Page 13 of A Matter of Time
“’Tis Edna, Edna Campbell. I’m checking to make sure ye are all right.”
“Yes. I’m fine, but I would very much like to return to my home.” Richard hoped Edna was contacting him to tell him just how to do that. “Thank you, for saving my life. I don’t know what happened after you removed me from harm’s way. Are Maggie and Dylan well?” He had thought of them often since his arrival in San Francisco. He’d only spent a short time with them, but they were the first people outside of his own family who had seen the real Richard. They had accepted him, despite his flawed past and he had been grateful for that acceptance. He considered them friends and wanted to know they were unharmed.
“They are well. As a matter of fact, they are here with me at the inn, preparing for their wedding day.”
“And Brielle?” He had to know that she had been dealt with, and would no longer be a threat to any of them.
“Brielle is dead,” Edna answered.
“Then there is no reason for me to remain here. I must return to my family. I have been away far too long.” Silence was the only response. He thought Edna had left him and was just about to call out to her, when she spoke.
“Richard, ye must stay in San Francisco for a while longer. Ye ken that there are some valuable lessons to be learned there. Lessons about life and love. Once ye have accomplished what I’ve sent ye to do, then ye will be able to return home.”
“What lessons? What must I learn?” Richard was puzzled as to why Edna would keep him here against his will.
“I cannae tell ye? Ye must find yer own way, Richard. I have faith that ye will do exactly what needs to be done. Now, I must go. I willnae visit ye again, but ye ken when the time is right, the fog will be there for ye.”
“I cannot stay here, Edna. I must return home immediately, do you understand. Anything I must learn I can learn there, back in my own home.” Anger was bubbling up inside of him and the fact that he had little if any control in the matter was making it worse. “You have no right to force me to stay here, Edna. Do you hear me?”
“Calm yerself, Richard. Yer temper willnae get ye home any sooner. You’ve come a long way, but as I said, you have things to learn and they can only be learned where ye are now. I have faith in ye Richard. Yecanchange yer ways and living in San Francisco for a while will lead you in the right direction. Ye’ll have to trust me on that one. There is nae use in arguing with me.”
Richard realized she was right. What could he possibly do to change his situation? Edna was the only one who could get him back home and he didn’t wish to anger her or he may find himself stuck in the future forever. “Edna, one more question.” He stared into the fireplace, thinking he might be able to see her, but there was nothing unusual in the hearth. “What of Nick?”
“Occasionally a person wanders into the fog when it is being used to transport someone else to or from the past, ye ken. ’Tis how ye managed to get yerself back to the year 1514 the first time ye found yerself in Glendaloch.” Edna laughed heartily. “’Tis also how ye found yerself in Glendaloch in the first place.” Clearing her throat, Edna continued. “Yer friend is also one of those people. He wasnae meant to be cast into the future, but he walked into the fog at precisely the wrong moment and now finds himself in the year 2014, which is a good thing for ye. When ye return, he may return with ye, if he so desires.”
She lapsed into silence and he knew she was gone. Richard could feel it. The room was different now and once again, he was alone.This is all so unbelievable,he thought as he headed down the hall to his room and the warmth of a very comfortable bed.
“There’s beena change of plans,” Nick was saying into the cell phone he held to his ear. Richard didn’t think he’d ever get used to the idea that people could communicate with each other over vast distances, much the way he had communicated with Edna last night. “Yes, yes. We’ll practice indoors today. We’ll meet this evening. I’d appreciate it if ye’d call the others.” Nick paused while someone at the other end of the call obviously responded to him. “Thank ye and we’ll see ye tonight.” Nick turned to Richard, looking for all the world like the happiest man on earth. “Good mornin’ to ye, how did ye sleep?”
“Well,” Richard responded, not understanding how anyone could be in such good spirits so early in the day.
“Coffee?” Nick was pouring himself a cup and he grabbed an empty mug for Richard and began pouring before he received a response. “’Tis raining today. I’ve asked Zeke to call the others and tell them we’ll be practicing at the warehouse tonight.”
“I’d ask why you’re so happy, but I recall that seems to be a constant state for you,” Richard said, sounding out of sorts, even to his own ears. “Edna spoke with me last night.”
“Edna? The witch? What did she say?” Nick sat across from Richard, giving him his full attention.
“She told me I cannot go home yet. There are some things I must learn, or some such nonsense. She also explained your presence here in San Francisco.” Richard proceeded to tell Nick what he had learned during Edna’s visitation. “And she said you can return with me when I go back, should you wish.”
“I wish!” Nick almost shouted in his delight. “If we can find out what ye need to learn, perhaps we can speed up the process.”
“I don’t believe it will be that easy. After I went to bed last night, I thought a lot about it and I’m sure the lessons have something to do with my jealousy and anger.”
“How will ye do it?”
“I don’t know what she expects of me. I imagine we’ll have to wait and see what presents itself.” Richard frowned. “I don’t like not knowing what will happen, but I am prepared to show Edna that I am a changed man.”
“Perhaps ’tis not Edna that ye must convince,” Nick said. “Nonetheless, I will be here to help ye. No matter what, ye can count on me!”
“I know that I can, my friend.” Once again, Richard was overwhelmed with how lucky he was to have a friend like Nick. They’d picked up right where they’d left off when last he saw him.
“Ye ken that if I hadn’t walked into that fog, I would’ve come in search of ye. Yer like one of me brothers, with one exception. I chose to have ye in me life and ’tis happy I am to have ye here now.”
What could he possibly say to that? Richard smiled warmly at his friend, knowing that they would each give their life for the other if it were ever necessary.
Dampness permeatedeverything in the warehouse. The roof was leaking and puddles formed on the floor in several places. Angelina grabbed towels and buckets and began soaking up the water and strategically placing the buckets under the leaks. The door opened and a group of bedraggled students entered, shaking the rain out of their hair and off their jackets.
“Hey, Angelina,” Zeke called. “It’s really coming down out there.”
