It Was 2052, High Haven (21 page)

The sun had just taken the last of the
daylight with it as it disappeared behind the mountains. Cissy sat
close to Taylor on the wide steps of the porch. “Seems so
strange to not see the light in the mountains,” she said. “I
spent a lot of nights imagining what it could be. If I had never made
the trip, I guess I would've forever wondered what it was and why it
had suddenly vanished.”

“
Well, you got your answers. I
hate it that the town was destroyed. No matter how much they restore
their community, they'll be in the valley and I don't think there
will ever be the glow in the mountains again.”

“
Do you think Bubba and Lindsey
will make it home?” she said.

Taylor slid his arm around her, his
lips brushed the edge of her hair, near her ear. She gritted her
teeth and ignored the tingle that flowed through her. His hand went
behind her neck and the kiss found her lips. He pulled back from her,
“Why don't we make our commitment, Cissy? We can be together.”

Her hand caressed his face, “I
know---I want that, I really do. I just want to have our own home.
I'm trying to wait,” she sighed, “you don't make it
easy.”

He brought the hand to his lips,
“Okay.” Cissy thought how good and patient he was and how
he lacked her quick temper.

“
The houses are all coming along
well and we'll start on ours this week, I think. If we can just get
the shell built, you and I can do the finishing work after we move
in. The foot of the rise there in the meadow will be a great place,
won't it? Protection from the wind and still the view of the
mountains.”

“
I think it will be beautiful,
can't wait. You didn't answer me about Bubba.”

“
I haven't really said it to
Kevin but they might not want to come home. They like Cole and they
may stay so long, helping to restore the town, that they find a new
home. Only time...”

The familiar sound of the horses
running in fear reached the lovers on the porch. There was no
moonlight, the meadows cloaked in dark. Peaches, who lounged a few
feet from them, jumped up and ran toward the field, his deep bark
echoing as he disappeared.

“
Oh crap, something after the
horses.” She hustled toward the stable to give the animals
refuge, Taylor matched her pace. By the time she swung open the wide
gate, she could see the inky outlines of the horses. They had calmed,
fanned out across the open spaces again and she didn't hear the dog's
bark any longer. As the horses moved away she saw other murky
figures moving closer.

“
Cissy?” said Taylor, his
gun already in his hand.

She pushed the gate back, reached for
her pistol, “I see---what is it? Coyotes? Or maybe...”

The forms grew closer, still murky and
then Bubba's voice, “Cissy---it's me.” He sounded tired
but he laughed, “Don't shoot me, woman. It's Bubba.”

With a sigh of relief, she moved
forward to grab him. Lindsey stood next to her husband with a bundle
in her arms. Rising a foot or so above them, standing quietly behind,
packs on both shoulders and his back stood the artist.

Hugs and handshakes, they were here,
a
nd Cole was with them.
Lindsey pushed the swaddled
infant toward her, “Meet Coleby.”

Cissy cradled the baby, pushed the
blanket away from his face. She couldn't see him very clearly, but
said with moist eyes, “Oh-h-h, he's beautiful.” Then she
looked up at the painter, “I can't believe you're here. Is
everything okay at the encampment? What about Pastor Poe? Nothing
bad has happened there, has it...”

The baby started to whimper and Cissy
thought Cole opened his mouth to answer. Lindsey took Coleby and
didn't give the painter a chance, “Oh lord, things are fine
there...thought we'd never talk ole Cole into coming with us. I mean
good grief, what's he got to stay there for...Cissy, wait til you see
his new paintings!...crazy coot mayor still digging around for the
gold mine...Pastor Poe just busy helping all his flock to build a new
town, said to send hugs, especially to Peaches...she bounced the baby
and laughed.”

Bubba jumped in, “We better get
up to the house. Got lots to tell the family. Hey, where's Kev?”

Taylor said, “Kevin and his
wife, Suzanne are inside. I'm sure he'll be up bright and early to
see you.”

“
Um-um-um,” said Bubba
with a shake of his head, “things have changed in a short time,
huh?”

Cole stood silently and when Cissy
noticed she reached for him, said, “Why don't you stay here
with us?”

The painter looked around at the
friends, “Well, I don't know.”

Bubba said, “That's a good idea,
my family's home is a bit small, they have more room here. I promise
you, bud, we're going to make a place for all of us in no time. We're
home.”

Cissy suspected that the artist who
had always been somewhat of a loner wasn't totally convinced that he
was home. She was really glad that he was here and hoped he would
soon feel differently.

Taylor reached for one of the heavy
packs, “Come on, Cole. I know where there's a great cot.”

Bubba and his new family moved up the
hill toward the soft lights of his parent's house Peaches chose to
follow along and raced ahead to announce their arrival..

In
the high elevations, the re-created town of Secret was indeed looking
a bit more like a town. It was only a shadow of what had once been,
but they had one tall wind turbine and
a
couple of piecemeal vehicles growled around the perimeter. The
citizens had taken to calling their settlement Secret Valley.

Pastor
Poe visited with Cole's aunt in the new chapel. “
I
sure miss Cole and the others. That sweet new baby was an angel,”
said the aunt. “You know, we don't have many young folks
around here. I fear that we'll all just slowly die away.”

The Pastor looked up at
the crucifix that he had saved from the fire, now hanging on the
front of the newly built pulpit. His voice was muted, “I
actually considered leaving with them.”

The admission filled her
face with surprise, “Mathew, are you serious?”

He looked back to her,
“You haven't called me Mathew in years,” he patted her
hand, “It was only for a brief moment, my dear.” Another
buried and guarded secret of the town, no one except Cole's mother,
the sister of his aunt had known that the minister and the long time
cafe owner had once been in love. An affair long forgotten and
ended.

She sighed, “I
thought of it for a moment myself. My heart has never forgotten you,
Mathew---if we were only younger.”

He stood now and wore his
practiced face, that of a kindly minister, “But, we're not and
my place is here. And, you know a young couple came to me just
yesterday, wanting to be married. There is hope for Secret, yet.”

“
I'm sure you're
right.” Rising and matching his reserved courtesy, “I
need to get back to the cafe, now. By the way, have you seen the
mayor lately? He hasn't been in for meals in at least three days.”

“
He told me he
would be down in the city for a few days, getting some supplies,
promised to bring a few things that I need. Thanks for bringing the
cornbread and vegetables, I don't have a very big kitchen to cook in
these days.” The pastor gave a slight nod and left her standing
in the aisle of the church.

As she walked out of the
chapel, she whispered to herself, “I never had his heart, it
was always here.”

***

In
the city, Lindsey's colorful lights made spots of light throughout
the
dreary
bar. The mayor sat at a table in the back corner, two dirty and
unkempt men joined him. He pushed two tiny pebbles of gold onto the
table, shiny in the light glow. “I'm telling you, there's
plenty of this up on the mountain. I know for a fact and I know the
area
.
The wildfire came, there must've been a cave in. I've searched ever
since and cannot find the entrance to the mine again. It is there,
without any doubt. If I had help to find it, there would be plenty
for all of us.”

One of the ruffians
fingered the nugget, “It's a big mountain.” He leered at
the mayor, a broken tooth marring the mouth.

An
uproar of noise came in from the street, some cheers, some boos. A
couple of customers went to the open door to look. Marching booted
feet tramped along the cracked and litter strewn pavement.
A
squad of perhaps seventy five men, guns shouldered, US military
uniforms that came from
decades
before, moved along through the city.

“
What the hell is
all the ruckus?” said the mayor.

“
Just the g'damn
soldiers. They been here for about a month, claim they're the
guv-ment. They seem to be battlin' some of the operations around
here. Don't seem it's any of their business to me. Folks need
stuff---whores, drugs, sh—t that's always been around the city.
Best thing to do is j'st stay away, not call any attention to
yourself. The sheriff, he always ignored things unless it really got
bad. It's different with the soldiers. Hell, there was a big
shoot-out right down the street last week. Stuffs going down the
crapper, if ya ask me.”

The noise had faded away
and the mayor wasn't interested. “Yeah, yeah. Let's get back
to our conversation,” he looked around and talked quieter,
“Let's talk about the gold.”

In the city, the mayor
doggedly pursued his obsession and a battle between good and evil
wasn't on his agenda.

***

In
the foothill community,
a
large garden grew that all of the families worked and shared
in
the
b
ounty
.
A
brand new generation was
also
growing.
The
first born of that era
rode
on the shoulders of his father, squealing excitement to his mother
below him about “goin' vis-tin”. Coleby's dark red curls
bobbed in the sunlight, his chunky legs held tight by his father's
hands. He was presently the youngest member of the close knit
families and his good nature resulted in him
being
totally spoiled. Nothing he liked better than
visiting
his
kin
and
being
the center of attention.

The
small house that he lived in sat very near his grand-parent's home.
As the three moved down the hill, the very top of the roof of Kevin
and Suzanne's house could be seen around the corner. The close
friends would provide the toddler with a playmate soon, but that
event would be in the deep winter. Across the meadow,
sat
the home of Cissy and Taylor, the horses graz
ed
around them, Peaches and company
stood
guard on
the
front porch.

The ride drew near to
Jeff and Emily's old weathered house, now vacated by their son and
daughter and new spouses. This was the real cause for Coleby's
excitement, his favorite person on earth lived here, his uncle Cole.
After accepting the hugs and pampering of the owners of the house, he
wiggled to the floor and looked up at his mother, “Go ahead
son, go find him.”

Short
legs widespread, he shakily hurried down the hall, a baby voice
calling out his version of the painter's name. He pushed open the
door that already stood agape, arms up, went to the man that sat in a
chair near the window, a large
work
in progress in front of him
.

“
There's
my man,” the artist lifted him to his lap.
A
portion of the library had become Cole's studio,
Cissy's
father
had built a few feet of partition but the interesting portraits of
all sizes stacked and hung in every free space of wall. Just as Cissy
hoped, the painter had become very much at home in the community and
every ounce of adoration that he received from his namesake, he
matched.