Scenic Route To Paradise: Desperado Dale Part 5

A cup of strong coffee... Greek coffee would be nice right now.

Dale found that there was no coffee but only the makings for tea on the counter. Mugs and plates had been rinsed. The dishes dripped next to the sink in the sun dappled light.

Next to the empty grocery basket, Dale saw his phone still plugged in from the night before. He wrapped the charger and pushed it into his jeans pocket.

Time to call Anna!

Dale sliced a chunk of cheese and pulled a large hunk of bread from the loaf. Juggling toward the back door, he rang Anna's phone.

"h.e.l.lwhoa," Gwyneth answered after several rings.

Dale got a lump in his throat and it wasn't the coa.r.s.e brown bread he was having for breakfast.

"Gwennie!" he squawked. "Gwennie, its Daddy! How you doing, you little tomato cake?"

There was a momentary silence before she answered with a giggle, "Tomato cake? You're a potato pie!"

"Gwennie, give the phone to your mother!" Dale said realizing that the conversation was going down the typical father-daughter rabbit hole.

Dale could hear his grandparents debating argumentatively in the background as his daughter informed him, "Can't. The bad boy has her."

"Let me talk to Grandpa or Bean, please," said Dale, throwing a rock with all his might in frustration.

"Bean says Papa always blames French fries but Papa says, no and..." Dale interrupted her diatribe.

"Sweetheart, Grandpa is funny about the French but just put him on the phone. It's very important. Be a good girl and give him the phone."

There was shuffling. Dale was sure his daughter had dropped the phone. He could hear Bean's squeaky voice reciting a recipe for Mousaka and then the phones lost connection. Redialing, Dale concluded that his wife's phone needed to be charged.

Grandpa Bernie's phone was seldom used because the elderly man usually had it buried in the bottom of his luggage. Dale pressed Bernie's number.

"Who is this?" Mr Adams asked suspiciously after the first ring.

"Uh... Oh, Grandpa, it's me Dale," said Dale surprised by the unexpected and quick pick up from Bernie. "I was talking to Gwyneth and we got disconnected. I think Anna's phone went dead."

"Well, young man, we've been extremely worried about you. You're not in the airport hoosegow as I suspected, then? Or did you escape?" asked Bernie.

"No... no, they didn't catch me. I got away. There has been a big mix-up," Dale responded.

"Yes, we realized that and apparently, somebody is looking for something and they think you... we have it!" Bernie said hotly. "That is why I answered my phone. Surprised you didn't I? Well, this is no game." Bernie shifted himself in the backseat of the rental car.

Outside, Anna was speaking with Guppo, the child who had been herding geese as they left the inn over an hour ago. The boy looked like a dust covered goblin, with his body and face smeared a dirty brown. Only his erratic smile and white eyes appeared clean. Charlie Brown's comic friend, Pigpen came to mind. The boy had been deathly afraid of the New Dawn agents.

He had already told Anna about the man on the motorcycle from the night before. Bean and Bernie were alarmed at the news and because they hadn't mentioned the misplaced treasures they had found, Anna had translated the episode indifferently. Not knowing about the cache, Anna a.s.sumed that the men in black were solely looking for Guppo. Bernie knew otherwise.

Dale said, "I know. I know. Can you get to Anna's family and keep a low profile until I arrive?"

"Yes, sonny boy. That is our plan. I think we need to consider getting a boat out of here a.s.a.p... Like bats out of h.e.l.l!" Bernie said. "Now I better hang up. Anna is returning with our tour guide and I don't want to alarm her."

"Hang on, hang on! I need to talk to her. I have no idea where her cousin lives, except it's on the north part of the island," Dale said hurriedly. He didn't want another disconnect.

Reluctantly, Bernie handed his phone over to Anna after Guppo climbed in next to him. Anna's face was all smiles as she spoke with her husband, "Dale! Oh, Dale! Are you okay?" she asked before he spoke.

"Babe, I'm fine! I'm sitting on a patio overlooking the ocean and I'm eating cheese and bread for brunch," he told her. Outside of the kitchen was a small herb garden and another larger enclosed vegetable garden grew beyond that. Stones inlaid with a mossy green between, stretched out a hundred feet or more in front of him. Although rundown, the grounds still held their majesty of better times. There was a skinny black goat tethered to a wrought iron chair off to the left. The animal munched complacently from the green and brown gra.s.ses growing as the lawn. Immediately beyond the yard, the ground fell away and vineyards and orchards could be seen below. The beach and Ionian Sea met the far horizon. A mixture of earthy manure and jasmine hung in the air. In the cool of the morning, Dale thought the smell not a bad combination.

"Great! While you're relaxing at the country club, we are busy getting lost and ha.s.sled and then we found a stow-away riding our back b.u.mper," she responded trying to sound angry but she wasn't convincing herself or anyone else.

As Bean turned to get Mr Adam's reaction to Anna's tongue-in-cheek comment, the old man winked at Bean. She blushed. Grinning, he caught her confused look before she turned to face the windshield again.

Guppo did not understand English but he understood people. His teeth glowed in a grin at the old man which brought forth his own wink from Mr Adams.

A few minutes later, Dale sat listening to the hum of b.u.mble bees and smelling the Jasmine aroma; the phone tucked away in his shirt pocket. He missed Anna, the baby and even his grandparents. It wasn't a huge island. He should have remembered the village was named Evangelos after Anna's cousins. The tiny town was just up the mountain, east of Avliotes and yet, Dale had no idea how he was going to get there.

G.o.d knows.

G.o.d had a plan.

Chapter 16 Sacred Sensitivity.

"Why are you hiding?"

The old woman drew her scarf tight under chin before replying. "We hide because everyone hates us. Now there is a bounty on our heads. There is no place to go but home. It is not the first time. We hide to survive."

A stone covered with thin, raw leather was placed in her hand. "If you insist on hiding, then take this."

The woman looked at the rock. It was very familiar and yet, she was confused. She asked, "Is this a gift?"

The hooded figure replied, "No. It is not a gift but it is the key. When the door is before you, use the key. It is your escape."

She examined the key. It certainly didn't look like any key that would open a door. Turning the stone over for the third time, she asked the stranger, "And afterward? Good sir, do I give this key to others so they too may escape?" Looking up, she saw she stood alone with the cloaked figure walking away. He had gone some distance before looking over his shoulder at her. The cloak shifted revealing a brief glimpse of a sad face before disappearing again as he gave a negative nod in answer. But in her head, Bethania heard his words.

"Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, G.o.d. But if you want to enter into life eternal, keep the commandments."

Bethania smelled jasmine. She liked that smell. Opening her eyes, she was startled as she realized she had been asleep... asleep and dreaming again.

The old woman had understood for many years that she was sensitive to the spiritual side of life. The hooded figure was often in her dreams but for the most part his words, the man's instructions, were enigmatic. Not long ago, as Bethania dreamed, she questioned the man about her inability to understand because she knew she must comprehend his advice. It was imperative.

His reply, "You have a sacred sensitivity to G.o.d. It is a holy endowment even if you do not know how to wield the gift." And then she woke up.

Her dreaming, the night visions were a gift but the stone covered in goat skin or sheep skin or... badger skin for all she knew, was not a gift... as he had said.

Hopefully, Bethania looked around. Nothing but the usual. Her little room opened unto a small balcony that connected to the master bedroom terrace. The tiny bedroom and the adjoining porch had been originally designed for a personal a.s.sistant. Early, she had milked the goat and after her morning toast and tea, she had come out on the bedroom terrace to sit in the cool and mend her sweater. The wooly red yarn was unraveling and the entire sweater would be ruined if she didn't fix it soon. Cooler weather was coming and she would be wearing the warm red sweater everyday, soon. Kerkyra, and all of Greece - was busy during the fall and winter months. She would be busy too.

Her sweater and a crochet needle lay in her lap. The sun had shifted and she was no longer in the shade. The chaise lounge she rested in was the only piece of furniture on the balcony. There was room for little else. Below, the American emerged within her view as he came from the kitchen. He stood a moment before squatting to pick up a stone. There was a cell phone in his other hand and he was speaking. Suddenly with an explosive gesture Dale threw the stone. Bethania drew her breath... This stranger, Dale from America reminded her of the stone bestowing cloaked man of her dreams.

The mysterious truth unfolding in her dreams was linked to Dale. The stone, leather covered, she reminded herself, was the key and this American was the door... No, not the door but a doorkeeper, perhaps.

Her conclusion was correct.

Chapter 17 Pieces of the Puzzle.

Only Junior had returned to the deck. The Forenoon watch was his while the others remained around the table in the galley.

Tino was scooping together a pile of shavings from his carving. His look was one of indifference but everyone had been shaken to the core by the fantastic sea encounter they had just experienced.

Merry's tummy fluttered. She felt absolutely giddy. Her G.o.d was an awesome G.o.d and she knew that for a fact.

Mac had been plying the waters of the seven seas for thirty years. He had seen a kaleidoscope of strange happenings but this tsunami-UFO high drama had him wondering just what kind of G.o.d he had chosen to serve. Many a time in the last few months since he had made that choice, Mac experienced G.o.d's divine intervention but the morning's miraculous event was in a league all its own.

In shock, Zeff had said nothing while the others tried to explain or describe what had happened. None of their conclusions made sense. His hand trembled as he brought the coffee mug to his pale lips.

The galley talk ceased. Finally, Merry said, "Somehow we got caught up in a battle being fought in the heavenlies. Something here on this side on Earth triggered the veil between the... uh, the worlds to open." And then she added her much repeated phrase, "Wow! G.o.d is awesome!" Followed by, "Did you see how he rescued us? Wow! G.o.d is awesome!"

Mac smiled at her exuberance but wondered once again how she would fit in with the demure women of D'Almata. Tino glanced at her uneasily before turning back to his iron wood carving and knife.

Zeff blurted out, "You were dreaming or so you said. How can I be pulled into your dream like that? It was a nightmare! What was that song coming from your face? Please, leave me out of it! No more for me! If you don't mind. I have problems enough." He looked from Mac to Merry and then back to Mac.

"Has the world gone crazy or is it just me? Be honest," he asked.

"Come, my friend," Mac stood and reached for Zeff, laying his hand on the other's shoulder. They went into the salon. Tino went above decks and Merry straightened the galley as she listened-in on her husband.

"Honestly, I don't think life on this planet has been this destabilized in a very long time. Zeff, what we're experiencing is alluded to in scripture," Mac said. He sat down adjacent to Zeff in a tan leather swivel chair. Zeff sat down heavily landing on the matching leather settee.

"Humans are a fragile bunch compared to these heavenly creatures described in the Bible. I suppose we won't know the whole story until G.o.d reveals it but Genesis talks of a time when the 'sons of G.o.d' lived among us humans and giants were born from them. You've heard of Goliath, right?" Mac asked. Zeff nodded as he looked around for his cigarettes. Neither Zeff nor Tino smoked below deck. Mac didn't allow it but Zeff wanted to merely put one unlit in his mouth to calm his nerves.

"Well, it turns out that there are lots of legends that include giants and even some artifacts have been discovered worldwide that indicate there was a super race walking the planet at one time. The most ancient of religions worship these giants," Mac nodded to himself and looked wistfully past Zeff to the sea framed by a port window.

The unlit cigarette jittered about his face as Zeff said with an accented quiver in his voice, "Si, but those legends are only that... stories, myths but what we saw was supernatural. The water, those aircraft and the tsunami; it cannot be possible. I took two years of physics in college and I'm telling you these things that happened they did not happen!" He finished his statement with emphasis.

Mac refocused on Zeff as he spoke. "Making the laws of science is G.o.d's business. He is very orderly! We live within the parameters of these laws that G.o.d established but He does not and apparently, the spiritual realm follows a different set of laws than we do. I suppose it is like water creatures and land animals. Some things are the same but all in all, land animals cannot breathe under water and fish cannot live without a watery environment."

Zeff looking at Mac agreed. "Yes, it makes sense like that but I do not enjoy being a character on G.o.d's stage. I was in a sci-fi movie!"

Mac grinned. "I suppose with every miracle we humans want a logical explanation... It isn't good enough that there has been a great miracle performed by a supernatural G.o.d on our behalf but we also want the formula to answer all our questions."

Continuing to smile, Mac said, "Zeff, you're correct! It was like a stage! I was singing but I am not a singer, as you know by now being on this little boat with me for so many months!

You know my friend, you should be grateful that G.o.d loves you and allowed you to be part of His plan today. I think we may have gotten swallowed up by that tsunami or vaporized by those not-so-friendly heavenly visitors... I don't know how it would have played out but I do know that G.o.d loves you. If you had died... Where would you be right now? I'm curious about your thoughts on this because we all came very close to leaving this world behind today."

Thoughts of death and the fragile threshold between one heartbeat and the next had played about Zeff's mind all morning. Dead and in h.e.l.l, he had concluded more than once sitting in the galley as the others raved about the "adventure." He was raised a Catholic! Of course I believe in h.e.l.l, purgatory and all the church propaganda, he wanted to say. Instead Zeff said, "I suppose I would be drifting face down among the flotsam."

Astonished, Mac let out a chuckle that could be heard throughout the sloop. "If you were destined to be drowned and floating among the waves, you would have died months ago, that day we dragged you out of the Vallarta Bay!" Mac laughed again and shook his head. "You see Zeff, G.o.d has spared you. I think you must have a destiny that includes surviving supernatural battles with foes the size of giants."

Zeff didn't like the sound of that prophecy. He muttered in Spanish and then he questioned in English, "How do you know so much about these giants? Did you major in mythology or something?"

Mac sobered. The smile faded and he answered as he got up to go to his berth to pray, "The giants? I know them and they know me. The infamous 'Twelve G.o.ds of Renown' are worshipped by my people on D'Almata."

Chapter 18 Above the Ruins.

Satisfied that Anna and her companions were not those traveling with the blond American male who cunningly made off with a small fortune, Karlo and his right hand man mounted their bikes. He realized that the unreliable boy, Guppo was not worth chastising... Not at this time, anyway. The men headed back to the city, leaving a dusty cloud in their wake. Anna and the others were not surprised when Jellybean's ear piercing whistle brought Guppo out from the shrubbery.

Afterward, when she and the boy had returned to the car and Anna finished speaking with Dale, she asked Guppo what he thought of the group called, New Dawn. There had been lots of talk about the faction before she left the states. Mostly from the common people of Greece, the chatter glowingly cast them in a positive light. As the national infrastructure began failing members of the New Dawn stepped in providing food, medicine and protection. There had been rumors of violence and the abuse of power too.

Nine year old Guppo gave his viewpoint. "When I was a little boy, everyone liked these men. They were nice. Lately, my family tells me they are mean and I am to stay out of their way." He didn't appear fearful as he spoke. He said, "I didn't see it with my own eyes but my sister told me they came to the store and took all the cigarettes and some other things without paying... That was before I went to visit. Also, the boys told me that they beat up people just for fun." The child hadn't made the link between the men on the cafe bikes being one and the same as the New Dawn agents.

Bernie had called Guppo their tour guide but the boy knew very little of island geography that was not within a half mile of his own threshold. They stopped in the late afternoon. Anna was tired of driving on b.u.mpy roads with the added necessity of dodging goats, bikes and fowl acting as obstacle course. Their average speed was 7 miles an hour according to Dale's grandfather.

A wind worn sign, posted at a crossroads indicated a restaurant-motel was less than 250 meters up the hill. Anna looked at her gas gauge and was content that they indeed had enough to get them to the coast in the morning. Tonight she needed rest. Guppo, Dale and the others, the motorcycles and the tortuous driving had worn her out. The sun had not made its bow yet. Still by the time they made provision for the night, it would be dark.

The motel and restaurant were part of a smallish town. At one time it may have been a tourist stop because there were stone ruins on the hillside facing the western sea. Anna didn't ask. The owners, a family, scrambled as the rental car came to a stop in front of place. Bernie reached past Guppo to throw the car door open. He had to get out. The old man stretched and grunted to the mortification of Guppo.

Anna went inside with Guppo at her heels and a grey terrier at Guppo's heels. A middle aged woman with copper red hair and a younger woman a brunette, greeted Anna while ignoring Guppo.

They had two rooms that would be ready for guests momentarily. Would Anna like to order dinner first? She would? Wonderful!

The brunette disappeared and Guppo could hear her yelling to her siblings to clean up the back patio.

It was almost an hour later when the car was emptied and the family, including Guppo was seated at the back patio. The view of the northwestern tip of the island was in plain sight. The sun disappeared off to their left making the northern waters look purple. It had been a hot day but now it was cooling. Flaming tiki torches encircled the eating area.

Bottled soda and a coffee with warm cream were brought out as requested. Anna stirred her thick coffee in its tiny cup.

Bernie said, "We're making headway, yes sir." He winked at Guppo who smiled and drank his soda pop.

Anna nodded but she had hoped to make it all the way to her cousin's home. Instead, they had taken the back way and again, they were forced to stop for the night. Belatedly, she realized that the so-called shortcut took twice as long because the roads were in such disrepair. If she had been traveling alone, Anna would have skipped the meal, retiring to her room to have a good cry.

Later as the night arrived in earnest bringing a wet chill, Anna and the children fell asleep but Bean took her pillow the one she used in the car and went to Bernie's room.

His room had a kerosene lamp turned low. He seated Bean at a square wooden table. There were two chairs in the room so Bernie sat in the other one after closing the window shutter and setting the lamp on the window ledge.

Bean unzipped the cushion and brought forth the journal. As she adjusted the cushion in the chair for her back, Bernie plucked the notebook up.