The children gleefully chewed the chocolate morsels in their mouths. Janelle watched as they smiled through bites of the most silky, sweet splendor that melted in their mouths. Loren tried a white chocolate square while Tashanda nibbled a cashew cluster covered in dark chocolate.
“I still don’t believe how you got this.” Loren said. She sighed with delight and tilted her head back.
“Your boss is nicer than I thought to give you a box of chocolate for all the extra work you’ve been doing.” Tashanda exclaimed, “I like him.”
Janelle smiled, thinking of her real boss and what a pain in the ass he was, “he’s alright. Don’t give him too much credit though.”
“Do you think we can have chocolate every day in the new government?” Jacob asked. His question was innocent, childlike, and expressed all the hope in the world for little pleasures such as chocolate.
“I don’t know but I hope so.” Janelle answered. She savored a bit of a chocolate peanut butter truffle and thought how ironic that this box was made over 150 years ago. She kept the notion to herself. A knock at the door prompted her to get up. Elan waited on the other side wearing his black jacket. His long satiny black hair cascaded down his back.
“What are you guys up to?” He said as he entered.
“Dad, mom brought chocolate.” Jacob said smiling through melted buttercream.
“Chocolate?” He exclaimed and turned his attention to Janelle who stood next to him, “where did you get chocolate?”
Keeping up with the lie she already told she responded, “my boss gave it to me. I guess he felt sorry for all the overtime I’ve put in lately.”
He raised an eyebrow as he looked for the truth in her eyes. Elan knew better than to take a simple explanation from Janelle at face value. He knew she was lying because she looked away quickly. However he wasn’t going to press her for the truth just yet.
“I’ve got some good news.” he said mostly to his son, “I’m going to quit trucking and start my own business. Tomorrow I’m going to the new business and development board to get the paperwork started.”
“Well that sounds exciting, Elan. What are you going to do?” Tashanda asked.
“Medicine. Medicinal medicine but manufactured in bulk. I heard they have a loan process through the new banking systems and I’ve been going over the numbers in my head these past few days. After I outlined a plan I thought, why the hell not?”
Jacob stood up and hugged his father, “does that mean you’ll be home all the time now?”
Elan looked down at Jacob who was growing rapidly and almost as tall as him, “yeah, that’s exactly what it means. And I was thinking son, maybe you want to help me?”
“That would be great, dad. You know I want to learn medicine.” Jacob said enthusiastically. He wanted to follow in his father’s steps and keep their traditions alive.
Just then Janelle chimed in, “hold on you two. Jacob needs to finish high school and then there’s college. He can’t be working full time making medicine. I want him to go to college and get a degree. It’s an opportunity we have now and I want him to take advantage of it.”
Elan looked at her, his eyes meeting her own. She stood with arms crossed in a typical Janelle staunch of firm authority. “Well he can still go to school. We have the opportunity to make our own destiny now, own businesses, make more than what we’re told we can make. I would appreciate you not standing in the way of this and I’ll not stand in the way of school. He can do both.” He looked at Jacob, “right son?”
“Right, dad.”
“Alright then, you two. Have at it.”
Jacob high fived his dad.
“But just because I said it’s ok for him to do both, doesn't mean schoolwork has to suffer. I still expect good grades, Jacob.”
“Don’t worry mom. I will.” Jacob said, smiling.
The next morning Janelle woke to the sound of crows outside her window sill. Annoyed, she got up and knocked on the window. They flew away and found another window sill to harass with their crowing. Something lay heavy on her mind. She dressed and brushed her teeth and hair while the rest of the family slept in. She thought over and over again of her time spent in the past. Fleeting, yet the memory could not fade to the backdrop. It called to her and she longed for the taste of adventure.
Reminded of how invigorating it was to step out of the Portalis Minor and into a new world, beckoned her. Jacob stirred in his bed and as he woke up, Janelle kissed his forehead.
“Where are you going?” He asked.
“I’ll be back in a bit. Going to take a little walk to think.”
He lay back down, satisfied with her response and fell back to sleep. She exited the quiet apartment. The hallway was still and not a sound was heard save for the elevator arriving to carry her away. Outside the air was crisp and she stuck her hands in her jacket pocket. She wore a colorful beanie and matching scarf. Her eyes gazed upon the familiar streets and the city that had not yet stirred to life.
She walked towards the train station. Everything was the same but different. A new vigor of an unforeseen future lay ahead. It excited and frightened her all the same. As she entered an empty train car she thought of Elan and his sudden declaration. Business man? He was always good with numbers and a suit would look stunning on his muscular frame.
Despite their differences and how far they’ve grown apart over the last 3 years, she was happy for him. She wished him well in his endeavour. The enthusiasm in Jacob was contagious and she too now sought her own destiny. If Elan could courageously take a chance, then she could too. If the world of opportunity suddenly opened up for her son who had so much potential, shouldn’t there be a little for her as well?
She exited the train and walked down the empty street. There wasn’t a sole in sight but it didn’t matter. She enjoyed the moment she had to be locked in her own head. Up ahead, her destination came into view. She didn’t know what to expect but she welcomed the experience of possibility. A few automobiles sat in the small parking lot of the building, including a genuine gasoline powered Lincoln Continental.
She rang the doorbell and waited patiently for someone to answer. Moments later, Jasper opened the door, surprised to see her. His hair was as wild as ever but he didn’t look like he had been sleeping.
“Hello.” She said, “I came to speak with Will.”
“Ah, Janelle, I see you did make it out alive after all.” Jasper said as he let her inside. “I thought Mr. Proper was BS-ing me when he said he ran into you here. You know, when you came back from the past to the other past to save your sister. How’s she doing, anyway?”
“Fine. It was a success.”
A group of 4 men sat around a set of computers. Will was amongst them as well as the suited gentleman she assumed was Mr. Proper, the same man she met at the warehouse in the past.
“Miss Paisley, I’m so glad to see you.” Will exclaimed as the other men paused to acknowledge her presence. Will came around and shook her hand. “Let me introduce you. I know you’ve already had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Proper but not properly.” He said with a chuckle.
The other two men went back into their discussion. Jasper joined them, scrutinizing the computer screen. Today Mr. Proper wore a grey 3-piece suit with a blue tie and white undershirt. His round-rimmed glasses sat comfortably on his nose. His moustache looked as impeccable as ever and this time he puffed on a brown brandy billiard pipe. The smell of tobacco filled the air.
“Ah, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Paisley.” Mr. Proper said, giving her a firm handshake. “We didn’t have time for discussion last time I saw you but I do ask now, how was your journey?”
“It was interesting.”
“Any nausea, vomiting, strange dreams, trouble eating, diarrhea, asphyxiation, or alternate personality disorders?”
A few chuckles came from the group of men at the computer as Mr. Proper waited for an answer with a straight face.
“Um, no but I did get a little nauseous on my way into the past.”
“Ah, very well.” He said, puffing his pipe again. “What brings you here today, Miss Paisley?”
She cleared her throat, “well I was wondering if you have a job for me. You see, I’ve seen what this machine can do-”
“You mean Big Baby?”
“Yes, that and I can’t go back to life as normal. I know there’s so much more out there and I want to be a part of it.”
He looked over at Will and then back to her. “A part of what, Miss Paisley?”
She wondered for a second if she were making a fool of herself. For a moment she second-guessed why she was even there. She looked over at the Portalis Minor. It stood peaceful and still, powerful and mysteriously intriguing. “I want to be a part of this. I want to travel through time and see the world I’ve never seen.”
“So you want to work for me, then?”
“Yes, I suppose I do.”
“You do realize that there’s much more involved than just jumping through time. These are delicate operations that include days, weeks, months of planning. There’s aptitude, fitness, and mental capabilities and tests to consider. My team is not a motley crew of enthusiasts but a strategically, hand picked group of individuals that are reliable and honest. They have a stern set of morals and principles that cannot be bent or broken. There are rules we must govern our very life by-”
“Hey Proper, you gonna keep blowing steam up her ass all day? It’s getting kind of musty in here. Someone open a window, Proper’s gone full steam ahead.” Mr. Wonderful shouted before laughing out loud. Jasper and the other man laughed as well while Will cracked a smile.
Mr. Proper grinned, “as I was saying, Miss Paisley, I don’t admit just anyone to work with me. You must be properly vetted.”
“Well I am vetted.” She said, assuredly, “you already sent me back in time and I never once said anything about this place or what I did to anyone. I’ve proven that I can not only withstand time travel but I’m trustworthy as well. Besides, you need a woman on your team.”
He gasped, “a woman? Why on earth would you think that?”
She grinned and placed her hands on her hips, “look, I can carry my own weight and I can prove my worth. Just give me a chance and I’ll make it the best decision you ever made. Plus, you can even scan my card and see that I’ve never been to jail, I rarely call in sick, and I’m always on time. I’m dependable.”
He considered the offer while Mr. Wonderful chimed in again, “I don’t know Proper, she sounds pretty convincing.”
Janelle looked over at the dark haired man with a clean shaven face. He winked an eye at her while he grinned with approval.
“I have scanned your card. I already know everything there is to know about you.”
“When was this?” She asked, perplexed at the invasion of privacy.
“Why, sometime after Will recruited your sister into the uprising.” he said thoughtfully holding the pipe to his mouth, “yes, it was right around the time you attended your first meeting at that opium den in Bethune.”
“That was it.” Will said with a nod.
“I know you are in good health, and yes you are also a good employee with no marks against your record. I know you have two sisters and both parents are alive and well. I know you have a son with a gang leader, yet you are not a member of any gang. That is a rarity where you come from considering they were the means of protection during the Faction for your people. And yes, you have proven yourself worthy, many times over, including the times you assisted with the escape of Darius Reem.”
He puffed on the pipe again before continuing, “unfortunately we can’t run around calling you Janelle Paisley. You’ll need an alias. Mine you know is Mr. Proper. Jasper is just Jasper and Will is still Will but when it comes to the Portalis team, we all go by aliases.” He gestured to the man with the big hazel eyes, “he is Mr. Wonderful.”
Mr. Wonderful stood up, tall and well built with golden tanned skin. He wore a plain white shirt and jeans, his thick dark brown wavy hair sat carelessly on his mid-fade head. He walked assuredly of himself and something in his eyes reminded her of Elan - a dangerous glare. He stuck out his hand and she noticed the roughness of his firm handshake. His hands were those that had seen work and had done many things.
“Wonderful is our arms specialist and resident smart-ass.” Mr. Proper explained. “He’s keen on nonsense and absurdity but makes up for his shortsightedness with his expertise in weapons and tact. He’s a former soldier as is Mr. Romantic.”
The other man stood up, ready for his own introduction. He had long curly eyelashes that framed his almond shaped brilliantly green eyes. His chestnut skin and full lips suggested that he came from a mixed bloodline of white and black heritage. He dressed neatly in a pressed grey shirt and slacks and almost as distinguished as Mr. Proper but more relaxed. His hands weren’t as coarse as Mr. Wonderful’s and his handshake was more inviting and delicate. Going a step further he actually kissed the back of her hand.
“I was actually a major. Unlike the grunt here.” Romantic said in a distinguished voice, taking a shot at Wonderful who smirked back but said nothing. “Anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you.” She said, a little taken aback by the gesture. “it’s nice to meet you both.”
“Well now, Miss Paisley. Welcome aboard.” Mr. Proper said through a cloud of smoke.