As Aunt Julia Told It

 

Rather like Aunt Julia Chee, if not exactly.

Thus, when the coast was clear, lioness and cat wished for the Gate, entered once more and went home. 

When the loved ones returned home and opened the door, they found Aunt Julia snoozing in her chair with her hair a bit fluffed up and her cat Billy asleep on her lap just like any other day. The remains of a partially eaten lunch were beside her.

*****

Amazed, truly, Beth first and Jessie after her, tiptoed into the room and sat down on the sofa together. Honda followed and sat at their feet. They were speechless.

Hoping not to wake Julia, Jessie called Ben Sr’s cell phone from Julia’s landline. He whispered “she’s here, Ben, asleep in her chair. We don’t know anything yet.”

Ben said he was coming over to see her. Ben Jr would be with him. Ben said he would let his friends know that the emergency was over.

Jessie called the Sheriff’s office to report that the missing person was found. The original officer would be notified and probably come by just to check on the situation and see that she was alright.

Since they had been running around in a state of dread all morning and into the early afternoon, neither Jessie nor Beth had eaten a thing. So, Beth walked as quietly as she could to the kitchen and fetched a couple of tuna sandwiches from the fridge. While she was in there, she started a pot of coffee also.

Julia and Billy slept on. Beth and Jessie ate their tuna sandwiches in silence. Half an hour ticked over. “Not eating didn’t help at all Beth, you can’t do that right now,” Jessie said. He gave half of his sandwich to Honda.

Ben’s truck rolled up the driveway, slower this time. Father and son got out of the pickup and in a moment stepped into the living room. They found chairs. Ben Jr. had to get one out of the kitchen. All four sat watching Julia sleep.

Soon the officer who had been there in the morning arrived also. He came in and sat on the arm of the sofa. His radio popped a bit. It emitted a few quiet words. He looked around the room at the four waiting and the two sleeping. He cleared his throat.

“Oh, Beth,” Julia said, blinking, “is the coffee done? I’m a bit dry today.”

Beth picked up Julia’s cup and headed out to get a fresh cup of coffee. When she came back, she asked the others if they wanted some also. No one was ready for coffee drinking yet. There were too many questions in their minds. She set the cup on Julia’s little table. Then she sat back down beside Jessie.

Deputy Frank Williams spoke first since he was on a business visit. “Ma’am. Mrs. Chee, my goal here right now is to determine whether you are safe or not. Are you safe? Are you harmed in any way?”

Julia smiled. Her black eyes twinkled. “Of course, Deputy, I’m just fine. I was just sleeping here because I was a little tired. So, Billy here and I decided to take it easy today.” She appeared to be happy and perfectly at ease. She had a little sip of her coffee while it was still warm. Billy gazed up at her and then glanced around the room.

Greatly relieved, and not wishing to pursue the matter further, Deputy Williams got to his feet and wished them all a good day and left. Everyone listened as his vehicle drove sedately back down the driveway.

There was silence for a moment while each waited for the other to speak first. At last, Julia’s son, Ben Sr cleared his throat and began, “Mother. We have spent half of this day looking for you. Jessie and Beth, my son and my two friends and I could not find a trace of you. The law didn’t search like we did but that deputy couldn’t find you either. Where is hell were you Mother? Because you were not in this house, or outside this house. You were not in the mine or down by the stream! You were not out on the highway. Of course not, but we had to look. So where were you? Even this dog here couldn’t find you!”

All eyes turned to Julia sipping her cup of coffee. She smiled, just like a harmless little old grandmother would smile. Sweet but a little amazed at all the excitement these young people were projecting.

“I was in bed,” Julia said finally.

“But your cane was on the floor by your chair,” said Jessie dryly.

“I can get to the bed without it,” said Julia, “I just usually keep it with me, in case I need it, Jessie.”

“But Auntie, I looked in the bed,” said Beth faintly with a stunned look on her face.

“I don’t make much of a bump in that bed sweetie, I was there,” said Julia, rather more firmly than before.

Both Bens stood up. Ben Sr said, “when you decide to tell the truth Mother I will be pleased and happy to hear it. Right now, my son and I are going home and eating lunch, or something anyhow. I thank God that you appear to be fine.” They walked out of the door and got into their pickup and drove rather abruptly down the driveway.

“Would you like another sandwich Auntie,” asked Beth, not knowing what else to say.

“I believe that I would like to go back to bed now, Beth. Can you help me?” asked Julia. “Just come with me and tuck me in again.”

Jessie watched, mind unsatisfied, as the two women, so different from each other walked together to the back rooms of the house. Tall pregnant Beth helped tiny ancient Julia along. She took her cane this time. He decided to go outside and check on the chickens and see if anything was happening in the garden. This seemed like the wisest course at the moment, to Jessie. He would wait. So he and Honda left also.

In the bedroom Beth got a clean nightgown out of a drawer for Julia, who slipped out of her little dress and her little old lady undergarments. Beth dropped the nightgown over Julia’s head and helped her get her hands through the long sleeves. Then she brushed out her long hair for her. Julia did seem unusually weary to her. She had Julia sit on the side of the bed and she knelt before her on the floor and slipped her little leather leggings off. Dressed for bed at last, Julia climbed in under the covers with a sigh.

“How are you feeling these days Beth,” asked Julia. “I had been meaning to ask. I don’t mean to neglect you. I am a little absent minded you know.”

Beth didn’t believe that the old lady was one bit absent-minded. But she didn’t say that.

“We were so worried about you today,” said Beth. “Jessie prayed for you. Did you know he prays quite a bit, in his quiet way?

“I feel fine Julia. I’ve never been pregnant before, so I don’t know how I am supposed to feel. I feel like I have a very small person in there moving around. It’s quite something. After a few years Jessie and I just figured that it would never happen.”

“Arizona is a different kind of place Beth. There is an oddness to it that doesn’t seem to exist in other places if my observations are correct. Also it is hard to explain until you experience it. Sometimes what we see isn’t really there, but sometimes we don’t see things that absolutely exist. I don’t know if that makes any sense,” said Julia from her pillow where her long grey hair was spread out loose.

“Long ago, when I was a young woman, I discovered those cat tracks out there…” And with that she drifted off to sleep as sweetly as a baby.

Beth stood in the doorway gazing at the little sleeping form, trying to believe that she had been there earlier. She shook her head and turned off the light. Then she walked outside to see what Jessie and Honda were up to.

All so far...They haven't taken my phone yet.docx