by Curtis, Gene
He smiled and said, “I think we will make a good team, don’t you?”
She nodded again. “No doubt, dinner will be interesting tonight.”
He turned and started walking towards his car, in that bowlegged gait which was becoming a familiar sight.
Dinner would be at eight, as usual. LeOmi felt that she had several options. First Hannah, second Grand-Mère and third was the house itself. “I’m sure it holds all types of secrets.”
Three months wasn’t a lot of time.
* * *
Hannah had her routine for every day of the week. Mondays were changing the sheets, laundry, ironing and vacuuming. Tuesday was scouring the kitchen. Wednesday was grocery day. Thursday was baking day, dusting and mopping. But today was Friday and Friday was the fish market day, fish brought home and prepared fresh. Grand-Mère would be with her and then they would return in time for Grand-Mère’s nap, in the heat of the day and before dinner. So that left the third option, the one that LeOmi felt would be the least productive because she couldn’t invade Grand-Mère’s privacy. So, she would wander around, but stay away from locked rooms.
The house and grounds were huge. Combined, they took up a whole block.
LeOmi knew every flagstone in the garden, every nook in the garage and old stables. Everything was neat and tidy, with nothing out of place. It was the same with the house, except that it was dusty and dark. All the windows were battened down for the hurricanes that would devastate New Orleans from time to time.
It was obvious that Hannah would make the rounds and make sure that everything was all right. The hall tables were dusted but the floors were not vacuumed. Hallway runners were probably replaced periodically. Every door was locked.
The huge ballroom on the first floor was the room that Hannah had caught Ruby and LeOmi in when they were nosy youngsters. Beyond that room was unseen territory for LeOmi, except for the view of the closed shutters. She had longed to go up those stairs and now was the time.
The stairway went up between the ballroom and the unused formal greeting room. All the shutters were secured and the light filtered through the closed blinds. The ceiling in the ballroom was the entire three stories with huge covered chandeliers suspended from chains and cables. The ballroom was located in the south east corner of the house and there was an overhanging terrace that jutted out over the ball room dance floor on the second floor, level with the huge chandeliers. There were doors to rooms all along these terraces, six on one side and six on the other. There were also double doors that went to the house’s outside balconies at each end of the terraces.
Every one of the terrace doors were locked so she walked down the hallway at the top of the stairs. It looked like a boarding house on the second floor, although neat and tidy.
LeOmi saw the olive branch lying at a door on the other end of the hall. She ran and picked it up. She turned the doorknob and the door opened.
It was dark. No light came in whatsoever from anywhere. There was a lamp just inside the door. A large leather chair stood by the table with the lamp.
With the click of the lamp, the room was revealed as a huge library. There were light switches on the wall.
LeOmi couldn’t believe how many books were there. There were rows upon rows of books all around the room and this room seemed even bigger than the ballroom. The soft ceiling light gave the room a closeted feel.
“All this treasure, behind closed doors where no one can enjoy it.”
The shelves went along the walls leaving about two feet of wall to ceiling space. On the table beside the door were two books and another olive sprig. The books were old. The first was titled Interactions between Earth, Wood, Fire, Metal and Water. The second was A Study in Sumerian Cuneiform.
It was late; Grand-Mère and Hannah would be home soon. LeOmi turned off the lamp and stepped out the door and down the stairs to her little room on the first floor, the books tucked under her arm.
* * *
Bekka came back to the room at eight o’clock, just when dinner would begin. Disappointed, she saw that the book was not there, LeOmi had taken it with her. Bekka pulled out her note book and made notations and calculations. That shouldn’t be. This isn’t right. She took the book, not just looked at it to retrieve information. That isn’t right. What has happened to change her? Is she now a thief? Is there any hope for her now? Distressed, Bekka knew that she needed to hear what went on at dinner tonight. She noted in her notebook: Success isn’t sure, in fact failure seems likely.* * *Confront Grand-Mère? This seemed crazy, maybe she should ask Hannah first and not Grand-Mère tonight. No it has to be Grand-Mère, she had already been notified by Hannah from the first day that whatever Grand-Mère wanted, that was the way it would be done.
Salmon with butter, lemon, salt and pepper on a bed of rice. Very simple recipe, yet so wonderful. The usual routine for dinner, except once again when Grand-Mère’s coffee came, LeOmi did not ask to be excused. Not yet.
“So, you wish to converse with me.”
“Yes.” LeOmi stared at Grand-Mère for a split second then at her water glass.
“I know where you were this morning. You spoke to Sergeant Polaris for a substantial amount of time, feeding squirrels and what not. Then you returned to this house and set about looking for answers to questions. Did you find what you were looking for?”
LeOmi looked at her Grand-Mère with a blank expression.
“Of course not. Or else you would not remain in your chair for so long after dinner. I assume you must be forming your questions, or getting up the nerve to tell me that you have been in my library and removed some books from there.”
LeOmi found herself unable to speak, and then she began to get angry. Who was doing the confronting here? Wasn’t that what she had intended to do. She could hear Henry—Have I got you riled up yet? There were two ways to handle this, no three.
Grand-Mère –waiting for a response simply pursed her lips and folded her wrists over each other in her lap, sat back and waited.
First I can just come out and ask her, second I can wait and let her tell me—that doesn’t seem likely or third I could get-up and leave. “Sergeant Polaris had a signet emblem that he thought you might have some information about. Also he said there were things in my family’s past that he wouldn’t tell me—that he thought it was something I should not hear from a stranger.”
“Ah.” She unfolded her wrists and reached for the cup of coffee. “And, for this information, what am I to learn about you?”
“Me?”
“Yes you, my granddaughter, my piece of the family that wants to take part in this family, but only on the outside looking in. Will you run away, just like your mother when you find the truth?”
“Well, I guess that all depends on what the truth is.”
The lips pursed and she sat back and folded her wrist across wrist again.
“Yes, the truth. You were in my library today and removed two books, without permission.”
LeOmi stiffened. “I just borrowed them.”
“You borrowed them without permission. Return them tomorrow, and then we will see if you are worthy to accept the history of your family. Good night. I wish to finish my coffee now.”
LeOmi stood, looking at Grand-Mère. “I will return them tomorrow morning.” LeOmi turned and left the room.
Hannah had been listening. She shook her head slowly from side to side. “What is going to happen to this family?”
* * *
Bekka made notations in her notebook, closed it and stared into the house, possibly for a longer time than she should have, contemplating her next move, or if she should make another move at all. It was time to go in and report what happened today. She would take the blame for setting up the temptation, but LeOmi was responsible for her decisions and her actions.
* * *
At first the dream was hazy, and then the mountain came into view. Then she was at the gnarly tree in the rocks and the sand. There was anger in the air. The girl wi
th the long dark pony tail and the tunic of the Magi was not facing LeOmi.
“I told you that the Council had reservations about you and then...” That night the dream was different from the first. It was an unmistakable warning.
“There is no room for thieves at The Seventh Mountain. There is still time to remedy the situation.”
* * *
The next morning, LeOmi’s routine was all that kept her sane. When Sergeant Polaris finally pulled up to the library in his unmarked detective’s car, she could barely contain the eagerness to talk to him about most of the events of the day before.
“It seems that you are walking backwards instead of walking forwards. Listen, I guess we need to go our different ways.”
“No!” She didn’t expect that. Henry wouldn’t have abandoned her, would he? “I’m not going to stop. Not until we know.”
“You know that I won’t stop.” He hesitated, then looked around and said, “I surely won’t miss these squirrels.”
She shrugged, touching her shoulder to her chin, “I have a way with animals. They listen, and they don’t treat you badly unless you treat them badly. They also tend to be less demanding than people.”
“Whoa, always the pleasantries.” He turned and walked back to his car. “You know how to get in touch with me.”
* * *
Saturdays were a day of reflecting; checking the past week to see what was missed before the new week began. Since school had dismissed for the summer, and LeOmi no longer had her job at the ranch, her work-outs and endurance exercises were the first things done early each day, then library time. She reviewed the notes that she had made from her late night study of the books from Grand-Mère’s library.
The book A Study in Sumerian Cuneiform didn’t hold any answers. It was all information that she had already gathered from her research at the library. There is just so much to be said about an ancient language.
The book titled Interactions between Earth, Wood, Fire, Metal and Water was more interesting.
This came from Buddhist beliefs, the classic Chinese and Japanese culture elements from the Edo period. The study of changing states of being or metamorphoses:
Earth represented things that were solid.
Water represented things that were liquid.
Fire represented things that destroyed.
Air represented things that moved.
Heaven represented things not of our everyday life.
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; some to honor and some to dishonor.
Wood parts earth; Wood feeds fire.
Earth absorbs water; Earth bears metal.
Water quenches fire; Water nourishes wood.
Fire melts metal; Fire creates earth (ash).
Metal chops wood; Metal collects water.
Rather like Henry’s Wheel of Life, everything is joined together. Links in a chain, spokes on a wheel, God’s Great Plan. But what does this have to do with Sumerian Cuneiform?
* * *
Bekka was in her usual place, keeping watch. Dinners were becoming livelier and livelier.
“For two years you have lodged in this house, my house. There have not been any conversations, no formal hellos or goodbyes. Bonjour, au revoir! This is understandable. It took your mother’s death for you to ask…anything.” She actually placed her hand on her forehead briefly, and paused. “I am old.” Then looking up at LeOmi, “I have distanced myself from you; we will remedy that someday, but not today. Your family secrets will remain family secrets until it is the proper time for them to come to the light. Now is not the time.”
Disappointment was evident on LeOmi’s face. She went to speak and Grand-Mère simply raised her hand and looked away from LeOmi.
Hannah came in and laid the main course plates. As always, first Grand-Mère then LeOmi. She turned and left the room.
“Why am I such a disappointment to you? What have I done, or not done that makes you dislike me so much?”
“I do not dislike you child.”
There it was. She felt the tears stinging the back of her eyes. For a moment she saw her mother’s face, aged, bitter and angry, but Grand-Mère was sure of herself, while mother had desires to run away from her responsibilities, desires that she gave into.
LeOmi said, “I’m not here for much longer. When will be the time?”
“Well that depends on you doesn’t it.”
Once again the blame was put upon her. Was it LeOmi or was it her mother that Grand-Mère was punishing?
“Why did my mother leave?”
“She met your father and he stole her away.”
Grand-Mère picked up her spoon, “Enough!”
* * *
Bekka wrote “Stalemate” in her notebook and underlined it. Neither LeOmi nor her Grand-Mère will relinquish their personal treasures and traps to each other. They are truly from the same blood, but time will tell, for both of them.
* * *
Over the next few months, life went on as normal except that LeOmi trained harder. She still had all the equipment that Henry had given to her and she had made a place in the old stables among the empty horse stalls and the old carriage. As long as she didn’t move or take anything she was sure that she would not be bothered
LeOmi spent most of her other waking time studying books that she had checked out from the parish library. Sumerian history was interesting, but there weren’t a whole lot of documents that were relevant. Most everything was financial dealings, weddings, births, deaths and inventory of belongings —from camels to pounds of salt.
The Journal that Yvonne Jones had purchased was only partially translated but it had been considered just a family chronicle. It was officially logged as: A Sumerian Cuneiform Journal uniquely assembled with artistic nuances. It was on leather and bound with fragile leather bindings. The remarkable thing was that it had been reproduced during the time of the Spanish Inquisition and the reproduction was the portion that had been translated. Both books: the Sumerian Cuneiform Journal and the translation had been a package deal but the original was still left in the care of the Calcutta Library in India, until arrangements could be made for its removal. So whoever she had purchased it for was still waiting to remove it, probably because the police would consider that person a suspect in her murder.
The Library of India was happy to continue to lodge the original at its current location, but the replica was not in the Calcutta Library. LeOmi’s mother had taken that with her upon finalizing the bidding and payment. At present its whereabouts were unknown.
The same questions were compounding with more and more side questions. Did she steal the money from Compton? Will he pick it up or will he kill whoever else goes to pick it up? Does he have the other Journal? If not him, who? But it must be Compton. He had the money, and after all, wasn’t that why she had gone away with him? Or was it?
“There must be answers somewhere.”
Dad. Is this what she left for? To steal a fortune to purchase an old book?
She expected to hear something from either her sister or her brother, at least after she had been accepted to The Seventh Mountain. Maybe they were staying away since it was a conditional acceptance. I wonder how many students there were with conditional acceptance. There are almost seven billion people in the world; the ratio is probably not something that she wanted to think about. She would make that one of her first questions if she was allowed to ask questions.
* * *
The one week mark, before Orientation was scheduled to begin, there was a book on her night stand when she woke-up. The Seven Pillars of Wisdom and it looked like it was well used. There was an olive twig placed on it. The inscription read, “Proverbs of Wisdom to LeOmi from Bekka. Congratulations! There was no copyright or date of publication page. There wasn’t even an author or stamp. It was like it had been compiled for someone—probably for Bekka or maybe by Bekka. So many questions.
* *
*
There were no lengthy goodbyes from anyone. The Sergeant didn’t make an appearance. The last night at Grand-Mère’s table was the same as usual—the cold shoulder treatment, so LeOmi gave it right back, and Hannah had stopped talking to her at all, since that night of the borrowing without permission speech–probably on orders from Grand-Mère. Hannah might have accidently told me something of the family’s past.
That night at dinner though, after LeOmi had packed everything and placed her trunk and backpack by the door of her room Hannah was wearing the broach, the broach she only wore on special occasions.
* * *
She didn’t really know what to expect. Her father had made the arrangements. In the early afternoon, just after lunch there was a car waiting out front for her.
“Hi. I’m Benjamin. Your father and Bekka sent me.” That was all she needed. He helped her with her trunk and she got into the back seat of the custom made car. There was no special markings and no auto manufacturer.
There was no one to see her off but he didn’t mention that.
After they were in the car and he began to drive he said, “Welcome, we are going to a secure location—and it may take a while to get there. Do you know why?”
“Yes, it is because we are being followed isn’t it.”
“Exactly. Apparently your grandmother doesn’t want to let go of you.”
“Actually I think she is probably glad that I am gone. Let’s just say that she is very curious.”
“Okey-dokey…Whatever you say! Bekka told me that we may have to deal with this. We carriers are followed quite often, more than you would think.” He paused in his conversation while he made a U-turn.
“There is a special container for any electronic equipment that you may have with you: watches, cell phones, e-readers, computers, wireless devices, etc. They will not work on the grounds of The Seventh Mountain but they will be safe in the container. I will see that it gets to your room at the mountain.”
LeOmi placed her cell phone, watch and laptop computer into the container.
“Make sure the container is sealed.”
He made another U-turn and his speed picked-up.
