Fated Memories (7 page)

“I'm not a religious person, so the whole journey to heaven bit is lost on me but, I have to admit, the drink sure sounds good.”

Simon poured from the bottle of wine he had stashed away from the other guests and the three of them touched glasses. “To Grandma,” Maggie said with a noticeable catch in her voice. “Thank you for all you've done for me over the years, and may you find the peace you so deserve.”

“To Grandma,” Simon and Kitty repeated.

Against Kitty’s arguments otherwise, Maggie insisted on going back to work the day after the memorial. “The sooner I get back to my normal routine the sooner I'll feel better. Besides, the diner is such a busy place I won't have time to focus on anything else.

Her protests wore Kitty down and, she agreed to spend the day cataloging the documents in the trunk.

“I can't look at those things just yet, Kit, but if you could go through them and make a list of what’s in there, it would be so helpful.”

“Okay, fine, I can do that. We can go for a run afterwards too.”

***

Kitty’s mom had called to check in and they'd talked for hours. She’d filled her in on what had happened and Mom had news of her own.

Sonia and Carlos had set their wedding date seven months from now, in January. Although they planned a small event, Kitty and her mom both knew that Sonia's huge family would never stand for it. Kitty shared the details of Grandma Margaret's demise and glossed over the vacant house caper to keep her from worrying too much and launch into one of her unbearable lectures. At one point Kitty tuned her out, her mind wandering to the contents of the open trunk while her mom babbled on about Kitty having a new man in her life. She’d never had much luck with men to begin with and, after her crushing defeat with Richard, she thought she never would. She wished her mom wouldn’t keep bugging her about it.

Kitty was still knee-deep in paperwork when Maggie came home in high spirits. She couldn’t believe it was five o’clock already. 

“Simon came by the diner today and invited both of us to go to this dance club he found that features a karaoke contest every Saturday night,” Maggie said. “Remember when we did that at Christmas? We had so much fun.”

“First, let me say I'm glad you're feeling well enough to consider going out to have fun. That being said, there is no way in hell I'm going with you. For one thing, I'm not going to be a third wheel on anyone’s date and secondly, I'm not getting up to sing karaoke in a bar. In front of family for fun is one thing, but I refuse to be jeered at by a bunch of drunken strangers.” Kitty poured the last beer from the refrigerator into two glasses for them to share.

“Oh, Kit, come on, it's not a date. It's only three friends getting together for a drink.” Maggie talked faster as she followed Kitty back from the kitchen, sounding like a kid trying to get her mom to let her use the car. “Besides, I don't know where this thing with Simon is going yet. I mean, I’m attracted to him, very much so actually, but he doesn't even live here. He said he’s only in town for the Gettysburg re-enactment and we haven't discussed it, but I guess he'll go back to his business and his life up in Wellsboro, when that's finished.”

Kitty resettled herself on the living room floor to continue digging through the paperwork she’d been organizing. She had no intention of giving in no matter how much Maggie nagged.

“And I can’t leave Harrisburg, not yet anyway,” Maggie continued. “This may be just a casual fling on his part so I'm afraid to get too close. I need you to be there as a buffer to help me keep this on a casual level until I figure out if something is happening between us or not.”

Kitty understood her reluctance to get herself into a situation where she might get hurt. They’d both had their hearts incinerated before and were now quite cautious. Still, claiming to have lived before is pretty spooky. She hoped this guy didn’t have any other deep dark secrets.

H
aving the backbone of a wet noodle, Kitty caved in with just a few more feeble arguments. She’d been so busy helping Maggie, and running errands, that music and a few drinks sounded like a good idea. The distraction would be a welcome stress reliever for both of them and she’d been washing and wearing the same clothes over and over again for so long, it would be refreshing to get dressed up for a change.

Maggie whistled when Kitty emerged from her bedroom. “Woo hoo, look at you, hot mama! And that eye shadow highlights the green in your eyes so well. You’re so beautiful.” 

“Oh yeah, Angelina Jolie watch out, Ethel Mertz is on the prowl.”

She wore the black skinny jeans and black-and-green stretchy tee-shirt with the push-up bra that Sonia had insisted she bring and had used Maggie’s curling brush to fluff up her hair. She even applied a dab of mascara along with the green eyeshadow she’d found at the drug store. Pleased at Maggie’s positive reaction, she twirled to give her the full-effect and nearly fell off her low-heeled sandals.

“Careful with those twirls there Ethel, Ricky’s waiting for us at the club and I don’t want to have any ‘splaining to do.”

Maggie’s skinny jeans were similar, but hers reached her ankles like they were supposed to, and her white, silky knit top with keyhole cut-outs at the shoulder clung to her curves just enough to emphasize Mother Nature’s generosity. She hadn’t taken the locket off since she’d found it and it now hung at her throat skimming the neckline of the top, the gold-encased roses standing in stark relief against all that white. Another drugstore find was the shiny, red, ceramic rose earring studs she wore to match the locket. 

Maggie handed Kitty the teardrop jade earrings she’d admired from grandma’s jewelry box. “Here these are for you. I’m sure Grandma would’ve wanted you to have them and they’ll match your outfit.” 

Tears started in her eyes and she willed them away to prevent mascara from running down her face. Kitty fastened on the earrings and fluffed her hair back to admire them. “What do you think? Do they look as pretty as I feel?”

“They, and you, look wonderful. Now let’s get out of here before I get emotional.”

Kitty fastened the strap tighter on her sandals to keep them secured better. If she was unsteady sober, she could just imagine how she’d be after a few drinks. They decided to take her mom’s BMW to eliminate the temptation to overindulge, knowing she’d have to drive home. Kitty’s other reason she kept to herself. She thought that if Maggie and Simon stepped up their relationship tonight, she’d at least have a familiar car to drive home. Not that she thought Maggie would ever leave her stranded; she only wanted to give her the freedom to follow her heart.

The roadside club was just off the highway and Kitty paid special attention to memorize the route in case she wound up driving home either alone or with a passed out companion. Loud music and laughter resounded all the way to the outer edge of the gravel parking lot, where they found an open spot, and emerged from the car amped up and ready for a good time.

From the outside the club looked tiny, but once inside the door, the room opened to a huge cavern packed to capacity. A strong smell of alcohol with a mixture of colognes permeated the air. The DJ played eighties rock with a heart-thumping bass, and so many people packed the small dance floor they seemed to blend into one gyrating person. Off to one side, three bartenders worked hard to keep up with the orders. Somehow, Maggie spotted Simon waving to them from a bar-height table he’d commandeered at the edge of the dance floor. They made their way over to him, squeezing through the crowd. Kitty was pretty sure she’d gotten felt up at least three times on the way, but in this crowd, who could say for sure whether it was intentional or not? Besides, with so much padding in the push-up bra, she couldn’t feel much in that vicinity anyway.

Once they reached their seats, a waitress appeared to take their drink orders. Maggie gave Kitty the fish eye when she ordered a vodka and cranberry juice.

“I thought you weren’t going to drink tonight,
remember
?”

“Trust me, I haven’t forgotten. I’m going to have this one drink to loosen up and that’s it. I promise not to embarrass you. Or Simon.” She flashed a smile Simon’s way.

“Don’t worry, ladies, there are so many people in here no one will notice anything you do, unless you fall flat on your face on the dance floor.” 

Maggie lifted her eyebrows at her as a reminder to be cautious. Regardless of her clumsiness, Kitty came here to have fun, so she stood her ground on the drink. After a long sigh Maggie gave in and ordered her own. “Scotch rocks for me please.” Orders taken, the waitress somehow teleported herself back through the crowd.

After getting used to the noise and finding the right speaking level, Kitty cornered Simon. “So, Maggie told me you’ve had past life memories that took you back to Civil War times. That sounds incredible. Can you tell me about it?”

Simon’s mouth opened then closed as he fixed Maggie with a sideways stare. “Well, a toy gun I got for Christmas one year triggered the memory. I was just a kid and didn’t know I’d said anything unusual until I saw the dumbfounded look on my father’s face.”

Kitty couldn’t help smirking. “I’ll bet. That’s a hell of a thing to hear your kid say. What about the kids at school? Did they tease you because of it?”

He glanced at Maggie then lowered his head. “No, it wasn’t something I went around telling just anybody.”

Simon’s discomfort got a momentary reprieve as the waitress reappeared at their table without spilling a drop of their drinks on the tray she carried. She rolled her eyes as they argued over who got the bill for this round, and since Simon won the argument, she disappeared again with his credit card.

The bartender had gone heavy on the cranberry juice and the first sip made her pucker. Kitty stirred the ice cubes to dilute the tartness while she continued to interview Simon. On the surface he seemed okay, and Maggie was obviously smitten, but she was too important to let her get mixed up with a nut.

“So, tell me more, what was your name? Do you remember it being different? Were you someone famous like a general or something?”

“No, no, nothing of that sort. You know many people claim to remember past lives, but I've always been skeptical of those who claim they were Cleopatra or Attila the Hun or some king. In reality there’ve been a helluva lot more of us common folk than otherwise so, seriously, what are the odds of remembering to have been a famous historical figure?” Simon had a head start on the ladies and downing this second drink eased his discomfort on the subject. “My memory puts me as a rifleman-sharpshooter assigned to the infantry. I guess in today's military terms they’d be called Special Forces. I’m sure that’s why the toy gun initiated the memory. As far as a name, though, I have no idea. I can't remember knowing it or having anyone call me by it.”  

So not General Grant riding in on his gallant steed to save the day; at least that lent credibility to his madness. Kitty still didn’t buy his story though. There’s been so much in the news lately celebrating the heroics of the Special Forces, he may have gotten it from there. “Maggie probably hasn’t told you much about me, but I’m a sci-fi nut and odd things like this arouse my interest. I’ve also read there are ancient Eastern Indian religions who believe we’re doomed to be reincarnated over and over again until we either learn all the lessons living can teach us, or until we apologize for whatever heinous misdeed one of our ancestors committed that passed the bad karma down through the generations. I'm going with the lessons learned part, since I'm clueless as to why I'd need to apologize.” She slurped the rest of her drink through the straw.

“I thought I remember you saying you weren't a religious person.” Kitty caught the air of challenge in his voice.
Okay, I probably deserve it from the way I‘ve been pressing him.

“I'm not. Not in the familiar sense of the word anyway. Don't get me wrong, I’d never judge anyone else for their personal beliefs, it's just that science and cosmology are more credible to me.” She leaned forward so he could hear her better over the increasing level of the music. “Have you ever read any of Carl Sagan's books? He says we're all made of stardust from comets carrying organic DNA that crashed into the earth millions of years ago and spread their seed so to speak. To me, that supports the idea of a cosmic universal relationship that lives in and among all of us; as though we're spiritually connected somehow. My brain can't digest the concept of an omnipotent supreme being overseeing our lives, nor do I feel it necessary to perform the rituals or attend the services of organized religion. So no, rather than religious I guess I'd call myself spiritual.” She rested back in her seat again giving him time to digest what she’d said. Challenge met.

Maggie had slipped away to the restroom for a minute, but now she was back and pleased to see Kitty and Simon in deep conversation and getting along so well.  

“Okay, I'm back, you can stop talking about me now, did I miss anything important?”

“Kitty was explaining the universe to me.”

“Oh, well I'm glad you've been brought up to speed on that important issue. I'm ready for another drink, how 'bout you guys?”

Through all the noise in the club, Maggie's words ‘another drink’ carried to the waitress's ears, and she magically reappeared.

“Another round for everyone?”

“Make mine a virgin vodka and cranberry,” Kitty said.

“That’s just cranberry juice you know.”

“Oh, huh, so it is. That's okay, I'm driving.”

With the DJ taking a break, the MC for the night introduced the karaoke contest with an open invitation to take part.

Amid the cheers and whistles several people hurried forward to put their names on the list. Without the music, the decibel level decreased to a near normal level and only the talking and laughing of people having a good time lingered. Maggie and Simon had their heads together in a private moment. Not wanting to interrupt, Kitty excused herself to the ladies’ room.

“Hurry back, Kit, don't be too long.”

“Okay, don't get excited, I'm only going to the ladies’ room.”

“Yeah, but hurry back.” Maggie’s eyes were wide and pleading as she jiggled in her seat.

Jeez, is she that afraid of being alone with him?
He’d impressed Kitty as weird, but not dangerous. She had planned to give them some private time, but she’d come back sooner if she could get through this damn crowd.

As Kitty made her way back she noticed Maggie craning her neck watching for her. Something made her very nervous. Kitty wished Simon would take a break so she could get Maggie alone and find out what the hell it was.

The decibel level had dropped now except for a few laughs and cheers as this poor half-drunk guy onstage sang this comedic version of The Black Eyed Peas’ “My Humps”. Kitty admired his nerve and self-confidence to even get onstage, drunk or not. She clapped and cheered the same as everyone else when he finished. But she was floored when the MC called out, “Okay, thanks Alan, next up we have Maggie and Kitty singing “Wannabe.” Let's give a big O’Malley’s cheer for Maggie and Kitty!” The room erupted with shouts and chants of “Magg-ie, Kitt-y, Magg-ie, Kitt-y.” Kitty broke out in a sweat as the walls began to close in on her.

“Lucy!” She accused her, “You're freakin’ kidding me! Tell me you didn't do this.”

“Lucy?” Simon did a double take when he heard Kitty call her that, but Maggie impatiently waved him away.

“I knew that if I’d asked you first, you would’ve said no, and then you’d have missed out on all the fun.” Kitty couldn’t tell if Maggie's face had turned red or if she was just seeing red. 

Simon waved his arms pointing to them and shouted, “Here they are, over here.”

The crowd practically carried them up to the stage. “Listen, you can kill me when we get home,” Maggie murmured. “Right now everyone's expecting us to sing, so let's just go with it.”

Kitty’s anger now turned to fear. “Maggie, you know when I’m nervous I have a tendency to lose my balance. What if I fall on my face on stage? I’ll be mortified.”

“Oh honey, don't worry. It’s just for fun. Look around, everyone’s so drunk they couldn't care less how we sound, and I specially chose “Wannabe”
because we did it at Christmas and I knew you were comfortable with it. Remember how you fought with those men at the old house? What did you do to gather your courage then?”

Kitty considered that for a second and, as the music started, she squared herself up as though getting ready for a fight. Which, in a sense she was; only the fight was with her own fears. A few seconds into the song she understood Maggie’s point. No one was listening at all because they sucked and still the crowd yelled and cheered them on like rock stars. Her heart thumped in time to the music, her arms waved with abandon, and she smiled so wide it hurt. But she didn’t care. They strutted back and forth across the stage as if they had rehearsed and performed the song a dozen times. The most remarkable thing to Kitty was that she stayed on her feet the whole time!

No drug in the world could have duplicated the high she experienced as she left that stage. She could've conquered this world and the next single-handed, outrun a speeding bullet, leapt tall buildings in a single bound. Superman had nothing on her.