The Cordovian Effect - Chpt 6

The ride home was a quiet one as I brooded over what Arlo said not to mention Keri.

She was right, I did want to know who she was in her first life but I wanted her to tell me. She was most likely a tech... maybe one that took my blood while I was at Warwick or the young lady who brought my breakfast or maybe she made my bed while I was in the lab. The truth is she could have been a hundred different people and I would never know. It worked on my head far more than I would have liked. What I really wanted was for her to tell me outright.

I tried to decide whether to go straight to bed or to work for a little while when the door suddenly opened.

"Jon," Corona shouted suddenly there.

She had run so hard I had no choice but to catch her in my arms.

"I'm sorry Jon but she insisted on telling you good night," Rose called after her.

"It's alright, I don't mind." It was true, I didn't. I had never had children of my own and this was nice.

"Good night Jon," she said, throwing her arms around my neck, hugging me.

I hugged her back and tried to set her down. She hugged tighter moving closer to whisper in my ear.

"You've never been to Montana," she said softly and then slipped from my arms.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Come on Corona that's enough, Jon's very busy."

My mind swirled madly... was she asking me or telling me? I couldn't make heads or tails of her words. I wanted to ask her for an explanation but felt compelled not too.

Rose smiled, waving lightly to me and then returned with Corona to the house.

The guest house suddenly felt empty... very empty.

I stuffed my hands into my pockets and reluctantly followed them, making my way to the main house, more accurately to the kitchen.

I stood outside the door and drew a deep breath before pushing it open.

The house smelled of cooking meat and bread. It often did. Xuxa might be one scary psycho with a knife but she could cook like no one I had ever seen. Food seemed to be on the stove top 24 / 7 in a never ending parade of meat, stews, soups, vegetables and baked goods. I had no idea where it all went... the woman cooked like she was feeding an army.

"Jon?" Rose asked confused as I entered.

"I was in the mood for a little snack," I explained weakly.

Rose turned to look at her mother.

The old woman pretended not to understand English but she knew why I was there. She stood at the stove stirring at her pots as if she were the only one in the room.

Rose spoke to her in Spanish for a moment or so but Xuxa ignored her and we just stood there.

"Smells good," I offered honestly.

Without looking up from the stove or even in my direction she pulled a bowl out of the upper cabinet, filled it and then handed it to Rose.

"Come, sit down," she said opening a drawer in an effort to find a spoon.

As I made my way to the table I couldn't help but notice Corona. She stared at the floor and as I passed her she pointed toward the living room. It caught me a little off guard. It puzzled me. I hesitated briefly and before I could formulate a question someone knocked on the front door.

I took the bowl from Rose and sat down as she went to answer it.

"Who the hell are you?" a woman asked harshly and pushed her way into the house. "Where's Jon?"

"Hey, can I help you?" Rose challenged grabbing the woman by the arm to hold her in place.

"Get your hands off me. Do you know who I am?" the new comer hissed. "Jon! Jon... where are you? Jon?"

"I'm Jon," I answered standing, trying my best to chew and swallow at the same time.

"Ah, darling there you are," she shouted and ran inside to throw her arms around my neck and began to kiss my face repeatedly.

"Hang on, hang on. Who are you and what can I do for you?" I said while trying to hold the woman at arms length.

She drew a deep, hurtful breath, clutching her throat.

"Then it's true? You don't remember me? You don't remember us?" She asked, her voice quivering with disbelief.

"Beverly Gunderson?" Rose suddenly offered.

"Jon, who is this woman?"

I was confused beyond words.

"Jon? Who is this woman? What does she mean to you? Why is she here?" She asked in an accusatory tone, slapping my chest with the back of her hand.

I fumbled to find the right words but was stymied.

"Jon, if I may," Rose said pulling me aside. "I'm fairly certain she is Beverly Gunderson."

"I don't know who that is," I confessed honestly.

"You were engaged to her for three years," She whispered turning to smile at the woman.

"I what?"

"You and she were going to get married and then something happened and you dropped off the face of the earth."

"What happened?"

"Really? You're asking me?"

"Awh, that's right, I forgot," I said feeling a little embarrassed.

"Then you don't remember... you have no idea what happened to you?"

"I don't."

Rose and I turned at the same time to look at our guest and smiled.

"So, you are cheating on me with this... this..."

"Hold on, no one is cheating on anyone. Rose is my..."

"Housekeeper," Rose suddenly injected.

I was stuck. I was going to say friend but her answer made more sense at the time.

"Well, why didn't you call me when you got home? You didn't because you wanted to be with her," the woman accused, pointing at Rose.

"First of all, I have no idea who you are or why you're here. Second where do you get off busting into my house and..."

"You don't remember me? This is not possible, look at me. How could you forget this?" She suddenly yelled, turning in a slow circle to show off her body.

Her hour glass shape spoke of lots of time in the gym, making her trim and athletic in her appearance. Her skin tight outfit spoke of something else. Her hair had been finely sculpted to frame her face and her nails had been painted a bright red.

"Very nice but I have no memory of you at all, sorry," I said folding my arms.

Her eyes welled with tears as she rushed toward me kissing my face again.

"Jon, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. Come, we will never fight again, I will make you remember," she said and began to unbutton her clothing, pulling me toward the master bedroom.

"Oh, no you don't," Rose said pulling me the opposite way.

"Alright, that's enough, both of you," I groused, pulling myself free. "Now, you first, who are you?"

"Jon, what has she done to you? It's me, Beverly," she sobbed.

"Told you so," Rose whispered, leaning into me.

"Beverly, I have no memory of ever spending any time with you. I'm sorry but you are a complete stranger to me."

"It was him wasn't it? He took you away from me," she cried leaning her head against my chest.

"Him who?"

"The tuna man, the one with no pants. He did this to you. I know it was him."

I was stunned and took a step backward.

"I have no idea who you are talking about," I lied.

Her eyes darted back and forth as if checking my face for some sign of a lie.

"Why don't you tell us about the last time you and Jon were together," Rose suggested wrapping her arm around Beverly's waist, guiding her to the table.

"We were here in the house, we were fighting over your friend in the guest house. He wondered around the yard with no pants talking to himself. You were angry but you put him in the car and drove away. I never saw him or you again until today."

"Why was he here?" I asked trying to finish my bowl of food.

"I don't know but it was the worse three days of my life."

"You don't remember anything else? Any thing the man said, anything I might have said?"

"I only know that you knew him before he came here. You hadn't seen each other in a long time but by end of the first day you were very upset and by the third you were being impossible."

"Do you know why?"

"I didn't understand any of it, something about Adam and Eve... the first people. I don't know. It was a stupid argument. Why don't you remember me?" she asked clasping my hand.

"I don't know. I have no idea where I was or how long I was gone. I remembered the house after I saw it, like seeing a movie for the second time years later but I have no memory at all of you."

"He stole you from me, I knew it," She mouthed weakly.

I had no idea what to say to that. She was speaking of Roger and the Dikika, that much I was sure of but what any of that had to do with a sculptor or how I would wind up with his life was way beyond me.

We spoke for another two hours but little if anything more came to light.

"Can I see you tomorrow? Please, I'm sure I can make you remember me," Beverly asked as I walked her to the door.

"I don't know let me think about it a little. I'm not me just yet and I'm not sure about anything. Give me a couple of days. Okay?"

"You were never so cautious. You were decisive, a wild animal that took whatever you wanted, did whatever you felt. The rules never applied to you. I'm not sure I like this new you," she said kissing me lightly on the lips. "A couple of days then."

A part of me felt sorry for her, the look on her face as I closed the door was painful and my heart sank. What stuck in my head was the fact that we did not generate a spark when we kissed. The thought consumed me. Had my condition become an on again, off again situation or... and the thought shocked me as it jumped to mind, maybe it was not my problem at all. Maybe Keri was the one generating the spark. It would be odd to be on the other end of that issue. I had to think about it for a while.

Having had enough for the day I made my way back to the guest house. I wondered around in the dark for a few minutes trying to decide whether to go to bed or work for a little while, settling instead on a beer from my fridge. As it cast its meager light into the room I heard the faint sound of the front door opening behind me.

As I turned, a woman stood framed by the door way.

"By all means, come in," I snapped a little more snide than I had intended, closing the refrigerator door throwing the room into darkness again.

"Jon," a woman said, stepping forward.

"What are you doing here Veronica?"

"What? No, how have you been? How's it going? What's new?"

I knew this woman... she was part of my past, Jon's past to be more accurate... but she was a big part. My mind raced as a flood of new images poured over me. It was as if a new untapped part of my brain had suddenly opened up revealing people and experiences that had been hidden from me until now.

"I told you, I'm out," I heard myself say, turning away from her.

"That's not how I remember it," She returned, coming closer.

"I don't care how you remember it... I'm out," I said folding my arms.

"What makes you think you have a choice?" She asked coming closer, unfolding my arms to wrap hers around me, laying her head on my chest.

Slowly, I wrapped my arms around her, returning her hug and for a moment or so we just stood there.

"Why did you send Beverly?"

"Not I," she lied.

"So she just found her way here... all by herself."

"I might have given her a little bump in your direction but nothing out and out deliberate."

"Oh no, not you," I mocked and pushed her away.

"Alright, so much for old times. Let's get down to it. What the hell happened to you? Where have you been?" She asked, her voice shifted. She was being her bitchy self again.

I remembered everything about this woman... every curve, every birthmark, every whisper, every stolen kiss in the dark... Everything.

She had come into my life as an admirer of my work or at least that was the impression she and the others wanted me to have. She was smart, attractive, slim and very flirtatious. It was easy for me to fall for her... she and the others had made a point of it. I was in way over my head where she was concern. I was putty in her hands and happy about it.

It didn't take long before she introduced me to her friends. They were a brilliant people the likes of which I had never met. They treated me like royalty... like an equal and God forgive me but I was flattered beyond common sense. We met twice a week for drinks and conversation. Inevitably the discussion turned to science and politics, making me feel a little over my head. Eventually it became clear they knew... how I couldn't say but they knew.

I had been careful to the point of being paranoid hiding my affliction from the world from the age of nine and somehow the b******s knew.

I was taken aback with the thought... Jon had grown up with B.C.E.D. just like I had and I understood the connection between us far better. We were the same person before Roger consolidated us in this body.

"I told you, I draw the line at murder. So tell them all... I'm out."

"You would sacrifice the entire world for the life of one man?"

"If you don't get it, then nothing I can say will convince you."

"We had a deal. You stop Roger Keswick any way you can but instead you simply drop off the face of the earth."

"What do you care? He was shot by his own creations. He's a physical and mental cripple now. Instant karma as far as I'm concerned."

"He's dead... has been for almost seven years."

"Really? I'm sorry to hear it, I liked the man."

"Enough to let him live?"

"I'm no murderer, not for you, not for the Coalition, not for the world... I'm out. Besides if he's dead then it's over."

"He might be dead but his mind is still alive and the Coalition wants him found."

My heart pounded wildly, I felt as though my true identity was about to be uncovered as well as that of the Dikika.

"Bullshit, if he's gone he's gone," I said as dismissively as I could, refusing to look at her.

"The last report we got from you said you and Roger were in Montana heading to Warwick."

"I've never been to Montana. We went to Warwick for some test and after a week or so I had no interest in being his lab rat. The way I remember it, we argued, he tried to convince me, offering me a butt load of money but I turned Roger's offer down. After, I knew I had to find myself, find out what life really means to me."

"So, what? You just threw all this away, your career, your work, your life to wonder around the country side?"

"More or less."

"Abigail isn't going to like this."

"That's her problem... like I said... I'm out."

"We'll see."