| Fantasy Fiction posted March 25, 2019 | Chapters: |
...14 15 -16- 17... 
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Maggie begins to say good-bye...but is Addy ready?
A chapter in the book Renaissance of Enchantment
Chapter Five, Part 2
by Y. M. Roger
| Background Things are still settling back at The Refuge (best as possible). Geoffrey and Stephen have said they'll be by in the morning to pick up Maggie and Addy for their flight out of LaGuardia. |
Both Rachal and Maggie, the latter with Addy in tow, re-entered the room – neither female slowing their pace in the least.
“You’re always telling me I’m the crazy one, Lars, so, no problem, right?” She paused to turn and look in his direction as Rachal tried to hold her other hand and calm her down.
“No-o-o-o-o, Rita Bee!” Lars pointed the whisk he was using in her direction as his voice began to rise. “I’m telling you – those people in the South are a special kind of crazy!”
The batter from his whisk flew at them and sprinkled Addison’s face. Addy started laughing with full-on belly laughter. He was enjoying this scene as were the patrons that usually just stopped in for a quiet meal on the way home from a busy day.
But Lars was just getting started on another one of his semi-drunken rants. He mixed the batter a little more before continuing, thus giving his whisk more firepower. Addy stepped behind Maggie out of the line of fire.
“They’ll eat you alive, girl! They all have guns and they shoot everything there is! You feed a stupid owl with leftovers, Rita – they’ll kill your owl, girl!”
Addy stopped laughing, peeking around and up at Maggie; he frowned as Maggie just shook her head.
“Nobody’s gonna shoot Twilight, Addy.” Her voice was calm as she reassured Addy, but she raised it again as she looked at Lars. “That’s just drunken fantasy, right, Lars?”
But Lars didn’t even hear as he continued without a breath it seemed, “…and they don’t even know what a bagel is and – !”
Oh, he was really getting worked up now. Just as he slammed the mixing bowl on the counter and a large blob of the batter splashed on him and a customer at the service counter, Maggie had had enough. Addy cracked up again with laughter.
“Thanks for everything, Lars!”
Maggie gently tugged her arm from Rachal’s hold and patted the still-gum-smacking lady on the shoulder.
“And thank you, too, Rachal” – she smiled genuinely at the kindly lady as she indicated their never-completely-sober boss – “Take care of the big guy, huh?”
Rachal leaned over and kissed Addy’s forehead – even wiped off some of the batter from one of his eye lids – before kissing Maggie on the cheek.
She pulled back with tears in her eyes. “I hope you know what you’re doin’, Rita girl.”
And Lars continued to rant even as he wiped his face and was walking back into the office.
“– probably try to feed you that crap they call grits! No, I’m tellin’ you, girl, nothin’ good can –”
Maggie looked over at Lars and back at Rachal, and had to snort out a laugh.
“Me, too, Rach,” she added even as Rachal patted the hand that rested on her shoulder and began to head toward their crazy – no, scratch that – Rachal’s crazy boss.
Maggie turned to leave.
“Onward Sir Ed and trusted Scully,” she exclaimed with the happiness she felt as she led a still giggling Addy toward the doorway, “we have packing to do!”
Lars’ bellow followed her out.
“You see!” It sounded as though he slammed some utensils or bowls together as he hollered again. “They’re gonna eat that poor crazy kid alive down there, Rachal! Grown people aren’t supposed to have imag–”
The closing door thankfully cut off Lars’ tirade. A few of the cats began to trail along behind them, and Addy finally had a chance to chime in.
“So, Maggie,” he began as he looked to their right and to their left, “it’s Eduardo and Scully tonight, right?”
She smiled down at him and then up and across at the two men who had always been there to escort her since she and Addison had moved into the neighborhood – no matter the circumstances or the weather.
“Yep!” Maggie answered cheerfully – it had always perplexed her how Addy could remember certain names to certain faces but then be so unsure about others.
But that was a concern for another time. Right now, it certainly felt like they were on the right track – no butterflies, no trepidations. But then, it hit her. This could be the last time she saw Eduardo and Scully…or the couples in the diner that always hung around late.
Or Mr. DeJesus.
Or Punky and all his weirdly-pierced friends.
Suddenly, she slowed her steps, but Eduardo chastised her.
“Oh, no you don’t, Miss Maggie.” He looked over at her as if he knew what was going on in her head. “You don’t get to go all sad on us.”
“Oh, no, Miss Maggie,” Scully chimed in from the other side of Addison, “you and the Addi-man deserve this. It’ll be a fresh start for the both of –”
Maggie stopped in her tracks.
“But I may never…”
Addison looked up at her with his little brow furrowed.
“What is it, Maggie? What will you never do?”
Maggie squeezed Addy’s hand to let him know she recognized his interjection, but she couldn’t help but look between Eduardo and Scully.
And Eduardo laughed out loud as he indicated over at Scully.
“Miss Maggie, we might just have to visit if it’s as pretty as those two lawyer-types say it is – all you have to do is holler for us!”
He winked over at Scully.
“And, with it being so far away, you can be yourself and the Addi-man can do stuff like play ball cuz nobody will know either of ya!”
Maggie relaxed completely and started walking again, tugging along a still confused Addy.
“Maggie? What….?” Addy tried to ask at the same time Maggie addressed him.
“Well, now, that’s great, huh, Addy?”
Addy looked a little befuddled as he seemed to concentrate on the last bits of their conversation – his little brow knitting further inward as he ticked back in his mind over his question and Maggie’s sort of answer.
“It’s great that we’ll never what, Maggie?”
Maggie laughed out loud as she pulled Addison tightly against her before continuing to simply hold his little hand.
“You need to pay closer attention, yeah?” She smiled down at him. “Allowance, Alabama is gonna be great cuz nobody knows us there!”
A big smile pulled across Addy’s handsome little face as they started up the steps to their building. But then it became just the slightest bit tinted with suspicion, and his steps were slowed.
“Really?!” he asked with trepidation that was trying to be excited, “That’s what Eduardo and Scully said?”
Maggie laughed.
“Of course,” she answered as she turned to thank the two of them, but they must have already scurried off for the evening.
Addy seemed to study Maggie just a bit before nodding to himself. He looked to either side of them again.
“Thank you, Mister Ed and Mister Scully.”
Maggie pouted only a bit as she turned to unlock the door to find Julio there waiting on them with a huge smile on his face. She really wished Addy would do better with adults – it was like he had trouble processing how to talk to them until it was too late.
“Congradulayshuns, Miss Maggie!”
Maggie was torn between frowning at Addy’s waiting until Eduardo and Scully had left before thanking them and trying to smile at Julio.
“Thank you, Julio.” She glanced down at Addy and tugged on his little hand to prompt his attention to Mr. DeJesus. “We’re very excited, aren’t we, Addy?”
Addy paused to stare momentarily at Maggie, mouth open, like she had two heads. He then huffed to himself and dropped Maggie’s hand. He continued through the door toward their apartment, speaking as he walked away.
“Aaaaaand thank you, Mr. DeJesus!”
Addy sounded more than a bit exasperated to Maggie’s ears as he stopped in front of their door, arms crossed, foot tapping with his impatience. She glanced up at Julio who only smiled and shook his head in that understanding manner.
“S’okay, Miss Maggie,” he assured her in his gentle voice as he turned to walk back down the hallway, “he young, an’ he jus’ donnt see tings like you do, ya know?”
Maggie smiled and took a deep breath. No need to start off on the wrong foot as their whole world was about to be upended.
She stepped toward their door for probably the last time and patted Addy on the shoulder.
“Alright, I know you’re tired,” she said as she unlocked their door, “but we’ve got some packing to do.”
“Packing? But I’ve got some science reading to finish up.”
Maggie held the door open for him.
“That’s all gonna have to wait for a few days, Addy.” Maggie could feel the excitement building inside of her again as she closed and locked the door behind them. “We’re leaving first thing in the morning.”
Addy stopped in his tracks and stood with his back to Maggie. Then, he spun around, arms crossed over his little chest as he pinned Maggie with a doubting and accusatory glare.
“Says who?”
to be continued...
Maggie - Marguerite B. Atkinson. Maggie is Rosemary’s great-niece.
Rita Bee - Maggie’s current alias & the name she is known by at the Courtside
Addison (Addy) Westmorland - little boy with Maggie, being raised by her
Dorothy Westmorland - Addy's mother (deceased)
Larson ‘Lars’ Carney – owner of the Courtside Coffee-N-Cola, the diner where Maggie works
Rachal - other waitress at the Courtside Coffee-N-Cola
Eduardo - waits to walk Maggie home when she works late
Scully - with Eduardo to walk Maggie home
Julio DeJesus - apparent maintenance man in Maggie and Addy’s building
Punky & pals – group of young hooligans across the hall from Maggie & Addy’s place
Bongo - Maggie & Addy's large, black cat
Twilight - Great Gray Owl seen outside the diner and at Maggie's apartment
Rosemary - (deceased) Rosemary Fenna, Sister of the World Wide Hecate Order (WWHO) and Guardian Protectress of The Refuge
Demetrius - tall, mysterious male resident of The Refuge, marked for death (perhaps more) by the WWHO
Peadar - Irish male resident of The Refuge, helped Rosemary with upkeep
Lycaois - (aka Lyca) Goth, warrior-looking female resident of The Refuge
Freki - Lyca's over-sized pet 'dog'
Koko - Native American male resident of The Refuge, has unending optimism and warmth about him...most of the time
Kato - large male Refuge resident who wears the clothes of a teenager. Kato is a young lion-shifter.
Memphis - nymph from Demetrius' original homeland, now auberge factotum to The Refuge
Geoffrey Staltson - Rosemary's lawyer and friend to the residents at The Refuge
Charlise Staltson - Geoffrey's wife (they have a three-way marriage - Geoffrey, Gary, and Charlie)
Gary Staltson - Geoffrey's husband
Stephen - private investigator employed by Geoffrey
Jinx - computer hack/whiz working with Stephen, handles all the tech-forensics for investigations. Jinx is Stephen’s partner.
“You’re always telling me I’m the crazy one, Lars, so, no problem, right?” She paused to turn and look in his direction as Rachal tried to hold her other hand and calm her down.
“No-o-o-o-o, Rita Bee!” Lars pointed the whisk he was using in her direction as his voice began to rise. “I’m telling you – those people in the South are a special kind of crazy!”
The batter from his whisk flew at them and sprinkled Addison’s face. Addy started laughing with full-on belly laughter. He was enjoying this scene as were the patrons that usually just stopped in for a quiet meal on the way home from a busy day.
But Lars was just getting started on another one of his semi-drunken rants. He mixed the batter a little more before continuing, thus giving his whisk more firepower. Addy stepped behind Maggie out of the line of fire.
“They’ll eat you alive, girl! They all have guns and they shoot everything there is! You feed a stupid owl with leftovers, Rita – they’ll kill your owl, girl!”
Addy stopped laughing, peeking around and up at Maggie; he frowned as Maggie just shook her head.
“Nobody’s gonna shoot Twilight, Addy.” Her voice was calm as she reassured Addy, but she raised it again as she looked at Lars. “That’s just drunken fantasy, right, Lars?”
But Lars didn’t even hear as he continued without a breath it seemed, “…and they don’t even know what a bagel is and – !”
Oh, he was really getting worked up now. Just as he slammed the mixing bowl on the counter and a large blob of the batter splashed on him and a customer at the service counter, Maggie had had enough. Addy cracked up again with laughter.
“Thanks for everything, Lars!”
Maggie gently tugged her arm from Rachal’s hold and patted the still-gum-smacking lady on the shoulder.
“And thank you, too, Rachal” – she smiled genuinely at the kindly lady as she indicated their never-completely-sober boss – “Take care of the big guy, huh?”
Rachal leaned over and kissed Addy’s forehead – even wiped off some of the batter from one of his eye lids – before kissing Maggie on the cheek.
She pulled back with tears in her eyes. “I hope you know what you’re doin’, Rita girl.”
And Lars continued to rant even as he wiped his face and was walking back into the office.
“– probably try to feed you that crap they call grits! No, I’m tellin’ you, girl, nothin’ good can –”
Maggie looked over at Lars and back at Rachal, and had to snort out a laugh.
“Me, too, Rach,” she added even as Rachal patted the hand that rested on her shoulder and began to head toward their crazy – no, scratch that – Rachal’s crazy boss.
Maggie turned to leave.
“Onward Sir Ed and trusted Scully,” she exclaimed with the happiness she felt as she led a still giggling Addy toward the doorway, “we have packing to do!”
Lars’ bellow followed her out.
“You see!” It sounded as though he slammed some utensils or bowls together as he hollered again. “They’re gonna eat that poor crazy kid alive down there, Rachal! Grown people aren’t supposed to have imag–”
The closing door thankfully cut off Lars’ tirade. A few of the cats began to trail along behind them, and Addy finally had a chance to chime in.
“So, Maggie,” he began as he looked to their right and to their left, “it’s Eduardo and Scully tonight, right?”
She smiled down at him and then up and across at the two men who had always been there to escort her since she and Addison had moved into the neighborhood – no matter the circumstances or the weather.
“Yep!” Maggie answered cheerfully – it had always perplexed her how Addy could remember certain names to certain faces but then be so unsure about others.
But that was a concern for another time. Right now, it certainly felt like they were on the right track – no butterflies, no trepidations. But then, it hit her. This could be the last time she saw Eduardo and Scully…or the couples in the diner that always hung around late.
Or Mr. DeJesus.
Or Punky and all his weirdly-pierced friends.
Suddenly, she slowed her steps, but Eduardo chastised her.
“Oh, no you don’t, Miss Maggie.” He looked over at her as if he knew what was going on in her head. “You don’t get to go all sad on us.”
“Oh, no, Miss Maggie,” Scully chimed in from the other side of Addison, “you and the Addi-man deserve this. It’ll be a fresh start for the both of –”
Maggie stopped in her tracks.
“But I may never…”
Addison looked up at her with his little brow furrowed.
“What is it, Maggie? What will you never do?”
Maggie squeezed Addy’s hand to let him know she recognized his interjection, but she couldn’t help but look between Eduardo and Scully.
And Eduardo laughed out loud as he indicated over at Scully.
“Miss Maggie, we might just have to visit if it’s as pretty as those two lawyer-types say it is – all you have to do is holler for us!”
He winked over at Scully.
“And, with it being so far away, you can be yourself and the Addi-man can do stuff like play ball cuz nobody will know either of ya!”
Maggie relaxed completely and started walking again, tugging along a still confused Addy.
“Maggie? What….?” Addy tried to ask at the same time Maggie addressed him.
“Well, now, that’s great, huh, Addy?”
Addy looked a little befuddled as he seemed to concentrate on the last bits of their conversation – his little brow knitting further inward as he ticked back in his mind over his question and Maggie’s sort of answer.
“It’s great that we’ll never what, Maggie?”
Maggie laughed out loud as she pulled Addison tightly against her before continuing to simply hold his little hand.
“You need to pay closer attention, yeah?” She smiled down at him. “Allowance, Alabama is gonna be great cuz nobody knows us there!”
A big smile pulled across Addy’s handsome little face as they started up the steps to their building. But then it became just the slightest bit tinted with suspicion, and his steps were slowed.
“Really?!” he asked with trepidation that was trying to be excited, “That’s what Eduardo and Scully said?”
Maggie laughed.
“Of course,” she answered as she turned to thank the two of them, but they must have already scurried off for the evening.
Addy seemed to study Maggie just a bit before nodding to himself. He looked to either side of them again.
“Thank you, Mister Ed and Mister Scully.”
Maggie pouted only a bit as she turned to unlock the door to find Julio there waiting on them with a huge smile on his face. She really wished Addy would do better with adults – it was like he had trouble processing how to talk to them until it was too late.
“Congradulayshuns, Miss Maggie!”
Maggie was torn between frowning at Addy’s waiting until Eduardo and Scully had left before thanking them and trying to smile at Julio.
“Thank you, Julio.” She glanced down at Addy and tugged on his little hand to prompt his attention to Mr. DeJesus. “We’re very excited, aren’t we, Addy?”
Addy paused to stare momentarily at Maggie, mouth open, like she had two heads. He then huffed to himself and dropped Maggie’s hand. He continued through the door toward their apartment, speaking as he walked away.
“Aaaaaand thank you, Mr. DeJesus!”
Addy sounded more than a bit exasperated to Maggie’s ears as he stopped in front of their door, arms crossed, foot tapping with his impatience. She glanced up at Julio who only smiled and shook his head in that understanding manner.
“S’okay, Miss Maggie,” he assured her in his gentle voice as he turned to walk back down the hallway, “he young, an’ he jus’ donnt see tings like you do, ya know?”
Maggie smiled and took a deep breath. No need to start off on the wrong foot as their whole world was about to be upended.
She stepped toward their door for probably the last time and patted Addy on the shoulder.
“Alright, I know you’re tired,” she said as she unlocked their door, “but we’ve got some packing to do.”
“Packing? But I’ve got some science reading to finish up.”
Maggie held the door open for him.
“That’s all gonna have to wait for a few days, Addy.” Maggie could feel the excitement building inside of her again as she closed and locked the door behind them. “We’re leaving first thing in the morning.”
Addy stopped in his tracks and stood with his back to Maggie. Then, he spun around, arms crossed over his little chest as he pinned Maggie with a doubting and accusatory glare.
“Says who?”
to be continued...
Maggie - Marguerite B. Atkinson. Maggie is Rosemary’s great-niece.
Rita Bee - Maggie’s current alias & the name she is known by at the Courtside
Addison (Addy) Westmorland - little boy with Maggie, being raised by her
Dorothy Westmorland - Addy's mother (deceased)
Larson ‘Lars’ Carney – owner of the Courtside Coffee-N-Cola, the diner where Maggie works
Rachal - other waitress at the Courtside Coffee-N-Cola
Eduardo - waits to walk Maggie home when she works late
Scully - with Eduardo to walk Maggie home
Julio DeJesus - apparent maintenance man in Maggie and Addy’s building
Punky & pals – group of young hooligans across the hall from Maggie & Addy’s place
Bongo - Maggie & Addy's large, black cat
Twilight - Great Gray Owl seen outside the diner and at Maggie's apartment
Rosemary - (deceased) Rosemary Fenna, Sister of the World Wide Hecate Order (WWHO) and Guardian Protectress of The Refuge
Demetrius - tall, mysterious male resident of The Refuge, marked for death (perhaps more) by the WWHO
Peadar - Irish male resident of The Refuge, helped Rosemary with upkeep
Lycaois - (aka Lyca) Goth, warrior-looking female resident of The Refuge
Freki - Lyca's over-sized pet 'dog'
Koko - Native American male resident of The Refuge, has unending optimism and warmth about him...most of the time
Kato - large male Refuge resident who wears the clothes of a teenager. Kato is a young lion-shifter.
Memphis - nymph from Demetrius' original homeland, now auberge factotum to The Refuge
Geoffrey Staltson - Rosemary's lawyer and friend to the residents at The Refuge
Charlise Staltson - Geoffrey's wife (they have a three-way marriage - Geoffrey, Gary, and Charlie)
Gary Staltson - Geoffrey's husband
Stephen - private investigator employed by Geoffrey
Jinx - computer hack/whiz working with Stephen, handles all the tech-forensics for investigations. Jinx is Stephen’s partner.
 Recognized |
Again, DO NOT panic, folks....the author was born, raised, and lives in the South - wouldn't have it any other way! And she LOVES grits - not the instant crap, real grits! - and knows what a bagel is! LOL! ;) ;) And Lars is just...well, he's Lars. :) :)
Thank you for keeping up with Maggie's saga -- you are welcome to pop into my portfolio and bring yourself up to speed. It is a fantasy story so, with all the nuances and clues included as the story unfolds, trying to do anything along the lines of 'summarizing' is close to impossible. Just get yourself a pitcher of tea and relax and enjoy -- You won't regret it! ;) :)
Image of 'abandoned brownstone at 221 West 137th Street' from Google images via Harlem Bespoke [www.harlembespoke.blogspot.com]
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Thank you for keeping up with Maggie's saga -- you are welcome to pop into my portfolio and bring yourself up to speed. It is a fantasy story so, with all the nuances and clues included as the story unfolds, trying to do anything along the lines of 'summarizing' is close to impossible. Just get yourself a pitcher of tea and relax and enjoy -- You won't regret it! ;) :)
Image of 'abandoned brownstone at 221 West 137th Street' from Google images via Harlem Bespoke [www.harlembespoke.blogspot.com]
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