Inspiration Point (6 page)

“You’ve got to admit mate, it’s kind of strange that
he lied to Hayln and then left this note.  Why not just tell us himself?”
Zeke said. 

“Yeah, but he said in the note not to worry about him
– twice,” Emin said still not convinced. 

“Why can’t we contact him then?” I fired back
quickly. 

“I don’t know,” Emin said rubbing his temples.

“And what about that phone call, he must have been
talking about me when he said keep an eye on her.  You didn’t hear how he
sounded.”

“How did he sound then?”  Emin asked. 

“Like he was desperate,” I spat out.  “And what
about when he said - it’s too late for that now.  What the hell does that
mean?”

“Look, I don’t know Hayln, just give me a minute okay
and stop yelling, please,” he said putting his head in his hands. 

I walked over to the window hoping my father would
just be outside.  Then I could get my answers and be sure he was
safe.  But of course, he wasn’t.  Zeke joined me there and put his
hand on my back in a comforting way. 

“We’ll work this out Hayln, I promise,” he said with
such belief that it was hard to imagine otherwise. 

I found myself to be wanting so badly for him to take
me in his arms and make this okay, but I knew that wouldn’t happen.  Emin
was in the room for one and I knew he would wait for me to make the next move
after last night.   A buzzing interrupted the silence, and I grabbed
my phone, but it wasn’t mine. 

“Well, I might have an answer to one of your
questions.”  Emin said sounding wary.  “Mum just text me.  She's
coming over to spend some time here today, so I’d say it was her Dad was
talking to on the phone.” 

“Why?”  I said still not making a connection.

“Come on Hayln, I don’t think she has stepped one foot
in this house since the divorce and she wouldn’t be coming unless she knew Dad
wouldn’t be here, so obviously it was her he asked to keep an eye on
you.” 

It made sense I thought to myself, “Do you think, she
knows who the old friend might be?”  I questioned. 

“Maybe, I guess we'll ask her when she gets here,” he
said as he stood up.  “But right now I'm going to have a shower,” and he
left the room.

“It will be okay you know Hayl’s, your Dad will be
fine,” Zeke said reassuring me.

“I know, it’s just that there is more to this than we
know about – I can feel it,” I said looking at him.  He looked so
concerned about me that I had to try and change the subject.

“I’m glad you’re here,” I said, and it was true. 
I knew l would be going out of my mind if I was here on my own.

“I’m glad too,” he said smiling softly.  “I don’t
want to be anywhere else, and I will stay as long as you need.”  I felt
more at ease immediately.

I started to clear the table and wash up, Zeke helped
me.  I washed, he wiped.  We talked about stuff we did when we were
kids, and before I knew it, we were both laughing.  It felt good to laugh
and then he stopped and started playing with a strand of my hair.

“What are you thinking about?” I asked, wondering why
he was concentrating so hard.

“Actually, I wanted to ask you a question if that’s
alright?” he said sounding apprehensive.

“I don’t know, you look kind of serious,” I teased.

“It’s not serious, and I guess you don’t have too if
you don’t want to.  But if you do answer I want you to be honest
okay.”  He said commanding my attention.

“Alright,” I said as I took a deep breath not knowing
what to expect.

“Well, I was wondering about your dreams last night
actually,” he said sounding a little embarrassed.  “You know that you
featured in mine, and I guess I would like to know if you dreamt about me too?”

I felt myself blush before I answered “Yes, you were
in my dreams.”

“In a good way?” He continued.

“Yes, in a very good way,” I said wanting to put him
at ease.  I wasn’t used to seeing him this way.  He smiled then and
tossed the hair away from his eyes quickly, to look at me.

“Could I ask one more question, and remember you
promised you would be honest.” He said sounding serious again.

“Of course,” I said.  Wondering what he was going
to say next.

“Did you dream about Tyler too?”

Crap, I certainly didn’t expect that, and now I had to
answer – honestly.

“Yes, I dreamt of Tyler,” I said knowing this would
hurt him on some level.

“Okay,” he said.  “Thanks for being honest.”

“Are you alright?” I asked not knowing what else to
say.

“I guess I was hoping that you would forget all about
him after I kissed you.  I mustn’t be as good a kisser as I thought.”
 He said trying to lighten the mood.

“I didn’t dream about him the way I did you,” I said
wanting to tell him the truth.   “When I dreamt about Tyler it was
strange, we kept getting interrupted, kept going in circles and I couldn’t hear
what he was trying to say.  That’s all I promise, but I do need to talk to
him today.”  I said, hoping that I had made some sense or at least made
him feel a little better.

“I know, and I meant what I said last night Hayln, no
pressure – take as much time as you need,” he said, and he did look at little
more at ease.

“I think I better go check on your brother, if he
hasn’t cleaned himself up before your mother arrives we will all hear about
it,” he said and then he went to find Emin.

I left the kitchen as well, and before too long, I
found myself in the lab downstairs.  It was the perfect spot for me to
think, to try and make sense of my father’s behavior.  It was no use
though – this was completely out of character for him.  I tried to think
if I have ever met any of his old friends or colleagues but no-one came to
mind.  Then I remembered the folder I found in his study the other night
and thought maybe that might give me some insight to what this might be about.

I went to the study, but the folder was gone, he must
have taken it with him.  I slumped in his chair frustrated that I couldn’t
figure any of this out.  I would have to wait until my mother arrived.
 But somehow I knew she wouldn’t want to reveal much to me, even if she did
know something that might help.  My hand reached for a piece of paper on
the desk, the same one
that had been
stuck
to the folder I came to here to find.  My father had scribbled times on it
before he left, but he didn’t take it.  I looked at it again and noticed
that 19.30 was circled – I am sure it wasn’t like this on Friday night when I
was in here.  I thought about this, and it dawned on me that maybe it
could be a flight time.  I quickly turned on the computer and found the
Cape Airport website and checked what flights left at seven thirty last night –
there were only two.  I then cross checked these locations with the other
times on the piece of paper and found something.  All times on the paper
related to one location – Kings Valley, a city a little bigger than Cape about
5 hours’ drive from here.  I googled Kings Valley but couldn’t find
anything that might send Dad there, but I was sure I was right about
this. 

I heard someone coming up the hall and waited to see
who it was.  It was Zeke, “hey come and check this out,” I said sounding
excited.

“There you are, I have been looking for you,” he said.
 He had Emin’s van keys in his hand.

I felt a little uneasy with the thought of him going.
“Are you going somewhere?”

“Yeah, I thought I would go home for a bit and grab
some more clothes in case I stay the night again.  I shouldn’t be long
though, I’ll be back after lunch,” he said.

“I'm sure Emin could lend you something if you
wanted.”  I felt a little foolish suggesting it – he was going to be back
in a few hours after all.

“It’s not just that Hayl’s, I think you guys will need
some space when your Mum arrives, I get the feeling you might need to talk
about some family stuff.”

“You’re practically family,” I said still arguing.

“Even so, I think it might go better if I disappeared
for a while – I promise I’ll come back,” he said smiling.  “Didn’t you
want to show me something?”

I had almost forgotten. “Yeah, look at this,” and I
turned the computer screen so he could see. 

“I saw this bit of paper on a folder of his old
research work the other night with times on it, see,” I showed him the
paper.  “When I found it again today it had a time circled so I checked
the airport for flights leaving at this time and once I cross checked it with
the other times here, I found that they were all times for flights to Kings
Valley.”  I was speaking quickly now hoping he was keeping up with me.

“What’s at Kings Valley?”  He asked obviously
understanding what I had just explained.

“I have no idea,” I said.  “He’s never mentioned
that he knows anyone there, and I searched on the web, but nothings jumping out
at me.  It makes sense though don’t you think, I mean the timing is right
and everything.”

“Yeah, the timing’s right,” he agreed.  “Maybe
you should ask Emin, now that he is a bit more coherent he might know or even
your mother.”

“That’s a terrific idea.”  I got up from the
chair and walked out of the study with him.  “So I guess I will see you
later then?” I asked hopefully.

“I won’t be long,” he said as he lightly brushed some
hair off my face.

I smiled nervously not knowing whether I should kiss
him goodbye. 

He ran his finger across my cheek and teased me.
 “You know that’s the smile that got me into this trouble.”

“Oh, I'm trouble now am I?” I questioned.

“Not you so much, but when your brother finds out
about this I am
definitely
in trouble!” He laughed and then smiled at me
one more time before he left.

Emin, I thought to myself, is the last of my problems
at the moment, but I want his take on the flight to Kings Valley so I called
out to him.

“In the lounge,” he shouted back.  I went
downstairs to find him sprawled on the lounge watching TV.

“I think I might have found where Dad went.”  I
sat in the chair next to him. 

He muted the TV wanting to hear about what I had
found, so I went on to tell him the whole story.

“Well, it makes sense I guess, except why Kings
Valley?  What, or who is there?” He asked.

“I was hoping you would know,” I said sounding a
little disappointed.

“He'll be okay Hayl’s, and when he gets home, I will
make sure we know what all this about,” he said sounding determined.

It was only about half an hour later when my mother
arrived.  She knocked at the door, and Emin got up to let her in.  I
flicked off the TV and only waited until she was just in my eyesight before I
flew a question at her.  

“What’s going on?” I demanded.

“Good to see you too Hayln,” she replied.

“I mean it Mum, I know something is happening, and I
want to know now!” I shouted at her.

“Ease up Hayln, she just got here, and it isn’t her
fault.  Give her a chance okay,” Emin said trying to calm me down. 

He was right, although I didn’t want to admit it –
this wasn’t her fault.  I got up from my chair and thought I had better
start again. 

“Would you like a cup of tea?” I asked kindly.

“That would be lovely,” she said. 

I went to the kitchen to make us all a cup.  She
looked the same as always her hair thick bronze hair pulled back into a low
ponytail and a controlled expression on her face that seemed to make her look
older that what she actually is.  Once I returned to the lounge room I had
calmed down, but I decided not to ask any questions.   I knew Emin
would do that for me as long as I behaved.

“So Mum, what did Dad say to you when he called?” Emin
asked.

“Did he tell you both he called me?” She sounded
surprised.

“No, Hayln overheard him talking to someone but didn’t
know who it was at the time, but we figured it was you after we read the note and
then you said you were coming over,” he confirmed.

“Yes, well it is a little strange for me to visit here
isn’t it, and even stranger to be sitting here having a cup of tea,” she
commented calmly as she looked around the room that I knew would be full of
memories for her.  I wondered to myself which ones she would
remember.  Would it be just the bad ones, or did she also remember how
things used to be.

“What did he say?” I said, wanting to get back to the
important stuff.

“He called and said he was leaving that night, that
Emin and Zeke would be here with you, but he wanted me to check on you today to
make sure you were okay,” she said sounding somewhat bored.

“Why wouldn’t she be okay though, unless there is more
to the story than you are telling us?” Emin said, asking the exact question
which was on my mind too.

“He knew she would worry that’s all.  He had to
leave to see a friend urgently and didn’t have time to explain.  I said he
should have told you earlier, but he said it was too late – I guessed he had to
leave straight away.” She said sounding sincere but there had to me more – I
could just feel it.