Traveler Ch. 03

Robert looked confused, so I filled in the gaps. The contingency account was set up by my father when he became Traveler. We had seen insurance companies take your money but you had to jump through hoops to get any help from them if something goes wrong with your boat. They have small print for everything, and to the people of the water, time was indeed money.

So dad started what he called the contingency fund. The families placed a clause on every contract with the companies. Ten percent of the total billing for that job would be placed into the contingency fund, split between the two banks holding it. Most of the families looked on it as a way of making sure that if they didn't see it, they couldn't spend it. The use of two banks meant extra eyes watching the accounts and less risk for everyone.

So when they hit a problem with the insurance company for example, like when they pull a clause out of the small print telling you in a roundabout way, "you ain't getting shit from us". The contingency fund paid for what was needed rather than have the insurance companies wait you out and you go broke in the process.

I gingerly sat next to my husband, my feet came up onto the couch and I rested against him. I love this position, more so when he automatically raises his arm to let me snuggle in and then rests his arm around me, I feel so... safe.

"It's the slowing down of water work that's worrying everyone. All are fine at the moment and looking on it as taking a breath before the real work starts again. Most are working on bodywork or engines between jobs, so they are all keeping themselves occupied at the moment. But if the decline continues, that's when they will want to turn to the contingency funds to keep them afloat while they decide what to do."

"What about the Police?"

I shrugged. "If I get them involved, the families will implode. Some will look and see me at the helm, then say that I took it all. I've done what I can and with the help of the two banks that hold the contingency fund money, we've effectively cut Abe and his boys out of what assets are left. Now all I have to do is restore the reputation of our families amongst the freight people."

Robert was obviously pondering his next question. "Do you regret any of this?"

I mulled the question over, I've never regretted meeting this man, from the time I threatened to cut his dick off the day I first met him, right up to today when I'm resting against him.

"Everything happens for a reason, it's because of those reasons I found you and we both have the most beautiful children on the planet. I may be exaggerating slightly about the children of course, but not by much."

*******

Life for the next few days was family, well that and looking forward to sitting down without wincing. I left Barry and the crew alone with the renovations on the new boat. I gave them all a hug when I figured out what they were throwing at it, especially when you considered the limited timescale involved.

Once I checked with the weather for the weekend, I gave Joan a call rather than email her. I rattled off a list of what she could bring and listened as she tried to expand said list. In retaliation I started to shorten the original list I had given her until she realized what I was doing and conceded defeat.

If enthusiasm was a competition, Joan Phelps would have won hands down. Thankfully she held up her end of the conversation, everything on the list I gave her on the phone turned up, the only unexpected piece was her laptop. I quickly figured that since she's a writer, a laptop would be close by.

Once she had unpacked, she looked at me, her excitement was in her eyes as she said. "Okay, are we off now?"

I think my smirk caused her to wonder. "Nope, we're going shopping."

As I drove us to the store, I had to remind her that I know very little to nothing about her, if she was a vegan, a veggie or a meat eater. What food allergies I had to look out for. Either way I would have to adjust my preference to hers in the interest of space on a canal boat. Her past experiences chasing information for her books meant she was easy with food as long as it was cooked. Joan wasn't a fan of sushi, she didn't do raw. Hell, I could relate to that.

It still took a couple of hours, but we got there, everything was stowed away and so began lesson number one. Cast off and don't fall into the canal as you board the boat.

*******

I have to say, she was like a sponge, she just soaked up any information given to her. I rarely had to repeat anything I showed her. She was more a visual person though; explaining something to her took a little longer than actually showing Joan how it was done sometimes. The locks she had figured out almost immediately, 'driving' the boat not so much. I did have to admire her tenacity though. It was interesting to watch her mind at work, I would show her how I do things, she would try to imitate that same procedure, if she was comfortable then it stayed. Considering I had much more upper body strength than her, she would work around it and come up with her own solutions.

Of course, being women, hygiene became a topic as well. Still knowing and of course understanding she was a visual person, I had us both down in the cabin and showed her how to shower, reminding her that we only had the water in the tank. Use it all up and we then had to wait until the next water station, also emphasizing that I get really cranky if there isn't any water for coffee.

Many a time I caught onto the silence between us, we would be sat across from each other as one of us steered the boat along the canal. I would look over and her thoughts seemed to be miles away. I suppose seeing the world or even nature from this angle and at this speed was something new to her. As the canals meandered through towns and villages, she would often wave at the owners of houses whose gardens backed onto the canal; what caught her by surprise and often amused her, was that they all waved back. Definitely not something that you would do on a freeway.

Of course, now I was very much a captive audience and Joan expanded on why she wanted to do this book research. She had gone to Robert in desperation; they had been friends way back in the day at one of the newspapers. When Robert met me and we moved and then married, their paths diverged but he still sent the odd birthday card or he would congratulate her on her latest book.

"When my mind became a desert, after looking around and not finding anything that would even interest me in investing any time into turning it into a book, I turned to Robert. We sat down over a coffee and I asked where you were."

My jealousy had by now been reduced to a twinge. I came to believe that I was in more danger of being bedded by Joan Phelps than Robert was. My damn husband enjoyed watching my inner insecurities, since he's known Joan for years and knew her bed partner preferences.

Did I ever mention that I hate my husband sometimes, I mean really hate him?

*******

The boat was eased to a stop. As we tied it off, my children came to me. I held back a tear, I was going to miss my family so much, I just hoped I could find the time to visit if nothing else. Joan waited anxiously for my verdict, she was good company once I had figured out she wasn't after my man. I could also see through my husband as well. He knew he had the children to look after and keep safe. I knew that between Cindy and Robert they were as safe as children could be. But my husband wanted me to have someone on board, regardless of the fact that before I had met him, I had lived alone for years.

We all went back to our house, the children dashed out back and left Robert, Joan and I to talk. "I told you I would give you my verdict once we had done the weekend."

Joan was clearly holding her breath.

"You have ten days to get yourself sorted, you've mastered the basics, all I need you to do is promise me in front of Robert, if at any moment, shit hits the fan, you keep out of the way".

I doubt she expected this part of the conversation and a certain amount of anxiety adorned her face. "Do you think it will?"

Shrugging my shoulders was all I could do. The next year was an unknown from the time we hit the water; from then on it would be diplomacy and talking, loads of talking. I couldn't predict outside influences, but I did need her word she would keep out of the way if things look to be going south.

I also nailed my reluctance when I turned to Robert and said. "She needs to promise in front of you Robert. It's a deal breaker otherwise."

Joan looked at us both, we could tell she was weighing up her options. Her lips came tight together and although she looked down at the floor she nodded.

"I understand there are a load of 'what if's and but's' in all this. Just as I know that you're doing your best to look out for me in these coming months."

Finally, her eyes came up and met mine. "I agree, it goes against everything I believe in and I truly hope that somewhere in this journey you change your mind. But until then, I agree."

*******

We waved goodbye to Joan, swept the children up and headed for the boatyard. It's been killing me not to look, but I knew the folks at the yard wanted to surprise me.

When I walked into the workshop my legs buckled, Robert had to hold onto me as I read the new name for my boat. '2 hops & a bunny.' I once kidded Barry that that's what my family meant to me, my two little hops and the bunny rabbit that helped me make them. The light reds and the blues are a much better color than the total black that the boat was, before we sugared its engine.

The interior took me back in time, this time I really did cry. When I looked at Robert all he did was shrug his shoulders.

"Don't look at me. I only knew you from the time Abe's sons torched your boat remember. If you ask me, this has Cindy's fingerprints all over it though."

We both looked at Barry.

"She followed the truck in that carried the boat from the waterways storage facility. Handed me some pictures and a few hand-done drawings. Cindy even told us where we could find every piece of furniture for the boat. She saved us about two days of research. So two of the girls went into phone mode, while the rest of us gutted the boat back to the steel body and the rest as they say, is history."

I wrapped my arms around Barry and thanked him. The rest of the work crew stood in line and got their hug as well. Some noted that they had never seen one of the bosses cry. I did mention that when they pull stunts like these, it was inevitable.

We took the boat outside via the warehouse crane, lowered it into the water, christened the name of the boat and the boat itself and I took my family on a boat ride for a couple of hours. Well, until one of them casually mentioned that she was hungry.

That's one of my little hops for you, always bringing life back to basics for us.

*******

I hadn't slept too well, I figured out why when Cindy had phoned and water language got involved, a premonition of the inevitable I suppose. One of the sons had tried to access the families' accounts. She sent pictures of him taking a two-foot-long pipe to the cash machine when it effectively gave him the bird.

"So much for Abe keeping an eye on his boys."

Cindy giggled down the phone. "I'll know more when this idiot realizes he's on camera and I don't mean mine. He's down to three choices, turn his boat around and head towards his brother. Continue along the canal until the fork and turn left onto the Fennam Canal; that will take him to his dad, who is soaking up the five-star resorts drinks bar. Or turn left onto the Boscombe Canal, which will get him to you in eighteen hours."

I only took a moment to consider the options. Hmm, options two and three looked decidedly unhealthy for him anyway.

"No, we don't have time. Let's go for option four. I'm going to cut him some slack and take his balls away too. Make sure you're out of camera range and then put his lights out, give it your best southern accent when you dial 911 and report the vandal smashing the cash machine."

Cindy again giggled down the phone. She sure sounded keen on that idea.

"Once you've done that, torch his boat. That's going to send a warning to his brother and Abe. But Cindy, that's the only warning any of them get. If any one of them even look like they're coming after my family and you can't get hold of me, you have my blessing. Do you understand?"

Cindy didn't even pause to think about it. She acknowledged and then closed her cell on me, so she could proceed with my request.

I got a phone call the next day. Cindy told me that she was hidden by the time the paramedics got to Abe's son. The Police arrived a few seconds later. They were needed because when Abe's boy woke up, he punched the medic. In retaliation, of course. The cops cuffed him and took him away. Those body cameras they all seem to wear now sure came in handy at his trial.

I sure wonder if his own temper is going too fare better than Callum's did in jail. I wasn't hopeful but perhaps I was actually leaning more toward the fact that I couldn't give a shit.

*******

Joan pulled up bright and early. She got a grunt from me as I pointed towards the kitchen so she could make her own coffee, me going back to hugging the hell out of mine.

"I've been awake since five this morning." Her voice had that giddy tone to it. I didn't think she could do giddy but she sure gave it her best shot.

"So, even though I told you ten, you still decided that seven sounded better?"

"Yep." She came out of the kitchen, her coffee warming her hands.

"Oh, please don't tell me you're a Grinch in the morning."

"I have children Joan -- when do mothers have time to be a Grinch with children doing the happy morning thing?"

As she sat down across from me at the kitchen table her brow creased and then she looked at me harder. "Hang on a moment, you weren't a Grinch when we did that weekend test thing?"

I was hoping to just get away with a shrug of my shoulders. It didn't work. She sat across from me, leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms and stared at me. It was also then that my children came down the stairs, stopped when they saw Joan and instantly put two and two together. Seeing the look on their faces almost broke my heart, my son's lip quivered a bit, we could both see his sister holding onto his arm.

"Are you going away again, Mommy?"

I had to gulp first, then pull a breath into my lungs. "For a while, yes, I am baby."

"Daddy says you're Traveler again. You're not going to get hurt like you were when Daddy found you, are you?"

My mind put into focus the statement from my son. We were sat around on the couches as a family late one afternoon, my son resting against me while Daddy's girl, aka our daughter, was resting against Robert, when my son asked how we had met. Robert took that question and I was ever so grateful that he did, he had always been the wordsmith of the family.

Even though it was a part of our history, I sat in awe as he tailored his words for the children to understand. None of us came out of that conversation looking like heroes, more like human beings who were doing our level best to guide ourselves through life's hurdles. We both knew he got it spot on when both our children turned to us and gave us a hug.

"I don't plan on it baby; I will have Joan with me. But some people are telling lies about my family and I can't allow that to happen. Soon it's going to start hurting some of them, perhaps a lot more than some and yes I'm Traveler now, so I have to stand by my family."

I could see the wheels going round in my son's head.

Thinking it may be best to at least head him off at the pass, I said. "Your aunt Cindy is coming with us as well; she plans to drop in on us a little later into our journey."

Their faces changed instantly at the words of Cindy being on the trip as well and suddenly the conversation changed to what was for breakfast. I smiled to myself, thinking I should have brought Cindy up earlier.

Reality of course returned when I was dropping them off at school. I had to remind them that Daddy was picking them up. Both sets of eyes watered and I got an extra big hug from both of them, as well as the comment that I was to stay safe, as well as a promise that I would phone them regularly, before they would even consider leaving the car.

*******

We were ten days into our journey and two days from our first destination. We had met up with other family members along the way as well as had conversations around the campfire with all of them. When I stepped back from being Traveler and Abe took over, it's as though the whole family took a collective step back as well.

Even before the age of cellphones, we still had ways to communicate with each other. Yet now I'm finding out that with Abe in charge, unless you actually saw him, he very rarely took any calls from family. Sadly, with what I've seen from the families' accounts, it became all too clear to me that the money interested him. Supporting the families, not so much.

My old cell number hadn't changed, just the upgrade in cellphones did. As word spread that I was back as head of the families, the calls from family members began to grow as well. Even putting Joan on steering duty so I could talk meant we both could only just keep up with the calls coming in. The bigger picture was bleak, a few of the families were giving serious consideration to leaving, and thankfully those conversations were halted when they got through to me on the phone.

The content of the conversations was bleak, with hope for the families and the future leaching out of every word said over coffee around the campfires. Most were willing to give me something that I believed we were running out of, time.

Those we met could tell I had hit the ground running. The older generation still knew me from old; these were the ones who calmed the youngsters, who were willing to gamble with their family's future. Because I asked them to, because I stood in front of them, from the oldest to the youngest and asked them to hold on.

To hold onto a way of life that was ours through birthright, our fathers and those before them trusted Traveler. I, Cassie Marshal aka Traveler, stood in front of those families and asked them all to wait, to hang in there. To let me get to the bottom of all this and put it right. Not attempt to put it right, but find out how our way of life was being taken away from us. To find that very reason and fix it.

Every evening we held these impromptu gatherings and I stood toe to toe with every family elder as well as ask them to back me, don't fight me but back me. We needed to show a united front. My father expected nothing less and I now held that torch over the heads of the families.

Barnaby Applegate was one of the newer families, Barnaby met my dad when they were both shipped off to Vietnam. They remained tight through their tour and a few years after both left the army, Barnaby met up with my dad and after a weekend on dad's boat, he was smitten with the way of life.

Even now in his late Fifties, he still carried himself like he owned the boat, His love of the water drove his first wife away, his second wife loved the life as much as he did and gave him two sons in return. His eldest had joined the service and from what Barnaby was saying, he was doing well, his youngest hated school and wasn't at all happy unless he had a canal boat under him.

The rasp in his voice made everyone think it was a smoker's voice. Dad and I knew different. "There are rumors floating around, Traveler. Dark rumors, you need to go see Emit Franklin."

I nodded. "Already on it Barnaby. As for the rumors, I'm only just hearing them myself."