Chapter Three
Lucinda was the first to awake. She had been asleep when Marcus had come to bed, so didn't know they had company spending the night. She was surprised to see this moderately bronzed, dirty blonde young man sleeping on their couch with her daughter nestled underneath his neck. She placed her hand softly upon Julsey's foot, just enough to wake but not startle her.
“What is this?” she asked with feigned curiosity, slightly higher pitch than her normal voice, already knowing that for her daughter, who was very picky when it came to male companionship, must have found someone she really liked and brought him home. Julsey woke up not too slowly, and eased off this hansome young man who had swept her off her feet. “Morning mom, his name is Sk'lar, -nd he's from Shore Province down round Red Bank and the Hook. We met at Festival -nd don't know, mom, something sparked between us, -nd we’ve been sideby ever since.”
“Wanna wakem now or make 'em breakfast first?” Lucinda said giving the option to her daughter. “How 'bout half b'tween?” Julsey asked in suggestion. Her mother smiled in agreement.
Marcus woke up and came downstairs in a hurried rush as if he was missing something, coming down the stairs so fast that he missed a few steps and almost fell, but made enough noise to wake Sk'lar who was cuddled up cozy on the old sofa. “Mmmmmmm Morning,” Sk'lar said, more of an open greeting. He awoke knowing where he was and why he was there, very alert and aware of his surroundings. He gave a stretch like a dog or cat stretches their whole body when they first wake up. “Morning young man, that's my wife, Lucinda. Seems both of 'em are makin' breakfast for us, smells good in there... how long 'til done, hun?” His direction shifting to his wife”. “Five maybe” came the reply.
The four ate breakfast together in the nook looking over the falls. The Great Falls was the biggest waterfall this side of Niagara and was a source of power since the early 1800's. After breakfast, Marc pulled Sk'lar aside and told him he had something he wanted to show him. “You wantin' to show off again, hun” Lucinda chided her husband jokingly. She turned to her daughter “Looks like you lost 'em for a little anyway.”
Julsey hollered out as the two men were leaving to go look at Marc's creations. “Yo, have fun, -n be where I can find ya, be up there soon as we're done here.” She told them both. “Yeah, I wanna see the garden you promised me soon as your up there.” He said with sincere interest. “Yusssss, soon as I'm done” she said with a sincere smile that beamed of childlike anticipation.“
The two men walked up to Lambert Castle, maybe two kilometers away, along an old road which despite its age was very well maintained and groomed. There were cultivated fields inbetween a series of wind turbines and a few greenhouses. “When Lucinda and I came here this had gone back natural, the road, everything just covered in brush. Friend at library found old books and in the old cloud there was data on this place. Was a park before the Reset, but now look at it, still lookin' like a park, but now with these I've tripled juice output, serves all around here. Julsey has a lot of this up here running nice, school kids do work it on the crops and it about runs itself.” He paused a brief second. So, what ya do down the Shore?”
“Aquaculture mostly, working to bring back a fish called salmon right now. Yo, they're takin the long rail here in a few weeks, a special car to carry live fish. Pen 'em in rivers til they taste the water, move'em upstream until they hit stillwaters then they spawn, Won't know 'til 4 to 6 years, but what hatches should come back 4 years, 5, 6, who knows, but no reason why not. Rest of it is takin' live catch and penning 'em til they breed and spawn, and some seafarming”
“Makes sense, sounds like rewarding work. You must like it.” was all Marcus said.
“Straight up” was all that Sk'lar said, short for agreement with and recognizing the approval that Marcus had given it.
Just then Lucinda and Julsey were walking the path to where the men were standing just to the west of Lambert Castle. Julsey wanted to impress him and was pulling out all the stops. She was wearing a light to medium olive green and tan sheer sundress with tan trim and a few black highlights. He hair was feathered, and she wore a pendant of a leaf sprouting from a seed within a circle in white gold around her neck. It was an archaic logo of one of the first horticultural guilds and had been passed down from her great, great grandmother, kept in the Paul family for years. It was what had inspired her to work with plants in the first place. When Sk'lar turned to look at her he was lost in that timeless feeling again. The day before it was connecting with her eyes and seeing her soul, and she his. Thismorning any remnants of an adolescent girl had faded and been transmuted into beautiful young woman. She was truly beautiful, almost stately, and although she knew she had attained the desired effect and messed his mind up a little, she, too, was observing how he walked, moved with grace and confidence, acted with reserve, as if he was an acrobatic bird flying between trees, able to land on any one branch at will. His heart was on his sleeve and he was brave enough to expose it, and it was a strong enough heart to endure, and she knew that. He was beyond just hansom to her, he was almost regal.
When Marcus had turned he noticed again and even more the same thing about his baby girl, but it wasn't as much of a shock because he had seen her dressed to enhance her womanhood before; yet he allowed that to pass and watched Sk'lar's reaction with great interest. His allegiance to his gender superseded his loyalty to his daughter when he muttered under his breath “Boy, you're in trouble”. It was said as an acknowledgment of what he already knew about his daughter, that she was amazing, intelligent, beautiful, compassionate and passionate, gifted and kind. He had already lost his heart to someone like her years ago when he met her mother. Perhaps he also sense just a little of himself 25 years earlier in this young man, and could empathize with what he knew he'd be in store for, and happy for it.
Lucinda didn't miss a beat, either. The four had turned the corner and were now on the east side of Lambert Castle. “Marc, I need to talk to you about the schedule to rework the pumps for the Hudson Province.” He knew she was lying, but took the hint. Julsey walked up to him and she simply sat on a stone wall facing what once was New York City. The view from here was amazing. It was the first mountain of the Watchungs, which were an offshoot of the Appalachians. From the vantage point he could even make out the direction of his home. “This is beautiful up here” he said with a tinge of envy of her having grown up in what was essentially a giant garden.
“Yussss, way. I come here to read or think, yo. Sit here and wonder what lies over that horizon. Love it here, but I want more. Been here waay long, and I wanna go n'see what's beyond here.” she confessed.
“Just please don't come -n make an-en-scape using me as your ticket out. yo. I'm not out lookin' to sideby with anyone just to have someone there, and no time to play, so make sure you're straight up serious.”
She was quick to defend this decision to join him. “Never!” she locked her eyes into his. “Never play like that. Look close these into these windows to my soul here, see inside. I'd been waitin' for you-never knew I was I guess, but this feels right..... Don't know why but I trust this, yo. Goin' Sideby with you's ain't no game to me, first time I peeked your eyes yesterday it felt like dawn does right up here for me, peace in my heart, like I belong. No, this ain't no game for me, no usin' this as an excuse to go anywhere, either. I promise.”
“Same. Seen the sun rise thousand times or more, but never seen one near as beautiful as you, yo. Never felt anything fit like I feel for you, straight up.” He said as she stood before him, finally no longer curious or jealous of those instances when she was in the presence of true love. This was so sudden, but so right, and if this man was everything she felt he was then she finally understood what her mom meant when she always would say that “when yous know, you know, leave it at that.” and told her there wasn't anything else she could add to that wisdom and mystery.
“How 'bout we go to cafe or something tonight, and take the rail down the Shore in the
morning?” Julsey asked. “Ya-ya... way, that's tight. We can do that. I like your mom and dad, reminds me a lot of mine. Wait, my mom 'ill love you like a daughter. My dad's got a shy side, least 'til e-knows ya' a little. Knowin 'em both and Lawrence with his big trap I 'spect them to be waitin' when we 'rive, yo.” Sk'lar answered and added trying to get her ready for the shoe going on the other foot.
The two waited until that night at dinner. when they had all gone to a new place on Market and Main downtown. to spring their plan to tell her parents the news. There was live lobster in a tank with turquoises and black bands on the claws. “That's my dad's bands, that's our catch. Tight, that's tight.” Sk'lar said with a chuckle excited to see his family's reach this far from home. “Yous wonder where it goes when you see it hit a train or truck, and it's different goin' to check where it goes, but when you see it by surprise it's kinda weird.” He added.
“I see my juice like that.” Marcus added, “It's like that. The way the world connects feels good. I go up to Castle at night or climb to the roof at hospital over there and look out and see lights looking like stars on the ground, and I say to myself 'Look what yous did', and it feels good that they're burnin' the juice I harvested.”
This was as good a time as any. “Mom, daddy, I have somethin' I need to tell you....” Julsey made her announcement. Lucinda put her hand over Jule's and stopped her. “Your dad and I ain't stupid or blind, baby... You're goin' to the Shore with him I'd guess. I don't think he's ready to settle in here up here anyway. Yous two gotta spark, and don't worry. If ya need home it's here waitin'.” She raised her glass, and Marcus followed waiting for the new couple toi join them for the toast. Lucinda looked at Marcus as if to both give permission and both tell him to and to ask that he make the toast for their daughter and her new beau. Marcus got the hint. “May yous two find love and adventure, may yous grow and find peace and happiness, and if it is the Will of the Spirit, may yous two find in each other parts your can't find without.” They toasted and then discussed details about Julsey moving down for a while to see if the shoe truly did fit. It truly would.
When Sk'lar got back with them to the cottage he made a skype to his parents. Al answered the call. “Yo, stranger, I've been wonderin' when you were callin'. Your dog keeps lookin' the at door, Lawrence brought him over last night, kept wakin me up sleeping on my feet, I ain't used to it. When u-commin' home, eh?” Sk'lar answered. “Goin' to rail morrow, trans at the Hub then down there. Be in Red Bank 'bout 11 or 12, d'pends on which train we connect with.”
“Here's ya mom now... when Lawrence stopped by said you gotcha a looker, 'bout time boy. Good man alone is only half a man. Guess that's her there, you're the female who stole my boy's heart there, eh?” Al continued. Julsey blushed then replied. “Yusss, he's told tales 'bout you, Mister Duncan, nice to meet you.... ya know, we even saw your lobsters at cafe tonight, Sk'lar pointed 'em out.”
“Did 'e, well, he needs be to be catchin' some instead of showin' mine off, eh? You get 'em down here, my wife wants your two here somethin' bad. Yud think she was sitting on an egg since Lawrence was over spilling his guts 'bout ya.”
“Dontcya dare Al, yous stop now,” Lynn chided her husband. “Hey sweetie, I'm Lynn, Sky's mom. Dontchya let that old salt of mine mess with yur head. All noise, that one. First place you come is here. Are those your parents back there 'hind ya?”
“Yusss...” she said as her mother cut over her. “Hey, I'm Lucinda and this is my husband, Marcus... we're the Pauls.”
“Hi Lucinda, I'm Lynn Duncan and this is my pain in the ass husband Al, Alexander, but call him Al... Nice to meet you”
“Same. Wunderful young man yous guys raised. Been a perfect gentleman.”
“Well, thanks... 'preich that. Now if I could only finish raising his father.” Lynn said, then chuckled. Lucinda looked over to her husband with a smirky smile and laughed a little more than Marc liked as she turned back to Lynn and nodded “yes”.
“Heard that!!!” Al called from the other room, coming back in. “I gotsa be up at 4 am, so I gotta call it a night, but nice meetin ya there, eh? See ya when yous get down here. I'll be out on the water so your moms 'ill have to getcha son, eh?”
“Yuppers, see ya tamorrow dad..... Mom, it is late, and we can do this again soon. I can message or call....”
“I'll just be at the station waitin' for ya, Sky. I can sip some tea 'til ya get there. See ya when you get off the rail, hunny.”
“K....” Sk'lar finished. Everyone said goodbyes and nice to meet yous over each other for a few more seconds and the skype ended. Julsey felt like she already knew them both.
They all stayed up until about 3 a.m. packing. The boys went to bed and Lucinda and Julsey stayed up a little longer chatting more like sisters than mother and daughter. Lucinda brought Jules to their bedroom and she quietly picked up her jewelry box, and they went back into the living room and parked themselves on the couch. Lucinda opened the box and took out an antique yin/yang symbol which had been passed down in her family for over two hundred years. As she put it around her daughter's neck they both started to cry a happy cry.
“Mommy, I should be afraid I think but I'm not, not a bit.....” Julsey laid this fact on her mother. Lucinda said, “I should be sad, but I ain't either; all your dad and I ever wanted was for you to be happy.”
“Mom, for the first time I might really be. I felt was I missin' sumthin', yo. Sounds strange, but felt him there before I even looked at 'em, and like I've known him my entire life.”
“Baby, been and done, long ago. I get it, I know. Just remember, if ya' both put each other before your own self, ya both 'ill get more out of it. When ya surrender your soul to love, it might be a risk, but there's so much more reward.... Don't be 'fraid to risk your heart and share your soul... yous ain't gunna find anything if ya don't. Just be careful, this is new and fast, and it might be infatuation, so so risk more pain than you can endure, not at first anyway.” Julsey understood and just nodded. They had had similar hypothetical conversations before. Jules knew how to be careful. There just didn't feel like there was any reason to here, and if it was a mistake, it would be a life lesson. She was ready to go. She had waited for someone special long enough, she was ready to let someone in.