Harbinger in the Mist (Arms of Serendipity)

by Anabell Martin

  Two long, rectangular tables sat in the middle of the yard. One was covered with stacks of plates, napkins, plastic ware, glasses and a punchbowl. The second had large serving platters stacked high with various dishes on each end; the middle was empty with the exception of several layers of newspaper. Two large barrels full of ice covered bottles and cans sat in the place between the two tables. Mrs. Robbins waved at them as she adjusted the newspaper on the food table.

  “Clear the way, clear the way! The Frogmore Stew is ready to eat!” Mr. Robbins shouted.

  He and another man struggled as they carried a humongous silver pot toward the table. They counted to three and tipped the contents of the pot onto the piles of newspaper. The contents were a hodgepodge of edibles – large slices of Italian sausage, four-inch cobs of corn, whole red potatoes, and massive amounts of huge shrimp. Murmurs of excitement went through the crowd.

  “Uncle Owen always throws a great party, but I think he outdid himself this year,” a good-looking guy in his early 20’s said as he trotted up to Maddie and picked her up in a bear hug.

  He was about five inches taller than Lindsey, tanned, and slender. His sandy blonde hair was shaggy, but the look suited him. His eyes smiled as he placed Maddie back on her feet.

  “How the hell have you been? I haven’t seen you in ages. And when are you coming out on the boat with me?”

  “Lindsey, Eli, this is my cousin Brent. He lives over in Mount Pleasant but is too good to come out here unless there’s free food involved.”

  Brent laughed and shook Lindsey’s hand, then Eli’s, but he never took his eyes off Lindsey.

  “It’s not a mount and it’s not pleasant, but its home. And it’s really Maddie here who’s too good to come out and go fishing with a simple country boy like me.”

  Maddie play punched Brent in the arm then the two wrestled around for a moment. Brent looked up, laughing, and asked, “Y’all new here?”

  “Yeah, I am. My mom and I just moved here from Indiana. Eli’s just visiting. His aunt Darby lives here, though.”

  Before the conversation could progress, Maddie’s dad called everyone to attention.

  “Welcome guests, to the 18th-annual Robbins’ family boil! This year we are celebrating the high school graduation of our girls. Let’s hear it for Michelle and Madison as they embark on the rite of passage we call college!”

  The crowd clapped loudly, Lindsey and Eli included. Brent placed his pinky fingers in the sides of this mouth and whistled loudly. Michelle beamed at the attention, Maddie blushed.

  “Now. Dig in!”

  The throngs lined up and made their way down the serving tables.

  “What’s what?” Lindsey whispered to Maddie when they reached the food-ladened table. “Nothing’s marked.”

  “Daddy never marks the foods. He wants people to be open to trying new dishes without judging them first. This one,” she pointed to a blue and white checked platter close by. “This is fried gator tail bites. No, don’t wrinkle your nose, it’s actually really good, especially dipped in Daddy’s spicy remoulade sauce. And this bowl here is elk chili. It’s really good with the sweet cornbread over there. Just get a little bit of everything and try it. You’ll probably like most of it.”

  Michelle had joined them and whispered, “She’s right, try most of it. Dad’s an excellent cook. But stay away from the red platter at the end over there, the one with the little cows around the edge. Dad thought it’d be funny to serve swinging beef.”

  Brent nearly choked on his soda and Maddie rolled her eyes.

  “What’s – ”

  “Cow balls. Deep fried cow’s balls to be exact,” Michelle answered Lindsey’s unasked question.

  “I think you mean ‘bull testicles,’” Eli corrected. “Cows are females and, therefore, do not have, um, balls.”

  Michelle gave Eli a dirty look while Lindsey suppressed a gag. “Ugh! People eat that stuff?”

  They made their way down the line, each of them loading up on food with the exception of the innocuous looking dish in the red platter. Lindsey enjoyed the boil immensely, even going back for seconds. The other items were good, too, with the exception of venison. Its taste was too strong for her, too gamey. The girls introduced Lindsey to several of their aunts, uncles, more cousins, and friends from high school. As people finished eating, they made their way to the dance floor where they were doing some variation of a swing dance to oldies music.

  “Would you like to shag?” Brent asked Lindsey as she was polishing off a slice of strawberry shortcake. She wasn’t sure what he meant and looked to Eli. Brent mistook the glance. “That is, if your boyfriend doesn’t mind.”

  Lindsey blushed. “He’s not my boyfriend. He’s going to be a priest actually.”

  “So, no boyfriend, right?”

  Lindsey shook her head no, a little embarrassed.

  “Then let’s go!” Brent grabbed Lindsey’s hand and pulled her to the dance floor.

  “Let’s hear it for all those Carolina girls out there! This little ditty, as if y’all don’t know, is by the Chairmen of the Board,” the DJ shouted into his microphone.

  The women in the crowd whooped as the music to a vibrant piano and brass number echoed over the water and into the dusky evening.

  “I have no idea how to do this!” Lindsey panicked. She’d never seen this dance before.

  “You’ve never shagged? Here, I’ll teach you. Just follow my lead. It’s all footwork. Watch.” He moved his feet and said, “Triple step, triple step, rock. If you’re feisty you can kick out like this instead of the rock step. Put your free hand out like this.”

  Brent twirled her around the floor effortlessly. By the end of the song, Lindsey had learned the rudimentary steps to the dance and was having a blast. She’d never had a dance partner like him before; he was a natural. As the song came to an end, everyone on the floor whistled and clapped.

  “That was fun,” Lindsey laughed, clinging to Brent’s side. He had one arm wrapped around her waist and used his thumb and pointer finger on his free hand to whistle loudly. Another old beach song came on and he spun her into the middle of the parquet floor once again.

  They sailed through the next few songs. By the time they left the floor in search of drinks, night had settled around them like a black velvet curtain. Tiki torches had been lit around the Robbins’ backyard, the citronella oil they were burning kept the mosquitos at bay. Lindsey was sweaty, but exhilarated. Maddie and Michelle were looking at her smugly.

  “Where’s Eli?” She sipped root beer from the bottle.

  “He left a little while ago. Said he had a headache,” Maddie answered. She leaned close to Lindsey and added, “Personally, I think he got a little upset watching you and Brent.”

  “I doubt it. It’s not like that. If anything, I bet he just slipped back home to nab a piece of left over pizza. All he ate tonight was cornbread, potatoes, and corn. He’s vegetarian, so there wasn’t much here for him to eat.”

  Lindsey and Brent danced several more times before the night came to an end.

  “Give me a call,” Brent passed her a piece of paper with his cell number on it as he walked to his truck. Lindsey had escorted him around the house since it was on the way to the nearest bathroom. “We can go down and dance on the boardwalk at Folly beach. Or I can take you on the boat. I’ve got a nice little 42-foot Bertram. We can go out on the Cooper River and watch the dolphins and otters.”

  “That sounds like fun.”

  Brent gave her a hug, planted a quick kiss on her cheek, and winked. “It will be.”

  Lindsey watched him drive away into the night. She turned to walk back to the house when his red tail lights disappeared around a corner.

  “Sooooo…. Brent seems to be in to you,” Maddie prodded as she walked with Lindsey to the pathway that led to Retreat House a little while later. “You two going to go out on the Clipper?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. He gave me his number.”

  “L
indsey, take what I am about to say at face value, OK? Please don’t screw with him. He’s a wonderful, wonderful guy. He’s got a big heart. His last girlfriend took advantage of that and it nearly destroyed him. He’s just now coming out of his funk and I don’t want to see something happen to throw him backwards. So, if you and Eli have something going on, just… just don’t jerk Brent around, OK? Be honest with him.”

  “I’m not that kind girl, Maddie. Besides, Eli and I don’t have anything going on. We are just friends.”

  “Uh-huh. Well I’ve got to help clean up.” Maddie turned and began to walk away. A few yards away she stopped and yelled back, “Oh! I almost forgot to tell you. Aunt Sadie will be over tomorrow night at 5:45. She’s excited about being able to read the house.”

  “Cool! See you tomorrow and thanks for inviting me!”

  The house was dark; Eli and her mother were obviously in bed already. She entered the house as quietly as possible and drug herself up to her room. She fell asleep on her bed without changing her clothes. Tired as she was, she wished she’d seen Eli when she’d gotten back. She hated to admit that his absence had sent waves of disappointment through her.

  Downstairs, Eli was lying in his room wide awake, replaying the evening in his head. After he’d slipped away from the gaggle of partiers, he’d gone to Uriel’s office. He had been agitated. He kept telling himself if was due to the ongoing issues in the house, that he was anxious to resolve the issue and get back to his brothers. But in reality, he knew it had something to do with seeing Lindsey in the arms of that, that boy. The sight of his callused hands on her …

  He had stood in front of his superior’s door for several minutes, taking deep breaths to calm himself and trying his best to figure out what he was going to say. He knew there would be questions that he honestly couldn’t answer – questions about what in the hell he’d been doing instead of getting rid of the lost soul that had attached itself to that house. He didn’t want to admit that he hadn’t used any of his channelling abilities since moving in to the house.

  “Enter, Elion,” Uriel’s voice had drifted through the heavy door.

  Eli, having murmured a quiet prayer for guidance, had opened the door slowly. He then bowed to the rector and slowly took a seat in front of his large, mahogany desk.

  “The situation is worse than we thought. There is one angry spirit and three benign stuck in the house. It needs to be thoroughly cleansed so that the dead may be loosened from their earthly hell,” Eli explained.

  “Walk with me.”

  He followed Uriel outside. They stood in the sinking sunshine near the reflection garden. “Elion, it has come to my attention that you have been spending a lot of time with a woman, is this true?”

  The question he’d feared would be asked had come up first. He knew that he could not have lied. It went against every piece of his being. He had steeled himself to answer in a manner that did not incriminate.

  “Yes, it is. Pater, I am not proud of that fact but I am also not ashamed. Nothing has happened nor will anything happen. I will not leave my calling for her. I just feel that I have to offer her protection against the negative force that has so obviously targeted her.”

  “Are you sure about that, Elion? There have been other brothers that –”

  “I am aware of the failures of others, but that won’t be me. Once this house is exorcised, I will return here to my post.”

  Uriel had examined Eli’s downturned face for several moments, searching for any signs of weakness. Eli had not been able to bring himself to look the Rector in the eyes. That had been scary for him – he had never, ever had a problem being 100% sure of anything before. He had said the words aloud as if to reassure himself that Lindsey wasn’t anything more than a fragile creation of God’s that needed to be protected, that he would have no problems leaving when the problem was alleviated. But was that entirely true? Was it possible that she could be something more?

  “Elion, we are not going to restrict you from –”

  “Sir, with all due respect, I need to talk to you not about the girl, but about the house and the best way to get the trapped spirits to cross over.”

  “Yes, yes. Do you have any ideas? What would you suggest?”

  “I do believe that an expulsion is necessary, but I cannot do it alone. The girl went to a priest today and he gave her some advice. I believe that she is going to have him come out to bless the house. I would like to talk to him myself before I make any further plans.”

  “Paters Michael and Camael both see you as the best man for this job, so I too will trust your judgment.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “And Elion, please take caution where the girl is concerned. We don’t want to lose you.”

  Eli had nodded, bowed, and left the Rector’s chantry shaken. He tried to compose himself on the journey back to Retreat House. He hid in his room, knowing that it would not be prudent to return to the party or to wait up for Lindsey. He had to distance himself.

  But when he heard her open the front door his heart quivered in his chest and butterflies fluttered in his stomach. He had hoped that she’d knock on his door, inquire as to why he left. Part of him had hoped that she’d be worried that he was sick, that she’d check on him.

  A weight landed in his belly when he heard her trot up the stairs. When he was sure that she was locked away in her bedroom, he rose and went into the living room. For most of the night, Eli sat on the sofa staring at the ceiling knowing that Lindsey was sleeping safely. He told himself that he was listening for the spirit, using his keen abilities to keep her protected when she was at her most vulnerable.

  In reality, his heart was torn… he wanted to be able to share something as intimate and utterly exposed as sleep with her.

  The wee hours of the morning found him pacing back and forth under her bedroom. He was troubled, scared. In the end what would he choose? His calling or the girl?

  Fifteen

  Sadie was an older version of the twins – tall, long dark hair, and absolutely stunning. She walked up the stairs and down the hall, touching the walls, stroking the thin air, and whispering to herself. When she reached Lindsey’s bedroom she stopped abruptly and turned. She gravitated over to the left side of the room and stood silently for a moment. Although she was facing them, it was apparent that she couldn't see them. Her eyes were vacant, they were seeing another time.

  “Here. It happened … here. I see a woman, a fair woman round with child. She is lying in a large bed over here by the window. The headboard is flush with the window seal. The evening light is causing her face to glisten… her blonde hair is plastered to her sweaty face … she is … in pain.”

  Sadie turned and motioned to a corner in the room, “He is pacing there. He doesn't know what to do. He is blaming the servant for the illness … he is shouting that she isn't doing enough to help the mistress of the house.”

  “What's wrong with her?” Lindsey asked. “Is she in labor?”

  “No...” Sadie turned to face another direction, eyes still glazed over, and pointed. “The bedding is drenched in her sweat. She is crying, moaning. She fears for the baby’s life … she holds her stomach as if to protect the little life inside of it. She’s shaking and … and vomiting into a bowl held by the slave woman... the servant. She … the slave ... wipes the woman’s brow with a cloth and tries to soothe her... but the man,” Sadie pointed back to the corner, “the man is insane with worry, grief, and anger. The servant says that she’s done everything she can do, that the woman is ill from the bad air in the swamps... that she can’t do anything more than she is doing now... she says that she needs … what’s that? She needs ‘quinaquina’ ...”

  “What does she mean, ‘bad air?’” Lindsey asked, looking over at Eli and Maddie.

  “I don't know,” Maddie uttered, her eyes glued to her aunt as she roam around the room.

  Sadie began to sob uncontrollably.

  “She... she died in her sleep. The
man’s beside himself. He’s heartbroken and he’s angry. He’s yelling at the servant to cut the baby out before it dies too … But the slave woman refuses. He’s holding a hunting knife over his dead wife’s body … he’s tempted to do it himself but he’s afraid that he’ll stab the baby. The woman refuses to help. He …. he says that if she refuses to save his child, that if she wants the child dead...” Sadie, who had been talking rapidly just moments before, suddenly stopped and gasped. She fell to her knees and clutched her head.

  “He … he says that he’ll kill her babies with his bare hands if she won’t help save his. Two slave lives for the life of one, more valuable white child, he’s shouting. But... she is begging... on her knees by the bed... saying that his wife was dead already so there was no hope for the baby. He... backhanded her... there is blood coming from her nose and lips. He … kicked her in the side, knocking her out of the way. She scuttles toward the door. He drops to his knees by the bed … by his dead wife. His face is buried in her breast and his body is heaving with unheard sobs. The slave woman slips silently out of the door.”

  Sadie quickly jumped up, turned, and ran from the room with Lindsey, Eli, and Maddie on her heels.

  “Where is she going?” Maddie asked, panting, as the psychic ran down the stairs.

  “I don’t know,” Lindsey said as the woman disappeared around the corner.

  They caught up with her in the living room. Sadie was standing in the far left corner near one of the windows that looking out of the windows that faced the ACE Basin. She touched the painting on the wall once and whispered something to herself. Then she turned and looked toward the kitchen.

  “She ran in here. This wasn’t an open room back then. It was a small bedroom, a servant’s room. Her two babies are sleeping here alone since their mama had been tending the mistress of the house,” Sadie said, her eyes fogging over with the past again.

  “She, she’s blocking the door with the dresser. Her two little boys are sleeping in the lumpy bed. They’re so little. Twins. Maybe 3 … 4 at the oldest. She knows that he’s coming to kill them soon. He is enraged with grief. She is fine with dying herself, but her babies … her babies... she thinks about waking them and sending them out of the window. But it’s so dark and they’re so young. Would they know to run to one of the slave houses and hide? The master had brought other slaves with him, but how could she let them know what was going on? For them to hide and protect her babies?