Wednesday, April 27, 2005

   Lemon Curry?

Tuesday night and I'm a little less aggravated than last night.

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Well, my brother-in-law is still in the hospital. He had lots of tests run and we are all relieved to hear that he did not have another stroke. What my sister said happened was that he had a "pain reliever rebound migraine" and it hit the nerves in the right side of his face. He's been on pain relievers for teeth issues and other things, and he's off them now, so his body reacted by giving him a helluva headache.

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I did actually get some studying done. I have three chapters left in the Web Design Fundamentals book! Yay. Then the next week and a half I will be studying the CIW Foundations stuff again and taking that test on May 6th. Yikes!

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Well, I said I'd post part of my story for you guys tonight, so here you are. It's Sam's turn tonight!

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Blue…the sky is so blue here, Sam thought. I never paid attention to the sky in Boston.

She had spent the night in the inn just off the docks and was now walking through the streets of Yokohama. So many people were moving about. She saw several people from the Athene, but made no attempt to talk to any of them. She wandered into the market district and spent time there listening to people.

Samantha had finally arrived in Japan a little more than a month after the dream last woke her in the night. She knew she had to find the boy, but had no idea where to begin to look for him. Her stomach determined her next move. She needed to find something to eat. Back at the inn, she ordered a quick meal and sat alone to eat.

“O’Riley, there you are,” a voice called from across the room.

Sam looked up to see Doctor Murphy making his way across to her table. “Doctor Murphy, what are you doing here?”

Murphy sat at the table. “You can call me Pat or Uncle Pat now as we’re no longer shipmates.”

“All right,” she said, “Uncle Pat, what are you doing here?”

“Anthony told me you’d been put off the ship. He figured you’d be here. He’s worried about you, you know.”

Sam played with her food. “I know. Tell him not to worry.”

Murphy watched her for a while. “You know he’ll never listen to me, Sam. We’ll both worry. This is a pretty big thing you say you’ve got to do here.”

“I know. I know. I just…” Sam’s voice trailed off and things went black.

“Sam! Sam!” Murphy’s voice seemed to be coming from somewhere far away. “Sam, can you hear me?”

“Blue…blue…” she stammered.

“What’s blue, Sam? Look at me! What’s blue?” Murphy snapped his fingers to get her attention.

Sam’s eyes came back into focus. “Blue sky,” she said. “I saw blue sky over a statue of a man.” She took a drink.

Murphy stared at her. “Anthony said you had the gift like old Esther, but I never knew you went into a trance like that,” he said. “Now, what else can you tell me about the statue of the man?”

Sam thought for a moment. “It’s very large. He looks peaceful, serene. He’s sitting down as if on the floor instead of a chair. I also smelled the sea there. It’s somewhere near the sea. Is there a statue like that here in Yokohama?”

“Not that I know of, but I think I may know someone that can help.” Murphy smiled. “I’ll be back tomorrow, Sam. You stay here again tonight. You have enough money yet?”

“Yes, Anthony gave me some. How is Anthony? He took responsibility for me with Captain Harding. Is he in trouble?”

“Like I said before, he’s worried about you. Harding has him confined to the ship while we’re here. Last night he was allowed to see you safely to shore and then returned right away. He’s also being docked pay for what you would have earned for the voyage.” He caught sight of the look on Sam’s face and added, “Don’t give any of the money back, young lady, he won’t take it.”

“Tell him thank you for me. I don’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t done that.”

“I will. He’ll appreciate it. Now, I better go see what I can do to help you find more about your peaceful statue. Stay around here and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Murphy got up and Sam walked out with him.

“Thank you, Uncle Pat,” she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Sam watched as her uncle disappeared into the crowds of the marketplace and then turned her face to the sky and smiled. So blue… the sky here is so blue.
***
“Close your eyes, Sam. Now think about the statue,” Doctor Murphy said. “What can you tell us about the statue?"

Sam closed her eyes to try to picture the statue. It was the day following when she had had the vision of the statue by the sea. Her uncle had brought a local woman with him and had introduced her as Midori, an interpreter. “I’m sorry, Uncle Pat,” Sam said. “I don’t see anything more than yesterday.”

“Have a little patience, girl,” Murphy said.

Midori watched with interest. Murphy had told her about his niece the evening before. She found it a little strange that the girl had visions at such a young age, but did not doubt his word. “Please, Sam-san, tell me about the statue again,” she said.

“All right. It’s a man sitting down. He looks very peaceful. His eyes are closed and his hands are in his lap, like so.” Sam put her hands in her own lap, knuckles touching and palms upward.

Midori thought for a moment and then said, “Daibutsu. That statue could be the Daibutsu in Kamakura.”

Sam opened her eyes. “Where is Kamakura?” she asked. “Is it far?”

“Not at all,” Murphy said. “We can be there within a day if we leave in the morning. Then you can search for your mysterious silver boy.”

“Silver boy? What is that?” Midori asked.

“He is the reason I came here,” Sam explained. “I was having dreams about a ghostly silver boy that somehow needs my help. My grandmother determined that my destiny lies here to help him. She just never told me how or where I was to meet him.”

“Your grandmother is a fortune-teller? A shaman?” Midori asked.

“Yes, something like that. She has more skills than I do, however. But she doesn’t always reveal everything she sees.”

“I understand, Sam-san,” Midori said with a slight smile. “There are fortune-tellers in Japan, too. One told me when I was a little girl that I would help a boy that was not a boy and the boy would have yellow hair. At the time I did not believe her, but here you are. A boy at first glance, yet not a boy at all. It is my honor to be able to help.”

Sam looked from Midori to her uncle. “Is this true? Is Midori-san supposed to help?”

Murphy shrugged and said, “Who knows for sure? All I know is that Midori here speaks English very well and will teach you to speak Japanese. And just maybe you’ll be able to talk to your silver boy when you meet him. The important thing is, you’ll have someone with you that knows the language and the customs, so you won’t be too lost. And besides, this will get Anthony off my back about you. I haven’t had a moment’s peace on board since you were put to shore. That boy is a bloody nuisance!”

Sam laughed. “I agree. He may not have been around when I was growing up, and I don’t really know him that well, but he sure is over-protective at times. Tell him I’ll be fine. I’m made of sterner stuff than he realizes. I am an O’Riley, after all. We don’t know when to quit.”

“Aye,” Murphy said. “You’re all too stubborn to know any better.”

There was laughter at the table and the trio spent the rest of the day talking and seeing the sights around Yokohama. Kamakura would wait another day and Sam would be another step closer to her destiny.

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There ya go! A little happier than the last installment... which I need to get put up on the site one of these days.

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And finally, I realized I haven't bored you with hockey news lately. Well, the second round of the USHL playoffs are over and the final round teams have been set! It's the Sioux City Musketeers (w00t! w00t!) against the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders. Go Musketeers!!!

Laters!

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