Читать книгу Hunter's Redemption - Eleni P Sianis - Страница 6

CHAPTER 2

WESLEY

There is a supernatural force within the workings of love that none of us, not even scientists, can deny.

—Ken Poirot

Up the wooden staircase and down a short narrow hallway, Mason’s bedroom door opens to dark-gray tones and contemporary decor apart from an old desk Hannah said was passed down for generations of Hunters. Mason always loved the desk with its thick legs resembling tree trunks and asked to keep it in his room. The desk was carved to look like the bark of a tree, and the desktop’s grain was detailed and rich in color. The best part is the chessboard inlaid on the desktop. Mason’s admiration for it gave him a strong desire to have it close to him.

Mason lay on the striped navy-blue-and-gray comforter on his bed. He opens his laptop and searches YouTube. Lately, he is enamored with Cage the Elephant’s “Cold Cold Cold.” While listening to singer Matt Shultz plead out the lyrics, Mason scans each book on his shelf with his eyes, including, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Farewell to Arms, The Things They Carried, and his current book, Fahrenheit 451. He contemplates picking it up but feels distracted. Mason can’t seem to focus enough to read or do his endless homework.

Looking around his room, he sees his hockey jersey hanging out of the hamper and makes a mental note to throw it in the wash before his next game on Saturday. Hockey is Mason’s best outlet from the ghosts in his home and the daily torment he feels at school. There is no replacement for the adrenaline rush he feels as he races to get to the flying puck before his opponent. He lets his mind drift into a daydream of winning the Stanley Cup and imagines the fame and fortune that would naturally follow even though he plays on a house league and never even made it to a competitive travel team.

Revved up by his daydream, Mason gets down on the ground and begins doing push-ups. His routine is ten push-ups, hold plank position for thirty seconds, and then mountain climbers for thirty seconds. He repeats this as many times as he could. Standing up, he looks at his arms in the mirror, noting some increased definition in the past few months.

Suddenly, Mason hears a Zippo lighter flick open, and the glow of a cigarette appears. Sitting at Mason’s heavy desk is a man in his midforties. He is a large man with full lips and shining brown eyes.

With a heavy Southern accent, the spirit’s introduction comes out slow and drawn out. “Aahm Wesley. Aahm here to help you, boy.”

He takes a drag of his cigarette and stands up. Mason notices that the man is wearing a dark-gray pin-striped suit in the fashion of a Southern gentleman. The gold chain of a pocket watch is hanging elegantly from his trousers.

“Where did you come from?” Mason asks.

“Same place as awll of your uninvited guests. But aahm not heeah because your mama summoned me, boy. Aahm heeah fow you and aah have waited a looong time fow ma prodigy to come of age. An’ now, well, heeah we both awe, of sound body and mind!”

He lets out a roaring laugh as he lays his left hand on his heaving belly. This figure, which doesn’t look like a ghost but a real man, has the strongest supernatural presence that Mason has ever felt. A force to be reckoned with, for sure, but whether or not that force is for good or evil, Mason can’t tell. Nonetheless, at this first introduction, he is intrigued.

“There is so much aah need to show you.” Wesley puts his hand on Mason’s shoulder, and suddenly the two of them are transported to a different place and time. Mason finds himself surrounded by breathtaking oak trees. Some of their thick branches curve upward toward the blue sky and others extend outward. Moss hangs from the branches so low it nearly dips into the most reflective pond Mason has ever seen. The surface of the pond is an exact replica of the colorful azaleas, daffodils, and camellias growing all around.

“Welcome to Charleston, South Carolina. This is the plantation where aah was born and raised. Life in South Carolina in the 1920s was rough. In 1921, the boll weevil migration to the cotton fields of South Carolina from Mexico wiped out the sea island cotton crop. We endured years of drought. Farmlands had lost half their value, and one third of the state’s farms were mortgaged.

“Aah was only twenty-one years old then, just a few years older than you, and next in line, after my older brother William, to inherit the plantation. The previous year, our father caught malaria and passed on. William took control of the plantation with his pretty new bride, Grace. That summer, Grace’s cousin, Charlotte, from Boston came to stay with us. One look at her and aah was in love. The first evening of her stay, Charlotte sang for us. Boy, this girl sang like a nightingale. Aah swore to myself that aah would not go a single day on this earth without hearing that voice, so help me God.

“Charlotte and aah would stroll through the gardens on the plantation most afternoons. Those are my most cherished memories. One particular such day, Charlotte wore the most exquisite green dress that brought out the green in her greenish blue eyes. We walked on the dirt path along the pond, with bright camellias occasionally brushing our necks and yellah daffodils up to our knees.

“She told me how she loved the movies and wanted nothing more than to be a famous Hollywood actress. Whenever and as often as she could, Charlotte would go to the movies. Sometimes, we went together. Her favorite was The Queen of Sheba, a silent film about the ill-fated romance between Solomon, King of Israel, and the Queen of Sheba. Charlotte loved the lavish costumes and performances by Betty Blythe and Fritz Leiber. Aah loved when Charlotte would reenact scenes from the film with over-the-top drama, often falling into my arms as aah caught her after a near miss.”

Mason listens carefully as the large Southern gentleman rambles on about his life. Mason knows that this story will have some tragic ending, otherwise, this soul would be resting peacefully. Mason considers ending this charade as he had heard at least a dozen of these tales…although this was the first time a spirit made first contact entirely on its own, rather than having been summoned by Hannah via request of the deceased’s family. This spirit had been dead a long time and was not one of those recently departed. Plus, Mason had never been transported anywhere by a ghost. How was this possible? No one in his family had ever described traveling to a different time and place via a ghost. Why is this happening, and why did this ghost choose Mason?

Wesley continues with his story. “It was one autumn evening that would change our lives forever. The day was unusually hot for that time of year as it must have been over ninety-five degrees. After dinner, Charlotte and aah thought we might catch a breeze on a late-night stroll. As we walked, we heard music coming from somewhere far off. We listened carefully and picked up the sounds of guitar, saxophone, and drums…it was jazz. We had heard it be-fo-wah, but as we followed the music, we heard people too. They were dancing what today y’all call the Charleston. The Charleston had only recently gained some popularity here in South Carolina, although most places banned it.

“We walked up to the slaves’ cabin located in the southeast end of the plantation, opened the door, and walked inside. The music stopped when they saw us, but Charlotte started to hum, tap her feet, and dance without music. Aah stood there, motionless, speechless. The drummer started to play and each musician, after seeing that aah did not object, also began to play. In a minute, everyone was in full swing again. Charlotte pulled me close and said, ‘It’s four basic steps, arms swinging loosely in the opposite direction of the legs. This is amazing!’ She smiled, and aah couldn’t resist joining her in this uninhibited dance.

“The next morning over breakfast, Charlotte oozed excitement as she described the evening in detail to Grace and William. ‘I never felt so alive! The music was incredible, it was like the drums were beating in my chest…’ Grace, looking shocked, snapped out of her frozen state and interrupted Charlotte, ‘Wait, are you telling me you were inside the slaves’ cabins, dancing? Wesley, you allowed this? Do you know how bad this makes us look?’ William added, ‘Aah don’t believe this, Wesley. How are we supposed to run a plantation if we are dancing with our own field hands!’ Charlotte and aah followed William as he stormed angrily around the corner into his office.” William slammed his hand on the wooden desk in front of him.

Mason has been watching this story unfold with Wesley beside him relaying occasional bits and pieces of information. But now, Mason’s focus shifts to the same desk William’s hand has come down hard on. He recognizes that wood grain, and as his eyes travel around and down the side of the desk, the legs are unmistakably the same as those of the desk in Mason’s bedroom. Wesley notices Mason’s realization and states, “It’s the same desk, an antique now.”

“But I don’t understand, how did your desk end up in my room? Is that what brought you here?” Mason asks.

“Heavens no. The desk did not bring me to you. Aah made sure the desk would end up in good hands. Aah chose you not just to be the owner of the beloved desk my father built but for what you must do. That which aah was unable to complete in my life.”

“I don’t understand,” Mason says the words slowly with an obvious tone of annoyance.

“Patience, Mason. You will see and you will understand,” Wesley replies.

Wesley continues with his tale. “Irritated, Charlotte told William and Grace that she could never live the way they do, with their rigid rules, orders, and obligations. William explained that she was too young and apparently too naive to understand what it means to be an adult with responsibilities. ‘If y’all lived as free as y’all would like, there’d be no plantation or money to buy y’all fancy dresses and tickets to movies and trips to all parts of the country in the finest trains,’ he said.

“As the argument heated, Charlotte stormed out, and aah headed out after her. When we were finally alone, we were sitting on her silken chase lounge. She was upset and more beautiful than ever. With the sunlight coming in through the window and her eyes glistening, aah leaned in and kissed her, slowly. Her anger had made her lips unusually warm, and aah placed my hand above her chest. It was so warm, and aah could feel her every breath…steady and then intensify slightly. Charlotte wasn’t shy, not ever. As she pulled away from our kiss, Charlotte looked in my eyes, and aah swear she could see right into my soul. With the most serious expression, she said, ‘Let’s leave together. We do not belong at this plantation.’

“After a long discussion with William and Grace, they agreed that Charlotte and aah travel together to Boston, Massachusetts, with one condition: that we travel as a couple, engaged to be married. In those years, a young woman’s reputation and prospects for marrying well would be greatly diminished if it became known that she traveled with a man not her relative or fiancé, or husband, and her virtue questioned. William had already given Grace our mother’s engagement ring, but there was another ring in our mother’s jewelry box with an onyx stone set in a platinum band with small diamond surrounding it.”

Mason looks on as a young Wesley presents the ring to Charlotte, and then says, “It’s like the night sky that goes on forever, like my love for you. Marry me, Charlotte.” Charlotte smiles and says yes as Wesley slides the ring on her slender finger.

“We traveled by train to Boston. Diesel trains didn’t make it to America from Europe until the 1930s, so we were fortunate to have lived during the era of steam locomotives. Although employees of the railroad companies were on strike quite often for higher wages at that time, the steam trains themselves were quite an experience. The South was known fo-wah having the most beautiful depots and railroad facilities. George Pullman was an acquaintance of mine and made sure Charlotte and I were given an exclusive tour of the parlor, diner, and best sleepers his Pullman Palace Car Company built for the train.

“We stood on the platform waiting for the train as its cylinder and piston cranked loudly to a full stop. Smoke pumped out from the chimney and floated like shadows all around us. A hot breeze from the smokestack blew past, bringing with it a smell of metal and coal so sharp you could almost taste it. Charlotte stood quietly, holding a handkerchief to her mouth. We stepped onto the train along with at least fifty other passengers, found our red velvet covered seats and soon heard the chuga, chuga, chuga, chuga, chug of the engines pushing the train onward. The experience of crossing trestles and going through tunnels just to emerge out to a glorious countryside felt like defying gravity and time. It was autumn, and the weather had finally cooled. The trees presented a firestorm of colors, and I noticed Charlotte watching the scene go by. Her large eyes reminded me of a deer seeking shelter near a lake when a forest is ablaze.

“It was on the train to Boston that we met Adrian Blake. Adrian appeared to be the most quintessential 1920s gentleman. Clean-shaven with a homburg hat, dark wool suit with herringbone pattern, and two-tone Oxford shoes. He was in his late twenties then, and aah must admit, he had a smile that shone a mile away, especially when he first laid his eyes on Charlotte.

“‘Pardon me, sir. Are the two of you staying in Chicago?’ Adrian asked as the train rattled along.

“‘One day to see Chicago and one night at the Palmer House. From there ’tis onward to Boston,’ aah replied.

“‘Boston! My, that is where I am headed. I have an idea for a new movie but need the right leading lady.” With that, Adrian turned and smiled at Charlotte.

“Her eyes lit up as she gently touched my elbow but leaned in toward Adrian with the next bump of the train on its tracks. ‘What’s the movie about?’ she inquired.

“Adrian told us about his big idea fo-wah a movie. It was a story set in a small town about a beautiful ballet dancer who falls fo-wah her dance instructor but gets sidetracked by some mischievous other dancers in the group. Eventually, she finds her strength and leaves alone fo-wah New York City where she becomes a famous dancer.

“When we arrived at the Palmer House in Chicago, aah was in awe of the majestic beauty of the place. Incredibly high and intricately painted ceilings soared above various well-dressed people. There were winged statue candelabras taller than myself. Don’t forget, at that time, aah hadn’t traveled that far away from Charleston, and Chicago was very different. It was bigger, faster, and so alive.

“An attractive lady around twenty-five years of age came up to Charlotte in the hotel lobby and complimented her scarf. She was slender with blond hair and hazel eyes. She reminded me of a picture of a French lady aah had seen as a boy. Her eyebrows so perfectly arched they might as well have been drawn by hand. Her high cheekbones sat on either side of her small upturned nose. Her coat and hat were burgundy, and her gloves and scarf deep purple. For some reason, aah still remember the pin in her coat lapel. It was a dragonfly with ruby stones. She turned toward Charlotte and enthusiastically exclaimed ‘That emerald-green color is very becoming on you! Isn’t the Palmer House just divine? Is this your first time in Chicago?’

“‘Yes, it is. I’m Charlotte,” she replies with an outstretched hand. The two women look pretty as they stand side by side. Farah, a classic beauty, and my Charlotte, her fiery green eyes giving away her adventurous spirit, try as she might to play the part of a Southern damsel.

“‘Hi, Charlotte, I’m Farah. Have you heard that the World’s Fair will return to Chicago in April of 1925?’

“‘No, I haven’t. I remember some talk between my parents and their friends about the last World’s Fair. I think it was in 1892 or 1893…’

“‘Well, this time, they are going to call it the Women’s World Fair to celebrate our right to vote and how different the world has become for women. I was just a little girl then, but I still remember going with my family on July 4, and there were absolutely no female speakers. The world is changing, thank goodness. I would like to become involved in the planning and organizing of our Women’s Fair, and you have to come back for it!’

“‘It sounds fantastic. Actually, I came here with my friends, and we are planning on making a movie about a dancer who moves to New York…but maybe we can change the set to Chicago during the fair. I’m sure it will make for a beautiful backdrop.’

“‘A movie! Wow, that’s incredible. I love movies.’

“That’s how the friendship between Charlotte and Farah began.”

Suddenly, Mason hears a knock on a door and Hannah’s voice. “Mason?” With that, Mason is immediately transported back to his bedroom as if nothing had happened.

“Yes, Mom?” he replies.

“What do you feel like having for dinner? I didn’t get a chance to make anything tonight, so we can order something for delivery, or I can pick it up. Italian?”

Not mentioning anything he had seen and trying to look as normal as possible, Mason thinks for a second about what he wanted to eat. “Let’s go Greek tonight. I’m craving Avgolemono soup and grilled octopus.”

“Perfect. Should I add an order of lamb chops?” Hannah asks.

“Sounds good, Mom,” Mason replies as Hannah smiled and walked out of the room. Mason waits a minute before getting up to close the door again. The moment he turns around, he is back at the Palmer House with Wesley, watching like a ghost as Wesley continues to narrate his story.

“Charlotte and aah were wed on a picturesque snowy January day in Boston in 1924. The event was spectacular, and Charlotte looked more dazzling than evah. Her wedding headpiece had diamonds that covered half her head, and her bouquet dripped down to the flo-wah. William and Grace rode the train in from South Carolina, along with a few aunts, uncles, and cousins. Grace said that she had never felt cold like winter in Boston befo-wah and couldn’t find anything warm enough to wear in the stores in Charleston. While the Southerners complained about the cold, they were few as most of our guests were Charlotte’s friends and family who lived nearby. Nonetheless, it was obvious to see who was from the south and who was from the north as us Southerners prefer to wear lighter colors while the northerners prefer deeper tones, and their women all had their hands in fur muffs to keep warm.

“The Vine Mansion where we celebrated our wedding was decorated with enormous ice sculptures and fountains of champagne poured in pyramids of champagne flutes. The chandeliers sparkled, and our guests seemed to share our excitement. All in all, we had around one hundred guests or so. The music was fast and loud. We all danced the Charleston to a live band. Charlotte, Farah, Lillian Tolbert, Adrian, and aah must have danced fo-wah hours before the final guest left. The five of us remained at the end, and instead of a wedding night alone with my wife, we were laughing and drinking before passing out upstairs in one of the mansion’s great rooms.

“Everywhere we went, it seemed that the universe was conspiring to help Charlotte succeed. Meeting Adrian on the train, arriving in Chicago, meeting Farah, the Women’s Fair, it was all in her favor. We continued on to Boston, but the ladies kept in touch and would later work together not only in planning the Women’s World Fair, but Adrian agreed to give Farah a small part in his movie. In Adrian’s movie, Farah played one of the mischievous dancers who took Charlotte’s character out fo-wah too many drinks the night before a big audition, causing that character to almost fail the audition.

“Aah still remember the ladies’ excitement years later at the Women’s Fair, on April 18, 1925, when they heard Lillian give her speech. Ms. Tolbert was a big hit. She was a black inventor who devised a new kind of pitcher that kept ice separate in the core to keep drinks cold, called the Tolbert Pitcher. Ms. Tolbert beamed as she explained that the only man who had anything to do with her invention was the attorney at the patent office. Charlotte and Farah began discussing the possibility that a movie could be written, directed, and produced entirely by women. Aah thought it was cute. The three ladies became very good friends and quite an attractive threesome walking into several parties at the most coveted bars and restaurants of our time.

“Aah financed Adrian’s first movie production, in its entirety. And the movie, which Adrian titled simply, Born to Dance, did rather well at the box office. More importantly, it skyrocketed me into the world of movie production. Adrian came up with several more film ideas and wanted Charlotte to star in them. Aah financed two more of Adrian’s films, but other movie writers began sending me scripts. Better scripts. It broke my heart to turn down Adrian’s next script, and it upset Charlotte quite a bit, seeing that the two had become quite accustomed to working together. That, plus Charlotte felt we owed Adrian some kind of loyalty. As far as aah was concerned, it was time to move on from Adrian. Our initial meeting on the train turned out to be fo-wah our mutual benefit. Adrian could not have gotten his first script to the big screen without me, and aah got my first start in the movie business. That’s all.

“During that time, Charlotte and aah quarreled quite often, usually because Adrian was constantly discussing his ideas with her, but then when he presented them to me, aah had to turn them down. Charlotte was smitten with him. The way Adrian became overly excited about each film idea and his description of the role he created in each one especially fo-wah her. Aah overheard them discussing work more than once and, combined with a Gin Rickey, or two, it was just bad fo-wah business. Slowly, Adrian’s drinking got out of hand. It was a shame to see a man fall so hard. He stopped writing scripts, and we began to see less and less of him.

“Aah produced and directed multiple films Charlotte starred in. She became quite famous. A few months after filming her fifth film, Charlotte became pregnant. We welcomed our daughter, Clara. She had beautiful gray-blue eyes and her mother’s reddish-blond hair. Charlotte spent as much time as she could with Clara her first year and then began preparing fo-wah our next film. We were busy all day every day. It was difficult fo-wah us leaving Clara with a nanny so often those days, but Charlotte was worried that she would not be able to revive her career after having a baby if she waited too long.

“Unfortunately, Charlotte was never able to complete filming. On July 3, 1925, Charlotte and aah, along with Lillian and Farah with their dates, went to the Pickwick Club, a speakeasy, at Six Beach Street in downtown Boston. Even Adrian was there and congratulated us on the birth of our baby. We hugged and let bygones be bygones. Around 3:00 a.m. of July 4, there were still over one hundred people at the Pickwick. McGlennon’s jazz orchestra was on the bandstand. Aah can still hear Johnny Duffy singing ‘Twelfth Street Rag.’ People were out on the flo-wah dancing and having a great time. Adrian pulled me outside to discuss his next idea fo-wah a movie away from the loud music.

“We stood outside smoking a cigar while Adrian shared with me his idea about two friends who become real estate tycoons and relocate to Florida where they build massive mansions and live lavish lifestyles until they fall in love with the same woman. Ultimately, the two men almost destroy everything they built together before they realize the woman was playing both of them.

“Adrian was completely immersed in telling the story when we heard the strangest sound, like a bag of sugar falling on paper. People started yelling from inside the club. Adrian and aah ran in but plaster was falling over our heads…”

“Mason! Dinner’s here!” Hannah shouts from the bottom of the stairs of their home.

The Pickwick Club disappears, and Mason is once again in his room. He hurries downstairs to help Hannah set the table. Mason decides he did not want to share any of his experience with Wesley, in case Hannah overreacted and made much ado about nothing. So as he sits there eating his soup, Hannah asks him about his homework and if he had any big school projects coming up. They discuss their weekend plans, and Mason says that he would go see a movie with James and a few other guys from the hockey team.

Hannah reminds Mason that if he ever needed a way out of a difficult situation with his friends, to text her their code phrase: “Did you remember to feed Belle?” That is the name of their pet parrot and signals for Hannah to go pick up Mason. It was Hannah’s way of protecting Mason from underage drinking or drugs. If Mason feels pressured to do something he knew he shouldn’t, he would text the code phrase to Hannah to alert her of the situation. To date, Mason hasn’t used the code.

When dinner is over, Mason tells Hannah that he had a few more chapters to read for history class and went back upstairs. As if he hasn’t missed a beat, Wesley reappears in Mason’s room and transports them back to the Pickwick Club. He continued his story.

“Adrian ran ahead into the club, but aah couldn’t get in, and after a few minutes of trying to make my way through the people and falling plaster, the ceiling collapsed, the floor gave way, and two sidewalls caved in. Aah barely made it back outside when the whole building came crashing down. Aah panicked and prayed in frozen fear that Charlotte made it out from a back door somehow, but aah never saw her again. Charlotte and Adrian were among the forty-four people who died that night. The lead singer, Johnny Duffy, died too, leaving behind two little daughters of his own.

“The City of Boston blamed the collapse on the rigorous dancing and banned the Charleston dance rather than looking at the structural integrity of the building or occupancy levels. It took some time before it was revealed that a fire had occurred three months before and badly damaged the floors above the club. The building should never have reopened after the fire. Rainwater pooled on the roof, and the building collapsed. The city employees involved were indicted on various charges, but all were acquitted.

“Clara was only eighteen months old when her mamma passed. She has no recollection of her and knows her only from the movies she starred in. Clara watched those films over and over again as a little girl. In my grief, aah took Clara on a ferry ride where we could be on the water, away from the world. The ferryboat stopped at Peaks Island. Aah raised Clara, your great-grandmother, right here in this house.”

Mason was stunned. It was quite an incredible story revealing that Charlotte’s daughter was his great-grandmother. So Wesley was his great-great-grandfather? It was a lot to take in, and Mason realized that Hannah had never told him much about their family history other than that their family had been in Peaks Island and the East Coast for decades. Hannah was an only child of a couple who tried for many years to conceive a child and claimed it was a miracle when Hannah was born to her mother at age forty-five. Mason remembered his grandparents but did not know much about family members who lived before they did.

“Aah have plans fo-wah a new movie, Mason. Aah have big dreams fo-wah you.”

“Why do you want to help me, Wesley? Why aren’t you resting peacefully in the ever after? Your story was sad, but you made a mistake in choosing me. Hannah is the one who tries to help souls with unfinished business. I am not interested in hanging out with the dead. My mom is the one you should talk to. Thanks, but no thanks.”

“That’s why aah want you, Mason. It’s that fire you have inside. Hannah is soft and sweet, not movie director material.”

“Wait, so you want me to be a movie director? Oh my god!” Mason starts laughing. “I can’t believe this. I can’t believe I am talking with a ghost who wants to turn me into a movie director, and I haven’t even graduated high school yet.”

Wesley went on, “Look here now, you think you want to be an author, right? Well, many people do too but very, and I mean very, few people actually succeed in getting a book published and actually make a living off of writing books. You have a creative mind and can imagine all kinds of stories…you need to use that creativity and channel it into making movies. That’s where the fame and fortune lies.”

Mason is excited by the idea of being a famous movie director. Flashes of himself as a famous, adored, and envied movie director enter his mind, and he revels in the daydream for a few seconds, but he is quickly pulled back into the reality that he is still in his own bedroom and, what’s worse, he is talking to a ghost. Maybe he is a freak after all. Mason decides he had had enough of this craziness.

“Let me show you…” Wesley begins to explain, but Mason yells, “Enough!” And with that, he lets his anger build up inside him. With the energy from his anger, Mason raises his hand and makes a pushing motion. Wesley falls backward and disappears.

Alone in his room again, Mason feels a quiet unease and then like something is crawling on his skin. It is the feeling of shame and disappointment. Mason has always envisioned himself as someone famous. If he were famous, he would be able to prove himself as someone to admire, rather than someone to taunt. But trying to achieve fame as a movie director via a ghost’s advice just confirmed his weirdness. He turns his attention back to YouTube. He types in “I’ve Got No Roots,” and Alice Merton’s music video pops up. As the music begins, he raises the volume and dives into the images on the screen, trying to forget about Wesley, Charlotte, and the entire story he had heard only minutes before.