“This is it,” Roman gave his case a shake.
“Very well,” the driver stepped down from the slightly raised concrete platform that served as a porch and slapped the roof of one of the boxy, ten year old cars as he bypassed it for one of the horse drawn carriages. “We should be there before sunset. You are one of the late arrivals, I see.”
“Late arrivals,” Roman smiled curiously. “What for?”
The man laughed. “The wedding, my friend.”
“Wedding,” the word was scarcely a whisper on Roman’s voice.
“People have been heading out to the Kamande place for weeks in preparation. You, my friend, would probably be looked at around here with a lot more suspicion otherwise, but we’ve had guests arriving from as far away as England.”
The driver’s explanation was little more than an annoying buzz in Roman’s ears by then. His breathing was shallow, his hearing clogged by the thud of his heart.
“Hey, my man? You alright? Maybe you should have a drink first. This drive could be a treacherous adventure, you know?”
The driver motioned toward the cab stand. Inside, Roman could make out chairs and small round tables. A drink sounded like heaven right about then. As helpless as he felt, he could happily drink himself into a serious hole. He soon shook his head, declining the promised relief. “Let’s go,” he said.
~2~
Ogdensburg, New York~
“She’s sad,” Bianca Marsala shared, while pouring a richly colored tea from a mosaic print porcelain pot.
“Grazi,” Athena accepted the saucer with a cup of the savory blend. “Is she asking for her parents?”
“Asking for that handsome boy of yours,” Bianca Marsala’s eyes sparkled with sudden merriment, but sobered just as suddenly. “When will you tell him?” she asked.
“He’s not ready to know yet,” Athena sipped at the tea.
“That girl is not a prisoner here, Athena. She’s free to leave when she wishes. What’s to stop her from seeking out your boy?”
“Rosella is a good girl. She cares about what her family thinks.” Athena nodded in approval of the tea. “As long as that is the case, she can be controlled. Don’t worry Bia,” she toasted the other woman with her cup, “I know what’s best for my grandchild.”
***
“Gav,” Stone smiled broadly and extended his hand to Gavis Eamon.
Gavis accepted the gesture.
“I hear your cousin is back from his first run,” Stone said.
Gavis nodded. “Ship made port yesterday morning.”
“Thanks man, to you and your cousin for taking this on and helping Ro crack this thing.”
“Happy to. Me and Rome go back to the sandbox. As for my lil’ cuz, he’s got dreams of bein’ a secret agent. This may be as close as he ever gets.”
Stone joined in when Gavis laughed at his younger cousin’s expense.
“On the phone, you made it sound like things were happening,” Stone said.
“You ain’t kiddin’,” Gavis sent a pointed look to the wall chart behind Stone’s desk. “Unscheduled stops are taking place between the second and third checkpoints. The stops aren’t very long, whatever’s goin’ on, is over with before Craig gets up on deck,” he referred to his cousin who had been placed on one of the Tesano ships by Roman and ordered to report any inconsistencies.
Stone was already behind his desk, scouring one of several navigation charts lining the wall.
“Think we should call Rome yet?”
Stone shook his head to Gavis’s question. “Don’t have enough to go on yet and Ro’s out of town. Better to wait ‘til there’s more.”
“You think there will be?”
What are they unloading out there? Stone tapped a finger to the map. “I’m positive,” he said.
~3~
“Whoa.”
The carriage driver grinned at his passenger’s response when their destination was revealed in the distance across the span of four massive hills.
“Something to see, isn’t it?” The driver nodded at Roman. “Can you believe that place started as a three room shack? Chief Kamande added to it little by little over the years until...all this.”
Roman could feel his jaw hanging slack. He was grateful to have steered the driver’s friendly chatter clear of the Kamande wedding festivities. He wanted no details on that score. It was safer to remark on the stunning natural scenery of which there was no shortage.
“How?” It was all he could contribute to the conversation.
The driver understood. “You mean, how can all of this belong to one African man?”
Roman winced internally. “I’m sorry if I offended-”
