Reborn (14 page)

he next few days and nights I spent looking over my shoulder, sleeping with my back to the wall, and staying far away from the woods. Melba sprinkled concoctions in front of the tree line to ward off evil, always whispering to an invisible someone. I watched Excalibur for signs of nervousness. He didn’t show any. That was a small comfort.

On the eve of moving day, after mowing the lawn a final time, I spent the rest of the evening with Excalibur, wondering what tomorrow would bring for the two of us, not finding much joy in the possibilities. Because of the haunted woods, the river was off limits, so I sat with my back to an overturned wheelbarrow, picking at a sliver of wood on its handle. I gazed at the well-trimmed yard and the garden, ready to plant; at least they gave me some sense of achievement. Excalibur stood a short distance away, closer to the shed. As the daylight faded, he grew anxious, holding his head higher than usual, with his ears pricked to the sky. His increased agitation made me nervous. I didn’t want to leave him alone that night, but when the sky darkened, I had second thoughts about spending the night in the shed. When I stood, an unusual chill blew across my skin, rolling grass clippings over the lawn. My next breath threatened to smother me as the feeling of something about to jump out of the woods and grab me from behind loomed. Fear spiked as I searched the tree line, the direction the wind had reared up from. The chill air hovered, breaking my arms out in goose bumps.

A mysterious pall befell the yard.

Excalibur reacted first. His front hooves lifted off the ground, as he let loose a flurry of horse lingo. With his nostrils flared, he backed toward the shed. I watched the woods… waiting.

No sound came with the dark mist as it broke out of the forest’s edge and crept across the lawn. Fear froze my two feet to the ground beneath me. Excalibur neighed again, and again, as if warning me to move. The horse was already inside the shed when I ran past and into the apartment. With my heart pounding so loudly I could hear it, I bolted the door shut, as if that would keep out the evil, and peered through the door’s small window.

Many things went through my mind. The guardians hadn’t fixed the brick I’d disturbed. Had they left the seal broken on purpose? The wicked plantation owner found a way past Melba’s wards.

As the loathsome darkness advanced upon the shed, a trio of wispy, undefined forms appeared in the air and blocked the entrance, capturing Excalibur inside. Like a drizzle of oil on soapy water, the shadow retreated from the three ghostly forms, taking a turn, instead, toward the house. A vision of the line of red brick outside the door sprang into my head. Always careful not to disturb it, I knew it was intact. Feeling helpless, I slid down the door and waited for the terror to end—or strike. Were Melba and Excalibur okay? I wanted to check on her, but every time I looked out the window, the gloom covering the grass was present, waiting at the edge of the brick… for me.

Morning found me exhausted. I’d sat on the hall floor all night, barely dozing, listening to the fierce winds howling between the door and the frame, feeling the door shake against my back, and hearing the windows rattling against their frames. But the evil didn’t enter. When I rose stiffly from the floor and looked out the window and into the dawn, I found Excalibur munching breakfast near the willow. Something had saved him, and for that I was grateful.

Moving day filled me with anxiety. Melba didn’t seem to have any idea of the happenings around her house throughout the night. She mentioned the wind, and that was all, so I kept the living nightmare to myself. No need worrying her further. I was sure that once I was gone, the danger to her would leave, also.

Melba fussed more than usual, helping me pack, and straightening the apartment. Always near, as if she would miss me as much as I would miss her. All the clothing she’d given me was in a semi-contained pile on a bedroom chair. She folded each piece and packed them into a duffle bag, making sure I had a generous supply of toiletries. She’d even gone back to the used clothing store early that morning and brought me two pairs of work jeans, a few more shirts and T-shirts, and a pair of like-new work boots.

Once Melba had me packed, she headed upstairs and prepared breakfast for us. The melancholy I’d felt in my apartment worsened when I walked into her kitchen. She’d been like a mother to me, and a friend. I was sure if I could remember my past, it wouldn’t have been half this good. Breakfast felt like a last meal, like I would never see Melba again. Although I didn’t have an appetite, I ate because she cooked for me.

There was something we hadn’t talked about yet. Something maybe she avoided, and it worried me more than leaving did. I stabbed the fork through some fried potatoes and messed them in egg yolk, then set the utensil on the edge of the plate and looked up.

“What about Excalibur? Is there a place for him where I’m going?” I had a sinking feeling I already knew the answer.

For the first time that morning, Melba smiled. “Excalibur won’t be able to go with you, Solomon, but he can certainly stay here.”

I nodded, feeling satisfied.

“He likes it here. I don’t really know where else he belongs.” He would be safe here without me.

“He belongs to you. And once things settle down, you may come and visit him, if you like.”

Her offer lightened the turmoil raging in my head. She’d invited me back, which gave me some level of comfort, and Excalibur would be well taken care of. I stuffed the fork into my mouth and chewed the savory food.

Immediately after breakfast, I went out to see Excalibur. A sadness I was sure I’d never felt before consumed me now. I told myself he wouldn’t miss me like I would miss him, and when that thought sank in, I accepted the parting. I told him he would be safe, that whatever protected him last night would keep an eye on him. Then I left him at his favorite place—near the willow. He munched at the freshly mowed grass I left behind for him, and only lifted his head for a moment after I got into the car.

The drive to the city took about twenty minutes. Melba chattered the whole way, explaining things like how to use the city bus service, and a pay phone. She even gave me a piece of paper she tore off an envelope from the glove compartment and a pen and recited her phone number for me to write down, if I needed anything.

On our way to the city, we passed the road to Solomon Brandt Estates. Thoughts of Desiree’s soft body against mine, the scent of her curly red hair, and the color of her green eyes all seemed distant to me now. She hadn’t come back. And if she’d called, Melba had kept the conversation to herself. Even when I had asked about her, Melba had given me short answers, then changed the subject altogether. Desiree had moved on.

“What are you thinking about, Solomon? You’re so quiet.”

Your niece.

“There’s so much traffic here.”
And buildings and people walking.
For the first time, I was nervous about the city.

On the other side of a gas station, Melba pulled off the main road and took a couple more turns before pulling into a parking lot and stopping in front of an elongated building. A big sign in the middle of a small patch of grass flashed the words
Rainbow Motel
and
Vacant
. Below, a wooden sign hanging from two chains said
Nightly, Weekly, Monthly Room Rates
and
Air Conditioning
. To tie into the rainbow theme, every door had been painted a different color until all five colors were used up, and then they repeated.

In the office, behind the front desk, a woman about Melba’s age stepped out front. The two women hugged briefly before turning their attention on me.

“Glyda, this is Solomon, Solomon, Glyda.”

The fluorescents overhead splashed light on the gray roots of her mousy hair as she tipped her head and smiled. Thin lines were visible across her cheeks and around her eyes, adding to the friendly air about her.

“Welcome, Solomon. Melba tells me you’re not familiar with the city.” She picked up something off the counter and handed it to me. “I put this info package together for you.”

I flipped through the pamphlets as she spoke, in a lighter drawl than Melba’s.

“There’s a map of the city, a pamphlet to most restaurants and attractions, and a bus route and schedule.”

On the last piece of paper were handwritten phone numbers. Glyda’s was at the top of the list, followed by Melba’s, Gary’s Taxi, and a few others.

“Give me a call if you need anything brought to your room, or if you’re stuck somewhere in the city,” she said.

“Thank you.” Maybe city life wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Saying goodbye to Melba wasn’t easy as I looked into her moist eyes, a mixture of brown and green. Letting go of the hug was harder still. I stood in front of the orange door, with the number eleven on it, and watched the Toyota round the corner, disappearing into the city. For the first time in possibly my life, I was completely alone.

Closing the door behind me, I glanced at the fistful of bills Melba shoved in my hand on her way out the door. Three hundred and fifty dollars; she told me to pay it back whenever I could afford it. Her kindness toward me all these weeks left a warm feeling embedded deep inside me—a gift far greater than any material possession.

I lifted my gaze from the generous gift and checked out my new home. Different shades or orange squares dominated all the other colors in the quilt that covered the bed. Now I knew what the rainbow meant in
Rainbow Motel
. There was even a picture of a rainbow on the wall over the headboard, as I suspected there was in every room, or something similar.

The TV worked, so I found a comedy show and left it on for comfort, and then explored the washroom. Although the place was smaller than Melba’s, it had almost all the same stuff. I filled one of the two glasses that sat beside the sink with water and gulped down the rusty-tasting liquid. The midday sunshine streamed through the back window on the other side of the room, so I closed the curtains and lay back on the bed, wondering about Excalibur. Did he know I wouldn’t be there to say good night to him, or to sneak him a tangerine when Melba wasn’t looking? The sweet fruit was his favorite snack.

Smiling at the vision, I rolled to my side. My hand brushed against the pamphlets, scattered across the bed, that Glyda had given me. I picked up the bus schedule and opened the leaflet to view the full map of the city of Savannah. An arrow drawn in red pointed to the words Rainbow Motel. My eyes grew heavy as I followed the route through the city, past parks and hospitals, all the way down to Savannah State University. According to the color-coding, I wasn’t in the historical district, or near the riverfront where the new job was. I also wasn’t near the university, but it looked like the bus would take me straight to it.

How would Desiree react to seeing me in her world? Maybe she would be angry. According to the hints Melba had thrown me, she’d moved on. But something nagged at me to find her, anyway.

Through the front window, I watched a small bird hop across the blooming azalea bushes peeking above the ledge. Just beyond, the drone of traffic was ever-present. But despite being in the middle of the city, a place both frightening and fascinating, a peaceful feeling fell over me, and I dozed.

The next thing I heard was a tapping sound. The tapping grew louder and more prominent as I fully awakened. Someone knocked on my door. Yawning, and feeling groggy, I rolled off the bed and answered the door.

“Oh, hey, I didn’t mean to wake you,” said a man who looked slightly younger than I was, with short blond hair and the beginnings of a moustache.

I covered my mouth to conceal the next yawn and blinked, trying to get my eyes open fully. “What can I do for you?”

“I’m Justin.”

When he didn’t say anything else, I searched through my recent memories. The name didn’t stick out. “Am I supposed to know you?”

The guy searched over my shoulders, then stepped past me. Once inside, he turned to face me. I closed the door, but left my hand on the knob.

He shoved his hand in a jacket pocket and pulled out some papers, then held them out to me. “I have your new ID.”