Time Change B2

by Alex Myers

  “That thing over there for hire?” Jack called out.

  He clicked his tongue, gave the reins a slight pull and brought the cab over to where Jack was standing. “Hey Jack, where do you need to go?”

  “Wow, what are the chances of running into you again?” Jack asked.

  “Actually, pretty good, there are only three of us taxicabs, two of us that work during the day and early evening. The other guy works every time else.”

  “I need you to stop over to the Sanger Brothers store over there on Market Square and then possibly out to the Sanger Estate.”

  “If I can be so blunt,” Aurellis said, “that Sanger woman, Frances, is she your girlfriend?”

  “I think so,” Jack said climbing into the front of the carriage sitting right next to the driver. “A week ago I would have said yes without a doubt. Now I’m not so sure.”

  “If I knew something, would you want me to tell you?”

  Jack didn’t know where this was going. “Sure.”

  “The other night after I dropped you off at your boat, a nice looking gentleman flagged me down and said he needed a lift. Took him out to your girlfriend’s place, he tells me to wait, she answers the door, they hug and whatever, then they have a big fight, she grabs some stuff, they leave together and I bring them back here to the docks.”

  “What did they say to each other?”

  “Hey Mr. Jack, I don’t listen to my passenger’s conversation.” He gave a mock pretense of being offended.

  “No really, what did you hear them talk about?”

  “I couldn’t hear.” Aurellis said. “They didn’t say a word.”

  “They didn’t say a word? Do you know his name?”

  “Like I said, there wasn’t a word all the way to town, all the way to the dock.”

  “You dropped them off at the docks—they got on a boat?” Jack asked.

  “They got off, he was carrying her bag and holding her hand.”

  So that was it, Jack thought. I knew this thing didn’t make sense.

  Jack had spent his whole life dealing with logic and cause and effect. This blowout with Frances was totally out of the blue. How could we be going along so well, and all of a sudden everything changes? Another man, that totally explains it.

  He slid down in his seat and sat with his head in his hands. He couldn’t imagine a future without her in it. It saddened him to think how much she meant to him. This is what I do to other people, this doesn’t happen to me. Wow, this is what it feels like—yuck. He didn’t believe in karma, but if he did, this would be it.

  There was a little piece of her in everything he did. He felt empty and numb.

  I need to get Kazmer and Sam back, Jack thought. I need my friends.

  CHAPTER 12

  Thursday, July 2, 1857

  Kady Barnett

  He met Kady Barnett at the Lulu’s Café the next day at twelve o’clock. Jack couldn’t believe it was possible, but she looked even lovelier than the day before. She rode up in a fancy buckboard wagon and Jack helped tie off the horses.

  “Did you get all your errands done?” he asked, extending a hand and helping her down from the wagon. Her hand was warm and she gave his a gentle squeeze that seemed to linger a bit too long.

  They sat at a table looking out over the street. Kady’s thick dark hair hung in long graceful curves over her shoulders. She held herself gracefully, confidently aware of the appreciative glances from the other men in the restaurant. The lace at her neck parted and he could see the hollow of her neck filled with soft shadows; he could also see the beginning of rise of her breasts. She placed her hand on the exact spot Jack was looking and spoke, “I had one of your bicycles.”

  Jack looked surprised. He was still shocked how popular they were. “I notice you said, ‘had’.”

  “Had is right. I had it in Chicago before everything fell apart with Papa and Uncle Cyrus. As soon as that happened though, Papa made me get rid of it. I loved it and put up a fight to keep it. In the end it just wasn’t worth the distress it caused my father.”

  “He really hates me, doesn’t he?”

  “I wouldn’t say hates you as much as he hates the situation. First it was the plow, then losing his job, and now it’s being in bed with those despicable men.”

  “What is your father working on now?”

  “I know they have him overseeing a group of inventors. Some of them are working on new gun designs, cannons, and even bombs, but he’s really just supervising them, though. I told you his first love is farming. He considers it his life’s work.”

  “Then all these weapons…?”

  “He does that because he’s forced to by the SAC.”

  “What do they say about the agricultural stuff he works on?”

  “It’s his own work and he keeps it separate. Papa doesn’t talk about his work like he used to. I know as much as I do because he’s forever working on his projects on the dining room table. It’s as though he might just pick up and abandon the facility one day and he wants to keep his own projects separate and safe. He has a drawing room and a big drafting table, but he says he does his best work while eating a meal or having coffee and dessert.”

  Their food came. After the waitress poured Jack more coffee, he said, “It surprises me that they let your father keep working on agricultural products. Knowing what your father did with McCormick, I guess it shouldn’t though. I have half my team of inventors right now trying to develop the same kind of things. When Creed and that other jerk, Adkins, came to me, they made it sound like all they wanted were weapons—”

  “Oh, it is. Papa tried to convince them that the things he had in mind would increase their output. More output equals more money; but they didn’t buy into his way of thinking. That’s why he only works on it at home, on his own time. His true love when it comes to inventing is with farm equipment.”

  “My plan was that these farm implements would decrease the values of the slaves enough that the Southerners would be happy to trade men for machines, and that might hold off a war between the states.”

  “I really don’t know much about this war thing. I figure if it’s meant to happen it will, and there’s not much my father or these men like Winston Creed can do about it.”

  “I might be able to help your father.”

  “How?”

  Jack pulled several pieces of paper out of his jacket pocket. “Give these to your dad. I don’t know, maybe it’s a peace offering. They are far from complete; I drew them up at home last night and this morning. I want to share with him some of the ideas we found have already worked. I know these are crude renderings, but with your father’s knowledge of agriculture and agricultural machinery, he might be able to put these to use. McCormick and Deere will give me hell about this, but I’ll make it up to them.”

  “But why would you do this?”

  “I’m not developing this machinery to sell and make a profit, I’m designing them to stop a war. If there was only some way to talk to your father, convince him that I truly want to help.”

  “I might be able to help you. I may only be a woman, and his daughter at that, but I do have some influence over him. And these,” she said, sticking the drawings into her handbag, “will definitely help.”

  “This would actually work out better. If we can develop these machines and it looks like a Southerner did it, I think they would be more widely accepted—especially if they were produced in the South. I really need to speak to him,” Jack said.

  “I can’t promise you much. We are not even allowed to speak your name around the house, but I will try my best. Give me until tomorrow night to work on him. But I won’t be able to sneak out until Friday night.” Kady licked her lips slowly. “Can you meet me at the ferry dock at ten o’clock, and I’ll tell you my progress?”

  “Ten o’clock, isn’t that kind of late for you? Are you sure it will be safe?”

  “The family goes to bed around eight-thirty, Papa stays up working until n
ine or nine-fifteen. That ought to give me plenty of time to sneak out and meet you there.”

  “Just be careful that Creed or Adkins or any of their men don’t follow you.”

  “I think Creed’s gone back to Williamsburg. Besides, I met you here today with no problem, didn’t I, Mr. Riggs?”

  “Jack. Call me Jack.”

  She smiled and grabbed his hand. “And you can call me Kady.”

  Jack looked at her warm hands, then into her eyes, then back down at her hands. She smiled at him and he sat smiling back.

  Jack didn’t see Frances walk by the restaurant at that very moment, and certainly didn’t see the look on her face as she turned and ran away.

  CHAPTER 13

  Friday, July 3, 1857

  “I am telling you, Daddy, he was there with another woman.”

  “There has to be another explanation, dear, this doesn’t sound like Jack.”

  “I know what I saw, and I saw him holding her hand. Looks like he was having the time of his life! This was such a mistake coming back here.”

  “You did what you thought had to be done. You have also been able to get a lot of work done.”

  “What does work mean compared to my life?”

  “That’s not what you said a week ago in Washington. Wasn’t work the reason you gave for breaking it off with Jack in the first place?”

  “That’s different!”

  “You’re talking in circles now. You have to figure out what your priorities are,” Frank said.

  “And I thought that was why I was down here. Maybe if you all wouldn’t have pressured me…”

  “That’s complete and utter nonsense, girl. You asked us our opinion and you know we all think the world of Jack. Did we think you made a mistake by breaking things off with him, sure. But we also knew that once you have your mind made up, it’s near impossible to change it. No one pressured you to do anything, as a matter of fact; I tried to talk you out of out of it. When I saw you were coming back down here now, with all this trouble with Kazmer, and this slave business, I figured I better come with you.”

  “And that’s another thing, Daddy—you don’t have to treat me like a child!”

  “I will when you act like one!”

  She crossed her arms and looked away. After a while, she turned back, and a change had overtaken her. She seemed less rigid, more open, as if the stone center of her heart was crumpling. “Do you really think there is another explanation?”

  “I most certainly do. Jack loves you—hell, he’s told me that himself.”

  “Were you talking behind my back?”

  “It’s nothing like that at all. He was just asking my opinion on the best way to help you overcome your fears.”

  “I hate that, why didn’t he just come to me?”

  “He said he did, and you were not speaking to him at the time.”

  She thought for another moment. “So what should I do now? How am I going to know what to do?”

  “Why don’t you go and talk to him? I figure that’s the only way you’re going to know.”

  “I just can’t run out and do that today. I don’t even know where he is—I’ll start looking bright and early tomorrow morning.”

  “Sounds like an excuse to me. Did you try his house, you know, your old house?”

  She thought about it and started to cry. “I’m going to go talk to him.” She went out to find Jack.

  CHAPTER 14

  Friday, July 3, 1857

  When Jack got home, Hercules was sitting on his front porch, soaking up sunshine and deeply engrossed in a book.

  “What are you reading so intently?” Jack asked.

  Hercules sat the book on his lap and said, “It’s called the The Impending Crisis of the South by Hinton Helper.”

  “Can’t say that I know that one, but I agree there’s one here.” Jack leaned back on the porch rail and filled Hercules in on his meeting with Kady Barnett.

  “Uh-huh, I sees, so you say she was holding on to your hand?” Hercules smiled.

  “It wasn’t like that. We’re just friends.”

  “You don’t have to be telling me no stories. I ain’t yo momma.”

  “Thank God for that.” Jack smiled too.

  “I declare, that might be the first time I sees a smile on your face since I met you. There ain’t no reason you need to be all the time all sour faced. I knows there be something that be haven’ you all riled up.”

  “It’s been that obvious, huh.”

  “Son, you don’t have to be no genius to figure outs you gots it bad. And if’n it make you happy to spend some time with Miss Kady, I don’t know any laws it be breaking. I knows if that was me, the answer be mighty easy.”

  “I need some time to think alone to decide what to do. I’m going to go to town and bring back my boat. Are you going to be okay?”

  Hercules held up a book. “I spent some of my money, it’s the first new book I ever bought. Fact is, it’s the only book I ever bought. I gots me some reading to do.”

  It was three o’clock when Frances got to Jack’s house on Broad Creek, her and Abner’s old place. Nothing about the place looked the same. There was a two-story addition that was bigger than the entire original structure. Someone had planted fresh flowers and put chairs and a small table on the front porch—definitely, a woman’s touch she thought. When she knocked on his front door, she already knew what she was going to say. She was going to tell him she was sorry, but first she would ask about the woman from yesterday. The words were starting out of her mouth when the elderly black man answered the door instead of Jack.

  “Please excuse me, I was looking for Jack Riggs.”

  “You do have his place.”

  “Who are you, if I may ask?”

  “My name be Hercules.”

  Recognition came to Frances’s face. “Are you the slave he bought?”

  “Yes ma’am, that’d be me.”

  So it was true, she thought, Jack actually did buy a slave. “Is Mr. Riggs in?”

  “No, Mr. Jack he be out, said he was going to town, so to speak.”

  Going to town with his new girlfriend. Sounds familiar. “That sounds sweet.”

  “Said he be gone most of the day. Anything you wants me to tell him when he get back?”

  “No, that’s not necessary, I’ll just stop by later tonight and try to talk to him.”

  “Afraid that won’t be no good either. Mr. Jack have plans for tonight.”

  “Are you two going to dinner?” she pried.

  “On no, nothing like that, he have plans to see Miss Kady again.”

  Frances’s heart froze mid-beat. “Is that the same woman he had lunch with yesterday?”

  “Sure enough is, are you a friend of hers?”

  “I would think not.”

  Hercules scratched his head. “What is your name so I can tell Mr. Jack?”

  “Oh, it is not important, just a friend.”

  “You need me to give him some sort of message?” Hercules asked.

  “No, I’ll catch up with him sooner or later.” Much later, she thought.

  “Alrighty then, sorry I couldn’t help you.”

  “Oh, you were a big help. More than you’ll ever know.”

  Hercules shut the door; he thought the woman was strange, very pretty, but strange. For some reason he thought the woman had been angry with him, but oh well, it must not have been important or she would have left a name or message. He put the whole thing out of his mind, sat down at the desk, and got back to his book.

  CHAPTER 15

  Friday, July 3, 1857

  “He has a date with her tonight! Her name is Kady, what a silly name—so common.”

  “I still say don’t go making assumptions without talking to him first.”

  “But Daddy, what’s left to speculate here? You didn’t see them holding hands in that restaurant yesterday. For all I know he has been seeing this ‘Kady’ all along.”

  “That’s non
sense and you know it. Jack’s as honest a man as I ever met. Maybe he’s got business with this woman?”

  “He seemed like he was happy for Jack, and this is from his slave! For heaven’s sake, Jack has a slave! I tell you, perhaps we don’t know Jack Riggs at all.”

  “Nothing Jack has ever told me would leave me to believe he leads a secret life.”

  “If you only knew!” What would daddy think if he knew Jack was from 2013? Frances regretted it the moment it was out of her mouth. She looked out the window of his second story hotel room at the Atlantic. “I don’t know why you’re staying here and not the house, it’s your house. I need to do some thinking. I need to get out of here. Do you think there’s any place I can get a horse?”

  “I’m sure they have one at the livery, but Frances, there are horses back at the estate. I just stayed here at the hotel because I have some business I have to take care of. If you need me to go out to the house with you, I will. And it’s your house now.” He shook his head and looked at his pocket watch. “It’s almost eight o’clock at night, where are you going to go this time of night?”

  “I just want to take a ride down to the beach. I can’t stand being cooped up in this room knowing he is out with her.”

  She rode out to the Chesapeake Bay on a road that would later be Ocean View Avenue. She continued to move east, lost in her thoughts. Her horse was a big, good-natured, slow-moving mare, and perfect for her ride along the bay. A big full moon and a sky full of stars lit her way. She rounded Little Neck Bay and rode along the water’s edge.

  She wasn’t sure what time it was, but she knew it had been dark for more than an hour. She made up her mind to head back to Jack’s house and wait for him there to confront him about his feelings for this Kady, and move forward from there. It was easier for her to put the blame on him than to apologize for the way she acted the other night. Maybe there was a logical explanation for this Kady woman, perhaps she did overreact. She knew in her heart that she had handled things wrong that night at her house. Feeling good about her decision, she turned the horse around and started to head back to town.