Metanoia, radical change, rearrange
From self-loathing to self-loving
Out of the wreckage, with new direction
Abandon the path of self-destruction
Transforming, transform from a no to a yes
Transforming, transform from your worst to your best
Metanoia, metanoia
The following preview is of chapter IV of TIMELESS KEEPERS, the newly published third volume of our quantum fiction/magic realism quintet, THE TAMMABUKKU CHRONICLES.
https://www.amazon.com/Timeless-Keepers-Tammabukku-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B07YRTNCJ7/
Mitchell can’t wait to see Serge, so after lunch, we head to the pasture. On the way, we run into Cory, with whom Mitchell forged a friendship. “You don’t look like the same guy I met a year-and-a-half ago!” Cory says, giving Mitchell a pat on the back. “I sure hope you’ll be hanging around a while.”
“I don’t want to leave,” Mitchell replies, “but I have personal things to take care of back in Australia.”
Cory nods, knowing he’s alluding to Naiyana. “I see good things ahead, Mitch. I think the bad stuff’s behind you.”
“I appreciate the vote of confidence, Cory. Bad behavior is behind me if I make that choice, and I have. After decades in the monkey-house, I’m where I belong.”
Yasmin is nursing Serge by the fence when we reach the pasture. “What a beauty!” Mitchell declares. “He looks like both of his parents. Raketa sure has good taste in mares!” His eyes then scan the expanse of the pasture. “I don’t remember that chestnut horse.”
“That’s Jericho’s horse, Otis, a Cleveland Bay. An older Cleveland mare will be coming next month so Gran can go riding with Jericho.”
“Your grandmother and Jericho live in the new cottage out back, right?”
I nod. “I’ll introduce you to them in a bit. Wait until you see the large pond we put in.”
“I can’t wait to see it! So how’s Tom? Is he still with Melanie?”
“No, but the relationship lasted longer than I thought it would. Tom’s in love with his best friend, but neither of them is ready for it. You remember Abigail, don’t you?”
“Who could forget her? Nice girl, and very pretty, too. She’s the great-granddaughter of Nathaniel’s best friend.”
“Ambrose de Ripariis.”
“Ambrose... That face of his is hard to forget. Abigail looks a little like him. How was Tom’s first year at the University of Bath?”
“He’s majoring in psychology with the intention of specializing in parapsychology.”
“Parapsychology will certainly come in handy at Beak’s End.”
I fake chagrin. “Are you implying that we have ghosts?”
He laughs. “Beak’s End is loaded with them, but I must say they’ve all been hospitable to me. And some of them went over and above the call of duty. Speaking of Nathaniel, have you seen him lately?”
“Not lately, but we saw a lot of him last November during the ‘Mrs. Graeber’ nightmare.”
“So what happened with old iron Graeber?”
“She was a fraud, a liar and a thief, and those were her better qualities. Nothing she told us was true. Her name wasn’t even Brenda Graeber, it was Elestren, and her references turned out to be fakes. She was supposed to be a girlhood friend of Angela Sykes, but Elestren was using the identity and image of the real Brenda Graeber who died in a car crash in 1997.”
“Get the fuck outta here!” Mitchell cries. “How the hell was Angela fooled?”
“Elestren is very powerful and it had been decades since Brenda and Angela saw each other. Angela thought her fun-loving friend had changed dramatically since her younger days. Lia and I were not fond of her, but we kept her because she was a great housekeeper. She was fired for devising a nefarious plot to get Lia and me out of Beak’s End and take control. Martin told us many of the details.”
“Holy goddamn shit! I knew she was a bitch but I had no idea she was that wicked. And she had the audacity to make me feel like dirt because of my frigging problems! It’s a good thing I was in jail when all this was going on otherwise assault would be added to my charges. When it comes to you and Lia, all bets are off. Get rid of you and Lia and control Beak’s End? Did she really think she’d get away with such a scheme, and that Gerald and Theresa would just sit around and let it happen?"
“Elestren has a dark power, that’s for sure. Nathaniel’s spirit sensed trouble and returned. Lia and I were trapped in 1901, but when we came back we confronted her with Nathaniel. Of course, she played the victim. If they gave Oscars for such performances, she’d be a shoo-in. Before storming off the property she put a curse on me using a good luck keychain given to me by my friend Ffion. Don’t worry, the most powerful protection ritual was done, and that protection extends to every one of us and the entire estate.”
“Fuck!” he exclaims. “Nathaniel doesn’t miss a thing, does he?”
“No, and we’re eternally grateful. Let it suffice to say that Nathaniel is not fond of Elestren. They’ve locked horns in the past, and she lost that time as well.”
Mitchell laughs. “Nathaniel Ley is one guy whose shit list you sure as hell don’t want to be on.”
“Tell me about it! I was on that list when I first moved into the farmhouse in 2012. Let’s just say it wasn’t an easy period for me.”
“The man who helped me to see my own truth has a great heart, but I can feel that other side when I look at his pictures.” Not wanting to go any further, he changes the subject. “So how are you, David? I can see there’s something troubling you."
“It’s connected to my career. Some people are trying to tarnish my name and destroy my reputation.”
“I remember you telling me about that hot singer who looks like Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. I forgot her name.”
I have to laugh at the Elvira description. “Cressida Holdsworth is one of the biggest thorns in my side. For some reason, she’s obsessed with me, and no matter how much I reject her, she won’t take no for an answer.”
“You got one helluva great woman—you don’t need Elvira.”
“I keep trying to get that message into Cressida’s thick head.”
“Don’t let it get to you, David. I may not be as good at this psychic business as you and Lia, but I know you’ll come out of this alright.”
“I appreciate that, Mitchell. Three weeks ago, I was in such a state that I blew a Rolling Stone cover story interview and briefly considered canceling the second half of Oblivion’s world tour. I was ashamed of myself for even thinking about it. Many people had already bought their tickets.”
“What happened with Rolling Stone?”
“Let it suffice to say that I was not myself. A few days later, I apologized to the journalist, explaining that I was cracking under the pressure. He understood, knowing I was having a meltdown, and told me that when he left that day he was very concerned. We finished the interview the following week and had some good laughs. It was cool of him to keep what happened, between us. The interview comes out next month. It’s my first solo cover.”
“I’m grabbing a copy as soon as it hits the newsstands.”
Raketa runs over to the fence, looking hard at Mitchell. “Seems like he remembers you.”
Mitchell stretches his arm out. Raketa moves closer but hesitates. “He’s warming up a bit. Last year, he wouldn’t let me anywhere near him.”
“He is the alpha stallion in the stable and he’s still wild, but he’s working out some of his trust issues.”
Mitchell guffaws. “I can relate to that. So what do you say we saddle up the horses and go for a ride?”
