This chapter has been the most difficult one for me to write. It has gone through 3 revisions. Please, any criticism, suggestions, tips, any feedback would be appreciated. Thank you.
"Yes Aunt Helena. I promise to stop taking shortcuts." The woman in the holo screen before me drew her lips up tight. A heart beat passed. She blinked and her lips returned to their usual soft, easy smile.
"All right, darling. Do you have to go back to work today?" Concern once again clear on her face.
"No. I was given the rest of the day off. My friend Sonja will be coming by soon." I didn't mention that she wasn't coming to comfort me, but in fact the other way around.
"Good, good. I'll tell Cecil that you are fine now." Her hand reached for the side of the screen.
"Helena, wait." The words rushed out of my mouth.
"Yes?" She looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"Dr. Cecil told me once that he had many friends in the states."
"Yes dear. That's how we knew about the job at Freidman's. You were very lucky to qualify for an interview while overseas. Now let me think. I believe there are a few individuals that Cecil wanted you to meet. He'd been hoping to introduce you himself, but his work has been keeping him so busy. He really wanted to be able to visit soon. He misses you greatly dear." This time her eyes had a slight glimmer in them, and her smile was a small, sad thing.
"Oh I've missed you both every day. Most days are long and boring. I spend my time remembering." Here I could feel the tears brimming at the edges of my eyes. "Today has just been so crazy!" Tears retraced the tracks left earlier today. "I don't know who to trust. I've received weird messages, and a package from some historical society."
"Historical Society?"
"Yeah, I was given a package. There was a note it..."
"Tara, I don't mean to interrupt, but it's imperative. Was it addressed to you?" Her voice was a tad bit higher than normal, as though she were alarmed.
"No, it was a basic thank you for purchasing type of note."
"Then who gave it to you?" Now Aunt Helena's voice was returning to normal.
"A jeweler named Goldberg. He and his daughter..."
"What did he say when he gave it to you?"
"He said that it was a key."
"A key?" Aunt Helena turned her face away from the screen. Turning back to the screen, "Tara, be careful who you tell about that package. Mr. Goldberg was an associate of your uncle's, you can trust him. Cecil had been planning to ask him to speak to you. It seems fate has arranged introductions for us." She seemed calmer, and was smiling once again.
Me and my paranoia! I bit my lip as I thought of how to fess up to the fact that I hadn't properly introduced myself to the Goldbergs. Luckily my aunt noticed my nervous habit.
"Tara," her eyes were squinting at me, "What do you want to tell me?"
"I've been using an alias. I was unconscious when the paramedics left me in the care of the Goldbergs. I didn't have a chance to explain."
"So they don't know that you are really Tara Harris? Daughter of the late Howard and Vivian Harris?"
I couldn't meet her eyes, so I simply shook my head.
"Does anyone know?" I repeated my actions.
Silence stretched out between us for quite some time. When I looked back up I was shocked to see Helena Gulf, one of the strongest people I know, crying silently.
"Oh dear. I'm sorry. I never realized how difficult this must be for you. Fifteen long years. You were just eleven when it happened. Have you really thought of yourself as a Gulf all this time?"She dabbed at the corners of her eye with a tissue when she finished.
"I don't know. I did think of myself as your niece. You were, are my only family. The rest was half a world away. But being here, in Fort Worth. My father started the building of the domes here. But those were little more that walls when we left for Russia. I just had to distance myself. I need to be a different person."
"And forget your parents?"
"Never! I just...just can't connect the past and the present."
"I, I think I understand. I'm sorry to run, but I need to talk with Cecil. Maybe I can come over, even if he can't. Be strong Tara, I love you."
"I love you too Aunt Helena." With our goodbyes done I flicked the holo off, and lay down on my bed. It'd be nice to see Uncle Cecil and Aunt Helena again. Maybe I'll get to find out why some historic group means so much to them. Oh that book! Where should I keep it? I don't want it near my ID.I swung up into a seated position and scanned the room. Maybe...
After getting up from the bed I walked back to the table where the book and its wrapping still sat. Using the tattered brown paper I fashioned a crude book cover. On the spine I scrawled "Journal" in my nigh unreadable script. I placed it on my end table between a dictionary and a worn copy of Asimov's "I Robot". Walking back to the table I gathered up the rest of the packaging material and the note from the HTTPS. I stood study the note for a while. Best bet it to compost it. I won't bother to pulp this like I did my false ID, but I'll stick it in the building's pile this afternoon. I folded up the papers and stuck them in the container, on my counter, provided by the landlords for such material.
The clock on my microwave now read 3:45. My how time has flown. Too bad most of it has sucked. Sonj will be here before too long. Maybe I'll scare us up some entertainment. I walked back into my closet and went to a different corner than last time. On a shelf, attached to the building's outer wall, was a high-end safe. The safe was a common amenity for level 4 buildings. One of its standard features was that it kept track of when the safe was opened and which items were removed. This, combined the building separate surveillance, made theft a difficult task. In my safe were two old photo albums, and a small wooden case. The case held all my media crystals and their energy converting necklaces.
"Once Sonj gets here, we'll decide on music or movies."
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