| General Fiction posted June 26, 2019 | Chapters: |
...20 21 -22- 23... 
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Headed for the airport...
A chapter in the book Renaissance of Enchantment
Chapter Six, Part 4
by Y. M. Roger
| Background It is finally time for Maggie and Addy to leave New York behind.....The Refuge awaits! |
Stephen carried both suitcases to the SUV with the excited Addison talking non-stop beside him. To be fair, Stephen was a hulking man, but he carried with him a gentle and protective air that Maggie found comforting. And it seemed that Stephen enjoyed the extremely nervous and, therefore, talkative Addison as much as Addy was enjoying talking to him.
She and Geoffrey took one last pass through the apartment together – Maggie noting things for Geoffrey to list on the moving request. When she had decided they had covered everything, Geoffrey went ahead to the vehicle. Maggie stopped at the front door facing inward.
“Oh, Bongo, of all the times for you to disappear,” she whispered to no one in particular. She felt the lump threatening in her throat again. No, she would not get upset over an animal, she just would no–
“Movin’ day, eh, Miss Maggie?”
Maggie startled at the old man’s voice then laughed at herself.
“Oh, Julio, I didn’t hear you come up the hall!”
Julio grinned and shook his head dismissively. He was still looking very peaked, but the smile was there in his eyes today.
“Gonna miss you round ‘ere, Miss Maggie.” Julio smiled as he looked up and all around. “An’ it won’t be the same for long. You got ev’rysing for you and the Addy-man?”
“Our clothes and stuff, yeah, but I can’t find Bongo.”
Julio laughed out loud, probably more than she’d ever heard from the frail-looking gentleman. She wondered if she had said something funny or what…
“Miss Maggie, that cat’ll always be yours. Don’t worry ‘bout ‘im.” Julio peered around Maggie and into the apartment and indicated a small table near the door. “What about Addy’s hist’ry reader there tha’ you pick up fer ‘im las’ month? He really likes ta read dat one, you know?”
Maggie smiled at the fact that Julio knew how much Addison enjoyed his history reading. Gosh, she was so going to miss the man….miss this place.
“Oh, that can wait for the movers that Mr. Stalts–”
Julio began shaking his head emphatically before he opened his mouth. Just at that moment, Maggie was sure she felt Bongo wrap around her legs again, but she ignored it to pay closer attention to Mr. Dejesus. Besides, the feeling was probably just stress anyway.
“No, you needs ta take it wi–”
Maggie began to close the door, dismissing Julio’s concern.
“We’re out of room in the suitcases, Julio, and it’ll just be som–”
Julio flowed past her and into the apartment’s small living area. He stopped next to the chair near the table where the book was sitting open. His voice took on a more insistent tone.
“He can read it on de plane, Miss Maggie.” He stood there, arms crossed, patting his foot beside the chair. “Take it wit’ you. Please.”
Well, this was odd. Maggie cocked her head in question but then had a thought: perhaps Mr. Dejesus was right. What if Addy didn’t like flying? She sighed in concession. They would be checking their suitcases for the flight, so keeping up with a single book shouldn’t be that bad.
“You’re probably right, Julio.” She stepped in to retrieve the rather large book and looked up, only to find the old man already back outside the door again – he must definitely being feeling better today. “He’ll probably need the distraction.”
She felt a bit of sadness again, but it didn’t have time to take hold before the outside door opened and in marched Addison. As he cleared the entrance way, Stephen entered behind him.
“All ready to go, Marguerite?” the big man asked as he stepped up beside Addison. She couldn’t help but smile at the warmth he exuded – definitely a good man.
Maggie took one last look inside their small apartment and closed the door as she spoke.
“Well, Julio” – she turned toward the maintenance man and held out the key – “I guess this is yours, now.”
Maggie tried handing it to the smiling man, but the key fell to the floor instead.
Stephen took a step in her direction. “Wha–” But Addison grabbed his hand and – looking up at Stephen with big, pleading eyes – shook his head emphatically. Stephen halted and looked from Addison to Maggie and back to Addison and just shrugged, although he continued to frown.
Maggie laughed nervously as she bent over to retrieve the key. Julio chuckled, shook his head and started to turn away.
“I am so sorry, Julio! I didn’t realize you weren’t paying attention.” She inserted the key into the deadbolt and turned it, allowing the key to remain in the lock. “I’ll just leave it here for later.”
“It don’ matta, Miss Maggie,” he said as he began walking away back into the building just as Maggie turned to address Stephen and Addison, “you an’ the Addy-man take care an–”
“Wait, Julio, I was going to introduce you t–” When she turned back to the hallway it was empty.
“Bye, Mr. DeJesus!” Addy called out down that same hallway. He still stood beside Stephen, but he was waving his little hand enthusiastically.
Hearing Julio laugh somewhere in the building’s interior, Maggie shook her head and turned back to the two of them.
“Well, I guess that’s that.” She extended Addison’s book toward him. “Mr. DeJesus said you might want to read this on our trip, Addy.”
Addy’s face lit with excitement.
“Yes!” He stepped forward, took the book, and excitedly tucked it under his arm. “Thanks, Mag–…I mean” – he raised his voice again placing one hand beside his mouth so as to direct the sound down the hallway – “Thanks Mr. DeJesus!”
It was Maggie’s turn to chuckle as she reached down and took Addy’s hand in hers.
“Pretty sure he might not have heard you,” she said as they approached Stephen’s position by the outside door. The big man still had a very deep furrow in his brow. He seemed to be examining the entrance area and their little hallway with quite a bit of interest.
“Oh, I heard him, Miss Atki–”
“Not you, silly!” Addison interrupted as he practically pulled Maggie through the front door past Stephen who still seemed a bit unsettled. “She was talking to Mr. DeJesus! Gosh – didn’t you see him there?”
Addison’s tone was almost comical as they stepped out the front door of the building, but it did border on disrespect and Maggie wasn’t having that.
“Addison!” Maggie chided as she pulled up short, jerking Addison to a stop. “Do not take that tone with another adult.”
Addison turned to Stephen.
“Sorry, sir.”
Stephen politely accepted his apology but then turned to Maggie.
“Are you just going to leave the key in the door like that?”
Maggie frowned at him. “Oh, don’t worry. Jul– eh, Mr. DeJesus will take care of it.”
Addy grinned up at Stephen like the cat that just ate the canary and seemed to muffle a slight giggle.
“Yeah.” Addy said as he resumed leading Maggie down the steps to the waiting SUV. “Mr. DeJesus will take care of it.”
His tone was still a little more – mocking? teasing? – than Maggie would have liked, but she smiled at Stephen, the look on her face almost apologetic.
“He’s just excited about the flight.”
She turned and followed an enthusiastic Addison to the vehicle, leaving Stephen with a look of true bewilderment on his face. He hesitated for another moment, stepping back inside to take one last look around. He heard a long, low feline growl that almost seemed threatening, though he saw no cat anywhere.
“Everything okay, Stephen?” Geoffrey hollered from the front seat of the SUV.
Finally, Stephen just shook his head and shrugged as he pulled the door shut to the abandoned building. He nodded and waved a quick dismissal to Geoffrey.
He needed another cup of coffee.
*********
Addy watched Maggie with rapt attention – the tip of his little tongue firmly between his lips – as he mimicked her actions of fastening the seatbelt. She had, of course, tried to do his for him, but that was not happening. Mr. Independence could do it himself.
It had never occurred to Maggie that Addison wouldn’t know how to operate or use a seatbelt. It made complete sense, though, as the only vehicles in which they had ridden were city buses. She’d chuckled to herself at the thought that walking back and forth to work had been nice, but it did leave an important aspect out of Addy’s experiences for the modern world. She made a mental note to somehow remedy that when they were settled in their new place in Allowance.
Stephen climbed behind the wheel and shut the door with a very final sounding ‘thud’. He lowered his head and glanced up at Geoffrey with a very skeptical if not intense look. Geoffrey knew not to ask any questions at that moment, but he also knew there was something Stephen wasn’t telling him.
Stephen looked into the rear view mirror as he adjusted it a bit.
“Everybody locked in back there?”
“All ready, sir!” Addy was vibrating again, and Maggie was glad because she was anything but excited.
She smiled a courteous smile at Stephen’s eyes in the mirror and nodded her head at him. She then turned her focus out the window at the brownstone doorway she knew she would never see again. And all she could do was long for that stupid cat.
The building blurred with the tears that welled in her eyes and, as the SUV pulled out into traffic, she asked whatever gods would listen to take care of him. She closed her eyes to try to get a hold of herself for Addy’s sake – he did not need to see her upset right now.
Just as she got her breathing evened out, she felt a comforting vibration wrap around her legs. She knew it was simply the floor board of the big vehicle humming with the engine, but it was nice to imagine it was her Bongo. She smiled to herself and looked over at Addison.
Her inquisitive little man was busy playing with all of the electronic controls both on the door and on the console. Even as the speakers switched through different music genres – the radio stations changing with Addy’s tinkering – she found a peace with their leaving. She closed her eyes and let her head lean back against the headrest.
She was so relaxed that the multiple fire engines that passed them heading in the opposite direction – their sirens blaring and horns sounding – did not even phase her.
That part was probably for the best. Marguerite Atkinson did not need to see another phase of her life go up in smoke....
Or flames, as was happening to the old abandoned building that had been their home for the last few years. Moving forward was always best.
To be continued…
Maggie - Marguerite B. Atkinson. Maggie is Rosemary’s great-niece.
Addison (Addy) Westmorland - little boy with Maggie, being raised by her
Dorothy Westmorland - Addy's mother (deceased)
Julio DeJesus - apparent maintenance man in Maggie and Addy’s building
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.
She and Geoffrey took one last pass through the apartment together – Maggie noting things for Geoffrey to list on the moving request. When she had decided they had covered everything, Geoffrey went ahead to the vehicle. Maggie stopped at the front door facing inward.
“Oh, Bongo, of all the times for you to disappear,” she whispered to no one in particular. She felt the lump threatening in her throat again. No, she would not get upset over an animal, she just would no–
“Movin’ day, eh, Miss Maggie?”
Maggie startled at the old man’s voice then laughed at herself.
“Oh, Julio, I didn’t hear you come up the hall!”
Julio grinned and shook his head dismissively. He was still looking very peaked, but the smile was there in his eyes today.
“Gonna miss you round ‘ere, Miss Maggie.” Julio smiled as he looked up and all around. “An’ it won’t be the same for long. You got ev’rysing for you and the Addy-man?”
“Our clothes and stuff, yeah, but I can’t find Bongo.”
Julio laughed out loud, probably more than she’d ever heard from the frail-looking gentleman. She wondered if she had said something funny or what…
“Miss Maggie, that cat’ll always be yours. Don’t worry ‘bout ‘im.” Julio peered around Maggie and into the apartment and indicated a small table near the door. “What about Addy’s hist’ry reader there tha’ you pick up fer ‘im las’ month? He really likes ta read dat one, you know?”
Maggie smiled at the fact that Julio knew how much Addison enjoyed his history reading. Gosh, she was so going to miss the man….miss this place.
“Oh, that can wait for the movers that Mr. Stalts–”
Julio began shaking his head emphatically before he opened his mouth. Just at that moment, Maggie was sure she felt Bongo wrap around her legs again, but she ignored it to pay closer attention to Mr. Dejesus. Besides, the feeling was probably just stress anyway.
“No, you needs ta take it wi–”
Maggie began to close the door, dismissing Julio’s concern.
“We’re out of room in the suitcases, Julio, and it’ll just be som–”
Julio flowed past her and into the apartment’s small living area. He stopped next to the chair near the table where the book was sitting open. His voice took on a more insistent tone.
“He can read it on de plane, Miss Maggie.” He stood there, arms crossed, patting his foot beside the chair. “Take it wit’ you. Please.”
Well, this was odd. Maggie cocked her head in question but then had a thought: perhaps Mr. Dejesus was right. What if Addy didn’t like flying? She sighed in concession. They would be checking their suitcases for the flight, so keeping up with a single book shouldn’t be that bad.
“You’re probably right, Julio.” She stepped in to retrieve the rather large book and looked up, only to find the old man already back outside the door again – he must definitely being feeling better today. “He’ll probably need the distraction.”
She felt a bit of sadness again, but it didn’t have time to take hold before the outside door opened and in marched Addison. As he cleared the entrance way, Stephen entered behind him.
“All ready to go, Marguerite?” the big man asked as he stepped up beside Addison. She couldn’t help but smile at the warmth he exuded – definitely a good man.
Maggie took one last look inside their small apartment and closed the door as she spoke.
“Well, Julio” – she turned toward the maintenance man and held out the key – “I guess this is yours, now.”
Maggie tried handing it to the smiling man, but the key fell to the floor instead.
Stephen took a step in her direction. “Wha–” But Addison grabbed his hand and – looking up at Stephen with big, pleading eyes – shook his head emphatically. Stephen halted and looked from Addison to Maggie and back to Addison and just shrugged, although he continued to frown.
Maggie laughed nervously as she bent over to retrieve the key. Julio chuckled, shook his head and started to turn away.
“I am so sorry, Julio! I didn’t realize you weren’t paying attention.” She inserted the key into the deadbolt and turned it, allowing the key to remain in the lock. “I’ll just leave it here for later.”
“It don’ matta, Miss Maggie,” he said as he began walking away back into the building just as Maggie turned to address Stephen and Addison, “you an’ the Addy-man take care an–”
“Wait, Julio, I was going to introduce you t–” When she turned back to the hallway it was empty.
“Bye, Mr. DeJesus!” Addy called out down that same hallway. He still stood beside Stephen, but he was waving his little hand enthusiastically.
Hearing Julio laugh somewhere in the building’s interior, Maggie shook her head and turned back to the two of them.
“Well, I guess that’s that.” She extended Addison’s book toward him. “Mr. DeJesus said you might want to read this on our trip, Addy.”
Addy’s face lit with excitement.
“Yes!” He stepped forward, took the book, and excitedly tucked it under his arm. “Thanks, Mag–…I mean” – he raised his voice again placing one hand beside his mouth so as to direct the sound down the hallway – “Thanks Mr. DeJesus!”
It was Maggie’s turn to chuckle as she reached down and took Addy’s hand in hers.
“Pretty sure he might not have heard you,” she said as they approached Stephen’s position by the outside door. The big man still had a very deep furrow in his brow. He seemed to be examining the entrance area and their little hallway with quite a bit of interest.
“Oh, I heard him, Miss Atki–”
“Not you, silly!” Addison interrupted as he practically pulled Maggie through the front door past Stephen who still seemed a bit unsettled. “She was talking to Mr. DeJesus! Gosh – didn’t you see him there?”
Addison’s tone was almost comical as they stepped out the front door of the building, but it did border on disrespect and Maggie wasn’t having that.
“Addison!” Maggie chided as she pulled up short, jerking Addison to a stop. “Do not take that tone with another adult.”
Addison turned to Stephen.
“Sorry, sir.”
Stephen politely accepted his apology but then turned to Maggie.
“Are you just going to leave the key in the door like that?”
Maggie frowned at him. “Oh, don’t worry. Jul– eh, Mr. DeJesus will take care of it.”
Addy grinned up at Stephen like the cat that just ate the canary and seemed to muffle a slight giggle.
“Yeah.” Addy said as he resumed leading Maggie down the steps to the waiting SUV. “Mr. DeJesus will take care of it.”
His tone was still a little more – mocking? teasing? – than Maggie would have liked, but she smiled at Stephen, the look on her face almost apologetic.
“He’s just excited about the flight.”
She turned and followed an enthusiastic Addison to the vehicle, leaving Stephen with a look of true bewilderment on his face. He hesitated for another moment, stepping back inside to take one last look around. He heard a long, low feline growl that almost seemed threatening, though he saw no cat anywhere.
“Everything okay, Stephen?” Geoffrey hollered from the front seat of the SUV.
Finally, Stephen just shook his head and shrugged as he pulled the door shut to the abandoned building. He nodded and waved a quick dismissal to Geoffrey.
He needed another cup of coffee.
*********
Addy watched Maggie with rapt attention – the tip of his little tongue firmly between his lips – as he mimicked her actions of fastening the seatbelt. She had, of course, tried to do his for him, but that was not happening. Mr. Independence could do it himself.
It had never occurred to Maggie that Addison wouldn’t know how to operate or use a seatbelt. It made complete sense, though, as the only vehicles in which they had ridden were city buses. She’d chuckled to herself at the thought that walking back and forth to work had been nice, but it did leave an important aspect out of Addy’s experiences for the modern world. She made a mental note to somehow remedy that when they were settled in their new place in Allowance.
Stephen climbed behind the wheel and shut the door with a very final sounding ‘thud’. He lowered his head and glanced up at Geoffrey with a very skeptical if not intense look. Geoffrey knew not to ask any questions at that moment, but he also knew there was something Stephen wasn’t telling him.
Stephen looked into the rear view mirror as he adjusted it a bit.
“Everybody locked in back there?”
“All ready, sir!” Addy was vibrating again, and Maggie was glad because she was anything but excited.
She smiled a courteous smile at Stephen’s eyes in the mirror and nodded her head at him. She then turned her focus out the window at the brownstone doorway she knew she would never see again. And all she could do was long for that stupid cat.
The building blurred with the tears that welled in her eyes and, as the SUV pulled out into traffic, she asked whatever gods would listen to take care of him. She closed her eyes to try to get a hold of herself for Addy’s sake – he did not need to see her upset right now.
Just as she got her breathing evened out, she felt a comforting vibration wrap around her legs. She knew it was simply the floor board of the big vehicle humming with the engine, but it was nice to imagine it was her Bongo. She smiled to herself and looked over at Addison.
Her inquisitive little man was busy playing with all of the electronic controls both on the door and on the console. Even as the speakers switched through different music genres – the radio stations changing with Addy’s tinkering – she found a peace with their leaving. She closed her eyes and let her head lean back against the headrest.
She was so relaxed that the multiple fire engines that passed them heading in the opposite direction – their sirens blaring and horns sounding – did not even phase her.
That part was probably for the best. Marguerite Atkinson did not need to see another phase of her life go up in smoke....
Or flames, as was happening to the old abandoned building that had been their home for the last few years. Moving forward was always best.
To be continued…
Maggie - Marguerite B. Atkinson. Maggie is Rosemary’s great-niece.
Addison (Addy) Westmorland - little boy with Maggie, being raised by her
Dorothy Westmorland - Addy's mother (deceased)
Julio DeJesus - apparent maintenance man in Maggie and Addy’s building
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 |
It's Summertime - Hooray!! Back into our action-packed saga....be sure to keep your eyes open! ;) ;) And, as always, thanx for reading me! :)
Image of 'abandoned brownstone at 221 West 137th Street' from Google images via Harlem Bespoke [www.harlembespoke.blogspot.com]
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and 2 member cents. Image of 'abandoned brownstone at 221 West 137th Street' from Google images via Harlem Bespoke [www.harlembespoke.blogspot.com]
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