Call of the Canyon (2 page)

Jack helped him pack up what little
belongings he brought for the return trip. In the boat, he began to
explain. “There’s much to tell but it needs to be done privately.
As we grow closer to base camp, I plan to wait until evening falls
before heading in. We’ll pull off somewhere and wait. When we
finally go in, I need you to hide under the tarp. We want to make
sure no one sees you. Hopefully, it will be dark by then and no one
will see us.”

Thinking it was a strange request, but
anxious to get back to Kate, Andrew did as instructed. Worried
about her, he wanted to return to the top of the canyon as quickly
as possible. She could be looking for him, worried about him. Jack
assured him Kate was fine. He would explain everything later.

The two men waited for darkness before
coming ashore, setting up camp far from the bunk house. They talked
late into the night. Actually, it was Jack who did most of the
talking. He began to tell Andrew about a magical book, like he was
weaving a fairytale. Andrew almost expected him to say, “once upon
a time” as he started the story.

“There’s a book capable of moving people
through time...like a time travel machine. It takes people from
1927 to the 21
^st
century and back after they fall
asleep. People who read the book think they’re having a very vivid,
realistic dream, but each night as they return, they come to the
conclusion it’s not a dream but very real.”

“Wow, that’s a really good tale, Jack. Got
any ghost stories?” Andrew gazed up at the night sky.

“Not funny, now pay attention.” Jack rolled
his eyes. Andrew saw that as a sign to take it seriously.
“Eventually people from the 21
^st
century came to 1927.
How did that happen? These people of the future befriended the 1927
travelers and became trusted allies. Books were given to them so
they could make the journey back in time, always waking at the
Johansson boardinghouse near the Grand Canyon.”

“So now you’re saying there’s more than one
book? I thought this fairytale started with, ‘once there was this
magical book.’” Andrew chuckled as he put Jack on the spot.

“Okay, there’s more than one book, happy
now?” Andrew nodded as he watched Jack throw another pile of brush
on the fire. “What you need to know is this. The strangest thing is
it’s always 1927 in the past, but the correct year in the present
when these people from the future return home.”

“So the 21
^st
century aliens come
back to our time, visit, and return home to live happily ever
after.”

“No! They visit time and time again, develop
long lasting friendships...even some marriages.”

Andrew found that completely absurd and
broke into fits of laughter.

“The books are real, Andrew.”

He stopped laughing and stared at Jack.
“Real, like in I could travel to this future? This 21
^st
century future?”

“Yes.”

That confused him all the more. He had a lot
of questions but let Jack continue with the story.

“I have a theory about the books. A set of
them was found imbedded in the wall of the boardinghouse Carl
Johansson is renovating. It’s like their power source is coming
from somewhere deep in the canyon. It occurs only at this specific
time and place in the universe...right here at the Grand Canyon.
The books seem grounded in this time period, unable to go back any
further in time. The power to travel forward spreads out from this
single, original point to countless locations in the future but
pulls everyone back to this very spot.” Jack held up a closed fist
and then spread his fingers wide. He slowly closed it again to make
the point.

“So what you’re saying is time marches on
for these people in the future but we’re stuck in time?”

“Something like that.”

“They can come back here year after
year?”

“You seem to understand a little
better.”

“Not at all, Jack. Wouldn’t they be bumping
into their former selves? Multiples? Younger versions of
themselves?”

“No, they always come back as one
person...the age they were when they first arrived. They revert to
that form, so to speak, but still have all their memories.”

Andrew tried to wrap his brain around all he
was told. He read many Jules Verne novels and felt like he was
living in one. No one could really time travel. He was starting to
feel Jack had gone mad. The explanation of how it all worked was
something he’d have to experience to really believe it.

“Carl Johansson discovered the books while
renovating the boardinghouse and was the original time traveler. I
found out about them when I lived there and convinced Carl to take
me on his next trip. I trusted the book...and Carl. Waking in a
dormitory at Oberlin College, we explored the campus and visited
the library where Maya, Carl’s wife, worked.

Since that time, Carl and I worked on the
theory of why the book sent us to Ohio, to that spot in Oberlin,
but he became ill. We never finished our investigation.” Jack
looked down at the ground, picking up a twig, tossing it in the
fire. He took a deep breath and continued. “That’s the first time I
met Maya, and also the day I met my future wife. Little did I know,
that one day would change everything.”

“What year was it? In the future?” Andrew
couldn’t believe he asked that question.

“Well, it was the 1990’s then. It wasn’t the
future to them. It was the present.”

“So we’re living in the past? Living this
year over and over?”

“Correct. The people here...in this
time...have lived their lives, some have died.”

“No! Stop it, Jack. You’re wrong. This dream
you’re telling me can’t be real. There’s no such thing as a magical
book. I’ve read stories like that, that’s all they
are...stories.”

“What if I told you Katie was living in the
future?”

“I wouldn’t believe you. She’s probably up
top searching for me right now. She’d never stop looking.”

“You’re right about that. She’d never stop.
She begged me to come looking for you.”

“See? I was right. She’s up there,
right?”

“No, she’s home in Ohio, living in the
21
^st
century. She better be in school if she knows
what’s good for her.”

“Jack, you have no right to talk like that
about her.”

“I have every right, Andrew. She’s my
daughter. That’s where I live.”

He was startled to learn Jack lived in the
21
^st
century after meeting his wife, Joanna, at the
library the very first day he time traveled. An even bigger
surprise was Maya was from the future and traveled back in time to
help Carl at the boardinghouse. The biggest shock was Kate was
Jack’s daughter and used the book to time travel to the canyon.

“How long have you been doing this,
Jack?”

“Almost twenty years. You’d be surprised to
see how I’ve aged back in Ohio.”

“So take me there! To the future to see
Kate. Prove it. You’re telling me she doesn’t hop a train to get
home, she time travels to another century.”

“That’s exactly right. Now do you believe
me?”

“No, not really, but I’m open to hear more.
You can tell me on the climb. Let’s go.”

“Wait, not so fast, there’s more.” Jack said
solemnly. “You died on this trip. We didn’t find you. You never
made it back. Year after year I tried to stop you but you always
got ahead of me. The scenario never changed. You went down the
river and were never found.”

“Then how? How is it different this time?”
He felt he knew the answer before Jack even said it.

“Katie’s letters stopped you from doing the
usual sequence of events. You always went down the river on Friday
and this time you left on Saturday. You never were at the first
campsite, no evidence you were there. That’s where I found you
today. My Katie saved your life. I will be forever grateful.”

“And so am I. I finally read her letters at
camp and was a fool to doubt her. I have nothing if she’s not in my
life. There’s nothing for me here. I can leave and never look
back.”

They waited till dawn and carefully climbed
out of the canyon without being seen. The plan was to let everyone
think Andrew died, just like years past. He would return to the
future with Jack, get a crash course on the 21
^st
century
world and assume his new identity before letting anyone know he was
there.

“Technology, that’s the key word.” Jack told
Andrew on the climb. “There have been so many advancements they’re
too numerous to mention. You’re young, you’ll catch on.” Jack
slapped him on the back and smiled. “If I could do it, you’ll be
fine. You can visit 1927 whenever you want, but we stay away on
December thirty-first. We have no idea what would happen if we woke
up in the new year. We’re not sure if we continue our lives in the
past, making it impossible to return to the 21
^st
century. We even have that fear for someone like Katie, not just
us. I don’t want you or me to ever take the chance.”

“You mean, you, me or Carl, don’t you?”

Jack was quiet for a moment. “Carl passed
away not long after Katie was born. He’s been gone for quite a
while.”

“Then how is he still here?”

“We don’t really know. All I can tell you is
the Carl we know here is the 1927 Carl. He has no memory beyond
that point. Maya is grateful she can visit him at the canyon. He
doesn’t know they have a son or that he lived in the future for
almost thirty years.” Andrew was silent. “You okay, Andrew?”

“I feel like I’m mourning his passing and it
doesn’t make sense.” He hung his head.

“That’s the beauty of this life. Sometimes
it doesn’t make sense but it’s a wonderful world. Where else could
you get to see someone that’s already passed on?”

“I see your point.”

“Picture standing up top here.” Jack pointed
to the edge of the canyon when they reached the end of their climb.
“You’re gazing down at this wondrous canyon and you feel as if
there’s something almost mystical about it...a place of power.
Trust in that.”

“I think I can do that. I think I can avoid
the canyon after Thanksgiving. Not a problem. Makes sense.”

Drew thought back to the very first day he’d
seen Kate. They locked eyes and her bright blue eyes seared right
through him. He felt hypnotized and couldn’t look away, falling in
love right there behind El Tovar on a sunny, hot day in July,
1927.

He had just come out the back door of El
Tovar’s kitchen when he heard a scream come from the henhouse.
Curious about what happened, he leaned against the building and
waited. A lovely vision flew out the door and raced toward the
fence. Her light brown hair came undone and was blowing in the wind
as she reached for the fence, laughing. To Andrew, it was like he
was watching everything in slow motion.

Kate ungracefully jumped over the fence, all
the while juggling a basket of eggs, landing on her backside. Drew
laughed along with her, startling her in the process. She quickly
overcame her surprise and bantered back and forth with him until
they realized there was an attraction. Love at first sight? Drew
didn’t believe it could happen but he did now.

Jack’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Before we head to the boardinghouse, I want to make sure this is
what you want to do. There’s no turning back once everyone’s
informed you were lost to the river. Your timeline ends right now
in 1927 just as it always has. There’s still time to change your
mind and live out your life here.”

“If Kate’s in the 21
^st
century,
then that’s where I want to be.” Andrew shook Jack’s hand. “Take me
to her.”

Chapter One

Kate didn’t
know if she should laugh or cry, but couldn’t do either since she
was sitting in the back of her history class. Drew was at the desk
across from her, alive and well. Her heart soared with joy. The
bell finally rang and they were able to escape to the
hallway.

She jumped into his arms, hugging and
kissing him. Drew seemed a little stunned. “Kate, not a good idea.
Everyone’s looking and we’ll get in trouble.”

“I don’t care! Plus everyone does it.” That
wasn’t exactly true, the school had rules about public displays of
affection but did tolerate holding hands. “I can hardly breathe,
I’m so excited! You’re alive!”

“Your dad’s the bee’s knees, Kate.” Drew
smiled down at her.

“Ooh, we don’t say that anymore. Talking
like that will be a dead give away you’re from another century or
make you sound like a complete nerd.”

“Then what do I say?”

“Awesome, you can say he’s awesome.”

"I can’t believe we’re having a typical high
school conversation after being in your presence for less than an
hour.”

“Sorry, I want to hear everything, but not
here.” Kate squeezed his hand.

“Is there somewhere we can go?”

“There’s an outdoor courtyard where we can
have lunch. We can meet there.”

“I think your dad arranged for me to be in
most of your classes so we don’t have to meet.”

“He did? Then follow me.”

Kate led Drew through her morning classes,
unable to contain her excitement. She didn’t pay attention to what
was being said, she only concentrated on Drew. She studied his
face, the shape of his nose and lips. His emerald eyes caught hers
every once in awhile, and she got a lump in her throat. Still
handsome as ever.

She looked longingly at him and hoped he was
happy with the decision he made. He gave up so much to be with her.
Guilt overwhelmed her for a moment. In reality, he would’ve died on
his trip and she held onto that notion. They rescued him and gave
him a second chance at life. She knew Drew could have stayed in the
past if he chose. His life would’ve gone on without her. As painful
as it would be for her, she could have accepted his choice to stay.
That’s how much she loved him. Still she was glad he made the
decision to join her in the present.