Time Cursed

CHAPTER 25

  Cole stepped outside the stables he had been working at for the last three weeks and took a deep breath. He had just managed to avoid the owner’s daughter, Leslie. She was 18 years old and had professed her love to him. From the day he showed up at the stables when his bike broke down she had been throwing herself at him. He found it a nuisance and couldn’t wait for the week to be over so he could keep moving. Arlana was still far away. He could feel it and he had to find her. Earl, Leslie’s father, had been kind enough to let him work at the stables for room, board and motorcycle repair bills. Along with owning a horse ranch Earl was the local mechanic. Half Moon Bay was a small town south of San Francisco along Highway one. The people were friendly. Many of them spent their time out on the waves. It was a surfer’s quest to surf at Mavericks. Cole knew nothing of this sport but he could see that it was popular.

  He heard Leslie calling for him and he decided to take a walk towards the auto shop down the street. Earl had had to order the part needed for the bike so it had taken time to be repaired. As Cole entered the shop Earl looked up from his work bench. Cole had no idea how Earl could find anything amongst the clutter of parts and tools but Earl seemed to have a system. “Is Leslie at ya again? Sorry man, she gets an idea in her head and well you know how it is. Thank you for being such a gentleman with my baby girl and avoiding her advances. Girls these days are much braver than girls were when I was a young lad. Scares me silly thinking about it. Grab a cold one and come sit for a bit. I’ll call her Mom, I am sure she could take her to watch the surfers. Them boys I don’t trust but they are scared of me so she will be ok down at the water.” Earl said with a smile and then turned and dialed the house. “Hey Suse, Leslie is needin’ a distraction. I think surfers might be the right one. …Yep….Ok I’ll tell ‘im. Sure thing. Love ya!”

  Earl hung up smiled and shook his head. “Suse says ‘hi.” Cole smiled, “what else did she say?”

  Earl looked at Cole sheepishly. “She don’t understand why you aren’t in to Leslie. Suse adores you and would prefer you be our son-in-law. She thinks it is romantic you looking for this girl you say you love but she thinks that if you have to look then she don’t want to be found. I think she is crazy. If this is the one then you got to find her. I am on your side!”

  Cole laughed, “at least someone is.”

  “When you planning on leaving?”

  “Next week. That is when your usual wrangler is returning right?”

  “Thank you for sticking around that long. It is a big help. I am going to miss you. Joe, is a great worker but boring as heck. Plus older than dirt.”

  Cole laughed. He was going to miss Earl. Of all the people he had worked for Earl reminded him the most of his Da back in Scotland. Cole’s father had died not too long after Cole turned 18. Cole tried to forget that past but this past year had been so lonely that memories couldn’t help but come back. Cole needed to find Arlana. This jump was different and he knew this was the one. All the previous jumps they were in sync with time. They jumped during the fall and each jump moved them through the year sequentially but this one was different. It should have been end of summer but instead it was the end of April. Now it was the summer time. Being out of sequence with the calendar had to mean something. Cole shook his head. He knew he was grasping at straws but he had to believe.