The Leafing: the 2nd book in The Green Man series

by Sharon Brubaker

  “You need to eat,” Owen told her bossily. “The protein will help keep up your energy.”

  “Marian is definitely rubbing off on you,” Sylvia told him drily referring to his motherly wisdom.

  Owen laughed a hearty laugh. “No surprise there,” he said.

  Sylvia loved how his eyes sparkled when he laughed. She had to look away.

  “See you at lunch?” Owen asked when their respective office areas veered off from the main hallway at Thurmont.

  “If I don’t drown in the work on my desk first,” Sylvia answered.

  “Okay,” Owen said. “See you later.”

  “See you,” she said and yawned again for about the fiftieth time that morning.

  Carol and Mr. Carter grilled her about the weekend’s event.

  “You’ve had a string of bad mojo,” Carol said more seriously than she had intended. ”Perhaps you need to find your friend Gwen’s mother. You can ask her for advice,” Carol said with a hint of sarcasm that Sylvia had dubbed ‘Carol-ism.’

  “Maybe,” Sylvia agreed. She wished the answer was as easy as Carol quipped. “I think I should call Kim,” she told them, “and get some work done!”

  Sylvia excused herself and went into the office to dial Kim’s number. Kim, usually very calm, answered with a tight, stressed voice.

  “Kim?” Sylvia asked. “How are you doing?”

  “Oh, my God, Syl!” she cried, “What a mess. And, who would think this would ever happen at Bayside? I mean, people don’t even lock their doors here!”

  She was right. Not too many people in the community even bothered locking their doors. Gran never did when she was alive. Sylvia did it out of habit. Over the years, there had been petty thefts, but nothing major. Sometimes teenagers would have a rowdy party in the accompanying woods near the water. They would be caught drinking and skinny dipping in the dark, but no harm and no foul. Bayside was a place of peace and that peace had been shattered in the last couple of months.

  “Thank goodness you weren’t at home,” Sylvia said.

  “I know. This is scary,” Kim agreed. “I am feeling so…so…” she searched for words.

  “Violated?” Sylvia guessed, knowing how she felt.

  “Yes!” Kim cried out. “And targeted,” she continued, “think about it, Syl. The three youngest women in the community have been attacked in the last couple of months. Joyce is dead. You and I were not at home when the attacker came…” she trailed off with a tinge of fear in her voice.

  Sylvia thought back to when she thought she saw someone in the darkness. Were the younger women of Bayside the targets? She would need to ask Joe about this theory.

  “I don’t know what it means,” Kim said, “but, I think you need to get an alarm system, at least.”

  “I have Percy,” Sylvia told her, “and Owen has come back to keep me company for a bit.”

  “Oh!” Kim replied, reading more into her comment about Owen. Sylvia could see her face with her eyebrows arching up in surprised arcs.

  “Just as a friend,” Sylvia told her.

  “Oh,” came Kim’s disappointed reply through the phone.

  Sylvia laughed. “You and a hundred others have the same thought. Sorry to disappoint,” Sylvia told her. “Kim, I need to get back to work. Call me soon, okay?”

  They said their goodbyes and Sylvia sighed as she saw many emails awaiting her attention. She spent the morning answering emails, phone calls and the ensuring work they brought. Owen messaged her about lunch and she returned a terse reply “drowning.” Carol came in and interrupted and asked her about lunch, but Sylvia declined. She asked Carol if she would pick up something at the cafeteria for her. Carol did, but Sylvia barely noticed the steaming soup on her desk that went from hot to warm to lukewarm to cold. She had managed a few spoons, but was working intently on upcoming projects.

  Buried in her email was a note from Bill asking about dowsing. He queried if she was interested in dowsing on Saturday on the campus, and then going to the nearby pub for the St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Sylvia replied that she would like to do this and reminded herself to ask Owen if he was interested as well. She also took a brief break and called Joe, but his cell phone went straight to voicemail. She continued to work until Owen poked his head around her door.

  “Syl,” he said in a stage whisper, “it’s time to blow this Popsicle stand.”

  “Oh! You!” she said and was surprised that the clock on her computer read five o’clock.

  Sylvia saved her documents and logged off her computer. She stood up and rubbed her eyes and stretched.

  “Wow,” she stated, “I don’t know where the day went.”

  “Time flies when you’re having fun,” Owen quipped.

  They argued good naturedly about dinner on the way home. Sylvia kept saying she didn’t want take out and she didn’t want to go out, but she wanted something easy.

  Percy trotted anxiously by the door and Owen snapped on his leash and took him out to the yard while Sylvia ran upstairs to change out of her work clothes and into something more comfortable. The ‘boys’ were waiting for her. Both were in the front yard looking out over the water. Dusk was settling and the brilliant winter sunset had begun. Colors of peach and mauve had begun to streak the western sky and light the clumps of clouds that hung over the western shore of the bay. It was difficult to explain the beauty to other people when she told them where she lived. She had come to the conclusion that anyone who had ever watched a sunset over the water might understand. There was something about the sunset that she never grew tired of. She knew of neighbors in Bayside that sat and watched and timed the sunset with their evening cocktails. Indeed, she and Owen had followed this ritual frequently as well. It was a ritual of beauty and peace and a lovely segway to the latter part of the day. They walked out the driveway to Bayside road. Sylvia noticed that the daffodils and narcissus were starting to bloom at the edge of the small woods at the edge of her property. The flowers stood straight and tall like soldiers at attention. The green spikes were swelling with blossom and just a few were beginning to bloom. Their fresh, innocent scent wafted towards them. Sylvia stopped for a moment to breath in the scent. She looked fondly at the patch of woodland. This was the spot where she had found the wooden mask that turned into the Green Man not quite a year ago.

  Owen and Percy turned to walk towards the marina. They walked past Tony’s house that stood dark and silent. She glanced at its windows and wondered where in the world he might be. They continued down bayside with Sylvia commenting on the beauty of the emerging spring gardens. Some of her neighbors had quite the green thumb and their gardens were showplaces.

  They walked into the marina where puddles always littered the road. They walked past the yawning deep space where they dropped the boats into the water. Something about that spot gave Sylvia the creeps. She unconsciously walked to the other side of Owen and Percy. Activity was beginning to bloom at the marina as well. The warming weather had brought out the boaters who were beginning to work on their boats. Some had doorways into the shrink wrap covering the wintered boats so they could work inside. Some were scrubbing and polishing and sanding the fiberglass outsides. Sylvia liked to look at the tall masts of the boats that were waiting for warmer weather to be put into the water again. They were patiently waiting for spring. The winterized boats crowded every possible paved surface with a narrow road running between. They, too, looked like soldiers at attention or some kind of odd forest. They turned and walked on a stretch of land that bordered the bay. Heavy rocks guarded the shoreline from erosion. There was a very narrow beach that Sylvia often walked at low tide. It was impossible to take Percy over the rocks now that she had him, but she peered over, looking for any possible treasures that might lie on the beach in the gathering dusk.

  Sylvia and Owen had lapsed into a comfortable silence. Percy trotted with his head and tail held high. Sometimes Sylvia was sure that he strutted. He enjoyed turning his face to the wind, just like
putting his face out of the window in a car. If he was a person, Sylvia was sure he would be grinning in delight.

  “Omelet for dinner?” Owen’s voice broke their silent reverie. “That would be easy.”

  “Sounds perfect,” Sylvia said.

  They had fallen back into their comfortable routine of the past. There was something wonderful about being able to move seamlessly with one’s companion with or without conversation. What had possessed Sylvia and Owen months earlier to doubt this? She wondered if he felt the same.

  They had been home for a few minutes and began preparing dinner. Owen had filled a glass of red wine for Sylvia and took out ingredients for the omelet while she searched for the pan. Sylvia glanced over at Owen who was now rummaging through the freezer for sausage and wondered if she should say something to him.

  She did not. Instead she chopped and sautéed some vegetables while the eggs cooked on low, to set into an omelet. Owen had disappeared from the kitchen as well as Percy. He came back to the kitchen to announce that he had made a fire and took her glass of wine to the study. Sylvia followed with the omelets and sausage that had been sizzling in another pan. They ate in companionable silence watching the fire. Percy was stretched out in front of the fire with his head on his paws. His black eyes flickered to Owen and Sylvia hoping for a bite of something from their plates.

  “You’re sneaky,” Sylvia chided Percy softly. “I’ll give you a treat in your dish,” she told him.

  Percy’s ears perked up at the sound of the word ‘treat,’ but when he did not receive one, he sighed deeply and closed his eyes. Both Sylvia and Owen chuckled softly.

  Sylvia remembered Bill’s email about dowsing on Saturday and going to the pub for the St. Patrick’s Day celebration. She asked Owen if he wanted to join them.

  “I’m not interested in the dowsing stuff,” he told her, “but, I would be happy to meet you at the pub. If we go together, I can drop you off and then work in library until you two are finished with…what is it…dowsing?” he asked skeptically.

  “Dowsing,” she said. “I don’t know much about it. I attended that lecture that Bill arranged with Carol’s Mom. It’s interesting,” she told him, “almost magical.”

  “But not scientific,” Owen sounded convinced.

  “I think Bill and Dr. McInnis would disagree with you,” Sylvia told him, “and some folks in the military.” She went on to tell him how the military used dowsing in many situations seeking bombs, tunnels and other things besides water.

  “Interesting,” Owen conceded, “but, still not my cup of tea.”

  “I know,” Sylvia said drily.

  They had both finished eating. Sylvia held out her hand for Owen’s plate. She had a few bits of egg to put in Percy’s food bowl and he knew it. He jumped up eagerly nearly knocking her over.

  “Whoa, boy,” Owen said in a stern voice.

  Percy sat immediately and looked contrite. Sylvia went to the kitchen and put the food in his bowl.

  “Percy,” Sylvia called.

  Percy came out and went eagerly to his bowl for the treats. Owen had followed bringing his empty beer bottle and her wine glass. He went to the refrigerator for another beer and filled up her glass with wine.

  “He’s amazing,” Owen told Sylvia. “He sat in there until you called him.”

  “I know,” Sylvia said somewhat smugly. “He’s so well trained and smart,” she said as she petted him.

  They returned to the fire to sit. Owen had brought his laptop. He kicked off his shoes and had his feet propped up. He still had papers to correct before tomorrow evening’s class. Sylvia sat with her most recent book on the Green Man and a book on essays about nature. She tried to concentrate on the esoteric essays, but could not. She marveled at the depictions of the Green Man by the ancients and wondered if the Green Man had seen them. Sadly, she thought the sculptures in Iran and Iraq had likely been destroyed in the recent wars, but she couldn’t be sure. How far did the Green Man’s influence stretch? What did he mean by being caught between worlds and the ever mysterious pattern? He had also mentioned dowsing and how it could be used from changing bad to good. She wondered about that as well. The book lay limp in her hands as she stared into the fire and thought about all of these things.

  Sylvia took a sidelong glance at Owen. He was frowning slightly at his laptop and shaking his head slowly at what he was reading. The curls she loved so much. Sylvia thought back to a few months ago when she considered their relationship going stale. They had had several quiet evenings. Stale? Boring? Now she was thinking it was very cozy. She remembered the hot nights that had followed and blushed as she stole another glance at Owen. He seemed to pick up on her unspoken thoughts.

  “Hmm?” Owen asked, peering at her as if he had half-moon glasses. “What did you say, Syl?”

  She blushed more, coloring to her hairline. She covered her blush with a large yawn.

  “I think I’m tired,” she stated, “and I am going up to bed. Do you mind walking Percy?” she asked him.

  Owen looked at her steadily and said, “I don’t mind walking Percy, Sylvia.”

  Sylvia sobered her thoughts and paused before she answered, “Okay,” she said softly, “Thanks.”

  Sylvia closed her books stood up slowly. She felt his eyes on her as she walked to the door and she turned her head.

  “Good night,” she said softly.

  Owen’s eyes were soft, “Good night, Syl,” he said softly.

  She gave an inward sigh and continued to feel his eyes on her as she left the room.

  Chapter 34

  “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

  - Maya Angelou

  The wind soughed around the house. Gran always said that wind would bring change in weather. Was it the spring the Green Man had promised? Sylvia tried to read, but the words danced before her eyes and her thoughts swirled in her head. She heard Percy yip and Owen closing the door as he took Percy out for his evening constitutional. When she heard them come back inside and begin the ritual of turning off lights and locking doors, she turned off her own light and lay in the dark. She heard Owen’s step on the stairs, her heart skipped a beat. She felt like a gauche school girl, wanting him to come in and sweep her into his arms. But, he didn’t. The inner struggle raged within and she covered a slight gasp with her pillow as Owen quietly let Percy into her room. He did not follow, but paused a moment in the doorway looking at her before closing the door gently and heading down the hallway towards the guest room.

  A spattering of rain changed to a steady pour in the night. Sylvia took Percy out on his morning walk under the shelter of a huge golf umbrella. She was wearing bright, bluish, purple boots with a floral design. They reminded her of the folk embroidery Gran had worn on her peasant blouses and denim skirts. Owen hated them, but Sylvia loved them. She could splash through puddles to her heart’s content and still her feet would be warm and dry.

  The road in her community of Bayside was old and full of ruts. The rainwater pooled around clumps of old snow and in indentations in the road, then swirled into small pools before it seeped into the yards and out to the bay. Sylvia crunched on an old clump of icy snow. Some of the tiny icy slivers broke off and melted in the swirling water. Just like her heart, thought Sylvia, with Owen. She felt like the iciness in her heart towards Owen was melting away slowly. She still felt torn about her feelings towards him and a few ice crystals still filled her heart.

  Owen headed to the University on Wednesday evenings so they took separate cars to work. Sylvia thought this was just as well with her feelings in such flux. At work, Carol asked if she wanted to go to dinner and a movie, but Sylvia did not. Percy needed to be walked and Sylvia was in no mood to go out.

  “How about a girls’ night in?” Carol suggested, “We can eat high fat food and watch schmaltzy movies. How does that sound?”

  “Now that,” Sylvia told her, “Sounds perfect. I’ll pick up wine and walk
Percy.”

  “I’ll bring the high fat food and movies,” Carol told her.

  Sylvia ran home after work to give Percy a quick walk and took him in the car to the small liquor store a couple of miles away. She picked up some wine along with chocolate and caramel liqueur for a dessert she had read about. She knew Carol would love it.

  Percy barked brightly when Carol’s car pulled in the driveway. She was loaded down with a heavy bag.

  “When I went in to get the movies, Mom was puling this out of the oven. It’s a bit carb heavy,” Carol told her, “but, who cares.”

  Carol pulled out a casserole with homemade macaroni and cheese with crunchy, buttery breadcrumbs toasted on the top. Steam wafted from the pasta.

  “Yum,” Sylvia stated, loading up their plates.

  They settled in with full plates and full glasses.

  “What movies did you bring?” Sylvia asked.

  “”You’ve got mail” and “The Holiday,”” Carol said.

  “Terif,” Sylvia said. She kicked up the foot of the high backed lazy boy and tossed Carol the remote.

  They ate and watched “You’ve Got Mail.” Sylvia brought in dessert half way through the movie and Carol made orgasmic sounds over the combination of chocolate and caramel liqueur whipped together with vanilla ice cream and heavy cream.

  Sylvia smirked at her. “Told you that you would love dessert,” she teased.

  Satiated, Carol took the remote and paused the movie.

  “What was that?” Carol asked.

  “What?” Sylvia asked, puzzled.

  “That!” Carol stage whispered.

  Sylvia listened. The wind had picked up around the house and great gust buffeted against the side.

  “It’s just the wind,” Sylvia assured her, “You should hear it in a hurricane!”

  Carol shuddered, “No thanks,” she told her.

  Carol held the remote in her hand but before she turned the movie back on she queried, “Okay, Syl,” she told her friend, “spill the beans.”