Locomotive to the Past, George Schultz [snow like ashes series txt] 📗

Once home, Jason bought a floor-model Grundig Majestic stereo—and put the “still-wonderful” Columbia 360, in Susan’s room. He’d also bought the LP of the Original Cast recording, of “Happy Fella”—in stereo! Two years later, he would blunder onto an additional album (Costing $39.95)! This treasure-trove contained six magnificent LP stereo discs. The new, “unbelievable”, collection had featured the entire show—dialogue and music—all recorded, on the 12 “sides”! “Remarkable!” (Quoth Jason.)

November 22, 1963: JFK assassinated! And Susan had grown “rather sickly” Jason had hired a pair of full-time nurses—to watch over her! Day and night! She would be 65-years-old—come February! “Still too young… to be in the condition, she’s in.” (Also, quoth Jason.)

That evening, Susan asked Jason to join her, in her “quarters”—adjoining the living room, He couldn’t imagine what this magnificent woman had in mind. She’d seated herself, on the bed—and indicated he should occupy the overstuffed chair, across from her.

“Jason,” she began, “I don’t have that much time, left here. Soon, I’m going to be joining my husband.”

“Oh, Susie, that’s not…” he blustered. But, she held up a hand—and stopped him!

“Listen, Honey!” Her voice appeared to be the slightest bit stronger. “This is a conversation we need to have! At least, I need it. Jason-Baby, you must . . . you simply have to tell me… tell me, honestly! You must tell me… from where you came!”

“Listen, Susie. This is…”

“Jason,” she interrupted. “I’ve saved those dollar bills… the ones you first gave me… back when you came to me. I’d noted… immediately . . . that they’d said ‘Federal Reserve Note’. Maybe I shouldn’t have noticed that. Maybe no one else . . . I don’t think… would’ve noticed. But, I noticed! Later, once I’d had a chance to look at them, closely . . . to really inspect them… I could see that they were from the nineteen-nineties!”

“Look, Susie…”

“From the moment, I guess… from the moment I first saw you… I’d always had this feeling! This special feeling, that there was something… well, something special! Something special . . . about you! Listen, Jason! From the moment that Jeff . . . that my Jeff . . . from the moment, that he was taken from me… from that moment on . . . I prayed! I prayed… and prayed and prayed! I prayed… and asked The Lord. I pleaded . . . with The Lord… to send me someone! Someone… to take his place! To take Jeff’s place! I was unable… to bear any more children! Jeff was… to be my only offspring! So, I asked God… asked Him, again and again… to, please, send me someone! Someone… to be in Jeff’s place! I have the feeling… that Eric had always prayed the same prayer!. He just never would talk about it!”

“Susie, I can’t…”

“Then,” she resumed, “there you were! Knocking at my door! In nineteen-forty-two! I didn’t realize it… not right then . . . but, it didn’t take me long to figure out, who you were! Who you actually are! I guess it was… was when you were trying to lay the most cockamamie story I’d ever heard, on me!” She was able to muster a smile! A warm smile. One bursting with sincerity! And love! “I realized, then,” she went on. “Realized that you were… were that gift! A genuine gift! From God!”

“Aw, Susie. You can’t say that! Not without knowing that…”

“I can say it! I know it! Know it… for a fact! It took Eric, maybe, a little while longer! I’d never mentioned anything to him… but, eventually, he caught on. He figured it out! Now, listen to me! I know . . . know that, somehow, you were! Were sent to me! And this is the time . . . this is the moment . . . that you need to tell me! You need to level, with me, Jason! From where did you come? Was it… was it from the future?”

“I don’t know… don’t know, if I can really tell you, Susie.”

“Why? Why, Jason? Why can’t you tell me? What are you afraid of?”

“I’m… I’m afraid that… that, if I do… I’m afraid that I’ll get sent back! I don’t want to go back! I really can’t…”

“Oh, I don’t think that a God… One who was so loving, so caring . . . would do a thing like that! Not after He’s given you such a beautiful wife… and three darling daughters. And He’s given you me! I just hope that I’ve given back! Given back enough… to you, My Dear.”

He got up—and sat beside her! Then, he put his head down—on her lap! As before! That many years before! And—he began to weep! To weep—once again!

“He simply would not do that,” she repeated, softly rubbing the back of his head—just above his skull. “I have no idea . . . about the situation, from which you might’ve come. But…”

“It really was not a good one,” he lamented. The stream of tears lightened, somewhat. But, they continued to come.

“Well, if you’re that afraid… if you feel in that much jeopardy… then, I have no right to ask you to…”

“I’m going to tell you,” he sniffed—and resumed a sitting position. “I’m going to tell you! Tell you… anyway! I love you, Susie! Love you… dearly!”

“Enough to risk losing… losing everything? Don’t you do it, Jason. At this point, I know everything! Everything… I need to know! You’re from the future! You are! And you were sent to me! By The Lord . . . Himself! My gift!”

Again, he put his head down, on her lap! This time, there was no stemming the flow! The dam had burst! The “gifttee’ resumed patting him, on his head!

Ten minutes later, Valerie—ever so silently—opened the door. Three or four seconds—after beholding the scene—she smiled. And, quietly, she closed the door.

That night, Susan “went on… to be with The Lord!” Silently! Happily!

Now she knows . . . for sure! (Well, he was positive that she’d known—“for sure”—anyway.)

January 24, 1964: Cynthia auditioned for a role, in a road company’s production, of Boys From Syracuse—originally a Rodgers & Hart adaptation, of Shakespeare’s Comedy Of Errors. The original show had opened, on Broadway—in 1938—and had featured Eddie Albert (of Green Acres fame).

Cynthia was accepted. Became part of the