The PAst III Part 6

The PAst III
Part 6

December 27th, 1982

The medication worked quickly, and Dan slept without dreaming. He woke feeling somewhat confused and disoriented. Turning his head, he noticed that the clock on the dresser said 10:47, and he groggily wondered if it was day or night. A quick check behind the curtain confirmed that it was nearing noon.

He pulled himself up in bed and looked around. Someone had been in the apartment while he had slept, for clean clothes were laid out on the dresser, and there was a note on the mirror. Dan swung his legs over the side and cautiously got to his feet. So far, so good. His head was a little fuzzy, his throat still hurt and he could feel a cough bubbling up in his chest, but his body didn’t ache as much, and he was no longer dizzy. He moved to the dresser and read the note.

Daniel,
I checked on you but you were still asleep. Here are clothes, in case you feel up to dressing. There is food in the kitchen, and two more pills. Eat before you take them. Lana and Joey are working downstairs until 3. The family will be here for dinner at 8. You are welcome to join us if you feel well enough. If you need anything during the day, dial 722 on the phone. It rings in the kitchen downstairs. Rest. I will check on you again when I return from the hospital.

Dasha

Dan picked up the clothes. There were boxers, gray sweatpants, socks and a blue sweatshirt with a slogan written in Cyrillic. Feeling increasing pressure on his bladder, he took the clothes into the bathroom to change. Relieved, washed, and dressed, he went in search of food.

A veritable feast awaited him in the tiny kitchen. The oven was on warm, and held a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and waffles. They were a bit dried out along the edges, but hot and tasty. There was butter, syrup, milk, juice and fruit in the refrigerator. An insulated pot holding still-steaming tea sat on the table, next to a small paper cup containing two pills.

Dan made short work of the food, and swallowed the pills for dessert. He washed his dishes, poured himself a cup of tea, adding milk and a spoon of sugar, and picked a paperback book off one of the dividing shelves. Curled up on the love seat he sipped the hot tea and read about the Wild West until his eyes drooped again and he dozed.

A knock on the door pulled Dan from his hazy nap. Before he was fully awake, the door opened and Lana poked her head in. “May we come in?” she asked, entering before he even had a chance to nod. On her heels was Joey, his blond hair sticking straight up, a tray of food in his hands.

“We thought you might want some company for lunch,” Joey said, putting the tray down on the coffee table. “Aunt Roza put a little of everything on here.” He lifted the cloth off the tray, naming each item it contained: “Borscht, bread, chicken salad sandwiches, baklava, and two kinds of pie.”

Dan’s stomach rumbled in response. The three friends settled on the floor around the coffee table and dug in. For the next hour they did nothing but eat and laugh and catch up.

Finally, Lana looked at her watch. “Joey and I need to get back downstairs to work. I told you that Tessa sent a package to Yaya. There was a letter for Yaya, one for me, and one for you.” She reached into the bag next to her and pulled out a letter and a black spiral notebook. “She also sent this for you and a yellow one for me.”

Dan took them from Lana carefully, torn between wanting to rip the letter open and read it and wanting to just rip it into pieces. Lana picked up her bag and motioned to Joey to get the empty tray.

“We’re going back to work, Dan,” she told him. “Do you think you’ll feel up to eating with the family tonight?”

Dan forced himself to reply. “I think so, but it depends on what your sister says.”

“Dasha?” Joey spoke up this time, pride in his voice. “She’s super nice for a big sister, and she’s a really good doctor, too. I’m sure she’ll let you come to dinner. See you later.”

Dan waited until the door closed behind the siblings before opening his letter. Settling himself on the love seat, he started to read.

July 25, 1982

Aloha Kane,
I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. It all happened so fast. When the police came for me I was scared. When my Uncle Andy walked in, I was shocked. I’m writing this from a barn in the woods outside my “family homestead”. I’d tell you where, but I’m really not sure. I fell asleep in the car, and when I woke up we were out here in the woods. They are being really nice to me, but Uncle Andy can’t take me home. He is going to be in Scotland, so he’s taking me to a boarding school in southern England. It’s only for the year, and he promised me he’d take me home to Maui next May.

I wish you could see this place. It is so different from the city. The air smells good, too. You’d like it here, Danny. It’s safe. I want you to stay safe. I worry that Luke will come after you again. Stay away from him, Danny. He’s just bad, and he isn’t really your friend. I want you to be okay. I wish you could be here with me. I feel like part of me is missing.

I don’t know where I will be. We leave in a couple of days. I will write to you when I have an address. I hope you will write back. I know it might be hard, but I have an idea. I came across this dusty little country store this morning. I found three notebooks for just a couple of dollars. As soon as they trust me enough to give me access to the post office, I am sending one to Lana, one to you and keeping one for myself. Maybe if we write to each other in them, one day we will be together again and can share our letters.

Thank you, Danny. Thank you for being my friend and my hero. You rescued me and you kept me safe. I will never forget you, and I hope so hard that I will see you again. Please remember me. I will hold you in my heart forever.

Take care of yourself ipo,

Aloha,

Tessa (Nani)

Wiping his eyes, Dan folded the letter and slipped it back into the envelope. Opening the black notebook, he touched the blank page with his fingertips. He hardly knew where to begin. So much had happened in the five months since Tessa had disappeared from his life--most of it unpleasant. Suddenly exhausted, he closed the notebook and carried it with him to the bed. He slid under the blankets; notebook still clutched in his hands, and was asleep before his head met the pillow.

Over the next few days, Dan’s life settled into a routine. As he recovered, he began going downstairs to eat breakfast with the Maxim family. Soon he was feeling strong enough to clear tables, rinse dirty dishes, and load the enormous kitchen dishwasher. He felt better when he was helping out, as if he was earning his keep. The Maxims showered him with praise and encouragement, not to mention good food. Warm, well fed, and sheltered for the first time in many weeks, Dan started to hope for his future. Nika Maxim made a few calls, and arrangements were made for Dan to return to school at St. Augustine after the New Year.

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