Fullness Of Life Ch. 02
Keywords: Fullness, Of, Life, 02, Ch.,
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Dan turned and saw the chief behind him at the doorway. Melanie was behind him and smiling.
"Perhaps we can work something out," Dan said.
"We will not accept payment for your lodging," Blackhawk said firmly, his jaw set.
"Would you accept an anonymous donation for the school instead?" he asked.
"What do you have in mind?" Blackhawk asked. He was testing Dan's character, wanting to see what he would do and say.
"Someone will leave an envelope of money in his room after he leaves. He only asks that some of the money goes to a little girl named Autumn, who needs to have her eyes checked. The rest of the money can be used for any other purpose deemed necessary for the school. That is what the anonymous donor wishes to do."
Melanie's eyes shone and moistened at the thought of his request. She turned away to wipe her eyes.
Blackhawk's eyes raised slightly and he was impressed with Dan's thinking. He liked the fact that Dan was putting others in front of his own wishes and he was pleased. "I think that a donation to the school would be a very good thing," he said.
"Good," Dan smiled, "I'll let the donor know."
Dan and Blackhawk said their good-byes and Blackhawk went to the general store to leave Dan and Melanie alone for their own fair well. Dan went back to his room for a few minutes before he returned to the front desk. "I had to talk to the anonymous donor," he winked to Mary. She understood immediately and went to the room before anyone from the cleaning staff arrived.
They stood on the deserted back porch and held each other for a few minutes. Dan figured it would be a difficult parting, but he didn't realize until then how much he wanted to stay and be with her. He continued to hold her close and not saying anything. It was close to nine o'clock and he wanted to get on the road soon. He always liked to drive until supper time and find a motel to stay in for the night. He would then have a relatively short drive the next day. They kissed for a few minutes; light, soft kisses that were feathery and breathless. Melanie opened her eyes when Dan pulled back slowly.
"Call me when you get home, okay?" she asked, fighting back tears.
"You know I will," he answered. He knew it was going to be a long and difficult five weeks without her. He kissed her forehead and said, "It's time to go."
"I wish you didn't have to."
"You know I don't want to go. Please don't make this any more difficult for me."
"It's hard to let someone go when you love him," she said tenderly, touching his face with her fingertips.
"But..."
"Sssh," she said, pressing her fingers to his lips. "Don't say anything. Just know that I love you and carry that with you on your journey."
They walked slowly to his car and stopped when they arrived at the driver's door. He pulled her close and hugged her, feeling her soft, warm body against his. He was really going to miss that. He pressed his lips near her ear and whispered, "I love you, too."
He kissed her lightly on the cheek and was in his car before his words sunk in. Dan started his car and looked up at Melanie, whose face was wet with tears. He reached out his hand for her and she took it with both of hers.
"I'll be back before you know it," he said.
"I'll miss you. I love you, Screaming Turtle."
"I love you, Wind In Her Hair."
She let go of his hand and he backed away slowly from the lodge. She watched him drive down the road until all she could see was the dust that his car made.
Dan didn't know how he could be so happy and so sad at the same time. He dared not look in his mirror as he drove away for fear he would turn around and never go home. But, he had a duty, an obligation to fulfill. The only good thing about going back was the fact he could begin writing his letter of resignation.
Blackhawk walked back to the lodge when Dan drove away. Melanie was still near the entrance, her tear-stained face nearly dried by the morning sun. He patted her tenderly on her shoulder, "He will be back soon, daughter." Melanie nodded and followed him into the lodge.
Mary handed him the envelope left in Dan's room and he opened it. Inside was the money and a short note.
"Dear Blackhawk,"
""
"No one can put a dollar amount on happiness. It is priceless. You and Melanie have shown me much kindness over these past few weeks and I will be forever grateful to both of you. Please put the donation to good use and remember that special little girl for me."
""
"Yours,"
"The Anonymous Donor"
Blackhawk gave the note to Melanie and she began to read it. Meanwhile, Blackhawk started to count the money. When he got to one thousand dollars, he stopped counting, even though there were more bills inside. He pressed the envelope into his pants pocket and sighed quietly.
Blackhawk looked at his daughter and smiled as she finished reading. "If you let him get away," he warned, "I will thrash you!" He laughed lightly at the perplexed look on her face and led her out of the lodge and into the sunshine.
A feeling of dread came over Dan as the skyline of Cincinnati came into view that early Sunday afternoon. In one respect, though, he looked forward to being home because he could call Melanie and hear her voice once again. He arrived home to find the mail and newspapers stacked on his kitchen table. His landlord had been kind enough to do that favor for him. Dan always had the feeling that she liked him more than just as a tenant, but her being about fifteen years older than he put a damper on any thoughts he might have had of pursuing a relationship with her. Nevertheless, he would make it a point to thank her.
He threw his suitcases onto his bed before he came back to the livingroom to make his call. Dan checked his answering machine first, but found nothing interesting except one or two calls from his parents. He dialed Melanie's number quickly and she answered on the second ring.
"It's about time you called," she said indignantly as her greeting, although she was smiling on her end.
"I could hang up," he replied.
"Don't you dare!" she squealed. "It's so good to hear your voice. I miss you."
"I miss you, too. How are you?"
They talked for almost a half hour as Dan recounted his trip back to Cincinnati to her, his plans for the next few days, and other such details. Melanie made no mention of Dan's gift and Dan didn't talk about it. In his heart, he knew he did the right thing and knew good things would come from it. It made him feel good about himself and he was glad to have been able to do it. Reluctantly, they hung up after several long good-byes.
Dan set about writing his letter of resignation. Surprisingly, it took him very little time and he had the final draft completed within an hour. He sighed happily upon it's completion and set it aside for typing that evening. Next, he took his briefcase and emptied it's contents onto his desk. He studied his syllabus and his notes for each class and began to familiarize himself with his classes expected progress since his departure. Of course, he had to take into account that the classes could be behind schedule for one reason another, but he hoped everything would be in place.
After a while, he sat back and reflected upon the past two weeks and what he had learned from it. He definitely learned he still wanted to teach and it was his duty and profession to continue teaching children who desperately wanted to learn. He also found he needed to be more open to the people who cared about him and not to close up and shut people out who wanted to help. Thinking about his former wife, Cheryl, he knew part of him still loved her and he deeply regretted the pain he caused her. But, he felt that neither one of them wanted to get back together. At least he didn't. He wished things had gone better for them, but they had been married only two short years and they both had plenty of time to find someone else. In the grand scheme of life, two years was not very long.
And maybe he had found that person in Melanie. He almost felt as close to her already as he had with Cheryl. Dan laughed to himself at the thought of knowing Melanie for maybe centuries in one form or the other. Who would believe that? Well, he did, and that's all that mattered. Melanie was becoming very special to him and he really did love her. Was he in love with her? That, he couldn't answer truthfully. He only wished the next few weeks would go by quickly so he could begin his new journey.
Blackhawk never told Melanie how much money was in the envelope. Melanie could only guess it was a sizable sum. It was enough to impress her father and he was not easily impressed. His statement about not letting Dan get away amused her. Her father had rarely taken any interest in her personal life. In fact, it appeared he was perfectly content with her being single. The same could not be said for Melanie. She did not like being single and she wanted to find someone and get married. That is not to say she would marry solely to put an end to her singleness. Melanie wasn't entirely sure how she felt about Dan, yet. She felt she definitely was not in love with him. She didn't take the word "love" lightly when she told him she loved him at the lodge before he left. Melanie cared for him very much and would miss him terribly over the next five weeks. She loved him in that sense, but she thought they hadn't known each other long enough for her feelings to go any deeper.
Melanie genuinely wished he didn't have to go home to Cincinnati, especially at a time when their relationship was just starting to turn into something special. The timing couldn't have been worse. But, she never expected a foreigner from Ohio to embrace her heart in less than two weeks. Dan stirred her soul like no one else she had ever known. The scenes he described concerning his visions frightened her and fascinated her at the same time. She believed in his visions entirely. Her father's visions had become legendary and she had no reason to doubt Dan.
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Keywords: Fullness, Of, Life, 02, Ch.,