Chateau Nexus

THE CELLPHONE  CONNECTION

ROBERTA GOLDBERG drove south on Mackery Road in Nevada as she headed for the tiny country town of Rickette, Nevada.

There, Roberta eased into Rickette, drove through the tiny town and pulled into the driveway of a country house.

Roberta parked in front of the two-story country house and got out of her car.

She walked around her car and up to the front door. Roberta knocked on the front door.

Minutes later, a handsome teen-age boy answered the front door.

“Are you Chester?” Roberta inquired.

“I am,” Chester confirmed. “Are you Roberta Goldberg?”

“I am,” Roberta confirmed.

“Do you have the money?”

“Do you have the cellphone I ordered?”

“Yes.”

“Give me the phone and I’ll give you the money.”

Chester went to the phone stand, picked up a unique looking cellphone and returned to the front door.

Roberta handed Chester the money. In return, Chester handed her the unique looking cellphone.

“Thanks, Chester.” Roberta smiled.

“, You’re welcome, Roberta.” Chester smiled back.

Roberta left the house, walked back around her car and got into it. She shut the car door, carefully hid the cellphone in the magical pouch of her purse, started the car, made a U-Turn in the driveway and pulled out into the street.

She drove through Rickette and headed back onto the Mackery Road.

Several miles along the road, Roberta pulled over to the shoulder and stopped. She retrieved the unique looking cellphone from out of her purse, turned it on and checked the text messages.

Most of the text messages were the usual type of messages. Messages ordinary Humans would send to each other.

Then Roberta found them, the messages she had been waiting to receive for the past decade or two. There were four of them.

Message 1:  My daughter, we are coming to Earth to get you and your brothers to bring you all home to Chateau Nexus.

Message 2: I am sending you these text messages as Humans call them, so you’ll be expecting us. We’ll be there in two Earth months.

Message 3: Whatever you do, my daughter, do not allow this cellphone out of your sight. One thing we have learned from our earlier visit is that the Earth’s US Government will stop at nothing to keep you and your seven brothers from ever leaving Earth.  That is why you have a Human body and not a Nexus body.

Message 4: So long, my daughter, I will be in touch. Mom and I love you, my daughter, and your seven brothers.

Roberta checked the picture section. Sure enough, there were pictures of her home planet Chateau Nexus. Chateau Nexus was just as breathtaking as possible.

She put her new cellphone into the magical pouch of her purse, pulled out onto the road and continued onto Mackery.

About halfway there, two Policemen stop her.

Officer One got out of the police car and approached the car. Roberta rolled down the car window. Officer One leaned down to the window.

“Yes, Officer?” Roberta asked.

“We have a report that you had stolen a cellphone from a Chester Nardek.” Officer One said.

“I did no such thing.” Roberta protested.

“Step out of the car.” Officer One gestured.

Officer Two got out of the police car and joined them.

“Search her carvwhole I NB search her.” Officer One suggested.

Officer Two searched Roberta’s car and her purse and found no cellphone.

Officer One searched Roberta and also found no cellphone.

“Okay, lady, what did you do with it?” Officer Two questioned.

“Nothing. I don’t have Mr. Nardek’s cellphone.” Roberta protested.

The Policemen share a question look.

“Alright, Miss, we’ll let you go. THIS TIME.” Officer Two finally said.

The Policemen returned to their car and got in.

Roberta got back into her car and shut the car door. She started the car and pulled out onto the road as she continued driving.

The Policemen follow her.

Roberta saw the police car following her and not wanting them to know where she was heading, she took them on a wild goose chase through the Nevada Desert.

Upon ditching the Policemen at the Area 51 trespassing road, Roberta headed for her new home town of Mackery, Nevada.

Finally, Roberta made it to her new home. She retrieved her purse, got out of her car and walked into her Larkarta Drive house.

Inside, she closed the front door and walked into the living room.

Roberta crossed to the large, brown sofa and flopped down on it. She looked about the living room at the many portraits of her Nexusian family – her parents…the planet’s Chief Warrior and Chief Warrioress and her seven all older brothers – two are Starship Captains, four Warriors and one Galaxy Bounty Hunter.

She retrieved the unique looking cellphone from out if her purse and checked the text messages. No new ones so far.

 

Champagne, Diamonds & Roses

MEAV & BESSIE

MEAV SHARRINGTON poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the glass table in the enormous kitchen of her luxurious Morgan City home on Weston Circle.

As she sipped her coffee, Meav kept her eyes on the wall clock. It was ten o’clock a.m. and her close friend and neighbor Bessie Waters was due to arrive soon.

Meav finished her coffee and got up to pour herself another cup when Bessie walked into the kitchen from the back porch deck.

“Coffee, darling,” Meav offered.

“Yes, darling,” Bessie answered.

Meav filled her cup and then poured a cup of coffee for Bessie and carried them to the table.

“How did it go this morning?” Meav curiously asked, putting Bessie’s cup of coffee on the table in front of her.

“What?” Bessie asked, picking up her cup of coffee.

“Your doctor’s appointment.” Meav reminder  her.

“Good.” Bessie answered, sipping her coffee.

“You don’t sound too happy about it, darling.” Meav observed, sitting down at the table across from Bessie.

“It’s not the doctor’s appointment, darling.” Bessie admitted. “I got a great bill of health this morning.”

“So what’s bringing you down this morning?” Meav asked, not liking to see her friend so down.

“It’s Wayne,” Bessie confessed.

“What about him?”

“I’d rather not discuss it, darling.”

“It’s that bad, huh?”

“More than you can ever imagine, darling.” Bessie replied.

“Okay, darling, I get the hint.” Meav finally said, sipping her coffee.

 

Champagne, Diamonds & Roses

RENA

Rena Lawson alighted from her Rural Morgan City, Illinois, and got into her white sedan and left.

Rena headed up South Main Street, eased through two intersections and pulled into the gravelled parking lot of Delia’s Café and parked in front of the old school style building.

Rena got her blue purse/attaché bag and her car keys, got out of her sedan and entered the café.

Short time later, Rena was seated at her usual corner table and was soon having her usual breakfast of a cheese omelet with sausage, toast and a cherry cola.

While eating, Rena saw a tall and dashingly handsome business- man walk into the café.

The man had slicked back dark hair, a slight mustache and a beard, and he was well dressed in a gray suit. Rena could not tell for sure how tall the man truly was except that he was clearly over six feet tall.

The man was soon seated at a table across from hers. Waitress Carrie Henson came to their table and took the man’s order of eggs over easy, toast and coffee; and then, left their table to go get the man’s breakfast order.

As she continued eating, Rena could not help but notice that the man seemed a bit angry, and could not resist the urge to ask, “Rough morning?”

“You can say that,” the man answered, looking her way.

“Meaning?” Rena curiously asked.

“May I join you?” The man asked.

“Help yourself.” Rena gestured, finishing off her breakfast.

The man got to his feet, crossed to her table and sat down at it across from her.

“What’s the headache?” Rena curiously asked, finishing her cola.

“My accountant refuses to do my taxes.”

“Why?”

“She doesn’t like having to straighten up my papers.” The man explained.

“What type of filing do you do?” Rena curiously asked.

“I’m a briefcase filer.” The man admitted.

“That explains it.” Rena joked.

The man gave her a quizzical look.

“I can help you.” Rena said. “You do taxes?”

“No, but I do file clean ups for Accountants who doesn’t like to mess with it.” Rena clarified. “Who is your accountant?”

“Sally Reynolds.”

“No wonder you’re upset.” On his look, she added, “She was my father’s accountant too.”

“You’re familiar with her?”

“And her style.”

“How much do you charge?”

“Fifty dollars.”

“An hour?” The man asked shocked.

“No. Just fifty dollars period.” Rena smiled with laughter in her voice. 

“Still a bit steep but I’m willing to give it a try. Where’s your office?” The man asked.

Rena retrieved one of her business cards and handed it to the handsome stranger.

The man looked at the name on the card and smiled, “Pretty name.”

“Thanks,” Rena smiled. “And your name is?”

“Shane Adams.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Adams.”

 “You too, Mrs. Lawson.” Shane smiled back.

“It’s Miss,” Rena corrected. “But call me Rena.”

“In that case, call me Shane.” Shane added.

“Okay, Shane.” Rena smiled.

“When can you do my filing for me?” Shane curiously asked.

“How soon do you need it done?” Rena asked.

“The day before yesterday.”

“I do have two jobs to do today but I think I can put you in.”

“What do you do?”

“I install carpet.”  

“Interesting.”

“Excuse me?”

“Never mind.”  Rena said. “I’ll be in my office until five tonight if you wanna bring your briefcase to my office, feel free to do so.”

“Thanks, Rena.”

“Speaking of work, I’d better get going. I’ve got other things to do this morning.” Rena explained, getting her purse/attaché bag. “See you later then.” Shane asked. “See you later.” Rena answered. Rena got her purse/attaché bag, retrieved a couple dollars from out of her purse/attaché bag and put it on the table, got her car keys, got up from the table and walked up to the counter. She paid for her breakfast and left the café.

Outside in the parking lot, Rena got into her sedan, started it, and left the café.

Rena continued up on South Main Street to West Orson Avenue; and then turned left onto West Orson Avenue.  

A few minutes later, Rena pulled into the gravelled driveway of the newly built Morgan City Office Complex and parked in her usual parking space.

Rena got her purse/attaché bag and her car keys, got outvof her sedan and entered the two story red brick and glass building.

Rena got her mail and mounted the classic staircase into the second floor hallway and strolled through it to her office at the end of the hallway.  

There, Rena looked at the door. The sign on the door read: RENA LAWSON, FREE-LANCE SECRETARY. She unlocked the doie, opened the door and entered her office. Rena closed the door but didn’t lock it and went to her desk.

Rena knew her receptionist Chelsea Martin will be coming in soon.

Rena sat down at her large, glass topped, oak desk. She put her car keys in CV her purse/attaché bag and set her bag on the floor in front of her desk and scooted up to the desk.

Minutes later, Rena pushed herself away from the desk, got to her feet and stepped to the large window that faced her desk and looked outside at the old Morgan City Almshouse, which a short time back had been turned into an apartment building and her future home if she could swing one day swing it. 

Stephanie’s Diary

Wednesday, July 21, 1982 … 9:37 PM

Today was the best day and the saddest day of my life.

Before I tell you why, let me first tell you who I am. My name is Stephanie Ann Beckmann and I live in the tiny country town of Boone, Kentucky.

Just about an hour or so ago, the guy I’ve been seeing for the past year or so, Gary Harjeste proposed to me AND I said YES. Haven’t decided on a date yet mainly because shortly after I got home, I got the worst news of my life.

Mom got a phonecall from Uncle Jed Lyons that my cousin Edyta had been found dead in her backyard. As to what happened to her? Uncle Jed wouldn’t say.

All he did tell us was that Bruce, Edyta’s husband of seventeen years, arrived home from work, went out into the backyard and found her lying on the ground underneath the clothesline unconscious. He called for an ambulance but it was too late she was already dead.

Edyta’s funeral is in two days and I’m going, although pop says I cannot go because it is way too far and he simply do not have the off time to attend Edyta’s funeral. 

 Gary, on the other hand, did have enough off time to take mom and I to Hannibal. Pop doesn’t approve. Doesn’t matter. Mom, Gary and I are going and that is final. That is the end of the discussion and I am now in bed. Goodnight.

Thursday, July 22, 1982 … 8:00 AM

Pop has already left for work and mom is fixing us breakfast.

Just as mom was plating the food: sausage, scrambled eggs and toast and I was getting us a glass of orange juice, Gary arrived at the house and he joined us for breakfast.

After breakfast, Gary did the dishes while mom and I packed our bags for a few days.

Exactly at 9:20 AM, we leave the house, get into Gary’s car and leave home. I sit up front with Gary while mom sits in back.

Gary drives through town, what little there is of it, stops at the gas station, only one in this tiny town, fills his car up with gas, pays for the gas and buts us all a drink. Soda for us and water for mom. Gary leaves the gas station and heads for the expressway that goes to Hannibal, Missouri.