Agent out of Time (The Agents for Good) (6 page)

The day turned into evening and then night. I saw the pickups lights in the distance. I pressed my cell phone and the display lid up, 9:54. The boy was cutting it close.

The truck pulled up and I could see the dim outline of Trent getting out and opening Deshavi’s door. He said something and I heard Deshavi’s mirthful laughter ring out. It was a good sound to hear. As Trent pulled away, Deshavi, after looking after the truck for a long moment, made her way onto the porch. She sensed my presence and stopped. She looked like she wanted to say something, but didn’t. Instead she came over to me and I stood up. Her arms came around me tightly and not since for a long time my arms found their way around her.

“Thank you grandpa!”

I nodded and after a while we separated and she went inside. I walked out into the night and made my way down to my knees in the dirt and said my own thank you to my Heavenly Father.

The days passed by and summer began and with it the heat, but in some ways I think the heat of the day failed in comparison to the blaze that had erupted between Deshavi and Trent. It was a wonder how they kept their clothes on, but Trent remained a gentleman and Deshavi respected my wishes. The two were inseparable. They went everywhere and did everything with each other. If one listened hard enough one could hear the wedding bells in the distance, at least I hoped so.

I heard footsteps and then Deshavi appeared on the trail below me. She looked nervous and immediately defensive shields went up inside of me. What had she done?

I tried to keep my face neutral of my feelings as she found me and drew closer.

“Grandpa I…..ah…..was wondering if you would do something for me?”

I started to relax inside. Lately she had reverted to her childhood use of grandpa, instead of the more formal grandfather, if she was still calling me grandpa it couldn’t be too bad could it?

“What do you need?”

She shifted on her feet in an anxious way that I hadn’t seen her do since she was a little girl begging for something she desperately wanted.

“Trent wants me to meet his mother before we, before we……”

“Before we what?” I asked.

She stuck her hand out and I saw the finger that showcased a big shiny diamond ring on it.

“Get married!” She finished lamely.

I took her hand and gazed at the ring admiringly, “This is a good thing Deshavi! You make my heart glad, but what is it that you want of me?”

On a rush of words she breathed out, “Would you please go with us to see his mother? With me? Please!”

Without hesitation I responded, “Absolutely!”

She stared at me in shock, “You will? I didn’t think you ever left this place! I…”

I interrupted her, “When do we go?”

Her nervousness quadrupled, “We…. you see that’s the thing. I was sure you’d say no so I put off asking you and….”

I squeezed her hand, “When do we go honey?”

“In the morning.” She moaned out.

I patted her cheek, “I’ll be ready.”

“Thank you grandpa!” She said, as she hugged me fiercely. “I need this!”

“Are you worried that his mother won’t like you?”

She buried her face against my chest and I heard a muffled, “Yes”.

I pulled her face back up, “Why?”

Her eyes were teary as she said, “Because I’m not good enough for him!”

She tried to duck her head back down, but I framed her face in my hands and kept it focused on me.

“Now you listen to me Deshavi Longtree! You are the last descendent of a family that has known countless warriors and many chiefs and as the last of those warriors I say that you are more than just good enough! You are a priceless treasure without equal, whom I give away to no man lightly!”

Her arms closed tightly around me again and mine around her.

The drive to the big city with the nearest airport was going to be a long one. From the city it would be an even longer nonstop flight all the way to New Jersey, where Trent’s mother lived.

“When was the last time that you left home grandpa?”

I glanced over from the road ahead to Deshavi sitting in the middle between me and Trent.

“It’s been a long time.” I left it at that.

As time went by I couldn’t but help notice the finger games, the secretively mouthed words and the smoldering looks the two were absorbed in. I shook my head softly with a smile, as I reached up with my hand and pushed Deshavi over against Trent. Both of them turned to look at me in surprise.

“You can have fun now, but I expect you two to behave later when we’re on the plane.”

Deshavi giggled and fairly attacked Trent, who soon got over his embarrassment.

Looking over at the two lovesick lovebirds I acknowledged to myself that it had been a very long time since I’d experienced that kind of passion. My hands gripped the steering wheel harder, as I fondly remembered my own time in life, when my girl couldn’t get enough of kissing me on the seat of an old pickup truck.

Chapter Five

By the Seaside

People everywhere. In some ways the greater outside world hadn’t changed much in other ways it had woefully left me far behind. One thing hadn’t changed though, the noise. It filled my ears with its incessant racket and egged on the headache that was beginning to form deep in my head. I didn’t regret leaving this fast-paced world, where everyone was in a hurry and trying to drive overtop of everyone else. No I didn’t regret it at all.

Once we were out of the city it got better. Trent’s mother lived along the shore near a place called Cape May. I’d never been there before, but I was looking forward to the noise of the sea. That was a noise that I liked.

I left the driving to Trent and was grateful not have to navigate my way through the suburbia hell that had taken place in my absence from society. Finally we reached a quieter section of the seaside community. I could tell by how relaxed Trent was that he was glad to be here, like I was, when I was in the mountains of Idaho. No doubt he would settle here or somewhere like it, which meant I would have to travel to see my Deshavi and any little ones that might come into the world in the future. It was a sacrifice I’d gladly make in order to see Deshavi settled, happy, and better yet lovingly cared for.

We pulled up at a beachside cottage that I had to admit possessed a quaint charm to it. It was slightly run down, but well-maintained nevertheless. Trent got out and so did I. Not for the first time I wondered to myself privately, would Trent’s mother except Deshavi?

I didn’t have long to wait to find out. The screen door clattered and a slim woman with streaks of gray dotting her black hair ran up to Trent and encircled her much taller son with a tight grip. He returned the embrace with gentled passion.

From where Deshavi and I stood it was clear to see that Trent was a man who loved his mother with all his heart and she him in return. She stepped back abruptly and smiled at us charmingly. I was instantly captivated by both her smile and her as a whole.

Trent’s mother I had to admit was stunningly attractive. At fifty seven she had begun to gray somewhat prematurely, but it took nothing from her beauty. It was her eyes that fascinated me the most. They were very knowing eyes and I saw kindness in them, set against a backdrop of resolute toughness.

“You must excuse me please for not welcoming you first, but my son has lived on the edge of danger for so many years, that whenever I see him, after a long absence I cannot but celebrate the blessed occurrence of his return.”

I nodded full well understanding the hell a mother with a son in harm’s way goes through. No doubt it accounted for most of her gray hair.

Her eyes passed over me in a charming way that said ‘When I have time I’ll be back, but for now other things first.’ Her gaze centered on Deshavi and she stepped toward her. She took Deshavi’s hands and said, “I very much have been longing to see and meet you my dear. None has ever so captivated my son, as you have, and I can see why. You are absolutely gorgeous!”

Deshavi blushed and softly responded, “So are you!”

“You do me too much justice dear, now please do introduce me to the one member of our group that does at least have more gray hair than I do, thus stroking what little vanity I have left in my departing youth, in not being the oldest gathered here.”

I smiled and half bowed to her as Deshavi said, “This is my grandfather, Caleb Longtree. He raised me and without him I wouldn’t be here right now.”

My eyes left Ella Rogerson to meet Deshavi’s and then back to Ella’s. She was giving me a knowing look, “It is a good thing, when those we raise bless us with their words and actions, is it not Mister Longtree?”

“Yes it is!” I responded a little emotionally.

She smiled and said to all, “Come I have made a feast that now grows cold.

Ella Rogerson among many other things was an extremely good cook. After dinner the conversation had primarily been rooted on the young couple. I saw absolutely no cause for alarm when it came to any negative actions between either Ella or Deshavi. Trent’s mother in fact seemed to be overwhelming Deshavi with the depth of personable attention that she paid to her and some part of me rejoiced inside at the sight of it.

This relationship was going to be so good for Deshavi! Ella was the example of how a mother should be and exactly the opposite of what Deshavi had ever experienced in regards to her own birth mother.

Feeling at peace I let the conversation flow around me, joining in only when required to, content to bask in the aftermath of victory. Too bad Ted couldn’t be here to revel in the victory as I was now. Later I slipped away and made my way outside having been lured by the crashing of the waves.

It was getting darker and almost everyone had left the beach leaving me alone to enjoy a moment of quiet from the maddening crowd. It had been such a good day that is once we’d reached this quiet little hamlet by the seaside. Some sense of awareness bade me to stop and I turned to see a figure walking towards me. I waited and saw that it was Ella.

A thrill of awareness shot through me. The woman affected me powerfully and I had struggled the entire course of the afternoon to keep the face of normality on with her so near. She drew close and again there was that smile that pulled you in.

“I often walk the beach alone at night. Perhaps, for once, two loners might share the experience?” She asked with a hopeful tint to her words.

I extended out my arm and like the lady that she was her arm slipped through it and we began to make our way up the beach together in silence. It was the most companionable time I’d spent with anyone in a very long time. It was special somehow and I didn’t know what to say. We were almost back to the house, when she spoke.

“As I get older I become more conscious of how swiftly time is passing me by and how fleeting life can be. When we’re young we have nothing but time, but time is in shorter supply now, than ever before. I find myself more and more reticent about facing, what little time is left to me, alone. Perhaps after the children have had their moment there will be time for us to consider something more between us?”

“I would like that very much Ella.” I responded not at all shocked by what she had just said or by my own answer. I brought her hand up and I kissed the back of it lightly.

“Good night Caleb.” She said softly before she faded away into the darkness, as she headed up the beach to the house.

How strange the way things could be at times. I’d come on this trip to help reassure my granddaughter’s future and in the process I had met a woman worth spending the remaining future that I possessed with. I don’t know if you could call it love or even lust at my age, although there certainly was attraction at play.

The best way to put the emotion that was between us already from the first moment we had met was simply that it felt right. It simply felt right and I was glad that I wasn’t the only one of the two of us that felt that connection take place. If that had been the case I would have never said anything, but I would have just gone back to my mountains alone at the appointed time. But that wasn’t what had happened and the future was richer for it.

Chapter Six

Bygone Era

It had been agreed that the wedding would take place in one month, August 24th. The ceremony would be in New Jersey, and as I had suspected, that was where the new couple would stay. Deshavi and I had spent a week in the East before coming back. It had been a good week for both of us.

Deshavi was somewhat torn at the moment over one item, which was her mother. Specifically in regards to the fact that she didn’t want her mother at the wedding, which I know made her feel guilty. I told Deshavi repeatedly, her wedding equaled her decision. Still, I expected to see her mother there, even though it probably would be for the best if she wasn’t.

I had reached Ted’s cabin, but I didn’t see him about. I was about to dismount and go searching inside, when I heard a chink of metal off of stone. What was this? Ted actually working in his own dig site for once? Would wonders never cease.

I let Windstalker amble over to the dig site. I slipped off and made my way down into the maze of dig site trenches. Trent had really helped his grandfather out by putting a lot of effort into uncovering new sections of territory to which I now headed for. I turned a corner to find a thoroughly exhausted looking Ted. He was covered from head to toe with sweat and grime.

“Ted are you all right?” I asked in concern.

He looked up with relief, “Oh good you’re here! I could use some help here. I’ve been at it all yesterday and now today.”

I quickly stepped forward across the space. On my way I noticed a tarp laid out on the ground. On it were countless stone implements, most of them spearheads. “You found all those in the past two days?” I exclaimed.

It was more archaeological evidence, then Ted had discovered, during the entire dig up till now. He nodded and looked up his tired features excited, “And that’s not all!”

In front of where Ted kneeled in the dirt there was a part of a bone exposed. It looked like a femur leg bone and it was human without a doubt. I sank to my knees feeling excitement for my friend’s discovery.