Return

Автор: Anastasia

"It’s funny how fast the time flies, it seems only yesterday I get to know her and now I’m sitting here with her grown – up daughter," I didn’t answer, cautious not to disturb him. "I wish they wouldn’t go away, I really miss her and Connor. But it was typically Lindsay, following Connor whenever he went."

I remembered that being little I used to think that God was in many ways like my father. At least Mom seemed to treat him as if he were something different and had some kind of supernatural forces. She believed in him and that’s what I also did. I still believed he could somehow make it back to US, bringing Mom back. That he returned to me. Of course it was stupid to do so.

"AJ, you haven’t been listening," Peter’s voice brought me back to the reality.

"I’m sorry," I said, "I’ve been again daydreaming."

"Rachel will be delighted to have you around, so will Linnet. They really miss you. You could come home during the summer holidays," Pete proposed.

I managed a smile: "That would be good, but I don’t know. I’ve never been quite sure about tomorrow, Pete, you know that."

He nodded: "Of course I do. Take care, AJ, hope to see you soon."

"Good bye, Peter," I hugged him, fighting back the feeling of uneasiness. As the plane took up, I had a premonition, that I won’t see Peter for a long time.

July was coming and I make plans for the holidays. Terry was going home to Texas and I knew she would be delighted to have me as companion. She already invited me to stay over at hers but I refused, not exactly looking forward to meeting new people who would hover over my family and ask a lot of questions. I considered the decision to go to Peter. I smiled thinking how nice it would be to see my family but on the other side there were too many sad memories. And as Roy came up to me, I knew that was the right way to spend my holidays.

"AJ," I was leaving the physics lecture as he suddenly appeared and called out my name.

I turned around: "Roy? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you," he said, "please, it’s very important." I looked into his face and saw the pleading blue eyes: "Of course, what’s the matter?"

"Are you free now?" he wondered.

"Yes," I smiled, "it was my last lecture today."

"Then let’s go over to the park," he proposed, "I don’t feel like talking here."

I followed him into the bright summer day, wondering what on Earth would make Roy talk to me in such a mysterious way. Hardly we were sitting on a bank, Roy started: "AJ, I’m sorry I’ve been so touchy last time we met. The reason is I liked you but I wasn’t sure how you react and I just let it be. And there’s one more thing: do you remember me talking about the plane crash, when my parents and my sister died?"

I nodded: "Surely I do! How could I forget such a thing?"

Roy smiled at me gratefully and continued: "Well, I didn’t tell you the whole truth: they died in the Bermuda Triangle. My family was returning from Mexico, my sister was an archaeologist and so was her fiancйe. They were flying not far from the so – called Bermuda Triangle. Then the pilot told something about thick fog coming and they were gone. Forever. No matter how thoroughly the police and the rescuers searched: there was no trace either of the plane or the passengers."

I thought I was dreaming: here I was, sitting next to someone, who had to see through the same horror as me. The past, already starting to float away, was again there with the a surprising clearness that took my breath away.

"A ship wrack? In Bermudas? But that’s impossible! We’d have known, we still have friends in O.S.I.R.," it was my father talking. I didn’t want that they see me and so I stood in the doorway, half hidden by the large door. They decided to go to the Bermuda Triangle, that was finally what interested Dad so much. I also liked him talking about it and watching the expression of mock horror on Mom’s face.

Then the last time I saw them: "AJ, remember, no matter where we are and no matter what happens, we will always be together, I’ll always stay you mother and dad your father. I promise I’ll watch over you."

My mother. I knew she didn’t want to go but she couldn’t leave father alone. I wished I could cry now but there were no tears, just a dull pain deep inside, as if someone were hurting me over and over again.

Roy noticed that I was sad for he didn’t talk.

I looked directly at him: "I wasn’t honest as well. Both my mother and father were scientists, working for O.S.I.R. My Dad was fascinated by the mysteries but most of all he was interested in Bermuda Triangle. And Mom followed him whenever he went. She also liked searching for the answers. One day they got a letter. Later we found out it was just a trick, an old enemy of them wanted to get rid of my parents but they didn’t know it. They went away to rescue a ship that was "lost" in Bermuda Triangle. And they never returned."

Roy didn’t answer and there was silence between us. He was the first to talk then: "Well, that means I’m quite sure you’ll help me."

"Me? An hardly 18 – year – old to help you?" I knew I sounded ironical but Roy didn’t seem to care.

"Yes, with your 18 years you’re clever enough to understand things that most of the teachers here won’t even think of," he looked at me and I thought I could see a touch of tenderness in his eyes. "Look, AJ, during these holidays I’m going to the Bermuda Triangle. I want to investigate the reason of this phenomenon. Your Dad was not the only one who was interested in Bermudas. You know, ever since my family disappeared – I’m not quite sure to call them "killed" – I was eager to find out what mysteries hid this place. I was really obsessed by this idea but I never seemed old enough to travel there. But now I’m a teacher at Oxford, a physicist and now I have a chance to find out what really happened. And be sure I won’t give up till I’ve tried everything possible."

I smiled and saw that his face was immediately overshadowed by suppressed anguish. "You don’t believe me, do you?" he asked.

"No," I said hurriedly, afraid he would misunderstand, "I smiled because I can remember Dad talking exactly like you. He liked his work and though not a physicist did his best to solve the mystery of Bermuda Triangle."

Roy smiled now: "And your Mom?"

"She said exactly what I’m going to say to you: "How can I leave you alone? Are you again going to keep me away from the fun?"" I grinned and saw how every tension left Roy’s face.

"Thanks, AJ," he said earnestly, "you can’t imagine how much your engagement means to me!"

From then on we hardly parted. We made long walks together, discussing our trip and simply talking about the past. Strangely enough Roy was the only person with whom I found out I was able to talk without restraints. I think that was exactly what he felt because he told me a lot about his family, most of all about his sister Robin. To me she sounded like an almighty goodness but I think that was what Roy thought of her. I could understand him well, because Robin was 15 years his senior and spent more time with him than his parents.

"It was horrible, you know, the day she told me she was going away to Mexico and Jacque, her fiancйe, was coming with her. I didn’t want her to go away to this place but she only laughed and said that we’ll see each other in three months," his face was so sad I felt an urge to protect him from these memories. But I couldn’t protect even myself, how could I help him? "You can imagine how devastated I was when I heard about the crash: everything that has ever been dear and important to me was gone. And I’m quite sure you know this crazy hope, hoping day after day they would come back. Going on for 15 years."

Возврат к списку