Chapter 104: Grounded

Thursday, June 10, 1971

The air-conditioned railcars felt good after the heat and humidity of the New Orleans afternoon.

The girls all wanted to change out of their sweaty clothes, so they headed for the Guest Wing, as my great-grandfather had dubbed the upgraded sleeping car, taking Atabei and Ayida with them. Penny did likewise, ducking into the stateroom she was using.

A few moments later, Kip came in from the Dining Car, settling into the lounge chair directly in front of me, and then smiled.

“What?” I asked.

“I just came to hear the story,” he replied casually.

“The story?” I asked again.

“Yeah. How you went to lunch and came home with not one, but two extra girls,” he said with a grin. “Hell, all I ever brought back from lunch was a doggy bag!”

“Well, stick around. We’re going to find out the whole story when they get back from changing,” I told him.

“In the meantime, I’m afraid I have some bad news. The yard super just radioed me. They will not have a westbound freight until tomorrow. The last one is leaving around six tonight, but I know you already have plans for this evening,” Kip explained.

“Call him and tell him we’d like to take the one this evening, if possible. Getting to Houston is more important than dinner,” I instructed him.

“Got it,” Kip replied as he rose to go carry out my instructions.

“Oh, by the way, we have three more guests joining us,” I told him. “They’re due here by five. The architects are going to travel with us to Houston. How’s the pantry? Can we do dinner for fifteen?”

“We’re pretty well stocked. Especially after Karla’s trip to the market today. She found a farmers market just a couple of miles away. I’d better go tell her the news. I’m sure she’ll need some help with that many to fix for,” Kip said as he left.

Sitting there alone in the Observation Car, I replayed my encounters with both Atabei and Ayida and everything else that had happened this afternoon. But there were too many pieces of the puzzle missing for me to solve it now. I closed my eyes; my last thought was that I hoped Roger and his crew showed up before we had to leave.

I was standing behind the helmsman as he steered the three-masted schooner across the calm waters of the bay as we headed for the shore. Suddenly, the lightening flashed as the rain began pelting my face and ... and I woke up! Peals of feminine laughter ringing in my ears.

The culprit, standing there with the empty glass still in her hand, reached out to hand me a towel. Ileana was standing beside her with her new camera, waiting for the snapshot to develop.

“I’m sorry, Michael. I guess I did a bad thing,” Vickie said, not very contritely. “You aren’t going to spank me, are you?”

The parlor of the Observation Car was full of people, all of them chuckling at my awakening. On top of that, we were starting to move. I looked out the window and saw they were moving us into position at the rear of the west bound freight that would take us to Houston.

“I must have been more soundly asleep than I realized,” I thought.

“I’ll say. We called your name and even shook you a little, before Vickie came back with the water,” Ileana replied. Then added with a giggle, “I think that she is in need of a little special attention soon.”

“You are fortunate there are guests present,” I thought to Vickie sternly. “However, I will deal with you later.”

She just smiled a weak little smile. Vickie realized that she may have just crossed the line. I choked back a smile as I thought of her antics, it would ruin it for her if she thought I wasn’t serious.

“My apologies,” I said rising to shake hands with Roger. “I didn’t hear you come aboard. I think I must have dozed off.”

“Sorry we disturbed your nap,” Roger said, grinning.

“Welcome to my home away from home,” I told them as I shook hands with Steve and Jessica.

“Too cool, man!” Steve said.

“It also looks like we’ve had a change in plans for this evening. We were originally scheduled to be picked up by a later freight to Houston, but it was canceled, so we are left with the option of leaving now, or waiting until tomorrow night. And I cannot afford to be late getting to Houston, so I hope you don’t mind the change in plans,” I told them.

“Not at all. Actually, I’ve been looking forward to this trip, ever since you invited us. I think it’s an excellent way to get the time with you and your ... er ... group, that we need to meet your deadline,” Roger said.

Spying the bags at their feet, I said, “Victoria, would you show our guests to their quarters?”

“Oh, goody!” she thought. “He called me Victoria.”

“I’m going to ‘oh goody’ you when I get you alone,” I tried to think sternly. But my grin gave it away this time.

“Michael, I’ve moved my things to the staff room,” Penny said.

“Thank you,” I replied, recognizing what she had done, allowing Roger, Steve, and Jessica to have the other three staterooms on the Rowena.

“Where are Ayida and Atabei?” I asked.

“They’ll be here in a moment. Amy and Nicky are getting them something to eat,” Vickie supplied.

“I don’t think they have been eating well,” Adriana added. “And they have been sleeping in cardboard boxes in an alley somewhere.”

I stepped into my room to wash my face and replace my damp shirt. I was in a quandary. That I was going to have to reveal at least some of my personal history, including my vague mission, to Ayida and Atabei was obvious to me. The question was, do I need to discuss it in front of Roger and Jessica and Steve.

On one hand, the fewer people that knew of it, the better. After all, Catherine and Anna had both warned me against revealing my abilities to too many people. On the other hand, there’s no doubt Jessica could design a better home if she understood my uniqueness, and its inherent necessities. So, I stood there in the bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror as I tried to decide what to do.

“It’s funny, but I was always pretty sure about who to reveal it to in the past,” I thought, as I ran a brush through my short hair.

When I returned, Ayida and Atabei were sitting quietly on the settee, holding hands. Actually, Atabei looked like she was holding on to her sister for dear life.

I knelt in front of them, and placed my hand on theirs. “I’m sorry, ladies. I thought we would have time to talk and then return you to your home before the train left. If this creates a hardship for you, I will try to make it up to you. We should arrive in Houston early in the morning. I will pay for your flight back and any expenses you may incur, as well as for your time.”

“Is all this yours?” Ayida asked, referring to the railcar.

“Well, it actually belongs to my grandmother and her sister. But they are leasing them to me for a month or so,” I told them. “My great-grandfather used to own a railroad. He bought these cars when the original owner decided he didn’t want them, and refurbished them as you see now.”

“They’re magnificent!” she exclaimed.

“Thank you. Feel free to look around. I ask only that you respect the privacy of my other guests and the staff,” I told them.

“I heard the tongue-less one tell you we are homeless,” Ayida said. “That is true. So do not worry that this is an inconvenience for us. Our fear is that you will put us out, and we have no money or friends we can call.”

Adriana raised her eyebrows at being called tongue-less. It didn’t occur to her yet that Ayida had overheard our thoughts.

“Ayida, you and Atabei, are welcome to stay with us for as long as you like. Tomorrow, I will make arrangements for you to have enough money to go anywhere you would like to go, and anything else you need,” I told them. “In the meantime, I hope you will take advantage of our hospitality for as long as you can.”

“Are you rich?” Atabei asked.

“I’ll be even richer if you will be my friend,” I replied, looking into her eyes.

She smiled back at me warmly and I felt her shield, or whatever it was, slipping.

“Abby!” Ayida thought sternly.

Immediately, the defenses returned. But the smile in her eyes didn’t go away. I knew she was concerned, though.

“It’s okay, Abby,” I told her, using the pet name her sister had just used. “Your sister is right. You should not lower your defenses until you are sure you are safe,”

Abby’s big sister wasn’t surprised when I spoke silently to her, but there was a look of concern in her eyes. I faintly detected a war going on inside her. A war of conflicting emotions.

“You said you would answer our questions if we came with you,” Ayida reminded me.

“Patience, young one, I will answer all your questions soon,” I replied, sensing Roger and Jessica had returned to the Lounge. “Have you eaten?”

“Oh yes! Your sister gave us more than we could possibly eat,” Abby replied.

I stood and greeted Roger again, inviting them to have a seat. Steve returned and wandered around the car, looking out the windows. We had been connected to the back of the freight train, but we had not yet left the yard.

“Rowena was my great-great-grandmother’s name. My great-grandfather named the car after her when he refurbished it,” I said, as I started telling the story of its intended owner and my great-grandfather’s acquisition of it for my guests.

“So this was going to be the President’s railcar?” Steve asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “Pretty cool, huh?”

“I’ll say!” Steve exclaimed. “Just wait ‘till I get back home. My folks are going be so impressed. My dad was a staunch supporter of Truman.”

The railcar gave a gentle tremor and we started to move.

“Roger?” I said to get their attention. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to introduce my group, as you called them.”

“I think that would be a good idea. I’m afraid I didn’t get everyone’s name this morning,” he admitted.

“Well, we seemed to have gotten a little larger since we left you,” I started.

I reintroduced the ones who had been with me at lunch, before I got to Mikeya, who had joined us.

“Your Highness,” I said, standing beside her chair, and taking her hand in mine. “May I present Mr. Roger Skinner of the architectural firm of Bradley and Skinner from Knoxville, Tennessee.”

Roger rose to his feet, but didn’t know whether to shake her hand or what.

“How do you do, Your Highness?” Roger said a little awkwardly.

“Please, Mr. Skinner. Call me Mikeya. Mother says that Michael is like a child with a new toy when it comes to our titles. He’s going to keep playing with them so much, he’ll break them. She has already warned him to be careful, because if he breaks HIS title, she may not replace it,” she said with a laugh.

“Thank you, Mikeya,” Roger said. “Please call me Roger.”

“His title?” Jessica asked, confused.

“Why of course. Don’t tell me he didn’t tell you his own title?” Mikeya answered her.

“Uh ... no. I don’t believe he mentioned it,” Jessica said looking at me.

“Oh. Then let me introduce you to my husband, Crown Prince Michael, Protector of the Throne of Tapato, and Defender of the Royal Family,” Mikeya told her.

“That’s some title,” Steve said.

“And I hope we get to hear how you came by it,” Roger added.

Jessica just stared at me.

“Damn! He should be babysitting me. Daddy’s right. I’m acting like an adolescent school girl. He’s good looking, rich, and has his own private train car,” she thought to herself. “Double shit! What am I thinking? He’s already married. Twice!”

Ayida also stared.

“Is that true? You’re really a Prince?” Abby asked out loud. “And you’re married? To a princess?”

“Twice. He’s married twice,” Jessica thought, responding to Abby’s question.

“Yes, Abby,” I replied, calling her by her nickname. “I hope you won’t hold it against me.”

“Oh, no. I would never do that,” Abby replied excitedly. “We’ve been looking for the prince for years. Are you him? Deedee said you might be the one.”

“Abby! Hush!” Ayida thought to her.

I winked at Abby, before turning back to Roger, and the others.

“Roger, before I introduce the two young ladies on the sofa, I need to ask you a question. When I invited the three of you to join us, I did not anticipate the need arising to have private conferences while you are onboard. Nor did I discuss a confidentiality agreement between us. I also realize that the more you know about me and my family, and our lifestyle, the better you can design to fit our needs. Can you tell me what your company’s policy is regarding confidential information that you may be privy to in the course of your interviews and even during construction?” I asked.

Roger paused, gathering his thoughts before speaking. Every eye in the railcar was on him. He knew that the contract now hung on his response.

“Thank goodness I postponed that meeting with the building authority and came with them. I’m sure Steve or Jessica would have had difficulty answering this. He may not like it, but I can only tell him the truth,” Roger thought.

I knew then that Roger could be trusted.

“Michael, we have...

“Excuse me,” I said interrupting him quickly. “I’m sorry. I meant to address my question to Jessica, since she will probably be the one around us the most. I’d like to hear her answer. If that’s okay with you?”

Roger nodded without saying anything as he looked at Jessica. “I hope she doesn’t blow this,” he thought. “But she’s a smart girl. And besides, it’s time she accepted a little more responsibility. After all, she’ll inherit the company one day.”

Meanwhile, Jessica stiffened. “Why is the little twerp picking on me?” was her first thought.

Before she could continue, I said, “Jessica?”