I Will Love You Forever Pt. 2 Ch. 19

"What does that have to do with school and what does Isadora have to do with anything?" Saul asked.

"Isadora has nothing to do with it," Noah replied. "She was merely part of the test and no-she doesn't know anything about it and she doesn't know that I'm talking to you. Saul-you have what I call the spark. Isadora has it-many people have it but in some it burns so bright that it can be seen for miles..."

"I don't get it," Saul interrupted.

"Every so often I run into someone who has the spark," Noah continued. "Sometimes it's because I look for it and sometimes it finds me. You are the latter. When I find people like you and Isadora-people who will one day make a major contribution to society, I try to help them by funding their way through school. All you need to do in exchange is to continue to do what you're doing. When you finally reach your goal-the pulpit- you preach what you've lived and when you can, you help someone else as you have been helped."

Saul was speechless.

"I do have to confess that you're the first white person that I've helped and I realize that in some ways I've been practicing my own form of discrimination. Thank you for pointing that out to me and you have my apologies. I know that this is a surprise to you so take some time to think about it. I should add that you will need to quit your job..."

"I can't do that," Saul said. "I help to pay the bills here and I send money to my family back home."

Noah closed his eyes in thought and then opened them.

"Joshua and Cora will receive a stipend for housing you. It will be more than enough to pay the bills. As far as your family is concerned-we'll work something out."

"I mean no disrespect," Saul said, "but I won't do anything until I know that my family is going to be fed. I'm all they've got and I won't leave them hanging so that I can go to school."

"You're a good man," Noah said meaning it. "Consider your family taken care of. Will you think about my offer?"

"I'll think about it," Saul replied thinking that there still had to be something more to the offer than he had been told.

"Good- what do you say to helping Cora getting the food on the table? I don't know about you, but I'm hungry."

*****

Warden Ellis looked over at his pregnant wife with distaste. He held the ugly tie that he had gotten as a Christmas gift in his hands and wished that he were somewhere else. Even his office at the prison was preferable to being home.

"Teddy? Can you come help me?" Hazel called from the kitchen. "I can't reach the bowl on the top shelf."

Ellis grimaced. He could barely stand the sound of her voice and hated it when she called him "Teddy". If he didn't want to run for public office so badly, he would have left her kid or not.

"I'll be right there!" he called back forcing cheer into his voice.

Hazel's family was coming to spend Christmas day with them; his family was coming as well. It was becoming a farce. Under the advice of his campaign people, photographers would be there to take pictures for the local newspaper.

"A picture says a thousand words," they replied when he objected.

Ellis sighed and made his way to the kitchen where Hazel and their new maid were making the Christmas dinner. Ellis looked at the maid who in his opinion was breathtakingly beautiful with her caramel colored skin and then at Hazel. He knew that the maid knew that he was watching her by the way that she looked away- he could have sworn that she blushed. He hadn't wanted a maid, but gave in after Hazel and his advisors had insisted on it saying that appearances were everything. Today was the first time that he had actually seen her as she was always gone before he got home.

"It's up there," Hazel said pointing to the shelf that was much too high for her and the maid. "While you're here, can you go to the basement and bring up a few jars of the pear and peach preserves? I would send Millie but I need her up here."

"Of course darling," Ellis replied. Even to his own ears he sounded false.

He went to the basement to retrieve the preserves and to think. He was going to have a lifetime with a woman that he didn't love and a child that he didn't want. And if Hazel had her way, she would be pregnant again soon after this baby was born. He felt sick just thinking about touching her pale white skin. For a brief moment he wondered if it was worth it and then wondered how he could make things more tolerable.

"Teddy! Hurry! They'll be here in two hours!" Hazel called down the stairs.

Ellis took two jars of each from the shelf and went back up the stairs disturbed. He sat the jars on the counter, glanced at the maid and left the kitchen without speaking. Hazel was so busy that she didn't notice. He shut the door to his office, sat in his chair and looked down at his lap horrified.

****

"What you up to boy?" an inmate who was old enough to be Andrew's father asked.

Andrew didn't reply but kept doing his sit ups.

"If you're planning to escape-forget it. You won't make it."

Andrew ignored him and began counting out loud, "one-hundred fifteen, one-hundred sixteen..."

He kept counting long after the man had gone. This was his second Christmas on 'the rock' and like the last Christmas, it was a difficult day. Christmas had always been his favorite holiday. He loved helping his mother in the kitchen as she baked cookies and pies. His stomach growled as he remembered the dinner that included a turkey with all the trimmings and the sandwiches made from the leftover meat.

He had woken up from a dream that he was at home in his own bed. When reality set in, he made a decision. He would be gone by the next Christmas. If he died in the attempt to escape, then so be it, but he was leaving this place. He began making serious preparations the second he made that decision. Now as he was on his two-hundredth sit up, he realized that it was something that he had always intended to do. All of the daydreaming of other places had been a precursor to making that decison. He stood firm in his decision to get as far away from California as he could get. He had heard something about a group called "the French Foreign Legion" and wondered if it was real or something that made for a good story. The next chance he got, he would see what he could find out.

He was now at the point where he could receive letters and hoped that he didn't hear from his parents. He had meant it when he told them to forget that they had a son. He also hoped that they didn't visit- he didn't want to see the pain and disappointment on their faces again. Once had been more than enough. He had long ago accepted that the fact he was in prison was his own doing and no one else's.

"Hindsight is a bitch," he grunted.

He finished his sit ups and began to run in place. By the time he was finished, it was time to get ready for work. He had a job in the prison kitchen that he rather enjoyed. As he had from the beginning, Andrew stayed to himself and spoke to no one. As he dressed, he realized that he was going to have to change that. The first person he had to find was someone who had made an escape attempt. He had to know what he had done wrong. With something to focus on, Andrew felt better. He left his cell and went to the kitchen to begin his shift. What was amazing, he would realize later was not once did Kenjiro Takeda enter his plans. He now hated no one. Andrew wished that he had adopted that attitude much sooner than he did. If he had, he would be doing his internship now. Christmas dinner would be a reality instead of something that he dreamt about.

That thought prompted another- was it possible to get a medical degree in another country? His mind whirred with excitement. If he escaped, it was still possible to make a life for himself somewhere else. He wouldn't be able to return to the states, but there would be a life. In his mind he began to make a checklist and he set a date for his escape-one year from now- Christmas day. He was either going to be on his way to another part of the world or he was going to be dead from the attempt.

****

While Patricia was still asleep, Kenji quietly showered, dressed and went downstairs to make breakfast. Before he started, he went out to the car and got the gifts to place under the tree. The gift for Patricia he kept in his pocket. He didn't want one of the children to accidentally open it. The floor plans to the house he put in a large envelope and placed it under Patricia's plate.

"Papa!" Marie squealed as she ran into the kitchen. "You're home!"

"Good morning pretty one," Kenji greeted picking her up. "Are you hungry?"

"May I open my gifts?" she asked ignoring the question about her appetite.

"Not until after breakfast," Kenji replied kissing her cheek and sitting her in her chair.

"Good morning papa," Niko said with a bow. "Welcome home."

"Good morning Niko," Kenji greeted bowing in return. "Do I not get a hug or are you now too big for such things?"

Niko grinned and threw himself into Kenji's arms. "I missed you papa- do you have stories for me?"

"Yes I do," Kenji replied with a smile. He was struck by the difference in their children. Marie was definitely the artist of the two. She was also impulsive and loved gifts. Intellectually she was every bit as bright as Niko but didn't have his natural curiosity that reminded him so much of Patricia. Niko was as steady as Marie was impulsive. He couldn't draw a straight line without a ruler, but he had the drive to learn. He could have cared less about gifts as long as Kenji and Patricia fed his curiosity. "After we have breakfast and open our gifts I will tell you one. After that we need to help mama get things ready for Christmas dinner."

Patricia stood in the doorway of the kitchen watching her family with a smile on her face. She waited for a minute before walking in.

"Breakfast smells good," she said kissing Marie, then Niko and finally Kenji. "Thank you for making it."

"You are welcome Kirei. Please sit and let me make your tea."

Patricia sat down and saw the envelope under her plate.

"Kenji what's this?" she asked taking the envelope from beneath the plate.

"Open it," Kenji said as he sat her tea in front of her and then fixed the children's plates.

Patricia looked at him and then carefully opened the envelope. She took out the stack of papers and brochures and looked up at him.

"These are floor plans- we can't possibly afford to move..."

"Not yet," Kenji said, "but we will. In less than two years I will be practicing as a doctor. Soon after that we can begin to think about our first home that we will buy with our own money. The floor plans and brochures are just a reminder that all that we hoped and planned for is coming to pass."

Kenji knelt beside Patricia's chair and took her hands in his.

"Kirei, I am going to be able to care for you and our children as a husband and father should."

"Kenji- you have always taken care of us no matter the cost to you," Patricia said squeezing his hands. "You have always loved and protected us and if we had to stay in this house forever-it wouldn't matter. But I understand. I just want you to know that it doesn't matter where we live as long as we're happy and Kenji- I'm happy."

Kenji ran a finger down the scar that Vernon Monroe had given her long ago and smiled at her. The same sparkle that had drawn him to her was in her eyes and he fell in love with her all over again.

"I have something else for you, but let's give the children their gifts first."

"I have something for you too," Patricia said kissing his forehead.

"The red gown wasn't it?"

"Nope, you'll see."

An hour later, Marie was happily drawing and Niko was reading the manual to his chemistry kit. Kenji and Patricia sat on the couch holding hands quietly watching.

"I'll be right back," Patricia said. "It's time to give you your gift."

Kenji watched her disappear into the library and then come back out a minute later holding a small box.

"Thank you Kirei," he said as he opened it. "A watch... it's beautiful and as with the pen, I will think of you every time I use it. Now it is my turn. Close your eyes and hold out your left hand."

When she complied, Kenji took the ring box out of his pocket, opened it and removed the ring. He kissed the small diamond and slipped it on to the finger that she wore her wedding band on.

"Open your eyes," he said softly.

Patricia opened her eyes and looked down at her left hand.

"Oh... Kenji... it's beautiful! You shouldn't have..."

"Yes I should have-it looks beautiful on your hand. Kirei, I love you and this ring is but a small token of that love."

"I love you too- thank you!"

Afraid that she was going to lose the ring, Patricia took it off and put it on the chain that held the necklace that Kenji had given her for her birthday several years before. After dinner and the cleanup done, she would put it back on her hand and like the necklace; not take it off again.

***

Isadora sat at her desk thinking about them-especially him wondering if he ever thought about her and what he and his friends did to her. She knew from the letters from Mr. Whitman that he was still in town. He had married and had a child on the way. He was being heralded as a rising pillar of the community and had political aspirations. The political aspirations didn't surprise her. She had aspirations too and he was a part of it. Aware that she needed to change her dark thoughts to something more pleasant, she reread the letter from her brother.

She was amazed with how well written it was. He had come a long way since she had last seen him. The last time she talked with Noah Jackson about his schooling, he had told her that it was in the works but would say no more. After rereading the letter, Isadora took out one of the law journals that Mr. Whitman sent her and read through it. She still fluctuated between being a defense attorney or a prosecutor. Today it was a defense attorney- her people needed representation but on the other hand, the Klan needed to be prosecuted.

"I still have time to decide," she muttered as she looked through the journal. Finished with the journal Isadora thought about the only white man that attended church. Reluctantly she admitted that she both liked and admired him. Not many white people would step foot into an all-black church and be comfortable. All she knew about him was his name and that he had come from one of the Carolinas. She told herself that's all that she needed to know and left the room to help Bella finish the Christmas dinner preparations.

She was surprised by the fact that Noah Jackson wasn't going to be there.

"He was already invited to someone's home," Bella told her when she asked.

Isadora knew no more about the man than she did when she first met him- that wasn't exactly true. She knew that he had been married and that there had been a child. She only knew that because during last year's trip; he had talked in his sleep. The sadness in his voice when he said the two female names had almost made her cry. From his murmurings she deduced that they were both dead. She hadn't asked him about them deciding that if he wanted her to know; he would tell her. But it was more than that- he would expect her to share something just as personal.

As she mashed the potatoes, Isadora had a thought. The woman who had helped her with her problem- was she still alive? She wasn't that old when Isadora last saw her but she wasn't in the best of health either. She would be needed to prove that there had been...

"Did those potatoes do something to you?" Bella teased.

"What?"

"I asked if those potatoes did something to you," Bella said. "You're mashing them like you're angry about something- are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Isadora said with an apologetic smile. "I was just thinking about home."

"I understand, I still miss home too," Bella replied.

"Do you ever think about going back?"

"At first it was all we thought about," Bella replied. "But remember the only person that we knew when we got here was Mr. Jackson. We didn't meet the people that we stayed with until we arrived. They were like us- Mr. Jackson found them and brought them here."

"Where are they now?" Isadora asked.

"They went back to Georgia soon after me and Lenny graduated. This was their house or I should say that they lived here. Mr. Jackson owns the house."

"Bella-where does his money come from? I know that Mr. Whitman helps him but he's only one person and I know for a fact that while he's well off- he isn't rich."

"I don't know and I've never asked," Bella replied. "All I know is that Lenny and I wouldn't have an education without him and neither would you."

Isadora had to admit that what Bella said was true, but she still had questions. She let the subject drop and Bella brought up one of her own.

"What do you think about that white man coming to church?"

"I don't know," Isadora said. "He has the right to go to church where he wants."

"I agree with that- he's handsome for a white man."

Isadora blushed and made no comment.

"Don't tell me that you haven't noticed," Bella pressed.

"As a matter of fact I haven't," Isadora replied her tone sharper than she had intended. "I go to church to worship and not to look at men no matter what their color is."

"Then I suppose you haven't noticed the way that he looks at you when he thinks no one's watching."

"No I haven't and I think that you're imagining things," Isadora replied.

"Uh huh and I suppose that every woman in church is imagining things too," Bella said with a chuckle.

"Bella- even if what you're saying is true, it's something that can't and won't happen."

"Why not?" Bella countered. "Times are changing..."

"Because I don't want it to happen!" Isadora exclaimed. "I don't want to be with any man and I don't care who it is! I have plans that don't include a man or children now can we drop it?"

Isadora angrily wiped the tears away from her cheeks. If Bella thought that something had happened to her, she now had confirmation.

"Isadora, what happened to you? And there's nothing that you can say that will convince me that nothing happened. I told you before that you can talk to me about anything and I meant it. Whatever you tell me stays between us."

"I don't want to talk about it," Isadora said softly. "I can't talk about it."

Bella put her hand over Isadora's and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"You are such a strong, beautiful and intelligent woman," she said. "You will do well in your professional career. I can even see you sitting on the Supreme Court, but Isadora even the strongest of us needs someone to help carry our burdens. I have an idea of what happened to you and I can understand not wanting to talk about it. But what will holding it in accomplish? At any rate, if you decide that you want to talk; I'm here."

Isadora nodded and walked away. She no longer had an appetite.

****

The week sped by and it was already time for Kenji to go back to the hospital. He and Patricia had finally talked about Mai.

"I plan to stay away from her," Kenji said. "There are only a few more weeks left in this rotation and I will make sure that we are not in the next one together."

Patricia was relieved but wanted Kenji to understand that it wasn't him that she didn't trust-it was Mai.

"I know that Kirei," Kenji said. "I don't trust her either. If I have to, I will speak to her again and in much stronger terms."

Satisfied, Patricia changed the subject to something more pleasant.

"Joel and Penny will be here in a few months. Niko will have to share a room with Marie while they're here."

"I am not sure of how he will feel about that," Kenji said. "He has grown accustomed to his privacy. Perhaps they could stay with Abby-she would enjoy the company."