The Edenbury Chronicles - Vol 2 - Chapter 8

Anne, Rebecca, and Reporter Dave stood looking at the fresh patch of grass near the center of the park.

“I remember when your rocks were here,” said Dave. “Does this have anything to do with those rocks?”

“You said to try you, so we’re trying you,” Rebecca stated.

Dave found himself looking at crossed arms again. “Okay, I’ll stop with the questions,” he said. 

“Now, just sit right here,” Anne commanded as she pointed to a spot on the ground.

Before Dave knew it, several children from the playground were beside him. He got the sense that they had done this before with other adults. One of the children took his hand, and Dave soon found himself seated in a circle on the grass.

“We’re going to let you hear the real story for yourself,” said Rebecca.

As Anne began providing directions, a stillness fell over the area, unlike anything Dave had ever experienced. The confidence of the children and the peace of the surroundings was disarming. As he complied with the instructions, a stillness replaced any anxiety he felt.

It wasn’t long before the breeze hit Dave in the face. When he jumped, the children giggled. But it wasn’t the breeze that caught him off guard. It was the incredible sounds and smells that struck his senses. Captivated by this experience, he kept his eyes closed and forgot about those around him.  

The wind finally died, and Dave waited as long as he could to speak. “What on Earth was that?” he asked.

“Father Vance calls it an ancient agenda,” replied Anne. “Something about creation moaning.”

“Groaning,” corrected Rebecca.

Dave looked back and forth at the girls. “It doesn’t sound like either,” he said. “It sounds like beautiful singing, unlike anything I’ve heard.”

“Well, you get the idea,” said Anne. “The sounds of heaven are hard to explain. But you should talk to Father Vance about what this means, Reporter Dave.”

“I plan to do just that,” he replied.

Anne looked in the direction of the diner. “They’re probably still at brunch.”

“Maybe another time,” said Dave. “I don’t think that girl at the diner likes me.”

Rebecca stood and pointed at the Chronicle office. “Do you see that rock over there?” she asked.

“On the front lawn of the newspaper building?”

“Yes,” replied Rebecca. “It showed up in front of the door the other day.”

Dave stood with the girls. “Right where someone could trip over it?”

“Someone named Mr. Eric,” Anne replied.

“Then maybe I need to talk with Mr. Eric as well,” he said. “But I can see the office is closed today.”

The girls walked with Reporter Dave toward his van. The other children waved at him and ran off.

“When I asked why you picked me, you said I wouldn’t believe it,” Dave told Rebecca. “What did you mean?”

“Do you remember coming to my house at the farm last year?”

“It was brief, but yes,” he replied. “There was something about a tree.”

“Lisa,” Rebecca said.

“Your tree’s name was Lisa?”

“It still is,” she replied. “Lisa told me this morning that you would believe.”

“Just like that?” he asked. “Reporter Dave will believe?”

“Something like that,” Rebecca replied as she stopped and looked up at him. “Was she right?”

Dave pulled a card out of his wallet and handed it to Rebecca. “You can tell Lisa she was right,” he said. “And thank you. I promise I’ll be back to see and hear more of your miracles. Will you call me if there is anything I can help you with?”

“You’ll have the exclusive, Reporter Dave,” replied Rebecca. “You’re in the club now.”

“The club?” he asked.

As the girls ran off toward the playground, they yelled back at him. “The Closer to the Dirt Club!”

“Of course,” said Dave as he climbed into his van and left Edenbury—his new favorite place on Earth.

—

Stephanie returned to the table from using the diner telephone. Father Vance, Lucy, Zeke, and Olivia were making plans.

“I just hung up with my father,” Stephanie said. “You’ll stay with my parents. They love the idea, and you’ll be safe.”

“I guess that sounds okay,” replied Olivia. “But what about you guys?”

“Lucy and I will go on to Ames Hill and get as much information as we can,” Zeke said as he finished his coffee. “We’ll meet you at Imago Dei tomorrow.”

Olivia remembered something important. “Mrs. French wanted me to tell you the pub is the best place to meet,” said Olivia. “And stay away from the campus for now.”

“What about the cemetery?” asked Zeke.

“She didn’t say anything about that,” replied Olivia. “Why would you need to go back there?”

“Just exploring options,” said Zeke.

“I’m curious, Mr. Hughes,” said Olivia, “how did you know my mother was the coroner?”

Zeke looked at the duffle bag on the floor. “When you came into the diner, I saw the initials L.B. on your bag,” he replied. “I made the connection when you said your dad was Father Gregory.”

“I’m starting to see why Mrs. French sent me here,” said Olivia.

Zeke tore a paper from his notepad and handed it to Stephanie. 

“This is a list of questions,” he said. “Perhaps later Olivia will be up to talk through some things.”

Olivia looked around the table. “Thank you all for helping me,” she said. “Needless to say, my mother is not in the habit of disappearing, but Mrs. French said you would know what to do.”

“We'll do everything we can,” said Father Vance. “Even under the circumstances, it is a pleasant surprise to meet you.”

Just then, Cheryl approached the table with her father. Cheryl held a to-go container.

Stephanie provided introductions. “Olivia, I want you to meet two other friends. This is Cheryl and Jake,” she said. “The diner is a safe place. And your dad really loved it here.”

“And this was your father’s favorite dessert,” said Cheryl. “I hope we get to see more of you.”

—

Later that afternoon, Stephanie dropped Olivia’s bag on the bed. “This was my old room,” she said. “You’ll be safe here. My father was Sheriff for many years.”

“I see,“ said Olivia as she eyed a large gun safe. “What will happen next?”

“Father Vance and I will leave on the first train in the morning to meet Zeke, Lucy, and Mrs. French,” replied Stephanie. “Now, if you get bored, Cheryl will keep you entertained at the diner. Otherwise, my mother is a great cook. Tomorrow is meatloaf Monday, and I’m sorry we’ll miss it. You’ll get to meet my grandfather as well. Everybody loves him. I do need to ask you some more questions before I go. Are you up for that?”

“Of course, anything to help find my mother,” replied Olivia.

“How long has Mrs. French known about you and your mother?”

“She’s been an accomplice all along,” replied Olivia.

“Now we understand why Mrs. French had to feed us clues to keep your mother’s identity a secret,” said Stephanie. “Did you know your mother wrote us a note?”

“Mrs. Stephanie, who do you think slipped it into Mr. Zeke’s pocket at the funeral?”

Stephanie smiled. “Of course,” she replied. “But just how did you manage that?”

“It was easy. He was quite distracted by Mrs. Lucy,” said Olivia. “Did they just get married or something?”

“Yes, they did.” 

Olivia looked around the room and eventually focused on an old picture of Shredder and Stephanie in their teens. 

“Wait, that’s you and Father Vance!” said Olivia. “Did you and Father Vance just get married too?”

“Yes, we did,” Stephanie replied. “In fact, we both were on our way back from our honeymoons when we heard about your dad.”

Olivia turned back to Stephanie, who was now holding the note.

“About that,” Olivia said. “I didn’t open it.”

Stephanie handed it to her. “Your mother only wrote three things. Hopefully, you can help us understand some of it.”

Olivia took the note, and a variety of expressions came across her face.

“The first part is simple,” she replied. “My father couldn’t tell anyone about me or his marriage to my mother.”

“Is there something I’m missing about their relationship? Why did they need to keep it a secret?”

“Just color,” Olivia replied.

Stephanie’s mind raced. “I’m not following….”

“You can’t tell by my skin and hair?”

“They are both beautiful—”

“I’m one part white and one part black,” Olivia said as she held out her arm. “The olive color is great, but my parents weren’t very creative when picking a name. If I had been a boy, I would be Oliver. Tacky, right?”

“I can see how you might feel that way,” she replied. “Did anyone other than Mrs. French know about their marriage?”

“No one that I know of,” replied Olivia. “Even the other priests in the Miracle Council didn’t know. At the time I was born, interracial marriage was an issue for priests. I suppose it’s different now. The fact that my mother had been a student didn’t help the situation. She left the seminary and became a coroner.”

It was then that Stephanie realized the significance of the conversation. She paused to think about what hiding her marriage to Father Vance would be like. 

“I’m so sorry they had to keep you and their marriage a secret for so many years,” said Stephanie. After a moment, she turned back to the note. “Any ideas on these other two items?”

Olivia gave the note back. “I don’t know about ‘Dig Deeper,’” she replied, “but my father would often tell me to ‘Draw a bigger circle.’”

Stephanie didn’t want to make any assumptions. “And what do you think he meant by that?”

“It has to do with seeing yourself as part of something greater. He would say that when we limit ourselves, God draws a bigger circle around us. It helps us to see that there is a greater role and purpose beyond the little thing we are focused on. Which is usually ourselves.”

Stephanie thought for a minute. “Like, we’re in a bedroom, but we’re also in a house?”

“Yes, I suppose so,” replied Olivia.

Stephanie pulled Zeke’s list of questions from her pocket. “Has anything like your mother’s disappearance happened before?” she asked.

“No, but I’ve been wondering if I wasn’t allowed to go on some of their many trips together because they were dangerous.”

Stephanie made a note of that and moved on. “When your father stayed here, he left behind a hidden map.” 

“Let me guess,” said Olivia as she grinned. “Under the mattress of a bed?”

Stephanie was glad to see her smile. “Did he do that often?” she asked.

“Mostly with rubber snakes or other presents like that from a recent trip.” Olivia stood and opened her duffle bag. “In case you were wondering, I was born several years after they were married.”

“I wasn’t wondering,” replied Stephanie.

Father Vance appeared in the bedroom doorway. “How’s it going?” he asked.

Olivia stood and walked toward the door. “Is it too early to call you Uncle Shredder?”

“That good, eh?” he replied. “How did you know that was my first name?”

“Take a guess,” said Olivia. “It was just one of the many stories my dad told me about you and this place.”

“I would be honored to have you call me Uncle Shredder,” Father Vance said. “And I would love to hear those stories. I have a few of my own about your dad, you know.”

“All that will have to wait,” said Stephanie. “Uncle Shredder and I have to get ready if we are going to leave tomorrow.”

“Maybe when you get back, I can see some of the things my father experienced here?” suggested Olivia. “Something about a tree, some mist, and rocks?”

“When we come back, I have a very special place I want to bring you to,” said Stephanie as she smiled at Father Vance. “To see some friends your father got to meet.” 

Read on to Chapter 9 here!