Her Mom was right, Thurmont was a major employer in the area and one of the few that might have a job for Sylvia. She wasn’t interested in the factories that lay outside of the town. North Bay was sort of a quiet, sleepy hamlet. At the town borders and closer to I-95, suburban developments and shopping areas existed. The only other major employers for this area were the hospital and schools. Anything else would be an hour commute into Delaware or towards Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The thought of a two hour commute each day wasn’t pleasant.
Sylvia went and got an old blanket. She put it under the trees in the side yard and lay down looking up at the sky. The earth was just warm under the blanket and the grass a nice cushion. She looked up at the lacy canopy of branches and young leaves against the blue, blue sky. She looked carefully. If she looked a little beyond the leaves and branches and not directly at them, Sylvia could see their auras. She watched, fascinated as the auras moved up and down as if the trees were breathing in and out. She wasn’t sure how long she lay there until her stomach growled. She had been too nervous to eat breakfast and had not had lunch. She picked up her blanket and folded it over the deck railing and went in to get an early dinner.
When Sylvia went through the refrigerator, she finally decided to make a tuna salad sandwich and have it on toast. As she was eating she wished for some potato chips, but did not want to drive up to the grocery store for one item. She sipped at a cold beer and then went in to check her e-mail. Gwen had replied and liked her resume and wished her luck on the interview repeating the same as her text message the day before. Sylvia e-mailed her that the interview had gone well. Sylvia knew Gwen had a lot going on in her life. She knew Gwen was caught up in her first few days on her new job. It was a company that had head-hunted her during her senior year and was a prestigious accounting firm. Gwen was more than qualified, but had confessed to Sylvia that the corporate world made her a bit nervous. She surfed some more looking at additional Green Man sites. The history of the Green Man repeated itself and she found nothing about his possible return to the earth. She surfed through some of the commercial sites that sold pieces of artwork dedicated to the Green Man. If she got the job, she might treat herself to a sculpture, garden art or jewelry. She couldn’t decide, but book marked some sites.
As soon as she logged off the telephone rang. It was Marian asking when she had the interview.
Sylvia filled her in that she had already had the interview and was now waiting to hear if she would be offered the job. Marian was positive and said they should have champagne when she got the job. She put the emphasis on ‘when’ to be positive. They hung up and Sylvia went in search of something to read.
Gran’s bookshelves felt like a second home, and they had always surrounded her with comfort. Sylvia hadn’t paid too much attention to the titles that her Grandmother had collected, until now. The titles on the shelves showed an eclectic collection of interests of Gran’s. Gran’s warm presence was almost tangible as her eyes sifted through the titles on the shelves. Finally Sylvia settled on a volume of poetry by Rilke and took it to bed with her. His words were lyrical and soothing and soon she was off in a dreamless sleep.
Chapter 11
I am circling around God, around the ancient tower,
And I have been circling for a thousand years.
And I still don’t know if I am a falcon
Or a storm, or a great song.
--Rainer Maria Rilke
As soon as the dew was dry the next morning, Sylvia put on an old pair of sneakers, shorts and a t-shirt and mowed the lawn. Since her father passed away when she was in fourth grade, it had been Sylvia’s job from her teenage years on to mow the lawn at her house. Her grandmother had had a lawn service come in. Sylvia had cancelled it because she enjoyed being out in the sun.
First she trimmed before she mowed. The back lawn was a small patch of grass; the front and side yards were long and narrow and went down to the beach. She had worked up quite a sweat by the time she was finished. When the lawn was completed she put the mower back in the shed and sat out with a glass of cold water. She sat cooling off when the phone rang and she ran to get it. It was Mr. Keely offering her the job.
“Are you all right?” he asked as she panted a bit when she answered the phone.
“I’m fine,” Sylvia said. “I’ve just finished mowing the lawn.”
“Oh,” he commented, making it sound as though physical work was distasteful. “We would like you to start as soon as possible,” he told her. “Would Monday be all right?”
“Monday would be fine,” she told him, trying to keep her excitement in check.
He instructed her to come in a bit early, if she could, to work on the paperwork for personnel. They agreed that she would arrive by 8:30 and Sylvia hung up the phone, giving a ‘whoop’ as soon as she put it into the base.
A moment later she called her Mother. She got her voicemail, but left an enthusiastic message. She texted Gwen and then she called Marian who congratulated her.
“We’ll have to celebrate!” Marian told her. “What about this weekend?”
“My friend Gwen is coming in over the weekend,” Sylvia told her. “Sorry.”
“Bring her along!” Marian suggested. “We can have dinner and champagne here on Saturday night.”
“Are you sure?” Sylvia asked.
“Of course, I’m sure,” Marian stated firmly.
“All right,” Sylvia said. “I’ll e-mail her and let her know what’s up. If it’s a problem, I’ll let you know. Is there anything I can bring?”
“Absolutely not,” Marian said firmly. “I’ll take care of everything.”
“Okay,” Sylvia said. “Thanks.”
They hung up and Sylvia realized how hot and sticky she was. She dropped her clothes by the washer and ran upstairs to shower. The warm water felt wonderful. Sylvia’s muscles, unused for mowing, ached. The warm water coursed over her body and eased some of the tightness.
Sylvia got out of the shower and went to e-mail Gwen, knowing full well it would be all right to go to Marian’s for a celebration, as she was anxious to meet Owen. Thinking of Gwen’s visit, Sylvia sat down and made a list of groceries and things to buy. The next two days flew by with trips to the mall for additional outfits for work and preparation for Gwen’s visit. She dusted, cleaned dancing around the house with her favorite CD’s, made up the guest room with clean sheets and pulled out a clean towel set. She went to the grocery store to pick up food for the weekend and goodies that she and Gwen liked. She also went to the liquor store to stock up on beer, wine and Gwen’s favorite vodka. She added margarita mix to the cart and tequila as well.
Before Sylvia knew it, it was Friday evening and she was waiting anxiously for Gwen to arrive. Gwen had called earlier in the evening from her cell phone and said she was stuck in traffic on the Jersey turnpike and would get there as soon as she could. It was sometime after ten when Sylvia drifted off to sleep on the couch to a television program that droned on and on. Gwen eventually pulled in the driveway. The atypical sound woke Sylvia up immediately and she flew out to the kitchen door. Sylvia ran into the driveway and gave Gwen a huge hug as soon as she stepped out of her car. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed Gwen’s company. Gwen hugged her back in a bear hug.
“Great to see you, Syl!” she said. She stretched and moaned. “Ugh, I’m not used to sitting in a car for so long! I’m getting old,” she said.
“Let me help you get your stuff,” Sylvia said and she took the keys from Gwen and got her bags from the trunk.
“Come inside,” Sylvia said, anxiously motioning with her head for Gwen to follow her.
“It’s gorgeous here!” Gwen said as she looked out at the lights twinkling on the dark water.
“Yeah, it’s great, wait until you see it during the day,” Sylvia said. “Come on in, we’ll get you settled and then we’ll grab a cold beer and sit on the deck, okay?”
“That would be heaven,” Gwen said.
“Wow,” she said dreamily, “Vacationland.”
“How’s work going?” Sylvia asked.
“It’s a challenge,” Gwen told her, “but I love it. You know how I love to crunch numbers.”
Gwen had majored and excelled in accounting in school. She had been at the top of her class. She had plenty of job offers during the year and was now working for a high-powered firm in Greenwich, Connecticut.
“How is the corporate environment?” Sylvia asked knowing it had been one of Gwen’s concerns about the job.
Gwen yawned loudly before she answered. “It’s all a game,” she said, “and it’s good I like chess. There are a few backbiters, some bullies and a lot of nice people too.”
“How about you?” Gwen asked her. “Did you get any more details on the job?”
“Not really,” Sylvia said. “It sounds as though they need ideas and a public face.”
“Then you’ll come out smelling like a rose,” Gwen said. “You have a lot of talents with web design and news writing. I always wondered why you didn’t major in journalism.”
Sylvia was surprised, but shrugged “I hope I have some kind of talent,” Sylvia returned.
Gwen tossed a cap from another beer at Sylvia where it hit her shoulder and bounced onto the deck and off into the grass. “Stop it,” she said to Sylvia, “you’ll be great.”
They talked late into the night, catching up on everything in the last couple of weeks. It was well after midnight when both were yawning considerably, that they went up to bed.
Sylvia slept in later than usual, but woke up much earlier than Gwen. She showered and dressed as quietly as she could and tiptoed downstairs to put on coffee. She didn’t know how long Gwen would sleep, but suspected it would be late morning if her pattern was the same as in college. Gwen had never scheduled a class before noon if she could help it. Sylvia was restless. Finally she decided she would make something –a coffeecake or muffins. She took out the cookbook Marian had lent her and flipped through the pages. Muffins seemed easy enough. She looked through the cupboards for the ingredients, dumped them in the bowl, stirred and put them in the oven, hoping for the best. While they baked, she took a cup of coffee out onto the deck and leaned on the railing.
She thought about the Green Man and wanted to tell him that she could see the auras. As if reading her mind, he appeared at her elbow.
“Wow!” she exclaimed. “How did you know I was thinking of you?
“I just knew,” he said in a mysterious tone with the usual humor in his voice.
“I’m able to see plant auras now,” she told him proudly. “Quite easily, in fact.”
“Good,” he said. “That’s a step in the right direction. You should work on people aura’s next.”
“Okay,” she said, “Any suggestions?”
“It’s the same as plant auras,” he said. “You need to focus. Focus your sight beyond the person. Sometimes it’s easier if they’re against a light background,” he suggested.
Sylvia nodded. “Okay,” she said. “Will I know what they mean?” she asked.
“Not at first,” the Green Man told her. “Just work on seeing them.”
They were quiet for a moment and then Sylvia had a question.
“Hey,” she said suddenly. “My friend is visiting. What if she sees me talking to you? Will she be able to see you?” she asked in a demanding tone with some concern in her question.
“It depends on the person,” he said. “If they’re ready to see me, they will.” He answered, and then added with a grin, “If they’re not ready” he paused, “If not, she may think…” his voice trailed off.
He saw Sylvia’s face change from questioning to a look of panic in only a moment.
Sylvia cut him off with an “Ohmigod! The muffins!” and ran into the kitchen.
Sylvia had caught the muffins just before they burned. She used hot pads to remove them from the oven and set them on the top of the stove to cool. Sylvia sighed with relief.
“Sorry,” she said breathlessly as she ran through the French doors out onto the deck. But, no one was there.
“Aargh! Men!” she stormed and stomped back into the house to dump the muffins from the pans. Gwen came down a few minutes later.
“What’s this I smell?” she asked. “It’s wonderful! Are you going all domestic on me?”
“Well, I figured I have to eat my own food, so I thought I had better learn to cook something,” she said, “other than fast frozen microwave dinners.
“Well the muffins look great,” Gwen complimented her and took a bite, “and they taste even better,” she said with a mouthful.
“Good,” Sylvia told her. “Then I’m not a domestic failure!” she laughed and Gwen laughed with her.
After they had breakfast, Sylvia took Gwen up to the town and they puttered through the boutiques and antique stores. Gwen picked up designer salsas and a candle at two of the shops. She oohed and aahed at some antiques and wished she had a truck to transport things back to Connecticut rather than her compact sports car. At a gift shop at the far end of town, Sylvia was surprised to find a decent collection of Celtic music. She looked through the CD’s and picked up two that she couldn’t resist. One had a picture of a green man on the front and the other had a song about the Green Man. She couldn’t wait to listen to them. They walked back into town past the post office and churches had lunch at the tavern where Sylvia had eaten with Owen and Marian. The town was packed with boaters and tourists, and they had to wait in the bar until their table was ready out on the deck.
“I’ve got to hand it to you, Syl,” Gwen told her. “You live in a great place. I know a lot of people who would trade places with you in an instant.”
“It is great,” Sylvia said. “I think I take a lot of it for granted because I feel I grew up here,” she told her. “But, I’m finding I really enjoy living here.”
Their last stop was at the local florist to pick up flowers for Marian. They hurried home to put them in the refrigerator before they wilted.
“How should we dress for tonight?” Gwen asked her.
“Um, any way you want, I think,” Sylvia said. “Jeans are okay.”
“Okay,” Gwen said. “Casual sounds great. My poor body has been in shock to wear heels and suits everyday.”
They drove over to Marian’s a little after six. Owen was on the riding mower, finishing the back portion of Marian’s lawn near the meadow.
“There’s Owen,” Sylvia told Gwen as they pulled into the driveway nodding in his direction.
“I thought you said he was a nerd,” Gwen said. “He’s a hunk!” and she elbowed Sylvia in the ribs.
They both giggled. Gwen was right he was a hunk. Without his shirt, Sylvia could see his stomach muscles rippling as he gripped the mower’s steering wheel as it traversed over a rough patch of ground. A couple of curly black waves hung down on his forehead. He was taking the mower back to the storage shed.
They got out of the car and Sylvia introduced Gwen to Marian who had come out onto the front stoop. Marian was delighted with the flowers and thanked them profusely and invited them inside. Owen came in from mowing, wiping his forehead with his t-shirt.
“Hi, Syl,” he said and she introduced Owen to Gwen. He shook hands with her and when she smiled, he seemed frozen for a second. Sylvia was used to this reaction to her friend. In addition to being incredibly intelligent, Gwen was also incredibly beautiful. She was tall with long, to die for, blond hair that swung about her shoulders and flas
hing blue eyes and a body to match. Sylvia used to tell her she should quit college and become a model, but Gwen had no interest in it. Men just stopped and stared and most of the time, she didn’t have the time of day for them.
Owen stopped staring after a moment, recovered and said, “I need to go clean up. I’ll be back in a couple minutes.”
Marian offered drinks and cucumber sandwiches and they sat outside on the patio to talk. Fortunately the evening was warm and not oppressive. Owen came back a few minutes later, dressed and apparently fresh from a shower. His hair had curled up with the dampness. His mussed up curls made him look a lot younger and definitely sexier, Sylvia thought, smiling. After a few minutes, Marian excused herself and went to put dinner on the table. Sylvia went inside to help her.
“Thank you, Sylvia,” she said, “You needn’t have come in. I can handle this.”
“Let me help,” Sylvia told her. “What do you need me to do?”
“First you can warm up this milk in the microwave,” Marian gave directions, “and start the potatoes beating in the mixer.”
“Why do I need to heat the milk?” Sylvia asked.
“For the potatoes,” Marian said. “You’ll see, they’ll become nice and silky when you heat the milk that you beat into them.”
Sylvia told Marian about the Celtic CD’s she had found. Marian asked her to bring them over some time. Marian took the pork roast out to rest. It was covered in garlic, pepper and what looked like pine needles.
“It’s rosemary,” Marian said, chuckling at Sylvia’s obviously disbelieving look. “It’s that lovely fragrance that is coming from the pork roast.”
Marian had turned on the broiler. Sylvia watched her as she drizzled olive oil and kosher salt over asparagus spears and placed them in the broiler. Sylvia continued to mash the potatoes and added the milk. They whipped up soft and light.
Marian worked on slicing the roast. “Be a love, and check on the asparagus,” Marian asked Sylvia.
“What am I looking for?” she asked.
The Greening: a novel of romantic suspense...with a touch of magic (The Green Man Series Book 1) Page 12
