Barren Land **** Chapter One Hundred Twenty-One

After Procell walked away from the door I turned around, leaned against it and slid to the floor. The smell of the cheese filled my nostrils, I'd wondered why he preferred for me to meet him downstairs in the lobby. I considered he was being respectful by not coming inside and also could hear the storm at the height of its performance, I stood up finally and walked to the window to see the winter rain being controlled by high winds. As I looked outside the lights flickered before I realized the power had gone out and the hotel's generator had come on. I'd begun to feel lonely and didn't mind the company, it was no big deal. It wasn't like I hadn't waited to see Procell, why was I hesitant? While dressing into the last set of clothing I'd brought along I uncovered the cheese on the tray and put a cube into my mouth. With hopes I had missed a call from Dario I assume, I looked at the phone to see only the time and date and no notifications.

After being able to consume the cheese without complications I glanced at the breakfast menu and contemplated ordering an omelet, I'd eaten six pieces of cheese before I made it to the elevator. Nostalgically, something reminded me of Twan, he became heavy on my heart while I experienced a sad spell. My emotions were uncontrollable and it was almost becoming impossible to walk, I knew I needed stability and I yet silently promised my babies I would find them soon. Who had brought all the evil to the land I wondered wholeheartedly.

I'd entered into the lobby of the Windsor Court after exiting the elevator to find Procell sitting in a chair, with his back to me, his top hat was slightly visible over the top of the chair. I noted his height and build. Who was he and from whence had he come? I anticipated finding out as I approached him sitting in the dimmed section of the lobby. I wondered if he'd known what his name meant...

With his legs crossed I saw the red plaid socks he wore that complimented the red shoes. He cleaned up quite nice I admitted to myself, while extending my hand to him. I watched him focus; something inside of me desired to touch his hand.

He spoke and greeted me.

Clearly he was of great importance, the lilt of his tone was accompanied by a thick southern accent---he focused on my hand and accepted the hand shake before asking me to sit, I'd occupied the adjacent chair while the top hat shadowed his face. I vowed not to let him remain mysterious to me.

Diaphanous came to mind when considering the doll like man, I didn't know why and hadn't known whether to consider meeting him an honor or not. Expressionless he remained. Who was he? I remembered his features vaguely but I had been drunk the night of Severance.

Why had he knocked on my door at 3:30 a.m---was it some sort of contempt?

He spake, his voice became so recently familiar, all at once---"U belong to your father and want to carry out his desires...it was an honor to see u in the midst, I've also learned so much about u and have known your family for quite some time."

As I tried to see his face he removed his hat and smoothed the ribbon before positioning it on his slender knee. The white pinstripe tuxedo was perfectly tailored, I found myself looking between his legs trying to size him up occasionally.

I told him my parents had never mentioned him he said he'd known my Grandmother as well. No more than two or three years my own elder, he looked, I wondered how he could have possibly known her but he began to tell me a story from many years back, I watched his pink lips and green eyes while he spake--- a man of perfection I could tell and uniquely beautiful. I was vulnerable enough want his company, besides, he was only human, though categorized by society.

He talked about a place where he'd lived ---"Mother worked for an Inn, and found me inside of the drawer only a few hours old. I've never known my birth mother, but she hid me the rest of the day while at work and took me home. She had a husband and could not reveal she'd brought home a child, a mouth to feed so she left me outside in nature. I began to love nature, and soon the garden---oddly even the shack I'd been left inside. Mother expressed how she always wanted a son and as I grew I knew I was different, I had been put on Earth to be, many can relate. A time had come---she conceived her own son and began to see me as everyone else always had. I was different as u can see.

I would guide myself blindly and feel my way around with my hands in the light and on my knees, she would just watch, I could feel her presence while the creeping things of the dirt would crawl over me as I slept, but it was she who had taken me and promised me life. I'd been left to die. Someone would come and toss the scraps through the floor---one day he opened my prison and came inside, he'd given me an apple, perfect and unbruised and was not afraid. I ate---he became my friend.

I was covered with lesions from head to toe--- once she'd taken me into the rain water, it burned like acid and rolled into my eyes. I became totally blind but I grew. The day the old man finally came, I was 11 years old, through seasons I'd lived inside the shack but she'd saved me and I was indebted. She received her blessing and as her futile and vainly deed was---her blessing became. The one who had shown compassion received a blessing, whether in vain, or not. It began to rain and one by one the withered regained life. Tell me, what do u know about life that has withered?"

I had dead children, I knew a lot about withered life! The chills had covered my arms and legs under my clothing, but I was not cold. I told him how I had lost my son and daughter---he'd blatantly said they hadn't been promised as his mother's children were not. "Changing the course of time, only affects the future---when one is taken away, another is sent."

I was becoming uneasy, the story alone had me on pins and needles.

"In multitudes the crows would fill the land and devour the seeds before harvest---the old man hadn't known why. I'd seen him drag her still with child and leave her for good, she'd crawled to the cedar tree. The storm had come, a whirlwind surrounded its branches, her blood nurtured the ground. He'd watched it all---her cries and screams echoed and Mother too watched from the window until she moved no more. The young girl laid until the moon was directly above, her child was born---the angel gave him her blessing, she had prayed for her return. At dawn he returned with the shovel, she had departed but would soon return. She recompensed generously, they accepted her offering and her son---he became older on the land. The garden became his haven. Months had gone by, when mother returned to see me a healthy and strapping boy in the vault, she ran out of fear. With a stick and piece of glass I began to draw into the dirt---I'd had no schooling so I created my own system of writing and developed patterns only I could decipher. The impressions remained until years later when it was covered by mulch---"

I watched the pale skinned man speak, he exemplified excellence. "Blessed is the child with surety. Have u been generously accommodated?"

"Oh---Oh well, certainly," I said, I'd been caught off guard. Patrons were going and coming, I hadn't recognized anyone and somewhat felt safe in the corner. He asked about Daddy, I'd said he was found dead before he asked, "Doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father?"

Huh?

"For the fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge," He said, I knew he was referring to the scripture from Jeremiah---he could read, how had he learned?

I'd asked who'd taught him to speak so well, since he was outcasted from society---"Martin, I am forever indebted. He's taught me the dialect of mankind. In return I gave him the language of abundant life."

He'd asked about my child's father---I honestly hadn't known what to say except he now wanted nothing to do with the baby, he only said Troy would soon come around, I felt he had read my fortune and was happy to hear so. However, he referred to him as worldly and said he was a vessel, born of substance. "The child needs nourishment."

Trenton had to have known Procell--- but I wondered why he'd never mentioned him. I looked at a man who didn't even seem real, he was a wonder to mankind. We talked, I began to relax after a while, he mentioned taking a trip to the Caucasus Mountain range, it overlooked Europe. I thanked him again for giving me the phone I had dropped and noticed how rich he appeared to be, but the total opposite of the other wealthy elites. He wore no jewelry and was just neat and plain.

I knew it was nearing 5 a.m. and I hadn't slept much. I looked forward to leaving soon.

A painting of The Rapture hung on the wall behind Procell's head, author unknown, its Italian renaissance characteristics and style had given it an ancient appeal. He sat in it's view now holding the arms of the chairs. Reap and retreat floated upward from the letters. He appeared symmetrically perfect in position.

An unexpected call had come in, without removing the phone from the pocket of the sweats I'd worn I silenced it but hoped it was Dario, we needed to talk. Why had he asked about my child's father first and foremost? Something told me Procell would leave before sunrise, and I was right. He'd said he wanted to meet me because there were things I didn't know, if I had I wouldn't carry on so carelessly, he'd actually pissed me off because I didn't know what the fuck he meant! "When one is taken another is sent. Rapture, do u know what it means? What have u learned from the walls."

Of course, well---I thought I did. His inquiry didn't really soak in until after I had gone.

I entered into the room puzzled as to why Mama had called me at 5 a.m., impulsively I angrily called her back. She answered drunk as hell, "My second born child---good tidings and peace."

"What did u do? Killing Grandma Hazel did NOT CHANGE ANYTHING!"

Defensively she said how I hadn't understood, and said grandma was an evil woman. She said how when the trees began to grow the ground was sour and it all began with Martins birth---she had taken Louisa home and she was raped on the land in an alley. She knew granddaddy was one of the men who had raped her but became upset with Louisa---she'd even seen it but wouldn't help her, each one had their turns while she watched. She was angry and could not bear children---so she found a child, took him home and hid him. When she became pregnant with Daddy she forgot about the child and left him to die. The trees had grown from the ground and produced apples eventually, all except for two trees. Years later she'd had a second child and wanted to live righteously, finally one of the barren trees produced and the apples did not wither---they never would. The other, had never produced and would not give the fruit of life until the prophecy was fulfilled. "The children's children also inherit the sins of the father."

I knew the tree would soon produce, I'd seen how it was being guarded.

"When I saw your daddy I knew he was taught. By then she had disapproved of Martin but your father continued to---well he had to learn the hard way. Percy was the prodigal son and when he'd returned for his inheritance after his father had passed on he had no inheritance to collect. Imminently the course of time will be rectified. Martin was given the world, he'd chosen to live in the ground in darkness, and was said to be granted with every desire he longed for. When Kerri was conceived something had taken over him---we were young, I didn't know any better. His eyes were like fire, they glowed as orbs of fiery light, he was its host, it's vessel. Soon he began to make himself available. Percy would pray with me after he saw how frightened I was---I knew Martin was not of this world. Your grandmother would never speak on the evil she'd brought to the land. Even when her ashes were sifted and her bones were buried your father still couldn't break the curse."

I'd asked what happened to Daddy's brother Elijah, "Nobody knows, but when he was found he didn't have a drop of blood left in his body. It was all in the ground. That year the tree produced, the profit was unimaginable—-but in the blink of an eye it was all taken away, just like with Emily Ellis."

When she mentioned a home covered in vines I knew she was referring to the house that yet stood on the property, Trenton insisted he would never tear it down.