Wednesday, July 21st, 1982

        Tessa was jolted from sleep by an unfamiliar and obnoxious noise.  Sleepily, she rolled onto her back and opened her eyes.  The room was unfamiliar, and for a moment she felt familiar tendrils of fear wind around her stomach.  Then  the sound came again, and she remembered:  Uncle Peter’s house.  She was at her Uncle Peter’s house, and Uncle Andy was here too.  The noise was a chicken welcoming the sun.  Sighing, she stretched and tumbled out of bed.

        Reaching for the bathrobe Peter had handed her the night before, Tessa stumbled to the kitchen.  Peter Belden stood at the stove, scrambling eggs.  “Good morning, Tessa,” he said.  “You’re up bright and early.”

        “One of your hens woke me up,” Tessa told him, stifling a yawn.  “What time is it?”

        “Almost eight,” Peter told her with a chuckle.  “And I believe it was the rooster who woke you.  The hens lay the eggs.”

        “I knew that,” Tessa said, blushing.  “I just don’t think right until I am all awake.  Can I help you make breakfast?” she asked.

        “It’s just about made, but if you could get the butter, milk and juice out of the refrigerator, I’d appreciate it.”  Peter slid the eggs onto a platter, and reached into the oven for a plate of warming toast.

        “Where’s Uncle Andy?”  Tessa asked as Peter handed her a plate of eggs.  In return, she poured him a glass of orange juice.

        “Still sleeping, I guess.”  Peter told her, buttering his toast.  “I don’t think he’s had a good night’s sleep in the last five or six months.”  When he noticed his niece’s stricken expression, Peter quickly added, “Not that anyone is blaming you, Sweetie.  It’s just that Andy is so relieved to have found you, I can’t fault him for sleeping in this morning.”

        Tessa bit her lip.  “Uncle Peter,” she said slowly, “I would tell you and Uncle Andy what happened, but it isn’t just my story.  Somebody innocent could get hurt, really badly hurt, and I don’t think I could live with myself if that happened.  Just believe me when I say that, while I was scared and hurt a little, I really am okay, and I’m sorry that you were worried.”

        “Are you sure that you’re only thirteen?” Peter asked incredulously.  “Because that was an amazingly mature statement.”

        Tessa gave him a half smile.  “I grew up pretty fast, Uncle Peter.  I didn’t have a choice.  Besides, I’ll be fourteen in less than a month.”

        “Oh, yes.  That must be it.”  Peter said solemnly, his chocolate brown eyes twinkling. “Fourteen makes all the difference.”

        Tessa giggled at her uncle’s mock seriousness.  The giggle became a laugh, and Peter soon joined in the laughing.  That was the way Andrew found them when he arrived for breakfast.

        After Peter left for work, Andrew and Tessa tidied the kitchen.  As they put away the last plate and carefully folded the dishtowels, Andrew said, “Tessa, I have some calls to make.  Will you be okay?”

        “Do I need to stay in the house, or can I wander around outside?”  Tessa asked.

        Andrew hesitated.  “You aren’t going to take off on me, are you?”

        “Why would I do that?”  Tessa was genuinely perplexed.

        Sitting down at the table, Andrew sighed.  “Last night you asked me to take you home and I told you I couldn’t do that until next spring.  I expected you to be upset, but you just accepted it. I told you I was putting you in an English boarding school.  You just said, ‘okay’ and asked me what the uniforms looked like.  I guess I was just wondering if you are snowing me, waiting for a chance to run away again.”

        “You don’t trust me?”  Tessa’s lips trembled.

        “I want to.” Andrew looked as troubled as his niece. “But, I don’t really know you very well, Tess, and you don’t know me either.  Yet here we are.  All I know is that I don’t want to lose you again.”

        Tessa threw her arms around her uncle’s neck, sobbing.  Andrew’s arms wrapped around her, and he pulled her into his lap, rocking her gently. 

        “I wouldn’t run away from you, Uncle Andy,” Tessa whispered through her tears.  “I promise.  I’d tell you if it wasn’t working, but I’d never just leave.  Not without a good reason.”

        Andrew felt something break inside of him.  He knew, deep in his soul that the girl in his arms was telling the truth.  She wouldn’t just up and run away, not without cause.  He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what constituted a good reason.

        Once Tessa had calmed down, Andrew set her on her feet, and wiped the tears from her cheeks.  “You can wander around all you want, sweetie.  Just remember to stay close to the farm, and on the trails.   Bobby was bitten by a snake a few weeks ago.”

        “A poisonous snake?”  Tessa asked, eyes wide.

        “Yes.  A copperhead.  But you should be fine if you stay out of the underbrush and on the marked path.  If you should see a snake, just freeze.  Don’t run.  Just stand still.”  Andrew smiled at the stricken look on Tessa’s face.  “Seriously, Tessa, the chances of you running into a snake are very low.  Go out and explore a little.  I’ll ring the porch bell at lunch time.”

        Tessa looked at him dubiously, but all of her worries disappeared once she was dressed and outside in the sunshine.  The sky was clear and blue with a few streaky white clouds.  Tessa wandered about the garden, popping a cherry tomato right off the vine and into her mouth, then traipsed into the orchard for a while, climbing trees and exploring the old barn behind the orchard.

        The clanging of the bell hanging off the Belden’s back porch broke through Tessa’s reverie as she sat in the dusty hayloft, reading an old Cosmo McNaught space mystery someone had left behind.  It wasn’t a Lucy Radcliffe mystery, her personal favorite, but it was a fun read.  She slipped a piece of old straw into the book to mark her place, and then scooted down the ladder and back to the house.

        Andy grinned at his niece as she came in the house, dusty, grimy and totally relaxed for the first time since he had walked into the police station.  Plucking a piece of hay from her hair, he directed her to the sink, and placed a sandwich on a plate with some carrots and cherry tomatoes.

        After lunch, Andy chased her back outside, and tidied the kitchen, smiling as she disappeared up Glen Road.  Maybe, God willing, this would work.

        Tessa wandered aimlessly down the road munching on some carrots she had stuck in her pocket, just sniffing the air and admiring the foliage.  A trail led off into the woods, and she took it, keeping a sharp eye peeled for slithering creatures.  She was enjoying the peace and quite of the shaded wood when she heard the pounding of hoof beats.  A strawberry roan was bearing down on her, it’s eyes wild with fear.  Tessa stood frozen, torn between the unknown in the underbrush, and being trampled by a rather large horse.  She had a split second to make the decision, and  acted instinctively, holding up her hand and standing her ground.  The horse saw her, and shied away, coming to a halt a few feet away. 

       

        Tessa moved slowly towards the horse, speaking in a low voice, “Easy, pretty one.  Shhh. Easy there.”  The horse snorted, looking at her warily.  Fishing a carrot stick out of her pocket, Tessa held it on her open palm, still moving toward the horse.  The horse snorted again, but intrigued by the treat, came toward Tessa, nuzzling her hand, taking the carrot with velvety lips.

        Tessa slowly moved her hand to pat the horse on the nose, rubbing up and around its ears.  “Good pony,” she murmured, “Good pony.”  Catching the lead rope, she led the horse back onto the trail.  “Where did you come from...uh...boy?”  The horse snorted again, and nuzzled her neck, looking for another treat.  Giggling, Tessa fished out another carrot stick and fed it to the horse.  “Here goes nothing,” she said to herself, and gripping the mane, swung herself up on the horse’s back.  Using the lead as reins, she kicked her heels, and the horse started back down the trail.

        Tessa had not gone two hundred yards down the trail before a red headed man on a big black horse came thundering up the trail.  Tessa pulled back simultaneously on the mane and the lead, while murmuring, “Whoa.”  The man on the black also reined in, bringing his horse to a halt.

        Tessa smiled at him.  “Did you lose something?” she asked.

        Bill Regan looked at the girl perched bareback on Strawberry.  Despite the lack of saddle and tack, she had caught the spooked horse, calmed him, and managed to ride him back down the trail.  Not bad.

        “Yes,” he responded.  “I seem to have lost a red horse named Strawberry.  He’s a gelding, about so high, and was last seen running wild and wearing only a lead rein.  Have you seen him?”

        “I might have,” Tessa teased back.  “Actually, he nearly ran me down.  What spooked him?”

        “Garden snake.  Thank you for catching Strawberry.  We’ve only been here for a few weeks, but I don’t believe we’ve met.  I’m Regan, and I am the groom for the Wheelers.  This,” he patted his horse.  “This is Jupiter.”

        “I’m Tessa.  My Uncle Andy and I are staying with my uncle, Peter Belden, for a few days.  It’s nice to meet you.”

        “Must be lonely over there, what with Trixie off with Miss Honey, and Bobby at the seashore with Mrs. Belden.” Regan made a quick assessment, and then offered, “You seem to know your horses.  How would you like to come over and help me with them?  While you are here, I mean?”

        “Really?”  Tessa was thrilled.  “We have horses at home, but I haven’t been riding in over a year.”

        “Now that sounds like a story.  Ride along with me, and I’d like to hear it, if you feel like telling it.”  Regan turned Jupiter, and Tessa nudged Strawberry.  They rode along quietly for a while, and then Tessa decided to speak.

        “I lived with my parents and my brother.  We had four horses.  When Daddy and Keoni died, Mama sold her horse and Daddy’s.  She didn’t want to ride anymore.”  Tessa swiped at her eyes.  “We boarded Kestrel and Cowboy before we left.  They’re probably still at the ranch, but now, since Mama died, I don’t know what’s going to happen to them.”

        “That’s rough.”  Regan said, turning Jupiter toward the stables.  Strawberry followed.

        “How many horses do you have?”  Tessa asked.

        “Three, soon to be four.  Jupiter belongs to the boss, Lady to Mrs. Wheeler, and Strawberry to Miss Honey.  Spartan isn’t here yet.  He’s an older fellow the boss rescued a few days ago.  He’ll be coming down from Canada as soon as he clears quarantine.”

        “So you haven’t seen him yet?  Spartan, I mean.”

        “Just a picture,” Regan told her.  “But he looks like a smart and strong old boy, and since the boss wants to hire a gamekeeper for the preserve, he figured Spartan would do the trick.  Here we are.”

        Tessa slid off Strawberry’s back, and led the gelding into the stable.  Walking in, she gazed around.  “Wow,” she said.

        “Wow, indeed,” was the reply.  “Strawberry goes in there.  Would you mind grooming him?”

        “No.  I’d really like to.  Where do you keep the brushes?”

        “In the buckets by the wall.”  Regan waved his hand as he cross-tied Jupiter.  Tessa started grooming Strawberry, but her eyes followed Regan as he worked on the big gelding.

        “Is he always so spirited?” she asked.

        “Pretty much,” Regan answered.  “He’s a little hard to handle, but he sure is a performer.”

        “He’s a beauty.”  Tessa agreed.  She finished grooming Strawberry, and put away her tools.  “I should probably get home before Uncle Andy starts to worry.  I’ll come over tomorrow, if my uncles say it’s okay.”

        “You do that, and I’ll buy you lunch.”  Regan grinned.  “The cook here does a mean roast beef sandwich.”

        “It’s a deal.  I hope I’ll see you tomorrow, Regan.”  Tessa waved cheerfully, and jogged down the road.

Saturday, July 25th, 1983

        Tessa had spent the last three days in a very comfortable rut.  She ate breakfast with her uncles, and helped tidy the kitchen.  While Uncle Andy worked on his business affairs, Tessa headed over to the stables at Manor House to help Regan exercise the horses.  She quickly made friends with the cook, and since her knock on the kitchen door was always met with extra desserts, Regan took to sending Tessa up to the house to pick up their lunch.

        Tessa liked Regan.  He was fun to be with, a good listener, and he certainly knew his horses.  They enjoyed their days together, riding and caring for the horses.  The routine was peaceful and calming for Tessa, after the tumultuous year she had had.

        But now Saturday had arrived, and tomorrow she and Uncle Andy would be leaving.  Regan was attending a horse auction. Uncle Peter was off to the seashore to pick up Aunt Helen and Bobby, and Uncle Andrew had caught a train to...somewhere, to pick up some important papers.  Tessa had chosen to stay behind, wandering through the myriad of trails that crisscrossed the woods, being careful to stay out of the underbrush. 

        She had a ten dollar bill in the pocket of her shorts, so when she came across a dusty little store bearing the name “Lytell’s General Store”, she decided to go in and purchase a cool drink.

        The old man behind the counter greeted her with a nod and a grunt that might have been “Good day”, or “Get out”.  Tessa smiled sweetly at him, and perused the shelves.  There, on the bottom shelf of the second aisle, was a package of spiral notebooks tagged with an orange clearance sticker.  Tessa picked up the package.  The tag read two dollars, and as she held the notebooks, an idea began to form in her mind.  Picking out a package of sunflower seeds, a Twinkie, and a grape soda, she took her selections to the counter to pay.

        The man behind the counter peered at her over his glasses.  “Do I know you?” he asked. 

        “No, sir.”  Tessa replied politely.  “I’m just visiting my uncle, Peter Belden.”

        “Hrmph!” he growled, “I hope you’re more of a lady than your harum-scarum cousin Trixie.”

        “I wouldn’t know, sir,” Tessa replied sweetly.  “I’ve never met Trixie.”

       

        “Lucky you,” he muttered, bagging her purchases.  “That girl looks like an angel and acts like the devil.”

        Tessa didn’t reply, she just took her change and her bag, and left the store.  A few minutes later, she was sitting in the hayloft of the old Belden barn, writing a letter:

1. 
   

2. July 25, 1982
   

3. 
   

4. Aloha Kane,
   

5. 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, and relieved.  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...
   

        Tessa wrote until the words refused to come, tears running down her cheeks.  Saying goodbye was harder than she had ever dreamed, but she owed nothing less to the one who had saved her life, her sanity and her soul.  She chewed on the end of her pen, and finished up with,

1. 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.
   

2. 
   

3. Take care of yourself ipo,
   

4. 
   

5. Aloha,
   

6. Nani (Tessa)
   

        That would have to do, until she had secured her place with her uncle and could ask the ultimate favor.  She folded the letter and slipped it into the already addressed envelope.  She would send the entire package to Yelena Maxim as soon as possible.  Yaya would see that the contents were properly distributed. 

        The bell rang from the Belden porch, informing Tessa that at least one of her uncles had returned.  Gathering her things, she climbed down and headed to the house.  Tonight she would meet her aunt and youngest cousin.  Tomorrow she would be in Iowa, and within two weeks, she would be starting a new life in England.  Things were happening too fast to completely comprehend:  Tessa just planned to close her eyes, hold on, and hope that she would enjoy the ride.

Lost & Found 1

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