Chapter 16

Time: Tuesday, June 6, 2006 12:24 PM

I took the Mass Ave. bus to Harvard and met Melanie at home. She seemed okay but a little shaken. We sat down on our new couch and she handed me the envelope from her sister. Inside was a fair-sized letter, about two and a half pages of finely handwritten text. Melanie rested her head on my shoulder as I read.

I sighed and kissed her head after I was finished. "There's so much here I don't understand."

"You mean the allusions? Yeah, she's making a lot of references to events from our childhoods. Young childhoods, three to seven years old for me... It is obscure, even to me at first... It's almost as if she were writing in code, to get passed a censor..."

"Oh..." I kissed Melanie. "She's having trouble with your parents..."

"Well, that part is obvious. But the other parts... Eric, I'll have to explain some things to you, what my childhood was like." I felt her shudder in my arms. "Some of it was pretty bizarre... and embarrassing."

I laid my head gently against hers and nodded.

Melanie frowned. "But you can see what Patty's asking for, can't you?"

"Yeah. She wants you to come and rescue her."

Melanie nodded and sighed again, returning her head to my shoulder.

"Oh hell Melanie! After four years of silence, think of the timing! I have a ton of relations showing up tomorrow, you have your Commencement on Thursday, I have mine on Friday, our wedding is on Saturday... And Patty asks you to drop everything and rescue her NOW?! Doesn't this smell the least bit suspicious?"

"Oh, I know," Melanie whispered, and then hissed, "God, I hate being manipulated!"

I stroked her arm. "So do you want to ignore this? We can, you know..."

Melanie shook her head no. "If it is a trap, and I agree that's very likely, you still have to admire the artistry... Trap or no trap, this will be in my thoughts..."

I stroked my bride's hair, caressing her ear with my fingertips. "Melanie... The Allagash can wait. If you want, how about after the wedding, we drive out to Illinois instead?"

Melanie was silent a long time and finally nodded. "Thanks Eric. I'll write to my parents, and Patty. Tell them to expect us..." I felt her shiver.

"Hey, relax pumpkin! Remember your husband to be is a god in training! We'll be okay. What could possibly happen that I can't handle?"

Time: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 10:37 AM

It's an 1100-mile drive from Cambridge to Sterling. Melanie and I debated whether to drive or fly. We also joked about me rocketing our car to Illinois with a few giga- Newtons. I could actually do it, but oh man, even at night, the risk of being seen! We finally decided on flying in something with real wings. Melanie felt like driving the rental car once we landed in Chicago.

Driving along the highway, we both felt like spies entering an enemy's territory. We had both grown up here, but the State didn't feel like home at all. I was reading Patty's letter again as Melanie drove. "Pumpkin?"

"Uh huh?"

"This line here, Patty says the toy closet taught her the April Fool's joke was on her. What does that mean?"

Melanie nodded. "It's something I only figured out a few days ago... Such a strange event... bizarre... I think I suppressed the memory... Dearest, I never had birthday parties when I was a girl. Patty did, I didn't. I used to think it was because of me, but I've come to realize it was my parents. They wanted me to be jealous of Patty. Can you see why?"

"Well... Oh hell, this sounds so sick! If you didn't like your sister, you'd be more isolated, easier to manipulate."

"Yes, exactly. If Patty and I didn't trust each other, didn't respect each other, we'd both be weaker, easier to manipulate."

"My gosh... Melanie, want to turn around? We could have dinner in Boston."

"Tempting... But there's a chance my sister really needs me..."

I nodded and patted her leg. "Ah, my beautiful bride! It's one of the many things I admire about you, your courage."

Melanie laughed, a sweet laugh filled with her playfulness and goodness. "Without a god in training by my side, I'd be scared shitless doing this!"

I briefly smiled, then watched the scenery for a while as we left Chicago. "So what's with the toy closet?"

Melanie sighed. "One thing you have to understand Eric, is that my mom really hates to be teased. She really, really hates it, and she'll carry a grudge forever if you cross her redlines about it."

"Hmm... Okay."

"When I was born, I gather my mom was teased by a bunch of her friends, about having me on April Fool's day. They laughed and said the joke was on her, to have an April Fool daughter. I found out about this my sophomore year in high school, from one of mom's former friends... I was too embarrassed to mention it to you..."