Spencer marched into the exercise room under the old Church where Emma was just shutting off her connection to her trainer. “Me eat!” He told Emma. “I know… you went to the diner. Did you have a good time?” Emma asked him. “Ya Ya” He said smiling broadly. Emma moved to one of her machines and adjusted the difficulty setting as per her coach’s instructions. “Me work… dinew.” He said enthusiastically. “You worked? Are you the new cook then?” Emma teased. “No!” Spencer giggled as he pulled on his cowlick. “I clean.” He told her. Emma was making more adjustments to her elliptical exercise training machine. “You’re a working man now are you?” She asked without looking up. “Yup” Spencer replied his chest puffed out like a rooster. Emma looked up at him smiling. “That’s terrific Spencer. I’m so proud of you.”
Spencer looked pleased smiling broadly. The basement had high windows that faced the side parking lot. Spencer could hear and then see a car that had pulled in the lot with the sound of crunching gravel. He made a quick move toward the door. “Mom!... mowo.” He said waving to Emma as he exited. “Ok bye Spencer. See you tomorrow.” She called out to his back. ~
Jenna parked her car in the churches parking lot and walked to Sona’s back door. She quickly wrapped on the door as she let herself in. Sona had a fresh pot of coffee waiting for her. “Hi honey, did you have a good day at the office?” Sona asked in a joking manner. “It was a pretty productive day over-all.” Jenna replied taking the offered mug of Joe. “Sorry I don’t have any leftovers to offer you. We went to the diner for supper.” Sona said. “Oh right. That’s ok as long as Spencer is fed.” Jenna said before sipping her coffee. There was a ruckus at the back door as Spencer came charging in. “Ma! Ma!” He called out loudly. “Slow down Spencer. Did you wipe your feet so you don’t track dirt into Sona’s nice clean kitchen?” Jenna asked sternly. Spencer stopped in his tracks and looked down at his feet.
He went to the back door and scrubbed his sneakers on the door mat. He charged back into the room just as quickly the second time which made Sona grin in amusement. Jenna pretended to be deep in conversation with Sona so he would have to wait and cool his jets. Sona watched on fascinated at the interaction between mother and son. Spencer stood patiently shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Ma?” He finally said. Jenna turned to him. “Yes Spencer.” She said. “Me wook dinew.” He said trying very hard not to look too excited.
Jenna looked to her friend for clarification. “The diner was slammed so Spencer and Markie helped out busing tables.” Sona explained. “Oh that’s great Spenc. You’ve always been a good helper.” Jenna told him. “No Ma… me wook dinew mowo.” Spencer tried to explain. “Uncle Tullio said he did a great job and if he ever needed a job to come see him.” Sona told her. Jenna looked at Sona and then Spencer a little skeptically. She knew he was helpful but he’d never held down a proper job. “Was he serious?” Jenna asked Sona. “I think so. They really need the help.” Sona told her friend.
Just then Emma and Shaley walked into the room. “What’s this about Uncle Tullio needing help at the diner?” Emma asked. “Yup” Spencer replied quickly. “Maybe I should go work there after school. I could use some money for gas for my upcoming trip.” Emma pondered the idea. Spencer looked dejected. When Emma noticed the look of disappointment on his face she spoke again. “Don’t worry my friend. I could be a waitress and you a busboy.” She smiled warmly at him as his face transformed into a huge grin. “We can go there tomorrow if you like and talk to Uncle Tullio… that is if it’s ok with your mom.” Emma offered. Spencer turned to Jenna. “Pleath Ma!” he begged. “Pleath pleath!!” Jenna sighed. “Ok Ok. If it’s ok with Tullio… it’s ok with me. We’ll talk about it later. Now go play while I catch up with Sona. Shoo!” Jenna said watching his back as he retreated into the living room to watch TV. Jenna turned to Sona when they were finally alone. “What do you think of all this?” She asked sincerely. “I think it’s a great idea. He did a good job with Markie showing him the ropes and they really could use the help down there for the dinner rush.” Sona confided. Jenna thought carefully while sipping her coffee. ~
Chapter Five
Shaley ran out to Naomi’s truck for their usual Saturday lesson. Naomi planned on taking her to an Amethyst mine she’d heard about. Shaley had become interested in Crystals ever since Naomi had given her one when they’d first met. The Amethyst was a logical choice because it was a semi-precious stone but also is purported to enhance intuition and psychic abilities and that seemed to be what Shaley needed at this juncture in her life. Naomi thought it would be fun for Shaley to harvest her own piece.
When they arrived they were given a small rock hammer and sent into a small cave to explore. They liberated several specimens from the wall and returned to the surface to examine them more closely in the sunlight. Naomi arranged them on the ground in front of them after cleaning them in water to remove the dirt and rock dust. “Each cluster of crystals has its own vibration, its own energetic. I want you to hold your hand over each one for thirty seconds or so and see if you can feel it.” Naomi explained. It hadn’t occurred to Shaley that an inanimate object might possess an independent energy. She had heard of Aura’s around plants and animals and on one occasion she had witnessed a faint glow of color around a person but not rocks or crystals.
She held her hand a few inches above each cluster and just when she thought nothing was going to happen she started to notice a slight tingling on her palm. “It feels prickly.” Shaley told Naomi. The Shaman in Naomi raised her eyebrows. “Very good Little Sparrow.” She teased her protégé. “The tingling is the trauma that is resonating from being unceremoniously chiseled away from the rock face. You can also feel that from wood that has been harvested.” Naomi explained. “When you get home you need to let it sit under running water for at least five minutes to clear that funky energy.” She said. “Can I put them in the creek?” Shaley asked. “Sounds good but you better tie a string around them so you don’t lose them.” Naomi suggested. “I have one of those zippered laundry sacks for delicates… how about that?” Shaley asked examining one of the crystals more closely. “That sounds perfect. All this digging and hammering has made me hungry. Let’s go eat!” Naomi suggested.
They hopped into Naomi’s vehicle and made their way to her place of business. “Naomi… if Spirits are bugging me at school or at night what can I do?” Shaley asked. Naomi had been monitoring Shaley’s progress with her unique ability to interpret energetic signals. So far the symbolism that she employed and which were unique to her were serving her well. “What do you mean by bugging you?” Naomi inquired. “You know… talking to me when I’m trying to sleep.” Shaley explained. “You have to be firm and tell them its ok to talk to you but they have to respect you. There are things that you need to do on this plane and part of that includes sleeping and your education.” Naomi explained. Shaley sat thoughtfully the rest of the way home.
The diner was busy but not slammed like it had been a few days earlier. Naomi took their usual seat at the back by the kitchen reserved for family. Both Emma and Spencer were there with their aprons around their waists and hair nets covering their heads. Emma had helped out a few times so she was familiar with the routine and was also able to direct Spencer when he looked confused as to what to do next.
After they ordered Shaley watched the two of them work. Emma looked like an old hand and wasn’t just a good server but entertaining as well. She loved being the ham and making people laugh which also explained why she received so many tips. Spencer fumbled through his first shift but did it with a broad smile the entire time. He was having a ball and when he came by their table he made sure to show Shaley that he had also received a tip. In fact people had begun to leave change and even a few paper bills under the plates for him and by the end of the day he had collected a tidy sum.
Shaley picked at her food moving it around her plate with her fork. She suddenly didn’t feel like eating. “What’s the matter my little
friend?” Naomi finally asked. It wasn’t like Shaley to be so quiet. “I was just thinking about Spencer and some of the other kids like him. What is that all about?” She tried to articulate. Naomi looked at her thoughtfully. “There are all kinds of people and each one of us has a purpose, each and every life has equal value. The only difference is the lessons that each soul needs to learn.” Naomi wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin. Shaley just looked at her confused. “I’m very proud of you. You’ve been a good friend to Spencer since he’s come to stay with Jenna.” Naomi said giving her a wink. “I can hear his soul.” Shaley said simply as if that explained everything.
Naomi understood completely. People like Shaley and herself knew that people were much more than they appeared, not because she could read their minds but because they just knew intuitively. It was something Naomi called Crystal Vision. They could “see” more clearly using their minds than most people did with their eyes. Meanwhile Shaley’s mind changed to thoughts of her sleepover she had planned with her best friend Pippi. It had been a while since they had the whole night to play, eat junk food and watch movies and she was very much looking forward to it. ~
Shaley sat on the front stoop picking thick blades of grass and shredding them into tiny pieces. A car pulled into the driveway as Sona came out of the house to see who it was and waved to Pippi’s mother. Pippi exited the vehicle and ran toward the Old Rectory. Shaley threw down the blades of grass and met her friend with a warm hug. “Go put Pippi’s bag up in your room Shaley… and I hope you cleaned your room like I told you.” Sona said giving her a warning look. “I did Auntie. I even put clean sheets on the rollaway bed.” Shaley said smiling.
Emma walked out of the side door of the church carrying a towel and wearing her bathing suit. “Emma wait! We want to go swimming too.” Shaley hollered to her big sister. Emma stopped her progress toward the river. She’d been deep in thought but the sound of her sister’s voice snapped her out of it. “Ok hurry up then. I’ll be down at the dock waiting.” Emma yelled back. Shaley was a strong swimmer but Sona still wasn’t comfortable with her and her friends going swimming in the river alone. Emma was often recruited to keep an eye on them and she did it reluctantly.
The two friends retreated into the house and came back out only minutes later donning their swim suits and carrying old towels Sona had provided. They seemed to be making as much noise as humanly possible as they ran to the riverbank. Shaley threw her old towel down beside the dock as she ran by and jumped feet first into the Magnetewan making an enormous splash. Pippi followed close behind making an even bigger splash as she executed a perfect cannonball.
Emma laughed at them until she turned to look at the neighboring dock directly behind the Cemetery where Sunny and Spencer stood looking at them in disbelief. Sunny was the caretaker of the Cemetery and was Jenna’s girlfriend. She was also Markie’s best friend so she was practically a member of the family. Sunny had agreed to show Spencer some of her tricks for catching fish on the Magnetewan but that plan was shot to hell now. There wouldn’t be any more fishing now… not with that cacophony carrying on next door.
Sunny smiled inwardly because she loved seeing the girls having so much fun and enjoying nature. She and Spencer would have to find something else to do… in fact she was working on an old car in her workshop and she was looking forward to showing Spencer how to do some basic repairs. They packed up their fishing gear and headed up to Sunny’s small cottage. Sunny had been a little apprehensive at first when Spencer had come to live with Jenna thinking he would somehow interfere with their relationship. As time went on and she got to know him she soon found she enjoyed his company and even more importantly she loved sharing her knowledge as much as he enjoyed learning what she shared.
Spencer was a real boys’ boy and he was like a big sponge watching intently at everything she did even to the point of copying her gestures and gate. She loved having him for a step-son and she hoped that one day soon they would all live together.
Shaley and Pippi swam and dove, splashed and played until they looked like prunes. “I’m getting out to lie in the sun for a while Shay.” Pippi said. “Ok I just want to check one more thing before I come in.” Shaley informed her. “Shaley come in now! I want to go to town to meet a friend.” Emma called out a little annoyed. Shaley held up one finger before taking a deep dive to the bottom of the river. She thought she’d seen something earlier but the water was so soupy even with her goggles she had trouble identifying what she was seeing.
The object lay on the bottom with a generally rounded shape roughly cylindrical like a log but it didn’t seem to have any sharp edges to help identify it. She found it earlier when her foot touched it but she’d been swimming in her water shoes so she couldn’t even tell its texture. She dove on the object descending straight down making contact with her hands. The surface was smooth and covered with slimy algae. She tried to get a firm hold of it but there was just no place to get leverage before she had to return to the surface for air.
She reached the surface just as her lungs were screaming for oxygen. Emma stood on the dock with her hands on her hips looking even more annoyed than before if that was even possible. “Shaley get the hell in here! What the hell are you playing at?!” Emma called to her. Shaley smiled and pushed her wet clingy hair off of her face. “I found something. I want to bring it up.” She called back. “No come in now!” Emma hollered. “Please Em… if I leave it now I might not find it again. Please it looks really cool. Could you get some rope?” Shaley persisted. Pippi knew that tone and sat up on her elbows with her hand making a shield to protect her eyes from the sun. “You might as well go help her. You know she won’t come in until she gets it.” Pippi mumbled.
Emma stomped her foot on the dock in exasperation which made Storm charge to the edge of the dock and start to bark. “Get a rope Emma hurry!” Shaley called to her. “Damnit!!” Emma hissed through her teeth. She went to the shed and pulled out a rope they used to anchor the kayak and came back to the dock. Shaley was treading water nearby. Emma slipped into the water and walked out as far as she could before pulling down her goggles from the top of her head. “This better be good Shay.” She warned before moving deeper. Emma had tied one end of the rope to the dock and dragged the other end along with her.
The two sisters dove down together so Shaley could show Emma what she had been so fascinated with. Emma found the object easily enough but it was too stuck or too heavy for her to move. Visibility was only about a foot so she felt around the rounded object for somewhere she could tie the rope to. Twice she had to come to the surface to gulp some air before descending once more. Her years of training had made her more able to perform complex tasks underwater but she still found herself struggling. Shaley went down with her but knew she should stay back and only be an observer.
Emma found a loop of metal and secured the rope to it tightly. They both returned to the surface and broke through with a gasp. Storm had stopped barking and sat beside Pippi as she sat with her feet dangling in the water both of them watching intently. “Did you get it?” She asked as they approached. Emma lifted her goggles and flipped her head to get her hair out of her eyes. Shaley nodded her head enthusiastically. Markie had affixed an old pool ladder to the side of the dock and the girls used that to get back onto the dock.
Pippi handed each a towel to dry themselves’ with. Shaley used hers to dry her face then her hair as she smiled triumphantly the entire time. She went over to the rope and pulled it tight. “Come on you guys help me pull it in.” Shaley called out. “I have things to do.” Emma grumbled. “Come on Em, we’ve gone this far. Aren’t you interested in finding out what our treasure is?” Shaley sounded very excited. Emma shook head. “Not really” She said honestly. Pippi and Shaley took hold of the rope that had been fastened to the dock and started tugging to no avail.
Emma watched before making a loud sigh. She wondered if she would ever get anything done today. “Oh for Pete’s sake!” Emm
a said grabbing hold of the rope and the three pulled but nothing happened. They adjusted their grip and gave a more concerted effort but again nothing budged. “Well sorry kiddo but it ain’t moving. Maybe Markie or Sunny can help. I have to go now… bye.” Emma mozied her way up toward the Church. “And no going into the water alone!.. I mean it Shaley.” Emma warned. “I know!” Shaley called back rolling her eyes when she looked back to face Pippi.
The girls lie down on their towels on the dock and let the sun dry and warm them. “What do you think it is?” Pippi asked. “Maybe it’s a buried treasure?” Shaley joked. Pippi giggled. “I don’t think there were any pirate ships around here.” Pippi responded. Shaley just laughed at her own silliness. “It’s probably just a big old hunk of rusted metal.” Shaley said after a few minutes. “Well there’s only one way to find out.” Pippi said looking at her friend hopefully. “Let’s go ask Sunny to help us.” Shaley said jumping up and running toward Sunny’s workshop followed close behind by her Bestie. ~
Sunny was elbow deep in her latest car project and covered in grease. Spencer stood shoulder to shoulder watching intently at every move she made. Sunny took the time to explain every little detail about what she was doing and why and Spencer loved every minute of it. Her latest project was a 1950’s delivery van for the diner and she was almost ready to send it for painting. She had removed a spark plug and was showing Spencer with a gauge that the gap was incorrect and corroded and would need to be replaced. She was going to do a full tune-up anyway but she wanted him to understand why.
The Crystal Visions: A Families Journey into the Paranormal Volume 2 Page 4
