Chapter 8
Three weeks later I am starting to get really anxious. Waiting on something really important sucks. Time slows to a crawl. I look at the wall clocks or my phone and minutes have passed. I quit looking. Now I am listening for the ‘ding’ of an email or the ring of the phone. The parents phoned a couple of times and I blew them off, politely but firmly. How can I tell Tom’s parents that he is on some sort of cosmic walkabout? They’d think I buried him in the back yard or something. My parents probably thought Tom and I were having a big fight and I didn’t want to talk about it. Neighbors are easier. I just start complaining about something that I know they hate to talk about, like politics or religion. A few are Catholic, so I vehemently condemn the Pope for not dealing harshly with the pedophiles in the clergy. Not to mention, which of course I do, the Crusades and the massacres of indigenous peoples.
The Protestants, which most folks are around here, get the spiel about the lavish lifestyles of the church leaders, the giant mansions, and their globetrotting visits to the most expensive resorts for “conferences” on the number of starving children in Africa, or some such. I went to an international one in Europe once, feeling guilty after seeing some of the news reports on child soldiers in Africa, and massacres in Central and South America. I watched the stretch limos roll up to the conference center, and all the preachers and their wives wearing clothes, furs and jewelry worth tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, strutting in like royalty. I stuck out the trip, seeing as how I’d already paid for it. The meals were fit for kings and queens. The preachers were all in the most expensive rooms and suites. Their entourages took up several floors of the hotel. If I hadn’t booked early in advance, I’d have been down the street and around a few corners from the venue.
That soured me on organized religion for good. Our local pastors and preachers were mostly youngsters, wives playing the organ for services, still working their way into the hierarchy, and they did try, until it got serious. Then they said a lot of platitudes that meant nothing and helped less. I quit going to church. That was about the time I realized that the local businessmen and women were using the church as a networking opportunity. When the rose-colored glasses finally break, you suddenly see clearly, and it aint pretty.
So, I was pretty much left alone to do what I needed to do, which was waiting for a phone call.
It finally comes. Dan’s ringtone is the first few bars of ACDC’s Thunderstruck. It seems appropriate.
“Hey Dan! I thought you might have found another, more interesting mask or something. What’s happening?”
“Hi Tallis. I’m sorry it has taken so long. A couple of things were at play. First, you really have no idea what a big thing this is to the community. I said before, the mask is validation of our occupation of this land for at least fifteen centuries. That has possible legal implications, worldwide. More so in Canada, where many bands have never signed treaties, as I think I said before. I’ll go into that a bit more in person. You should come down to the office tomorrow morning at eight. Alice is welcome too. She’s a bright girl. I think she’ll find this very interesting. I can tell you that I have the latest test results. They were done by the Smithsonian’s own labs. The word “Shitstorm” describes it well. Anyway, you’ll learn a lot more when you get here.”
“Ok, how should we dress?”
Dan cracks up. He’s almost howling. When he stops gasping, “Don’t worry about it. Rags are probably not appropriate, but anything comfortable is my suggestion. It will be a long day.”
“Oh. Thanks Dan. I was sooo wanting to wear my new Versace red carpet dress, but I’ll tone it down.
Dan cracks up again. “Aaaah! You’re killing me!” He takes a few deep breaths. “Just go with the flow tomorrow. You guys will be fine. One day you’ve got to tell me where you got that sense of humor.”
“That’s easy, marriage and motherhood. It’s the only way to survive them both.” Dan is still cackling as I hang up. Yeah. I really like the guy. What the hell do I do with that?
I go in search of Alice. I don’t have to search far. She innocently wanders out of the kitchen.
“So, what’s up Mom?”
“I suspect you heard my side of the conversation, so here’s the short version.” I repeat all the important parts of what Dan said.
“Ok. You like him don’t you.”
“Oh, girl. Don’t even go there. I don’t know what the hell is going on. Tom has disappeared, we have an ancient mask that the whole freaking world is interested in, or will be when word gets out and honestly, I don’t know what I think or feel. Let alone what I should do about it.”
Alice nods. “I get that. Just remember the good times. We are a family, and family doesn’t walk away.”
I choke. “ALICE! I’m NOT walking away from your Dad. I’ve got more years than you have with Tom. The good always outweighed the bad, which was NEVER really bad. He was the one that completed me. I just don’t know what...” I can’t say any more for a couple of minutes. Tears are leaking out.
Alice gives me an owly look and retreats to the kitchen. I take a minute to gather my thoughts.
