The Ring of Fire Pt. 02

As soon as we were back in within US controlled waters the heavy duty fishing poles were brought out to give us all the chance to do some deep water fishing for the first time. The crew naturally headed over towards where they knew that the fall run of Chinook salmon might be happening. It took us about four hours for each of us to catch at least one. Most we released but we kept three so those wishing to take one home could. It was nice to see Tammy hug each one before we departed the boat once it had returned to its dock.

Tammy and I walked back over to Dockside market and picked up three king crabs and two lobsters from the boats that had just pulled in. Once back to my car we packed the water filled packages into the cooler. Our next stop was a grocery store so I could pick up the items needed for our side dishes. While we were driving back to my unit Tammy's mother called. I listened to one side of the conversation as I drove us home. Tammy told me that her mother seemed surprised when she revealed what we had been doing.

Tammy started doing the prep work for the salad once I had finished cleaning and cutting up the salmon. Parts were wrapped in freezer paper to be frozen for use later, but I kept a couple of sections to go with the feast we had planned. She watched as I got two large pots and filled them with water before adding the salt needed to them. While I was waiting for the water to boil, I started slowly melting the butter. Tammy got out the two thousand and nineteen Terlan Quarz Sauvignon white wine from northern Italy and poured us each a glass.

It's a shock to most when they realize that the freshly caught lobster and crab are still alive when they are dropped into the boil to cook. Those witnessing it for the first time seemed to reveal a lot through their facial expressions. Such was the case with Tammy. Tammy was surprised how easily I was able to teach her how to get into the flesh of the shelled seafood we were eating and appreciated the fact that we had melted the butter to dip the freshly cooked seafood into. When she asked me how I had learned to cook the harvest from the sea I explained it was through my friendship of those I knew who were first nation.

We were cleaning up after having overate when my cousin Gary called me. I put the speaker on as soon as I accepted the call. It seems that my uncle David and my aunt Sheila had learned from Tammy's mother that she was off visiting me.

"I'm not surprised Gary," Tammy said, "My mother does not think your cousin comes from the right side of the family because of all the problems associated with his parents' divorce. This was no accident, she did it deliberately. She's like your mom who believes that we were made for each other and is trying to create a situation that will force me to break up with Branden so that we can finally get serious about each other.

"I told my parents that I had given you my permission to go which started a long family discussion," Gary said to our surprise. "When they demanded to know why I dug down deep and found the inner strength to finally explain that out of friendship that you had agreed to be my shield because I didn't have the guts to admit to them that their oldest was gay. Dad by the time I left was accepting of this new truth Mom was not. So, thanks to grandma I am preparing to move to Lodi California on the coast as her brother thanks to her has gladly invited me to stay with him until I get settled."

"Could you use a couple of thousand to help you in your relocation. It might be needed while you're looking for a new job" I asked? "If you do, I can give it to Tammy to give it to you."

"Grandma and I had a long talk about this whole mess while we were cleaning out the third floor getting it ready for remodeling. I don't how she knew but with her guidance I inquired with Home Depot human resources about a possible transfer. As a result, I had been downsizing. What's left will allow me to fit it into a u haul trailer that I can pull with my truck. They sent out my details and one of their associates based on my skills and the recommendations from here offered me a position that is one more step up on the corporate latter. I start there in two weeks."

"Look, I'm going to send the money with Tammy anyway as a gift because I feel I'm partly responsible for getting you into this mess" I said.

"Thanks, but it's not necessary because the truth would have come out eventually. Actually, I'm kind of glad that I got this behind me because it's a relief because I am no longer living a lie. The reason I'm calling is because my dad just informed me that my mother had called Tammy's mother demanding to know what terrible things her daughter had done to me over the years that caused me to turn out the way I did," Gary explained. "No matter what anyone says she refuses to believe that Tammy had nothing to do with it."

"When did this all come out," Tammy asked?

"I just left my parents' place because I knew they needed time to adjust to the new reality. Dad texted me to let me know what my mom was doing. So, I pulled off the road and called so that you're both prepared," Gary explained. "I pick the trailer up on Wednesday and will be leaving next Saturday.

After we ended the call, we waited for the call we were expecting that never came. Tammy said, "Perhaps mothers trying to deal with what she has learned before she confronts me with it all."

"I think that as soon as I move back that we should make the time to fly out to visit both my great uncle and Gary to show them our support," I said, "because Gary's not like me as he has always depended on family for support."

Tammy got quiet for a few, and I wondered if I or the situation now in front of us had upset her, but she surprised me by saying "You were taught by your father from childhood to depend on yourself. Gary, like me, was taught that family was always there for us when we needed them. He's going to be lost for a few months because of the changes in his relationship with his family. His relationship with most of his family will be going through a huge adjustment until it's all sorted out. Perhaps we should do it as soon as we learn that he's settled in. It explains why there appears to be a sense of confidence in everything you do. I was asked how you were able to accomplish so much when others we both know are still trying to put it all together. It boils down to the fact that we were raised differently. You were more prepared for the responsibilities that come in life."

"My father taught me in my teens the tools I needed to know to give me a jump start on life," I explained. "But it took me having to put them into practice before I realized the gift, he was giving me. I learned the hard way to accept less because I started out with having to leave some of the things, I valued dearly behind because of the way I went west. In a way it ended up being a blessing because I no longer see my worth in the material things I own."

"Timmy and I had the chance to get to know each other a bit today," Tammy explained, "he said that the two of you spent hours getting you to comprehend their understanding of man's relationship with the earth. For him it was a real joy to see you embrace them. He freely admitted that it took him seeing you embrace their teachings about the earth for him to understand that it was a spiritual relationship and not an Indian religious tradition that was always in play."

"I think I have to thank my grandfather in part for that," I replied, "He always stressed that if you took care of the land it would end up taking care of you. Timmy just taught me to relate to it in a better way. Things they traditionally do out of their respect for their environment I was able to see how it benefited the soil and the surrounding area. In January the city of Cape does the annual refurbishment of the sewage systems in the city. When they do that there are always a few tons of clean sludge they have to dispose of at a huge cost. Grandfather always left a seventh of his land untouched for a year as the Hebrews did in the Old Testament. Knowing that, I have been in contact with the sanitation department. They have agreed to spread the sludge into the area that we will be setting aside so I can plough it in before planting the fields in clover. It will give the clover the time to further clean the soil and refurbish it with lots of additional nourishment before I use it again for planting."

"I did not understand while growing up that we all tend to abuse the things we have or share," I explained. "We call it wear and tear because of overuse but in reality, we are too busy with life to maintain it properly. Instead of fixing little things we let them go until they get big. The problem is that most of us in the world treat the earth in the same manner. Many growers spend thousands on chemicals to produce larger yields each year with questionable results. Being young allows me the chance to experiment with what the earth naturally gives us without the need to have instant results."

Tammy looked at me with an apparently new understanding because I could see the change of expression on her face. "Your words in general can be applied to most who have relationships. Too often one holds on to things because they don't want to cause problems when in fact all they're doing is refusing to admit the truth. You made me realize that all we are doing by doing that is laying the foundation to make things worse down the road. By ignoring or misunderstanding what's in front of us we are actually leaving things unresolved which can be brought up later."

I stepped in closer to Tammy and drew her into my arms. While looking into her eyes I said, "let's agree to try to always feel comfortable enough with each other that we will never be afraid of hurting each other's feelings."

"It's a good idea but it's going to be hard to put into practice," Tammy said. "We all tend to let things slide because of the love we feel for the other. So much so that it's a natural learned behavior. When you came back home, I could physically see how much you had changed but you still amazed me because every time we're together you cause me to see things with a different view. I now see that what I knew about you because of us watching each other grow up has changed for the better because you have proven that you have a deeper understanding about what you feel is important. I'm grateful because I know that your frankness is helping us to grow closer."

We were about to get into a very serious make out session when her cellphone began playing You got a call from your mama. While answering it Tammy put the speaker on.

"I just got off the phone with your boyfriend's grandmother," Tammy's mother explained. "It was a very revealing conversation. After I told her off for not revealing to anyone what she knew, she quite effectively put me in my place. I learned a lot of things about her walk in life because I needed to know how she knew. I guess you have already heard that I got confronted by Gary's mother about your relationship with each other because she was trying to understand what had forced him to become gay. She tried to claim that you might have done something to change his views on things. My husband was accepting of his sexuality I am not she said because I still feel it's a story he has created because he can't deal with what your daughter has done. What's that I asked. She replied dumped him for his cousin. If it was not for Branden's grandmothers' wisdom gained by life this conversation would be different. The question I have for you is why couldn't you tell me?"

"Mom, I have known since before we graduated elementary school. He revealed it to me because he needed to explain to someone, he trusted me with why he didn't date much. When his family started putting pressure on him, we came up with the on again off again relationship to stop their questions. Out of friendship I had to keep his secrets. The added plus was that it allowed me the freedom to date others with them knowing it couldn't get serious. It was Gary that brought Branden and I to the point that we had to admit to each other what our feelings about each other were when we were growing up," Tammy revealed. "He made it clear that we would both be fools if we didn't take the time to see if it could go somewhere. Gary told me that he had told Branden that if he didn't treat me right that he might be capable of doing anything to him."

There was silence for a few. I guess Tammy's mother was digesting in her mind the new insights she had learned over the last few hours. "I'm totally in shock," Tammy's mother said. "I've never been so wrong in my life. I now understand why you were so excited when you first learned that Branden had returned. I thought by your conduct that you were trying to push Gary into doing something. The bullshit I thought Branden was telling us when we first met him was the truth. A lot of it was confirmed in my conversation with his grandmother."

"Mom, for your info the items you gave me before I left Cape will be given back when I return," Tammy revealed. "Primary because Branden doesn't want anyone ever questioning why he got married because his older sister was born six months after his parents married."

Again, things got quiet before she spoke, "Your father's parents caught us when we were your age. They firmly suggested after a very heated discussion that we get married before there was an unexpected problem. We took their advice to heart and started putting it all together before we were really ready. Please tell Branden I admit I was wrong and that I am now looking forward to getting to know him better."

"She doesn't have to, I have heard every word," I said. "Please don't feel embarrassed because I too question everything until I can confirm it. Do us a favor, I'll be coming home for thanksgiving could you please work out a schedule with my grandparents so that Tammy and I are not upsetting anyone."

She gladly agreed before abruptly ending the call. I guess she felt embarrassed.

I refilled our wine glasses figuring that Tammy needed time to sort out her feelings. All of a sudden, she started laughing. "Mom wasn't worried about what we were going to do because she believed that we would behave the same way they did when they were our age. She was just making sure we had the means to make sure we did not have an unexpected problem. When I get home, I'm going to tease her about it for weeks."

"Go easy on her," I suggested, "All parents see their children as mini persons of themselves and to a degree act accordingly even if they refuse to admit it. My grandmother brought that point out while I was back home giving me a couple of examples where it had come into play."

Tammy and I retired to the sofa so we could watch something on the tv. We both learned that neither one of was into reality tv because we didn't need to see idiots revealing their dirty laundry for all to see.

Before we left my apartment, we loaded her suitcase into the vehicle so that we could be ready to drive to Sea Tac airport so that she could catch her plane at five. After swinging by the harbor so I could pick up some freshly caught oysters and clams we headed towards Arely and Kristen Richard's residence who was holding an early afternoon Labor Day barbeque.

I was surprised to learn that only the department heads, their significant other, and their children were invited and yet there were quite a few already there. Tammy became a person of interest instantly because none had ever seen me with a female. Kristen and Tammy seemed to develop an interest in each other instantly. I had to smile because I heard Arely say to his wife that if Bo Derek and Tammy were the same age Bo would be up against some stiff competition. Too soon we had to say goodbye because we had to get my girlfriend to the airport but not before Tammy learned how we had come to know each other. I made one stop on the way because I wanted to pick up a box of smoked salmon for Tammy to take home. It was with a touch of sadness that I watched her plane depart.

********

It was the first full work week after the Labor Day weekend that things started to come together. I was already up prepared for the day when I got a call from the detective agency from St. Louis. They called to inform me they had their first report on Judge Fiona Araceli and that they would email me it with their bill for their services. I told them that I would review it once I had returned from work and advised them that depending on what I learned that I may need them for additional research. Believe me it was hard for me because all day long I wanted to book out and go home. As soon as I got home, I turned on the computer and printed out a copy of their report. The more I read the more I believed that my suspicions had been right.

Juan Hosea Lopez had married Fiona Carmen Araceli in nineteen ninety four and they were divorced ten years later on the grounds of abandonment. After less than six years of marriage, in which they had brought three girls into the world, he had disappeared. Neighbors who were still living in the area where they had resided during that time had the impression that he was a kind gentle soul who was very neighborly and helpful when needed while she came across as a person that seemed driven with what everybody saw as an impossible agenda. It had led to them witnessing some strong verbal very public disagreements between the couple which left them with the impression that there were problems in the paradise he was trying to build.

Three major points seemed to stick out. The first was that no tax records had been filed in either the US or Mexico since the year before his disappearance. The second was that from the time of his disappearance none of his credit cards, debit cards or cheques had been used or cancelled. That in itself sent a strong signal. It was also noted that there was not a record of a buildup of unexpectedly large cash withdrawals from any of the ways he had the access to get money, which led one to conclude that whatever happened was not expected.

Juan had been born and raised in the village of Coatepec. A small catholic village that was known for its shade grown coffee and its numerous large orchids that were grown and sold from the greenhouses that were spread out to blend in with the small town. It was known for its original colonial architecture that was kept up to date and maintained. His parents were still alive but left the running of their coffee bean growing plantation to the six remaining siblings of Juan. They too had no knowledge of where he was, but they still believed in their hearts that if he was not dead, they would have heard from him.

By the time that Fiona and Juan had met he had been well established operating an import export business related to the coffee beans focusing majorly on the southern states ran with two of his brothers. Their wedding had been in his hometown done in a traditional Mexican manner. It was apparent that Fionna had severed all contact with his family as soon as she reported him missing. Six months later she sold the house they had lived in for less than market value. To me that seemed a bit extreme and implied that she did not want to face the questions his family would have asked. Another question it raised was did she sell it because she knew he was never coming back. At the time of his disappearance, they were debt free and owners of a couple of big apartment buildings. There did not appear to be a valid reason for him doing what his wife implicated had taken place. In summary they believed that something else was at play and that they would like to investigate the situation further because they had also learned that Fiona had been involved in a long term relationship with another female who was still living with her. The lady named Tegan Ella Stevens had started out as their nanny and now was a lawyer working for a huge firm in the capital of Missouri. The question I had running through my mind was she their nanny before he disappeared. According to her bibliography she was an immigrant from Spain who entered the country with a work visa. She was an outgoing feminist that had come out as a lesbian while taking her courses as she worked in America. It was the judge who had sponsored her citizenship.