45
William was alone in his room above the garage. It was Monday morning, and the day he had with Frank Porter yesterday stuck vividly in his mind. He did not go down to work on this day. Stan had called for him at 7 AM, yelling to him from below, wanting to know why he was not already in the garage. William had told Stan he was not feeling well on this day. Or at least not well enough to work. In fact, he felt better than he had ever since he left his own time. William felt a high from knowing he was one of perhaps only two people who had traveled through time. But the most amazing thing for William was that he knew how to get back to his family.
The math was simple. His trained engineering mind calculated the steps he would have to take to return to his family and how many days it would take him to do it. He was ready. All he had to do was wait for the afternoon to begin his travel forward. But there was a problem. Every time William considered leaving that very afternoon he felt a hesitation to go through with it. Something was missing and he knew what it was. His focus to find a way back to his family overshadowed the feelings he had felt for his mother and new-found family he left behind in 1892.
Now that he had the information he needed to get back to his wife and children, his mind was tormented with emotions for his natural parents. William knew that it would not be possible for him to leave them behind without a goodbye. He realized that if he left without seeing them again he could never forgive himself. He was also convinced that traveling in time was not something he wanted to continue to do. He knew that as soon as he got back to his family, he would treasure every moment he had with them and live out a natural life that did not include the interference of movement in the fabric of time for any reason.
“William, are you feeling better? I could use your help!” Stan Wilson yelled to William as he opened the door leading up the stair to the room William was in above the garage. How insignificant, William thought, a simple request coming from Stan. How insignificant was it that Stan needed his help to change a tire or drain the oil out of an old car engine.
William chose not to answer Stan. He knew it would be difficult to use words to convey to Stan how he felt at that very moment. Instead, William made up his mind to move on. He knew there was no reason for him to be in this room any longer. He stood up and gathered the papers he had scribbled his calculation on, and he carefully folded his summary sheet and placed it in his shirt pocket.
William had saved a small amount of cash that he kept under the bread box near the small sink that constituted the presence of a kitchen in his room. He stepped over to the counter and leaned over to move the bread box. Twelve dollars. William opened the folded money and smiled thinking how many times he had left a twelve-dollar tip at a restaurant.
A car horn sounded directly under William’s window, startling him. William leaned out the open window and saw old man Carter’s Model-T pull up to the garage door. He decided that now was the time to move. He placed the twelve dollars in his shirt pocket next to the calculations he had made and took one last look around his room and headed down the stairs.
“Stan, I have an important errand to run, can I use your car?” William was standing over Stan who was under a car. Old man Carter was entering the garage through the main door built into the overhead door.
“Stan, are you open for business today?” Carter interrupted William’s request of Stan.
Stan pulled himself out from under the car and grabbed a cloth to wipe his hands clean of the grease he was working with.
“William, what is up with you today? I am knee deep in alligators and you need my car to go out for an errand?”
“Look, Stan, can I have a word with you?”
“What is it, William? Is something wrong?”
Stan ignored Carter who was talking to him from the door.
“Carter can you wait for me outside? I will be with you in a minute!”
“You know what? I will be outside for sixty seconds. After that I am taking my business to another mechanic!”
Carter stepped through the main door again and slammed it shut behind him.
“I guess we can talk now, William. I can give you at least… say five minutes or so, let me pour us a cup of coffee.”
They walked toward the coffee kettle, a familiar ritual to William who had joined Stan for daily coffee breaks during the last three weeks he had worked there. “You know, Stan, I really appreciate all you have done for me.”
Stan realized quickly that William was giving him a farewell speech. “I knew you would move on, but I did not think it would be this soon. Where are you headed?”
“Stan, I need to go see my folks. I never told you, but they live near here. I was hoping I could use your car. I will be back later today, but…”
“But you will be moving on after that anyway, am I right?”
“Stan, you know I could never lie to you… You have been so good to me. I think you need to hire a young lad from town who can apprentice with you and eventually buy your business from you so you can retire and spend more time at your cabin. You also need to find yourself a nice lady who will take good care of you.”
“Now you’re talking!”
Stan and William laughed for a short moment and then William knew he had to get going. He decided it would be best to let Stan know that his days working with him at the garage were over. “Stan, after I see my folks I need to get back to my wife and kids. If you do not mind I will leave your car at the Natural Bridge, at the bottom of the road where people park when they visit the Bridge. It will be there later today. Do you think you can get a ride there after four or so to pick it up?” Stan nodded that he could.
“I would love to know why you need to leave the car there, but then I guess it makes sense since it is where I found you. It took me a couple of days to realize it, but I know now for sure that you were not traveling with the fair.”
“No, Stan, I was not. Let’s just say I was traveling through and I needed some time to get my bearings. And now I am ready to go back. Listen, Stan, I want to let you know that I might be back in the future. I will be passing through again and I want to visit with you. Actually now that I think of it, I may need a place to sleep for a couple of nights.”
“William, you are welcome to come back anytime you want!”
“Thanks, Stan, now I better get going.”
Stan reached into his pocket and pulled out a ten-dollar bill. “William I want you to have this. I do owe you two days’ pay and consider the rest a bonus for your good work.”
“Thanks, Stan, I really appreciate it. I hope to see you again. Take care of yourself.” With that said, William left the garage. As he opened the main door and stepped outside, he saw old man Carter speed away in his car. William smiled, opened the door of Stan’s car, got in and drove toward town. For the first time, he felt like he actually belonged behind the wheel of the vintage automobile.