Maria stared momentarily into the bright blue eyes passed down to him by his father. As the music played softly she said, “I love this song.”
“Would you care to dance?” Turner asked softly, finally letting go of his preoccupied thoughts.
“I thought you’d never ask,” Maria replied, smiling brightly as the two walked slowly over to the small wooden dance floor. They embraced in a rhythmic motion that soon caught the attention of the diners surrounding them. Those in attendance at the restaurant that evening recognized the couple from the media coverage that ensued over the last few weeks.
A hush fell upon the room as the patrons watched the two gracefully move across the dance floor like two lovers brought together for the first time.
Maria’s sweet perfume permeated Turner’s senses like a warm summer’s breeze. For him, the room became devoid of all people; only Maria existed in his world right now. He savored the feeling of her warm body against his and her tight embrace. He listened to the song’s lyrics and closed his eyes.
‘“And now I long for twilight’s love, which fills the loss within my heart. God's gift to me I never knew, till now as we do part.”’
Turner felt at peace as they continued to hold each other in tight embrace long after the music had ended. As they tenderly kissed each other, the restaurant's patrons applauded the two young lovers. Slightly embarrassed, they walked back to their table.
As they sat down, the two were greeted by Samuel. He had come to the restaurant looking for them.
“Hey, amigos,” Samuel said with his usual flair, joining the two at the table. “How are you doing?”
“I’m doing okay, Samuel. I’m going to be alright,” he responded as Maria greeted Samuel with a kiss on the cheek. “Would you care to join us for dinner?” he asked his friend. Samuel grabbed Turner's glass of water.
“Sorry, Josh, but I have a hot date with Major Zibrinski,” he replied with a knowing grin that caused the three to break out in laughter.
“You dog!” Turner said jokingly. “Have you no respect for military protocol?”
“Hey amigo, a man’s gotta’ do what a man’s gotta’ do,” Samuel said, adjusting his only tie. “I’m picking her up at the hotel in thirty minutes, but I came by to tell you about the copper scroll that Maria and your dad found. They were finally able to safely unroll it and make a translation of Aramaic text. The sad part is that most of the etching on the scroll was worn away and undecipherable.”
“Did they find any clues that might authenticate who wrote it?” Turner asked inquisitively.
“No, but what they were able to decipher was short and somewhat vague, but I think for you it will be very profound,” Samuel said as he pulled a piece of paper from his suit coat pocket and began reading the translation:
‘“I must leave you soon, my beloved. Where I go, you cannot follow. The Son becomes the Father, and the Father becomes the Son. Be steadfast in the days to come as I am no longer with you, for trying times will come unto thee.”’
“Wow,” Maria said, looking at Turner in amazement. “You would think it was a message for you.”
“Sounds like it, huh?” Turner said reflectively.
Turner looked into Maria's eyes. He longed to stay with her, but he knew in his heart the reality that they were not destined to be together; at least not at this present time.
“Maria, I, uh, I don’t know how to say this, but….”
“You don’t need to say anything, Josh,” she said gently. “It’s written all over your face. You'd make a lousy poker player. Just be with me tonight and don’t worry, I’ll be here waiting if you ever get tired of digging in the dirt.”
“It’s something I have to do, Maria. I have to do it for Dad.”
“I understand, Josh, but remember I'll be here if you need me. Wait, I almost forgot…I have something for you,” she said, reaching down for a cloth bag she brought with her. “I forgot to give it to you at your dad’s funeral.”
Turner let out a breath as she pulled his father’s tattered outback hat from the cloth bag and handed it to him. “You’ll need this, Mr. Josh Turner,” she said tenderly.
“I don’t know what to say,” he replied with welling eyes as Samuel looked on with a wide grin.
“Just do as good a job as your father did and make him proud,” she said with tears welling up in her eyes. “And don’t forget to call from time to time, alright?”
Turner slowly placed the hat on his head. He looked at Samuel and said, “What do you think, pal?”
“It looks good on you, amigo. Besides, you’ll need it where we’re going. We’ve been assigned by ICAP to assist in a field study on a new Cretaceous mass extinction theory in Nepal. It looks as if they were impressed with our finesse here on Tenerife. Are you up for another adventure?” Samuel said, winking at Maria as she laughed.
“As long as there are no more volcanoes!” Turner said firmly, putting his father’s hat gently on the table. “I’ve had my fill of them, thank you.”
Turner picked up his glass, reflected for a moment, smiled at his friends, and made a toast. “Here’s to my friends, to ICAP, to history, and to my father, Eli Turner.”
“Here! Here!” they all said, glasses clinking together.
As Samuel and Maria chatted, Turner mused over the words written on the ancient scroll. Was it purely a coincidence, or was this somehow a message from his father? Turner would never know for sure, but somehow he did know that he would no doubt have more adventures ahead of him…many more.
More about the author
Tim Fairchild was born and raised in Southern New Jersey where he grew up in a small town named Pleasantville.
Upon graduation from High School, and one year attending St. Petersburg College in Florida, he went to work for New Jersey Bell Telephone and made a thirty-two year career with them; retiring as a Central Office Switchman from Verizon Communications in 2003. Fairchild is married to his wonderful wife, Beverley for thirty-four years now and has two daughters, Melissa and Kristen.
During the years between 2000 and 2003, Fairchild discover a taste for travel and discovering new cultures with four mission trips. Two were to Honduras and one to Belize to help with hurricane relief. The final one in 2003 was to Chosica, Peru.
In 2011, Fairchild and his wife moved to their current home in the beautiful state of Maine where he now writes full time.
Strongly influenced by such authors as Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy, plus having a strong interest in adventure in exotic locales, history, and science, it was only natural that Fairchild chose the genre of adventure. Being relatively new to the world of writing novels, Fairchild completed two courses in writing fiction, and with his new-found knowledge, applied it to his writing style.
Fairchild's first action adventure novel, ZERO POINT, was finally completed and released in 2011 and was a Grand Master Finalist in the Clive Cussler Collectors Society’s 2012 Adventure Writers Competition.