When The Stars Align Ch. 01

"When you came through the gate, I'm sure you gents noticed the sign that said 'Private Property' and the one under it that says 'No Trespassing.' Well folks, you're doing just that and in case you're wondering, this shotgun is registered to me and since this is my property, I'm free to carry it around."

The stand off lasted until I closed the doors to my workshop. It was also then, that one of the tinted windows slid down an inch and a female voice could be heard.

"Please put the gun down Mr. Ellington. I'm about to get out of this vehicle and I truly get upset when people shove shotguns in my face."

Regardless of still having a shotgun pointed at them, both gorillas moved to the Hummer, one stood to the side, while the other opened the door. I'm sure the fact he had his mouth open to protest at the woman wanting to come out of the safety of the Hummer, and be in the vicinity of an old man brandishing a shotgun only to be met with a hand he duly held as Victoria grasped it and emerged into the sunshine. The silent woman followed and again that strange language started, as I can only assume she related the scene in front of her to Victoria who seemed to take it all in her stride.

"Ma'am I suggest you shut the fuck up."

Dad then looked at Victoria and continued, "Around here we speak American and if your friend can't speak it, she needs to learn real quick."

Victoria simply smiled in the direction of my dad. The two gorillas were still uneasy at some old man having the drop on both of them. The one by the Hummer took exception to dad's comment, and his hand slowly inched towards the fold of his jacket. Now my dad may be old, but that doesn't make him stupid, even the small gesture of lowering his shotgun to the bodyguard's private parts brought about the expected response and his hand went back to his side.

The silent one said nothing. Just glared at dad, who glared right back at her, Victoria quickly picked up on the growing tension and said. "Mr. Ellington, would it help if I asked both my people to return to the vehicle and sit in it?"

"Ma'am what you do with your two 'suits' is up to you. But if they sit in their vehicle, then they sit in the middle of that field behind you."

The silent one looked behind her and then back to Victoria.

"A rectangular field approximately two hundred by one fifty, the field looks like it has recently been cut back so everyone can see if Josh or Marcus leaves the vehicle."

The whole group seemed to be watching and waiting. This was Victoria's call, or so I thought it was, she however seemed to think differently.

"What would you like me to do Doug?"

Only the silent one and Victoria looked towards me, the gorillas and dad seemed to be having there own staring contest.

"The urge to tell you to leave, does seem to be outweighed by the need to find out what the heck you're doing here, so I would suggest your two friends get comfortable with sitting in that field for awhile."

One of the gorillas went to object, the silent one quickly shook her head. The frustration that his charge would be out of his protection was clear to see. I would imagine he had been with Victoria for some time because he kept his mouth shut. The slow walk back to the Hummer and the gesture he made to dad that he was going to put his hand in through the open window to retrieve something, only received a nod from dad.

His hand emerged and he walked towards the silent one with a radio in his hand. He went to walk back to the Hummer but stopped and looked at Victoria.

"Ma'am I'm not comfortable with this."

"I'll be fine Marcus, I have Gretchen with me and I assume that was a radio you gave her a moment ago?"

Marcuse nodded and then added a 'Yes Ma'am,' before he walked back to the Hummer. They got in, drove over to the field and parked. Seconds later a glint of light reflecting off of glass made me suspect that Marcus was watching us through binoculars.

"Is this her?" My father nodded towards Victoria, while looking at me.

I smiled slightly before I answered. "Yes dad."

Then I looked towards Victoria and said. "Victoria van der Vaart, I would like you to meet my father, James Ellington."

Victoria for her part, still seemed to take the awkwardness of this situation in her stride, and held out her hand, her smile just got bigger and she heard my father approach and grasp her hand, shaking it as gently as I've ever seem him shake anyone's hand before. They exchanged pleasantries, as though what just happened was imagined.

As my father went to excuse himself, he looked over to me and said. "Play nice, I can't fit anymore bodies in the lower field, the sheriff is already becoming suspicious. I'll send Lou-Lou out later with lemonade."

We both watched the smile falter on Victoria's lips and then get bigger, once she realized that my father was shining her on. Out of habit, he nodded towards Victoria, paused for a second and said 'Ma'am' as he wandered away, leaving the three of us standing in the clearing.

"May we move somewhere more sheltered, I'm not used to the Georgia sunshine and I'm starting to melt."

That alone startled me out of my daze and I moved towards her, Victoria held out her arm and I held her, as we walked over to the bench, the tree afforded us the shelter from the sun and we could still be seen by her bodyguards.

It was Victoria that spoke, once we were comfortable. "I believe an explanation is required."

I leaned back against my seat and said. "Sure, go ahead."

Her face took on a look of confusion, Victoria's lips came together and her head seemed to tilt slightly.

"I meant you. Why did you run away a year ago?"

Now it was my turn to be confused. Even as my mind relived an evening of my life I thought was nothing more than history, the ultimatum from Victoria that she would only sign if I was no longer heading the team, the walk back to my apartment and discovering the break-in culminating in me packing what little I had left and coming home.

As my mouth opened to counter her claim, the most bazaar sight came towards me. Lou-Lou walked down the path carrying a tray with glasses and a pitcher of lemonade, three floppy hats sat squarely on her head. The urge to laugh was close to overwhelming.

"Daddy, grandpa said you have visitors and I have to be on my best behavior. He says you have two women here and I was to bring them hats for the sun."

Both women looked toward the vision walking down the gravel path. Gretchen went to speak, Lou-Lou spoke first.

"I called Grandpa a liar, you and a woman in the same state would be hard to believe, let alone one on the farm."

Victoria giggled and Lou-Lou came to an abrupt halt. She composed herself real quick, but not before I heard her say. "Oh shit."

The startled look on her face, as she heard her own words caused her to cuss once more before going bright red, clamping her mouth shut to prevent making a bigger fool of herself. Gretchen said something in that language again and Victoria looked towards me, it was clear she wished to state the obvious; I just wandered if she would.

Her voice cracked as she said but two words. "She's blind."

Lou-Lou zeroed in on Victoria's voice and resumed her walk towards us. Stopping at the table and placing the drinks upon it, pulled two of the three hats off and held them over the table. Gretchen took them from her, thanked her and placed one on Victoria and one on herself.

"Yes ma'am, have been since Sammy kicked me in the head when I was eight years old."

Victoria looked towards Lou-Lou, clearly confused by her answer. I guess her explanation wasn't enough.

"Who is Sammy?"

By now, Lou-Lou had come around the table and started to fill glasses with lemonade. Gretchen once again spoke to Victoria in that language of theirs.

My daughter stopped filling a glass and said. "Ma'am you need to stop that, I'm blind not deaf. What you're doing is plain rude."

Gretchen went bright red and apologized. Looking towards Victoria for some kind of guidance, Victoria seemed to have regrouped and listened for Lou-Lou and where she sat. She smiled as she heard her sit next to me.

"I'm sorry my dear. Its habit for us, my friend and I use our home tongue when we don't want anyone to know what we are talking about. I admit, we use it far too often, you have my word we will not use it around you again."

Lou-Lou smiled. "Thank you."

"Will you tell me who Sammy is?"

A great sadness came to my daughter as she thought about Victoria's question and just how to answer her.

"Sammy was my horse, I was out riding him one day and a snake spooked him. I liked to think he was looking out for me when he reared up and tried to stomp on the thing. That's the last I knew, when I woke up my head was wrapped in bandages and daddy told me I had been in hospital nearly a week."

The sadness that swept over her even now made me hold her hand ever so tightly. My own daughter has had years to come to terms with what had happened, it didn't stop the feelings she had for the horse she loved so dearly, seeping from every pore in her body.

Lou-Lou was late returning from her morning ride, it had worried me. Sammy would never have allowed that to happen, so a friend and I went looking for her. When we found them, my world imploded.

We bandaged her up as best we could before carrying her to my horse and I rode back to the farm with my daughter in my arms. Dixon stayed with Sammy and waited until we could get more help to him. Our whole family closed ranks that day and for many weeks after that, it was left to me to explain that none of us knew what had happened until Dixon at the scene of the accident had worked it out from the tracks.

The snake had already struck Sammy before he realized he was there, Sammy threw Lou-Lou off with the shock and as my daughter lay unconscious, the snake went for her.

That's when Sammy kicked out at Lou-Lou to put distance between her and the snake, even though he was dying, he rolled over and onto the snake killing it.

By now my daughters head was resting on my shoulder. I felt her shudder as she once again listened to what her best friend had done to protect her, even when he was dying.

By the time I looked up from my daughter, both Gretchen and Victoria looked so incredibly sad. Gretchen reached into her bag and pulled out a couple of tissues, pulled one off and handed the other to Victoria. Simultaneously they pulled their sunglasses up and wiped their eyes. Inwardly I smiled and kept the comment I was going to make, to myself.

Victoria pulled in a breath and said to Lou-Lou. "Stand up child and come here."

I felt my daughters body stiffen, when I looked at her she had that determined look on her face. The pause before she said anything, and the way her jaw tightened let me know that she was willing to slug it out with Victoria. She may be twelve but that never stopped her from telling us adults when she felt we were wrong.

"Ma'am, I gather by your voice and the authority you place in it, you're used to getting your own way. Well on this farm you're plum out of luck, Grandpa owns it so I listen to him and daddy cos he's so cute. You either say 'please' or I ain't getting up."

I was proud of my daughter when she stood up for herself and actually told Victoria about her lack of manners.

What she said next made me stifle a laugh. "And where do you get off, calling me child all the time. I'll have you know I'm twelve, not two."

Gretchen smiled and said something in that language of theirs again. Lou-Lou quickly looked her way, making her shrink back slightly.

"I said you have spunk. We are raised with old country values and traditions; we have not been formally introduced to you, so we can't call you by your name."

Victoria nodded at her friend's explanation. My daughter seemed to relax when she understood what Gretchen had said, smiled once again, and then got up off the seat. The back of her hand followed the shape of the table; she stopped when she sensed Gretchen close by.

"Please stand, Grandpa says I should shake hands with sighted people, but I always think that puts me at a disadvantage, don't you?"

Even as Gretchen stood placing her sunglasses on the table as she did so, I watched as Victoria smiled and gently nod her head. Gretchen then knelt so that she was now at the same height as Lou-Lou, who then held out her hands. Gretchen gently held them and placed them on her face, allowing my daughter to make a picture in her mind of the person she was talking to. Once satisfied with her mental image, her hands came away from Gretchen's face and she then held out one hand so they could also shake hands as well.

"Good afternoon. My name is Lou-Lou Ellington, you're the sighted one."

Gretchen blushed slightly and then smiled. Both hands slid from their grip and Gretchen gently held my daughters arm to guide her over to Victoria. Just as suddenly, my daughter pulled her arm away from Gretchen and once again stood her ground.

"Has daddy met your friend?"

Victoria quickly understood what Lou-Lou not only said, but meant. "We were introduced at the agency your father worked at."

"The way I hear it, you had a stick up your ass that day. So you never actually met my daddy, did you?"

There seemed to be a conversation within a conversation, going on with these two and it was left to Gretchen and me to play catch up. Victoria stiffened at being told off by a twelve year old. She seemed to take it in her stride, though.

"My dear, I believe you are right."

With that, she held out her hands and after a momentary pause while I realized what she was planning to do, I held them, leaning across the table as I did so. At first, she was hesitant and as her finger tips made contact she seemed to take a sharp breath before she calmed, and continued her mental mapping off my face. Instinctively I closed my eyes, as her fingers moved across my face. Her perfume toyed with my senses, she sure smelled nice.

Finally, she moved her hands away and sat back on her seat, I moved back across the table and watched Gretchen once again hold my daughters arm, Victoria heard them close in and turned in her seat so both faced each other, handing Gretchen her sunglasses as she did so. Both took great care in building their own mental picture of each other before Lou-Lou faltered and stopped, her hands slowly dropped by her side before she once again held out one hand ready to shake with Victoria.

"Lou-Lou Ellington, I'm pleased to meet you."

"Victoria van der Vaart." She paused for a moment.

"It's ok Lou-Lou, I'm not here to harm your father, but I do need answers."

My daughter simply stood in front of Victoria for a moment longer before she shrugged her shoulders and said. "I know."

She turned and started to follow the gravel path back to the house, paused for a moment and said. "Grandpa said to remind you that Dale is coming by in a couple of hours."

I watched her for a moment longer; she didn't wait for my answer, simply turned and continued to walk up the path to the house. There was something off about my daughter as she walked away, a sadness I hadn't seen in her, since I left for the city.

"Mr. Ellington."

Even as I once again returned my attention to Victoria, I caught Gretchen looking back from my daughter's slow walk up the path. That language passed between them again and I felt like an outsider, I was pissed and since I refused to be the outsider amongst these two, I stood and waved an arm towards the Hummer in the field. The roar of the engine was instant, movement followed barely a second later.

Victoria stood. "Mr. Ellington we have to talk."

Her voice carried with it a sense of urgency, as angry with them both, as I was, I chose to ignore it.

"I believe our time is up, if you will excuse me, I have things to do. The fact that you choose to ignore what was asked of you both, from my father and a twelve year old and actually stick to a language we can all understand leaves me with little choice. Your ride is here, go home and leave me alone."

My father and I watched them leave from the porch. We could hear Lou-Lou in the kitchen singing to some song on the radio.

"She's cute. She's not done with you son, find out what she wants and sort it out with her. Connie is coming by later to take Lou-Lou back with her until you get done with that woman."

We could have argued about it, but both Connie and my father made sense. I grunted an agreement and we both went inside to eat. Dad watched the Hummer on the surveillance system leave the farm before he joined us at the table.

*******

It was two months before our paths crossed again. I got that feeling from time to time, that I was being watched; it didn't bother me all that much since no laws had been broken. NASCAR was in town, the preliminaries were on and I sat watching, making notes and jotting down times when someone sat next to me. Gretchen smiled, and then watched the scene in front of her for awhile, the urge to ignore her was strong but the warning from my dad was stronger.

We sat for close to half an hour like this until she got up and left, she came back ten minutes later with two cups in a carryall, handed me one and held onto the other. With the noise of the cars, it was close to impossible to hold any form of conversation so neither of us initiated one. The free coffee tasted good though, half an hour later she got up and disappeared again, this time I watched her more closely and her ass sure looked tight in those jeans.

Being a male of the species, I was left to wonder if she was poured into them for a moment, before my attention was once again on track times. She came back with coffee and hot dogs for us both and when there was a pause in the activities on the racetrack we both tucked into them. It was still a full hour before the crowd that had gathered to watch and the people in the centre of the track started to pack up and leave for the day that the noise was once again at an acceptable level to hear each other.

"Are you interested in racing or are you here for another reason?"

Gretchen paused for a moment, watching the last remnants of the crowed leave before replying to my question.

"To be honest, up until today I hadn't realized this sort of thing went on. Can I come back tomorrow?"

Inwardly I smiled, before replying. "Tomorrows race day. It's sold out."

She turned to watch me for a moment and that smile just got bigger.

"I will make a bet with you. Tell me where you're seated and I will bring us hotdogs and coffee sometime during the race. If I do that, then dinner that evening is on you, if I don't then dinner's on me."

Even I had to admit I admired her determination, her smile faltered when I started to shake my head.

"I'm not a betting man, but I'm willing to go along with whatever you have in mind."

Pointing to the seat I had booked for race day, I added. "I'm with a couple of friends tomorrow and it's advisable not to stand in front of them when the race is on."

For a moment, her face remained neutral. A glint of a smile crossed her lips and quickly left again before she nodded her head and stood up.

"The weather report says it's going to be a good day tomorrow. Do you mind if I make reservations at Gardinies? I do like the fish there and I get to dress up as well."

The small laugh that left my lips was only added to, when I shook my head in wonderment at her.

"You're assumption that you will win this so called bet, sounds like it's going to be real interesting tomorrow."

Gretchen smiled once more before she waved and left, with me watching that ass of hers once again. By late evening the so called bet was a distant memory, my two friends saw to that. To say I was a little frail the next morning would be considered an understatement; both the guys took pleasure in telling me that city life had made me a pussy.