was always teasing her. Who would have thought they would marry each other!
Guys, why can’t they be honest about their feelings? I thought to myself.
He is such a varmint but a good one for her, and he loves her. No kids, but they spoil the cat like she was one—Ms. Mindy. Family members would like to see them have kids; they both decided that was not for them. The two of them get slot of flack for that choice. But in my case the questions asked is why don’t you settle down and get married?” And people ask me, “Why are you still single?”
Keith and I have three older sisters who are married. One has two children, a boy and a girl, and is very important in her church. A deacon’s wife and is always saying that if I leave the devil’s practice, I may find a man in the Lord. Thank you, but no, I am happy, and yes, I do have lonely days but not always. I love my magical life and two wild cats who will make sure I am never too bored. I have had good and bad experiences, and I have a secret that they don’t know nor my friends either, just the cats.
I get into the car.
“Hey, girl!” I say to her.
“Hey yourself,” she answers back.
And I look around and ask, “When you gonna clean your car?” I tease her.
“When it needs it,” she says laughing.
Cybelle is the only person I know who has a car that has, well, everything.
Let’s see, she has two cups. One has sage, and the other has different stones in them. Then there is a catnip sock—Mindy’s of course. A collar not on Mindy, a pair of sandals, a bell and bells on the mirror with two pentacles, a rabbit’s foot not on the rabbit, poor guy. Assorted papers, and sitting in the back seat is Ms. Mindy!
“Hello, Mindy!” I say.
She meows a greeting back.
We get to Lynn’s Garden shop close to nine forty-five. Now Lynn’s is one of those nurseries that can take you away from the rest of the planet. It is so huge and lovely, and Lynn, the owner, is a garden witch who knows her flowers, vegetables, herbs, and trees and will always make everyone feel like they have known her for years. Her favorite color is green and is always wearing it. She wears green down to her hat and gloves, even her hair is a dark hunter green. And she loves green tea and veggies. She is also a pescatarian; that is someone who, along with veggies, has fish or seafood as the only meat source. I have eaten her dishes, and they are very good.
Me and my sister-in-law look and walk around, and then we find sage and cilantro. They are on sale by the crate, also the mint and rosemary and late-growing celosia. I mull over the chrysanthemums and catnip, thinking I should get catnips for my two kitties. I left them at home sleeping on the bed. They won’t go with me unless they see me grab my broom. When they are together, they are bandits, sweet bandits, but bandits! And today, I am enjoying a quiet moment at the nursery with my sister-in-law and cat niece.
We go and checkout our things, and then we hop in the car and head to our place of business, Just A Cup, which is a mile up the road.
I notice that a letter on a sign is fading. “The U is fading in our sign.”
“I will let Tom know,” Cybelle says.
We park and pull our stuff out of the car and walk to the back of the place to the sunroom where we will later take the plants out to the garden to plant.
Tom turns on the television set, and it is a start to a beautiful Monday morning.
The news is on, and the coffee is brewing, and the food is being prepared. I am walking through our library, making sure that nothing is out of order, where I am greeted by Occur at the end of the last row. I pet him, and we both walk to the front desk where Cybelle and Tom and Serena are laughing and talking. Ms. Mindy is sitting on the stool. They are talking about the upcoming events. But then I stop because something on the television grabs my attention. The reporter says that in Brisbane county, they have found the body of a woman who is in her early eighties. And it looks like she was bludgeoned to death and her clothing removed then was put into a shallow grave a few yards from Briarwoods Road. She is yet to be identified. Waiting for more information.
And in other news, a Mrs. Lee has been reported missing. As I watch this segment, the camera switches to the police chief and then to a man I recognize!
“It is the man in one from my dreams!” I cry out. “That’s him! The man from my dreams!” I said pointing at the television.
“Hmm…” says Serena, “maybe you saw him on TV, and he showed up in your dreams.”
“No, I have never seen or heard of him until today.”
Cybelle walks over and wraps her arms around my shoulder. “Well, whatever happens, we are here for you and don’t hesitate to let us know what’s going on, okay?”
“Okay,” I tell her.
Tom and Serena both nod in agreement.
I look at this man on the screen and wonder, Will this be a journey into the unknown? Will I be ready? We shall see.
During the rest of the day, my thoughts were on what I saw on the news and the deaths and missing. Also the detective said his name was Harrison, Ned Harrison.
Mindy walks past me, holding a huge water bug in her mouth. I yell out a warning to Cybelle that Mindy is bringing her a gift, and she may have to have Tom get it from her. I hear screaming, and I start laughing.
The bell on the door rings, but there is a presence. Something feels very different! I walk carefully up along the shelves and peer carefully through one.
Oh my goodness, there he is.
Ned Harrison. He is even more striking in person. He is very tall, maybe about six foot nine, very rich dark ebony skin and honey-blond hair and blue eyes, and he is scanning the room as though he is looking for something.
My heart is beating wildly at the moment, but then I hear two women giggling and making smart remarks. “What is wrong with our people? Why do they want to dye their hair strange colors? And is he wearing contacts?”
I am a little irritated, and I back away and bump into the bookshelf behind me. A book falls, and I catch it just in time because Mr. Occur is walking under it. At the moment, it is the book that got my attention the last time I took the encyclopedia, and again it opens to the Solomon Islands, the same page with the people of color with dark skin, blond hair, blue eyes or just dark skin and blue eyes. One even looked like the detective.
I stop reading and look down and I wiggled my eyebrows at Occur. I walk up to the two women and say, “Before you make fun of someone, make sure you know what you are talking about.” I show them the page and picture and walk off leaving them stunned.
Cybelle was looking from where she was standing holding Mindy. It was Serena, one who is speaking to our visitor.
“Hello, may I help you?” Serena asks.
He answers her, “Yes, ma’am, I was told that you guys do very good coffee and a salmon bagel with cream cheese and capers?”
Serena says, “Yes, we do. It is a local favorite.”
He
