roll onto your back and do not move or speak. Do you understand? Just nod your head.”
I nodded and turned onto my back. My nightshirt twisted underneath me, but I made no move to fix it.
She unfastened the top button on my nightshirt and took the medallion into her hand. It was too dark in the motor home for me t
o see her face clearly, but I sensed that she wore a mask over her eyes and nose. I could tell that she had thick, full lips and her jaw was firm. There was a power in her body that belied her ghostly state. I resolved to obey her commands and pray that she would release me to a more relaxed dream state as soon as possible.
There was a tickling sensation at my neck as she fingered the medallion and mumbled an incantation of sorts. I held my breath when she dropped the necklace and touched my collarbone, muttering more chants.
Amazon or no Amazon…you lay a hand on my breast and I’m screaming bloody murder!
“Steady, now, Little One. This is going to be difficult for you. I will make it quick. I promise you it will not hurt.” She opened two more buttons and put one hand between my breasts. My breath released in a gasp as cold air struck my bare skin.
“I know. You are embarrassed, but this is how it must be. I am going to see and feel what is in your heart.”
The hand on my chest felt strong and warm. I bit down on my lower lip, containing my panic, and listened to the magnified thumping of my heart.
It was as if she held a stethoscope to my ears. How can that be?
“Ah…I see,” is all she said before pulling my shirt closed. She sighed and chanted some more. The top layer of my sleeping bag was replaced and her hands moved to my face and forehead.
“This is the final test,” she murmured. “Look at me, Little One. Do not be afraid.”
“Easy for you to say,” I whispered, feeling a little more like myself now that my chest was covered.
She smiled. “We were told you had spirit inside you. Now, I know it is true.”
“Is that a good thing?” I asked, almost afraid to hear her answer.
“Usually,” she said. “Now, be—”
“I know the drill. Shut up and look at you.”
“Yes, I am almost finished.” She placed her hands on either side of my head. I felt a slight tightness above my eyebrows, but nothing more intense than a mild sinus headache. Then, she put one thumb above my nose and slid it up and down and back and forth. In a religious ceremony it might have been the sign of the cross, but I couldn’t imagine what the Amazon equivalent was.
