The hit made such an impact it caused Roger to spill his drink all over the woman in front of him.
She promptly turned around, slapped him across the face, and stomped off.
"Man." Roger bristled. "Look what you made me do."
"Aw, she'll get over it. You're really going to be catching a bus and tying a yellow ribbon around that tree?" Mark said.
"Oh, stop it, you're the one who sent the recruiter my way after leading him on that you were going to join."
"I'll bet he promised you exotic dancers, high-rise apartments, and world-class travel arrangements to anywhere in the world--and like the sucker you are--you bit."
"No." Roger scowled. "It was the caviar pitch he gave me."
"There he is," Roger heard Paul say. "My brother, Roger, who doesn't have the sense to know that Nixon gave the draft the boot a couple years ago. Roger, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Donna Patterson."
Roger turned to see Donna--the girl who just slapped him across the face. Before he had a chance to stuff any sarcastic comments, he found himself making a horrible first impression with her.
"Oh, I thought her name was Miss Fists."
Donna blushed as Paul looked on the conversation with genuine confusion. He ignored the discourse and plunged ahead anyway.
"Donna's a nurse at Blair Community Hospital."
"Well, with her bedside manner, I wouldn't want her to stick a needle in my backside." Mark delivered the remark with a country twang as he once again slapped Roger on the back.
As he recovered from the sting, Roger couldn't help but believe somehow he was going to miss that.
***
Anita was standing alone by the clothesline, glancing up at the full moon in the heavens, when Roger interrupted her thoughts.
"Penny for your thoughts."
"Oh, yeah," Anita said as she took the drink from Roger's hand. She practically gulped half of it down as she tried to garner the courage to say what she wanted to say.
"Just thinking about us. About you. About all this." She waved her hand in a broad circle encompassing Paul's house. "I want you to know that I believe in you. I want you to have your adventure and travel the world or look for whatever it is you're looking for."
"Wow."
"What."
"Look at that."
Anita turned to look in the direction of Roger's gaze as she felt his arm wrap around her shoulder.
A shooting star blazed across the sky.
That was his star. She knew it.
She reached around her neck and removed the chain with the golden key hanging from it. She smiled as she presented it to Roger. "This is for you, Roger, to remind you that no matter where you are, no matter what we go through, we'll always be together."
"Nice," Roger said in genuine awe as he reached out to take the ornament. As his hand touched the key, she gasped.
Roger took a step backward as he looked almost panic stricken.
"Eceap dna evol."
The voice was his, but the words were foreign.
"What in the world?" Anita let out a tiny screech as she bolted into action and rushed to Roger's side as he collapsed to the ground.
The party was over.
Part II: Chapter Two
When Roger opened his eyes, he focused in on the wispy clouds against a deep-blue sky as he struggled to regain his equilibrium. He vaguely remembered seeing the shiny perfectly formed key dangling from the chain Anita offered to him.
An electricity had somehow taken over and that was the last thing he remembered. As he sat up, he realized he lay aside a rocky road. He gasped as he took in the beautiful sights of the paradise land surrounding him.
He got up and dusted off his pants as he spied the country church nestled in the valley. Two black horses grazed nearby as he spotted a man in Bermuda shorts with a Polaroid camera, taking pictures.
"Hey, can you help me out here? Where are we?"
The man did not answer. He simply continued walking along the path toward his car.
"That's odd," Roger muttered to himself.
He jogged down the hill, anxious to check out the church and the surrounding area. As he approached the church, the horses ambled over to the entrance and stood stoically in front as if guarding it.
Roger attempted to go between the two horses, when suddenly one spoke. "Wait for the Master, Rog. There is plenty of time."
Roger felt surreal and unsure of his sanity. He wondered if he had died and gone on to whatever--or wherever--it was that you went after death.
"Laws, it's about time you got here. I was beginning to think your girlfriend would back out of our agreement and fail to give you the golden key, but I do see you made it. Better late than never. It still amazes me how I have to travel across the country in one of those godforsaken airplanes and you zip through time and space with the snap of a finger. The Master's plans never cease to amaze me."
Roger turned to look upon the little man walking toward him. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a kinship to the midget that he couldn't fully explain. "Who are you?"
"Man, I do get asked that question a lot," the man said as he laughed. "My name is Zeke, and you are Roger Wilson I presume."
"Why, yes." Roger glanced over his shoulder and saw the Polaroid man's car drive off.
"He never heard you," Zeke answered Roger's unspoken question. "You are not dead. and no, you are not crazy."
Roger was feeling slightly faint again.
"Maui, one of the most beautiful of the Hawaiian Islands though I predict this serene side of the island won't remain that way forever. Man, in his eagerness to profit off of paradise, will spoil the natural beauty of all this someday. Ah, here," Zeke said as he made his way to the door, walking between the two horses. "Come inside and take a load off your feet. I'll explain all this in a moment."
The man had just answered his inquisitiveness about the location. Roger could not move. He was fixated on the beauty of this island paradise and suddenly realized one of the horses was nuzzling him, pushing him toward the door.
"Funny thing about dreams," Zeke said. "Sometimes they seem so real."
Roger followed Zeke inside the simple church and to a pew. He sat down and pondered whether he would ever see Paul's house or Anita ever again.
A movie started playing on the screen.
Absurd, Roger thought.
This was not just a dream...this was a nightmare.
***
It had been so easy to break the glass and steal the stereo from the display window after his twin brother, Wes, had shot out the light.
This was somewhat crazy in its own right, but Wayne Bennett was used to the streets, and even though he knew he kept his mother up at nights pacing the floor, it was something he couldn't help.
He was a bad boy and proud of it. His senses reeled from the acid hit he had taken what seemed like days ago, but must have been only a few minutes ago. He was confused about time among other things, and as he ran, his long hair kept obscuring his vision as it swung back and forth in front of his eyes.
Wayne had protested the Vietnam War in high school. He had protested everything that was good and decent after his father died from a heart attack when he was just a freshman in high school.
School made no sense to him, and so, he and his brother split the scene at sixteen. He and his brother were now mavericks and survivors of the Chicago streets.
He heard the police sirens in the distance as he almost tripped on the stereo's cord, which swung wildly between his legs, as he continued to run. He saw his friend, Ace, standing faithfully by the getaway car.
"Open the trunk, man, hurry, open the trunk."
He saw his brother pass him as the weight of the stereo began to weigh more heavily in his arms.
Ace fumbled with the keys as Wayne heard the sirens grow louder, indicating they were closing in on the trio.
"Here." He breathlessly handed the stereo to his grinning brother. "Stash it, now."
/>
Wes did as he was told as he slammed the trunk down, then bolted for the front seat. Wayne scrambled toward the back passenger door as Ace simply ambled into the driver's seat.
What an idiot. Wayne tried to catch his breath, and then closed his eyes, as the world would not stop its crazy spin and the kaleidoscope movie would not quit playing on the inside of his eyelids. Was he going mad?
A bright light interrupted the meditation he was trying to engage in.
"Please step out of the car...all of you," the officer said.
Stay calm and everything will be all right.
"Please step this way, gents." The officer invited the trio to join him at the back of the car. "I would judge that is evidence of a robbery, wouldn't you say?"
Wayne cringed as he viewed the object illuminated by the brilliance of the officer's flashlight. The cord of the stolen stereo dangled from the trunk.
"I know nothing about this," Ace began to blabber.
Wayne felt like reaching out and slapping Ace, but his arm felt like a heavy sledge hammer instead. "Well, officer, that stereo is mine. I have no idea why the cord is hanging out."
"Wayne, shut the hell up," Wes said.
The officer took a step back and called for backup. There was really no use in running. The brothers were busted and would likely spend the night in lockup.
This would mean a violation of probation. He hoped he was able to go in front of Judge Hanson as he had looked kindly on the brothers before. His mother would likely plead for leniency with the judge as she had done so many times before.
The last time the two had talked about the military as an avenue to set the boys on a new path as the road they were on had many dead ends.
The thought turned his stomach, but it would be a much better choice than prison. Maybe there he could get three square meals a day and figure out who he was.
***
Roger was taken aback by the troubled souls on the screen, which suddenly went blank. He leaned back in the pew, aware of the tenseness he had been displaying. His muscles relaxed and he felt somewhat emotionally drained.
"Roger, I see the confusion and fear in your eyes. There is nothing to fear here. You are not the body and soul of Roger Wilson. You are in fact the spirit of Roger. The part that makes you uniquely you and the part that pines for a reason and a purpose for your life."
"So what about them. Why did you show me that?" Roger nodded toward the screen.
"What do you care?"
"I care because I could feel their grief, their pain, their confusion. No, I guess I don't have it too bad in Blair, but I sense their search for answers is no different than my own."
"And right now you are thinking why you are not satisfied. What are you looking for?"
"Something like that."
"That's called your sixth sense, Roger. You are a quick learner. This is going to be easier than I thought. Let me ask you, do you want to help them?" Zeke stared off into space as if distracted, a crooked smile etched across his windblown face.
The question seemed premature to Roger.
"Help them how?"
Zeke didn't answer. He just turned his eyes toward the screen, which again became animated with action, but this time he saw the man in the previous movie give off a different persona.
***
Wayne was eating cereal in his mother's kitchen, excited about the possibility of going to El Toro, California, to join his twin brother. For now, he cherished this time on leave with his mother as he rarely got to stand out on his own with her affections.
Judge Hanson had indeed slammed his gavel to the wood and declared that the pair join the United States Marine Corps in an effort to turn their lives around. His mother had once again used her charm to save their skin.
Wayne had sympathy for his mother's plight, having put up with the brothers' behavior through high school and always expressing belief that somewhere along the line they would straighten themselves out.
Wayne heard his mother, Janet Bennett, enter the room and shuffle toward the coffee pot to pour herself a cup of coffee. Wayne couldn't stand the stuff. She always made it too strong.
"Well, I see you are up and at 'em this morning." She smiled at him. "You know they're probably not going to let Wes stay in El Toro when he gets through his Aircraft Hydraulics training there. I was visiting with Marsha Callan the other day, and she said the military frowns on brothers being assigned at the same duty station since the Sullivan Brothers were all killed on a ship in World War II."
"Sounds like a case of too much togetherness to me," Wayne quipped. "Relax, Mom, it doesn't matter how long he is there, I'll be able to catch him before he ships out again."
"The military has been good to you two," she said as she ran her hand across his buzz cut. "You are a much more handsome son these days without all that hair."
"Cut it out, Mom." He quickly brushed her hand away in embarrassment. "I'm just sorry we've been so hard on you. I've appreciated everything you have done, and I kind of feel like the military might be a good fit for me. I know Wes hates it, but it's growing on me."
"I'm so glad. Honestly, I was at a loss of what to do for you two after your father died."
"Well, now that we are out of your hair, maybe you can step out and find someone to have around besides us," Wayne said as he gave her a wink.
"Nonsense, I'm not cut out for all that dating scene and such. Let's just say I can promise I'll try to have a little bit more fun and a lot less pacing the floor at night worried about you."
"You should have never done that anyway. We're old enough to take care of ourselves."
"That's true, but I hope you can find your own way to give of yourself or to find someone who can give you something back. Everyone needs someone."
"Sure thing, Mom. Whatever you say." He rose from the table and gently kissed her on the cheek.
"It's never easy to say good-bye."
"I know. I'll go finish packing and you better get a move on. We've got to be at the airport in about an hour."
"Wayne."
He paused at the doorway to the upstairs and waited for this to get all mushy.
"I love you."
"I love you, too, Mom," he said, unable to turn around and look at her. He didn't want her to see him emotional. But the fact of the matter was...her view of the world was not his.
The only person who would watch out for Wayne Bennett was numero uno, and he saw no reason to change his philosophy just because of the new path he was on. Wayne learned a long time ago that trust was a major flaw in the human experience.
***
"I'm not sure why they picked you, but I guess you will do."
Startled, Roger looked to the pew where Zeke had been seated and noticed he was gone. He glanced toward the owner of the voice and saw a man approximately the age of his father smiling at him.
"Allow me to introduce myself," the man said as he approached Roger. "Greg Bennett. I am Wayne's father."
Momentarily thrown off balance, Roger quickly recalled Janet Bennett's words he had just witnessed in the movie, "I was at a loss of what to do for you two after your father died."
"Then it is true. I am dead."
"No, no, nothing like that. I did not mean to frighten you. Wow. I have to get used to the world all over again and learn to relate to people who have no faith, that is, faith in things not seen."
Greg cleared his throat. "Sorry, I am getting off topic here, I do apologize. I hope you will accept the assignment Zeke has given you."
"Where is Zeke anyway?" Roger asked. "And what assignment?"
"To help my sons believe in life and to hope in the future. Since I died, they have ceased to believe anything good exists in the world. That is not true. Each day is indeed the first day of the rest of your life, however long that may be."
Roger pinched his arm--hard--and felt his fingernails dig into his skin. This was becoming even more mysterious by the minute.
Suddenly, fr
om a side door, Zeke entered the church. Roger turned to respond to Greg Bennett, but he was gone.
He didn't feel so good. The world started to close in on him, and he rushed toward the double doors of the church and ran outside into the fresh air of paradise.
He spied a boat down by the ocean and a man was waving his arms wildly. Curious, Roger was drawn toward the beach to investigate.
The man cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled out to Roger, "Paul needs you."
Now he was totally confused. He turned toward the church and saw Zeke standing there with his arms folded. "You have the power to leave anytime."
"Leave, how? Who is he?" Roger demanded as he pointed in the direction of the man in the boat.
"Oh, I believe his name is Jack Alvarez, but never mind that now, do you accept this assignment?"
"Man, why do you all keep talking about an assignment and not answering any of my questions about why I am here?"
"I simply ask you again. Do you accept?"
Roger realized if he said yes, then this horrible nightmare might end. "Yes, I'll do whatever it is that you want me to do."
From around the church, Roger noticed a horse and rider. It was Greg Bennett.
"Thank you. May God bless your quest." Greg held his fist in the air as a sign of conquest.
"Repeat after me," Zeke stated firmly. "Eceap dna evol."
The words sounded so familiar to Roger. He remembered them somehow. He didn't understand what was going on and he wasn't going to say those words until he got some concrete answers.
Just then, Roger heard the most bloodcurdling scream ever, even in his worst Halloween nightmares. The scream ripped through his spine like fingernails on a chalkboard.
"Hurry," the man from the boat yelled. "It's Abar."
"Who in the hell is Abar?" Roger demanded of Zeke as the winds on the island suddenly whipped up to hurricane force speeds.
"He is the dark man, your enemy." Zeke's voice floated to him over the fury of the winds. "You must not tarry, please repeat those words. You instinctively know how to return."
The wind knocked Roger off his feet as Zeke took shelter in the church. The boat was rocking from the high surf tides, and the man dismounted from his horse and disappeared behind the church.
The Golden Key: A Quest For Freedom (The Golden Key: Quest For Freedom Book 1) Page 2
