by Shea Meadows
David smiled and gave Ricky a hug. “You found the Soul Stealer in less than a year and a whole group of spirit guides had been working on it for two years before you came on the scene. My opinion is that when you and Moon and all the people you bring in to solve problems work together, things get done. So, yes, I think we can do it. It’s that or tear down the house to get at the artifact, and then what do we do with it?”
“Give it to a museum and hope it doesn’t kill anyone?” Ricky said with a smirk. “I get what you’re saying. We have to figure out how to neutralize it, so, yes, I can see that happening. I know it’s important to Nory and Moon for us to be living in the York Street house. Even if we fall in love with our rental, I will not secretly plot to sell Moon’s dream house and forget to tell the new owners about the thing in the cellar.”
“Yup, I can see you falling in love with the rental, but I won’t describe it so you’ll enjoy your first view of the plushness. This is a house that would sell for over a million, right across the street from the lake,” George said.
Ricky sighed. “It would be so much easier if we were infested with termites or rats, something that can be exterminated. Then we could clear out the problem and build something new. But Nory loves that house, and I’m becoming attached to it. I’m sure the cost of living on York Street is way less than where we’ll be living until this problem is solved.”
“Do you want to see the new digs?” David asked. “There will be things for Nory you’ll want to pick up and the rest of our clothes, but you decide what comes with us from York.”
“One more question: can Pigeon live with us there? Nory is really excited about being with her favorite cat in the world.”
“Um, they said yes to the cat, but there’s a catch. You can tell me what you think when you see the house.” George said looking a little flustered.
“Secrets again. Okay, I’ll hold on until I see for myself,” Ricky replied.
Everyone piled into the car and the van with their belongings, bringing a whole assortment of food, and took the trip to 646 DuPont Avenue South. York was three blocks from Lake Harriet and they had often made use of the walking paths around the lake. It was good exercise for Ricky when she was pregnant and not out of town doing seminars. The rental house was right across the street from the public park area where they had always started their treks.
Ricky had noticed this house before and drooled over it. Its brown wood exterior gave it the look of a large chalet in the forest. Being so close to the public access might have been a negative, but the landscapers and designers had solved that problem. The house sat on an oversized lot with a stone fence in the front of the property. A lovely carved wood gate with remote opener provided privacy. George clicked the button, and they proceeded down a fifty-foot driveway to a garage which opened with the same remote control.
The garage contained a storage area that looked like it had been designed by someone who was obsessive-compulsive. Everything was arranged in perfect order and labeled. No rooting around for the perfect screwdriver. There were three spaces for cars, one of which was currently filled by a low-slung Porsche Boxster sports car with a fitted cover. The group drove their vehicles into the remaining spaces and noticed Rita’s Ford Escort parked on a cement slab to the side of the garage.
The side door opened into a lavish mud room with hooks on the walls, shoe racks, wood boxes and closets. As they came through the door, a deep giant woof resonated through the air.
“There’s a dog here?” Ricky asked, clutching the baby closely.
“That’s one of the surprises—” David’s answer was interrupted by a large, slobbering Saint Bernard who bounded up to greet them.
“Ralph, sit and stay!” George commanded. Immediately the panting dog sunk to the floor, paws crossed in front of him and a silly grin on his face which allowed a puddle of droll to form on the floor.
Rita Fantez followed soon after, with a big smile on her face, stepped casually around the dog and made a beeline for the baby. “Hello Mrs. Ricky. How is the lovely princess today? She has grown so much since I saw her in the hospital. She will have two pets to play with now.” She looked over her shoulder. “Pigeon is hiding upstairs. Ralph wants to be his friend, but Pigeon is curious and overwhelmed.” Rita bent over and pulled a cleaning rag out of the utility belt she had wrapped around a pair of coveralls and mopped up the dogs puddle. “Ralph is a good boy. He loves the yard, but is so curious about the cat he insists on staying in. Maybe he should go in his kennel while you’re bringing in your things?”
Ricky handed the wide-awake Nory to her father and got down on the floor with Ralph. She put a hand on either side of his large mushy face and looked into his soulful eyes. “Hello, Ralph. You’ve lived here for a long time and now there are different people invading your home, but you greet us with a smile.”
A stream of images flowed from the dog to Ricky: A puppy with Ralph’s unique patterned fur playing in the middle of a living room in a smaller house with a man, woman and boy. The man ruffles his fur, the boy dances with excitement, and the woman smiles and makes happy sounds.
The same family; Ralph now full-grown, moving into this house, walking with the tall man around Lake Harriet, and chasing a spongy ball into the water. The boy ignoring dog and father, talking to a girl and her friends.
An ambulance in the driveway, lights flashing, a bed on wheels, Ralph trying to get to the boy as two men lift his silent body onto the bed and drive away. Woman is crying, man hitting his fists against the wall, Ralph restrained by an older man then put out in a dog-run in the yard.
Piles of suitcases, Ralph wandering around smelling them but no one saying “good boy”. His people are gone. New people move in, hardly talking to him. Little girl who seems afraid. Ralph being taken in a van to a place filled with other dogs. He gets a squeaky toy, eats and plays,but only one woman who works there talks to him. Then she sits down beside him with back against a wall crying. Then she’s gone.
In the van, driving, arrives at this familiar place that still has his smells but the people with the little girl are gone, and Rita greets him and calls him “good boy,” ruffles his ears and plays with him. She gives him a big bowl of food and water and lets him run in the dog run. Back in the house, a black not-a-dog arrives. He invites it to play, it runs and hides. Then there is the now. This lady, two men, two girls, another woman, all of them smiling at him, Rita here talking about him, says “good boy” again.
Ricky kissed the mound of fur on the top of his head. “You’re a good boy Ralph. We’ve come to keep you company. I’ll talk to the not-a-dog; he’s a cat, and his name is Pigeon. I’m Ricky. Do you want to meet the rest?”
Ricky motioned David forward. “Hi Ralph. Is it okay if we live here with you? We’ll take you for walks around the lake. Does that sound good?” he said as he hunkered down next to the dog. Ralph’s reply was a giant lick. Nory was awake and cooing. She put her tiny hand out and tried to pat Ralph’s huge head and the dog gently sniffed her bare toes. “And you’ve met Nory. She loves animals.”
Everyone else crowded around the dog and ruffled his fur and called him “good boy” and Ralph was in heaven.
“So you’re okay with this?” David asked.
“Isn’t it obvious? It’s looking more and more like we’ll need live-in help to make this work,” Ricky said. “If we have to travel at all, someone has to be around for Ralph.”
“There’s a whole ‘Care and Feeding’ manual for him. Lots to discuss, but Ralph told you most of it I gather,” George contributed.
Ricky nodded as she and the group followed Rita and Ralph into the kitchen.
“This is one nice setup, Mrs. Ricky. They got two stoves. Must have had a lot of parties, but one wasn’t used all that much. And the dish washer? It has a special cycle that sanitizes the dishes. When little Nory is big enough for bottles that will be great. And just look at this fridge.” Rita pulled open the doors, full freezer on one side and pull
out bins on the fridge side. In a cove off one side of the main kitchen were a front loading washer and dryer next to a wire clothes rack and a folding table.
“Wow, much nicer than at York,” she turned to David. “Hint, hint. I’m getting major ideas here.”
The group inspected the cupboards, finding all the usual kitchen and dining implements, oohing and awing over what they found. “Doesn’t look like they used these things all that much,” Katera noted.
“I can tell you a bit about that after we finish the tour,” George replied.
On they went, through a formal dining room with a long oak table and lush chairs, into the living room with its stark modern furniture and full windows. Two bathrooms downstairs and a television room completed the space.
Nory was eyeing everything, silent for a change, but her eyes were more on Ralph than on the house.
“Can we go upstairs, Mommy? Pigeon is there. He’s afraid of Ralph, so he’s not coming down. Maybe if we introduced them, they could be friends.”
“Okay, Nory. We’re going up now. Are you sure Pigeon is ready for this?” Ricky asked
“You can smooth it over. Ralph likes us and wants it to work.”
As they went up the stairs, Pigeon darted out of the hallway into a bedroom. “That’s the one I think will work for Nory,” David said. “It has a door that connects to our room.”
The room had been a library at one time, but most of the shelves were devoid of books. It had a dresser and a closet, which were also empty, and there was plenty of room for Nory’s crib and changing stand. Ricky opened the door into the adjoining room to see a king-sized bed, two large dressers, two chairs and a walk-in closet. The master bath could be reached through a door on the other side, and hiding in the Jacuzzi was Pigeon, frightened eyes gazing up in terror.
Nory cooed when she saw the cat, arms swinging, face alight. No one would have believed it from a baby eight days old who weighed seven pounds. “Okay, Pigeon, I know you didn’t get to talk to her yesterday, but this is your friend Nory.”
Ricky carefully held the baby near the edge of the tub, and Pigeon stretched up, patting the baby’s legs, and sniffing her, then purred loudly. The cat was in ecstasy until Ralph let out a loud woof. Pigeon leaped out of the tub and raced for the bedroom, ending up on the top of one of the dressers.
Ricky and Nory followed him with Ralph hot on their heels. “Pigeon, I know you were here first, but Ralph is a good guy. He doesn’t have a family, and he misses his animal friends. This was his house when he was a pup. He had a boy who died, and he misses him, just like you missed Nory. Could you give him a chance? You’ve accepted me and many others, so why not give Ralph a try?”
Pigeon looked down hissing softly, tipping his head from side to side as Ricky explained things to him. “Really big and scary not-cat. Loud voice. Crack my head with his mouth. That’s what Pigeon says, Mommy.” Nory informed Ricky.
Ricky turned to Ralph. “You think of him as not-dog. He sees you as not-cat. He is a cat who has been through bad things too. Do you promise to give him a kind welcome? You both need a friend; how about each other? You can watch out for baby Nory together.” The dog settled down on the floor, head between his paws, his gigantic tail wagging, but Pigeon turned his back.
The tour continued to the other two bedrooms on the second floor and the bathroom they shared, then up to the third floor which was furnished as an office with a large meeting space. Then they went, down to the finished basement where another bedroom and full bath was situated. Along with that was a game room with an array of entertainment potentials: pool table, television, video games, and a whole wall of board and card games.
“Wow, amazing,” Ricky said. “Lots of space to keep clean. I don’t know when I’ll have time for that.”
Katera patted her on the back. “That’s what we’re here for, among other things. Gimma and I will help for the first week, and Bonta is staying the summer. It will give you time to get help. There is no reason for you and David to take care of a newborn, solve a mystery, be foster parents for a Saint Bernard and clean a house even bigger than York Street. Spirit has blessed you with abundance, spread some around. Go into your network of friends and draw people in who share your philosophy and are eager to work with you.”
Rita was standing behind them and cleared her throat. “Mr. and Mrs.? Think on this. I used to have four families I cleaned for but everything fell apart lately. Two families moved, one other can’t pay me. You’re my only family left. I’d consider being a live-in housekeeper. It’d solve some problems for both you and me. No need to answer now; think on it.”
“Take the offer: she’s a gem. You’ll need her with a baby, cat and dog plus food and the house. I’d hire someone for dog walking. Ralph is too big for Rita to take around Lake Harriet. Talk to Hal Grimes, your accountant, if you’re concerned about the money. One look at your income will calm those concerns.”
Both Ricky and David heard the message from Moon and smiled at each other. David turned to Rita. “We love the idea. It might be a little crowded until Katera and Gimma go back to New Orleans, but we can make it work. You and George pull together a contract that will work for everyone. Sound good? Also, we’ll get someone to walk Ralph twice a day so you don’t have to worry about handling him out on the street.”
George nodded. “We’ll look at that and I’ll run the numbers by Hal Grimes and give you the newest figures.” Obviously, George had heard Moon as well, which wasn’t surprising since he had worked so closely with her spirit in their quest to end the power of the Soul Stealer.
Nory was getting fussy, needing a diaper change and a feeding. “I saw the diaper bag in the nursery,” Ricky said, “so I’ll take her up and change her. David, could you set up the porta-crib and monitor while I get the princess cleaned up?”
Everyone scattered. George and Rita found a spot in the dining room to discuss terms of the new employment. Katera brought her suitcase to a bedroom upstairs, and the twins chose the bedroom in the lower level and went to the van for their belongings. David brought up the crib and monitor and found Ricky in the chair nursing Nory.
“What’s that wood box in the diaper bag?” he asked quietly.
“We were so wrapped up in the new digs I forgot to tell you. Wait until Nory settles down and we can talk,” Ricky whispered back.
A half hour later, Ricky came down the stairs with the mahogany box in her hands to find David reviewing the contract that George and Rita had drawn up. The receiver for the baby monitor sat in front of him on the table. He handed the contract to Ricky, and she went over it from the viewpoint of the mother of the family and primary psychic of Moon Angel Spiritual Network.
Rita’s days on and off were decided and where she would live in the house. It was also determined that she would be their live-in housekeeper when they returned to the house on York.
The additions on the contract were made, and then Rita left to give notice for her apartment and collect her belongings. Gimma offered to ride along as her helper. George left with a list of things to send to Stan Jacobs and another list of things to retrieve from York Street. Katera and Bonta went to the kitchen to pull together a lunch that could be eaten whenever people wanted it so Ricky and David had a few minutes alone.
“When I thought of bringing our baby home from the hospital, I envisioned us alone at our house on York Street, just the three of us and Pigeon. Not this circus complete with horses and clowns,” David said.
“Horses and clowns?” Ricky said with a grin.
“Ralph and Pigeon,” David clarified with a chuckle. “I knew we’d need help, but thought extra folks would only be around for a couple weeks. I guess we’re not going to be that kind of family.”
“Years ago when I thought of being a mom, I pictured a dependent, little, cuddly child, a blank slate that I would mold into my image of a loving person. That was before I remembered who I was, obviously. Instead we have Nory, who has all the memories of her
past persona and knows more than I do about surviving in the higher frequencies. So much more fun than the blank slate child but more challenging than I could imagine.”
“She’s only eight days old, but she’s running the show. If she hadn’t told you what she’s been researching and her concerns about what her former father left in the house, she might not have survived her first year,” David said with a shudder. “By the way, how did the visit go with William Reston? You said the wood box is from him?”
Ricky told him about the instant attachment between William and Nory and how kind he was. She also fumed about the insensitive behavior from the “nosey parkers” that bordered on racist behavior.
“Honestly, David, the girls couldn’t have been nicer. They were helpful and respected the fact that Nory and I might want to be alone with William. They made friends with two ladies on his floor who were mature enough not to be afraid of teenagers in dreadlocks. But the whispers from some of the others…I understand why William wanted a private room and is careful who he talks to.”
“So the box?” David prompted.
“Yes, the box. William talked about the joys of having Norton Reston as his father. He referred to him as a pompous bully, even though he was known as a gifted spirit communicator.”
“Right out of the Chester Townsend School of Metaphysicians, it sounds like,” David commented. “Chester showed us that you can be evil and metaphysical all at the same time. Reston is another being like him.”
Ricky nodded. “His father deserted William with a healthy trust fund and a guardian who paid expenses but never visited. The only parenting Norton accomplished was a letter every other month to William for four years, then one the year he turned eighteen. Then they stopped, and shortly after, Norton was declared officially deceased and William inherited his father’s property. The box contains the letters which he keeps to remind him what a selfish tyrant his father had been. We can read them and make copies, but he wants them returned Sunday.”
