“I know you’re a little young for this kid, but I taught all my children to play this game.  They got pretty good at it, especially my little girl.”

“Where is your little girl?”

Jake sighed.  “I don’t really know, she left home a long time ago and I haven’t heard from her since.  Her brothers live over in California and I don’t get to see them very much either.  So now I have you until they find your mother and I need a checkers opponent.  King me!”

They played for a while and Jake ordered pizza for dinner.  As they ate, Nicky told Jake about being with his daddy and Crystal.  His father had taken Nicky for one of his regular visits and when the time was up he loaded everyone into the RV and hit the open road.

Jake’s heart went out to Nicky’s mother.  He knew what it was like to lose a child and never know what happened. 

** *** **

The next morning Jake took Nicky into town for breakfast.  As they entered the diner, Margaret looked up from her breakfast and waived for them to join her at her table. 

For the next two days Jake and Nicky enjoyed each other’s company.  They fished, took hikes, played checkers and read stories.  As the time passed, Jake developed a real soft spot for the boy and selfishly wished that Sheriff Bresler wouldn’t be able to find his mother.

Finally on the evening of the third day, the phone rang.  Jake stared at if for a few rings before he lifted the receiver.  He took a deep breath.

“Hello?”

“Good news, Jake.  We found Nicky’s mother.  She will be here tomorrow morning about 9:30. 

“Um, sure.  I bring him in then.  Thanks.”  Jake hung up the phone and swallowed hard.  He walked back to the fire where Nicky had stacked the checkers up into red and black towers.  “Well, son.  I got news.  Sheriff Tom found your mom.  She’ll be here in the morning.  You’re going home.”

“Oh,” said Nicky.  “Are you coming too?”

“No son, this is your home you are going to.  I live here.”

“But I want you to come.  You’ll like my mommy.  She tells funny stories like you do and she bakes good cookies.  Please come with me.  Pleeeeaase.”

“Tell you what, I’ll ask your mom if I can keep in touch with you.”

“I’d like that.  Maybe she will let you live with us too.”

“Well it’s getting late.  Big day tomorrow.  Go get ready for bed and I will read you a story.”

            Jake had trouble sleeping that night.  Memories of the past few days filled him with both joy and sadness.  He would miss the boy.  Childish laughter and shared adventures had brightened his weary spirit.  Now it was all going to end; alone once again.

** *** **

Nicky sat at the breakfast table playing with his cereal.  Jake sat with his hands cupped around his coffee mug; his gazed focused intently on the salt and pepper shakers in the middle of the table.  The clock on the wall slowly climbed toward 9:00.

“Uh, Nicky we need to get going.  Your mother will be at the sheriff’s office and we don’t want to keep her waiting.”

“Don’t forget to ask her if you can come and live with us, okay.”

“I told you that I can’t live with you, but I will ask her if I can come and see you from time to time.  Now go get your stuff.”

Nicky didn’t know what to feel.  He would be glad to see his mother again; on the other hand he would miss the kind old man who had taken him in.  As they drove into town, he grew more determined to convince his mother to let him keep in touch with Jake.

** *** **

            They pulled into the parking lot at the Sheriff’s Office.  A lump rose in Jake’s throat as Nicky took his and squeezed it.  Together the old man and the young boy walked through the double doors. 

            “Nicky!”  The woman sobbed as the child rushed into her arms.  She buried her face against the boy’s hair.  “I have missed you so much.”  She wiped her eyes.  I’m so glad you’re alright.”

            “Well here’s the man you have to thank for that.”  Tom stepped forward.  “Mrs. Alexander this is Jake Colver.  He rescued your boy from the lake.”

            Nicky’s mother stopped hugging her son and lifted her head.  Jake looked at her and his mouth dropped open.  Mrs. Alexander stood up and looked intently at the old man.  Then tears welled up in her eyes.

            “Dad?” she whispered.

“Well, I tell you what Nicky, why don’t you finish your chocolate and then you and I can take a ride into town and we will look for your dad and Crystal.”  He smiled as Jake poured him a cup of coffee.

“Can we find my Mommy too?  I miss her.”

“We can sure try, son.  But I need to know her whole name and her address.  Do you know where she lives”

“4223 Maple Drive.”

“Great!  And what town?”

“Springfield.”

“Oh, which Springfield?”

Nicky shrugged and sipped his hot chocolate.  Tom looked at Jake and shook his head.  “Well, it’s a start.  There’s a whole lot of towns named Springfield in this country.  Well, finish up your hot chocolate Nicky and let’s go into town and try to find your Mama.”

** *** **

The Sheriff’s office buzzed with activity as the three of them walked through the door.  Nicky clung tightly to Jake’s calloused hand. 

“Oh, hey Sheriff, I was fixing to call you.” Said Deputy Smith.  “We got a couple of dead bodies out by the RV park.”

Tom drew his hand across his throat, a movement to silence the deputy.  Then he pointed to Nicky.  “Um son, why don’t you go with Deputy Henderson over there and she will help you look for your mama.  Susan, this young man’s name is Nicky he is from Springfield.  He knows the address, but not the state.  Now Deputy Smith, come into my office and tell me all about what you found.”

Nicky pulled on Jake’s hand and dragged him over to Deputy Henderson’s desk.  While she questioned the boy, Tom talked with his other deputy about the murdered couple.  The detectives had found a large quantity of cocaine at the scene.  The pair had been identified as Frank Harris and Crystal Simpson and the signs of a struggle indicated a drug deal gone bad.

With his father dead, the boy needed a place to stay until they could find his mother.  Tom hated the idea of putting Nicky with Social Services; they were always so backed up and it might be several days before a suitable foster family could be found to take him.  He looked around the room, and hit upon a plan.  Since Nicky and Jake had formed an attachment, and his old friend had begun to care about someone again, the ideal situation was would be Jake to take the boy for a few days.

“I can’t do that!” Jake exclaimed.

“Would you rather he went to Social Services?”

“Well, no.  But can’t you take him?”

“You saved his life and you already have a connection with him.  He trusts you.”

“But I’m not set up to take care of a child.”

“It shouldn’t be more than a few days.  There’s a whole lot of Springfields to go through.  We’ll check each one to see if a small boy has been reported missing.  Don’t you think that little guy will be better off with you than in the Safe House Orphanage?”

“Um, well, I guess it would be alright for a day or two.  But what if you can’t find his mother?”

“Well, then I guess we will have to move on to plan ‘B’.”

“Plan ‘B’ huh.  Okay well I’d better take Nicky and buy him some more clothes if he is going to stay for a while. “

They walked across the square Whittle’s Mercantile, the local general store.  As they opened the door Margaret Whittle, the owner, approached them.

“Hello Jake, who’s you friend?”

“Um. his name is Nicky and he is staying with me for a few days.  I need some clothes for him.  I don’t know the size.’

“Well,” she replied.  “Let’s start with a size 4 and go from there.  It’s nice to have company for a while, isn’t it Jake.”

The old man shrugged, and then secretly smiled to himself.

On this morning an irritating noise broke the stillness.  He looked up in time to see a wave runner careening wildly.  As the craft drew closer, to his horror, Jake spied a small child, about 4 years old, clinging to the driver of the PWC.  The wave runner made another quick turn; the child lost his grip and tumbled into the water.  Unaware of his loss, the man sped away.

Jake pulled off his boots and dove into the water after the boy.  He moved with the swift steady strokes he had developed through years of competitive swimming.  Within moments he had reached the child, who bobbed up and down in his life vest.

“It’s okay son, I’ve got you.”  Jake secured his big hand around the boy’s chest.  “I’m going to take you to shore.  You’re going to be fine.”

“Daddeeeeee!”  the boy screamed.  “Daddy come back.”

“Just relax son, and let me swim for both of us.  It will be easier to get you back on dry land.”

Moments later the pair arrived back on the shore.  Jake picked the child up.  He carried him into his house and sat him down in the kitchen.  He grabbed a blanket from his bed and wrapped it around the child’s shivering shoulders.

“My name’s Jake Colver.  What’s yours?”

“Nicky.” The boy sniffed.  “Where’s my Daddy?  Where’s my Mommy?  I want my Mommy.”

“Tell you what Nicky, do you like hot chocolate?”

The child nodded and a slight smile crossed his lips.  “With little marshmallows?”

“Always,”  Jake smiled.  “Why don’t you go into the bathroom and dry off.  I’ve got some old clothes that my boys outgrew.  They will be kind of big but at least they are dry.  I’ll be right back.”

After he had changed, Nicky wandered over to the fireplace and poked the flames.  He looked around the room then turned his gaze toward Jake.  The old man sat on a stool next to the wall phone.  He spoke in low tones to someone on the other end. 

A few minutes later the whistle of the tea kettle let them know that the water was ready to create hot chocolate.  Nicky came over to the table as Jake set down two steaming mugs.  “So, young man, how many marshmallows do you want?”

“Ten.”

“Ten it is.”

Just then a car pulled into Jake’s driveway.  A moment later a heavy hand knock on the door.  Tom Bresler, the county sheriff stepped into Jakes kitchen.

“Nicky, this is Sheriff Bresler.  He’s going to help you find your folks.”

“Hi, Nicky.  Do you know your last name?”

The child smiled, “Harris.”

“Do you know your dad’s first name?”

“Daddy.”

“Daddy.”  Tom shook his head.  “Do you know where your daddy lives?” 

“He lives in a RV.  He goes all over.”

“What about your mommy.  Do you know her name?”

“Daddy called her Mare.  She doesn’t live with us.  I lived with her and Bill, then Daddy came and took me away.  I miss my mommy.”

“Do you know the name of the town she lives in?”  Tom sat down next to Nicky.  “It would be a big help if you could tell us about her.”

But many people live alone; their families are far away or perhaps there is no one special in their lives.  The unrealistic image of the Christmas / Hanukah /Kwanza season deepens the loneliness. 

If you feel this way, there are several things that you can do to combat the depression that comes with the season. 

1)     Get out of your house.  Get up and take a walk outside when weather permits.  The fresh air and exercise will do wonders to lift your spirits. 

2)     Set a personal or professional goal for the season and meet it.  There is a lot to be said for the satisfaction that successes bring.

3)     Get out of yourself and do something for someone else.  Charities are begging for help at this time of the year and delivering food to the poor or collecting toys for children is a good way to get a new perspective on life.

 But you might dread the holidays for a different reason.  You feel over burdened with obligations of family gatherings and assorted events taking place in your life.  You need a different plan. 

1)     Make a list of the things that you have planned for the next few weeks.  Write everything down and evaluate them carefully.  Decide which ones are the most important and mark them with an “A”. 

2)     Look at the remaining item on your list.  Which ones can you eliminate?  You’ve heard the expression “Less is more”?  A less cluttered holiday to do list will be much less stressful.

3)     Be sure to take some time for yourself during this season.  Relax and take it easy.  You will be refreshed and able to accomplish more without feeling so harassed.

Whether you are lonely or over stressed this season be sure to eat right and get plenty of rest over the next few weeks.  Remember that happiness is a choice.  You can enjoy yourself or not; the decision is yours.

Robbyn Siegel

That evening just before closing; Allyson hid behind a large tree in the park across from the bookstore.  She stood there for several minutes watching and waiting.

“Hello Allyson, I thought I would find you here.”

The girl wheeled around.  Mackenzie sat on a bench behind her.  “How…did you know?  Allyson stammered.

“Remember how I told you that when I was your age I met a woman who changed my life.”

“Un huh.”

“When I went to confront her with my questions; that is where I hid.”

“My friends will be here soon.”

“Ah yes, Carolyn and Tim; let me guess they think I am either a witch or an alien.”

“How did you know that?  You know so much about us.  Who are you?”

“Well, I am an archeologist.  About five years ago my husband and I went to Belize where we found the ruins of a people who had escaped the destruction of Atlantis.”

“What!  How come that story wasn’t all over the news?”

“Patience Allyson, I am coming to that.  The people of that colony were very technologically advanced and they left a lot of their machines in very good condition.  Many things were adapted to our technology and improved the lives of people all over the world.  One of the objects left behind was this bracelet.” 

“So what does it do?”

“It allows the wearer to travel through time.”

Allyson raised one eyebrow.  “You’re a time traveler?  Why did you come here?”

“Remember the woman I told you about; the one who changed my life in little ways that made a major impact on my future.  I came here to do the same for you.  Now you have become friends with Carolyn and Tim and your life will never be the same.  Follow your own dreams and become the person you were meant to be.  Your life will be wonderful.”

“I…uh…took this the last time I was here.”  Allyson handed Mac the mug.

“To check my fingerprints;” she smiled.  “And amazingly enough they are just like yours.”

Allyson stood dumbfounded.  How could Mac know that too?  There was only one answer and that was too fantastic.  She stared at Mac; studied the woman’s face.  The resemblance was there. 

“How I know so much about you and your friends?  Been there, did that.”  She put her hand on the strange bracelet.  “I’m going home now Allyson; back to a life full of happiness and love; as for you – DON’T FORGET TO GO TO BELIEZE!”

A moment later she disappeared in a flash of blue light.  Allyson stood alone in the square.  Just then she heard the sound of someone approaching.  She turned and saw Carolyn running across the park.

“Are you okay?  What happened?”

“I’m fine.  She’s gone.  You know what?  I think I am going to start going by my middle name.  It has a lot more flair than Allyson.”

“Really?  What is your middle name?”

Allyson grinned.  “It’s Mackenzie.”

“Just on the handle and the bottom, but Mac put her fingers all over it.  You should be able to get several good prints.”

Allyson inked her fingers and then put each one in a separate block on a card from Carolyn’s kit.  Meanwhile Carolyn dusted and carefully applied the prints to a card labeled ‘Cup’.  She pulled a magnifying glass out of the drawer; and compared the two cards carefully.  She frowned.

“Allyson, I thought you only touched the bottom and the handle.  Your prints are all over this thing.”

“What!”

“All the prints on the cup match yours.  How do you explain that?”

“How can they be mine?  Mac handled cup and when she gave it to me; I took the handle.  I never touched anywhere else except on the bottom.  You must have done it wrong.”

“I didn’t do it wrong, I have done this with my brother several times and I know what I am doing.  If you didn’t touch it on its outer surface then how did your prints get there?”

Allyson threw her hands up into the air.  Just then Tim Peterson knocked on the door.  “Hey have you done it yet?  How did it go?”

“Not good, the only prints on the cup are Allyson’s.” 

“Weird?  Well I bought a ceramic pot for my mother’s birthday from Mac’s store.  She touched it all over.  Try and get the prints off of that.”

Carolyn got several good prints from the pot.  Then she compared them to the ones on Allyson’s card.  Her eyes widened.  She went over each print several times.  Then she shook her head.  “I don’t understand this at all.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Allyson’s prints are all over this thing too.”

“Impossible!  I never even touched it.  I never saw it before today.”

“Let’s go get a second opinion from my brother.”

* ** *** ** *

Carolyn’s brother looked up from his computer as the trio entered the sheriff’s office.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

“I need your help.”

“Why?”

“Um, we’re doing a project for school.  I wanted to confirm my findings with you.”

He gave her a puzzled look; then he picked up the three cards and scanned them into the computer.  After a few minutes the results came back.

“Well the prints on all three cards belong to the same person and they are not found in either the state or local databases.

“Can two people to have the same fingerprints?” 

“No, everyone’s prints are unique.”

* ** *** ** *

“So how can Mac and I have the same prints?  Your brother said it’s impossible.”  Allyson paced the floor in Carolyn’s bedroom.

“Mac may have the answers.”  Tim looked at his watch.  “Uh oh, I have to get ready for my ‘PROM’ pictures.”

“You don’t sound very excited, Tim.”

“Well there’s this other girl that I like better than your sister.  I’m going to break up with Donna tomorrow.  I just hate telling her.”

“Oh, well it’s you’re nice to take her to the prom.  She has been looking forward to it.  Good luck with that other girl; you deserve to be with someone who is nice to you.”

Allyson shook her head as she peered through the bushes in front of the store.  Just then Mac opened the front door and turned on the sign.  She stepped out onto the sidewalk, raised her arms and took a deep breath.  Then she turned and walked back inside.  Allyson looked at her watch.  Eight minutes more.

“Be careful how you handle that cup.”

“Well don’t forget to wait for at least 10 minutes before you come in.  I don’t want her to think we are together…uh…in some kind of conspiracy.  And if she asks if we know each other tell her that we do.  You’re dating my sister after all.”

“Got it; good luck.”

Allyson smiled and walked across the square.  She put on her ‘upset’ face and entered the bookstore.

“Allyson, you’re up early on a Saturday.  I thought teenagers liked to sleep in.”

“Well I would, but there is no peace in my house.  Tonight is prom night and Donna is having a fit.  I decided to split.”

“Sounds like a good plan to me.  Tea?

“English Breakfast; you know since it’s early and all.”

“Be right back.  Make yourself comfortable.”

Allyson looked around the store.  Every time she visited she always found something interesting.  A silver and gold bowl sat inside a glass case with strange letters inscribed around the rim.  She looked at it closely trying to recognize the writing.  Just then the door opened and Tim came in.  Mac poked her head back into the shop.   

“I’ll be right with you.  Oh hi Tim I haven’t seen you in a while.’

“Hi Mac, I thought I’d drop by and see what new books you have.”  He cast a sidelong glance at Allyson.  “Hey kid I thought you’d be helping your sister get ready for the big day.”

“No I’m staying out of it.  I figure if I ‘m gone until about 5:00 I can miss most of the chaos.  I wonder what she’ll be like on the day she gets married.”

“Probably just as crazy.  Here you are Allyson some nice English Breakfast tea.”  Mac looked at the two of them and a small smile crossed her lips.  “So it begins, and so young.” she muttered.

“So Mac, do you have any new adventure stories?”  Tim drew her attention to the stacks.  When her back was turned Allyson poured the tea into a potted plant then slipped the cup into the plastic bag hidden it in her purse.  She waited a few minutes then thanked Mac for the tea and left. 

“Alright,” Allyson looked toward the empty store. “Tomorrow, I’ll go in there.  Mac will probably give me a cup of tea.  I’ll swipe the cup and we can get her fingerprints.”

“Good idea, we should go with you just in case there is trouble.”

“She will be suspicious.”

“Then, just me.” said Tim.  “In case you need muscle.”

Allyson smiled.  Tim had plenty of muscle.

“Tomorrow is a Saturday.  Let’s do this about 10:00.  I need to be home by 4:00.  I have to get ready for that dumb prom.  The prom princesses and their dates are supposed to be at the gym by 5:30 for pictures.”

“Dumb prom?  I thought you were looking forward to it.  I sister sure is.”

“I don’t know; I’d rather be doing something else with someone else.  Don’t tell Donna, I don’t want to spoil her big night.”

“What would you rather do Tim?”

“Um, explore cliff dwellings with you…and Carolyn.  But back to business; when you pick up the cup be really careful where you handle it so it doesn’t mess up the fingerprints.”

“I‘ll take your fingerprints too, Allyson.  Then I can compare them with the ones we get from the cup and rule them out.”

“Can you do that?  I mean do you know how?”

“My brother showed me and I’ve played with it loads of times.  Okay so tomorrow Allyson, you go into the store about 10 minutes after it opens.  Pretend that you are a little upset that way Mac will offer you some tea.”

“I’ll tell her that my sister has been a real pain.  She’ll buy that.”

“Good.  Then about 10 minutes later Tim will come in and cause a distraction.  That way Allyson can swipe the cup.  Hang around for a few minutes and then leave separately to avoid suspicion.  I’ll have the fingerprint kit all set up at my house.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Tim brushed the hair out of his eyes.  “But I don’t like Allyson being in there alone.”

“Mac has never made even remotely threatening moves.  I’m not really afraid of her.

“Once, we have her prints, I‘ll get my brother to run them.  I’ll have to come up with some sort of story.”

“Why don’t you tell him that she is an alien witch?”  Allyson laughed.

“Tori Eggleston saw you huddled with Tim in the library, little girl.  Remember he is my boyfriend.”

Allyson sat back in her chair.  “You really should be nicer to him.  He is a really good guy.”

“No one is taking him from me; especially not you, little sister.”  Donna glared for a moment then turned and stomped out of the room.

Allyson grabbed the bag and hurried downstairs.  “I’m going to Carolyn’s,” she called as she rushed out the door.

Peddling down the darkened streets, Allyson soon arrived at the square.  She switched on her flashlight.  Two flashlights answered her signal.  The three of them moved toward a clump of bushes that sat adjacent to Mac’s store. 

From the shadows they could see Mac moving about, closing up the store.  She locked the front door and turned off the main lights. 

Through the dim, security lights, Mac could still be seen.  She pulled up her sleeve and revealed a silver bracelet with three gems.  She pushed the red jewel in the middle and disappeared in a flash of blue light.

“What just happened? Tim rubbed his eyes. 

“Uh, I don’t know.  She just vanished.” said Carolyn.

“People don’t just vanish.”  Allyson walked toward the store.  “She has to be in there somewhere.”

The girl pressed her face against the glass and peered into the empty store.  There was no sign of Mac.

* ** *** ** *

“Maybe she’s a witch or an alien.”  Carolyn shivered.  “What does she want and why is she so interested in the three of us?”

“We’ll have to wait until she comes back and ask her.”  Allyson shouldered her pack.  “The only alternative is breaking and entering.”

“What are you nuts?”  Tim put his hand on her shoulder.  “You can’t just ask her?”

“Why not?  She has always been kind to me.”

“This is a bad idea.”

“What do you want to do Tim; call the police?  And what would you tell them?  A mysterious merchant knows a lot about me and my friends and tonight she disappeared into thin air?  Carolyn and I will come and visit you in the rubber room.”

“Okay, you’re right, but don’t confront her just yet and please don’t do it alone.  Maybe we can get her fingerprints.”

The next morning as she and Carolyn walked to school Allyson saw a blue light coming from Mackenzie’s store.  A moment later Mac unlocked the door and turned on the OPEN sign.  Her hair looked several inches longer and she wore a cast on her right hand. She saw the girls and waived. 

“Hi Mac,” said Carolyn.  “What happened to your hand?”

“Uh, oh, I broke it about 3 weeks ago.  It’s doing fine.”

“Well, we’d better get to school.”  Allyson grabbed Carolyn’s sleeve and they raced down the street.  When they were out of site of the bookstore they stopped to catch their breath.

“Now that was intensely weird.” said Carolyn.  “How come she just started to wear a cast if she broke her hand 3 weeks ago; and what about that hair?  I know it has grown at least 3 inches since Saturday.”

“Well she could have gotten extensions, but that cast has been on her hand for a while.  It looks smudge and worn.  I think we should get together with Tim and investigate Mac; she’s hiding something.”

“Tim likes you.”

“What!  No, he’s my sister’s boyfriend.”

“Yeah but he really likes you.”

“Uh alright, but we need to find out who Mac really is and why she knows so much about us.  I know; I’ll start with Mr. Myers.  He owns her building.  He’s a friend of my dad; maybe he knows something about Ms Mackenzie Peterson.”

That afternoon Allyson stopped into Myers’ Realty company and spent almost an hour talking with Sheila the receptionist about the stores on the square.  When the subject turned to Peterson’s Rare Books and Curios, Sheila offered little help.

* ** *** ** *

Tim sat at a computer in the library running a search on Mackenzie Peterson.  He frowned as all attempts returned no matching results. 

“Any luck?” Allyson asked as she sat down beside him.

“No, not really; these people are all either too old, they don’t sell books or they live in some other country.”

“I got her address in Chicago.”

“Great, maybe that will tell us something.”

Tim typed in Mac’s address.  He from city planning records he went into the history of the property.  He took a deep breath and scowled again.

“What’s wrong?”

“Are you sure this is the right address?”

“Yeah, it’s the one Mac gave to Mr. Myers.  I peeked at the file while Sheila was waiting on another customer.”

“Too bad; according to this, the property where Mac lived has always been a vacant lot.”

“So she lied about her address too.  Who is she and why she knows so much about us?  I think we should follow her when she leaves the store tonight.  It will give us more clues.”

“Why don’t we meet in the square at 6:45?  Mac’s store closes at 7:00.”

“Great, I’ll bring Carolyn.  She has a stake in this.”