Page 15 of Miles. Alton & The 9:04
“Lord, I'm listening.I’m ready for that sign,” he said softly, pouring himself a cup of coffee, then heading out the door.
Before heading into the office, he needed to look at the museum and the bathroom situation, and if he were to open it to the public, what his policies would be on those who slept in the rough since it was private property.Just as he reached the platform, he heard the distinct sound of a diesel engine whistle, followed by the horn.The reverberation of the engine vibrating the tracks of the 9:04 line as the beast came into the no longer operational station, perplexed Thom.
The line for the 9:04 hadn't been used in years.It was simply a hobby of his to keep the lines functional until the corporate offices had found out he was maintaining the tracks and began to pay him for the labor.He held the cup of coffee, still unclear on what he was seeing as the black and red engine appeared in the bend, coming straight for him.Thom didn't know what to look at first, the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe GP30s 3200 diesel engine which hadn't been used in decades or the driver of the engine.The brakes hissed, the horn tooted, and the train came to a powerful stop.From the cab, out stepped the engineer, complete in striped overalls and a ribbed engineer's cap, which the driver removed to allow shoulder length boxed braids to fall freely.
Thom Brown almost stopped breathing.He'd asked for a sign, but this was a whole damned train pulling into his private depot.There had to be some confusion.His eyes searched the train, then focused in on the stunning creature who descended the step from the engine.
“I'm looking for a Thom Brown,” the woman said.
“That would be me,” he replied, rooted to where he stood.
She began to walk toward him and his inside voice made a personal plea to the powers that be as he foolishly said his thoughts aloud.
“Sweet Baby Jesus, if you’re listening, one, please let her be single and two, please don't let her have random conversations with the fairies in her head,” Thom pleaded.
“What does me being single have to do with anything?”she asked with a voice so melodic that he wanted to cover the front of his pants in case little Thom wanted to poke his head up.“And what's with the fairy reference?”
“Sorry, it has been a weird couple of days, and a train coming in on these tracks goes along those lines as well,” he pointed at the train.“What?”
“I'm Mae Weston,” she said.“The Mae is short for a long name that my father thought was cute when he was naming his children.I am with the corporate offices, who are kind of fed up with your letters and petitions for this museum, jazz festival, ghost tour stuff, so they sent me to see what you're talking about.”
“And if what I'm talking about is viable?”
“The company will still not want the liability; however, if what you truly want is to do this project, form your own LLC, grab a few investors and make it happen,” she said.“I'm going to give you two days to sell me, and if you can sell me on the idea, I will take it back to the powers that be.They aren't going to buy it because they think you're a fruitcake, but they sent me, so there's that.”
“There is that, Miss Weston,” he said, noticing the deep brown pools of her eyes.“So, have you had breakfast?”
“I have not.”
“Allow me to serve for the next two days as your guide, elucidator, and potentially, a future sounding board for your dreams, because all of my bells and whistles are going off, and madam, I shall make you a quick and hearty meal to start off our first adventure together,” he said.
Mae Weston was accustomed to men aspiring to be too familiar too soon.She eyeballed him suspiciously as he began to walk away from the platform.Her eyes were trying to take it all in: the abandoned train station she'd been told was turned into a museum, the old 9:04 line that one Thom Brown maintained for his pet project idea, and the large field he planned to use for an outdoor jazz concert.None of it made sense until she walked around the train she'd driven in from Chicago to see the field.Mae also spotted the adorable house with the large front porch with four rocking chairs and the white woman in a bathrobe.
“Wife?”she asked.
“Fairy hunter,” he said, looking back at her and offering a smile.
Everything about the unassuming man changed when he smiled.The twinkle in his eyes when he said the words engaged her, and now she wanted to know more.She had no idea what a fairy hunter was, or what it meant, but she understood the man planned to show her over this meal he was planning to prepare.
“Lead on, Mr.Brown,” she said.“We will come back to your prayer and to achieve clarification on the request.”
“No need to come back to it; it is going to slap you in the face,” he said, finding humor in it all.
“I'm glad you're amused.”
“Soon, you shall be as well,” he said the words as the dust from Jiminy's pickup arrived.For the first time in a very long time, Thom was actually grateful to see the man.“The next two days are going to be well worth the time it took you to drive that GP30 3200 down from Chi Town, but the day is young.”
They arrived on the front porch simultaneously as Jiminy, who sprang from the truck and stood looking at the diesel engine on the unused rail line.He pointed at it, then at the black woman, then at the white woman.The half-dressed white woman caught his eye.
Megan shouted at him, “Hey, you're the guy with the porcupine!”
Mae blinked several times and asked Thom, “He has a porcupine?”
Thom's smile widened, “Hmm hmm.You should ask the name of his spiky friend.”
“Nope, you're setting me up for failure, and I can see it in your eyes, Mr.Brown,” Mae challenge.
“Me?My dear, I wish nothing but success in our next two days, which places me at your beck and call,” he said, looking at her.
