Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. (C) Copyright 2002. M.C. All Rights Reserved. All Reproduction for fee or profit forbidden. Copies of my stories can be downloaded from: </files/Authors/MikeC/> Send all comments and suggestions to MikeC@NSpace.net ============= James Part VII. Wandering Afield. Chapter 46 Chuck poured us a Cabernet and we stood at the wide picture windows, "It's hard to believe I'm standing in a Frank Lloyd Wright home." "Unfortunately, there're only about 200 of these remaining!" He shook his head, "The greatest architect of all times, and they tore down over a hundred of his originals!" After a pause, "You know something about Wright too, why is that?" "I live in a house designed and built by his contemporary, Bertram Mueller. In fact they worked together on the Guggenheim Project." I waved my hand up at the swooping ceiling lines. "Mueller holds the patent on a number of design innovations dealing with circular building elements and may have influenced Wright with the rotunda structure, but we'll never know for sure." I turned, "Chuck, in 2 weeks, we are officially unveiling the world's first Mueller designed 'Wheel' building. His widow would be guest of honor and I'd like to invite you as my guest to be part of the festivities." He nodded quickly. "Furthermore, it will be used as the showroom of our Marina and it would mean very much to me if you would let us represent your products." He nodded again. "Finally, the young lady who is instrumental in the construction of our Mueller structure will do me serious physical damage if I cannot beg an invitation for her to see your beautiful house." Chuck laughed, "That's easy to arrange - especially if she is anything like present company!" "Celeste would be thrilled, she is passionate about architecture..." "Did we hear someone mentioning our sister?" We turned and basked in stunned silence at the lovely visions the ladies afforded. Brenda was in a chiffon skirt and loose top, while Sara was in a slinky blue thing that was tight EVERYWHERE. Sherri's pastel flowing outfit was frustratingly opaque but there was no doubt everything underneath was nakedly hers. Chuck and I shared a low appreciative whistle. They presented Anna in a beige minidress. She had the tiniest bit of makeup on and it was obvious she knew how good she looked. She glowed and walked with a proud swagger into the room. While the others looked glamorous and exotic, Anna's look CHALLENGED you to do something about it. "Sweet Jesus!" I heard Chuck murmur under his breath. Sherri glided over and kissed me, "What do you think of our gorgeous young lady?" "Just amazing! Anna, you are absolutely mind-blowing!" she smiled and glinted. "Anna, you know what I said about makeup?" Chuck suddenly said. Anna's smile melted and she looked at Sherri. "Chuck, I'd like to ask for your indulgence, if I may." Sherri said. "No, my granddaughter is my responsibility..." "I'm not about to dispute that, but all I ask is for you to give full consideration to what I'm going to say next, alright?" "Go ahead." He growled. "What I want to say is, Chuck, your granddaughter is not wearing any makeup except lipstick." "So...?" "So, Anna comes down and you see this wonderful, lovely and confident young lady and you automatically assumed it is the result of the makeup. Think, man, it is not a trick, Anna IS a wonderful, lovely and confident young lady!" "Well..." Chuck allowed. "Chuck, to be honest, the lipstick? It's more for Anna." Sherri turned, "It's true, Anna. We fussed over you until you KNEW you must be gorgeous, right? So, guess what, you fooled yourself - you even fooled your grandfather!" Sherri smiled. "Chuck, let's do this. Anna will go wash her face and, when she returns, you tell me if you can see any difference..." "That's fair..." "Anna, remember, you ARE who you are, even without the lipstick. You've proved it." We watched as she turned happily and went upstairs. "I'll be shot down in flames when she comes back, won't I?" Chuck said quietly. "You'll be pleasantly surprised, let's put it that way..." He sighed, "I've been dreading this day, since..." He took a breath, "You should know about Deanna, Anna's mother." Another breath, then, "Deanna was... smart, outgoing, and pretty." He pointed to a picture of a teenager on the mantle. "She was seventeen when she had Anna. Still in school, unmarried..." He sighed, remembering, "We had words... And I said some things I shouldn't have - a lot of things I shouldn't have..." Brenda went and took his hand and smiled encouragement. "Did I mention she was very proud too? Well, a year later, she left, taking Anna with her." He shook his head, "But I couldn't let go, so I had her tracked down and forced her to give up Anna. I realize now - I did it out of spite, out of hate. She took my baby so I had to take hers. She took my happiness..." He buried his face in his hands and was shaking as Brenda put her arm across his shoulder. "The first few years, she'd come by to see Anna, and then..." He choked into his palms. "And now you're afraid of history repeating itself?" Chuck looked up, "Yes, partially. You know me Sara, I'm not an easy person to live with - all morning I've been wanting to strangle you... when I wasn't wishing fervently I had a daughter like you..." Sara smiled, "Likewise, Chuck - only I was leaning towards strangling MOST of the time." She blinked, "I think I can relate with your concerns, Anna is fast reaching the point in her life where you feel helpless, where you've made mistakes before." She waited, and when Chuck said nothing, she continued, "Without sounding too trite, I'm happy with the way I'm handling life. I can face each challenge because I have a weapon - and this has everything to do with you and Anna." A deep breath. "That weapon is confidence. Confidence to try things, confidence to finish things, and confidence to face failures..." She sighed, "Chuck, but this was not always mine. I had to find it, to learn it." She took my hand, "And this man showed me. He made it happen by being my support... He never yelled, never pushed - but he was always there. I'd be flat on my face after a stupid mistake and he'd say, 'You have a gorgeous butt, you know?' and help me up." She smiled at me, "With James, you never fail, you're just getting there." She smiled dreamily and kissed my hand. "So, Chuck, just be her support. Don't intrude, don't be too quick either with your help, and don't give up because she isn't as appreciative as you'd hoped. She has to try, and sometimes fail, in order to succeed. Give her that confidence Chuck." She finished quietly. Anna returned, flushed and excited. And radiant. The 'Come Hither' look was all over her. "Saucy..." I muttered under my breath. Sherri kissed my ear, "Plus all your other favorite 'S' words as well!" Chuck sighed, "Anna, I was wrong. You are without doubt a most wonderful and lovely young lady... Just amazing!" He stood and kissed her hand. "I am charmed to make your acquaintance, m'lady!" Anna blushed, giggled and made a curtsy, "Thank you M'Lord Grandpa!" "Shall we?" He offered his arm to Anna and, turning to us, "Dinner is served," he announced. The dining room was on a raised dais at the other end of the open area. Anna was absolutely thrilled when Chuck pulled out the chair at the foot of the table and seated her. We started with salad and consommé, then white asparagus flown in from Germany, lightly steamed and buttered, sprinkled with procuitto ham bits. They were the ideal, prime size of 5 oz each, the size of large cigars, pure white, succulent and perfectly textured. A lemon sorbet followed and then the entree: Cornish Hen and Rack of Lamb, with baby potatoes and Rice Pilaf. The maid hovered behind to clear plates and refill glasses. We had dessert of fresh fruit and pastries and they waited patiently as I tried to finish everything. Finally Sherri took my hand and we returned to the living room, sipping our coffee and watched the birds return to their nests as the sun sank into the marshes. Anna had been inseparable from Sherri and now leaned on her, holding her hand. "It's been a long time since we've had young people like you in this house," Chuck said quietly, "And even longer since we had the joy you have brought. Thank you." He looked at us, "I want you to know that this door is always open for you. And I hope that you return often, if not for my sake, then for Anna's." Anna was smiling delightedly. "Thank you, Chuck. It has been a very rewarding experience for us as well." I said, "And I can guarantee at least one of us will be here every month - so you'll have ample chances to regret your invitation!" I turned, "And Anna, we've invited Chuck to the Marina in two weeks' time, I would be very honored if you could be there as well." "Oh, could I?" "Of course, Anna, young ladies are expected to go see the world and experience life." Chuck said solemnly, then he stared at the sky outside and said, "I have some music that I'd like to share with you. It was my wife Helene's favorite. She'd play it at her favorite time of the day - at sunset..." He returned to the sofa as the music started. Suddenly Sherri said softly, "Anna, would you like me to tell you a story?" and aside to Chuck, "The story just popped in my head the first time I heard this piece - Beethoven's 'Pastoral' Symphony. And I made up the words to go along with the music." She smiled, "If I do it right, my story and the music should finish at the same time. And it sort of goes with the occasion as well." Sherri relaxed on my arm, eased Anna on her lap and began. "Once upon a time, in a lovely valley full of blossoms, there lived a beautiful little bird named Anna-bird. She lived in a little house surrounded by beautiful flowers that had yummy nectar to eat and she would wake up every morning and she would sing to Mr Sun, and Mr Sun would smile and shine brighter, making it warm and lovely... "One day, as Anna-bird was flying in a new part of the valley she saw a rainbow. She had never seen a rainbow before because it only ever rained in the nighttime in the valley. She flew closer and saw a huge waterfall that was making the beautiful colors, but the noise was so loud she was scared away. But Anna-bird could not forget the sight of the rainbow and, even though Mr Sun urged her to stay away, she kept flying back to look at the wonderful colors. "Then one day, she flew too close to the waterfall, and before she knew it, she was caught by the force of the water and she was pulled almost to the river below before she could free herself. By then she was terribly tired and could not fly back up the fall, but the sides of the river were sheer and steep and she could find no place to rest. So Anna-bird followed the river and kept flying and flying and it got darker and darker. She tried calling for Mr Sun but he was too far away and could not hear her. Pretty soon she could not see him any more. More than once, she thought of just dropping into the water and going to sleep, but no, she said to herself, I will be strong, I will not give up! "Then she smelled something, something different. It wasn't flowers and it wasn't water, so she flew towards it and finally she saw a patch of land and she had barely made it there before she collapsed... "Anna-bird woke to a wonderful taste in her mouth. She opened her eyes and the most handsome bird was feeding her the delicious food." Sherri smiled and squeezed my hand. "She found out that his name was James-bird and he was feeding her fish he had been catching in the river when he found her. James-bird lived in a small meadow and caught fish for a living. He had never seen anybody as beautiful as Anna-bird and he fell in love with her right away." She smiled down at Anna and stroked her face. "James-bird took care of Anna-bird and soon she was able to join him and fly over the meadow to where the tall trees grew. She learned to dive into the water and catch fish and she started to smile and sing her song again. "But Anna-bird was still very homesick for her Valley of Blossoms and could not wait to be strong enough to return home. She tried to tell James-bird about it but he'd only seen grass before and did not know how lovely the flowers were. He didn't want Anna-bird to leave, but to stay with him forever in the meadow. "But Anna-bird was very determined to find her way home. So as soon as she was strong enough, she left James-bird a note to thank him and to say goodbye before flying back up the river. "She reached the waterfall and she knew she had to fly straight up before she got caught in the water so she flapped and flapped her wings, going as high as she could. Higher and higher she flew but just as she thought she could smell flowers, there was a huge lightning bolt, followed by a big BOOM of thunder. Anna-bird had arrived in the middle of the night and a storm was blowing. The lightning flashed and the thunder roared and Anna-bird was never more scared. "Suddenly she heard someone calling in the wind and it sounded like, 'Anna-bird, Anna-bird, where are you?' Then she heard it again, closer, 'Anna-bird, Anna-bird, where are you?' It was James-bird, he had read her note and decided to follow her. He was scared by the storm too but he was determined to save his beloved Anna-bird. "'I'm here!' Anna-bird cried out, so glad that he had found her. 'Oh! James-bird, I'm here!' He flew up to her and they were so happy to see each other, they were not afraid of the dark or the storm anymore. "'Fly higher!' James-bird said, 'Higher!' And soon they flew over the storm clouds and they could see Mr Sun just starting to light up the sky and chase the rain away. Slowly the land grew bright and cheerful again. They circled to the ground and James-bird was amazed, 'So this is a flower, smells so sweet, and the nectar tastes so good! And it is so beautiful, almost half as beautiful as you!' "'Oh, James-bird,' Cried Anna-Bird, 'I'm so glad you came and found me, now we can stay here and live happily after! And I'll never leave again because I'm home...'" Sherri blinked her tears and whispered, "'And I've found my Forever-Friend...'" she took a shaky breath, "The End!", just as the music finished. "Ooh, that was just wonderful!" Anna sighed. "I'm sorry I made your dress all wet!" "That's perfectly all right." Sherri said softly, "I'm glad you like the story..." "Thank you. For the beautiful story, and for sharing James-bird with me." She sat up and looked around, "I think I will go to bed now... Goodnight everybody." She stood and kissed Sherri on the cheek. "I will think about your story tonight." She kissed Chuck and left. As we watched her go up the stairs Chuck said, "Yes, Sherri, thank you for giving life to that music. I will treasure it as well." We watched the sun set in silence, then Chuck turned to Brenda, who had stayed beside him, "You mentioned that Celeste is your sister, is she..." Brenda laughed, "No, she's not really my sister, but we - " She waved her hand about, "Celeste, Sara, Sherri and James, all of us who work for JamPC share many of the same goals - not the least is to better ourselves and maximize our potentials." She shrugged, "And be nice people." "But how do you juggle your work? You have a marina, you model, you consult and... what else?" "Oh, we study too, but that's about it. We're busy but it keeps us motivated." "You certainly are... And your intelligence and insight has me dumbfounded." "Well, thank you," Brenda laughed, "We like to learn and do things. And as Sara said, we have strong support from each other." I rose, "Chuck, please excuse us - we have a long trip ahead and we have to get up early in the morning. Thank you very much for your hospitality." "And if you'll excuse me as well, Chuck," Brenda added, "I'd like to see them off tomorrow." We went up the stairs and behind us, 'Pastoral' started up again. Sara turned into her room and pulled Brenda in with her, "I'm still the boy.(..". They blew us a kiss and closed the door behind them. Anna stuck her head out and waved us to her room. She looked at us, "I-I just want to say goodbye if I don't see you tomorrow..." Sherri smiled, "That's very nice of you." She took her hand, "Why don't you climb into bed and James and I will tuck you in... After all, we still have you as our daughter until midnight..." Her voice caught in her throat and she held my hand as we waited for Anna to slip into bed. Sherri knelt down, "Anna, remember, we're friends. Whenever you need us, we're just a phone call away. And Brenda will be here - and she's our Forever-Friend, that means anything you want to say to us, you can say to her too. And you can use our secret code..." Sherri took Anna's hand, kissed the palm and leaned her face into it. "This means you want to talk to her as a Forever-Friend and she will understand..." "Like this?" Anna repeated the gesture, tightly holding Sherri's hand against her cheek. "Thank you... for everything." Anna smiled sadly, "Goodnight..." "Goodnight, sleep tight, my Anna-bird." ============= (C) Copyright 2002. M.C. All Rights Reserved. All Reproduction for fee or profit forbidden. Copies of my stories can be downloaded from: </files/Authors/MikeC/> Send all comments and suggestions to MikeC@NSpace.ne