Looking Through Darkness (32 page)

“Melvin, I'm so sorry,” she said, taking his hand gently with both of hers.

“Leigh Ann, there's one thing you've got to believe,” he said, his fingers intertwining with hers. “I know what the psychiatrist concluded, but the girl I saw the night Ronald Jonas ran me off the road wasn't my imagined sister. Her age, size, and weight were different. My sister was fifteen when she died. The girl I saw was a lot younger.”

“Do you remember anything specific that might help us find her?”

Melvin smiled. “You believe me.”

“Yes, I do.”

He pulled her into his arms. “Thank you.”

She sighed, enjoying that moment of closeness. His chest felt hard, yet welcoming, and his arms were strong but gentle. Melvin was a maze of contradictions, but she was hopelessly in love with him. He was special in every way. A blind artist who saw with his soul, he could create a masterpiece with his hands, or make her melt with a fleeting touch. He could be gentle when she needed it, or passionate and rough. He could take control or relinquish it with equal ease.

“I love you, Leigh Ann, and my love doesn't come with demands, nor does it require anything from you in return. It just is.”

She placed her fingertips over his mouth. “It's because I love you, too, that I won't hold you to this. Remember that.”

“Leigh Ann, I know you have something you're keeping from me, and that it has to do with our visit with the Jonas family. Your reaction when we were with the father gave yourself away. Trust me and tell me what it is. Let's work through this together.”

“I
will
tell you, but I'm not ready yet,” she said, stepping back.

“You want to look at the sculpture I've finished. When you do, you'll be able to see yourself as I see you. Will you honor the balance and tell me then?” he asked.

She swallowed hard. “All right.”

“You don't have to be afraid,” he said, his voice steady and sure.

He was wrong. Some things were impossible to forgive. “For now, let's keep looking for the little girl you saw. Are you okay with that?”

“You bet.”

Leigh Ann glanced back one more time. Regina was manning the cash register and Esther was serving someone at the coffee bar, so no help was needed out front. “Let's go into the break room for a few minutes, have something cold to drink, and work on this.”

“All right,” he said, reaching out and letting her take his hand.

When they reached the doorway, Leigh Ann saw Jo and Ambrose inside. They were discussing the details of a permanent sign that would promote the new additions to The Outpost.

Leigh Ann stopped. “Melvin, let's postpone our brainstorming session for now and just grab a drink.”

“No problem, come on in. We're almost through,” Jo said, standing.

“Jo, could you stick around for a moment longer?” Melvin asked. “You're an apprentice
hataalii,
so I was hoping you could help me with something. I need to fill in some gaps, details that happened the night of the accident that cost me my sight. Do you know a way to restore memory?”

“There are several ways,” she said. “I'd start with a special pollen blessing and ask you to meditate on Long-Life Boy and Happiness Girl. Together, they stand for the continuance of happiness. They represent contentment and peace that lasts. I'd work with the Plant People, too, and compel them to help you.”

“I'd like to hire you and get this done as soon as possible,” Melvin said.

Jo hesitated. “I'm only an apprentice. You need my teacher. If you're interested, speak to him, but do it soon. He has many patients and a busy schedule.”

Melvin shook his head. “This is very personal, and I don't want anyone else involved, Jo. Will you do this for me?”

Jo considered it. “It would have to be a brief blessing, not a ceremony,” she said at last.

“Can we do it today?” Melvin asked.

She took a minute to think it through. “We could do it after work, if you want,” Jo said, and seeing him nod, continued. “I'll start gathering the things I'll need and place them in the hogan.” She left immediately and Leigh Ann heard her go into her office.

“Will that work?” Leigh Ann whispered to Ambrose.

“Growing up on the Rez, I saw many things I couldn't explain,” Ambrose said. “If anyone can help Melvin, it'll be Jo.”

Melvin gave Leigh Ann's arm a squeeze. “I'm not a Traditionalist, but like Ambrose, I've learned that the things we can't explain are often the most effective.”

*   *   *

After the trading post closed for the day they gathered behind Ben's home in the newly constructed log hogan he'd funded. Leigh Ann had only been in it once, at Jo's invitation, and then it was just to look around.

Jo sat in the rear, on the west side of the hogan along with Melvin, her patient. Leigh Ann and Ambrose sat at the south and north, respectively. According to Jo, these positions were based upon tradition.

To begin, Jo offered Melvin a cup of specially brewed herbal tea. “The Holy People gave the Din
é
special plants, ones we could turn to for help. The Plant People are there for us and they'll help us accomplish what we have to do now. I've used a very special medicine,
T
á
d
í
d
íí
n doot
ł
izh nitsaa
í
g
íí
,
what's known as large blue pollen.”

As Melvin drank, Jo closed her eyes in silent prayer. “I want you to repeat everything I say, word for word,” she told Melvin, then turned over the basket in front of her and began using it as a drum.

As her Song rose in the air, Leigh Ann remained perfectly still. The monotone chant held a mesmerizing quality that seemed to resonate with power and the richness of traditions she didn't understand.

The haunting quality of Jo's Sing drew her in, and she felt herself relaxing. Its soothing nature wove itself around her, pushing away everything except the harmony the Song brought as a gift to those present.

Jo handed Melvin a special pouch. “In this bag are a rock crystal and some sacred pollen. During creation, a crystal was placed in the mouth of every person so that everything he or she said would come true. Pollen is a symbol of well-being, so in this case, the crystal acts as your prayer, the pollen as the blessing of harmony.”

“Thank you,” Melvin said, holding on to the pouch.

“I want you to meditate on Happiness Girl and Long-Life Boy. One of the many things they represent is achievement of a goal—success.”

They sat in silence. After several minutes, Melvin's breathing became more rhythmic.

“Shut out all other sounds and listen only to my voice,” Jo said. “Think about that night. What do you see in your mind?”

“The glare of headlights, then the car, upside down, bobbing in the water, its wheels still turning.”

“Concentrate only on the sounds around you. What do you hear?” Jo asked.

“Water rushing by, bubbling, and a voice … calling to me.”

“A man's voice? A woman's?” Jo asked.

“No, a girl's. It's a high-pitched sound above the rushing water.”

“What's she saying?”

“Hurry, uncle, swim. I'll pull you out.”

“Now focus on her and tell me about her.”

“She's standing in ankle-deep water, reaching out to me with one hand.”

“Her hair, is it long or short?” Jo asked, her voice calm, soothing.

“Long, down to her waist, and black. She's Navajo.”

A small noise caught Leigh Ann's attention and she looked over at Ambrose. He was writing something on a small pad.

“Is her hair loose?” Jo asked.

“No, it's braided, on one side. My right side, her left.”

“Is she wearing glasses?” Jo continued.

“Yes, dark frames.”

“Is she thin, medium, or heavy set?” Jo asked.

“Slender—straight up and down,” Melvin answered, his voice calm. “Lanky.”

“Tell me what she wearing,” Jo said.

“Jeans and a light-colored T-shirt. There's something drawn across it. It's long and slender and pointed on one end.” He remained silent for a moment. “It's a blue feather.”

Melvin used one hand to wipe the perspiration off his forehead and expelled his breath in a hiss. “The images are gone. Now there's only gray.”

“We are finished,” Jo said. “The blessing has been given and it is done. Now all is well.”

As Jo brought the blessing to a close, Melvin tried to hand the medicine pouch back to her, but Jo declined.

“It's for you to keep. It's part of the blessing.”

While Leigh Ann, Melvin, and Ambrose returned to the trading post, Jo remained behind to gather up the items she'd used and to restore order.

Sam, who'd arrived in the interim to work on software, greeted them with a smile and went to the caf
é
counter to fix herself an Outpost Blast.

Leigh Ann looked at Ambrose. “What were you writing back there?”

“I wasn't writing. I was sketching the girl based on Melvin's description.” He turned the pad so she could see the image.

“That was a good idea,” Melvin said. “It's all fading away again for me.”

“I made some mocha cappuccinos for all of you,” Sam said, coming to join them. “They're on me.”

They sat down, and once Jo joined them, Ambrose passed around his sketch so they could all study it.

“The T-shirt looks familiar,” Jo said, mulling it over.

Sam took a look. “That's the logo of Cottonwood Elementary School, a private school over in Waterflow. Their mascot is the pi
ñ
on jay,” Sam said. “My oldest sister's niece is a first-grader there.”

“That's the closest community to where the accident occurred,” Melvin said.

Ambrose studied his sketch with a critical eye. “It's a pretty generic image—thin Navajo girl with the characteristic high cheekbones, dark eyes, and the rest. It's the glasses and braid down one side that may open up some possibilities.”

“But kids change and that was what she looked like five years ago,” Melvin said.

“We know the school the girl attended back then, so if we can access some old yearbooks from that time period, we might get a hit,” Leigh Ann said.

“It's useless to try and find anything like that online,” Sam said. “Yearbooks with photos of underage children tend not to show up until those people become adults. It protects the kids.”

“We'll figure something out,” Melvin said. “Look how far we've come. Jo?” he added, looking toward the place where he'd last heard her voice.

“I'm here,” she answered.

“Thank you. What you did for me…”

“Was only a favor for a friend,” she said.

Leigh Ann watched them and smiled. The trading post was the glue that held them together. As long as it stood, none of them would ever have to fight alone.

*   *   *

Jo opened the back door slowly, wondering why everyone had come in so early this morning. It was barely six thirty and the staff parking area was full of cars. Even Ambrose had skipped breakfast to hurry over from the house. As she crossed the storeroom, she heard laughter in the break room.

“We hear you, boss,” Leigh Ann called out. “Come and join us. Regina brought fried pies, I made coffee, and Ambrose is about to sing.”

“Just a sec,” Jo replied, hurrying into her office and moving the computer mouse to wake up the screen. No emails. There was still no word on Ben.

Leaving her purse, she walked into the break room, deciding not to let her mood ruin the day. “I didn't know Ambrose could sing,” she said, glancing at Leigh Ann, Melvin, Regina, and Ambrose, who were seated around the big table, pastry and coffee in front of each of them.

They all laughed at her comment, especially Ambrose. “I can't, but I'm so hungry I was ready to do anything to get you in here. We're having a small celebration this morning. With Sorrelhorse in jail and Pierre Boone on the run, things are definitely looking up.”

Regina offered Jo a plate with a golden fried pie. “Peach?”

“My favorite, thanks,” Jo said, taking a seat. “So what is this really, a bribe? You all want a raise?”

“Yeah, and I don't even work here,” Melvin replied, eliciting laughter.

Esther came down the hall carrying a heavy tote bag.

“More goodies?” Jo asked, taking a cup of coffee offered by Leigh Ann, who was seated closest to the coffeepot.

“Of a sort. Sorry I'm late, people, but it took me longer than expected to get what I needed.” Esther took several school yearbooks from her bag. “Sam told me what you all learned last night. Since my neighbor's kids all went to Cottonwood Elementary when they were young, I was sure I could borrow some yearbooks.

“I borrowed ones dating as far back as seven years,” she continued. “If the girl you saw that night attended that school, Melvin, she'll be in one of these. This may take some time, but it'll be easier than going to the school and trying to wade through their red tape.”

“That's great, Esther. We'll look through these during our breaks today and compile a list of names that might fit Ambrose's sketch,” Leigh Ann said.

“I'll leave them all here in the corner,” Esther said, setting down the bag. “Now I'm going to try one of Regina's fried pies. Any apple ones left?”

“Sure,” Regina said. “I saved one for you.”

Ambrose stood and pulled back an empty chair. “Sit over here, Esther. Join me, or I'll sing.”

*   *   *

Leigh Ann unlocked the front door for business, greeting three customers already waiting on the porch. Two of them headed directly for the coffee bar, where Esther was waiting to serve them, and the third grabbed a shopping cart.