Mackenzie Legacy, The

by Anderson, Derrolyn

  She stood and rushed outside, and he watched through the open doorway as she pumped some water from an underground cistern, bringing it inside in a pail she set down by the hearth.

  “Do you want a hand?” Calvin asked. She shook her head no.

  He stood awkwardly for a while, finally sitting down at a small table made out of a wooden spool to take a good look around. The cabin was only one room, divided by a brick hearth that hosted the stove, with cooking pots hanging from hooks in the ceiling. The rafters above them were festooned with bunches of dried herbs and flowers.

  Everything seemed to be cobbled together out of other things; Calvin could make out bits and pieces of packing crates, bicycle parts, and old hubcaps. It was like a cottage out of a fairytale or storybook, and could have easily been populated by forest fairies or trolls. The whole thing seemed oddly magical– exactly the sort of place someone like Caledonia might have sprang from.

  Shelves lined every square inch of wall, laden with jewel toned jars of golden peaches, red tomatoes and bright green beans. There was a curio cabinet in one corner, filled with bird’s nests, shed snakeskins and unusual rocks. A framed print of the painting they’d seen at the museum hung over the little table that sat opposite the stove.

  There were two beds on either side of the room, and one of them was almost completely surrounded by stacks of books, like a little fox’s den of words. Dried daisy-chain necklaces hung from a headboard made of gnarled branches.

  “Is that one your bed?” Calvin asked, “The one with all the books?”

  She nodded yes without looking up, fussing with the stove damper to keep herself busy. She knew that if she stopped moving it would hit her all at once. Once she had the fire roaring, she stood up reached for a battered copper teakettle, her hands shaking, “I’d better boil some water for tea.”

  Calvin stood too, coming up behind her. “Cali?”

  She froze when he touched her shoulder, putting the kettle down and turning to look at him. When their eyes met her face crumpled, and when he took her into his arms she burst into tears. He walked them back over to the chair and sat, pulling her down onto his lap to cradle her, wrapping his body around hers.

  “I’m s-s-sorry,” she gulped, “I should just… I should–”

  “Sssh,” he said, stroking her hair and drawing her closer. She started sobbing in earnest, her slender shoulders shuddering as she surrendered, collapsing onto Calvin’s warm body. He held her as close as he possibly could, waiting patiently while she cried until her eyes couldn’t make another tear.

  Calvin realized that he’d never allowed himself to cry like that, and he almost envied her the release of it. In that moment he didn’t feel helpless or uncomfortable, and it surprised him. He understood her grief completely, and he sat quietly, enfolding her in the circle of his arms, dropping his head to rest on top of hers. They were locked in an embrace for a long time, listening as the wind picked up outside, howling its lonely cry outside the window.

  She finally sat up, sniffing and wiping her eyes. “We need to get our things out of the truck before it gets too dark… And bring some dry wood inside.”

  ~

  Soon they were settled in, drinking mint tea at the little table in front of the warm stove and listening to the light rain tap out a rhythm on the roof. Caledonia cooked them spaghetti from the bag of groceries they’d picked up at the last town they’d passed, using a jar of her mother’s tomatoes and dried herbs to make sauce.

  She served the food on chipped and mismatched plates, and they ate their dinner side by side, their faces lit by firelight. Calvin felt like he’d been put through a time machine and transported back to another era.

  “It’s like you grew up in Little House on the Prairie or something,” he observed.

  She perked up, “You read those books?”

  “Nope,” he said sheepishly. “But I saw the TV show that they made from the story.”

  “Do they make TV shows about every book?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “Just the good ones, I guess.”

  The cast iron stove heated the small space nicely, casting a cozy golden light on the rustic interior. For a moment Calvin could actually imagine himself living there with her forever, hunting and fishing, or doing whatever you did when you lived in a cabin in the woods.

  Until nature called.

  “Uhm… Where’s the bathroom?” he asked.

  “Did we pack that flashlight?” she asked in return.

  They stepped out of the warmth and coziness into the blackest dark night he’d ever seen, and Caledonia showed him across the clearing to a little structure set back away from the house. She handed him the light.

  “Watch out for the black widows,” she said lightly, turning to make her way back inside.

  ~

  The next morning sun steaming through the small window fell upon two lovers tangled up in each other. Calvin cuddled closer to Cali, realizing that he’d missed the smell of wood-smoke in her hair. He was nostalgic for the time they’d spent camping, but as romantic as the cabin was, he had a newfound respect for the hard life she’d led before he’d met her.

  “Cali?”

  “Hmm…” she replied, soft and warm and barely awake.

  “When you blew out the candle yesterday… What did you wish for?”

  She yawned, mumbling, “I wished I was taking you to meet my parents. I wish they could have met you… They would have loved you.”

  An enormous lump formed in his throat and he didn’t know what to say. He never imagined he’d ever hear that from a girl, and yet, when Cali said it, he had to believe her.

  “My mom would have loved you too,” he finally said, his voice gruff.

  “Do you think you could handle staying here once in a while?” she asked.

  He nuzzled the back of her neck happily. “I don’t care where we are as long as I’m with you.”

  She looked around the small room with her newly informed eyes. “It’s like I remembered… but it’s also not. I used to think I wanted to live here forever, but now there are two things I’m afraid I’d miss too much.”

  He smiled, thinking he was finally going to be included on the short list. “And what would those be?”

  “Hot water,” she bit her lip, “And pizza.”

  “What about me?” he asked in mock indignation.

  “Don’t I already have you?” she asked.

  He sighed, realizing that she would always have his number. “Completely.”

  When they walked outside the sky was clear, the air was fresh and clean, and the whole world seemed brand new.

  “Do you want to have a picinc?” she asked him.

  She packed up some food and led him through the woods, her excitement mounting as she neared her favorite spot. She pointed out fronds of poison oak for him to avoid, leading him deeper in the wilderness than he’d ever been before. He watched her gliding ahead of him like a forest nymph, gracefully navigating the uneven terrain with a light step. He did his best to keep up with her.

  “Are you sure there aren’t any mountain lions around here?” he asked, a little creeped out by the dense underbrush that surrounded the secret little paths they traveled.

  “It’s okay,” she reassured him, touching the long sharp knife that hung openly from her belt. He knew how fast she could pull it if she wanted to. She stopped suddenly, inspecting the disturbed earth of the pathway.

  Calvin glanced down to see nothing, looking back up at her. “Cali? What is it?”

  “I’m not sure,” she replied, pressing her lips together with concern. “But these are fresh.”

  “What’s fresh?” Calvin asked, unable to see anything besides dirt.

  Caledonia pointed, “See these boot prints? Here… and here… There were at least three or four men. They must have been poaching.”

  “Poaching?” he asked. “There are poachers around here?” he looked around nervously.

  “They’re usually afte
r deer,” she said. “But this time of year they might have been going for bear or boar…”

  “We should go back,” he said, anxious. “What if they shoot us instead?”

  “Don’t worry,” she said confidently. “I can spot them long before they spot us.”

  She set out on another even narrower path, moving swiftly, and now it was all he could do to keep up with her. Within a few minutes they entered into a perfectly formed little clearing in the woods, ringed with ferns. Caledonia drank in the sight with hungry eyes.

  She went to the center of the meadow to sit in the sun on the smooth log from a fallen tree, smiling over at him brilliantly when he settled in next to her. Birds were singing in the dark woods beyond them, and she looked all around, savoring the familiar place. Then her face clouded over.

  “I must have been sitting right here when it happened,” she said wistfully.

  Calvin took her hand wordlessly, and they sat in silence for a few minutes. All at once she was on her feet, knife gleaming in her hand. Calvin stood, alarmed, following her eyes to a dense wall of shrubs set back in the dark blue shadows.

  “What is it?” he whispered, expecting some sort of wild beast to burst out and attack them at any moment.

  “I know you’re there… Come out and show yourself,” Caledonia growled, surprising Calvin with a ferocious voice he’d never heard coming from her before.

  There was a movement in the shadows, and the apparition of a man appeared. He seemed as ancient and wild as the land itself, his long beard and hair hanging like moss from trees. He entered the clearing slowly, leaning onto a twisted, gnarled walking stick, its grip polished from years of wear.

  Calvin thought he looked like the ghost of an old frontiersman, or a modern day Rip Van Winkle. He wore a poncho cut from a frayed Indian blanket, and a woven leather hat with feathers stuck in the headband. When he saw Caledonia his weathered face split into an enormous grin.

  “There’s my wild child,” he said.

  ~

  Chapter Twelve

  DISCOVERY

  ~

  “Jesse!” Cali cried, surprising Calvin by rushing forward to greet the man with an embrace. “What are you doing all the way down here?”

  “I saw the chimney smoke… I came to check on your house.”

  Caledonia turned to Calvin. “Calvin… This is my friend Jesse.”

  The old man squinted at the younger one, extending a rough and knobby hand, “Pleased to meet you.”

  Calvin couldn’t have been more surprised, but he shook the man’s hand, looking to Caledonia for some kind of explanation.

  Jesse looked to her also, “When I heard about the accident I didn’t expect you’d ever come back…”

  “Why wouldn’t I? This is my land now.”

  “I suppose you can take the girl from the woods…” he looked tired, leaning on his stick. “I think I’ll just rest my old bones for a minute. This hiking business is getting harder on the old feet.”

  He shuffled over to the log and lowered himself down with a sigh. “I should have known you couldn’t stay away… I should have seen that coming. But I suppose I’m going to have to warn you about a few things...”

  “Like what?” she asked.

  “Sit down Cal,” Jesse patted the log next to him. “We need to talk.”

  She settled down beside him while Calvin stood watching in silence. “The people I work for… They’re not the same as they used to be.”

  “Not the same how?”

  He heaved a heavy sigh, shaking his head sadly. “The whole operation has been taken over by some pretty bad hombres from south of the border… These cats are only in it for the money.”

  “Operation?” Calvin asked.

  Jesse looked up at Calvin suspiciously, and Caledonia patted the old man’s arm to reassure him. “It’s okay. You can trust him.”

  “They’re big time growers,” Jesse finally said bitterly. “They’ve got plots set up all over the property. They don’t even care about the trees, they use chemical fertilizers… divert the creeks… and now…” his voice cracked and trailed off.

  “Now what?” Caledonia asked.

  “They’re dangerous… Territorial. They carry guns.”

  Calvin looked over his shoulder, his eyes widening.

  Cali nodded. “I saw where they passed.”

  Jesse flashed icy blue with fear, startling Caledonia. “Did they see you?”

  “No, I just saw their track.”

  He slumped with relief. “I should have known you’d pick up on it right away.” He took her hand in his to look into her eyes earnestly. “Listen, it’s harvest time right now, and they post extra guards this time of year. Just stay away until they clear out. It’s much safer in the winter.”

  “Why do you stay?” she asked.

  “This is my home… So I’ve decided to make myself useful to them. That way, I can try to keep the damage to a minimum. David would have wanted that.”

  Caledonia was shocked, “My father? You knew my father? Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

  “You weren’t supposed to be roaming as far as you did.” He chuckled, “But there wasn’t anything you didn’t know about this land, was there?”

  “I knew about the marijuana, if that’s what you mean…”

  “Your father agreed to look the other way if we could grow on his land.”

  “That was on his land? But why would he allow that? He hated drugs!”

  Jesse sighed, fumbling to explain, “When your folks first came here, they were desperate… There was a pretty big tax lien on the land…”

  “A what?” Calvin asked.

  “A debt,” Caledonia answered, suddenly understanding.

  “The county was going to sell it off at auction… So we– my former employers that is– made a deal with your dad. They paid the property taxes, and he looked the other way.”

  Caledonia was shocked, but the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. Her parents never had any money, and they were strict about keeping her within a predetermined range. They just hadn’t counted on her breaking their rules.

  “Please don’t be upset… I don’t know what kind of trouble they were in, but your folks were pretty desperate when they showed up here.”

  She nodded. “I know.”

  “What were they running from anyway?” he asked.

  “It’s a long story,” she said, reaching for her basket. “Are you hungry?”

  The three of them shared a picnic sitting on the log, and Calvin listened as Caledonia questioned Jesse about the extent of the pot growing operation on her land. The old man seemed scattered and confused, and Calvin’s initial suspicion turned to pity. He got the impression that Jesse didn’t know very much about the world outside of the forest, much like Caledonia when he’d first met her.

  She pushed her lunch onto her friend, wrapping up everything that was left and pressing it into his hands. Jesse looked over at Calvin watching them and nodded.

  “She’s one of a kind son,” he said. “I hope you treat her right.”

  He reached down to rummage in the fringed leather bag that hung around his neck and produced a pipe, filling the bowl and lighting it. The meadow was filled with the familiar smell of pot smoke.

  Jesse held the pipe up to Calvin. “Toke?”

  “No thanks,” he replied, raising his eyebrows at Caledonia. He knew that she held the same view on drugs as her parents had, and with good reason, so he was surprised to see that she was completely unfazed, continuing to question him as he puffed away. She waved the smoke out of her face. “So, if I pay these people money, will they leave?” she asked hopefully.

  Jesse shook his head no. “They’re dangerous. Don’t go near them.”

  “He’s right.” Calvin added, “Mexican drug cartels? They’re brutal… Even Jarod knows better than to screw around with people like that… They don’t care who they hurt.”

  “When you lie down with dogs�
�” Caledonia whispered.

  Jesse nodded in agreement, “Exactly. When you dine with the devil, bring a long spoon.”

  ~

  On their drive into town, Caledonia explained how she had stumbled upon Jesse’s remote encampment, and used to stop by to visit him from time to time.

  “Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Calvin asked.

  She shrugged, “I never told anyone.”

  “Do you have any other secret friends I should know about?”

  She flashed her forest and sky eyes at him playfully. “Loads. The woods are just crawling with fairies and leprechauns.”

  They finally reached the nearest town and drove down the main street, passing a small gas station, general store and diner. The place looked like the kind of idyllic village you’d see on a calendar or a puzzle box, but Calvin wasn’t paying attention. He was busy watching the rearview mirror for the police cruiser that was following closely behind them.

  “Take a right turn here,” Caledonia said intensely.

  Calvin parked in front of a small cemetery surrounded by a white picket fence. He got out, coming around to open her door. She sat frozen in her seat, her face stony.

  “Do you want to come back later?” he asked gently.

  “No.”

  She climbed out of the cab resolutely, walking past decades-old carved headstones and statues of angels, making a direct line for a remote corner of the fenced-in area. Calvin walked alongside her, stopping when she stopped. She stood stock still, staring down at two small brass markers set flush with the earth.

  She forgot to breathe for a moment, finally gasping, “I thought maybe… It… It seemed like it might have been just a dream…”

  Calvin stood behind her, and this time he embraced her without hesitation, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on her shoulder silently. They stood there like that for a few long minutes while she gathered herself.

  “Mackenzie,” Calvin said, looking at the names on all the tombstones that surrounded them. “Are these all your relatives?”