“I’m hungry.”
“That’s a good sign,” Justin said standing. “I’ll go tell the nurse.
Within another twenty minutes, Paige was eating a meal, which looked pretty good to Justin, who realized he hadn’t eaten since this morning. After Paige ate, they talked for a while. Then Paige shocked Justin by saying,
“When we get home, do you think we could go visit your Aunt Helen in Texas. I would love to meet her.”
Without thinking Justin said. “Sure we can,” then he thought, “Maybe Aunt Helen could help him with this thing going on with Paige.”
The nurse came in and gave Paige a shot saying it would probably make her sleepy. Paige tried to stay awake for as long as she could but she only made it for about twenty minutes. Justin sat watching television until about eleven, then he cut off the set and stretched out in the chair. Sometime in the night he remembered a nurse coming in and placing a warm blanket over him as well as Paige.
“Justin, Justin,” he heard his name called. He was still half asleep. Who was calling him? Then he realized where he was and knew Paige was calling to him. Slowly he opened his eyes. Paige was holding out her hand to him.
“Justin,” she said again. “Could you please get me some water?”
“Sure,” he checked her water pitcher and found it had ice water already in it. Finding a plastic cup, he filled it with water and placed a straw in it. Then he handed it to her, helping her sit up so she could drink some of the water.
“Did you sleep well,” Justin asked.
“Yes I did. I thought they would wake me up all through the night but no one did. How did you sleep?”
“Pretty good, I guess, what with it being a chair.”
“I know. I can’t wait till we get home and I can sleep in our own bed.”
This made Justin wonder if she thought his bed was a huge feather tick. He would find out when he took her back to his apartment. Soon Paige had breakfast and then the nurse told her that she could go take a shower.
“I’ll help you Paige,” Justin told her.
“Yes,” Paige smiled as she sat up on the bed. “You are a good man Justin. That’s one of the reasons I married you.”
He helped her into the bathroom and was a little scared about seeing her with no clothes on but she didn’t seem to mind. After all, she thought he had seen her before. Justin felt uncomfortable helping her get into the shower. He thought she would be scared of the water but she seemed fine as if she had been doing this all her life. She knew which water was hot and which was cold.
As soon as she was finished bathing and had only been sitting on the bed for a few minutes, the doctor came in. After checking her over, he told her he was letting her go home. She was so excited. Then the doctor took Justin aside out at the nurses station.
“Her memory will return in time but for now just go along with whatever she is thinking. We don’t want her traumatized. That could more than likely make it worse.”
“I’ll do my best,” Justin told him. “I don’t even know her that well.”
“It could be something she was thinking when she had her accident,” the doctor said. “I really don’t know how the mind works. No one does.”
Justin was glad he had driven his car to the hospital the night before. He helped Paige put on the outfit he had brought her from home from the clothes he had gotten at the second hand store. Paige put the worn jeans and pink colored pull over shirt on. They fit her well and Justin was proud of himself. He had done a good job picking them out.
Paige pulled her hair around front and began to brush it. She had no way to put it up and Justin liked it down. Within an hour and a half, they were in the car and Justin was driving toward his apartment. Paige sat beside him but not at all the way like she was when she had first arrived from her own time. It was as if she really was from this time and knew where they were and what everything was.
As they arrived at his apartment, she didn’t change. She knew where everything was and sat on the couch patting the spot beside her.
“Come sit with me, Justin.”
Once Justin had sat, she leaned over and kissed his cheek whispering “I’ve missed you,” she then turned his face toward her and kissed him on the lips. At first, he was shocked. Then he remembered that she thought they were married and had known each other for at least a few years.
“If you are alright, I’m going to call Aunt Helen,” Justin told her.
“I’m fine. You go ahead. Be sure to tell her we are coming down in a day or so. Don’t forget to get us some plane tickets.”
“I won’t forget,” Justin took his phone and left the room, wondering how she knew about the plane tickets. It was like she was transformed into someone who was really born in this time. He brought up Aunt Helen’s name on his phone and it began to connect. She answered on the third ring.
“Hello.”
“Aunt Helen, it’s me,”
“Oh Justin, what’s wrong?”
“How did you know?”
“It’s your tone of voice. You are upset about something. Tell me.”
“It’s Paige. You see, she had an accident. She was hit by a car.”
“My goodness, is she alright?”
“Yes, she is now. Well, mostly. You see, she doesn’t think she is from back in time. She thinks she is from this time and she thinks she and I are married.”
“What does the doctor say?”
“He says to go along with her. Her memory will all come back. Also, she wants to come visit you. Will that be okay with you?”
“Sure Justin, the two of you come on down. Maybe it will help her,” Aunt Helen told him.
Justin told her everything that had happened since he last spoke to her. She couldn’t figure it all out either. After he hung up with Helen, he suddenly had a need to speak to his mother. Although he knew he couldn’t tell her anything, maybe it would help to just talk to her. He dialed his mother’s number but, of course, she didn’t answer.
Justin wasn’t surprised. Every time he tried to call his mom lately, she hadn’t answered. Maybe she was out of cell range or something. He sighed and called the airlines and got himself and Paige tickets to Texas. Somehow he managed to make it through the night because Paige fell asleep on the couch and he carried her to bed, then he made himself a bed on the couch. In the morning, he woke her up after putting away the proof he had slept on the couch. He was sitting on the edge of the bed when she opened her eyes.
“Wake up sleepy head,” he said. “ We have to get ready to get on the plane. Remember, we’re going to see Aunt Helen?”
Paige was up and awake right away. She was so excited about going to Texas to meet Helen. Soon, they were boarding the plane to take them to Texas. Paige was a little nervous but told Justin it was because she had never flown in a plane before.
Once they were in their seats, she was okay. Paige talked about meeting Aunt Helen all the way there. As they stepped off the plane, Paige was amazed at how flat the land was and how hot it was already.
Justin rented them a car and soon they were on their way to Aunt Helen’s. It wasn’t far from the airport to the house. Paige was busy looking out the window. She kept saying how pretty something or other was. She became nervous once more as she saw the house.
“What if Aunt Helen doesn’t like me Justin?”
“She will love you Paige, don’t worry.”
“How do you know she will?”
“Because Aunt Helen is easy going and I know her well enough to know she will love you.”
“Okay, if you say so,” Paige didn’t sound convinced.
Justin pulled up in the drive and as they opened the car doors to get out, Aunt Helen came out the door and stood on the front porch. She was looking younger than she had the last time he had seen her. She had colored her hair and now it was brown with red highlights. Justin liked the way it looked on her. Today she had makeup on which probably is what helped her look younger. Her arms were out
stretched for Justin which she wrapped around him as soon as he hit the porch, hugging him close to her.
“I have missed you Justin,” she said as she kissed his cheek. Then she turned her attention to Paige.
“You must be Paige,” she smiled. “Justin’s wife. It’s so good to finally meet you.”
“It’s good to meet you too,” Paige said. She reached out her hand but Helen pulled her close and hugged her.
“You are family now dear,” Helen smiled. “We don’t shake hands with family.”
That was the start of a wonderful friendship between Paige and Helen. Later Helen told Justin how much she liked Paige. Justin was glad the two of them were getting along well. Helen and Paige were cooking in the kitchen all of the time they were there. They shared recipes and cooking tips with each other, both getting ideas form the other to try. Helen told Justin when they were alone about the recipes Paige had shared with her.
Once alone with Helen, Justin said, “It’s so strange though for Paige to think we are married. I don’t know where she came up with the idea.”
“Who knows how the mind works,” Helen was shaking her head. “On the other hand, you may have nothing to hide from her.”
“True.”
“Besides, I really like her. I think she’s good for you Justin. You seem to be happy with her around.”
“I do like her, but I was thinking maybe I could take her back in time and let her see her mother.”
“It may be a little soon for that, Justin.”
Justin thought hard. “You’re right. What if I took her back and let her see just what kind of person her half-brother was. She’s been asking a lot of questions about him lately.”
“Since she is asking questions, that might be a good idea.”
“She might even remember and know she is time traveling.”
Justin was nodding. This is what he would do. He would take her back and let her see Trace doing some of his bad deeds.
Together, Helen and Paige fixed them a good lunch and they ate. Then Justin asked Helen if she wanted to come along and she told him she would stay behind this time. Justin found Paige outside on the porch.
“What’ ya doin’,” he asked.
She laughed. “You don’t usually talk like that, Justin.”
He smiled. “How would you like to see your brother Trace?”
“Really, is he here?”
“I think so, maybe we can find him somewhere.”
Justin took her hand and said. “We have to go down to the basement.”
Together they went toward the basement. Justin waved at Aunt Helen when they passed her in the hall and she waved back. Once in the basement, Justin sat in the chair behind the desk and playfully pulled Paige down onto his lap. She laughed and placed one arm around his neck.
Pulling out the pocket watch, he adjusted the car back hoping he was far enough back to find Trace somewhere on The Lazy Cross Ranch. As the world began to spin, Paige didn’t seem to notice.
When everything settled back down, he looked around. They were at the fallen tree and Justin knew they were on The Lazy Cross. They were sitting on the ground and Paige had fallen off his lap.
He stood up and reached out his hand to her. She was laughing as she stood.
“Where are we?”
“We are on The Lazy Cross Ranch. I hope we can catch up with Trace. Let’s walk.”
They began to walk toward the ranch house, at least that is what Justin hoped. After a few minutes, they came upon a herd of cattle. Not many cattle, only about ten head or so. They seemed restless and Justin stopped to watch. In a minute or so, he saw what was causing them to be restless. A young man came from behind one of the cows.
“Trace,” Paige breathed softly.
Justin held her back. “Just watch.”
They didn’t have to watch long before Trace caught one of the cows and pulling out a needle, he gave the cow a shot. The animal fell to the ground almost at once.
“Did he just kill that cow?”
“I think he did,” Justin didn’t really know.
Trace stood over the cow and smiled. “By the time Lori figures out I am not really her brother, it will be too late. She will have lost most of her herd. Then the ranch, in time, will be mine as it should have been anyway,” he said.
“What is he talking about,” Paige whispered with a look of puzzlement on her face.
Justin shook his head. He had no idea what Trace was up to or what he was talking about but he figured it was no good. From the little he had gotten from Jessie and Lori, Trace hadn’t been a nice person.
They watched from their hiding place as Trace gave two more cows a shot and they too fell to the ground.
“How mean he is,” Paige said stunned. “I never knew he could be so evil.”
“I guess that’s why he changed so much, Paige.”
“I guess so. I’ve seen enough of this. Let’s go somewhere else.”
They walked back to the tree and Justin moved the car on his watch a little further back than he wanted to. Once the spinning stopped again, Justin thought at first they were in another place. Then he began to realize they were still on The Lazy Cross only back in time to the eighteen hundreds when Jessie and Missy were together. They walked for a while and after a few minutes, Justin could see smoke and thought it might be Jessie’s cabin.
Soon they came in sight of the cabin. Justin could see someone coming up on horseback and he and Paige stepped behind a large bush so as not to be seen. The person on horseback was Jessie.
CHAPTER 8
Jessie rode up to the small cabin and dismounted. He had something wrapped in a burlap sack and called for Missy to come outside. Missy came out of the house and Justin heard Paige catch her breath sharply.
“That’s my mom, Justin.” He could see tears in her eyes.
Justin placed his finger to his lips and Paige nodded. They turned their attention back as Missy said,
“What is it Jessie?”
“Open it.” Jessie handed the sack to her.
Missy opened the package to discover a small sapling. “Oh Jessie, it’s wonderful.”
“It’s an oak tree. It will grow to mark our lives together.”
“Where should we plant it?”
“How about over there?” Jessie pointed to a place on the left side of the yard.
“Wonderful.” Missy gave him a hug and picked up a bucket as Jessie took the sapling from her. By the time she had returned from the creek with the water, Jessie had dug a hole and together they planted the small sapling that would grow into a big oak tree.
“Do you think it will live,” Missy asked.
“It will live as long as our love lives,” he told her as he picked her up in his arms and carried her into the house.
Paige and Justin began to walk back toward the tree. “Are you alright,” Justin asked.
“Yes.” Paige wiped tears from her eyes. “I miss my mom.”
“I know.”
“Is the oak tree still alive?”
“From what Jessie and Lori told me, yes it is.”
“Then their love still lives. Ours will too. You’ll see.”
When they arrived back at the tree once more, Justin moved the little car forward just a little. As their world stopped spinning, Justin could tell they were still in the same time period. He had no way of knowing how far ahead in time they had come.
They had only walked a little ways when Justin saw a horse. He knew it must be one of Jessie’s.
“Now we can ride,” he told Paige.
He mounted the horse and helped Paige up behind him. They rode toward the cabin. As they came close to the house, they jumped off the horse and walked the short distance to the cabin. They could see Missy in the yard and she was very pregnant. Within a couple of minutes, Missy grabbed her belly.
“Jessie,” she called.
Jessie came running from the barn and Justin and Paige watched as Missy began to go into l
abor and Jessie was trying to help her. Jessie had carried Missy inside. Justin and Paige went to the back of the house. The window was a little dirty but not bad. Jessie had laid Missy down on the only bed in the small, one room cabin.
Suddenly they could hear the drums of Indians. Missy was trying to give birth and the Indians were yelling somewhere close outside. Paige’s eyes filled with tears once more as she watched. Missy was losing the battle and all the fight began to leave her body. With the last breaths in her body, Jessie cried out begging her not to leave him.
Finally, once he realized Missy was gone and the baby unborn, Jessie left the room. Justin could hear the Indians’ war hoops coming closer and closer. The drums beating like heartbeats in his ears. He whispered to Paige for her to stay where she was and she nodded.
Wondering what had happened to Jessie, Justin walked around the corner of the cabin to see Jessie come from the barn on a horse and quickly ride away. “Going to get a doctor,” Justin thought as he went back to Paige. The thunder of the Indians’ yelling and the drums were almost deafening. Justin pulled Paige into some thick bushes behind the house just in time. The Indians pounded hard and fast on the front of the cabin. After a minute, everything was quiet. Justin and Paige came out of hiding. At the little window once more, the two of them watched as the Indians entered the cabin and took the baby from Missy’s still body. They wrapped the screaming baby boy in a blanket and they were gone.
Justin was about to leave when someone else arrived. Two men, one a doctor but Jessie was nowhere to be seen. It was then that Justin decided they should follow the Indians. He and Paige rode well behind them out of sight. After almost an hour they came to an Indian village. A brave, with a now quiet baby, ran into a teepee and the baby began to cry once more.
The Indian drums began to beat once more. Justin and Paige inched closer; close enough that they could hear the Indians talking. A woman brought out the baby, still wrapped tightly in a blanket and crying softly. The beat of the drums slowed and the woman sat with the baby cradled in her arms in the middle of the circle of drummers. Others came and danced around them. After a few minutes, the Indian Chief came out dressed in a large head dress and shook some beads over the baby chanting something neither Justin or Paige could understand.
Portals of Time Page 26
