“No, I’m fine.”
That’s how the rest of day went. People fussed over Katie and kept asking how she felt. She played with her little cousins and hung out with the older ones. They all ate too much turkey and hardly had room for dessert. Katie noticed the sun had set although she knew it was still early. The sun set by five in late November. She just had to be patient. The apple and pumpkin pies were set out for anyone who wanted dessert. Katie hoped people would then want to be headed home.
Another hour passed before the aunts and uncles began to leave. Kids were getting cranky, some adults had to work the next day and others had another Thanksgiving to attend. It was all very typical of a holiday.
Katie felt like she just went through the motions during the day. She was so glad to see everyone leave. Her mother got a call from Beth and went to the bedroom to talk.
Katie decided to take advantage of the opportunity to talk to her dad. “Well, we have time to continue our discussion. In the hospital you told me you were Jack Woods and said we would talk later.”
“I never said I was Jack Woods, honey, I said I heard of him. A lot of people know who he is.”
This was not how the conversation was supposed to go. Her father was not being truthful with her again.
“Dad, you said we would talk. You know Andrew and you are Jack Woods!”
“Think of what you are saying. That just isn’t possible.”
The calmer he seemed, the more furious Katie got. She wanted to do something to make him as mad as she was. She stormed into the kitchen and opened the key cupboard. There, dangling on its special keychain; was the key to the Mustang. Katie grabbed it and her coat and was out the door in a flash. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. She could hear her father’s voice in the distance.
Katie entered the code to the garage and ran and jumped in the car. It started quickly, and because it was always backed into the garage, she could pull right out. She flew passed her father as he approached the car.
She had no idea where she was going. She only had her temporary license but didn’t care. She was just so mad she needed to get out of the house. What better way to get to her father, than to take his car?
Pushing harder on the gas pedal, Katie felt the car gliding down the road. It felt good to be going this fast. Let’s see how fast this car can go!
Everything was whirling past her in a blur but not because of the speed; her eyes were filled with tears.
Katie thought she saw headlights in her rear view mirror. It could be her dad. She wasn’t sure. She decided to pull into the park with the walking trail. It was a good place to calm down and think.
The car behind her pulled in, too. Jackson jumped out of the car and into the passenger side of the Mustang. “What were you thinking? You could have been hurt! You don’t even have your license!”
“You only care about your precious mustang, Dad,” Katie stared straight ahead wiping away a tear that rolled down her cheek.
“No, you don’t understand. I care about you. I care about you more than you know. I love you with all my heart and soul. That’s why I stay here.”
“Then you admit you’re Jack Woods from 1927.”
“Yes, yes, alright, I’m Jack Woods. Now I am Jackson Roberts who lives and works in the 21st century. I have the most amazing wife and daughter that keep me grounded. I have to be here; I have to live here...because I love you and your mother. Love is what keeps you grounded, Katie.”
“Then you should understand why I want to go back. I love Andrew.”
“We need you here more. We don’t completely understand the power of these books. We only know the book always takes us back to 1927 but we end up back here in the present time. No one has stayed passed December 31st because we’re afraid we may not be able to come back. We might have to live our lives out from there.”
“Would that be so bad?” Katie was thinking that going back in time to 1927 over and over again was like that movie where the person had to live the same day over and over again until he got it right. It might be nice to continue on into the next year.
“For some of us, no,” Her father was now very serious. “But for some others, it would be. So, Katie, please, don’t go back again. End it now. This is the perfect time. You have great memories, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. Can we talk some more tomorrow? I’m getting tired.” Katie was getting good at lying. “I want to hear your story--yours and Mom’s.”
“Okay, it’s a deal. But I drive the Mustang home,” Her dad handed over the keys to the other car.
When Katie got home, her mother was pacing back and forth in the family room. “Oh my gosh, what happened?”
Jackson signaled to her that everything was okay. Katie kissed her mom and went upstairs. She dug around her bag for the Jack Woods journal and the other book. She got ready for bed but was not really tired and decided to finish the journal. When she came to the last chapter, it was just called, Andrew. Katie couldn’t wait to get started reading.
Andrew Martin was a young man who came to the Grand Canyon with his family at the age of fourteen. If he had his way, he never would have left.
Andrew was part of the Martino family from Italy. Many of his family members were famous seamstresses and tailors in Italy. They started their own design house in Milan. The House of Martino is a well-known fashion industry there.
Andrew’s grandfather decided to come to the U.S. and expand the line. He started a small clothing store in New York City and it has grown into the popular chain of Martin’s Menswear. He runs it along with Andrew’s father, Nicolas. Andrew was supposed to follow in the family footsteps of design and tailoring. He was being groomed to run the family business and attended a private boy’s prep school on the East Coast.
Once Andrew saw the canyon and all the nature surrounding it, his destiny was sealed. He chose to use his creative talents, which indeed he had, on photography instead of design. He could not get enough of the canyon and begged his parents to stay longer. His family could not deny the devotion he had to it. That is when his father set up an endowment for the park. It also enabled Andrew to come and go at will. His grandfather built him a cabin on the park grounds for his use only. I believe they did all of this to appease Andrew, hoping he’d come to his senses one day. They wanted him to stay in New York with the family and enjoy visits to the canyon; only they did not realize this was not just a piece of Andrew, it was his whole life.
Each summer Andrew would return by himself for longer and longer periods of time. I would take him with me and help him take photographs with his state of the art 35mm camera. Each year he brought a newer, better one with him. I am ashamed to say I was jealous of his ability to purchase the newest and latest models of cameras, but Andrew’s likeability and unpretentiousness always won me over. He never asked for favors or expected anyone to do things for him.
Eventually I felt like I had gone from mentor to friend. He was almost like a younger brother to me.
Andrew had another good friend at the canyon, Thomas Cook. Thomas was very interested in learning everything about the canyon that he could. I believe he had aspirations to become a ranger. We had a good laugh about that since Thomas would first have to learn to get over his fear of heights. The two boys would accompany me on many adventures trying to learn everything they could about the park.
The summer of 1927 I decided I needed to tackle one last challenge. I wanted to go down the Colorado River and experience the river and its rapids. I knew this was something that would not be easy. You had to respect the river and learn how to live with it, not fight against it. My young friend, Andrew, wanted to join me in this latest endeavor. I was not too keen on the idea but could not dissuade him. We did many practice runs that summer. There were camps set up along the way for us to stop and stay overnight. My ultimate dream was to photograph and write about my adventure.
Little did I know that my dear friend, Andrew, was planning a trip down the ri
ver with his friend Thomas all on his own. It was scheduled for the Friday after Thanksgiving during Andrew’s extended holiday. I was a newlywed and would be with my beloved wife and had scheduled my return for the weekend after the holiday. When I arrived on Saturday, I heard of Andrew’s departure. I was surprised he did not confide in me but I also knew he was a proud young man and wanted to accomplish something on his own. The only trouble I had with this trip was that his friend, Thomas, was unable to go at the last minute. Still I had faith in Andrew and knew he would be careful and use all safety precautions. He was only to be gone overnight and return the next day.
Sunday was a long day for me. I stayed at the bottom of the canyon, watching for Andrew’s return. Dusk was setting in and no sign of him. I was hoping he was at one of the camps and not able to return because of the shorter daylight hours. Monday turned into Tuesday and finally almost a week had gone by. There was no Andrew. I decided I would go looking for him. There were many volunteers so I had much help. Poor Thomas blamed himself for not going along and was beside himself with grief. We all knew the outcome of this trip was not good.
We never found him...my friend, my brother. I will never forgive myself for not being able to find him. He sleeps now in his beloved canyon. He is a part of it now, part of the nature of the canyon. Sleep well, my friend, God speed.
Katie was shocked. She couldn’t breathe or think straight. Was this why her father didn’t want her going back to the canyon? Drew is going to die? She decided she didn’t have time to cry or panic; she had to stop him. From all the information in the book, it sounded like she had time. He left on Friday and she intended on being there.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Katie woke up as dawn was breaking. There was not a minute to waste. She jumped up and ran down the hallway.
Anna’s door flew open. “There you are! We wondered what happened to you. You missed Thanksgiving. I said you were probably celebrating with Andrew. Were you, Kathryn?”
“Anna, I don’t have time to talk. I had a fight with Andrew and I have to go find him. Please help me.”
“Say no more. I will go saddle up Flicka and you get dressed. I’ll meet you in the barn,” Anna went back in her room and grabbed her coat.
Katie was ready so quickly Anna barely had time to saddle on the horse.
“Anna, thank you. I’ll explain everything later when I call you.”
“Call me? I’m right here. You just need to come to my room.”
Katie nodded her head as if to agree and wished she could explain what she really meant. She wanted to talk to the older Anna, the one who knew everything. Before she mounted the horse, Katie ran over and hugged Anna. “Thank you, again. I love you so much. I hope you know that. I want to tell you something that I don’t want you to ever tell anyone else. Don’t even tell me until I ask.”
Anna nodded and Katie whispered something into her ear, then jumped on Flicka and headed for the canyon. There was no time to waste. She would stop Drew and tell him everything. She was going to let him make the decision for them. Should she stay or should he come with her? There was so much to decide. They were young and had their whole lives ahead of them. She was not going to let him die.
The first place she stopped was El Tovar. She hoped Thomas was there for the breakfast shift. She tied up Flicka in the barn and ran to the kitchen door.
“Thomas! Thomas? Are you in here?” Katie yelled and cried all at the same time. It was still very early and not too many people were there.
Miss Betsy came in from the dining room. “Why, Miss Kathryn, are you doing all this yelling?” She did look sympathetic as she said it.
“I’m looking for Thomas, Miss Betsy, is he here yet?” Katie tried to calm down.
“He should be here shortly.”
Before Miss Betsy could even finish talking, Katie was outside scouring the landscape for signs of Thomas. She thought she saw him walking off in the distance and started running toward him.
“Thomas!” Katie waved her arms frantically.
Thomas ran toward her. “Kate, what is the matter?”
“I have to find Andrew. Please help me,” Katie was out of breath.
Thomas stopped and looked at her carefully. “I don’t think that is a good idea.”
Katie decided she had to tell him something that would make him help her. “His life could be in danger.”
“Follow me.” He turned around from the direction he had been walking. This time he ran. Katie tried hard to keep up with him.
All of a sudden, they were standing in front of a wonderful looking cabin. “Is this where Andrew lives?” Katie put her hands on the walls of the cabin.
“Yes.” Thomas felt around the top of the door.
“How are we going to get in?” Katie pounded on the door.
“I live here, too,” Thomas produced a key in his hand.
The cabin was silent. It was just one level with a large living space. There was a fireplace in the living area and the kitchen and dining room were off to one side. There was a small hallway that led to two bedrooms. Thomas came out from the back rooms and shook his head.
“He’s already left. He’s probably halfway down the trail by now.”
“Weren’t you supposed to go with him?”
“Yes, but they needed me at work. I will take any extra shift I can. I’m saving up for a ring for Rachel.”
Rachel. Thomas III told Katie the story of his grandfather marrying someone named Rachel. She couldn’t blame Thomas for wanting to do something out of love.
“Why did he still go?” Katie was beside herself.
“I asked him to postpone. I really did. I wanted to go with him.” Thomas sat down on one of the chairs.
Katie melted into another one and began to cry.
“He’ll be alright, trust me.”
“No, no he won’t.” Katie tried to figure out what to do next. She never walked the entire path to the bottom of the canyon. If she did, would she even make it in time? There were no phones at base camp or any way of contacting Drew. She had to give up.
Thomas and Katie slowly walked back to El Tovar in silence. When they got there, Thomas told her he would let Drew know she was there and wanted to see him. Thomas expected Andrew back on Sunday or Monday at the latest. Katie thanked him. She knew there was nothing else he could do.
She walked to the barn and got on Flicka and rode to the edge of the canyon. She sat on the horse and called out into the open canyon, “Drew, come back to me!”
Tears slowly rolled down her face. Feeling defeated, Katie turned the horse toward the boardinghouse and slowly trotted back.
She slid off Flicka and into the hay next to the stall and wept. She never cried like this in her life. She couldn’t stop. She decided to stay there until all the tears were gone. Her father, and now come to think of it, even Anna tried to stop her from this hurt. Perhaps it was meant to be. Katie got up from the hay and brushed herself off. She could never come back here. It was too painful. Everything reminded her of Drew. She would go back to the boardinghouse, sit in her room until dusk and go back home.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Katie woke up sobbing. She just couldn’t stop. She wished this really was a dream because it has turned into a nightmare.
How did this happen? Why didn’t someone stop Andrew from going down the river by himself? She already knew the answer. No one stops Andrew. He is strong and determined. She wished she had a picture of him right now. He never had his camera with him when they were together. If she had known he was a photographer she would have had him take pictures of them--too late now for that, too late for anything. Katie buried her head in her pillow and began crying again.
There was a knock at her door. It slowly opened and her father popped his head through the opening. “Are you alright? I thought I heard you crying.”
She didn’t answer.
“Katie? Your mom is going over to the college to do some work at her office. We
thought that would be a good idea so you and I can have some time together.”
“Why didn’t you stop him?”
“Stop who, pumpkin?”
“Andrew, Dad, Andrew!” Katie could barely get it out of her mouth.
“Stop him from doing what? Who is this Andrew?”
“Come on! You know what I’m talking about! Andrew died! You could’ve stopped him! You could have saved him! Why did you wait so long to go looking for him?” Katie burst out crying again.
Her father walked over to her bed and sat down. “How did you know? How did you find out?”
Katie pulled the journal out from under the blankets. She waved the book in front of him. “From this,” she pushed the book in his face.
“How...what...” He stumbled over his words.
“Anna gave me her books written by Jack Woods. She thought I might like reading them,” Katie sniffled.
“So that’s how you know,” Her father had tears in his eyes. “I loved him, too, you know. He was like a brother to me.”
“Obviously you didn’t love him enough! You let him die!” Katie was angry now. She knew she shouldn’t blame her dad but he was there and Andrew wasn’t.
“I’ve blamed myself for his death since it happened. You will never know how much.” He got up and walked over to her window. “You know how every year I’m gone on the Friday after Thanksgiving?”
“Mom always says you’re on a book tour or giving a speech or something like that,” Katie was now surprised he was still here.
“That’s not what I’m doing. Every year I go back and try to stop him. I try to save him year after year. It’s torture for me. And, yes, I try to talk him out of it before that day but it never seems to work. I just hope to catch up to him on that Friday to stop him,” Her father put his head in his hands. “One year I could see him on the trail in front of me. I called his name over and over. That was a very bad year for me.”
Katie got out of bed and walked over to her father. Her heart was breaking, not only for Andrew but for her father. “I never knew,” She said softly, feeling terrible for accusing him.
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